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Divorce isn’t easy on adults much less on children. Many times, custody is given to the mother because children attach more to her. Sometimes during divorce proceedings a mother’s care is questioned as inadequate or unsafe for her children. In this case, a mother should know her rights.

Mother’s Rights

Legal Representation

Hiring a family lawyer is a good way to protect your parental rights. Attorneys who specialize in family law will know the ins and outs of the law and the system. They will advise what mother’s rights in child custody hearings are.

Witnesses

In many divorce cases and custody hearings, testimony is a matter of “he said, she said” with little evidence to prove either one correct. If you’re going in to dispute accusations of your parenting, bring witnesses with you. Your lawyer will depose witnesses beforehand.

Physical Evidence

Any physical evidence that will help matters. This may include documents or receipts for financial support or doctor statements. If you have any proof of abuse or neglect on his part, give it to your lawyer.

Factors Influencing Custody

There are many factors that influence custody that the court will consider:

• You can provide a stable home.
• You are mentally and physically able to care for your children.
• You were the primary caretaker of your kids. Children have a stronger bond with the parent that did most of the nurturing.
• Your kids can voice their desires to the court.

If the Court Rules Against You

Sometimes the court will award custody to the father. In this situation, mothers have certain rights.

Visitation

A mother has the right to regular visitations with her children. You may schedule activities during this time. Visits must be free from the interruptions or threats from the father.

Petition

A mother has the right to petition the court to enforce visitation. You can also request a hearing when you feel that the agreement has been violated or visitation has been denied.

Injunction

A mother has the right to stop the father from taking kids over state lines. Many missing children are abducted by parents. You can get an injunction preventing him from taking your kids to an unknown or unreachable destination.

Mother’s Obligations

Not only do you have rights, but you have responsibilities as well. You must obey court orders and behave in your children’s best interest at all times. You must report any signs of abuse or neglect. Whether you want to or not, you have to work with your ex -husband and maintain an amicable and cooperative relationship.

Going through custody hearings is stressful, but knowing what you’re rights are beforehand will help you protect your relationship with your kids.

When financial times are good, it’s important to stash that cash and save certain funds for those times when finances are leaner. If consumers aren’t seriously careful, they might find themselves filing for financial hardships, defaulting on loans and mortgages, etc. When this happens, there are serious legal penalties for lying to the bankruptcy court, and it’s important to be safe and smart with money to avoid legal trouble. Stay informed, and take a look through our best list of ways to recognize the warning signs of bankruptcy fraud, and learn how to avoid it in the future.

Image Courtesy of Tax Credits via Flickr.

Concealing Assets

If a friend of loved one confides he or she is doing some strategic shuffling to hide or conceal financial or material assets, it could be a huge red flag. Especially in the world of business, concealing valuable collateral points towards sub-legal activity. Sure, every business owner wants to save his company, but not at the expense of his reputation. Help steer him in the right direction and seek legal help together before proceeding.

Large Transfers

Huge amounts of money can sometimes be transferred to a different account, under the legal radar. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for any similar bank activity, especially if you own a business and have a hand in the finances. Remember that Uncle Sam will surely examine bank statements and financial history in a bankruptcy court and you can’t be too careful.

Gifting the Grandkids

Baby boomers who own successful, thriving companies know all too well that gifting the grandkids can be one of the best ways to push money out of a large account, tax-free. But be wary of a business owner who seems to be a little too generous. He or she might know a financial crash is looming, and is trying to preserve every last dollar, which could be a financial warning sign.

Now that you have a firm list of a few those tell-tale warning signs of bankruptcy fraud, you’ll know how to avoid them in the future. Spread the word to loved ones—especially those with small businesses—and learn how to safely stash any extra funds for times when finances are leaner. You’ll never regret being financially responsible, even if it costs a few extra dollars in the long-run. Live by a few smart finance rules, and always enjoy a business—or even family budget—happily in the black, despite financial and economic swings.

Traveling with children can be a hassle, but going on a family vacation doesn’t have to be complete chaos. Taking a little time to properly plan ahead can make a huge difference. The following three tips can help your vacation be less stressful like it should be.

Check Airport Rules

You have probably spent a lot of time searching for cheap San Francisco flights or for the company that gives the best deals, but you need to remember to research the rules and regulations of the airport. This will help your check in process go more smoothly and prevent you from over packing. Check to see if there are regulations on strollers and car seats or if there is an extra fee. In most cases, you do not have to pay extra for these items, but you should confirm this with the airport. You will also want to check how much baggage each person is allowed to bring, what size is appropriate, etc. Most airports only allow small bottles of liquid on the plane, so make sure you bring along travel sized containers and put them in a plastic bag. Don’t bring along anything that is not allowed or it may get thrown out.

Bring Along Entertainment

Whether you have a video game policy you enforce at your home or not, it doesn’t hurt to let your children play games while you travel. This will keep them from distracting others around them by keeping them occupied and entertained. Forms of entertainment that you may want to bring along include coloring books, travel DVD players, portable electronics, and more. You may also want to bring along snacks to keep your children satisfied while you travel.

Plan Ahead

It’s always good to plan ahead when going on vacation, but traveling with children can take extra research and planning. Make sure you have plenty to do at your destination to keep your children occupied and having fun. Plan a variety of activities that both your children and you will enjoy, such as going to the beach, checking out a water park, going to an amusement park, or exploring a museum. If you are planning to leave your kids alone while the adults enjoy an activity, make sure they have supervision, whether one of your children is old enough to watch the others or your hotel offers childcare services. Planning ahead is important when traveling with children, but don’t be afraid to try something off of the itinerary.

We all know that while this may hold true in many cases, it is simply not always the case. Women have made huge strides in terms of being accepted as leaders. The last few presidential cycles has witnessed more women at the forefront than ever before. And women are becoming business leaders and entrepreneurs at an ever growing rate.

With this shift in societal architecture, a need for women to form supportive groups that further their goals and aspirations has arisen. There are many such associations that can be found online and, if the specific groups can’t be found, there are many capable women ready to start them.

Finding such associations online can be done through search engines using key words like “women” and “associations.” It also is helpful to use words pertinent to the reason for the association in question—whether it be “female entrepreneurs” or “mothers working from home.”

Canada offers a very direct means of finding such organizations by use of Canada 411. There, a woman can quickly research the associations offered to them in particular or other groups and organizations that might help them become more successful, regardless of the field or endeavor in which they are interested.

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Amazingly enough, for what some consider to be the “best country in the world,” the United States has a shockingly low female representation in all levels of politics. There are currently 20 women holding the leadership positions of their country, either as Prime Ministers, Chancellor or President.

Sri Lanka was the first country which, in 1960, elected Sirivamo Bandaranaike as their Premier Minister. In 1974, Argentina elected Isabel Perón as their President. Since then, women have held any manor of political position throughout the world. In the United States, however, women have never held the office of either President or Vice President.

While the offices of the United States President, Kazakhstan President and many more have gone without women, there are plenty of women in powerful positions. In the United States, women such as Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Condeleezza Rice are all trailblazers. Hopefully, the work of these women will one day make it possible for a woman to hold the office of President in the US. Even Barbara Walters was recently quoted saying that the USA would benefit from a woman leader.

It is interesting to note, that even countries who are dealing with intense economic, political and humanitarian issues have women leaders. If women can capably run those countries, why can Americans not elect a woman as President?

As mom’s, to some extent, we must do it all. Going back to work after we have children does little to change this attitude. If anything, it only makes it worse. We still want to prepare meals, go to soccer practice, and spend quality time with our spouses, but as our days get stretched thinner and thinner, we often are left wondering just how much sleep we actually must have.

Before you get to the point where you want to tear your husband’s leg hair out, you should take a few minutes to step back and reconsider. What things are you doing that could delegate? How often do you find yourself going behind your spouse when he has tried to help with the chores? Are there things that you can give up doing? You may find that be readjusting your priorities you can place yourself to live life instead of sleepwalk through it.

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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Men and women are supposed to be equal when it comes to the workplace. They are supposed to have equal pay, benefits and job opportunities. However, that is not the case. Women continue to face a number of issues in the workplace.

Here’s a look at a number of the issues working women face on a daily basis.

Childcare Costs

Women are still viewed as the main provider for childcare. That puts the burden on working women to find a suitable childcare alternative for the hours that they are working. This is an added expense that many men do not have to consider when entering the workforce.

The Pay Gap Between Genders

Many companies will have you believe that men and women are making the same amount of money but a recent survey says otherwise. A recent survey discovered that there is still a significant difference in salaries between what women make and what men make. This difference is believed to be a direct result of women taking lower paying jobs and the time they take off to raise children.

Sexual Harassment

Many working women face the possibility of encountering sexual harassment in the workplace. While sexual harassment is a crime and punishable by law many women still encounter this issue regularly while they are in the workforce.

While some men encounter these types of problems the majority of the people who handle childcare costs, face unequal pay and encounter sexual harassment continue to be women who have entered the workforce. That is why these issues are considered working women’s issues.

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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.

Let’s forget, for just a second, about the differences between the two political parties that complicates the political landscape but let’s go back to what someone must do in order to be a part of the political system at all.

A person who is running for office on a major level, even if it’s on the major local level, is doing it because they are committed to seeing the benefits of being in politics. It will cost them six figures of their own money easily to get involved. Of course they cannot do it alone and therefore they reach out to other political people to find investors. The money that is given to them is done in good faith. The faith is that when all is said and done they will give back just what they put in. This makes the job they have to do so much harder. When they get into office they have to start paying back favors before they can make a difference. It’s a tough way to live but it’s the price they paid to get into office in the first place.

For instance once a politician gets into office they must think about some things as it relates to their job. There are usually in their office because their political party went to bat for them. Now their first day in office the idea of funding the new childrens hospital is coming up. There is a lot of money that could go to the hospital and it would help a lot of people. However there are people in the party who want that land to go to a commercial real estate developer because they have been generous to those in the party. So now while it would make more sense to have the hospital they have to now it would make sense to keep their party and it’s biggest supporters happy. This is how you keep your job. It’s the way the machine works and it’s a sad reality but a reality none the less.

The first thing is there are plenty of times when a conversation you have or you overhear can be sexual harassment. If you are someone around you is engaged in sexual suggestive conversation then you can bet there will be an issue with you violating or being violated by someone else. What you hear can be just as damaging as what you say. Don’t make the mistake of saying anything inappropriate. Even if you have a friend at work that you feel comfortable with, just keep the sexual talk outside of the work place.

The next thing to remember is a comment can be damaging too. You might think that a comment you make in passing, even if it is meant as a joke, is something that will get blown off, but more often than not it’s something that gets blown up. It’s rather unfortunate but people listen to everything you say and you can never be sure what is or is not offensive to someone else. The best thing you can do is to tr and remember that if it’s borderline at best than it’s just best not to say it. That is the key when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace.

The truth is that the view on the day is a little skewed. There are many who will see it as a horrible tragedy that our government should feel responsible for. They allowed a terrorist to get into the country and do unspeakable acts against the rest of the American people. There are those that will say it was the beginning of the end to the Bush administration, and there are others that will say it was more eye opening than anything else.

The truth is that in the midst of all that chaos there was a little bit of beauty that transpiring from the events of 9/11. While no one would ever want to see something so vile and so rude happen to their fellow countrymen, what it did do was brings the entire nation closer together. It’s part of the reason that there have been so many good people how did so many good things for others in that time. It’s one of the things that makes this country great and continues to make this country great. You cannot underestimate how people will ban together when the country truly needs them.

This is a time when the world will remember the bad, but it would do them well to remember the good. It’s part of what makes the country great and will continue to going forward.

The show centers around the lives of teenage mothers and what they must go through every single day as they try to raise their kids. The premise of the idea is that they are there to show young teenagers all the trappings of being a teen mom , but the truth is that it does more to promote teen pregnancy than it does to keep it away from children.

The girls on the show have made a living these days of getting paid a lot of money to put their lives out there. Their salaries are over six figures and they are even feeling the pressure to move on and do other projects or get a spin off series. These ladies are not bad people but you have to wonder if what they are portraying helps anyone.

These women are telling young girls that it is ok to go ahead and get pregnant. This is nothing worse than a marketing ploy and Dr. Drew should be ashamed of himself that he would exploit these ladies for his own profit and pretend that he is attempting to help do it as part of customer service.

It’s important for a woman to talk to their own teen daughters and to let them know that these women are not reflective of what things are really like. That is nothing to be proud of and those women are making ends meet because they have the money from the show. You must teach them that things are not like that.

Now, the reports have indicated that Deron didn’t push Sloan out but that after a heated debate Sloan went to management and asked that he be allowed to punish Williams for his behavior. The brass at the Jazz said no because Williams is their prize player and he is also a free agent after next season and so the idea is that if he is unhappy he will walk and walking will hurt the franchise. This certainly makes sense when you consider that after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James the value of their franchise dipped about 25%.

