Great Music for the Season

CHRISTMAS (the album by husband and wife Phillips/Gullahorn) is a wonderfully pleasant surprise! Don't get me wrong, both Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn are gifted musicians, singers, and songwriters, but it's just another Christmas album, right? At first, I expected this would be... You know...the obligatory 8 to 10 songs, with standards everyone knows...no new twists, just jolly-jingle fun.

Not the case here. There are some classics, and there aren't many new twists on these, but the arrangements allow the lyrics to be heard in a new way. Plus, the original songs on the album are moving and powerful.

And...even if all of the other songs were horrible (which of course, they are not), the album would still be worth the price for the enhanced version of "It's Cold Outside." You've never heard this song so realistically done...especially between a husband and wife. Let's just say that gifting your wife with a less than desirable gift may be enough reason for a guy to be begging to come in even if it weren't cold outside. You've got to hear this version!

Download these 12 tracks and enjoy!

You can find the download available at The Rabbit Room or Amazon.

Bots Dominate Web Traffic: A Question of Click Ethics for Bloggers

You've probably seen the article headlines like this one from Time Tech that suggests "more than 60 percent of all Internet traffic now comes from bots." Maybe you saw the PC World article that stated that "nearly half of those bots are up to no good."

While many bloggers and surfers read this and feel concern about security issues such as malware and viruses, there are others who view it as a grand opportunity to work the robotic system for an increase in web traffic. For example, I recently read this article that outlines strategies for increasing your web traffic without paying for advertising. The suggested strategies key on words, phrases, and links that will draw the attention of bots busy about the work of indexing, searching for copyright infringements (on the positive side), or hacking, hi-jacking or impersonating (on the negative).

So, as a blogger, I want to be sure that I frequent my own site to be sure it has not been attacked; I want to be sure my virus protection and malware protection are up to date and active; and I want to ask myself a question about my purpose as a blogger. Here is the question: Do I blog to articulate important ideas, to share opinions or personal experiences, or to generate traffic in an effort to generate passive income?

There's nothing wrong with utilizing the internet for income, but I think we have to beware of the blurry lines of pragmatism. For example, I can compose blog titles like Miley Cyrus Does it Again or How to Go to College for Free that mislead or focus on sensationalism in order to get a click-- and most clicks will be from robots, and while that may increase traffic on my blog, I must realize that my credibility and reputation is at stake. Are a few robotic clicks worth it?


Do you have any thoughts on the issue?

What Are You About?: Have you Honed an Elevator Pitch?

In business, we often hear the importance of having an elevator pitch.  If you're not sure what this is, here's an article that does a good job of explaining how to craft one. Obviously, an elevator pitch only gets better with time.  Not only will you tweak and modify it over time, but you will begin to own it.  It will become a succinct proclamation of what you are about.

As you work on yours, remember to keep it short, personal, focused and engaging... much like this well known pitch.

Merry Christmas, Brian Wilson!

Yesterday, I heard an NPR review of the latest Beach Boys box set, Made in California. The review was honest, fair, and somewhat somber.  Thoughts of the Beach Boys' music is usually anything but somber, but a critical view of their 51 years as a band leaves one thinking about those early bloomers that we all have known-- like the basketball player who (arriving at 6' tall in the 8th grade while everyone else is 5'6") dominates for a season or two and then spends the next four years in athletic decline.

Yes, it's somewhat sad that the kings of surf music for the most part ran out of creative steam in the late-60's and did their best to ride the wave of the early hits as long as possible.  Regardless, no one can argue against the fact that the band responsible for Surfin' Safari and Pet Sounds is one of the most influential groups of all Americana. The harmonious sound they crafted became their brand, and echos of that sound continue to show up in songs, in a subliminal attempt to capture that wide-eyed, youthful vibe.

As the review wrapped up, and I pondered what could have been if Brian Wilson had remained well and able to develop as a creative artist, I again felt a little mournful for the band whose sound projected fun, but whose story reflects tragedy.  I thought about their influence on Mike Roe who wrote a tribute  of sorts with his band-mates in The Lost Dogs.  I thought about the incredible blog post Ben Shive wrote two years ago about Smile for the Rabbit Room. I thought about the hundreds of times that I've sung along with those harmonies and smiled.  All that to say, Merry Christmas, Brian Wilson.  Thank you and the rest of the band for giving America 51
years of music to enjoy.

