How to Treat A Jellyfish StingI am lucky enough to live less than two hours away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the country and we take full advantage. During the summer my family makes frequent day trips to the coast and we try to carve out at least one week a year to vacation there with our extended family.

Some of my most treasured memories from childhood occurred by the ocean and it's a place I want Anders and Danica to experience as well. As a kid I did not hesitate to dive headfirst into the water - the heat of a mid-summer day in the South demands it - but as an adult I have to admit I find myself creeping suspiciously towards the water's edge and dipping only a toe in before opting instead to seek refuge in the shade with a cold beverage.

I am increasingly aware of the creatures that live in the water and there is one in particular that strikes fear into my heart. No, it's not the sharks that have me worried. It's the jellyfish. Have you ever been stung by one? It's excruciating. I speak from

Do you know that neighborhood kid who never seems to come down with anything? Do his parents know something you don't? Probably not, experts say, but put these six habits of healthy kids to use to avoid illness this year.

By Michelle Crouch for Parents Magazine.

Fifty years after a small London designer, Mary Quant, debuted her head-turning, boundary-crossing, fashion-changing, societal barometer known as the mini skirt, it's still a hot commodity. According to eBay sales data, it's the second most-sold skirt style worldwide, falling below its more conservative cousin the A-line. In hot spots like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami, though, showing a lot of leg still reigns supreme. To celebrate half a decade of the spirit of London's swinging '60s and the mother of the mini, see 20 shortened skirt moments worth remembering.

By: Kerry Pieri

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frayed ropeA few days ago, I posted about a phenomenon I describe as "oppositional conversational style" (OCS for short), and I've been flabbergasted by the heated response.

I thought I'd identified some obscure, rare pattern of human interaction, but it turns out that lots of people had already identified this kind of interaction.

A person with "oppositional conversational style" is a person who, in conversation, disagrees with and corrects whatever you say. Maybe in a friendly way, maybe in a belligerent way, but their remarks are framed in opposition to whatever you say.

I was fascinated to read people's comments. I learned several things.

First, people recognize this pattern easily. OCS, it turns out, is a widespread phenomenon.

Second, people find it tiresome to be on the receiving end of OCS. To be repeatedly told "I'm right; you're wrong," in every context, gets annoying.

Third, at least some people who practice OCS recognize it in themselves, and they think

More than one million Americans made this costly mistake last year. You see your health insurance as a safety net that's there in case you need to go to the ER or fill a prescription, have strep throat or develop a life-threatening condition. You rely on it to keep you healthy and protect your wallet in the event of a health crisis. But experts say not safeguarding your healthcare insurance information is one of the worst mistakes you can make.

That mistake can cost you dearly because identity thieves who rely on your medical and health insurance information for their livelihood see your life insurance as a way to make big bucks.

According to a 2011 study by the Ponemon Institute a whopping 1.42 million Americans fell victim to medical identity thieves; the annual economic impact of that medical identity theft was $30.9 billion, or more than $217 per victim.

[Medical Identity Theft: Five Ways to Protect Yourself]

It's no wonder that healthcare-related fraud is on the rise. According to the World Privacy Forum, a stolen Social Security number has a

By WebVet.com
Dog in carAn Albuquerque woman is giving thanks to a stranger who vandalized her car -- for a good cause. Susanne Jones smashed a stranger's car window to free a dog locked in the sweltering vehicle.

Jones told a local TV station, "The temperature was very hot, the car had to have been very hot. It was not sitting in the shade. She didn't have a sun visor up and I just felt like if I stayed there and watched I was gonna watch the dog die."

The dog's owner admitted she violated city animal ordinance by leaving her pup in such a dangerous situation while she took her 98-year-old mother to a doctor's appointment. At a hearing in the case, Jones recalled that she dialed 911 upon seeing the pup, but was told she had to call the main city hotline at 311 -- where she was connected to the Animal Welfare Department and filed a report. But after 40 minutes without a sign of the dog's owner, she had to take matters into her own hands.

10 tips on how to keep your pet safe from summer heat

Last week after I told the story about the man marooned by himself on an island who had three huts - one he lived in, one he went to church in, and one where he used to go to church, one member told me that when his family used to tour and sing, they were amazed at how many denominations there are. From the Wesleyan tradition there are the United Methodist, the Wesleyan Church, the Free Methodist, the Nazarene Churches, and so on. Just on the west side of town, I've seen First Baptist, Southern Baptist, General Baptist, and Primitive Baptists.

When I see so many different denominations, I can't help but think of the line from that corny science fiction film, Mars Attacks, where Jack Nicholson says, "Can't we all just get along?" seconds before the Martian uses a ray gun to disintegrate him.

I also think of Henry Ford, who was once quoted as saying about the model T, "Our customers can have any color they want, as long as it is black." What if we had that type of attitude

I write for enjoyment and education. My Grandmother was a writer. She has been dead since I was 16 and she raised me, so I pay this honors her memory. Mignon Kesia Weaver-Barnes, A Chickasaw, English America Native ancestor of mine.