So if basketball is the true microcosm of the world then we can say that there is plenty of reason to believe that money is what dictates power in the world. This is not a concept lost on the rest of the world, but it’s certainly something that is bleeding into areas of the world that were thought to have existed in a vacuum. Sports are making that known that it’s the money that rules the sport and it’s not the integrity of the coach or the integrity of the program. There are plenty of things that are no longer the way we thing they should be and the NBA coaching situation is one of them. It’s money that rules all and that’s a sad statement for a game that so many have loved.

The initial thought is to check the source where a news report came from. For instance, and this happens a lot in the news these days. An outlet like Foxnews might report that in a study done by the (and we’ll just make this up) Keller Group that 89% percent of all American’s are not approving of the job that President Obama has done. While this could be the case one has to look deeper than just seeing that it’s the Keller group and look into exactly how that Keller Group is formed and who they are run by.

Now it would then interest you to know that the Keller group is a group owned by the Blighton Corporation and that it is owned by the same person or persons who owns Foxnews. This might give you pause when you consider that their political agenda is not usually in line with the President. Now this doesn’t prove that they are a dishonest group or that the poll isn’t valid, but it could lead us to want more answers as to how the poll was conducted.

These things are not done in order to create a sense of distrust but rather they are used to create questions. We count on the news for valuable information but if they are skewing that information that it should give use a reason for pause and a reason to question.

Many writers and news critics have opinions and their take on different issues, but that is what they are paid for, but the issue is that those who are commenting are no longer attempting to be civilized or intelligent in what they are commenting on. Instead they are using the Internet as a platform to harrass and degrade their targets.

Certainly not everyone will agree with a writers opinion on something. It’s within their right to question the integrity of that writer if they wish, but when it is taken to the point of hurling slurs or making blind and ignorant statements about someone’s family then it is taking it too far. So what are these bloggers to do with opinions they don’t like and why has it come to this?

Part of the problem is that there is a culture that exists where we are taught to be loud and be frank, but that should mean to be offesnive. However, there are plenty of men and women who are just that. It’s a shame because there are very good minded and intelligent responses to some of the opinions and news pieces that are posted but those pieces end up getting buried by bloggers who don’t know how to make a case for their argument without hurting someone. The sad part is that the situation will get worse before it ever gets better.

Of course there are those that are in complete support of the president and what he has tried to do, however, that doesn’t mean it works on all levels, or fails on all levels either. The key to the bill has been that it will no longer allow insurance companies to refuse service to those with preexisting health care conditions. Now, this is a welcome idea to those who have conditions, but those who are concerned about the health care plan are not sure that this is the way to make the situation better for everyone.

Those detractors will tell you that there are plenty of people out there who don’t have those conditions that will see their deductibles and premiums go up because they have to cover the expenses of those high risk, high cost patients.

So there are plenty of people who are happy that change is being inacted but are very upset about the change in and of itself. There are not going to be any quick solutions to the problem. The best that we can hope for is that there is a relatively happy medium reached and the people who need health care from the government can go out and get it.

The question of how much a woman wants her to succeed extends far beyond her political agenda. There are plenty of people who don’t align their political beliefs with Sarah Palin, and there are plenty more who do not deem her kind of hard lines political stance to be to their liking, but there is an even bigger number of people who respect what she has done and how far she has come in the last two years to be one of the biggest political figures of her party.

The question does come back somewhat to her education. There are a number of people who don’t believe she has the necessary smarts to hold a high political office. If she gets in then what does that say about women as a whole? It’s an important question to ask considering there are those that will believe she gets to where she is because of the way that she looks and not because of the kind of political leader she has been. So when it comes down to what women want it’s more important that Palin does a good job and that she is respected by her peers. That is really what women all over the world want of her. Only time will tell if she can live up to their wishes.

Over the course of the last two seasons he has been accused of sexual assault on not one but rather two occasions. This last time, the incident occurring at a bar in Georgia, was enough to almost have him brought up on charges. It was clear that his judgement was not good, but it is also clear that Ben has seemed to be on the straight and narrow and will certainly take a step up in the likable department, but is it enough for the ladies to forgive him.

The truth is that Ben is a person who is symptomatic of the professional athlete in today’s society. With the exlusive coverage of athletes on ESPN, Facebook and Twitter there are a lot of people out there who put the athletes on a throne and therefore it’s easy for these athletes to believe they are one of a kind and that they should never hear the words “no.” It might not be the right way to behave but it is the way that they do decide to conduct themselves.

The key may be whether or not Ben was guilty in the first place. It’s not necessarily that he was guilty. As a matter of fact it appears that he may not have been guilty at all.

The first thing that has factored in is that there is an increased role of the father in the home and a reduced role in the workplace. This is largely in part because the earning potential of a man is no longer exceeding that of a woman. In this day and age a woman can make just as much or more if they have the appropriate education or experience. So many men are staying home with the children. It’s a very common practice and giving the mother a chance to matter right outside of the home.

Of course the earning potential is the other factor. Women have advanced within the workplace so they understand that they are no longer afterthoughts but rather viable members of their company. Woman also have the luxury of being seen as the caregiver of the family so they are often afforded more flexibility at their jobs.

This changing of the work place is having a profound effect on the world and the way that children are raised. There are plenty of women who have embraced the fact that they get to have a dual responsibility in the family. It’s important that it be noted that not every woman would like to work. There are plenty of women our there who are happy to be at home with the children as well.

In this tough financial condition women are always busy to earn more and more to give financial security to their families. They are taking huge work pressure to fulfill their dream. Side by side women have to take all the major responsibilities of children and households. This huge work pressure and tension creates many critical mental problems in the life of most professional women. A complete relaxation is necessary to get rid of this problem.  Women are suffering from many physical diseases also because of this work pressure. It is quite tough for every working woman to get rid of these.

All of you know that women are more conscious about health and fitness issues. Most of the women are suffering from yeast infection silently. Natural remedies are the best solution to prevent this infection. Nowadays women are going for breast enhancement surgery as they want to get a complete beautiful look. This surgery is not successful always. There are many herbal treatments also which can fulfill this desire. For any issues related to health and fitness most of the women prefer natural remedies first. So, every woman should be aware always to prevent every kind of issue like social, physical or mental.

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.

The mental pressure is one of the major women’s issues nowadays. Women do not want to be a part of households only. In every professional sector they are established. It may be business or job they have a great contribution. But side by side they have to maintain the households and children also. It is almost impossible for a woman to take the work pressure of the professional life and households. That is why most of the women are suffering from many mental and physical problems. According to the psychologists, women, living in developed and developing countries are very much affected by various mental diseases because of tension and work pressure.

Many women issues of health and fitness has been solved with the development of medical science and treatment. In every developed country women are crazy about breast enhancement. They are going for surgery to have a beautiful breast. This surgery is not the safe solution always. That is why they are going for herbal treatment or herbal pills which are without any side effects. Women are depending on natural products nowadays in case of their any health or fitness issue. Women have realized that natural remedies are the only way to solve any health issue permanently without any bad effects.

She is an amazing woman, for being able to balance everything without losing her sanity, for being able to give of herself, without losing herself in the mix.  She is a powerhouse, the driving force of her family.

And so frequently, she goes unnoticed.

It’s a shame, really, that society does not recognize the powerful woman she is.  She is tireless, often working horrific hours at a thankless job, desperately trying to make ends meet.  She rushes from hither to yon, to try and make it to both her PTA meeting and her office party, worrying about where her children are and whether or not they’re safe, fed, and not in trouble.

Her job as mother and father is not an easy one.  She must bear the disciplinary brunt of raising her children on her own, without backing down, and without back-up.  She must be the one who paddles a bottom when it’s needed, and bandaid a bruised knee, who must teach her son to play football and her daughter to play flute, and she must do so without losing her cool.

She hits the playing field running, not hesitating to say “I can do this!” She is the modern-day super-hero, wearing humble clothes by day, and cape and spandex by night.

The single mother deserves not only respect, but humble admiration, as well.  She deserves a round of applause, for being able to conquer six impossible tasks before breakfast, and all with aplomb.  She needs to be thanked for providing a role model for her children, for showing them that they can do the impossible, and that they can achieve their dreams even in the most dire of circumstances.

It’s a valid argument, and one that needs to be taken seriously.  But feminism should not be allowed to just fade into the darkness, because it needs to provide structure, encouragement, and support for up and coming young women, and to encourage young men to continue with equality.

Young women need to be shown that it is OK to be a strong, powerful, brilliant woman, and that there is satisfaction in being all of those things and yet being feminine as well.  Feminism in the 21st century needs to provide support for girls, role models for both genders, and open itself up to the support and encouragement to youth no matter their gender.  They need to know that they can achieve anything they put their minds to, irrespective of gender, because they are smart, capable people.  They need to be shown that nothing is off limits, that nothing is impossible.

Perhaps feminism need not be gender-defined any longer.  Perhaps it should move into a wave of gender non-specific unity and encouragement, particularly in light of recent political machinations toward same-sex equality.  The force of the feminist movement, should it collectively stand up for the rights of all people, gender and sexual orientation irrelevant, would continue to bring about changes in society as it has in the past.

Feminism, as a whole, is a movement that needs to be continued, strengthened, and fortified.  It needs to be expanded into new fronts, but maintain it’s devotion to equal rights for ALL, not just women.  Feminism needs to remain in the forefront of the political scene, to continue to encourage the discussion of womens rights.

How can being a stay-at-home dad become trendy?

Some things to do, to encourage the At-home Father in your life.

1.  Remind him that you value his masculinity.  Not too many men can rock a pink frilly apron and a vacuum, and make it look sexy.  Make sure he knows that you still find him attractive, that you haven’t forgotten that he is still a man.  Remember that being an at-home father is thankless, and then thank him for all he does.  Remind him that he still makes your heart go pitter-patter.

2.  Encourage him to take time to get out with the guys.  Men need to be allowed to nurture their relationships with their boys, because it helps them feel secure in who they are.  Encourage your man to spend an evening in the pool hall, swilling a beer or two, and bonding with the fellas.

3.  Make the effort to rescue him from the mundane.  Send the kids to bed early, and have a candle-lit dinner just the two of you.  Talk to him about his day, and praise him for the efforts he put forth.  Rave over the spotless counters, or the lack of dirty laundry.

4.  Engage his brain.  Debate politics, or discuss the latest New York Times review.  Ask his opinion on your last project at work, and tell him of your failures.  Make him feel like his brain is still a valuable tool, and that he is not just a load-bearing pack animal in your eyes.  Remind him that you find his brains as attractive as his brawn.

5.  Appreciate his sacrifice.  Remember to say ‘thank you’ on occasion.  Thank him, not only for minding the children, but putting his masculinity on the line, for stretching the boundaries of what he is comfortable with, and for being daring enough to be a stay-at-home dad.

Computer Engineer Barbie has recently come onto the scene, entering into a field that is classically defined as male. And yet, despite this advance, Computer Engineer Barbie is marketed with her pink laptop, and her iPhone, wearing heels that, if a woman wore while attempting to string cable, would result in, at the very best, a sprained ankle.  We show young women that these ‘manly’ jobs are no longer out of reach, but that they must be performed within the strict confines of femininity.  The girls can play the boys games, but as Ginger Roberts said once, they must do it backwards and in high heels.  Girls are constantly shown that they are allowed to be in historically male positions, but that they can not eschew their femininity while doing so.  And has Ken, Barbie’s companion, yet ventured into the realm of ‘girls jobs?’ No, of course not, because it wouldn’t be appropriate for our boys to have Secretary Ken dolls.

We continue to define ourselves within the confines of our gender.  We continue to encourage our boys to play with G.I. Joe dolls, but not with Barbies.  We continue to subjugate girls, telling them that they only have value if they can be pretty in pink.  We do not encourage children to see beyond stereotypes, and stretch themselves to the limits.  For as advanced a society as we’ve become, we’ve struggled to break out of our ingrained, gender-associated stereotypes, and in doing so, we have hindered ourselves.  The question becomes, in confining young girls to pursuing strictly lady-like careers, have we discouraged some of the greatest minds from pursuing their dreams, leaving them to go unfulfilled?

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.

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.

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.

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.

So how do people make sure they are getting the information they need? It’s not an easy question and one that will certainly keep good minds busy. The problem is that the presidential nominee often like to play a game of illusion with their records and their stance. Getting to the presidency is about what you don’t say. It’s not about what you do say. There is nothing revealed and most candidates won’t take a hard stance on much and for that reason the American people are left to judge based on how much they like a person based on interviews.

If someone is looking into getting information about the candidates they can go on to a site like factcheck.org where there will be unbaised information about the track record of these candidates. It’s important for these people to see. What people should be looking for is a voting history. There is no better way for a person to see what another candidate believes in than by checking their voting record. It’s important to try and get the voting records from different levels of political office as well. There might have been votes on the lower level of government that will impact a person’s decision to vote for someone or not. Getting the facts could mean making a better decision on an important matter like the presidential election.

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.

So as he’s has made the press circuit, he is setting the record straight once and for all. The first thing that he cleared up was probably the incident that got the most attention early and haunted him for the rest of his time in office. The day tragedy struck on 9/11 Bush was at a local kindergarten reading them a story. He got word during the story, but then proceeded to wait for 10 minutes before he ended up leaving the school.

