Thursday, December 28, 2006

Sponsored Post: Charles Brown, DDS

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Top 20 Professions For Women

Yes, this list is old (from 2003) and I hope things have changed, but I doubt it. No wonder women make only 77cents to every dollar a man makes. How can one really make a living being a secretary or a teacher? Nursing assistant? Where are the engineers, the lawyers, and the doctors? Well, I got trained as an engineer but I didn't particularly like the profession. Now, many engineers are unemployed. It really doesn't matter that you are blue-collar or white-collar. So, did these professions become poorly paid because there were women in them or is there something inherent about the professions that make them poorly paid? Interesting question.

Reconstructing Herstory

This site is a project to reconstruct women's role in history. It takes a look at some of the factors in oppression of the history and the structure of women's lives throughout history. It is separated into categories for countries, continents, and ancient empires. It also talks about the agency of women, which appears to be the way women functioned even in times of high oppression. If you are interested in several different views and highlights of women's history, this is definitely an interesting website.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Educating Your Teenagers About Driving Risks

Information is crucial to keeping your kids safe. The more information new teen drivers have, the less likely they will be to make common mistakes that can cause injuries and death. As parents, we are taught to tell our kids about sex, drugs, but very little is told to us about what we should tell our kids about driving. While we might want to be good little consumers and make sure we do our car insurance comparison when our kids start driving, more importantly is knowing what to tell our kids about safe driving habits.

That's why GEICO added "Teens and Trucks" to its online library of safe driving materials for teen drivers. The brochure, developed with the American Moving and Storage Association, includes valuable information for teens on how to safely share the highway with large trucks. you can get the information online through GEICO or they also provide the same information cost-free to families, driving classes, law enforcement officials and state agencies. This information is brought to you by CarInsurance.com too. You can receive additional information at Carinsurance.com as well as compare rates for different policies. You might even be able to buy your car insurance online if your state regulations allow it too.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Christmas: A Racist, Classist Holiday

Just check out Craigslist for all the people with not enough money to get presents for their kids and yet they've been told they have to and it has to be done on December 25th. Since rich people are better able to meet those social expectations, I now proclaim Christmas a racist and classist holiday. For one, Jesus is always portrayed as a white caucasian when we all know he was darker-skinned or olived complexion like most jews of his time. But, it doesn't matter! We've been commercialized to believe that Jesus would have liked his birthday being used to promote more hardship on the poor and downtrodden. As I thought about it, if it were my birthday being used for this type of oppression on other people, I'd have a fit and demand that no one celebrate my birthday! Enough is enough, folks...

Yes, I still hold that Christmas sucks...

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Don't listen to the hype

Gold is a woman's best friend, not diamonds. Gold has appreciated substantially over the years, whereas diamonds seem to fluctuate wildly in value. Gold is actually a very conventional way to diversify your financial portfolio. It may not be as easy to liquidate, but in the event of a market crash, gold would retain its value. That's why people who have a lot of money often put it in gold too, not to mention the fact that it does appreciate quite well.

For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America's gold and precious metals investment leader. One can get gold in coin or ingot form. Ingots are generally gold ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots. You can get them delivered to you or have them stored for you at an independent bank or depository.

Check out the Monex site for gold.

How many days until Christmas?

Do I care? No, not really. I'm not celebrating Christmas this year. I'm tired of putting up trees, taking them down, going on a mad hussle for the perfect present and buying Christmas cards and signing them. I'm officially bah-humbugging Christmas this year.

My daughter is delighted. She said she always wanted to find out what it was like being Jewish for Christmas and she heard they go out for Chinese food on Christmas day. She finds this a very novel and fun idea. So, she asked if we could go eat Chinese and watch a foreign film and pretend to be Jewish on Christmas. I thought it was very multicultural of her!

So, we did go to our favorite Chinese place and they had this BIG FAT SIGN saying they were doing a special Christmas buffet. Who would have known? I never knew Chinese restaurants had buffets on Christmas! And to think, I get all those after-Christmas shopping specials too. I think I'm on to something here.

Women and Home Businesses

As I go forward with my own freelance writing career, I find more and more women who have taken the jump into home businesses. Today, someone came to my door and wanted to sell me some coupons or something. He wanted to know when my next paycheck was. I said I was self-employed. So, he asked what I did, and I said I was doing freelance writing. He was pretty interested in that because he knew someone also doing the same thing - another woman.

It doesn't surprise me.

Many women are finding they have unique talents and circumstances that make a home business a good idea. The more I do my own business ventures, the more I network with other women in business. It's amazing the networks we women can build and I am just now getting exposed to them. Too bad I didn't start sooner!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Sponsored Post: Safety Shelters

I've heard of taking care of your family, but some people are taking this to the maximum. I suppose if you lived in Oklahoma's tornado alley, you might want an above ground storm shelter and that would make a lot of sense. Apparently, if you have the money, you can buy storm shelters or instead a safe room from FamilySAFE in case you ever need one. It might come in handy if global warming brings those tornados to other areas. I suppose they'd be great for hurricanes too, like we get here in North Carolina, but I'd have to check to know for sure. One thing FamilySAFE does offer is very high-grade steel safe rooms. They try to maintain their quality understanding that price is important, but not the main criteria, when you are trying to keep your family safe. They are proud of the advancements they make every year with the aid of the HILTI anchorage company and Texas Tech research all while maintaining a competitive cost. Please visit them at FamilySafeShelterms.com to get more information about what makes the FamilySAFE storm, tornado and saferoom shelter the best of its kind.

Men like to separate, women like to unite

Sexist? Maybe so. It's just something I noticed lately. Most men like to separate things into distinct territories that they can divde and conquer. They don't like to get too close to anything because then they can not separate themselves from it and have some form of control over it.

Women, on the other hand, have been taught to unite and blend energies from the day they're born. They seek to make connections and to establish less boundaries and more unity of purpose.

I think this is all changing as we become more aware of stereotypes and our own inner task masters that deign one model of existence to be better than another. In Buddhist teachings, for example, it's taught in Shambalha tradition that to be present with that which discomforts you is more brave than to fight what you don't want to accept in your life. However, we always come across people who don't want to sit with their discomfort and who have built empires around the idea that they are separate from everyone else and somehow better. That's when women who notice this must learn to put their energies towards areas that do not support this type of creation. If we want our world to change, we have to change our own world first.

"Plenty of fish in the sea", according to one Fish

I stumbled upon this great blog post by a woman calling herself "Fish." I think her blog tagline is from a quote that goes "A woman needs a man, like a fish needs a bicycle." In this article, poor Fish recounts the story of her last horrendous breakup (which was a year old by the time I got to it). She makes some great New Year's resolutions, but the best was that she vowed to say the word "Next" when she realized a man or relationship was no longer working for her. This applies to all relationships. Empower yourself to take a discriminating look at what relationships are building you up and which are simply in place because you are allowing abuse and mistreatment in your own life. If you don't clearly say "Next!" you are allowing that energy to remain and victimize you.

This is where many women go wrong.

We've been taught to be the caretakers of a relationship but because of this we often end up abused and mistreated. Fish learned the hard way that being present in a relationship takes two people, not one. That the relationship has to be beneficial to both and that her happiness is no less important than anyone else's. I am so proud of many of us women who are starting to come into their own self-esteem, regardless of men, relationships, or being discriminated against for years.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

How To Keep In Shape At Home

Many women have difficulty getting in shape after the children are born. It's tough to schedule time for yourself to run or bike while having no one to watch the kids. Or, you may come home from a full day at work and find the kids need your attention and you feel guilty taking time away from home.

Some families try to alleviate this dilemma by having a home gym area in the house. But, the equipment can be dangerous for little children who are crawling around on the floor or trying to touch everything they can. Some women are finding that boxing can give them just as good a cardio workout than treadmills and other fancy machines. Setting up a punching bag doesn't require a lot of know-how and is not as unweildy as large machines.

