Balancing the PTA with the PTA’int

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We struggle to say no. The PTA calls, needing twelve dozen cookies, tomorrow, and do we even hesitate?  Of course not.  We don’t want to be judged as inadequate.  We will do what we have to do, even if we have to bake oatmeal raisin cookies at four in the morning, to get them to the PTA on time.

We work, we work at home, we struggle with deadlines as they whiz by, and we wonder if we can find balance between the school meetings and the office meetings. We lose ourselves in the daily rush of mediocrity.
How do we juggle our responsibilities, and still maintain some semblance of normalcy? How do we keep our hopes and dreams from getting buried?

Here are some suggestions:
1. Keep a journal. Whether it is a photo journal, a diary, a sketchbook, whatever your secret talent, take a few moments a day to recover your creativity.

2. Remember to breathe. In the moments of the most stress, practice deep-breathing techniques. They’ll help you focus, and help you keep your calm.

3. Practice saying ‘no.’  remember that no one expects you to be Super Woman.  It’s perfectly understandable if you can’t make those cookies, after all.

4. Take time for yourself.  Schedule yourself a day at the spa, or a haircut, or a simple trip to the bookstore.  Spend some time with just yourself, and concentrate on rejuvenation.  Do what relaxes you most.  There is no right an wrong here, only what you need.

5. Spend time with just your significant other.  No kids, if you have them, no dogs, no bosses.  Just the two of you.  Take time to reconnect to one another; find out why you fell in love in the first place.  6. Back away from the laundry.  Who cares if there’s a mountain of laundry that needs doing!?  Take that time periodically to spend time with your family or your best buddies.  Laundry will never make you laugh like your children or your girlfriends will.

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There is No Unbiased Elephant

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It seems strange that we automatically assume that the news is reported free of bias. We tend to think of the “news” as being equivalent with the “truth.” Of course it makes sense we would see it this way since we think of news as events that take place. What could be more cut and dried? It either happened or it didn’t: truth or untruth. The problem of course appears when we attempt to describe the news.

New York Times

Image via Wikipedia

Think of the reporting of news as the blind men describing an elephant. One feels the tail and assumes the elephant is a rope. Another feels the leg and says the elephant is a pillar – and so it goes as each describes a part of the elephant. When a news event takes place people can’t help but gravitate to a certain part of the story

When a politician speaks it is easy for the person reporting on the story to see the event from his perspective. It’s actually normal human behavior to do this. If the reporter favors the politician he will focus on those aspects of the (elephant) politician that are positive. Another reporter may believe the politician to be untrustworthy. In this case his interpretation will focus on the negative feature of the elephant/politician.

The problem isn’t that one network, newspaper, or blog is biased. The problem is assuming that any of them are unbiased. The only way to approach the truth when it comes to the news is to review reports written by those with opposing points-of-view and attempt to reconstruct the elephant as accurately as possible given the various different perspectives.

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Information On Women Issues

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The contribution of women in our society can never be ignored. There was a time when women were considered as nobody in the society. But with the advancement of the knowledge our society has been realized the value of women. No such fields are there, where women do not have any contribution. In every type of education and profession they have been taking a major part. Some physical, social and mental issues of women are still there in our society. Yet women are very conscious of these issues.

Most of the women nowadays want to achieve professional success. They want to take a part of earning for families like their husbands. Sometime they are getting many problems side by side. With maintaining their offices or businesses they have to maintain the households and children also. This work pressures are the reason of many mental or physical problems for women. Most of the women cannot take this huge work pressure and tension. There was a time when women were dominated by men. To come out of this domination and to establish themselves professionally, they are always ready to take any pressure. But these pressure creating many mental issues for the women.

Women are very much concerned about their health and fitness. Many treatments and medicines have been innovating to prevent the women’s issues regarding health and fitness. Nowadays women are going for breast enhancement to give themselves a better look. A surgery is enough to fulfill this dream. But this surgery is not free from risk always. That is why they are going for herbal pill or other herbal treatment for breast enhancement. In any of their health issues women are taking the help of natural remedies recently as it is free from side effects. It has to be remembered also that there are many countries where women do not get the minimum respect from the society.

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Political Power and Aspirations: A Feminine Goal

January 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Women in political spheres have increasingly become a force with which to be reckoned.  The past few years have shown society that women can, and do, have a place within politics, and that government is no longer a Boys Only club.  Roles within politics have been historically seen as male positions of power, but in the recent past, that generalization has proven to no longer be valid.  Women are proving themselves within the political atmosphere, showing the world they can be incredibly good at ‘a man’s job,’ and demonstrating keen diplomacy skills.