This was heavily criticized to make it look like either Bush was compliant with the events of 9/11 or that he wasn’t smart enough to understand that there needed to be an immediate call to action. It was Bush who has been looking to set the events of that morning straight. Bush revealed that it wasn’t about being ok with the events or certainly not a sense of apathy that caused him to wait. It was about being presidential. It was about not panicking in a very difficult situation. It was about showing a sense of calm to a nation that was certainly anything but calm.

It’s true that Bush is going to be criticized for that and many other events that occurred during his time in office, but what Bush is trying to do is set the record straight once and for all. This book is a very good start in that direction.

His time in office saw so much change and an office in complete chaos and turmoil. It was an event when he left office and the country will always have strong opinions about the way he handled his business. One of the things his time in office will be remembered for is the events that happened during Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, Tragedy struck the brave men and women of New Orleans. When the levee broke it left the city under water. Bush, then President, highly criticized for waiting far too long to act on getting people the supplies that they needed. It was one of the things he was hammered the most for publicly.

Bush had an interesting explanation for the events and it seemed to make sense if you were on the outside looking in. As the President he has some form of control or authority over what happens in each state, but unless it is a situation of being under attack he can’t go over the governors head. So when the floods happened he waiting for then New Orleans governor to make something happen, but she waited and waited. Once it as time he stepped in, but after that it was far too late and there were so many who had needlessly suffered. It was a tough part of the job and one that damaged his already sketchy reputation.

The act, which is good natured in the spirit of, is really about getting kids on through their education even if they are struggling just a little bit. The spirit of the idea is that no child can be kept back a grade. It stems from the idea that kids who are left behind will end up quitting their education if they are asked to repeat their grades. They also feel like that teachers and the school system should be doing their job in order to make sure that kids pass their classes and score up to grade level on the standard tests.

The problem is that this law is a completely impractical way to run the academic lives of kids. Kids are needed to be held back in some situations. What this law did was make it so that even if a kid is not ready to handle the next level of education that they had to go to the next grade. This makes a child over matched and won’t allow them to get to their full potential. It’s clear that there needs to be a certain and immediate reform to this law. If nothing happens then they will be forced to suffer the same fate. This is one thing Bush did that there is no defense for.

Every presidential hopeful makes the case for themselves on their stance on issues. They might not say a whole lot but they do attempt to let their record and their in line fairness with other voters speak for themselves. Without it they feel as if they have no chance in winning the oval office but the truth is it isn’t what you say, but how you say it that seems to matter the most these days.

While it’s true that there have been many great presidents in the last 50 years, many of them might not have just been the best guy for the job, but also the most charming guy in office. Somewhere around the time of the great Kennedy vs. Nixon debates did the world start looking at a President not only for who he was but also “how” he was. The argument can be made that since that time the more charming, or charismatic, a president has been, the more likely he has been to win the White House.

This idea was in full effect in 1992. There an unknown governor from Arkansas that challenged the returning president George H. Bush. The governor was Bill Clinton. At the same time that he was making his push for the oval office was an independent candidate Ross Perot. The two men that were running against Bush were not of equal caliber. Clinton was an Oxford graduate and had the political pedigree. Perot was a self made billionaire. Clinton may have only been equipped to handle the office, but where both of them succeeded was being able to charm the American people more than Bush did.

It was Clinton that took office, much in part to the way he was able to dominate at the debates and show a little humor where Bush had been unable to do so. It’s a wonder if a President can win the office without being charming?

Nixon was the former vice president and one of the brightest political minds in the world. He was going against Kennedy who was much better known for his families name than he was for his political career. On paper there was really no reason to pick Kennedy over Nixon. Nixon seemed much more equipped to handle the needs of the Oval Office.

In was during the campaign that they decided to televise all the Presidential Debates. During the first debate Nixon had decided that he would wing it. He was on the campaign trail until hours before the debates. He had opted not to prep beforehand. He figured his innate knowledge of the American political system would be enough to get him into office.

Another thing that he decided to do was not wear make up. He was just getting over getting sick but he figured that make up wasn’t needed. The result was horrendous. While Nixon made excellent points, it was Kennedy who came off like a star and a leader. Nixon looked sick and his five o’clock shadow made him look a sinister human.

The result was that even Nixon’s mother was concerned that her soon had not gotten over his illness. This all led to a flurry about Nixon not being the right kind of person to handle the pressures of the Oval Office. It’s not clear that he would have won had the debate been different but it certainly didn’t help his chances. It was a lesson for all presidents to follow.

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.

The acts of September 11 shook the country to it’s core. Having an attack on American soil really made people rethink the measures that the country was taking to protect its people. For one thing there was a serious problem we had with no longer dealing with immoral characters to find out information. This practice was applauded up until that time. Once the attacks hit it became clear that you could not expect to learn information about bad people unless you were willing to deal with bad people.

The other issue that arose was the issue of whether or not we were being too lenient with everyon’s privacy. There was a camp of people who believed that we were acting correctly in not keeping a close tab on the private citizens. While the camp was divided there were many who were caught off guard when the Patriot act was put into law in October.

The law was met with a lot of criticism. People didn’t see the law as a necessary step to protecting the American people, but rather they saw the act as a way for the government to become too intrusive and used the tragedy of 9/11 as a way to muscle it through Congress. It was a decision that would label the Bush Administration as an Orwellian Big Brother organization and it would last throughout the eight years in the Oval Office.

We are all guilty of it. Thinking, “I’ll be happy when…” You fill in the blank. We all think that at some point in the future we will be happier than we are right now. We’ll find happiness when we have more money, children, a spouse, or even a college degree. But the fact of the matter is that you have a lot to be grateful for right now! Right in front of your face are many reasons for you to be happy with your life, regardless of your present circumstances. Here are some of the things that make me happy that I’m grateful for.

1. Help for my loved ones. At some point in our lives, we all will probably be faced with addiction. Whether it’s ourselves that have an addiction or a loved one, we will have to face the problem. I’m grateful for treatment centers that can help others with addiction. I like to visit LaPalomaTreatment.com to learn more about how to help those suffering from addiction.

2. My health. I’m so grateful for a healthy body that lets me work and take care of my family. I can run, I can breathe, and I can write. Not everyone in this world can say that.

3. The holiday season. The holidays make me so happy. In fact, they make me almost giddy! I love how the world seems a little kinder and a little more gentle this time of the year.

4. My warm house. Sure, it’s not a mansion, but it’s home. And it’s where my family is. There is love and warmth here that cannot be bought with any amount of money.

If you start to think, “what if” stop and count your blessings instead. Think of all the wonderful things surrounding your life that make you happy. What are you grateful for today?

The Act was passed by the U.S Congress and was signed into law by George Bush on October 26, 2001. The title of the act itself is an acronym. It stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The Act’s primary goal was to allow the government more access to do its job protecting the American people. The act gave law enforcement more access to tapping telephones, and searching through medical records in order to obtain information that might bring terrorists to justice.

In the past these restrictions were in place and had to be ok’d by a Federal judge in order for such information to be searched. However, with the Patriot Act in place there was little need for a judge. Now email and financial records could be searched. Of course there were some parameters that still had to be abided by. The law enforcement agencies couldn’t tap the phones without some form of probably cause and they had to be looking for specific things, but it still lent itself to a much more laxed system.

Another provision in the Patriot Act allowed the Secretary of the Treasury to regulate transactions in banks and other financial institutions. If the transaction involved foreign people or foreign companies than the Patriot Act allowed for a much more watchful eye. This was a measure to make sure that money wasn’t being passed to the wrong people. These provisions were a big part of the impact the Act had on American life.

You refuse to accept it at first. It is a mistake, a tragic miscommunication. They are just as strong — and capable — as you always knew them to be. Their lives are not changing. Their abilities are not weakening. They are immune to such things, you’re certain. They will not succumb to age.

But they do.

And it is your duty then — as both daughter and parent — to understand what must be done. You must consider all possibilities, finding one that is beneficial to all.

Assisted living facilities may become such a choice.

Providing care for failing health is never easy; but the on-site professionals at these facilities make it a far more convenient idea. Medication is given without fail and those monthly check-ups can be done within the privacy of a room (rather than within an unfamiliar office). Your family will be allowed to forget all of the worries of home, devoting themselves instead to each other and the companions they will find. They will not be alone. They will instead be happy.

That is all you have ever wanted for them.

It is an undeniable fear to place your parents among strangers. It is an undeniable relief, however, when those strangers become friends and prove themselves worthy.

You can make the choice. You were given the strength long ago.

Feminism appeared notably in the 19th century, after seeing some literature to precede the common topic of feminism.  This era and movement ushered in one of the more important movements in social history, arguably.
The changed allowed under feminism is considerable.  The feminist movement has allowed for changes in everything from women’s suffrage to workplace concerns.
Protecting women against domestic violence and sexual assault has also been a target of feminism.  Encompassing crime, economics, social and reproductive rights, and more topics of note, feminism over the past few centuries has made a large number of great changes in society.
These contributions to the well-being of women and the overall scope of society are easy to see.  It is crucial that individuals acquaint themselves with such progressions, regardless of gender or age.
The value and role of feminism must be kept intact in order to move onwards.  While there have certainly been a large number of issues that have become remarkably changed for the better over the years, there is still room to progress and grow in areas.
Learning about feminist movements that have occurred in history is a great way to familiarize yourself with such changes.  While education will provide some of this knowledge, there are endless areas with which to learn.
Don’t forget to keep in mind such ongoing transformations in feminism.  In some areas, there is still much room to go, which should be kept in mind for those that follow such issues politically, within the community and beyond.
Such efforts have made the world what it is now, which is considerable in light of the progressions that feminism has spearheaded.  Understanding such strides is vital if society is to create further progress in related issues.
Realizing the effect and value of feminism is essential for all, regardless of gender and other characteristics.  Feminism has come a long way in a short amount of time, providing strides of equality in a wide range of areas for women and men.

On November 5th 2003 they signed the act into effect. This law prohibited later term abortion and that act refers to it as Partial Birth Abortion. The way partial birth is ruled within the act is anything that requires the act of intact dilation and extraction. The physician who performs the partial birth abortion will be subject to up to 2 years in prison.

The law says that partial birth abortion is anything that occurs during the second trimester. This means that a pregnancy from the 15th to the 26th week is outlawed and cannot be done regardless of the circumstances. The law has no provision in their for the gestation age of the fetus or if it matter whether or not the fetus could live outside of the womb. During those weeks a child cannot be aborted. The idea is that at that stage of the pregnancy a child is old enough to exist outside of the mother’s womb making it a life in itself, and therefore making the killing of that fetus akin to murder.

This act, just like any law or act that has to do with the life of a child, was met with some resistance. It’s not a popular topic where there is a deafening opinion. The truth is that the act was just another way to fuel the debate even further.

This of course was firmly divided into two camps of people. There are those that believed that the act was good and that it did a great job of shedding light on the evils of killing babies. They believe that there should be no allowance for abortion and that all life is precious. Still, knowing that it hasn’t been outlawed completely they felt vindicated that there was yet another measure in place to ensure that there would be less babies that would die.

The other camp felt as if it was one more step in the direction of taking away a woman’s right to choose. It’s a woman’s own body and therefore what she decides to do with what is growing inside her own body is no one else’s decision to make. It’s only her decision to make.

President Bush stood firmly behind his policies. In his heart and in his mind he was right and there was no way that anyone was going to tell him different. It was that kind of stand alone attitude that made him one of the most polarizing figures of the last century. This ban also led to that infamous reputation.

Some of the benefits of attending school as a WAHM include:

• Options: Because you are working from home, it’s easier for you to fit either a campus school or an online school into your schedule. Online schooling is ideal, as you can work from the comfort of your own home and at your own schedule. If you have a campus that’s close, you can still take a few classes here and there without interfering with your work schedule. One site that will help you find the perfect school, whether online or on campus, is earnmydegree.com.

• More opportunities: The more education you have, the more doors will open up to you. Going back to school for your degree allows you to gain valuable education to get more or better jobs in your field, or get a raise. Some WAHM’s even go back to school to learn how to start their own businesses.

• Flexibility: Not only do you have more options as a WAHM to finish your degree, you have flexibility as well. This means you can finish your degree on your own schedule, whether it’s taking night classes from a local community college or working on your online classes in between your work at home.

The WAHM has plenty of opportunities and excellent reasons to go back to school and finish her degree. You’ll be amazed at the opportunities that open up to those who have an advanced degree.

No Child Left Behind

This school law was one that Bush drew criticism for since the moment it was put into effect. The act stated that a child couldn’t be left behind due to poor test scores and that the child must be moved forward. Parents and educators were outraged that such a law would be put into place. This made people start teaching to the test and start moving kids up who should’ve been left behind.