BoxingDepot.com has a standing punching bag that can fit just about anywhere in the home then be rolled into a closet or corner to put them away. Think about getting some Boxing Equipment for yourself or a workout partner on your Christmas list. BoxingDepot.com is offering a $2.95 delivery if ordered by December 12th. They even have a desktop punching bag for the arm-chair boxer. Their brands include Everlast, KD Elite and TKO.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Tattoos And The Divine Feminine

Okay, I've been writing up some articles on tattoos. Yes, I get paid to do this. But, one thing that I discovered in my research of the ancient art of tattoo is that many women of ancient cultures used them to signify their allegiance to the Divine Feminine. The symbols used for that were snakes and geometric figures, amongst others. Butterfly are seen to be very feminine tattoos, and I like them. But, apparently they're neither male or female.

Well, I was looking up some stuff on Asian cultures, in particular, of tattoos. And came upon this hilarious prank a bored Americanized Chinese person played on a woman who got herself a tattoo of a Chinese character. See, he has a point. People are getting themselves tattooed and they have no concept of the ritual, mystery, symbolism, significance, religious and spiritual overtones this art has. Instead, it's used like some "Grade A" stamp on our exposed hindquarters. So, he's asked "Where's the beef?" Too funny!

Despite this rather mean prank, I think if you're going to get the tattoo, why not do it the way it was meant to be done? You should understand the entire significance of what you are doing. It isn't just a cheap emblem that's permanently applied to your skin. Heck, tattoo rituals were often used by shamans to get people into ecstatic trances and altered states. It's all very fascinating!

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Beautiful Female Traits of Gay Men

Okay, I'm going out on a limb here. I like gay men. What can I say? I adore the fact that men who are gay have a soft female side. Why shouldn't all men have soft female sides? Nowadays, I've heard of a few of the younger generation (men) say things like: "That appeals to my gay side." And, they're serious. All, I can do is sigh. Why was my generation so stupid about men having feminine traits? I don't know. I think they're adorable.

So, I once knew this gay man at work who was closeted. It was one of those odd things that I ended up finding out he was gay. Is it my fault I thought he was rather special after that? Okay, honestly, he also had many more characteristics that made me want to be good friends with him. But, alas, the man was too invested in pretending to be straight that I just had no choice but to play along. And there is the death of a beautiful friendship. We can't have a friendship without self-disclosure. It's like being friends with a mime. We never get to see the real person behind all that face paint.

So, if you're out there, gay man: I still want to be friends. But, I don't want to get slapped again for just wanting to be friends. That's no fun. I have my sensitive side too, you know. You got to let me know it's okay to talk to you now. Otherwise, I don't want to go where I'm not wanted.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Being Proactive In Increasing Your Website Ranking

Well, I have a website and it is going to be changing soon. In fact, many women have websites and this is really a great way to start a home business. If you find your market niche, you can begin by sharing your expertise with a blog. Then, you can signup with advertisers who sell things your audience might want, and make a few bucks too.

But, what if you just want your website to make money? Don't overlook the actual value of the website. The value increases with Google ranking and that is determined by a complex algorithm. There are things you can do to increase link popularity to help boost your site's rating in Google. This will make your site worth more. One of the ways is to increase the links pointing to your site either through press release distribution, purchasing links from link brokers, trading links with other websites or link baiting.

Blogitive's service focuses on press releases since they establish a way to connect with thousands of bloggers on the net to make your site have multiple backlinks which are context-sensitive. If the link is not context-sensitive and is instead put into a list of links or at the bottom of a web page, the Google algoritm discounts its value more than a direct contextual link. Therefore, Blogitive believes that press releases in blogs are the optimal way to increase link popularity and your website's exposure and thus monetary value.

Is Hillary Clinton Not Electable Because She's Female?

Okay, in this day and age, that question should be absolutely ridiculous. There have been many other countries on this planet whose leaders have been women. But, we still get the question: "Is Hillary Clinton electable?" The news media claims it means can she carry Midwest states. What? Is there something sexist about Midwest states? Do conservative values mean women are to be kept out of public office? What exactly are they saying about the Midwest states? Gosh, I hope they're not suggesting the Midwest states would look down on her simply because she's female.

When The Kids Need Special Diets

Well, it's tough when your kid's are diabetic, have gluten-intolerance, or are allergic to specific foods like peanuts or strawberries. It's even tougher during the holidays. As mothers the job of keeping our kids eating safe and nutritious meals can become overwhelming when that involves specific food choices that might affect most processed foods and holiday goodies. At those times, it's necessary to have your support system of other mother's with kids who might have special dietary needs. Don't do it alone ladies. If you can't help each other in person, there's always the Internet. Women have a lot of ways to meet and share different food experiences and special diet restrictions that can affect the health of their families. Take advantage and reach out to each other.

Luxury Fashion Can Have A Conscience Too

It's usually the people who have worked their way up from nothing who feel a pull to reach down and pull someone to the top with them. Peter Belisi is just such a person. Struggling to support his family with no savings, he needed a novel concept to start his own company. Emulating his high-end clientele, Belisi invested any extra money in a tie collection. This business became very popular and while he expanded the business to handbags and scarves, he also gave back to the community that helped him build his business. In his quest to provide "luxury with meaning" he decided to fight poverty, protect the environment, seek justice and fund medical research with each purchase made. So, luxury fashion can have a conscience too. Shop Belisi Fashions for a well-heeled and socially conscious look.

Women and Car Dealers

My lease is up. The first time I went to the car dealership I took my brother-in-law. Frankly, I know nothing about car dealerships and I didn't want to be taken advantage of. Well, since then, I've figure out some things. Finance isn't that hard. Actually, financing a car is pretty simple. It's financing it through a dealership that is complex. I think what kept me from looking at this issue more are the two words: car and finance. Let's face it, women aren't taught to be interested in cars. We really could care less how the car runs, we just want it to work. As for finance, just let us know what the monthly bill is.

Well, I have mended my ways. In the years, I owned my leased car I have had an education in car maintenance and finance. Ladies, I am going to tell you all something that will save you oodles of money. Find yourself a car mechanice you trust. It's that simple. They are out there. How do you know you can trust them? The first time they tell you, you need this and that, kindly take your car out and get a second opinion. I'm serious. It costs you more the first time around but if they are right, take it back to the first person and have them do the work. You found yourself a decent car mechanic. Anytime, they ask for anything extravagant, take your car out and have it inspected somewhere else. And, please, the last place you want to take your car is the dealership - unless the work is being paid for under your warranty.

As for finance, just know three things: interst rate, balance, and term. That's it. It's really very simple. What is the interest rate on the loan. What is the balance paid on the loan. And how long do you have to pay it for? Then, get a second and third quote. Find yourself a bank or lender you can trust. You will save yourself megabucks.

That's it for now!

Plan B Is Not The Morning After Pill

Today, December 6, 2006, Plan B, a contraceptive said to be an "over the counter morning after pill" was finally available to the general public through local pharmacies. There are differences between Plan B and RU-486, the abortion pill. The biggest difference is that it supposedly has no effect on pregnant women. Instead, it is said to lower the risk of pregnancy for people who engage in unprotected sex by 89%, if taken within 72 hours of the event. One can still take this pill and not be told one is administering an abortion.

This is a major victory for women in America. Reproductive rights should not be delegated by men in office who will never risk getting pregnant due to their biology.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Are Online Foreign Dating Services Going Too Far?

Let me first say that my mother met my father through a penpal service before the Internet was even invented. Back then, when a woman of a foreign country wanted to emigrate to the U.S., there were still companies, like this penpal service that put military men in contact with woman looking to marry a U.S. citizen. There you go! My mother married my father, and now I am a U.S. citizen.

So, I can't say that I think it's a bad idea. I think women who want to do this should have the option to do it. However, some people feel it is exploiting women. I think maybe the ads for the dating sites are exploitive but the intent is not.

For instance, according to www.loversplanet.com their service to date russian woman is all about the way russian women are more subservient and pleasing to men, more family oriented etc. etc. They suggest Russian brides are loving, tender and devoted to a relationship. And, of course, they all look like models and are well-educated to boot. They claim each year millions of men from US, Canada and Australia meet, marry and admire brides from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of Eastern Europe. Yes, the ads are quite demeaning, I think to women. But, it is true that many women find suitable mates in countries where the standard of living is higher and they get better opportunities in life because of it.

