To everyone who donated money to my site at the Michael J. Fox Foundation to find a cure for Parkinsons. Like 2 million other Americans, I have been diagnosed with PD. Last month, your generosity raised our total contribution to $3,991. I know funds are tight, which is why I am only asking for the donation of the cost of a movie ticket ($10) to help the foundation fund a cure. Please click on the link below and make a small donation that you'll never miss. Because ten dollars from ten thousand Steve Alten readers CAN make a serious difference in the fight against a disease that affects millions of Americans including this humble author. Happy Holidays! (once you click on the link, you can scroll down the page to see this month's installment of new MEG images).

As I mentioned last month, not a whole lot happens around the holidays but it is possible The LOCH may move into production ahead of MEG. Whichever movie is greenlit first will determine which book I pen after PHOBOS, either MEG 5: Night Stalkers or THE LOCH 2.

The top 30 winners were posted at TheShellGame.net . If you are among the winners and haven't sent me a bio, please do so at Meg82159@aol.com subject PHOBOS WINNER.

from Jon Gordon

I believe that positive kids become positive adults and as parents we can play a significant role in shaping our children's perspective and mindset. In this spirit I want to share with you several tips to develop positive kids.

1. Success of the Day - Each night before bed, at dinner or while taking an after dinner walk ask your children their success of the day. The success could be a great conversation, an accomplishment at school, something they are proud of, a situation where they helped someone, etc. The important thing is to help them focus on accomplishments instead of failures. When we help our children expect success, look for success, and celebrate success they find more success and gain more confidence. Of course they need to learn from their mistakes and failures, but let's help them to not dwell on them.

2. Bedtime Prayer - A ritual such as this provides your children with a foundation of peace, security, and confidence that gives them the strength to take on the daily challenges of being a child.

3. Implement the No Complaining Rule - It's a simple rule that says you're not allowed to complain unless you identify one or two possible solutions to your complaint. This empowers children to become a driver of their bus instead of being a passenger griping on the bus. They also learn to use complaints as a catalyst for positive change and positive action.

4. Teach them the Positive Shark Formula, E + P = 0 - This is from my latest book, The Shark & The Goldfish, about a nice and positive shark who teaches Gordy the goldfish how to overcome his fear of change and find food. After all, Goldfish wait to be fed. Sharks go find food. The formula reveals that we can't control the (E ) Events in our life. But we can control our (P) Positive Response to these events and our response determines the (O) outcome. This formula helps children develop a strong locus of control which is a perspective that through their beliefs and actions they have an influence on their life. They come to believe that they are not a victim of circumstance but rather a hero in their own inspirational tale and that they can turn their challenges into opportunities and transform bad events into good outcomes. This helps them stay optimistic and believe that their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.

5. Feel Blessed instead of Stressed - As parents we need to realize that children, like adults, deal with a lot of stress...and stress is the enemy of positivity. Well, the great news is that when you are feeling blessed you can't be stressed. The research says we can't be stressed and thankful at the same time. Thus, a simple ritual is to help your children identify 3 things they are thankful for each day. You can create a gratitude journal together or you can encourage them to write these blessings on their blog, diary or simply talk about them at dinner. And anytime they are feeling stressed you can encourage them to recall something they are thankful for.

I encourage you to think of your child's mind like a garden. Each day you want to help them weed their negative thoughts and plant positive thoughts. One day of weeding and planting won't do much. However if you practice these strategies each day, over a week, a month, a year, a lifetime, the garden grows more healthy and vibrant. Nurture your child. Take time to coach them and nourish them with lots of love and positive energy and you shall see the fruits of your efforts.

(Readers Digest)

1. In most restaurants, after 8 p.m. or so, all the coffee is decaf because no one wants to clean two different coffeepots.

2. We put sugar in our kids' meals so kids will like them more. Seriously. We even put extra sugar in the dough for the kids' pizzas.

3. At a lot of restaurants, the special is whatever they need to sell before it goes bad. Especially watch out for the soup of the day. If it contains fish or if it's some kind of "gumbo," it's probably the stuff they're trying to get rid of. -Kathy Kniss, who waited tables for ten years in Los Angeles

4. Now that I've worked in a restaurant, I never ask for lemon in a drink. Everybody touches them. Nobody washes them. We just peel the stickers off, cut them up, and throw them in your iced tea.

5. Skim milk is almost never skim milk. Very few restaurants outside Starbucks carry whole milk, 2 percent milk, skim milk, and half-and-half; it's just not practical.

6. The single greatest way to get your waiter to hate you? Ask for hot tea. For some reason, an industry that's managed to streamline everything else hasn't been able to streamline that. You've got to get a pot, boil the water, get the lemons, get the honey, bring a cup and spoon. It's a lot of work for little reward.

7. Even at the best breakfast buffet in the world, 99 times out of 100, the big pan of scrambled eggs is made from a powder.

8. It's much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Once you're recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You'll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample.

9. Avoid Mother's Day and Valentine's Day like the black plague. It's crazy busy, so they're not going to be able to pay as much attention to quality. Plus, they bring out a special menu where everything is overpriced.

10. Don't order fish on Sunday or Monday. The fish deliveries are usually twice a week, so Tuesday through Friday are great days. Or ask the restaurant when they get theirs.

11. We're not allowed to tell our customers we don't like a dish. So if you ask your server how something is and she says, "It's one of our most popular dishes," chances are she doesn't like it.

12. If you make a big fuss about sending your soup back because it's not hot enough, we like to take your spoon and run it under really hot water, so when you put the hot spoon in your mouth, you're going to get the impression-often the very painful impression-that your soup is indeed hot.

13. If your dessert says "homemade," it probably is. But it might be homemade at a bakery three miles away.

!. Use your waiter's name. When I say, "Hi, my name is JR, and I'll be taking care of you," it's great when you say, "Hi, JR. How are you doing tonight?" Then, the next time you go in, ask for that waiter. He may not remember you, but if you requested him, he's going to give you really special service.

2. Trust your waitress. Say something like "Hey, it's our first time in. We want you to create an experience for us. Here's our budget." Your server will go crazy for you.

3. When you say, "I'll have the pasta Alfredo," it tells me two things: You aren't interested in trying new things, and you don't eat out much. Restaurants put this dish on their menus because it's "safe," it sells, and it's cheap to make.

4. Ask what's in your smoothie. A lot of restaurants use half-and-half. So you think you're ordering a healthy strawberry-banana smoothie, but it's really full of fat.

5. If you're having a problem, speak to the owner if you can. Managers may have very little power. They're less likely to comp a meal, and most aren't authorized to give away free alcohol. They'll also take it out on the server if you have problems.

6. If you're worried about cleanliness, check out the bathroom. If the bathroom is gross, you can be sure the kitchen is much worse.

*IF YOU HAVE A LIVING TIP YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at MEG82159@aol.com Put LIVING TIP in the subject line.

Super Easy Pork Chop Dinner (can use chicken breasts too)

Ingredients:
4 Center cut pork chops, 2 Cans Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 Cup milk (or use the can from the soup), 4 Medium sized potatoes (Yukon Golds & Reds are really good) cut to size, Salt, pepper & Italian seasoning (or your seasoning preference), Large Skillet with lid, Brown pork chops in skillet. Stir in soup, milk & potatoes (be sure your potatoes are covered by the soup - add more milk if needed). Season to taste. Heat to a boil. Turn down to low. Cover & simmer for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. This is an easy recipe to double or use for a house full! Can also be made in a crock-pot or slow roaster.
Enjoy! Melissa L. Erie, PA

*IF YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, please e-mail to me at MEG82159@aol.com Put RECIPE in the subject line.