Katrina

When a President sees national tragedy strike, he knows it’s his call to action. In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and left the city of New Orleans in ruins, Bush didn’t move for days. Waiting on the Governor to ask for assistance Bush waited for the call to action. It never came, and people suffered. There was a massive outrage as people started thinking that Bush couldn’t care less about the poor African American’s who made up such a huge portion of the affected population. His lack of movement, or his inability to do so, would haunt him for his last years in office. These are just a couple of the polarizing events that made Bush such a controversial figure in the White House.

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Sexual harassment is relatively common in the workplace.  Such behavior is unlawful and unwarranted, and should be reported to help discourage and eliminate its presence. Sexual harassment is defined as action that is unwanted and unwelcome, relating to sex.  It can be something as seemingly innocuous as a gesture or phrase, but this is hardly the case.  It can also be something much more direct, such as a physical action or other type of behavior.
Anything within these lines is referred to as sexual harassment, and should not be taken lightly, regardless of intention.  Anyone who witnesses or experiences such action should report it immediately and appropriately, in the workplace and beyond.

Women are the most common targets of sexual harassment, although it is also seen in men. Sexual orientation also accounts for targets, where insults due to this are not uncommon in some environments.
The effects of sexual harassment can be devastating.  Some individuals have troubles psychologically, feeling a wide range of emotions and effects from such events.  Others may move away or find another job, especially if actions such as these continue.

At any rate it is apparent that sexual harassment should not continue in the workplace, or in any environment.  Action must be taken immediately.

If you or someone you know has any knowledge of actions of sexual harassment, one should contact the appropriate parties.  Depending on its extent, one may even contact the police directly.  Regardless of where to turn to, action must be taken in order to eliminate sexual harassment in any environment.

Contacting the appropriate authorities is the best thing to do is these circumstances.  If no action is taken, the behavior could escalate and continue.  Or, the victim could retaliate in some manner, which is also seen in cases of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is not to be underestimated.  Take action directly if you have any knowledge of such actions, in order to protect individuals and eliminate its presence.

There are few presidents who have been as unpopular as President George Bush. During his time in the White House he was very active and made many decisions that impacted the American people. These decisions were met with a lot of anger and angst and the Bush administration tried their best to do what they thought was best. Big decisions always tend to be unpopular ones and these decisions started a ground swell movement to have Bush removed from office. To understand the decisions, you must understand the full scope of the Presidency. Let’s take a look at some very unpopular decisions made by President Bush.

Invading Iraq

The nation mourned the events of 9/11. The were behind the President when he made the decision to go into Afghanastan and they were behind him when he launched a world wide assault on terror. However, when he decided to invade Iraq and go after Saddam Hussein, the American people didn’t feel so good about that. They weren’t sure that the U.S had any reason to be sending soldiers overseas to fight a dictator who wasn’t part of the fight against terror. However, the administration declared that there were weapons of Mass Destruction and those weapons were in Iraq. The decision was met with serious conflict and the American people still stand at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

This law was not so much unpopular as it was polarizing in what it meant for the rest of the United States. The country had been as divided on abortion as any place. This ban made it impossible for women to have abortions in the second trimester. This was seen by many as a way to take away a woman’s right to choose. Bush was thought of as too religious for the Oval Office. These decisions made him one of the most unpopular presidents in the United States history, but he won’t be soon forgotten.

Image via Wikipedia

Workplace inequality is still a relevant subject for both women and men.  Although strides have been made in this topic, it is still not up to par for the rights and equality of both women and men.
Within feminism, a number of women’s rights still need to be worked on in society.  Work-related pay is still not equal to that of men, although much progress has been made in this area.  In some work environments, although similar strides have been made here as well, other rights are not noticed, such as appropriate maternity leave.

Inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace is also still relevant.  Sexual harassment and assault occurs in the workplace, regardless of its severity, which needs to be examined more fully in attempts to eliminate and reduce such behavior.Men are not exempt from workplace inequality as well.  For instance, sexual harassment in the workplace is seen in men as targets, though not as common.

Additionally, gender-specific discrimination is also prevalent in the workplace.  Such discrimination is often seen against men and women where one gender dominates another. While there has been a considerable level of progress over distant and recent history to bridge such gaps, inequality still remains in the workplace to some extent, depending on many factors.  Thus, change and examination is required to overcome such obstacles to an equal workplace for all, regardless of gender and other factors.

One of the most direct ways to combat such behavior is to report it to the appropriate authorities if it occurs.  Depending on the matter, contacting the appropriate parties of the business or in law enforcement may be necessary.

When it comes to politics, many people are left scratching their heads. They don’t really have a complete understanding of how the system works. Others misunderstand the process, and still more people choose a side and stay with it, no matter what evidence they are provided with. Of course, there are also plenty of people who do understand politics and don’t have an agenda that’s tied to a political party. They just want what’s best for the country, no matter who will be doing it. The main reason that politics is so complicated is because it affects so many areas of life.

Everything from health care to taxes to renters insurance is affected or touched in some way by politics — either on a national scale, a more local scale, or both. If you’re interested in understanding politics and getting involved in what’s happening in your community and your country, the time to start learning about it is now. You’ll never get to the knowledge level you want if you don’t start working on it. If you aren’t sure where to get started, there are plenty of people and plenty of organizations that can help you.

Just remember that getting involved in politics can provide you with a lot of conflicting information. Automatically believing everything you hear or read isn’t such a good idea. Take the time to find out whether what was said is accurate, or whether it’s a twist on what’s really true and correct. It’s not a secret that politicians often try to make other politicians with different party affiliations look bad, so keep that in mind when you’re learning about the process. With some research, thought, and common sense, you’ll be better able to make the right political decisions for you.

Americans hardly ever hear about taxes without the word politics following closely behind, or vice versa. Part of that is because politicians are notorious for raising taxes, causing many Americans to cringe, especially during this poor economic condition the country is in. It really is a catch-22 because taxes are needed to fix roads, provide children art and music lessons, and to generally run the country, yet people don’t want to pay a lot of taxes because they need that money to live off of.

On the minds of most citizens is President Obama’s health care bill. While many will agree that the United States is in desperate need of health care reform and better plans at cheaper prices for citizens, many are afraid that the new bill will raise taxes and provide less coverage for health related expenses. Of course, many Americans have other concerns about the new health care bill, but that is another discussion.

Politics and taxes will always thrive off each other. From the time of the Boston Tea Party, when Bostonians revolted against Brittan’s tea tax, to campaign promises of less taxes, which many would argue never come true. Politics, people, and taxes will battle against each other, rising and falling in popularity, the ebb and flow of the relationship between politicians and taxes is interesting to say the least.

Politicians are always claiming that they are determined to reduce taxes. Campaign trails are full of promises of tax reductions, but how many politicians are actually successful in reducing taxes for American citizens? Not many. People hear the word “taxes” and their ears prop up. People love to hate the word taxes, which has been a part of American history for hundreds of years and will continue to rear it’s head in political discussions for hundreds of  more years to come.

One of the biggest things to happen to politics in sometime just happened recently. President Obama passed his health care bill and it has created a firestorm of controversy. There are a lot of things about the health care plan that are coming into perspective. Here are a few of the ways that the plan hopes to benefit you, the individual taxpayer.

The Public Option

This is a big point of contention and what the entire bill was spirited on. This public option gives citizens without health insurance an option if they are interested . Now, that doesn’t mean they have to take it but much like the well criticized Medicare Part D plan it is made in the idea that it is better to have some insurance than no insurance at all.

No Maximums

This is a big deal for those that come down with life altering diseases. There used to be that an insurance company only had to pay so much for you in the course of your life and once you reached a certain limit they could drop you but the truth is that they will no longer be able to do that. There will be no lifetime maximum. No matter what.

You Are Who You Are

Pre-existing condition? No worries there. You are who you are and they will not punish you for that anymore. You used to not be able to get insurance because you were a diabetic but no they will have to take you regardless of the illness. It’s in the spirit of giving us your weak, your tired, your poor.

Preventative Services Covered

There will be preventative services covered for everyone. No matter what insurance you have there will be no cost to you to go in and prevent disease. It’s a big plus of this health care bill.

No matter what side of the coin you are on, there is something to be said about the overall affect that politics has had on these types of financial situations. Some people felt that bankruptcy was the best route for these struggling banks and automakers. Others felt that no one deserved the loan and that the government should let these big businesses fail. On the other hand, yet others believe that these financial bailouts was the right way to go and would inevitably help encourage the economic growth of the country.

Politics played a role in these decisions. Presidents had to weigh the good and the bad side of extending these loans. In Congress, each member had to state their opinion which would either be backed up by their state’s citizens or not. In many ways, this type of dialog was necessary in order to get the right decision in front of those that had to make a decision. Politics, and which side of the line you were on, played a role in what would happen.

For those who are struggling with bankruptcy right now, the fact is, you may have needed this opportunity to pull yourself up. A visit to www.totalbankrutpcy.com is one way to see just what options individuals have to get the bailout they need to stay afloat during these less than ideal economic times.

President Obama came into office in a mess. There is no doubt that there was a lot to do and a lot that the people expected of him. If he had any hopes of getting re elected then he knew that what he would need to do is to make something happen. If he didn’t he’d end up a one and done President. While there are still a little less than 2 years remaining on his presidency you have to know that his legacy is already set in stone with this universal health care bill.

When a president decides to do something this bold and forward they are resting their entire legacy on this. Rest assured that if this health care plan works and people get what they have longed for then he will look like a hero and go down as one of the great innovators of those who had his office. If this plan fails or puts the country further in the hole he will look like a president that was in over his head and pushed his own agenda without thinking about the country.

But was it his own agenda? The truth is it’s rather hard to say whether or not it was his agenda. The president is a good man but did he do this the way he wanted. The bill he proposed initially was met with much resistance from the other side. When his bill finally did go through it looked a lot different than what you say initially.

There are certainly points to the health care bill to like but of course the bill will take time to pass through and iron out all the kinks. But there is no doubt that whatever happens with the bill it will define an already important legacy.

It’s been joked about for years about how the President’s wife runs the White House, but is there a day in the not too distant future where this will be true? The place of women in politics is evolving and has been evolving for years. Long gone are the days of the novelty of a woman in public office. It is no longer note worthy that a woman is in a position of political authority but the question remains as to how high is the limit?

The truth is politics is moving in a direction few of us have ever seen before. There has been a ground swell of support for minority candidates as there is a clear changing of the guard around the world. People are fed up with the same old and are looking for a change and that change is coming in the form of minority candidates.

Woman are appealing to voters in these elections. They tend to show up well as sympathetic voters who care very much about the people. In political systems where the needs of the people are rarely addressed there seems to be a disconnect between voters and politicians women show up so well.

The question as to a woman in the White House all comes down to money. A candidate must have a tremendous amount of money and that money only comes from two parties in the United States. The Democratic and Republican parties. These parties have the money necessary to give credibility to the candidate but it’s unclear at this point if there is a female politician strong enough to receive that kind of backing. It seems close in the 2008 election and there might be a chance that future elections will present the same opportunities for women but only time will really tell.

Have you ever had the aspirations to work in a political office? Have you ever thought that you could do a better job than the guy in charge? If so you might be thinking that it’s a good time to throw your hat into the ring and get yourself involved in the next election. It’s a noble thing to want to better your community by running for public office but there are a few things you should know about running for office, even if it’s on the small scale. A political office, no matter the size, comes with challenges and unless you are ready to face the challenges not only of the office itself, but of the election process, then you might be in for a disappointing run.

The first thing that you need to know is that an election is really really hard work. It’s not just about speeches and a few posters. As a matter of fact, politics at the local level is all about getting your face out there. It’s about visibility. There are few debates and speeches for local counsel or to become a judge. It’s about going door to door and meeting the people. They won’t know you from a name so making sure that they get to know your name will matter far more than you could ever imagine.

In order to get your name out there you will need help. You see most local elections are won by the motivation and the dedication of family and friends. Getting the word out to your family members to enlist their help will end up helping you a great deal. So make sure you are fully aware of exactly what it takes to make it in this line of process. Otherwise it could be a rude awakening.

Running for a local office is a great way to make necessary changes to your community form within. It’s one of the most rewarding experience and could be the beginning of a rewarding career in politics but it isn’t an easy way to do it. Winning an election is a very difficult thing and doing it at the local level can be a very trying time for the candidates. If you are interested in starting your political career at the local level there are a few things that you should know before getting into it. These things will help you to not only win the election but eliminate a little of the stress that goes along with it.

The first thing you have to know is that you are going to need a lot money. Certainly not the same amount of money that the bigger and more prominent campaigns need but you will certainly need well over 50,000 dollars in order to run a race successfully. At the local level everything is about visibility. You will need to spend most of your money on flies, buttons, and posters.

When people step into the voting both and they are voting for local office they usually vote on name recognition alone. If they have never heard of you they are unlikely to put your name down on the ballot box. This is why having so much visible to them will be so important.

Some of the things you see on the bigger stage will not apply for you. You will not need to make speeches in most cases and there is not much likelihood of a debate. Don’t worry about being presentational as much as you should worry about being personable. Winning an election is hard but not impossible. Be strong and smart and you can win with ease.