Is there something better than "You're Welcome"...Really?

Last month, I read an article that suggested not using the phrase "you're welcome," after someone says "thank you."  The article was a response to someone who suggested to say instead, "I'm sure you'd do the same thing for me." I have to admit that I was turned off by this brash, egotistical, what's in it for me? language.

Adam Grant, the author of the article, decided to use the basic suggested approach, but tweak it by saying, "I'm sure you'd do the same thing for someone else."  Ok, somewhat better. It's not quite as much focused on how much you now owe me thinking.

I only mention this article here because I believe that words matter, and that we should strive to choose words that most effectively communicate.  With that in mind, I get tired of using the phrase "you're welcome."  Sometimes, I process through what the phrase really means.  In fact, (I hate to admit this) I have researched it online to get a better understanding.  I'm not sure that it is the clearest or best choice for receiving someone's gratitude, but I do know that it's much, much better than the all too common "no problem."  I'm not going to rant about that phrase again-- you can read my previously posted rant on my blog.

I also know this: when I drove thru at Chik-fil-a earlier this evening and said "thank you," I cannot imagine that the young lady working the drive-thru would have responded with, "I'm sure you would have done the same for someone else." When I imagine this, I think: what does that mean?


If you think of a better response than "you're welcome," please let me know.

Thanks!
Barry 

Thoughts on Seabiscuit: There's Something Worse than a Bad Leg

As Seabiscuit was returning to racing form, there was much concern and question as to whether Red Pollard would be ready to ride.  Both the horse and the jockey had suffered serious injuries, but Pollard's leg was beyond serious.  No doctor would even consider releasing him to ever ride another horse, much less race one.  Howard (the owner), Smith (the trainer), and even Pollard himself knew that any kind of fall or collision would cripple the jockey. Yet, Pollard would not take no for an answer. He wanted more than anything to race and win with Seabiscuit.

As Howard struggled with his decision, he spoke with Pollard's friend, journalist David Alexander.  During their conversation, Alexander asked Howard what his plans were for the race.

"'If Red breaks that leg again,' Howard said soberly, 'it will cripple him for life.'

Alexander told him that maybe it was better to break a man's leg than his heart" (366).

Pollard would ride and win the race.

This reminds me an old truth:
The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?  (Proverbs 18:14)

Handle people's hearts and dreams carefully.

Thoughts on Seabiscuit: Elements of a Comeback

Seabiscuit is a fascinating story with many lessons; one of those lessons is presented in "Chapter 21: A Long, Hard Pull." Virtually everyone had given up on both the horse and the jockey after each sustained serious injury.  They were both deemed "washed up."  There were three elements, though, that contributed to their comeback.

First, they had time to heal.  Hillenbrand writes, "Slowly, painfully, horse and rider healed" (349). In this case, the comeback depended on physical healing.  In other cases, a person's comeback may also involve emotional and, perhaps, spiritual health.  While the healing process was frustrating for jockey, horse, trainer and owner, it could not be rushed.  Each had to face each new day with an expectant hope that healing would come.  In time, it would indeed arrive.

Next, the comeback needed a plan.  As both the rider and the horse improved, the rehabilitation strategy was increased.  Again, Hillenbrand writes, " Pollard had learned a thing or two about training from Smith, and he managed Seabiscuit's rehabilitation carefully.  By early summer, walking turned to a gentle canter, first a mile, then two, then three" (351).  There was a vision and a plan for bringing them back to health, back to competing.  It didn't happen overnight, but gradually the plan set the stage for a comeback.

Finally, the team had hope and a desire to win. Even though the general public expected that Seabiscuit would never race again, Team Howard held on to the hope that he would.  That hope was not some pipe dream, but was based on the past experiences of a proven winner.  The past, though, was not enough.  In order to complete the comeback, a desire to win was necessary.  Marcella Howard noticed this on her trips to the barn when "Seabiscuit was pacing around his stall... When he paused, he directed his gaze at the horizon, distracted.  [Charles] Howard saw that look and knew what it meant, 'You knew he wanted to race again,' he said, 'more than anything else in the world'" (352).  Both Seabiscuit and Pollard desperately want to race again.  That driving desire, along with time, and a plan, brought about one of the greatest comebacks in American history.