With women like Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and more and more women being elected to positions of power, it is becoming increasingly possible that a woman will become President in the United States at some point in the relatively near future.  Indeed, other countries like India have already elected their first female presidents or prime ministers, and the United States can not be too far behind.

What does this mean for the future of the United States? As more women have prominent roles within government, history texts begin to reflect it, and more young girls are taught that, indeed, it is possible for them to become Senators, and that a female President is no longer outside the realm of possibilities.  More girls are encouraged to pursue dreams of international bureaucracy, with the realization that those dreams are well within grasp.   In breaking a traditional gender stereotype, we encourage young women to not only pursue their dreams within a political climate, but to also consider branching out into other historically-male areas.  As we see increasing numbers of women in politics, we also see increasing numbers of women in industries like computer science, and as those numbers continue to grow, even further avenues will open for younger generations of women.

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Maintaining Balance

January 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Is it possible to balance homelife and work?  There are many families with two incomes, families where both parents work outside the home.  Balancing the burden of both, though, sometimes requires some creative juggling.

How can one be both satisfied at home, but maintain an advancing career?

First, remember that a job should not be so drastically overwhelming that it leaves no time for family maintenance.  Establish rules, for example, that you will not bring home work with you on weekends, and devote that time to enjoying your family.  Boundaries are important to have, not only for your children, but for yourself as well.   You must have time to focus on things other than your career, and establishing boundaries is a good way to go about doing so.  Make a note to turn off the computer Sunday mornings, and try to make it routine to eat dinner together.  Eating around the family table is vitally important to the well-being of a family, and gives you the opportunity to reconnect, to discuss events of the day, to refocus on areas the family needs to strengthen itself.

Also, consider establishing a family game night, to have one evening a week where you can concentrate on relaxing and enjoying quality time together, without the distraction of the television.  Play games that require using creative-thinking and team-building skills, as these skills will transition over into the corporate environment.

Take your time, as well, from your busy workday to contact your family, even if it is just briefly.  Text message a love note to your spouse, or leave a brief note of praise on your son’s Facebook wall.  Small gestures though they are, it is this kind of love token that reassures your family that you love them, that you are thinking of them, and that you wish you could be with them.

These sorts of things will help you maintain connection with your family, while helping you find focus and inspiration at work.

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Feeling Pretty in Pajamas: The Art of Making Slovenly Sexy

January 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Let’s face it. There are some days when we don’t want to get out of our pajamas. We spend the day padding around the house, doing the house-type things that need to be done. We cook, we clean, we wipe noseprints off mirrors without asking why they’re there. We lose our sexy somewhere along the line, in favor of a t-shirt that has holes the size of developing countries.

So, what can we do to keep our slovenly attitudes and appearances from wreaking havoc on our marriages? What can we do to keep our sex appeal even when we’re covered in flour from making muffins?

Some things to consider:

1. Change it up. Even if you do nothing more than change the pajamas you are wearing, make the effort to change your clothing. Seeing the same, stained pajamas day in and day out is not attractive for our spouses.

2. Color the hair. Cover up the grays that are sprouting from your scalp like little demons. Cover them with something close to your natural color, and watch yourself shed years. And condition the hair, because having luscious, soft hair, even if it’s up in a pony-tail, makes us *feel* pretty.

3. Turn on the music! Crank up the radio, and dance. Dance as you bake, dance with your children, dance with the dog. Who cares if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket?! Good music, music you love, makes you move, and in moving, you find your smile again. And when the honey walks in the door, after a long day, and finds you and the kids dancing like lunatics in the living room, giggling like school girls, he’ll find you much more sexy than if you were stomping your foot in the kitchen.

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Stay-at-Home does not Equal Bonbons

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There’s a common assumption, by those who don’t know better, that stay-at-home moms do nothing but eat bonbons and watch soap operas every day. These assumptions could not be more wrong. A stay-at-home mom works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for wages that are, more often than not, doled out in stale cheerios and boogers. She is both mother and wife, and also equal parts nurse, chauffeur, chef, vacuum cleaner, dog-walker, and washing machine. She may not have seen a tube of lipstick in three years, or worn high heels since her eldest was born. Her house isn’t spotless, despite her best efforts, ad sometimes dinner consists of a half-eaten pop-tart.

It is vitally important for society to value the stay-at-home mom, and not denigrate her position solely because she receives no paycheck.  Her role is very important, but often she sttruggles to feel fulfilled.  Some days she wants to scream from the rooftop, just to know that, in fact, someone hears her.
Some days she doesn’t like her job, and she’s often times afraid to admit it. Those days are the ones she needs support the most, when she needs to be reassured that what she does matters, and that her job, though without paycheck, is not without satisfaction and value.