How many times has this happened to you? You walk into the voting booth on voting day. You know who you are voting for in the presidential election. You know who you want for senator, mayor, and governor. You even know who you want for state attorney but then you get to the lower elections and you seem lost. The names are all foreign to you. You couldn’t tell who is running for the first time and who has been around for years. You don’t know how they vote, how the prosecute or what their stance is on anything. You could pick blindfolding and feel just as confident about your pick. You make the decision to do one of two things: either you vote at random without any thought at all, or you pick the last name of someone who has the same ethnicity you do. Don’t be embarrassed as you are one of the many people who choose to vote this way but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to vote.

Remember that there are bad, evil, and dirty politicians at every level of office. The problem with people not paying attention to the local level is that there is a feeling that it doesn’t matter who is our judges or who run our local city council. But the truth is that these people have a bigger impact on our day to day life than any other politician. They inability to do their job well can result in the massive mismanagement of money and services. It will affect the way you do business and the way your community operates. Please do not make the mistake of voting blindly. If you are unsure of who to vote for you are better not voting at all than voting for the wrong person.

If you are interested in running for office there are ways to do it and do it for less. There is no secret that at all levels of office there is no cap on the amount of money you can spend on an election. If you are interested in running you might not have as much money as your opponent. This doesn’t mean that you are at a disadvantage. All it means is that you will have to work a little bit harder. And of course you will have to work a little bit harder.

The first thing you need to do is eliminate the fat from your payroll. You can’t afford to staff anyone unless you can guarantee that they will win you the election. You can’t so don’t worry about it. Do yourself a favor and get everyone working on a volunteer level. Have the person you know that knows the most about elections to help you and act as your campaign manager. You can usually get them to spear head things by offering a compensation if you win.

Make sure to use social media as a way of getting people to vote for you. Don’t be stupid and ignore the power of things like facebook and twitter. It’s a great way to reach a captive audience. A lot of what you do in the election will be about name recognition.

Don’t waste your time on any television commercials. If you are fortunate enough to have the money for a commercial the chances are they won’t be aired in prime time. You are better off doubling up on the posters. You need to focus your attention on hitting the people door to door. These things won’t cost you much more than time. Money won’t always win a local election. Brain power will.

When you take on the political process from the vantage point of the candidate. If you are going offer local office then you are probably charged with good ideas and a good reason why you are running but there comes a problem with your status as a low level candidate: you are seriously not sure how to run the campaign. This doesn’t mean you don’t understand what you have to do to win but rather how you go about executing your plan. This isn’t all the uncommon.

The biggest problem with running a local campaign is that it is usually staffed by a group of loyal family and friends. Far be it from anyone to tell your family and friends that they are unqualified but the truth is they may not know what they are doing. For that you will have to prepare to take action and be your own campaign manager and this means managing your staff and delegating responsibility.

The first thing to do is seek out the most knowledgeable, responsible, and smartest people in your team and seek them out for a leadership position. With that you will be able to lay out a strong game plan and you will be able to finally figure out how to put that plan into action.

Make sure your campaign manager is someone that you trust. You want to make sure they will be able to devote all the time that it takes to win the election. Make sure they share your vision for a successful campaign and make sure they are willing to do be there to dole out responsibilities. If they are not willing to be a part of everything it takes then don’t worry about them, thank them, and look elsewhere for a manager. You need someone who is on your side.

In your home life you might be married. If so then it is assured that either you or your spouse is in charge of the money. You are responsible for knowing what money is coming in and how much money is going out. You must also make sure that you are on top of making sure that all the money you spend is an appropriate amount of money. You will be in charge of keeping costs low. Well, in the elections you watch on television and read about in the papers you will see that there is a lot of money going into winning the election. For this reason, just like at home, there must be someone accountable for the money that is coming in and going out for the campaign.

Money managers are so important and not just in a numbers standpoint. One of the biggest problems that election campaigns is that there are far too many candidates who run out of money. The issue isn’t always a lack of funding, although there is always a want to have more money, but rather that the money isn’t being spent in the right way.

It is not just the job of the money manager to make sure the money is spent appropriately, but rather to work closely with the campaign manager to make sure that you both are on the same page about how effectively to spend the money. When is it best to spend money on television ads. When is it best to start viral campaigns and how much will you pay key staffers for their continued efforts. These decisions, if made incorrectly, can really throw a wrench into the campaign and potentially cost someone the election. Knowing how the money is spent and making sure there is some available is a key role in the election that isn’t well appreciated.

The duties of a financial manager on a political campaign is a big deal. Many people believe that there job is simply to keep track of what is being spent and what is coming in. While this is certainly part of the equation it is only a sliver of what it is they have to do. There is more to running the money in a campaign than simple bookkeeping. Here are just some of the responsibilities that they have:

Rainy Day

The worst thing in the world that can happen to a campaign is to run out of money. This is never a good idea. In a high profile campaign there will always be a need to have money just in case. Let’s say it’s the presidential campaign and candidate A is just rolling along up in the polls and that’s good news to him because he is without money. Then just as the election is nearing, his candidate, Candidate B, comes out with an ad that effectively questions his political record. A quick look at the polls and it’s seen that the numbers are dipping and it’s up to your campaign to issue a response. You have the right angle on a commercial and you know just the time to release but since you didn’t have a good manager you are without the funds to produce it. Borrowing money can be possible but it is a problem to borrow and your opponent would love nothing more than to report that you are broke.

Not having money is a big deal. In an election you will need all the money you can, especially down the home stretch of the election. If you come up short on funds it could end up costing you the election and your job in the process.

So if you are interested in working on the local level as a campaign finance manager then you should get ready for a lot of different responsibilities. There is a lot more to handling the money than just seeing what goes in and what goes out. You must be clear about how the money is spent and what the priorities of the campaign are. There are ways to be effective with your campaign money but you have to follow some simple guidelines.
Know Your Priorities
The first thing you will have to be in tune with is knowing just how the election will be won. If the election is a mainstream, high profile election, then the campaign will be one on the television. This will change how you will have to use the money you raised. If you are working on a local campaign then you will win this campaign through email and with posters. This will mean your money needs to be spend differently. There are a lot of people who don’t know the difference. You will need to know.
Having Reserve
No matter how much you are interested in keeping the publicity going you will need to have a cash reserve. You know that there could come a time when there will be a need to have money and act quickly. This is why there are is such an importance on having a emergency fund just in case you need it. Elections can change at the drop of a hate. You need to be ready for anything.
Stay The Course
Sometimes bright ideas are not that bright. You need to trust your team and have your team trust you. While good ideas may arise you must know from the start what your best plan of attack is and follow that through til the end.

Joining the political process can be a rewarding experience if you are getting into it for the right reasons. You will be amazed at the passionate people you meet and the amazing experiences you can have as you do what you can to make the world a better place. But that doesn’t mean that getting into politics is as easy as you’d like it to be, or that your perception of how to make a difference is on the up and up.

The reality of the situation is that getting involved in politics usually starts at a grass roots level. The first that it needs is to be sure that you want to be involved. Being involved in politics is a big deal and it means the world to many people. Make sure the person you support is someone who shares the same beliefs and values that you do and cares about making changes on the same issues that you do.

Once you have picked the person you feel like you should help do yourself a favor and call up their office. These places are always looking for volunteers and will be more than happy to enlist the services of such a dedicated and motivated person. They will probably start you off in a phone bank or going door to door on behalf of the candidate.

The best way for you to get ahead and move up in the office is to make sure you are always saying yes. Make sure you are saying yes to all the things they ask of you. If you can do that then you can make your way up the ladder and be more on the forefront of the political process. Being involved was a great way to connect to your community and a better tomorrow.

There is a question of true leadership in politics. Does it exist anymore? Long gone are the days of strong men and women having the courage of their conviction to stand up for what they believed in, even if what they believed in wasn’t all that popular. There are no longer those that stand alone but rather those that stand behind the party lines and claim that they are doing what they think is best but their previous actions and speeches and grandstanding seems to believe otherwise. It’s amazing how quickly you go from a world of brave men and women to a world of complacent leaders.

At the root of all indecisiveness and indecision is money. If it were cheaper to win an election there wouldn’t need to be the hiding behind the party line and going the party way. Men and women would be able to lead by their hearts and their heads, and not the whims, notions, and ideas of others.

As a politician gets into office they are bombarded with their own parties agenda. They are interested in making a deal first and foremost. Here’s why? The people who gave them money to fund their quest to obtain office are the same people who are looking to be taken care of now. This is how the political process works. It’s ugly but funding the reelection makes it so that you have to spend most of your time in office doing favors for people. Because of this there are no more politicians that are strictly for the people. Everyone has an angle. That is why it is so hard to find men and women of conviction and courage. This system is not about good people but rather good politics and that leaves everyone out in the cold.

Is the television ruining the political process in the United States? It’s an interesting question and one that has no definite answer but one worth looking into nonetheless. We already know that thanks the the enormous pockets of the two main political parties in the country that there is very little room for a third party. No one has the man power, visibility, or money to stand on the main stage and take control of the political process.

So what that leaves us with is two parties to try and work together to solve issues where the outcome will have effects on many future generations. This is a huge deal and there is no way around that but the pot gets muddled when you look at the situation and see more and more these days that neither side can get along.

But is it that television is to blame? The truth is that the television landscape is cluttered with political shows. The problem is in the people they have representing these shows. Long gone are the days of unbiased news anchors hosting these shows just trying to get a good interview and hear both sides of the story. As a matter of fact all we are seeing these days are very opinionated and biased people who make a living bashing the other side in control of these high profile shows.

As a young and impressionable person there is a lot of sway that these people can have over you. They can effect the way you think and feel about certain political issues. What’s worse is often the kind of reporting they do on these shows lacks all journalistic integrity. For that reason alone we have a tremendous divide in these shows and it might be dividing the people and that’s never a good thing.

There seems to be a big problem with the presidency these days. Once upon a time the president’s term used to be a lot different. They spent four years doing what they could to fix the nation and in the meantime they would campaign and hope to be re-elected. These days the office is much different. They spend the first two years trying to complete their parties agenda and the next two years looking to win another election.

With this is mind it has been suggested recently that the president only get one term in office. In France the president is given one six year term and they cannot be re-elected. This is a wonderful idea in the United States for a multitude of reasons.

No Election Worries

This is the biggest problem with a president. Every president in their first terms spends half the term trying to keep his office. If you are fortunate enough to catch a president in their second term that is the time when the real work begins. Having a one term and done rule would allow them to spend the entire term worrying about the issues that face the country and nothing else.

Real Work To Be Done

Don’t underestimate this as a real problem with the current structure. Presidents are always more productive in the second term because they realize there is nothing left to lose. They can offend or stand on a wall and no matter what they will be find because they weren’t coming back anyway. Let them do their thing but do it for one term and you might be surprised at the progress that can be made.

Having one term might sound like a novel concept but it has real possibility. Making it happen could provide long term solutions to the problems the country faces.

When voting time comes it can be really easy to make the wrong choice. You go into the voters box not understanding at all who you are voting for and why you should be voting that way. You want to do what is best for yourself and your community but the truth is you tuned out on the pre election rhetoric. Well, who can blame you. The fact is, listening to a candidate doesn’t give you much of a heads up about who they are or what they will really do for you once they are in office. In order to make the best decision you must make an informed one and that means digging deeper than you ever have before.

The best place to start is with a person’s voting record. Now, this won’t matter much if they are running for the first time but if they have been in the system for a while they have made votes. It’s important to look at the votes, which can be done with a simple google search, and see where they were on board and where they were off board.

What might be more telling is to find out exactly where they abstained from voting. This will carry a lot more weight than you could imagine. Knowing what they wouldn’t take a stand on could have a big factor in whether or not that person gets your seal of approval. For instance if they abstained from a bill that would give more money to a children’s hospital then it would helpful to know why they weren’t willing to give that money. You might have to do a little extra digging but there is no doubt that you will know your candidate better once you find out why they did it. Voting record is a big deal.

George Bush already made enemies by standing against research in the areas of climate change and stem cells. Bush’s stances on these scientific issues could easily be understood when looking at his background. Bush had business interests that would dictate letting oil companies retain their market share for the immediate future. Bush’s stance on stem cells and abortion brought him into the dangerous political hot water of the abortion debate.

Perhaps no other issue gets the American public to engage in more violent debate than abortion. The debate encompasses issues that are always controversial and often had little gray area; religion, women’s rights and right to life. With religion involved, science did not matter in the abortion debate. No amount of statistical data involved could ever convince the faithful that legal abortion was anything other than a sin. And there was scientific evidence that safe and legal abortion saved the lives of mothers who would otherwise attempt to get an illegal back alley procedure.

Bush was seen by the faithful as the president who would finally overturn the controversial Roe vs. Wade decision that allowed women the right to seek an abortion. The 1973 decision had been the crusade of the Christian right for decades, and with their man in the White House the antiabortion crowd had made headway on an issue that the majority of Americans had already decided upon years ago.