My List of Least Favorite People (Warning: This Might Be Offensive)

I must warn you before you read any further: You may find this post offensive.

If you were asked to make a list of 5 or 10 of your least favorite people, would you consider it a challenging task, or would names fly left and right?  Would the names on your list be celebrities, co-workers, relatives, or bosses and politicians?  Do you already have a mental list in a downloadable format...on standby just in case someone asks or mentions a name on your list?

Like everyone else, I have struggled in life with bitterness, a judgmental attitude, and down-right jealousy. In those moments of clarity (few and far-between), I have realized that the people who most annoy me, irritate me, or just rub me the wrong way, are often more like me than I want to admit.  Hardly anyone thinks he or she is perfect, and most of us are quick to admit that we have plenty of shortcomings; however, we seldom identify our flaws.  I want to suggest that when you and I see our flaws in other people, they drive us crazy. We want to stamp out the arrogance in her or fix the clumsiness in him or thump that person for a lack of compassion... We want to pass judgment on the faults in others because those very faults live in us.  Far too often, though, we fail to see them in ourselves.  

So here's the tough part of this post-- go back through your list of least favorite people. Once you discern why each person is on your list, ask the hard question:  Do I struggle with the same issues that landed them on my list? 

If we can work on overcoming the issues we struggle with, we will find other people much more bearable. In the history of mankind, there has only been one perfect life lived.  The owner of that life taught that we should love people-- yes, even the people who remind us of our own flaws.  

Give it a try!

Thoughts on Seabiscuit: Leaders Give Second Chances-- sometimes more

Early in the story, we find that the Trainer (Smith) "knew he had found the right jockey" in Red Pollard.  Pollard was not the most congenial or well-mannered guy, but he connected with Seabiscuit, and he loved to win.  In Seabiscuit's first big race, he was positioned to win; however, Pollard made a mistake that lost the race by inches. The media and the fans were all belligerent about Pollard's mistake, but the same wasn't true of the Owner (Howard) and the Trainer (Smith). "He (Pollard) was publicly accused of inexcusable failure in the most important race of his career, but he could not defend himself. Had he let on that he was blind in one eye, his career would have been over... If his blindness was the cause of the loss, his frustration and guilt must have been consuming. Howard accepted Pollard's explanation without criticism. Neither he nor Smith blamed him. Almost everyone else did" (147).

This exhibit of mercy reminded me of a story Dennis Rainey recently shared in one of the devotionals from

http://www.familylife.com/find-help/daily-inspiration/moments-with-you#.UpQY7cSkp4o

"For many years Bob Brenly was the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. But because of a last-minute lineup change on this very date in 1986, he was pressed into duty at third base. Everything was going fine ... until the fourth inning.

That's when he committed not one, not two, not three, but a record-tying four errors in the same inning--including two on the same play. In fact, he almost had a fifth error. "I missed a head-high line drive that tipped off the webbing of my glove and went into left field," Brenly said. "If they hadn't called that one a hit, my name would have stood alone in the record books."

The home crowd booed. His coaches and teammates avoided even looking at him. But his manager left him in the game. Good thing.

When Bob came up to bat the following inning, he smashed a solo home run. His next at-bat was a two-run single in the seventh to tie the game. And with his final plate appearance of the day in the ninth inning, he stroked a game-winning homer. His manager later commented, "This man deserves to be the Comeback Player of the Year for this game alone."

Have you ever had someone believe in you, even when no one else did? 

Are you looking for ways to give second chances to people who are on the verge of a breakthrough?

Thoughts on Seabiscuit: The Importance of Team

As I am reading Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, there are many wonderful nuggets jumping off the pages.  I will do my best to share several of these with you in upcoming posts.  For now, I want to simply state the obvious point that the story makes: there is a strength and richness in a team that far exceeds the talents and gifts of the individual members.

Seabiscuit (the story) is really about four characters-- the owner, the trainer, the jockey and the horse. Hillenbrand does a wonderful work of introducing the audience to each one.  Not surprisingly, we find that each character, certainly with his own gifts and potential, was on a downhill slide-- not a complete failure, but far from where he dreamed he would be.

I love the way Hillenbrand ends chapter 6: "The scattered lives of Red Pollard, Tom Smith, and Charles Howard had come to an intersection. Their crowded hour had begun" (113). We see a wonderful picture of the convergence of gifts, talents, and shared ambition. We see the birth of a team-- the birth of a legend.

