Miss America 2013 — Mallory Hytes Hagan

Mallory Hagan won the Las Vegas beauty pageant Saturday night after tap dancing to James Brown's "Get Up Off of That Thing" and answering a question about whether armed guards belong in grade schools by saying we should not fight violence with violence. Hagan defeated Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers, who took second, and Miss Oklahoma Alicia Clifton, who finished third. Hagan wins a $50,000 college scholarship and gets the crown for one year. Her platform was stopping child $exual abuse. She is expected to spend her title reign on a nationwide speaking tour and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the organization's official charity.

Miss New York Mallory Hagan waves after she was crowned Miss America 2013 on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Laura Kaeppeler, Mallory Hytes Hagan

Miss New York Mallory Hagan is crowned Miss America 2013 by Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Mallory Hytes Hagan, Leighton Jordan

Miss Georgia Leighton Jordan, center, congratulates Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan for winning the Miss America 2013 pageant on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Mallory Hytes Hagan, Ali Rogers

Miss New York, Mallory Hagan, right, reacts with Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers as she is crowned Miss America 2013 on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Mallory Hytes Hagan, Brooke Burke

Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan, right, answers a question with host Brooke Burke during the Miss America 2013 pageant on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. Hytes Hagan was later crowned Miss America 2013. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Mallory Hytes Hagan

Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan competes in the evening gown portion of the Miss America 2013 pageant on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. Hytes Hagan was later crowned Miss America 2013. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Mallory Hytes Hagan

Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan competes swimsuit portion of the Miss America pageant on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

4th Annual African Children's Choir Fundraising Gala

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 03: Miss New York 2012 Mallory Hagan attends the 4th Annual African Children's Choir Fundraising Gala at City Winery on December 3, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Hollywood Celebs — Daily Candids

Eva Mendes

                                                           Jennifer Lawrence

                          Julianne Hough

                        Lucy Mecklenburgh

                           Miley Cyrus

                         Miranda Kerr

                               Olivia Munn

                          Paris Hilton

                                                                       Paris Hilton

                             Vanessa Hudgens

                          Zendaya Coleman

Effort and Experience — Story

Wow. This one cuts deep.

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent. He asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "no".

" Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"

"My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.” he replied. 

Read more...

" Where did your mother work?"

"My mother worked as clothes cleaner."

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

" Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"

"Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go home today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back home, he asked his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother winced when he touched it.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fees. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, when he asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered," I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

“I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I would not be who I am today. By helping my mother, only now do I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done on your own. And I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.”

“You are hired.”

This young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and worked as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, they may be successful for a while, but eventually they would not feel a sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

Yakutsk — The Coldest City in The World

Photos of a windy day on the coast of Florida

Daddy I Love You

I hope that you will always know, whatever I
do, wherever I go there is one thing I will
never outgrow, and that is my love for you
daddy! In our eyes you hung the moon, no
child could have ever ask God for a better
daddy than you were to us. We loved you
then, and we love you still! Our eyes might
not be able to look upon your gentle loving face,
but if we look with our hearts we still see your

love. I love you daddy and miss you even more.