Bush did make headway in one area that could affect Roe v. Wade. He stocked the Supreme Court with relatively young conservative justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts. With the court stocked with conservatives, there was some hope that someone would challenge Roe and come to a different conclusion this time.

But there was another way for Bush to outlaw abortion. He had been quoted as saying that he supported a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. This would trump the Supreme Court and be a defining legislative victory. Perhaps Bush did believe that a constitutional amendment was the best option for the country, but he never pushed the issue. It was one area where politics trumped faith.

In the Oliver Stone movie, W there is a scene when the fictional character of George W. Bush insists that he will never be “out-Christianed or out-Texaned” again after losing his first political race. Whether or not this scene actually occurred is debatable, but the spirit of the scene embodied the political tactics that Bush employed.

Bush lived off of his cowboy image. He proclaimed “Dead or alive’ when he announced the hunt for terrorist Osama Bin Laden, and he had a reputation for making the “Hook em’ Horns” sign, a symbol of the University of Texas Longhorns. It was something that someone’s dad might do to try and fit in, which was appropriate because he did have a daughter that attended the University of Texas at Austin. But it was typical of the image that Bush and his team strove to portray.

Bush is a blue blood. He was born into money and had earner his degrees as a legacy student first at the University of Yale and then at Harvard Business School. While Bush was every bit the insider that he accused others of being, he did everything in his power to show himself as something different. He distanced himself from his father’s legacy and found success as an everyman.

It is difficult imagining Bush as the polarizing figure that he became without this effort to show himself as nothing more than a regular American Christian, but after he exposed that their was a market for this type of politician even at the highest political office in the country Bush opened the door for others to try and emulate his success.

Bush’s legacy is Sarah Palin, but while Bush was playing a role, Palin is a regular American. At least she was before national fame and book tours. Palin’s political success shows that to be successful in American it doesn’t require much more than than finding a niche and exploiting it. Perhaps Palin will never reach the heights that Bush did, but the model will be tried over and over until it is proven to no longer work.

Women have been leaders in certain cultures, but there is no evidence that female leadership ended over even reduced violence. In modern times, there have been numerous instances of females as heads of states. When Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of England, she was known for being a conservative icon, who was a staunch anticommunist. Great Britain did not see a noticeable drop in military funding during her administration. In fact, Thatcher lead her country in war against Argentina over control of the Falkland Islands. The islands were of nominal importance to either country, but the conflict greatly benefited Thatcher and her political party. The Conservative Party won reelection in the 1983 election cycle, and political analysts credited Thatcher’s stance in the Falkland Island Wars as a major part of the reason why.

Females are raising to important leadership roles in politics and business in greater numbers then ever before. There are record numbers of women as CEOs and women are even rising in the ranks of the United States Armed Forces. There will probably be a woman president of the United States in the near future. Hilary Clinton was credited with breaking a glass ceiling during the last election cycle. If the first female president is Sarah Palin, who is know for her love of hunting, then perhaps the notion of women as the “fairer sex” can be put to bed for good.

For it sends that human actions are fare more complex than stating that the force of history will be determined by any single deciding factor. If there is one lesson of history is that the office makes the character, rather than the gender determining the actions of the office.

Barrack Obama came into the national scene during the 2004 presidential election. As most of American snoozed at the thought of John Kerry winning the democratic nomination, here was someone that captured the imagination of the liberal wing of his party, but the question is why?

Obama’s emergence on the national scene was stunning, but perhaps less so for the speech he gave than his timing. Obama made his national debut during a dark period for the Democratic Party. Bush had won the controversial 2000 presidential election, and his party had also gained control over congress. Republicans had passed massive tax cuts that included huge benefits to the rich, and the United States had entered into two foreign conflicts with Republicans seen as the party of the armed forces. The Democrats seemed rudderless if not obsolete.

Obama was a flash of bright light amid this ugliness. His speech seemed to be on the level of Bill Clinton or other well regarded public speakers. The content of his speech mattered far less than his stage presence. Obama looked presidential during the speech, but he offered nothing radically different than other figures in his party.

Why did Obama inspire people then? Part of his appeal was his race. African American make up a large portion of the voting base of the Democratic Party. The brutality of the African American experience in the United States made electing someone with black skin part of the healing process.

Obama energized the base because he looked the part. He was a fresh looking face. He looked like change. And he embraced the role to help get elected. But just as when he burst on the scene in 2004, Obama’s look outpaced the content of his ideals.

Republicans portrayed Obama as a dangerous liberal with socialist leanings and as an Islamic sleeper agent. When looking at Obama’s resume and reading the words that made up his agenda, Obama is revealed to be similar to other Democrats. His agenda never approached radicalism. He only looked the part of something new and different.

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.

When George Washington left office he bestowed some simple advice and set important precedents that would become hallmarks of the American political system for decades. The suggestions made by Washington would prove to be important wisdom to help guide the nation through its difficult early days, and while seemingly forgotten as time has passed, it remains pertinent in modern times.

Washington is a figure that is difficult to truly analyze in the mainstream media because he has become nothing short of a deity since his death. He was a military hero and fabled leaders, whose name has been attached to universities, road and even a state. The gleam of his accomplishments seemed endless, until a movement took place that added the footnote that he was a slave owner. Never mind that slavery or servitude, whatever name institutions wanted to bestow upon the practice had been going on since the beginning of history. Slavery in the 18th century was such a common practice that not owning slaves would have been a far more important footnote. Washington’s reputation should not take a hit because of his era.

The important lessons to be learned from Washington occurred in his public life and his final address. Washington established term limits. Had he decided to become president for life, the nation might not have survived. It would have created a division that could have caused the loose confederation of former British colonies to crumble for good.

While historians can only speculate on what might have been, leaving after two terms appears to be one of Washington’s most important legacies. His farewell from office is another. Washington spoke of the dangers of entering into entangling military alliances with European powers and of party politics. Washington’s warnings about the dangers of alliances prove prophetic more than 100 years after his statements. The United States participated in the First World War but not to the same ruinous extent as European nations.

Washington’s other warning seems particularly good advice in modern times. Political parties served their own interests at the expense of the nation in Washington’s eyes.

When is too much information a bad thing? When the information clutters or distracts the decision making process. A good example would be being receiving an abundance of contradictory directions on how to complete a project. The American election cycle has become something similar, as the media pours information down the throats of its viewers while using the election as a way to drive interest in the news.

This process is neither good nor bad. It simply is. The political season as a horse race is the produce of living in a capitalist representative democracy. The media seeks to widen its audience by reporting on something that people are interested in. A major political campaign is a wide reaching event that carries the same type of drama as a sporting event. There is a winner and a loser. There is a tale of the tape. And there are regular scoring updates.

The scoring updates come in the form of polls. Americans favor one candidate to another due to variety of reasons including: stage presence, back story and political affiliation. Data has been collected to show that a large percentage of Americans will be persuaded to vote for a candidate enough though the vote is against their personal views and economic interest.

Part of the reason for this confusion comes down to the media coverage. The candidates are treated as if they are prize race horses. Does the candidate “look presidential”? Does he or she have executive experience? How would he or she handle the mud?

The act of observing and reporting on the race has become the race itself. It is a social Heisenberg effect, which dictates that the act of observing alters the result of the experiment. While the media implies that knowing everything about a candidate is necessary for a healthy democracy, this message is greatly self-serving.

There is no ideal way to solve the media circus surrounding politics, and in an environment where less might be more a low information diet of facts over dramatic stories could be serve voters on election day.

That Nazi Germany carries on as an enduring symbol is a credit to the effectiveness of Nazi propaganda and of the extent of their crimes. The Nazis looked the part as Adolf Hilter was a screaming banshee of a man complete with the odd signature feature of his tiny mustache. There is no reputable debate on the horrors of Nazi crimes, which makes this era in German history an archetype for an evil totalitarian regime.

While comparing a modern candidate to Hitler might make for a easy headline, unless his or her actions are so horrific that no other comparison will do tying a modern politician to the Nazis is usually a lazy and dangerous practice. Despite perceptions to the contrary, the German National Socialist Party was made up of men. Deeming their actions as horrific is fine, but singling out this regime elevates its status and in its own way honors Nazi criminal acts as unique. This gives into the Fuhrer myth that surrounded Hitler and his followers. They declared themselves as transcendent. They said they were the master race. Instead they were common criminals and part of a regime that quickly flamed out due to their propensity for violence.

The lessons of the Nazis should not be forgotten, but there are rarely good comparisons to the Nazis in modern American politics. Bringing the Nazis into the debate serves to cheapen the rhetoric of the discourse, while also distorting the facts of the historical lessons produced by the Nazi era. Calling someone a Nazi is a lazy and generally inaccurate statement.

George W. Bush’s first term was a roller coaster of approval ratings that eventually reached a plateau, which made his reelection an uncertain proposition. Bush had won his office in a highly contested election that had to be determined by a Supreme Court decision. Once in office, Bush saw his approval ratings plummet after the media reported on his multiple vacations. His presidency also lacked any signature legislation. He appeared to be headed for a forgettable one term presidency, until Sept. 11, 2001.

The World Trade Center, which had been the target of Islamic terrorists in 1993 were not so lucky the second time around. From the smoldering wreck of the World Trade Center the presidency of the second Bush in the White House rose from the ashes. He earned support of the vast majority of he American public. He vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the 9-11 attacks. His “dead or alive”pledge seemed to resonate with an American public that wanted revenge.

Bush almost immediately cashed in his political capital to launch a series of military attacks. Bush invaded Afghanistan to attack members of the terrorist group Al Qaeda and the radical Islamic Taliban regime. While most of the world supported American military action in Afghanistan, Bush’s proclamation that the United States reserved the right to make unilateral preemptive strikes anywhere that the nation deemed necessary was greeted by the international community as a bridge too far.

After all, America remains the only nation in human history to launch a nuclear attack, and while sympathy for America united the world after 9-11, the rest of the world began to see the Bush Administration as overreacting to the terrorist attacks.

By 2003, it became known that the United States was not satisfied only fighting its war on terror in Afghanistan. An old foe, Iraq and its dictator Saddam Hussein entered into American cross hairs. The world had marched with Bush into Afghanistan, but going into Iraq would mean that Bush and America would be isolated. Bush was willing to act alone and run for re-election on that conviction.

The 2000 presidential election established that there would always be a sense that George W. Bush did not earn his office. Bush won in court after losing the popular vote to Al Gore. It took a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling to end efforts for a recount in the state of Florida. Without a recount Bush was the winner in Florida and as a result won the Electoral College.

The decision affected the scope of American politics forever. The original wisdom of the Electoral College was to provide a check against the popular vote. The framers of the nation worried that an unworthy candidate could fool the masses and advance to the office of the presidency. The Electoral College was constructed to prevent that and ensure that a supposedly better informed group of people would make the decision of who should hold the highest office in the nation. The 2000 election called into question whether this system held any value anymore.

While the media speculated that the Electoral College could be abolished in favor of a straight popular vote, the movement to enact change stalled and eventually went away. The Electoral College would stay and so would its elected candidate. Bush would enter office without a mandate or a message that the majority of the nation wanted him in office.

He would be sworn in anyway even as Democrats cried foul. Bush won after Fox News, a conservative network, declared him the winner. Other networks joined in after the Fox declaration so to not appear behind the story. On the Associated Press waited to declare a winner on election night. The Supreme Court decision to end the Florida recount also had politics behind it. The justices voted along party lines. Bush won the 2000 election, but it was not due to the votes he received. American politics in modern times showed that loyalty to a political party often trumped a loyalty to the American democratic process. Partisanship reigned and the legislative process continues to be locked in partisan gridlock.

Bush signed some major legislation into law during his presidency. He passed massive tax cuts that in particular benefited the top percent of Americans. Bush also went against his streak of carrying out his agenda without compromise by signing the No Child Left Behind Act into law. Bush famously worked with Ted Kennedy in a rare moment of bipartisanship that signed into law a bill that sounds better in name than in practice.

Bush and his political supporters were responsible for a massive prescription drug bill that he claimed benefited seniors. The bill was criticized for being too generous to the drug companies upon scrutiny. Perhaps others would argue that the Patriot Act defined the Bush Administration because no other major terrorist acts occurred on American soils after Sept. 11, 2001.

But did the act keep America safe or was it the military actions that Bush ordered and championed. Massive invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, which Bush and his supporters argued kept the terrorists occupied and off of American soil. Proving that it was Bush’s actions and not the inability of the terrorists to organize a major attack is difficult. After all there were no major terrorist attacks prior to 9-11 either.

So what is the lasting legacy of Bush? And for that matter what was the lasting legislative legacy of Bill Clinton or George H. W. Bush?

Franklin Roosevelt was known for the New Deal. Lyndon Johnson was known for the Civil Rights Amendment. Where has the sweeping and impact laws for this generation of politicians? Can sweeping legislation be passed in an era of continuous media scrutiny and unmatched partisanship? Is the legacy of recent presidential administrations a lack of one?