Maybe I'm Just Old-Fashioned, But...

I am quite perturbed by the trend in restaurants and other public places toward gender-neutral restrooms.  It's not so disturbing to me personally, but I think it shows a lack of honor and respect to women.  Having frequented men's public restrooms for the better part of forty years, I expect the worst, and my expectations are usually fulfilled.  My daughters, on the other hand, should not have to experience the filth associated with the men's room.

While some will argue that it is a move toward equality, I say it is a move toward dishonor and disrespect.  What do you think?

On Which Side Do I Pump Gas?

How do you know on which side  you'll find your fuel door?

Easy, stretch my neck in the mirror until and I find it and eventually memorize it, but then grow extremely frustrated to the point of screaming when I rent a car or take my spouse's vehicle and step out to realize it's on the other side, so I have to get in and drive to another pump which is probably in the top ten of common embarrassing moments, right?  whew!  let me catch my breath...

Well, just a few years ago I learned a little trick that you probably already know.  Most cars have a little arrow on the fuel gauge that indicates the correct side.  So, next time you go for a fill up, check the gauge and give your neck a rest.

My Coach Dale Brown Story

When I was a college student, I worked part-time as a security guard at the Country Club of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. My main function was to operate the gate-house of the gated community.  There were often functions at the clubhouse on Friday and Saturday nights, so our job was the most demanding on weekends. One Saturday night, a gentleman pulled up and said his name was Dale Brown and that he was going to the particular function at the clubhouse.

He didn't have to say his name for me to recognize him, since I had grown up watching LSU basketball. As I started to open the gate, I said something to the effect of My Dad and I have been fans of yours for a long time, Coach Brown. It's great to meet you.

I expected a Thank you at best, but his response surprised me.
"What's your name?"
"Barry."
"Well, it's great to meet you Barry.  Thank you!"  With that he drove away, and I called my dad as soon as there was a break in traffic.
--The story didn't end there.--
On busy weekend nights, when traffic was flooding out from parties and functions, we would sometimes leave the exit gate lifted, rather than making each car come to a near halt before exiting.  When the exit gate was in this position, it was very rare that anyone would stop-- unless they were upset about something.

Some two-to-three hours after meeting Coach Brown, a car stops in the exit lane.  I walk over to the door, and Coach Brown has his window down.  He says, "Have a good night, Barry."

Wow!  Do you mean a 21-year-old security guard would be important enough for this world-renown basketball coach to stop and greet by name?  Apparently so.

I was a Dale Brown fan before that night.  Now I respect Coach Dale Brown.  He taught me a valuable lesson that night.  Everyone we cross paths with is far more important than we typically think.  We should value people because people are valuable.

The Best Change Five Guys Needs to Make

A few years ago, our family made the switch from white bread to wheat.  Thankfully, most restaurants allow us this choice, but one of my favorites (Five Guys)

does not.  So, I will continue to suggest in customer surveys that Five Guys add the option of Wheat Buns.

Will you join me in making this request known?

Re-Learning How to Think Without a Computer

I suffer from too many distractions in front of my laptop.  Decided last week that I must return to journalling in order to retain any substantial thoughts.

The Target Effect

It seems that everytime I head to the check-out at Target, 80% of the customers in the store are standing around in three lines, staring at each other with frustrated looks.  

Am I the only one who consistently experiences this?

The questions that come to mind...
-- why have 24 registers, but only open 3?
-- is there a gravitational pull that causes all of us to check out at the same time?
--should Target have a couple of registers reserved for use by RedCard holders?

Why not songwriter-singer?

I was thinking today about the musical artist genre of singer-songwriter. Don't you think it should be called songwriter-singer?  There are musical artists who are known for their singing.  Elvis, in his prime, could have sung about lemonade and sold a million records.  Lionel Ritchie could (and did) sing some of the stupidest lyrics, but the majority of the world loved it because of his gifted voice.  We should all be thankful for great vocal ability.

But what would vocalists be without great songwriters?  Silly pop songs are fun for awhile, but a diet of candy all the time is sickening.  Powerful lyrics with strong imagery, clever wordplay, and poignant truths provide songs that not only last, but make a difference.  Sometimes these songs are written by an invisible person-- in the sense that they are seldom ever publicly recognized. We hear a singer sing a song, and we think only of the song belonging to the singer.

