Articles by Aldene Fredenburg

Some years back, the news media latched onto the topic of silly, wacky, or outdated laws--absurd laws that found their way onto the books of various state and municipal governments and never were eliminated.

Since at least 1928, when "My Weekly Reader" debuted in elementary school classrooms, publishers have been attempting to cover current events for children.

Thanks to decades of dedication by teachers who have brought environmental topics into the classroom, today's students are more educated about ecology and the natural world than ever before. And now, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the hurricane and resulting flood that devastated a large part of the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005, environmental issues have hit the front pages of newspapers and prime time TV newscasts.

With both federal and state funding for higher education being cut throughout the country, students are facing exponential increases in tuition costs, and millions of students are graduating from four-year colleges with a bachelor's degree in one hand and a load of student debt in the other.

In a situation which reflects funding problems all over the United States, New Hampshire has been embroiled in a seemingly never-ending conflict for over fifteen years, ever since the town of Claremont sued the state of New Hampshire for its method of funding education.

Foot drop is a seemingly simple symptom that may have complex causes and possibly serious consequences. Weakness or injury in the muscles of the foot, ankles, and toes cause the foot to droop, with the result that it can drag on the ground or catch on steps, resulting in falls and possible injury.

The 109th Congress took as one of its favorite causes the issue of tort reform, passing legislation that severely limited an injured party's right to sue and collect damages, and there is an ongoing debate on further restrictions on the ability of people to sue.

I love "Judge Judy"! Her ability to cut through the malarkey and skewer the wrongdoers is just amazing. Among the little life lessons that get repeated again and again is, "Get it in writing!" Most of her customers have gotten the message that there is such a thing as an oral contract, and many show up having managed to extract a

Coffee has gotten a bad rap over the years, having been accused of causing high blood pressure, insomnia, ulcers, and a host of other problems. All of this has been contradicted by folk healers for years; early twentieth-century psychic Edgar Cayce recommended black coffee for various ailments, and the beverage has been a popular remedy for Cayce aficionados ever since.

Many of us restrict gift-giving to birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions; but why not surprise family and friends with a present that continues to delight all year Magazine and newspaper subscriptions, book clubs, even flower and