John Kerry walked out to the applause of his supporters during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and he seemingly cheapened a great political moment by saluting the camera and stating that he was, “reporting for duty.” Kerry had won the nomination to face George W. Bush in the general election in a campaign cycle that would mirror future elections and also become overlooked compared to the controversial 2000 presidential election and the historic 2008 election.

With a Republican incumbent in the White House, only the Democratic candidate had to be determined during primary season. The media offered a collective yawn to the candidates. Only one seemed different than the collection of lifelong politicians that sought to become the Democratic Party’s representative. Howard Dean, a doctor and former governor from Vermont launched a successful Internet campaign. Dean rose from relative obscurity to become a serious candidate by creating a buzz and raising campaign funds through his website.

Although Dean had a strong organization and early buzz, he succumbed to more established candidates, in part due to an unpolished moment were he began defiantly screaming that he would win. Dean’s loss was Kerry’s gain and a pair of American bluebloods would face of for the presidency.

Despite being a Vietnam veteran, Kerry was portrayed as a softer candidate by Republican political groups. Some groups even went as far as to claim that Kerry did not earn the medals he was awarded for his combat duty. Despite many who served with Kerry coming out to deny the accusations made by the political group “Swiftboat Veterans for the Truth”, Kerry could not seem to overcome the disinformation surrounding his campaign. Just like in 2000, the election would be close and the results would hinge on a single state.

The contest between Bush and Kerry would come down to the state of Ohio. And despite leading in early exit poll results, Kerry ended up losing the race. It was close enjoy to protest, but Kerry did not sense that fighting would improve his cause after the drawn out 2000 election.

America claimed to enter Iraq as it had other conflicts. America stood against tyranny and wanted to prevent another disaster like the Sept. 11 attacks. Saddam Hussein was a proven butcher. He turned on his own people to maintain his position as dictator for life, and Hussein had shown a willingness to use chemical weapons during his war with Iran. Painting Hussein as a villain, especially after the nation had been attacked, was not difficult. Proving that Hussein had the potential to be a danger to the United States was something different altogether.

The battle cry going into Iraq was that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. This weapons were being held against the sanctions of the United Nations. With this weapons and with Hussein’s connections to the terrorist world, Iraq was a ticking time bomb that needed to be defused before the United States faced an attack that dwarfed what happened on Sept. 11. Or so was the message that the Bush Administration communicated to the American public. Bush even had Secretary of State Colin Powell address the United Nations with satellite photos and other intelligence to show that Hussein had an active and mobile chemical warfare program.

Finding the truth amid the information provided by the Bush Administration remains difficult even in hindsight, but fact and fiction in military intelligence remains something that can only be truly judged after the fact.

The American military remains in Iraq even though the quest for weapons of mass destruction has been long since abandoned. Did Bush err in invading Iraq? If the mission was finding weapons the answer is yes. The question then becomes; who is to blame? Did the Bush Administration push an invasion or was the intelligence flawed. This remains for history to decide.

The originally Loose Change was followed by a series of sequels, and a movement that goes by the name of 9-11 “truthers”. The group existed on the fringes of the media. They created websites and put up fliers in major cites. The movement even had moments that gained them attention in the mainstream media such as the time that 9-11 “truthers” interrupted a live airing of the Real Time with Bill Maher show. Maher had the hecklers, who were shouting “tell the truth”, thrown out.

The theory that the Bush Administration was behind the 9-11 attacks was supported by the political gains the attacks allowed. Bush saw his approval ratings skyrocket after the attacks. He appeared at Ground Zero with a megaphone and transformed his image from controversial election winner to war president. His agenda went from controversial to necessary and patriotic. The Patriot Act was passed. Bush sent the military into Afghanistan. And in his most controversial and seemingly the move that supports the inside job theories, Bush ordered the American invasion of Iraq while citing the 9-11 attacks as a reason to invade

Did the 9-11 attacks benefit the Bush Administration? Almost certainly, but historically nations unite behind their leader during times of war or crisis. While the attacks might have created a favorable situation for Bush, the conspiracy theory surround the attacks seem most that absurd. The attacks occurred on live television. As did Bush’s reactions to the attacks. If there was a conspiracy it involved thousands of people who never revealed perhaps the greatest secret in history.

Bush won the Republican nomination for the presidency after a contentious primary against John McCain. McCain was an experienced Senator from Arizona and a Vietnam War hero. The McCain campaign attempted to portray their candidate as a pragmatic choice, who would not sacrifice his values for political gain. McCain spoke out against the Christian right. He spoke out against the Rev. Jerry Falwell, whom McCain described as an agent of intolerance. Bush capitalized on the rift between McCain and the Christian right. Bush won the nomination after engaging in controversial push polling techniques in South Carolina. The Bush political team pushed the perception that McCain had fathered a bi-racial child out of wedlock.

Many political observers attributed dirty campaign tactics to the influence of Karl Rove. Rove had developed a reputation of doing almost anything to ensure that his candidate would win. While the tactics used against McCain proved to on be a blip on the radar of media coverage during the 2000 presidential election, it established a pattern of controversy that would surround the Bush Administration heading into the general election.

The 2000 presidential election would prove to be one of the closest in history. Bush did not win the popular vote. The outcome hung in the balance as news networks declared Democratic candidate Al Gore the winner in the pivotal state of Florida before declaring it too close to call then switching to saying it was a borderline victory for Bush. The narrow margin ensured that Bush would be a controversial president, something his tactics did nothing to contradict.

Bush seemed like a natural while making a toss from the mound, which was a presidential rarity in itself. Most presidents opted for a simple soft toss from a short distance. Bush looked as if he were trying to hit 90 on the radar, and it was not surprising that he seemed comfortable on the baseball diamond. Bush might have had many failures as a businessman, but his involvement in baseball was not one of them.

Bush was an owner of the Texas Rangers during the 90s. He sold stock in a failed business venture called Harkin Energies and acquired a $500,000 bank loan to buy his stake in the team. The stock sale would later be investigated by the Security and Exchange Commission, but the business deal with the Rangers would prove to be a winning ticket for Bush. He helped the team to secure a new publicly funded stadium and to sell the team to Tom Hicks. After the sale to Hicks, Bush received $14 million in return for his original investment.

The business side of baseball provided Bush with this wealth, but he also showed a respect and admiration for the game beyond profits. There are several stories of Bush talking to players and being able to recount details of their careers.

For all his faults and foibles, Bush’s love of baseball seemed to be once of his most genuine qualities. There was even speculation that he aspired the office of commissioner of baseball after his term in the White House. While that speculation has died down, some debate remains on whether Bush would have been a better baseball commissioner than he was a president.

Bush had a definite interest in denying the scientific evidence that humans were behind global warming. He had adopted Texas as his native state. Many of his investments as a young businessman were oil ventures. A large portion of the Bush family fortune was made in oil. To take a wait and see attitude towards global warming made sense for his political and personal interests.

When it came to his views on stem cells, abortion and sanctity of human life, tracking Bush’s influences were far more difficult. Bush had become a born again Christian after a public battle with alcohol. Bush often spoke about his faith during his time on the campaign trail. He even said that he often used prayer as a way to help him make decisions as president.

His Christian ideas then showed during his presidency. He was staunchly antiabortion as his faith would dictate. And as a result he carried this to be against stem cell research. This might have won him votes form the faithful, but it cost him in the eyes of the scientific and business communities. Technological breakthroughs are the number one way to drive an economy and promote new economic growth, and stem cells were one of the most promising avenues for a breakthrough in the lucrative field of medicine. Opposing something that had a clear financial value shows that for all of his faults, Bush was not a hypocrite when it came to his faith.

He might have benefited from being seen as a God-fearing Christian, but he also appeared to truly believe in the scriptures he quoted. The morality of his actions can be debated. What cannot is that Bush did no favors to researchers.

Perhaps the best opinion on how to judge presidents comes from one. John F. Kennedy once said that presidents should only be judged from the perspective of what they knew at the time. It is easy to condemn Herbert Hoover for the Great Depression after the act, but based on the knowledge of then time very few people could envision an economic collapse that deep. Kennedy even pleaded for perspective on a president that is often regarded as the worst, James Buchanan. Buchanan earned the distinction by doing nothing as the South seceded. Buchanan thought that secession was illegal, but he also thought that using the military to prevent it was illegal.

Understanding that Buchanan was completely loyal to the law made his actions more understandable. Buchanan chose ethics before all else. Given that Kennedy’s approach allowed presidents to be judged in the most sympathetic light possible, what does it mean for the legacy of Bush?

Even a few years after his presidency, Bush’s legacy remains unwritten. He was president during a time of unparalleled information availability. Much of the information that Kennedy said was necessary to understand a president remains unpublished and not analyzed. So understanding how Bush made his decisions remains unknown.

What is known is how Bush responded while in office and some the short term results of his actions. Bush left office as the world economy was spiraling out of control. He left office with the nation involved in two conflicts that had no end in sight. Ground zero remained a hole in the ground, and the political environment remained partisan. History might judge him differently later, but the first draft was not kind to Bush.

When George W. Bush entered the White House his public relations team portrayed him as a someone who could unite people. He was folksy and agreeable, a person who would be “good to have a beer with”. For all that was made of Bush’s ability to unite, his reputation took a hit almost immediately after taking office.

A short time after moving into the White House, Bush played to his base by getting involved in the debate on abortion and contraception. The Bush Administration attempted to delay the wide availability of RU-486, the so-called “morning after pill”. While the stated reason was to gather further information about the pill, the Food and Drug Administration had already declared it safe and it had already be available in other developed industrial nations for more than 12 years.

The Bush Administration had also sought to limit access to information. Almost immediately after he was sworn into office any type of family counseling that included discussing abortion as an option was restricted. Bush cut federal funding to programs such as Planned Parenthood.

By entering into the abortion debate full steam ahead, Bush went against his pledge of being a “uniter”. He chose the words, and as a result had the obligation to attempt to live up to the perception that he could find a middle ground or at least a forum to discuss finding alternatives.

Bush did neither when it came to abortion or contraception. Despite the scientific data that condemned teaching abstinence only sex education in schools, Bush refused to allow any other line of thought to be presented.

For Bush it was a problem of his ethics mixing with the office. Religion has long been a touchy subject in a representative government. It took years for a Catholic to be elected president as their was a perception that the Pope would then have a direct line to the White House. John F. Kennedy pledged country first, which allowed him to overcome the stigma.

Bush wore his religion on his sleeve. He took a stance and was honest, but it did not unify.

A company put out a calendar with a “Bushism” for every day of the year. Oneof the classics was, “Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” During one of his State of the Union addresses, Bush talked about opposing genetic experimentation that could lead to human-animal hybrids. Part of the problem with Bush was that he seemed in over his head in an office that demanded more.

Bush was often criticized for what he said and how he said it, but his greatest gaffe seemed to be when he did nothing at all. In the minutes after the Sept. 11 attacks, video was leaked of Bush looking confused and remaining seated in a classroom instead of responding immediately. Bush had been on a public relations opportunity reading the book “My Pet Goat” during the attacks. The situation was not ideal for Bush but his reaction of not reacting after being told the country was under attack was another black eye in a serious of gaffes.

Bush seemed to take the critiques personally at times. He was not considered a media friendly president. He held fewer press conferences than his predecessors, and he granted few personal interviews. Bush let his media team handle the press, but he never failed to provide moments of weakness for critics to prey on. Bush famously gave German Chancellor Angela Merkle an unwanted back rub, and his photo made it to the front of the New York Times after he tried to go through a door that did not exist in China. Perhaps they were minor missteps, but the camera never seemed to miss Bush’s gaffes.

Knowing this, try to use the word equality with the complex nature of humans. The definitions of gender roles have eroded for good or for worse. It depends on who you are and how you think. Definite has no place in human nature due to the dynamics of what humans are. Defining by race, social status, sex, religion or political viewpoint is volatile at best because no human can be pigeon-holed into a single definition. Acting without definition or hierarchy toward all humans, respecting differences and likenesses? That becomes the act that cures the pain—something that physicists can’t do with their numbers. Einstein knew that when he gave up his work. He admitted that the indefinable was in charge of the numbers that vexed him all his life.

Humans are not numbers.

Acting without defining, allowing each person to be treated with dynamic respect at all levels is an act that reiterates what scientists are discovering in Chaos Theory: the dynamics of the universe are clearly genius, but indefinable. Entanglement states that we are all connected. That means that giving to others is also giving to you. Online charity, giving to a cause, or giving to your daughter is giving to you as well. It is also the least definable power in the universe, and perhaps the greatest.

The filibuster is a such a common occurrence during congressional debate now that there are calls to consider reforming its use. It was once a tactic used as a method of last resort, a nuclear option, but its regular use has come to symbolize a legislature in gridlock. The United States Congress had become a body at war with itself.

When did the change occur? And when did political civility die? The answers will almost certainly come down to party lines. While finding a definitive answer might be impossible, many historians point to Ronald Reagan. Reagan held a mantra that no Republican should speak ill of another Republican. With party loyalty as a commandment, crossing over to work with the other side seemed like an improbable prospect. After all Republicans were supposed to never admit that a colleague was wrong under Reagan’s leadership.