So, who is to blame? The women who want to find a way to improve their lives? The advertisers who are appealing to men frantic to find a wife? Or is this just a case of the market meeting a need and selling its services. You decide.

A Woman In Labor

So, Christmas is around the corner. It's funny how we see manger scenes all over the place. You know the Bible is kind of odd. They talk about Mary giving birth and laying the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes. What I want to know is, did Mary experience pain in the childbirth? I know it's an odd question. But, here comes this Divine being and the first thing he does is create a lot of pain for someone?

Speaking of childbirth and pain. I've been hearing reports of doulas. Doulas are traditional spiritual laypeople who help women bear children through ritual, prayer, and other forms of spiritual counseling. What I want to know is, do they still have pain?

Okay, I know I'm obsessed.

Here's another thought. I knew a woman who didn't have pain during labor and her labor was ultra fast. How is that possible? She said the doctors didn't know but they asked for her placenta so they could study it for future reference. Talk about weird. So, it is possible to have a child without pain, just no one seems to know how it's done.

Sacred Ground For A Woman's Chapel

I just finished reading the December issue of Real Simple. Imagine my surprise to find an entire article on one woman's commitment to build a sacred space in her backyard. I didn't expect to see this article there, in a budgeting magazine. It seemed a bit out of place, but I was glad I found it. The woman talked about her need to have some area where she could worship the Virgin Mary. She was a Latina.

The Virgin Mary is very big in Latin American countries, particularly Mexico. As the story goes, Christianity was having a heck of a time getting established in the South American are of Mexico because of the area's long history of the worship of the Divine Feminine. It was only after the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego and provided a miracle was a chapel built for her and the land converted through her ministry. Interesting, story.

Well, this woman has gone back to her roots. She has created a beautiful chapel in her backyard complete with an image of the Virgin Mary. What an interesting way to honor the Divine Feminine.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Check Your Credit History

It can't be said enough: you're credit history is very important in this society. Without a good credit history you end up paying more for everything. While many debtors who file bankruptcy may think that wipes out their credit history, it doesn't if the bad credit occurred before the bankruptcy discharge. There are some people, however, who think that their own credit history should be managed by their creditors!

A man sued his credit card company because he felt that he had a right to have the bad credit in his report (due to non-payment of a credit card bill) removed even though it was placed there before he had his debts discharged in bankruptcy. In this case, the court agreed with simmons jannace stagg and held that the inaction of the credit card companies does not constitutes an act to collect a debt prohibited by 11 U.S.C. § 524. Credit card companies are not required to take additional steps to clarify that an account was discharged in bankruptcy nor to clear the credit history simply because you fiile for bankruptcy and get it.

The ruling in "In re Bruno, __ B.R. __, 2006 WL 3086307 (Bankr. W.D.N.Y. Oct 31, 2006)", makes it clear that a creditor does not violate the discharge injunction contained in 11 U.S.C. § 524 simply because it has not reported an account as discharged in bankruptcy.

Man, talk about lazy. I have to monitor my report myself and I never thought to sue someone because they weren't clearing my report for me...

Buddhism Stereotypes

Buddhism is a male-dominated religion. It's said the Buddha didn't really care to initiate women into his revelations until someone finally convinced him to do so. Either way, when I study Buddhism it amazes me how many metaphors they use that lean towards a male ideal. I was asked recently to discuss what I thought unconditional love was all about. I said the closest thing I can think of that we experience is that love of a mother for a daughter. I wasn't the only one that suggested that mothers are the ones who exhibit unconditional love and people just don't feel the same way about their fathers. Some suggested it was because their fathers put conditions on their love and approval, whereas their mothers always accepted them however they were and with whatever they chose to do.

I was a bit surprised then to find out that this seems to be a little of a sticking point with Buddhists. They're only too willing to call a spiritual person a "warrior" and talk about bravery and fighting the good fight, but when it comes to compassion, all of a sudden the terms used are gender neutral. Someone even said it isn't about mothers, it's about "parents who love their only children." Excuse me, it is totally about MOTHERS. It isn't about fathers and let's quit pretending it is. Nowadays, I find more and more men who might qualify for being a "good mother" and this is wonderful! But, they are still by and large, very few.

The Burka: Unfair Modesty in Sports?

I found an interesting article this morning about the dilemma of Muslim countries and women's sports. I hadn't thought about it but the Muslim ideal that a woman should cover every inch of her body makes it a little hard for these women to compete in sporting events. It would be pretty odd to have burka-clad swimmers and the like. Although many Muslim women suggest that the burka is for modesty and not for control, the fact that they can't really compete in world sports without shedding the modesty ideals for women says a lot. Is there more freedom for women in Muslim countries who wear the burka or less? Is it wrong for countries to demand that women uncover their faces? Who is the burka really helping, men or women?

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Sponsored Post: USWeb's Services

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Wafa Sultan Made It Into The Reader's Digest

Well, since I last wrote about Wafa, she has now managed to go more mainstream and I saw a story on her in the Reader's Digest. Her family now is in hiding due to the number of threats she has received for being a woman with a clear conscience and brave heart. Let's keep hoping that more Muslim women will come forward to tell their stories the way they see them. It's only when greater number of women speak out together that the message can not be killed or hidden away.

Social Networking? Women Created It!

It seems kind of funny that now social networking sites are becoming the hottest thing. In tribal areas women used to gather around the watering hole to collect water and find out the latest news of the day and to network amongst themselves. There's nothing new about social networking! Women invented it. What's new I suppose is that now it is in cyberspace. I kind of think it's funny that these men who you can't get to speak two words to you are all of a sudden cyber-exhibitionists to the entire world! Don't talk about your feelings guys, unless you think no one sees you in cyberspace! That's just silly...

A Single Red Rose Christmas

As in my previous post, Christmas is a dreaded time of year for most single mothers. We hardly look upon this holiday with joy and anticipation. So, imagine my surprise one Christmas when I heard the doorbell ring and walked out to find a single red rose tied to my door knob. There was no card. There was no delivery person to question. It was just a single red rose. It took me years to get the person who sent it to admit what he had done. Even so, it brightened my mood and made me realize that I wasn't alone at Christmas time trying to make the holiday a good one for my kid who would probably be swept away to my ex's anyway, leaving me to celebrate the holiday without the one thing I cherished the most, my daughter. Christmas doesn't really evoke love and joy in the hearts of single mothers. But, that year it was different for me because I realized that someone saw my struggle and in that one flower I felt loved.

So, if you don't know how to help a single mother this year who is struggling through Christmas. Forget about the toys for the kids. She's taken care of that. Instead, leave her a gift basket of flowers or goodies for herself - ANONYMOUSLY. Why? Because it makes her feel like the whole world cares about her and that she's not alone. You can even take advantage of online flower delivery if you feel bashful telling the clerk to make it anonymous. They will deliver the same day for baskets designed in your local floral shops. Whether you are giving a single mother at work or in your family a gift of flowers this Christmas, remember Dot flowers for your bouquet and gift basket needs. You can even combine the flowers with cookies, candies, and treats in a gift basket with their wide assortment of premade gift basket options.

Christmas For The Divorced Single Mother

There's something that retailers need to figure out. They need to realize that Christmas is hellish for divorced single mothers. We're already worked to the bone all year long trying to make a living for our kids with no help from anyone, and then we got to add "important" stuff like putting up a Christmas tree, buying presents we can't afford, and all for naught when our ex's throw fits and entice our children away with ideas of fancy trips or extravagant Christmas' (which by the way they let the new wife handle). I am not the only divorced single mother that thinks Christmas sucks as a holiday.