The cliche says that children are the future, and indeed it is true.  Stay-at-home moms battle down in the trenches, fighting nightmares, homework struggles, bullies.  They often forego showers in favor of rocking screaming babies.  They are those women who need the most love and support, and society must understand that stay-at-home and do-nothing are not the same.

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A Look at State’s Laws from Casinos to Online Casino Games

December 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Outlet "Admiral Casino Prater" of Ad...
Image via Wikipedia

Every state under the United States Constitution has the right to create their own state laws. As long as these rules comply with federal laws, each state is allowed to dictate where and what can be done inside the state. This is most evident when it comes to gambling laws and differences between states.

Every state in the United States is allowed to set up their own laws in regards to gambling and casinos. Some states outlaw casinos and gambling all together and do not allow any type of casinos to be built anywhere. Other states will allow casinos to be built as long as they are on specific plots of land. These plots of land can be government specified plots of land or Indian reservations. At the moment the only state that allows statewide gambling and does not require it to be on specified pieces of land is the state of Nevada.

While every state has the right to make their own laws and regulations there is nothing that is as hotly debated as that of online casino games. Some states believe that online casino games are the equivalent to regular casinos and should be held to the same rules and regulations, while other states believe that casino games could be beneficial to their state and are making separate rules and laws just for online casinos. The biggest issue regarding laws and online casino games is whether the laws apply to where the person is playing the game at or where the casino servers are located. Whether or not you believe you know every state law in regards to gambling and casinos, it is a good idea to make sure that you play safe and abide by all state laws. To do this you should make sure that you research your state’s laws regarding gambling and casinos before playing. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Rehabilitative and Health Care Laws

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When a person seeks treatment either for themselves for substance abuse or mental health issues this can prove to be a great way to finally get them on the road to recovery. Besides getting help for addiction, there are other issues to take into account with rehabilitation programs such as changes in health care and insurance premiums. The following is useful information that will help those who are in need of rehabilitation and are concerned with payment and healthcare issues.

The Chapter 350 of the SB 1764 Chesbro also known as Statues of 2000, makes requirement of the Legislative Analyst Office to review existing research and data on the coverage for health insurance for substance abuse treatment (both drug and alcohol use). The specifics of Chapter 305 calls this office to report on (1) the private facilities that provide drug and alcohol treatment services and the amount of clients they serve such as with LaPalomaTreatment.com (2) The cost effectiveness of the similarities between standard medical care insured expenses and care limitations, and (3) The variety of use treatments offered and costs.

Our currents state law requires companies that provide health insurance –HMOs also know as health maintenance organizations and insurance companies that offer health coverage, to provide coverage for the treatment of alcoholism but they are not required to provide coverage for drug abuse treatment. The current law does not require insurance and HMO companies to provide any substance abuse treatment to include drugs or alcohol coverage for the policies that are purchased by individuals. The treatment for substance abuse fall under two main categories which are rehabilitation and detoxification. Rehabilitation care may be provided in outpatient and residential settings and detoxification is provided through short-term medical treatment. Although this is not required by law, many insurance companies and HMOs offer coverage to include drug abuse.

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Choosing the Best Jewelry From Scott Kay

October 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Snow is falling. The warm fire glows in the hearth of the home. Ahh, the holiday season when everyone rushes around in the cold to buy the perfect present. When we were children, buying presents was easy—we wanted toys, games, books. But now buying presents for adults is so much harder especially with all of the fashion trends changing every few months. Winter fashions seem to be harder to purchase than any other season. Do you buy a scarf or a wrap or gloves or a hat? What makes this process even harder is that many women think they know how to give winter fashion accessories to their men or children or even their favorite best girlfriends.

When buying jewelry, many women and men are not sure how to navigate the jewelry buying process. From diamonds to sapphires to rubies, jewelry has so many options. Not to mention, the additional worry of getting the piece that special someone will cherish and worrying about whether the piece is authentic or not. When purchasing jewelry for a loved one, you should consider one of the finest jewelry designers and makers—Scott Kay.

Scott Kay’s unique and timeless jewelry pieces are individual works of art. The stunning detail and craftsmanship put into these pieces shows Scott Kay‘s commitment to quality and art. What you will notice first about Scott Kay’s jewelry designs are his intricate engravings on his silver rings and silver bracelets. For example, his silver crocodile texture bracelet blends the look of a chunky, trendy piece with the beauty and elegance of silver. His stunning men’s silver rings give a masculine quality to the detailed engravings with clean lines and rich styling.

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