The move proved to be a major success politically. Reagan won reelection in a massive landslide, and he pushed his agenda through Congress. The Reagan Era set a precedent that carried on. After Bill Clinton became president political divisiveness became even more damaging. When the Republican majority in congress could not agree with the democratic president on a budget government offices were allowed to close. Congress launched a major investigations into Clinton’s private sector business dealings and ended up impeaching him due to a sex scandal.

The political tone became even more divided during the George W. Bush Administration. Usually war unites a country and government. While the nation came together in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, politics soon reverted back to normal. Bush accused opponents of lacking patriotism, in a great act of party over country.

In terms of literature, the first works were in the early 15th century.  Christine de Pisan’s works in this timeframe established the makings of feminism, long before feminist movements occurred.  Pisan challenged men’s dominated realm of the arts and the stereotypes present in the current medieval era in which she lived.

Over history feminist literature has played a great role in women’s issues and feminism as a whole.  It has provided insights into a wide range of topics in which feminism has pinpointed for change to occur. As a result, feminist literature is a great place to start to become integrated with feminism as a whole.  It is seen in a number of categories, such as feminist-based novels, scholarly works, and other topics, such as feminist science fiction.
If you would like to learn more about feminism, becoming acquainted with such works is advisable.  Decide on a time frame or a certain issue to help narrow the available choices down.  Or, alternatively, you may choose to narrow down your potential selection based on a particular author.
In time you should find your understanding heightened in certain matters.  You should also help develop your historical perceptions of certain issues, which is helpful in today’s society, where change has occurred drastically from past battles.  Moreover, your interest should be incited into more works of women’s literature, to which there is an endless array of options for enjoyment and education.
Take the opportunity to learn more about feminist literature.  There are a wide range of choices, from subject matter to historical basis, in which to learn and enjoy a number of writers and topics.  It is especially important to become acquainted with changed that has occurred or is forthcoming in society.

Micromanaging is the bane of all executives. Whether it be a movie, a business, or a Scout camp, people who try to keep track of and run every aspect of an enterprise will wind up pulling their hair out. That’s why the roles of assistant directors, vice presidents, and other middle management exist, to share the load of the people who are in charge.

With property management, a management group will take care of a property for the real owner. They keep up the maintenance, make sure everything runs smoothly, and, like their job title says, manage the property.

In a sense, that is what the President of the United States does. He isn’t the owner of the property, but he is entrusted with it, looks after it, and makes sure everything runs smoothly. While it is obviously a more difficult job, the same principles apply. A President cannot, and should not, micromanage. That’s why there is a presidential cabinet, staffers, and teams of lawyers. Take, for example President George W. Bush’s approach to women’s issues. While the President certainly took a stand on these issues, he also had others spearhead his agenda. Although Bush was in charge, he delegated the tasks to others who could perform the job best and be “out front” on many of these controversial issues.

This is a good example of management. Macro-managing is not dodging responsibility. Rather, it’s delegating specific tasks to those the leader can trust. It’s like a film director who relies on the director of photography to handle the cinematic aspects of the movie. It is a good way to make sure that the best work gets done, with one person in charge and the experts getting their hands dirty and accomplishing the tasks.

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Feminism has obtained somewhat of a stigma to some individuals.  This is unfortunate and important to consider, in order to see the value and importance of feminism in society. Much of the stereotypes surrounding feminism are drawn from more radical feminists.  For instance, some men see feminist attempts as those that try to undermine the rights and well-being of men, as consistent with such movements.
Others see the relentless attempts of scholastic feminists to undermine certain ideologies and contexts.  This is unfortunately a popular occurrence in post-secondary education, where students are forced to try to comprehend certain feminist arguments in literature when the students are not able to see the complete picture.  It is easy for them to draw such stereotypes in haste and from frustration.

These stigmas are unfortunate for the state of feminism and what it stands for in society.  It is important to gain understanding of the role of feminism in society. The best way to combat such stereotypes is to take time to learn about feminism and women’s issues.  Historically feminism began not too long ago, but has definitely made a huge impact in a relatively short time.

Feminist literature can be a great way to learn about a particular issue.  There is no shortage of original works in feminism, as well as overriding commentaries that can catch you up to speed, if you are not up-to-date on certain issues, or need a more general work.

Perhaps the key to overcoming negative preconceived notions is in learning.  Learning about feminism is a great way to enhance your understanding and begin to see the meaning and effect feminism has had, and still continues to have, in society. From such efforts the true value and place of feminism can be learned.  Over the years and in the future, feminism has remained a vital part of society, establishing change for women’s issues and rights in many contexts.

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For many who lead busy lives, it can seem overwhelming to keep up with everything.  Busy work schedules and family-related time constraints can be just the beginning for many. In this some things get left out.  For some, it is the ability to keep up with the news, events, and other topics that surround politics.  It is not uncommon for one to lose touch with the presence of politics due to different circumstances.

However most will agree that politics is something that should be important in one’s life.  Certainly those that take their civic duties seriously agree that one should make attempts to do just that. How can it be done with such little time?  Is there a way to condense it down when time is of the essence?

Although it is very good to be as active as possible, it is not reasonable that one can make every community meeting, and see every speech given by national leaders.  Yet it is possible to make attempts to stay updated when life gets overwhelming. Quite often it is easy to make the news part of your routine.  Even if you are busy doing work at home, having the news on can keep you up-to-date with events in your community and around the world.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the Internet.  As most have time to check one’s e-mail, it can also be reasonable to assume that a quick stop at a website to read about events can be done as well.  You could bookmark your local news station or something with more widespread coverage.  You could also sign up for a service to deliver news alerts to your e-mail as well.
Consider what you can do to make an effort to keep up with politics when time is at a premium.  Often with a few simple considerations you can make it part of your day in order to stay up-to-date with what is going on in your community and around the world.

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One of the most noticeable transitions relating to genders is the transition away from women as homemakers.  Of course, this is not to say that it doesn’t happen anymore, which would be very far from the truth.  However, times are changing. Some time ago it was common for a woman to be at home.  As a caregiver or homemaker, women were often responsible for such a role.

Additionally, it was often expected for women to fulfill this duty.  It is not too long ago when women started breaking this preconceived notion regarding work status, and playing a major role in the workplace. This took place to a large extent in World War II.  As men left the country to fight, particularly in the United States, the country saw a large number of women as responsible for working.  In the aftermath of that, feminism established a more consistent basis to women being in the workplace.

Another dimension to this has changed stereotypes and popular notions.  In recent years it has become more common for men to stay at home, taking care of children and other duties. This dynamic has altered society quite noticeably.  Within a relatively short time in the history of society, it is now not uncommon for women and men to stay at home.
As guidelines along these notions continue to swing to either effect, this remains one of the more successful areas that relate to women’s issues.  While not perfect, it is now socially acceptable for men and women to either stay at home or work.  It is common for both spouses to work, or for a man to stay at home.

This is an important achievement in regards to redefining more traditional gender roles.  A level of equality has certainly been gained. Overall this new transition is one of the defining points in modern society.  As with other advances that are seen in gender-related issues, the redefining of gender roles in the home and workplace is one of particular note.

Furthermore, such works are an amazing way to spark your interest.  Perhaps the Communist Manifesto may not be relevant to your interests within politics, but its perspectives and influence on some parts of the world is undeniably of interest. Take some time to look into some of the classic works in political philosophy.  If you have no experience in philosophy, don’t worry about it being over your head; for example, Plato is perhaps the most engaging writer in philosophy, and it is not difficult to follow.
Political philosophy can bridge modern ideologies with their roots.  Even for matters outside of comfort zones and of relevancy, such classic works provide insights and intrigue into the vast dimensions of politics, across cultures and belief systems.

If you are old enough to remember the beginning of the George W. Bush (also known as Bush II) presidency, you might remember that he just barely won the initial race against Al Gore. How our world would look now if that particular coin flip had gone differently, we may never be able to imagine. But the fact is, old Dubya accomplished a lot of things in his presidency that have drawn a lot of heat (and a lot of embarrassment) to the American people. When your leader nearly calls the British queen 200 years old in front of everyone, it does not say great things about your political or educational systems.

During Bush’s first few months in office, he was something of a non entity. He spent several months at his ranch, taking a vacation that some would argue he did not deserve in the first place. Shouldn’t a person do a lot of work, before they reward themselves with a vacation? But of course, after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Bush beat the drums of war, and our revenge (which is showing no signs of slowly down 9 years later) began in force. Whether Bush performed a noble and necessary action, or simply took our national credibility to the poker tables and lost most of it, will be debated in scholarly circles until the end of time. But he certainly did create a lot of gold star Army mothers.

From the very beginning, the two fronted war that has expanded throughout Iraq and Afghanistan seemed like a massive use of American resources. Aside from simply making our entire country seem like a child flailing angrily at unseen enemies in the shadows, many young lives have been lost to this war. And the fact that the American people are paying billions of dollars to do so is yet another sad legacy of Bush.

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It is an all too often occurrence when emotion and politics mix.  This unfortunate matter lessens the integrity of politics and undermines one’s ability to voice displeasure in some manner. This occurs at any given time.  For example, there is almost always a level of displeasure regarding the President of the United States of America.  There is nothing wrong with this, in itself.

Yet for some individuals, displeasure is voiced in such a way that integrity is lost.  For example, it is not uncommon to see Internet message boards spammed with racial slurs, profanity, and depictions of the absence of worth for such a figure. Regardless of the level of displeasure, such action degrades the integrity of politics and creates an unfortunate situation.  No one wins when insults are thrown around without end.

The effects of such displays are to no end.  For instance, it is reasonable to state that such action makes others hesitant to be involved in politics.

After all, who wants to follow such unfairness and topics that are filled with that much anger?  Overbearing emotional outbursts also stigmatizes politics, creating a topic that is met with some disdain.
An analogy could be made to the Catholic Church.  Due to the previous scandals that has affected the Church, such outburst and unreasonable universal stereotypes has created a negative association with the Church.  Is this, or has this happened, with politics?
It possibly has.  Yet one must remember that lack of restraint in emotional outbursts will get nowhere.  Change isn’t made by losing control of one’s emotions and criticizing others in a manner that doesn’t produce results.  In all truth, in many cases this is the end result, which is nothing but negativity.

In politics, just as in anything, as seen in the previous example, there are events that might seem worthy of such disdain.  However, care must be taken to voice such opinions in a constructive manner that will produce results, and not stereotype politics into something negative, which will create further negative implications.

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Becoming active in women’s issues and politics is especially important for women, as well as men.  Such topics are crucial to the state of society and women’s rights, which are integral to the rights of all individuals.

It is not uncommon for stress to be placed on learning more about politics in general.  Likewise is the notion that one should vote and play an active role in the well-being of one’s community, nation, and the world.

However what is also apparent is the attention played to other issues.  For many that follow politics and take one’s right to vote seriously, certain topics are of special interest to them, which certainly is normal.

One such topic is the presence of women’s issues, or feminism, in society.  Everyone that pays attention to political topics should do the same for such issues, which are important in the well-being of women in society, and affect men and children as well.
Just as you may already for politics on any level, consider doing the same for women’s issues.  This is a great way to support the rights and equality of women to men.

Historically feminism has come a long way, instituting change in some of the most basic and unfortunate of circumstances, such as the right to vote and protection against sexually-based crime.  Though it has changed to great extents, it is still not perfect, and attention must be made in conjunction with basic interests, such as in presidential elections and the state of one’s local school system. Don’t forget to pay attention to these issues in order to provoke further change for the equality of women.  As this is relevant to all individuals, men should also be active in such endeavors, in the recognition that women should have certain rights in their freedom and equality.

Women’s issues play a valuable role in all issues within society.  Take care to support such valued topics within society, for the benefit of all individuals, women and men.

The presence of feminism and issues that encompass what affects women today is universal.  These topics affect many facets within one’s life, regardless of gender or age. Parents in society clearly have a lot of different roles.  From protecting their children to their education and overall well-being, it can seem all too much at times.

As parents making children aware of gender-related issues is an important step.  This is something that they will face throughout their lives, and should be aware of as they are growing up and preparing to become independent. Such issues go hand-in-hand with safety.  Children and teens should be aware of what sexual harassment is, as unfortunate as events with children are, they do occur.

More common are stereotypes and other generalizations.  These issues have been around feminism for quite some time, and affect females throughout their lives.  It is also important to realize that they affect men as well. Don’t hesitate to speak to your children about issues that affect women and men.  This is especially true for young women, who need to know about areas in which equality may not be as present as desired.  However, again, young men need to be aware of such concepts as they affect women and men.
Watch for concerns your child may express, such as bullying and other ways that present opportunities to speak about such issues.  As they grow older, they may witness or encounter more serious issues, such as unwanted advances in any regard.  Make sure they understand the serious nature, even if it is said as a comment or en passing.
Take any opportunities present to make your children aware of feminist-related issues, as well as those that affect men.  Gender-related topics are worthy of the awareness of all ages of individuals, as they continue to affect many people, even though in many regards progress has been made.