How about creating a different holiday for divorced singled mothers around Christmas time? Instead of us stuffing turkeys or baking hams, maybe you could go out and buy a meal for a single mother with children. Wouldn't that be a novel thought? Or maybe you could offer her a trip to a spa for God's sake. If Christmas is all about family time, divorce pretty much ruins this holiday unless you remarry. It's all work, no joy, and a bunch of fighting over who gets the kids.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Every Mother Should Get A Medal For Bravery

Mothers, in this patriarchal society, are deemed weak and powerless. We are discriminated against in pay and promotions at work and put on a "Mommie Track," as if being a mother was somehow less than the ultimate sacrifice one makes for others. Even our children don't get why we seem to waste our lives tending to their dribbles and pains, as if we'd only see the light and go and do something for ourselves. How ignoble and cowardly to hide from the world this way!

This story of a mother of five children caught my eye today. The woman saved four of her children from a burning building and then realized one was missing. She immediately turned to go find the missing child without a thought for her own safety. This is the type of bravery all mothers have. But, her kid could only muse to the reporters:

"She was never really that brave before. Before she was always worried about stuff like nutrition and all this boring stuff. Now she was saving our lives.”

Oh, really? Like she wasn't saving each kid's life on a daily basis? What did her son think all that nutrition and boring stuff was all about anyway? Did he think she found it highly entertaining? The truth is most mothers sacrifice their entire lives on a daily basis to the well-being of their children. If this is not bravery, in an age that despises these nurturing qualities, I don't know what is.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Pinching Those Cute Little Baby Cheeks

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

Let's face it, motherhood is grand. Who doesn't enjoy smothering our kids with love and attention? Sure, they grow up to further worry us sick when they don't tell you where they are, but when they're little babies we can still enjoy the fact that they stay put in a high chair or car seat rather than wandering away. The Nest Baby Shop offers personalized baby gifts for moms, babies, and baby showers. From bibs and blankets to shower invitations and games, this store can put a smile on any woman's face. Visit the Nest Baby Shop online and pick out some gifts for expectant mothers or for your own kids.

No Mail-Order Bride Promotion Here

While I don't consider mail-order brides sexual exploitation of women, others do. See, the thing is my mother was a mail-order bride, if that's what you could call it back then. She was in a pen-pal club to meet American men so she could marry and move to the United States. Isn't that old-fashioned mail order? Is it wrong that women come into the U.S. as mail-order brides if that's what they want?

I think the exploitation comes in when some of these women are promised husbands and instead end being trafficked as servants and prostitutes, but isn't that a whole another thing? The sad truth is that many of these women are desperate to get out of really bad situations in their own country, but there is no guarantee they'll end up in a legitimate mail-order company. Therefore, although I was given a sponsored ad for mail-order brides, I chose not to include it on this blog in deference to readers who might find it offensive on a feminist blog.

However, I still wonder where we draw the line between exploitation and opportunity. Would these women be happy if they no longer had the option to come to America by marrying? It's not for me, but should we judge others that want to take that route? It's a touchy issue considering I wouldn't be here if my own mother hadn't done it.

Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?

Well, I've just spent three hours tracking down my kid. To say I'm peeved is an understatement. My kid is grounded for a month. Why is it that children have no concept of time or how worried their parents get when they don't show up when they are supposed to? So, who else knows my kid didn't come home on time today?


  • The neighbors

  • All my kid's friend's parents

  • The school

  • The transportation department

  • My ex-husband



The police was next on my list...Sigh. What we parents go through...

Monday, November 13, 2006

The Age Of Cooperation

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

In our era, captalism and competition have been mainstays. Well, it's time for a new age of cooperation. Some of the tactics used commonly by women in management are now becoming more relevant to businesses. With the fragmentation of the marketplace and many new players brought in by the Internet, these players are starting to band together into cooperative parnerships.

Some advertisers are teaming up with movie studios to put their ads within a movie in real-time. Progressive got Universal Studios Home Entertainment to insert a running tally of the destruction of cars into the recent HD DVD release of "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." As cars smack into one another in Tokyo (in the movie), a display in a small window keeps track: "Roof repair: $209, taillights: $451, fender: $618. In exchange for this bit of advertising at Universal Studios, Progressive set up a website that links back to the movie. And, of course, we know that advertisers are also putting an add in the context-rich environment of a blog.

Even car insurance companies are also wondering how to team up and cooperate with other companies and ways of doing business to increase their exposure. Carinsurance.com is advertising Progressive's cooperative venture to try to tie into their ability to generate viewers. This seems a bit odd, but when you consider that carinsurance.com includes quotes from Progressive and it does provide the ability to shop for car insurance online, this little bit of name-dropping may actually work. Consumers can receive quotes from many insurance companies from carinsurance.com, in some states you are able to purchase your insurance instantly, online. They claim you don't have to drive your car to buy car insurance (I suppose that's for those of us who have antique collectible Rolls Royce's sitting in our garage).

What Women's Issues Do We Want To Focus On?

So, the Democrats have taken over the House and Senate! Great news for women. Now, is not the time to rest on our laurels. We must be very proactive in getting our agenda forward into Capitol Hill.

Equal pay for equal work is the most defining piece of legislation that needs to be put into place. It's quite outrageous that women are only making 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.

Similarly, issues like affordable daycare, health care, and education are prominent issues that women are interested in. What women's issues would you like to see come forward for legislation next year?

Why Moms Can Still Earn Money At Home

If you want to be a stay at home mom, then that's one choice available to women nowadays. However, the years that you put aside your career for your family are years that permanently damage your earning capacity. Should you divorce or suffer a sudden death of your spouse, will you be able to maintain the same living standard you had when you weren't working? This isn't the only reason to maintain your working skills. Nowadays there are many opportunities for stay-at-home moms to be able to work at home while caring for children due to the Internet. Wouldn't it be nice to add a little money to the monthly coffers while you continue to devote yourself to your children? Some mothers even establish fruitful careers from home and never have to go back to working for someone else again. Think about this option when you decide to be a stay-at-home mom. It provides the perfect supportive framework to establish yourself in an entrepreneurial career from home.

Do you know what careers are available for work-at-home moms? No? Go to WAHM.com and begin your journey of discovery. In todays modern society, a choice for your children doesn't have to mean the death of a career.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Do Women Like The Holidays?

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

When I was married and the holidays came around, I had to grin and bear it. I really don't like the holidays, particularly Christmas. It's not about the significance of the holiday, it's about the amount of work one has to do to get a household ready for the holidays. There's cooking and decorating and buying presents and wrapping them. I don't know about anyone else, but my husband wasn't a whole lot of help although he wanted his holiday "just so." The holidays are too much work, ladies!

So, what I suggest (which I used to suggest all the time but no one took me up on it) is to make the holidays easier on yourself. Buy a turkey that's already cooked and stuffed. Get your kids to clean the house for you. Oh, and get that lazy husband to pitch in too. If he wants his holiday "just so" then he should pitch in.

I used to love places that sold baskets and tins of candies and goodies online. I just had to pick one out, and voila! Another person crossed off my list. Companies like GourmetGiftBaskets.com have Christmas Gift Baskets which are filled with gourmet products. GourmetGiftBaskets.com claim they make the perfect gift for clients, colleagues, office parties, housewarmings or for any other occasion. They even wrap it in pretty holiday paper or for any theme you request. So, make life easier on yourself and have someone else do the work so you too can enjoy the holidays. And, you may end up having to do a little less cooking too.

Where's the women's group?

Okay, I don't get it. Where's the women's group at my church? They got a men's group, so where's the women's group. Well, no one is available to lead one, is what I'm told. I might just try and lead one. I was beginning to think the church was sexist, up until the choir director substituted the pronoun "she" for "he" when they were singing about God. Hooray! God is both Divine male and Divine female. It's about time I don't have to sing a bloody song that discriminates against me.

Is Erotica For Females And Porn For Males?

Okay, there is a conversation going on about writers of erotica. It seems the moral demoted-majority are upset that women have the nerve to write erotica. How dare they express their sexuality? Don't believe me? Take a look at this msnbc.com news story on underground bloggers in Saudi Arabia. It seems if one of them gets thrown in jail for political rantings, the rest will support them. But if it is Mystique, a female erotica blogger in Saudi Arabia, they're going to decide whether to support her later. Another blogger Gracepub is having writers turn down a chat with a publishing company because one of the company's products is erotica.

