By ChristineStah August 24, 2015
I would be shopping here on holidays. I love the things they are selling, most are rare products you can't simply find elsewhere. ...read more
By Anonymous August 13, 2014
I placed an order over the phone today at Pilcher's. It was so nice to find an item I was looking for and to receive great assistance from the store's owner. Thanks Mary! ...read more
By Anonymous July 28, 2014
made me feel well, like a kid in a candyshop ...read more
Robert J. Samuelson write an excellent article in the June 11th Omaha Wiorld-Herald.http://www.omaha.com/article/20120611/NEWS0802/706119983/-1entitled 'College for all' not making grade. His article is right on the money. Once upon a time you could tell a person was educated by the way he (or she) spoke. (It didn't always mean he had a formal college education). Some of us read and studied on our own.But, for the most part you could tell who had a college degree and who didn't. That isn't the way it is anymore. We spend tremendous amounts of money on education and don't always get our money's worth. So, how can we cut costs and take better care of our students? 1. Stop paying teachers based on the number of pieces of paper they collect. Advanced degrees do not guarantee a better teacher. (Any teacher who can teach and survive in a classroom with 7th and 8th graders should receive hazardous duty pay. They earn it.) 2. Teachers should be in class teaching students, not shuffling papers and attending meetings and other activities that take them out of their classrooms. And, let qualified students take classes remotely or challenge classes. Everyone doesn't learn the same way at the same speed. 3. Eliminate the requirement to have a degree to teach K-12. Require an internship and specialized teacher training, but get rid of the degree requirement. A degree means nothing to a 6 or 7 year old child. An adult who takes an interest in them and is able to get through to them and bring out the best in them is what they need and want. 4. Set standards and leave students and teachers alone who meet or exceed the schools standards. Concentrate on dealing with the troublemakers and those teachers who aren't up to speed. 5. Fund schools based on academic achievement, not on how many kids they have trapped in classrooms every day. 6. Beef up the High School GED and require everyone to pass it before getting a diploma. And, let any student take the High School GED test once a year, at no charge. If he passes he gets his diploma. Make the HS GED a true equivalent to sitting in a classroom for four or more years. 7. College bound students should take junior college classes in place of their 11th and 12 grade classes. If this is done and high standards are required and enforced, students entering college will not be taking remedial classes to catch up and the cost of a college degree will be lower. 8. As Mr. Samuelson explains in his article, college isn't for everyone. Non college bound students should be attending trade schools or taking courses that teach them skills appropriate to their abilities and interests. ROTC programs should be available, whenever possible, for those interested in joining the military. 9. Deal forcefully with anyone who is disruptive or a bully and remove them from the public school system until they learn to behave. (Dealing with young children by giving them drugs to keep then quiet and under control is not a good long term solution.) 10. Stop government student loans. Take the money out of the educational system. Public colleges should be free to anyone who has the ability, drive and discipline to obtain a degree. Stop admitting students just to get their government money. Setup programs where students can earn money for living expenses and make part of their college education working in the field they are studying. 11. Admit that we are wasting time and money coming up with new programs for high school and college students. After making it through K-8 or 9, many of them are not prepared for high school level work and responsibilities. Changes need to start in the first grade or earlier. And, school needs to be treated as school, not just a place to keep kids off the streets while their parents are trying to make a living. True teachers teach because they love to teach. They also need to be paid a fair wage so they can raise their families, live in a decent home or apartment and be able to afford a vacation once in a while. Unions and managers need to sit down and negotiate on what is best for their students and what is fair to their teachers. It is that simple and also that difficult. Most of us want what is best for our students who are the future of our country and we want our good teachers compensated for the excellent work they do. School officials, teachers and unions need to sit stop fighting turf wars and work together. Figure out what can be done in K-6 first. Clean that up and make it work. Then take the lessons learned and apply them to grades 7-10. By the time they are ready to seriously reform grades 11 and 12, students will be prepared and ready to learn. ...read more
By RWR Innovations LLC (Your Melissa & Doug store) June 12, 2012