Some gifted songwriters have strong enough vocal ability and passion about their songs that they do both.  In some cases, it's a stellar success (like Bob Dylan or Willie Nelson), but most of the time, these artists have a small following of fans and never really achieve fame and commercial success.

Here's a short list of songwriter-singers who come to mind:
-- Rich Mullins
--Andrew Peterson
--Marc Cohn
--Bill Mallonee
--Neil Young
--Dan Fogleberg
--James Taylor


Who comes to mind for you?

A Lesson from Running (Part 2)

Back in March, I ran in The Shamrock Run in Hammond, LA.  It was a beautiful day and a fun race.  While I did not set any personal records, I did learn a valuable lesson... the hard way.

There were about 7 or 8 real runners who blew by me within the first half mile, and I would not see them again.  There were about three of us who were far outpacing the rest of the pack, but too slow to catch the leaders.  I trailed a 27-year-old by about 100 feet for most of the race.  As we were less than a mile from the finish line, I kept pushing myself and kept focusing on his shirt up ahead.

Then it happened.  I realized that he was stopping (obviously confused) to ask one of the race workers a question.  As I approached, it was clear to me that he had missed a turn, and was off-track.  I kept running ahead and asked another couple of race workers where I should go, and they were clueless about where I had been or where I should go.  By this time, the younger guy I had been following was beside me, and we decided to just run toward the finish line.  We were both very frustrated by the time we crossed the finish line and were nearly disqualified until we explained what happened to the race official.

The lesson is very simple:  Be careful about who you are following.

Amber Waves by Bill Mallonee (Review)

Amber Waves is a solid alt-country effort by Bill Mallonee along with his former bandmates Jacob Bradley and Kevin Heuer.  The album, produced on a shoe-string budget, is a haunting yet hopeful collection of tight melodies and honest narratives.  Musically, Amber Waves acts as a photo album of past efforts by Vigilantes of Love.  "Break in the Clouds" and "To the Nines" recall the Struggleville sound, others like "What You Take and What You Leave Behind" sound like they were part of the Blister Soul sessions, and "Pillow of Stars," "Walking Disaster," and "Once Your Heart Gets Broken" reflect both Audible Sigh and Summershine.

Bill's lyrical work is still going strong.  For example, he opens the second track "To the Nines," with the line: "Well the rain and the wind/ they're at it again/Quarrelling lovers/Better run for cover/Yeah the rivers will rise/No one's surprised/You're gonna get baptized/One way or another."

The album is very up-tempo.  Of the 13 tracks (one is repeated for a total of 14), only "Yeah Yeah Yeah (I've got faith like butterfly wings)," "Long Since Gone" and "Into God Knows What" are slower, introspective and primarily acoustic.

Personally, I find the highlight of the album to be the Byrdseque "Walking Disaster"-- both musically and lyrically.  The jangly Rickenbacker, the driving bass, and the snare rolls move this three minute pop song from the chute to the finish line coming up for air.  In fact, there's hardly time to consider the brilliant lyrical pictures that Bill paints.  For instance, he draws a seedy picture of our depraved humanity with the following: "You stand and you make your confession/ in the suit of old clothes that you stole/ Offering your vain protestations/doused heavily in cheap cologne." He follows that in the chorus with the hopeful truth: "And the river of love, she still rolls on / Long time after the well has run dry."  Which seems to be more than a fitting reflection on Bill's career.  The ever elusive fame and glory (as well as a decent living) keep coming up dry, but he continues to roll on with his musings and melodies on struggles, faith and redemption.

If you are a VoL fan, this is a must have.  If you're new to Bill's work, click on http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/album/amber-waves and give it a listen.

Setting the Stage for a Review of Amber Waves by Bill Mallonee

It was April, 1995.  I had read something in a magazine about a little band from Athens, GA called Vigilantes of Love, and I was curious.  I stopped in at The Compact Disc Store on Jefferson in Baton Rouge, which was the best chance of spotting a hard to find disc if Paradise Records didn't have it. Not only did the Compact Disc store have it, but they had a wonderful policy of allowing the customer to open and listen to a cd without any obligation to buy.  So, I slipped the headphones on and after the initial silence, heard the opening riff of "Blister Soul." Within three weeks, the disc was beyond heavy rotation-- it dominated my listening, and my friends were already tired of hearing me speak of VoL.