What I want to know is, do we do the same with people who publish porn? Erotica is usually written by females and read by females. Do you ever see a man standing on a corner reading an erotic story? No. They want to get straight to the pictures! So, what is it about erotica that is so darn offensive to people? Is it because women are expressing their sexuality?

See, there is nothing wrong with women expressing their sexuality as long as it doesn't pander to the men who want to exploit them. That's where I draw the line. Expressing your sexuality should be about just that. There's nothing wrong with being a woman who has a libido. There is something terribly wrong with selling your sexuality for the sake of male appreciation or money. It implies that a woman's sexuality is not owned by her, but rather is a freebie for all males in the world. Own your sexuality, girls! Don't give it away!

And if you want to really challenge a patriarchy, get rid of the porn and publish the erotica!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Sponsored Post: What To Do When Your Vacation Time Doesn't Match Your Timeshare Schedule

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

When fairfield resorts began selling Fairshare, a deeded ownership interest that provided an annual resort vacation at a specific location during a specific time period each year, they didn't take into account today's modern day shrinking vacation schedules. So, members needed a more flexible program where they could schedule their own time for vacation to match today's demanding business environment. Thus, FAX (FairShare® Exchange of Fairfield Resorts, Inc.) was born and FairShare Plus® changed the way people did timeshares forever. Now, you can look from within Fairfield's huge assortment of timeshare properties to exchange timeshare times and places with other members to find an opportunty that matches your schedule and still takes advantage of properties that are rated "Gold Crown" or "Resort of International Distinction" ranking by RCI, an elite honor only the top 10% of timeshare properties throughout the world have earned.

The concept of owning a timeshare which allows one to earn points for custom-sized accommodations at any time of the year and for varying lengths of stay at resorts is a novel concept in the vaction resort arena. Members of a timeshare exchange network can spend points both for resort stays and a wide variety of travel/leisure products including airfare, cruises, accommodations and specialized leisure activities and attractions. And Fairfield has Fairfield more than 70 world-class resorts in 21 states and U.S. territories — representing 9,000-plus timeshare condominiums. One can even use points for group excursions.

How's about scheduling your Women's Club for a group excursion with Fairfield?

Grassroots Women's Political Movements

Tonight on ABC 20/20 with Elizabeth Vargas tomorrow night, Friday, November 10th at 10:00pm. Elizabeth is focusing on motherhood and work. This particular show will feature an interview with Joan Blades, co-founder of MomsRising.

MomsRising is one of the grassroots women's political movements trying to organize and push women's issues in government. Momsrising is working on prohibiting discrimination for working single mothers who often are either not hired or are paid less than other workers for the same work. What other grassroots movements have you heard about? Let us know.

Pimps and Maids: The Story of Britney's Marriage

Who can every forget that "Pimps and Maids" wedding that tied the union of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline? Sure, they were trying to be hip-hop classy, and pimp means to rehabilitate (or something like that). However, as Pop Life also acknowledges, sometimes pimp just means what it always means: to sexually exploit women. Is this divorce going to be messy? Of course. Britney Spears is learning a valuable lesson: Allowing a pimp into your life is a good way to be exploited.

Women need to wake up to this type of classless dude who seeks to charm the pants off of them. Britney is not alone in prostituting herself for the sake of a man, but she is wise enough to figure out that someone had to leak that sex tape. Maybe a pimp did it? It's a sad thing to see a woman exploited, but when she allows it and even welcomes it into her life by selling music where she's practically nude in the music video and beckoning men to just come on over and take what they can get, one might say she did indeed ask for it.

Ladies, if the man leaves his wife while she's pregnant, runs around spending your money, and insists on sexual overtures in public as if you are his sexual property, then you didn't get yourselves a man, you got yourselves a pimp! If later you find you want out of such an arrangement, you will find that it will indeed cost you. If you don't want to be exploited as women, don't pander to men who exploit women. It's that simple.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Women Taking Advantage Of Education More Than Men

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

Women have begun to outnumber men in higher education. Whether it is because women see higher education as one of the few paths to success in American business for women or if it is because of gender differences is debateable. One thing is certain, the higher your learning, the higher your earnings. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that over 40 year work span, for every 2.1 million a college graduate makes in a lifetime a graduate degree recipient makes 2.5 million. It seems the biggest jump is between having a college degree and not having one or a doctorate's degree and undergraduate. High school graduates might stand to make 1.2 million in a lifetime and doctorates 3.4 million. Now that there are online universities, there really are few restrictions for getting a higher education.

Capella University is an online university that offers both graduate and undergraduate programs online. Since women tend to have more responsibilities in the home, an online education is perfect for women who work at home or are caretaking children. Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations. Since it is online, its 16,000 come from all 50 states and 63 countries. Capella University offers so many different degree programs that one of them should be right for you. Make sure whatever university you choose, it has the right accreditation standards for whatever program you choose. Capella University is accredited through The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Single Women: A New Power Demographic

Forget Hispanics and white middle-class men! Single women are proving to be the swing vote in elections. It's estimated in this article that 20 million women did not vote in the 2004 election. However, the same is probably not true of the 2006 midterm elections. With a surge of vengeance, the American public wiped out the majority in both the House and Senate for Republicans. Single women and mothers are beginning to wake up to the power they have in American politics. Are we victims? Hell, no!

So, now that the Democrats are back in power on Capitol Hill some of the issues near and dear to women's hearts are coming back to the forefront: healthcare, education, and yes, security. Women are lionesses in protection of their children and their homeland. Do not mess with a mother protecting her children. It is these innate qualities that all mothers have that should mold politics on Capitol Hill and begin to change the values of competition in our society to cooperation.

These are exciting times to be a woman.

Pelosi, First Female Speaker Of The House

I am extremely excited today to write about the Democratic tsunami that recaptured Capitol Hill. In the wake of this tide, Nancy Pelosi becomes the candidate most likely to become Speaker of the House. This will be the first time a female politician has ever been Speaker of the House and it signals a major victory for women in politics everywhere. In fact, it's been rumored that more women than ever were sent to Capitol Hill during these midterm elections. Could it be that grass roots organizations like Mom's Rising have spurred enough women to stampede the voting booths in favor of female candidates?

It has been noted by demographic election profilers that women have historically not voted as often as men. Single mothers, a rapidly rising demographic in America, have also been lax about voting. Could it be this demographic is finally awakening to its political power? I am very excited to think so.

Remember that when a woman runs a house, she sets her sight on providing a safe and productive environment for her children. When a man runs a house, he's likely to cheat the coffer and make the children work for free. It's time we bought the real morals back to the hill, the values of motherhood. Who better then women who are mothers to promote and uphold these values? It's a paradox to think that men can be good mothers when they will never in their lifetimes hold that particular role. What do you think?

Here is Nancy Pelosi's official website.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Gold and Silver Markets

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

It's a very curious thing to think that the U.S. may be starting to invest in silver instead of gold. This newest web release from Monex states that the US government had previously depressed silver prices by stockpiling the precious metal and then flooding the market. So, gold shot up instead. Now, however, there is now movement for the US government to buy silver instead of selling. So, why is silver all of a sudden such a good buy? I'm not sure, but there are plenty of countries rich in silver, besides the U.S., that probably think this is a great idea.

In Mexico, for instance, there is still a tradition of having the groom give the bride's family 13 silver coins for the wedding. It's not dowry as much as a promise to turn over all the man's wealth to the bride. So, Mexico has always prized silver, not just for it's monetary value, but also for it's beauty and sentimentality.

What I don't get is, why buy ingots instead of coins? Ingots are just pure bullion in a convenient size and shape, but apparently coins have a currency value. If it were up to me, I'd buy silver coins now. I like gold coins for their beauty and stability as an investment, especially the American eagle gold coins. But, there's something about silver getting it's fifteen minutes of fame too and I think that will be soon.

Monex is a coin dealer who prides itself on having the best US silver coin prices and programs in the silver coin industry. Monex Precious Metals is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals. They are committed to serving people with precious metals investment needs and being America's best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Where is Herstory?