There is a story in the latest issue of my local Better Business Bureau newsletter about a woman who had a 16 month online relationship with a man who cheated her out of $7,600.http://mobile.bbb.org/article/BBB-Warns-of-Online-Dating-Scams--Local-Woman-Is-Heartbroken-and-7600-Poorer-34132If you are single and run a business you may be tempted to give the online scene a try. I hope it works for you, but be very, very careful.Prominently displayed on your profile is your age. If you are 60, 70, 80 years old, it doesn't matter how well you have taken care of yourself. It will be a deal killer for almost anyone a few years younger than you are. (If you are wealthy you can get a young one and have fun until your money is gone and then she (or he) will probably be gone as well.) It is hard running a business alone and I understand your need for companionship away from your business. But, be careful.I have several online accounts and get emails every day from women who express an interest in me. Unfortunately I am not interested in them. If I date someone, I am comfortable with it being platonic and staying that way until such time, if ever, that she tells me she wants to go to the next level. I want to be with someone who I will say Yes to when and if she asks. Being a male, it has to be someone that is attractive to me, has a voice that I enjoy listening to, is intelligent, can survive a week at Disney World with me, and who can hold her own in a spirited discussion. And, if things went really well, somone I would consider marrying.I received an email from a woman, with a local address, a few weeks ago. She seemed interesting and we started corresponding. Turns out she is living in a foreign country and wants to come back to Omaha but needs a place to live.I was open to this but suspicious. She claimed a connection with a local church so I asked for the name of a church official as a reference to verify she was who she said she was. She immediately came back with an excuse that said she wasn't really active, had her plane ticket and just needed to have a place to live when she returned to the states. I sent one more email which she never answered. (Her picture is still on the dating site.)Last week I received an email inquiry from a company wanting to order several thousand dollars worth of my products. Shipping wasn't a problem as a courier would come to my store and get everything. (That is a red flag.) I emailed back and requested a credit card number, address where the bill is sent and the name and address of the company he represented. I immediately received an email where the sender sounded outraged and demanded to know why I needed this information. I responded and have not received a reply.This happened once before and the order was for $3000. I contacted security at the credit card company and found out the card was stolen. They told me that a small retailer had just processed a very large order using the same card.One other thing to be leery of is companies that guarantee to put you on page 1 of Google and other search engines. Before you say yes, speak to someone you trust who understands SEO (search engine optimization). He or she will probably tell you not to waste your time and money. Sometimes we get lucky and things work out, but, remember the old saying: "Trust but Verify." You work hard for your money, don't let a con artist steal it from you.Ron NixonOwner RWR Innovations LLC ...read more
By RWR Innovations LLC (Your Melissa & Doug store) June 10, 2012
http://www.nj.com/parenting/index.ssf/2012/05/17_year-old_honor_student_jail.html Assuming everything is accurate in this article, it shows how distorted our priorities have become.Yes, parents and guardians should be held accountable for their actions or lack of actions. But there is more to this that needs to be addressed. Based on the facts as given, this young woman is what this nation needs. She has values, takes responsibility and is willing to work hard for what she believes in. It also points out one of the many problems with our educational system. Is this all about money? She is an honor student. If she can keep her grades up (without cheating) why does she have to attend classes? Is it because schools get paid by the number of warm bodies sitting in seats listening to teachers who may be teaching or just droning on and on ... without any requirement for the students to actually learn anything? Is passing out large numbers of, in some cases worthless diplomas based on attendance, more important than creating an environment where students enjoy coming to school and actually learn things that they will use for the rest of their lives? We must stop rewarding schools for "attendance." They need to be rewarded for inspiring students, encouraging them to love to learn and teaching them how to learn for the rest of their lives. Sitting in a classroom all day is not always the best way to learn. Some students need constant attention, assistance and supervision. Give it to them. Some are better off left alone, leave them alone as long as they meet or exceed what they are expected to be learning and they are not getting in trouble breaking the law.Any 6 year old with a cell phone and access to the Internet can get the answer (right or wrong) to just about any question. They need to learn how to filter, evaluate and intelligently use this information. The days of memorize, take a test, forget what you memorized and then do it again are over (or at least should be.) As small business owners we need more potential employees, potential managers and new business owners like this young woman. We dont need potential employees who come to school because they are forced to and then come to us without skills or ambition and expect us to give them a job and a paycheck just for showing up. There is a petition at the end of the article that you may wish to sign.Ron Nixon RWR Innovations LLC ...read more
By RWR Innovations LLC (Your Melissa & Doug store) May 29, 2012
Diamond anniversaries are special they symbolize 60 years of marriage bliss. Many want to celebrate by purchasing gifts for one another and reminiscing about their special wedding day. There are many great ideas marriage couples can purchase for one another on their diamond anniversary. ...read more
Personalized gifts are a great way to make someone feel special, and they are nice for Christmas or birthdays. Almost any item can be personalized. Before you begin making or shopping for your personalized gifts, it is important to know the basics. ...read more
