Contestants could blow it all for prize

The Southeast Missourian gets flooded with news releases, some of which end up in my mail slot and which I actually read.

I try to read all the important ones like the one alerting the media to the bubble-gum blowing contest that will be held at the nation's Wal-Mart stores on June 11.

In the sixth annual "Dubble Bubble National Bubble Blowing Contest," children 12 and younger will compete to see who can blow the biggest bubble.

The ultimate prize for some bubble-skilled child who wins the national finals in August is a $10,000 U.S. savings bond.

All these years, parents have cast a wary eye on bubble gum. My daughters have been known to get the sticky stuff in their hair.

Teachers routinely ban it from their classrooms.

But now it turns out that blowing bubbles isn't just child's play or something for big-league pitchers to do between innings, it's actually something that's prize worthy.

I guess Joni and I should have encouraged Becca and Bailey to perfect bubble blowing rather than other hobbies like playing the piano or playing softball.

Personally, I think it's dangerous for any store to encourage its customers to chew gum on its premises. It's likely to be a sticky mess that no one will want to clean up.

Of course, there are other ways to secure financial reward.

A suburban Philadelphia mom-to-be is inviting advertisers to put their names on her child's clothing and baby goods.

Michele Hutchison is seeking bids on the Internet of at least $1,000 a month.

The Associated Press reported she got the idea after learning of a woman who offered to have advertisements tattooed on her body.

Then there's Linda Stafford of Omaha, Neb., who found more than $3,000 in coins and currency in the bottom of an old chair she bought at a garage sale for $2.

I've never made money buying garage-sale items. Joni and I prefer selling to buying when it comes to garage sales.

But with Stafford's success, we may all be scrutinizing the bottoms of garage-sale furniture in hopes of cashing in.

As for the nation of Thailand, it wants to cash in on saving money rather than spending it.

The nation's prime minister plans to lead a televised countdown Wednesday to encourage people to turn off their lights for five minutes that evening.

That shouldn't be a problem. They can just watch TV in the dark.

Thailand reportedly could save $29 million a year if every house switched off a light for one hour each day.

Many of us, however, are willing to expend our own energy on running the bases.

On Sunday in St. Louis, Cardinal fans waited in a long line after the baseball game so their sons and daughters could run out on the field.

Nine-year-old Bailey was thrilled at the opportunity to run around the bases with thousands of other kids.

She had no time to blow bubbles or check for garage-sale treasure. She was too busy getting to home plate.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.