History is all about men and their accomplishments. Usually, women and gay men have been left out of the history books. Even in this day and age, we have to go digging to find the women who were part of the creation of our present-day society. This is quite shameful, if you ask me. Is it fair that Einstein gets all the credit for the theories he proposed when he, himself, credits them as collaborative work with him and his first wife, Mileva Maric?

MSNBC.com is highlighting women in physics in this article. They talk about Marie Curie and who might be the next female Einstein.

It's sad that the work of truly great women seems shrouded in time. Voltaire, a man who inspired the French Revolution with his literary work, gets more fame that Emilie du Chatelet, his mistress. That's how she is remembered, despite the fact that Emilie translated the Mathematica Principia into French and spurred the dissemination of Newton's ideas across Europe. For that, she only needed to understand high-level mathematics but several languages as well. She is regarded as Mrs. Newton even though she never actually met Newton in her lifetime. However, without her help, Newton's ideas would have taken many more centuries to reach public appeal then they did.

Yes, the women are there in herstory, but will they ever be included in history? Will we ever have a full us-story?

Amma's Take On Women Awakening

Amma is known at the hugging guru, a saintly woman from India who has hugged millions of her devoted followers when they come for darshan. The practice of darshan is to receive the guru's blessing, and sometimes Amma would hug people, other times give them Hershey's kisses, and sometimes fruit. It didn't matter. The message is the same: God's love is overflowing with abundance.

One thing that is particularly dear to Amma's heart is awakening the female energy within this dimension. Even as a spiritual teacher in India, she received criticism for being a woman who practiced some of the sacred rituals previously only male priests did. India still has a culture that worships the male aspects of the Divine while completely ignoring or denigrating the female aspects of Divinity. For this reason, Amma feels our world needs us women to awaken. Without the feminine principle in life, we reap death and destruction. It is only through the female principle that birth and regrowth can occur.

Amma talks about Awakening Universal Motherhood for all people, but in particular for women. We must learn to cherish our femininity and use it to better our world. She talks about the arrogance of the male culture that doesn't even see the miraculousness of many of the women who struggle daily to overcome obstacles in all areas of their lives placed there by structures that were meant to keep them subservient. She talks about how we have the power to overcome any physical obstacles when we plug into our Universal Motherhood.

She is a very powerful role model for all men and women.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The Golden Investment

This post is sponsored by blogitive.

Gold was seen by the ancient Egyptians as sacred because it does not corrode or decay. But, what is its value today as an investment? Most people don't buy gold solely as a commodity to trade, but more to diversify their portfolio. In these unsteady times, some people believe if markets ever crash again that gold will keep them wealthy and safe in times of crisis. Maybe it's that idea that gold doesn't corrode or decay with the passage of time, making it seem indestructible in any crisis. Whatever it is, people will buy gold ingots, coins, or bars for just that little bit of added insurance.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Business On The Web

Wouldn't it be nice if search engines had rankings for women-owned businesses? Well, falling short of that, I suppose getting your website optimize with SEO tactics coudl be equally profitable. While you can pay Google to be in their sponsored ads, they normally include two organic ratings on their ads list. These organic rated websites are just sites that made it to the top of the search result through good content (amongst other things) and didn't pay to be added to the Google list. Local Marketing from US Web helps local markets place themselves higher in Google to achieve an organic rating that can pay dividends in the future without the cost of buying AdWords. Whether you are a small woman-owned business or not, this will help in creating that edge you need to stay competitive in the online marketplace.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Let The Lawyers Fight Amongst Themselves

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

It's the law of survival of the fittest when disaster strikes, but it doesn't help when those that are supposed to help you, try to take advantage of you. This story by simmons jannace & stagg is a good example. A widow of 9/11 hired a lawyer to represent her in a 9/11 Victim's Compensation Fund hearing and subsequently was served a 2 Million dollar bill for the contingency fee. Simmons Who knows if she even had 2 Million or if that's what she got as compensation and they wanted the entire thing. The point is: There she is, a widow no less, suffering a traumatic loss and her lawyer then serves her with 2 Million dollar fee too. Exactly what did he do to earn such an exorbitant fee?

Jannace & Stagg was retained to dispute the declaratory judgment the lawyer was seeking in Federal court on the grounds that the Federal courts did not have jurisdiction. The court agreed and the case is now back to the state's Surrogate court. They also said pointed out there was no precedent for such exorbitant fees for having representation from the Victim's Compensation Fund.

So, at least she was smart enough to let the lawyers fight it out amongst themselves...

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Do You Know How To Measure Profitability?

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

Acorn Systems does. Acorn provides consulting and software services to help businesses measure and improve profitability, supply chain efficiencies, cost allocation and cost reduction. Their activity based costing system track and predict costs, net operating profits, EVA, capacity and resources at within areas of business defined by the customer, supplier, product, facility, or transaction level. Their mission is to provide a way for their customers to quickly and dramatically improve their profitablity.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Women Outnumbering Men

Many universities are noticing that women are outnumbering nad outperforming men in the higher education venue. There is a lot of controversy over why men are falling behind in this area. Whatever it is, it can only be good for women who will continue to get the higher degrees and land better-paying jobs because of it. In turn, they should go back to those universities and help the next generation of women to graduate. Money that goes to universities could thus be seen as helping the gender pay gap.

Recently the corporation of Brown University received monetary gifts that would permit the establishment of endowed professorial positions, much like the one Sloan Lindemann and George Lindemann Jr. Distinguished Professor in Environmental Studies Osvaldo Sala has been appointed to. Money is something George Lindemann appears to be very familiar with as one of George Lindemann Jr. Florida Homes is worth 2.23 million. It would be nice to see some of that money trickling into higher education and enhancing the career opportunities of women.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Distance Learning is Perfect for Single Mothers

Years ago, I wanted to get a Master’s in Business Administration, but then I got pregnant and on-line distance education was not available back then. Knowing I would be somewhat incapacitated and housebound for a few months during the start of the first semester, I chose to delay my entrance. That delay for that university turned out to be permanent. Despite having taken the GREs and done all the work to get in to one of the best Master’s programs for business, I couldn’t go due to the travel and inflexibility of my own soon-to-be mother’s schedule. With the advent of distance learning these types of excuses for not furthering our education simply don’t exist anymore.

The things to look for in a distance learning program are:

1. Accreditation
2. Hardware Requirements
3. Time Requirements
4. Prerequisites
5. Cost

Accreditation


Many distance programs are not accredited. Those that are should proudly claim that accreditation and this makes a big difference in whether your degree is recognized as a course of study or just a piece of paper from a degree mill. If you are going to spend an enormous amount of money on your education, make sure it is from an accredited institution.

Hardware Requirements

One of the important factors in on-line education is how well your own home computer resources fit the standard necessary to take courses on-line. Universities usually have a web application that tests your system to see if it will work with their courses. However, don’t let that stop you from taking an on-line course.

Currently, my machine at home has no sound. This can be a problem when I am asked to open up videos with sound. I simply go to Kinko’s and listen to them there. I've also ordered an external sound card I hope will fix this issue. So, even though you may not have all the resources for hooking in completely, you can go to other places to download and view your course.


Time Requirements


Just because a course is online does not mean it is lax. Usually, the courses are much more intense, requiring a lot of reading and writing. Most on-line courses have tests that you can take at the end. These tend to be a bit harder than just multiple-choice and many teachers rely on essay and short answer to test a student’s knowledge. Office hours are usually chat sessions where a teacher is available to take questions on-line. Most on-line courses also seem to require one or two term papers.

On-line education also provides statistics for your on-line activities. You can usually tell average number of times you were on-line, how many posts you replied to, and whether you are missing assignments. If you take a quick pop quiz, often the system can automatically grade you and you can see if you’ve pass almost immediately. Also, some systems keep track of your number grade as you progress through the course so you know whether you are falling behind or not.

Prerequisites

Some counseling graduate degree programs require prerequisites to be accepted for entry. Know what they are and look for programs that may not have those requirements, if you feel that is too much time, money, or committment for you. However, usually, if one program needs those prerequisites, others do too. So, knowing what they are will help you to take ones that are acceptable at more than one university and thus allow you to apply to more distance learning programs and have a choice when it comes to actually entering a degree program.