Bill Mallonee & co. kept the albums coming, and I kept trying to find them.  The band got tighter, the songs more accessible, and I was certain this little band from Athens was going to break into mainstream notoriety.

Then the three strikes hit the mitt.

First, in 1999, Audible Sigh, an alt-country masterpiece with production by Buddy Miller and BGVs by Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris was set for release through Pioneer Music Group. A fair amount of publicity was in place, and it looked like this would be the album to break VoL into a wider audience.

It didn't happen.  Pioneer Music Group folded holding the rights to Audible Sigh.
Strike one!

The next two years found the band touring heavily and trying to find a label that would launch the record.  Ironically, the album would find three different launch pads... all met with little more than an audible sigh.  Neither True Tunes nor Compass Records could muster enough interest to ensure much of a listening audience.  Frustration increased for Bill and his road-weary band of players.

The next two strikes to hit the leather are somewhat cloudy in my mind as far as which occurred first. Regardless, they both were devastating to the march up the hill of commercial success.
The band was touring in England ('Cross the Big Pond) and after a show, they were robbed.  Not only did they lose their equipment, but one of the guys was threatened with a syringe. Four guys living on a shoe-string, losing the tools of their trade, and asking "what if..." about the incident with the needle... Strike two!

Then there were three.  2001 saw VoL scale down to a three-man outfit--tighter than a new snare drum-- and take on a new sound.  Summershine (somehow in the face of all the adversity) was the happiest sounding release yet.  It was Beatles meet the Byrds, with jangly Rickenbacker, driving power-pop bass, and snare rolls.  "Surely," I thought, "this will be the one."  Compass Records had set a release date for this happy-go-lucky batch of British-invasion-sounding love songs: September,  2001.

9/11/01... Strike three!

Within a few months, VoL dissolved, and Bill embarked on a solo career.  While Bill continued releasing quality music at a break-neck pace (just take a look at his discography: http://volsounds.com/index.php/discography), it seemed to be a frustrated effort.  It was as if Audible Sigh and Summershine were the summit, and somewhere just beyond, the wheels began to fail the wagon.  Bill courageously marched forward, determined to write, record and tour as much as possible.  Somewhere around 2004-2005, Bill's marriage failed, he re-married and continued to record and tour (coffee shops, churches, house shows, etc.). Nearly ten years later, and Bill is still at it.  He releases 3-4 EPs per year, sometime with an additional studio album.  He has received numerous nods as a songwriter, but his commercial success has failed to produce a blip on the radar.

Two Kinds of Critical (Part 2)

The second meaning of critical is what most people tend to associate with the word-- that is, a critical spirit. A critical spirit is one that tears down without any desire to build up or make better, stronger or more beautiful.  Over-exposure to a critical spirit is what makes most people resistant to any type of critique.  They feel that evaluation or analysis of a behavior, performance or idea is a direct (and negative) reflection on who they are.  For many, this conjures painful memories of encounters with someone's critical spirit.

A critical spirit is a dangerous force.  Exhibiting it is perhaps one of the easiest habits to develop, and one of the hardest to break.

How do I know if I am thinking critically or exhibiting a critical spirit?  Is there some way I can perform a self-examination?  Perhaps.  I suggest the following as a test:

Typically, a critical spirit engages in ad hominem attacks. This means the focus is the person-- not the idea or action. We often see the ad hominem attack in political campaigns and debates.  But what about in everyday life?  Do you find yourself going beyond analyzing someone's idea or action, to the point that nothing that person does can be good enough for your approval?

Is your critical thinking being used to build up the other person, or are you analyzing in an attempt to discredit or embarrass others?

Remember, critical thinking is valuable and much needed; a critical spirit is destructive.
Choose wisely!

Why Water?

We have been drinking water with meals almost exclusively at our home for several years. Here are three reasons that you and your family should consider doing the same:

1) It's good for you! In fact, it's the most healthy thing you can drink.
2) It trains you and your children to enjoy water, so if you are blessed with the opportunity to eat at a restaurant, you will choose water with your meal. If you do not, you will likely pay an extra $2.00 per family member.
3) You will no longer fuss over spills at the table.  What's easier to clean than water?

It works for us! What do you think?