Happy Columbus Day! Back in 1492 Columbus had a lot to worry about on his voyage, but he didn't have to worry about the La Pinta, La Nina or Santa Maria crashing into each other because of a sailor texting while behind the helm.

Today the issue of texting behind the wheel has gained international attention. A recent study released by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute finds that texting while driving, while not as lethal as drunk driving, can be quite dangerous simply because it takes a driver's eyes off the road. The video from the United Kingdom that I've included at the bottom of this post (warning- it's graphic) hammers this message home---in arguably a sensationalized way.

Some states have outlawed texting while driving and surveys suggest the public agrees with banning it. Last week President Obama issued an Executive Order banning federal employees from texting while driving when using government vehicles or phones, or while on government business.

I'm guilty of texting at the occasional stop sign or red light but it's impossible for me to text while driving. I've never really been a great conversationalist on the road either but it's because conversation always takes a back seat to what's going on on the road.

What do you think about texting while driving?

Our guest blogger today is Colleen Blessing, who works on the energy statistics website at the Energy Information Administration.   

When I think of October, pumpkins, ghosts, and candy come to mind.   But I’m guessing most of us don’t conjure up thoughts of coal, oil, and electricity in our trick-or-treat bag.  

What?  October is about more than just candy and Halloween?  Yep, October is Energy Awareness Month!   

Ever since the Presidential proclamation in 1991, States, organizations, schools and citizens have used October to promote public understanding of energy and the wise and efficient use of that energy.  The theme this year is A Sustainable Energy Future:  Putting All the Pieces Together. 

But how do we put all the pieces together if we don’t even know what all the pieces are?  It’s like when you are doing a jigsaw puzzle that’s missing pieces—you just can’t see the whole picture.  Well, it’s the same for energy.  Most of us need to learn about more pieces of the energy puzzle to better understand the big picture.

We all need to be more aware of our use of resources, where our fuel comes from, and how energy affects our economy and the environment.  Gosh, it seems like energy is in the news every day.  Some of the topics are confusing.  We think we should understand, but we really don’t.

Do you know what biofuels are?; what renewable energy incentives are out there?; where our oil imports come from?

So check this out: To celebrate Energy Awareness Month, the U.S.  Energy Information Administration just launched a basic energy encyclopedia.   It’s bite-sized articles, in simple English, on all kinds of energy topics, with graphs and links to more information.  This new energy resource has everything from an energy conversion calculator, to where emissions come from, to why our heating oil gets dyed red! 

Did you know oil didn’t come from dinosaurs?  Did you know that hydrogen is made from water? 

Does October make you think of crunchy leaves, chilly Fall sweater weather, and heating bills?  Find out about heating fuels. 

Energy facts—almost as good as Halloween chocolate…and better for you!

I can hear the collective groan of students everywhere with the idea of an extended school day or year being tossed around.

Recently, President Obama has established his position that an extended school year or day should be explored seeing as American students are falling behind academically in comparison to the rest of the world, particularly in the areas of math and science.

While the former student inside me who lives for summers down the shore thinks this is a bum deal, I can't help but acknowledge that our current educational system is based on an agricultural society, one which few children are actively a part of today.

More families now have two working parents and I can see how an extended school day would help ease their fears of what their kids are up to between the hours of 3-7pm.

With either extension, obviously money is a factor. It is unclear how much additional cost there would be to keep kids in school longer. And I don't think the importance of extracurricular activities like sports and clubs can be ignored - and these are events that typically take place after school-hours.

What do educators think of this idea? Would it be helpful? Would you like to spend more time in school?

It’s a cool, rainy day and that reminds me that I have to face facts and get my home ready for winter. I’ve been putting it off because I just don’t want to know what that tank of oil will cost me this year. But it’s time to face reality and accept that the cold weather is on its way.

Last year we got some new windows and I hope that the investment will pay off this year in the form of lower heating costs. I really did my homework and we bought good-quality, energy-efficient windows. Replacing old, drafty windows is a great way to save energy, but it's expensive. There are plenty of free or low cost ways to save energy too.

It’s never too late to make some changes in your household to save energy, and there may be financial assistance to help you make your home or business more energy efficient. Depending on where you live and what programs your state offers, you may be eligible for assistance or rebates to weatherize your home, and rebates when you buy Energy Star products. There’s also a program known as LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) that’s administered by the states to help families who can’t afford their energy costs.

Around the country most kids have, or are about to, return to school. But my friend's kids are getting ready to return to the dining room table. One of my old high school friends homeschools her children. I find this idea interesting because homeschooling seems like such a tremendously scary responsibility, and apparently it can be, but it also has some wonderful rewards.

Originally, their family pursued the traditional route for educating the kids through enrollment in public schools. They were mostly happy with that traditional route, until they had to move to another part of the country. They enrolled the kids in the new school district, but very quickly they determined that the school curriculum was lacking in challenge. The kids had already covered the material and were bored.

Furthermore, her kids were being bullied by some students. When my friend discussed the academic and social situations with the teachers and school officials, she repeatedly felt they offered no solutions and were dismissive to her concerns.

She researched their state's homeschooling laws. My friend, who had been a teacher for years, researched state educational requirements and located resources that were available to parents for purposes of homeschooling. At that point, they decided to take the leap, and they pulled their kids out of school. My friend set up school in her own home. That was years ago and it works very well for them.

She follows state guidelines and curriculum, but incorporates a variety of field trips to museums, libraries, state parks, and a host of other educational activities. Homeschooled kids are allowed to participate in local school sports and other activities, so her kids get plenty of social interaction. They take the same standardized tests as nonhomeschooled kids.

I asked my friend if she enjoyed “relearning” things as she goes through the lessons with her kids. She confessed that when she was young, she didn't have much interest in some subjects. She is learning new things right along with her kids and she loves that aspect of teaching them. I find that really cool and appealing. I confess, I want to enroll in my friend's home school. She'd probably have to start me back at the 3^rd grade level.

Anyway, here are some federal resources that may be of interest to folks considering homeschooling:

• National Center for Educational Statistics compiles statistics on the number of kids that are schooled at home, the characteristics of homeschooled vs. nonhomeschooled kids, and why parents choose to homeschool.
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
• Online Educational Resource Information

Since homeschooling is considered a matter handled by each state, your best bet is to work with your local school district to locate curriculum and guidelines. Most states have homeschool coordinators to help parents who wish to school their children at home. Remember, you pay taxes, therefore your kids are allowed access to the same resources that are available to public school children.