Cost


Distance learning is expensive, but there are many financial aide packages available. Try to apply with the FAFSA at the beginning of the calendar year that you are thinking of entering a program. If you have your FAFSA score ready, the schools can offer you a financial aide package of loans or grants, depending on your income status. Single parents usually don't make much and if you are an ethnicity that has scholarships available, you may even benefit because of your race.


In Conclusion


People who do very well in on-line education are usually self-motivated. They can manage their time and resources without needing tremendous outside guidance. One should probably have a decent typing speed as all things are done via the computer keyboard. One of the drawbacks of an on-line education is that one can become even further isolated from one’s peers. Some universities address that issue by requiring some time in intensives or on-campus seminars to bring everyone together face-to-face.

One thing is for certain, if distance education was still not available, I would not be able to take a Master’s program. With the cost of gas, a teenage daughter, and being a divorced single mother, my time is still somewhat inflexible for traditional campus classes. Distance education has really come of age and everyone should find ways to take advantage of this invaluable and flexible resource.


One Distance Program to Look Up


Although Capella does not offer Transpersonal Psychology graduate programs, I did look into this university when I was trying to determine where to go. It is accredited and that also is an important requirement for distance programs. It does have a Psychology department, just not Transpersonal Psychology. It also offers graduate degrees in business, information technology, education, human services. It has undergraduate programs available using distance programs as well.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Online Shopaholics Can Still Save

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

There are an abundance of online deals for the savvy shopper. However, we usually have to time them right. What if you could get online coupons for more than 800 popular stores online? With gas prices as high as they are, it makes sense to shop online and why not get from 5% to 25% more savings on specific deals? And if you have a big heart and want to be thrify at the same time, you can automatically donate the cash back you earn by shopping through Ebates.com to your favorite charity.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Personally, I Think Age Denotes Wisdom

I'm not afraid of a few wrinkles. I may not like a lot of wrinkles, but I'm not afraid of a few wrinkles. I think many women are beginning to feel this way. Age denotes wisdom, but we would still like to look and feel our best. Here are some ways to deal with some of the symptoms of aging:

Age Spots

My mother had them and now I have them. They are sometimes unflatteringly called "liver spots." Although, one can do plastic surgery to remove them, I found out by accident that tea tree oil fades them quite nicely.

Poor Memory

You don't use it, you lose it, girls! Just because we may have to be running around wiping our kid's noses or caring for a sick parent, doesn't mean we should stop cultivating our minds. The research has shown that people that do crossword puzzles or read, delay onset of mental problems like Alzheimers. Find a hobby that uses your brain and keep yourself alert as long as you can.

Wrinkles

My mother loved hydrating creams and many women swear by them. But, San Jose plastic surgeons believe Botox or Restylane treatments are really the way to go. They claim the procedures are minimally invasive. Whether that's true, I wouldn't know. At this point I can't claim wrinkles yet as a badge of honor. However, there are other alternatives available like acupuncture that are said to work just as well. Obviously, you would have to be a woman who is okay with alternative treatments, but for me, this is an option to regular plastic surgery.

What treatments do you use to delay signs of aging?

Women Should Shop Around For Car Insurance

Car insurance companies love women. They also like older women. And, if they are married, all the better! No, I'm not talking about some illicit tryst! They actually have statistics that say that older, married women are better risks than young, unmarried, men.

It's funny what statistics will prove. I wonder where that leaves the myth of the ditzy female driver?

Some insurance providers serve women drivers exclusively now, like Shielas' Wheels. This insurance company is even promoting the use of "Buddy On Demand" an inflatable male companion that comes alive with the flip of a switch and is supposed to deter road rogues.

Either way, if you are a woman, it pays to shop around for car insurance. You are a valuable commodity in the car insurance game and a valued customer. So, do get your free online car insurance quote and compare to others. You may find that your gender and age are finally getting the respect they deserve.

Vacation Travel Tips For Women

It might have been unheard of in the past for a woman to vacation alone. But, now there are even travel agencies that cater to women-only tours with activities that women might like to do without a male around. In addition, some organizations are meeting the safety needs of women traveling alone on vacation by providing other women as companions.

If you are visiting the U.S., personal safety is not a big issue for women. However, it is still preferable for women to stay in a residence rather than staying in a hotel alone where they might end up targets. As our economic power increases, many women now can even afford to buy an Orlando Vacation Home. One of the nice things about buying a vacation home, especially in Florida, is that it can be rented out during peak season and you can visit it during off-season. Orlando is one of the top vacation destinations in the U.S. It offers a variety of entertainment from amusement and wildlife parks to spectacular beaches and opera events.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Vacation Ideas For Single Parents

One of the best vacations I ever took was to Atlantic Beach with my daughter. We are a single parent household. The beach is only a few hours from us, so we packed up the dog and got a hotel which allowed pets. We didn't spend a lot of time on Atlantic Beach but we got to see a lot of the surrounding area. It was the first time I had tried to vacation with my daughter alone and it was well worth the adventure.

Families come in all shapes and sizes now, so when someone says they have Family Vacation Packages, sometimes we wonder if our family will fit the mold. Luckily, many vacation planners now understand the various needs of single parents or people who are crunched for time. There are different needs for different families like going to a wholesome location like the beach for families with children, or ending up in Las Vegas to gamble if you have no children or are intent on leaving the children behind.

Whatever your own family situation, we all need down time and it's nice to take it as a family - even if that family is not the traditional family!

Creative Ideas For Wedding Rehearsal Dinners

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.

Times have changed for weddings. Before, girls might have dreamed of that special day when they wore white and went to a big church and had the most formal and expensive wedding money could buy. After Britney Spears' "Pimps and Maids" weddings (where men wore track suits saying "pimp" and the woman wore pink ones saying "maid") themed galas became even more popular. I don't think anyone would have believed it if it hadn't been for the wedding cameras that later told that story.

Now, this is extending to the rehearsal dinner. If you do plan a formal wedding, you can still have an informal BBQ for the rehearsal dinner, complete with picnick tables. Or you can try a wine-tasting theme, taking your guest around town on various wine-tasting tours. At least that has more class than making them wear a track suit with the word "pimp" on it.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Will Japan's Patrilineal Line Continue?

Apparently Japan is not happy that no male heir to the Chrysanthenmum Throne has been born in over four decades. But, that may soon change if a male child is born to Princess Kiko. The furor arises over Japan's patrilineal roots which typically has put women in an inferior status on their social system. But, will it be a boy? Apparently, the royal couple did not want to know the gender of their baby.

One thing is sure, the legislation to change the old male-dominated lineage to one allowing females may be side-railed if it is a boy. I would like it to be a girl. It would force Japanese to take a good look at the difference in socio-economic class and privilege in their society based on gender. If it is a boy, this will simply be swept under the rug the way it's been done for centuries.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Misogyny and Sexism Alive and Well in Religion

In case, we think it can't happen in America: guess again. There are plenty of religions in America that believe women have less rights then men. As this article indicates, many in the Mormon cults that still preach polygamy believe that women are to be pretty much given to whichever man somebody in the church hierarchy decides. The woman has no say in the matter and is brainwashed into thinking she'll "lose her salvation."

We may criticize muslim nations for their backwards stance on women, but even in America we see areas where religion plays a central role in the suppression of women's rights. If women want to be able to choose their own husbands and lead their own lives, they will have to take a stand and defy the church hierarchy. They can leave the church, if they have to. Not an easy choice for the faithful, I'm sure. But, if women don't take a stand, the next victim will be their female daughters. Women have to look at their own lives and begin to take some responsibility for what they allow in their world. Women need to unite, whether they be mormon or atheist. Women's rights are about standards of decency and a woman's right to make her own choices in life. It's not about religion, although many churches make it so.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Women and Lawyers

Men like to play games and they like to play hardball. Women, on the other hand, have been taught that it's not nice to play hardball and that communication and negotiation are the best solutions. However, this tactic simply doesn't work for ruthless people who don't understand how to give as well as take.

I have a friend who isn't divorced yet, but she has made a mistake already. She moved out of her house and left her children with her husband because, as rumor goes (and no one can really tell the truth in any divorce), he cheated on her and she can't stand to be near him. Okay. Fine. But, instead of understanding the game, this woman has chosen to play the victim. What can this cost her? Without an attorney, she could lose the house and custody of her children if he begins to realize that he has grounds for "abandonment" even though he allegedly committed adultery. The issue is that in a game of hardball, you need a lawyer before you decide to take things into your own hand. I have kept lawyers available to me year-round with a pre-paid legal plan and I have never in any instant regretted it. Some people are simply unscrupulous and require someone with equal lack of scruples for them to deal with, and I do admit, that is a lawyer. Nothing right or wrong about that.

Take for instance the case of simmons jannace & stagg. They represented a woman who hired a lawyer after 9/11 to represent her in her claim for compensation from the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. It was already stated within the guidelines for seeking compensation that contigency fees for lawyers were disfavored. However, this lawyer thought it would be worth his while to then turn around and sue his female client, a widow now, for 2 million dollars for his "fee" in Federal courts. So, she hired another lawyer from the firm of simmons jannace & stagg to represent her. Clearly, a lawyer is entitled to a fee but 2 million dollars to represent one woman? So, simmons jannace & stagg managed to get the case stayed on the argument that the Federal courts had no jurisdiction in the matter, and they agreed. Only state courts have jurisdiction.

So, whether this case goes to state court or not, the implication is obvious. If a lawyer or any unscrupulous person wants to sue you - get yourself a lawyer. Do not talk. Do not negotiate. Simply steer clear and let someone who likes these sorts of games play for you. If the lawyer then wants to sue you, get yourself another lawyer. These people only understand one thing: how to play hardball. They are not interested in justice or fairness, merely money. If you can hire another lawyer who is willing to be paid less that 2 million to get some other lawyer off your back, go for it! Women need to learn how to protect themselves and how to play the game when they choose and how to avoid it completely when they don't want to play it. Let those who like to play, play. And then go on your merry way keeping yourself as free from these shenanigans as you can.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

When my daughter was young, she used to get a big kick out of hiding under a blanket and sneaking up on us. She thought we wouldn't see her because she couldn't see us. I guess even adults play this game: "What you can't see, won't hurt you." That's why many of today's policies are geered towards obvious discriminations like the color of a person's skin or gender. But, there are stil hidden factors that never get highlighted that do affect the quality of life for people. We are a society geared towards "image" and what it represents. And this in effect, makes us myopic towards things that aren't easily distinguished through differences in image.

Guy Debord speaks of this in his book:"The Society of the Spectacle." Although, I found the format a difficult read, it was still worthwhile in concept. Guy believes we are a society of the spectacle, accustomed to image and gearing our entire society on only things we see. This is how we identify value in something or not.

Google is beta testing a search algorithm that now will rank pages based on accessibility standards as well as content. These accesibility standards are not based on image, but rather, on how well a site is coded for handicapped individuals to access and text. Blind people who surf the web often use machines to read text off the web sites. But, if a site is all images, they end up reading image tags all day! Quite a frustrating experience! So, here we see a little of that shift going from only an image-based society to something deeper which is more egalitarian to everyone.

There is a search engine marketing firm, called Usweb.com, that specializes in search engine optimization, including web accessibility standards. They note that certain sites will fall in rankings as Google unrolls this new algorith while others, like .gov and .edu sites will increase ranking. Another bright point: Blogs will also increase in rankings since they are mostly text!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Speaking of gender beliefs...

We all have them, but some are less liberating than others. I find it interesting that the woman's movement began by focusing on what men did wrong. As women, we have been indoctrinated to always look at others before self. We're rewarded for playing with dolls and taking care of their needs. We're told we are "good girls" if we do things for others, even to the point of denying our own dreams and desires. The religious institutions all over the globe claim we are somehow only put on this earth to propagate humanity and it's our holy role to be good mothers and care-takers for all dependent people whether it is children, the sick, or the elderly. That that's not men's role. That is uniquely a female role. What this does is take our attention away from self and instead of becoming forces of social change by using our feminine energy to address social issues, we become mired in petty roles that sometimes hold no intrinsic value for us. All giving and receiving should come from the heart and not the social expectation, otherwise, it limits our sense of self and our ability to self-develop and progress. And oftentimes, we are made to believe that is in our benefit! There are ways to stay self-focused and be giving when it aligns with our own sense of being. To enforce a role of martyrdom and victimhood on all of the female gender goes beyond holiness, it's pure brain-washing. And often, it is the women themselves who are indoctrinated that are most vocal defendents of this belief system.

So, as a humorous look at just one of the destructive belief systems that women have aligned with in our own gender, I wrote another blog in response to a challenge by a man named Deorre. He asked us to take any subject and write a conspiracy theory on it. I chose: Women's Holy Mission To Serve Humanity. I got a lot of feedback on this blog as many women saw themselves in it and many men breathed a sigh of relief. Someone had to say it.

Who is Wafa Sultan?

She is a Muslim women who has immigrated to to the United States, become a psychiatrist, and is fiercely speaking out about the Muslim culture as it regards to women and religion. In an article in the International Herald Tribune, entitled A voice agains Muslim 'hostages' to terror, Sultan's views are quoted thus: "The world's Muslims, who she compares unfavorably to the Jews, have descended into a vortex of self-pity and violence."

A direct quote attributed to Wafa Sultan in the same article states: "I believe our people are hostages to our own beliefs and teachings..."

We create our reality through our alignment with particular beliefs. It seems that only when they become absolute truths to us and we attempt to convince others that war and conflict results. Is Wafa Sultan helping free Muslims or is he hurting them? Is she helping Muslim women? Is it necessary to oppose something in order to change it? Or can we simply accept these beliefs and learn to use different aspects of the same beliefs that are more positive? What does you, the reader, think?

See what other people are saying about Wafa Sultan.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Sexual Liberation and the Muslim Woman

My favorite shows are reality tv shows, and so I have watched the plastic surgery reality tv shows. I remember one in particular where a muslim woman came for hymen reconstruction. It was shocking to me that a young woman would be forced to go to such extremes in this day and age. Virginity is highly prized in the muslim faith, but more so it is regarded as a question of family honor. If a woman is found to have lost her virginity before marriage her family may even undertake an honor killing to avenge this supposed wrong. When life becomes less valuable just because it is female and has chosen to give of itself when it chooses, then there's something seriously wrong with a culture. It's no less different than when Chinese couples kill their female children because they prize their male children more.

I weep for the women around the world who have to put up with such indignities. I hope someday these things will be a thing of the past. Until then, despite the mostly narcissistic reasons for plastic surgery, there are actually times when plastic surgery is warranted as in when it saves a life due to religious ideals gone wrong. The show I watched was about a beverly hills plastic surgeon who provided provided expert breast enhancement with both saline and silicone breast implants. He did liposuction and facelifts also, but by far, the most touching episode was the hymen reconstruction. It speaks a lot to the discrimination women put up with every day all over the world.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Where Being Female Pays

So, we often are so focused on the discrepancy between male and female wages that we forget to actually look for where it might pay to be female: Car insurance. I'm sure I still have plenty to write about automotive maintenance, but when it comes to car insurance, we girls win! Yes, gender and age are taken into account when being handed a car insurance quote.

All insurance companies set their rates by way of determining their risks. They do this through compilation of various statistics and according to the insurance companiees, women are far less riskier than males of the same age when it comes to driving behavior. Age and marital status also influence what type of rate you get. The older you get, the more experience and maturity the car insurance companies believe you have. Being married, apparently lowers your car insurance rate, which I think is just plain bias. Why should a woman have to marry just to lower her insurance even more. You'd think they would penalize her for marrying a high risk driver!

Anyways, apparently, car insurance companies think women are far calmer drivers that males. Kind of shoots the old "bad women driver" myth in the foot, doesn't it?

One wonderful idea has come about of the UK: temporary comprehensive coverage. Seriously. You can get a car insurance quote for that special someone who wants to loan your cars for a couple of days. You can choose to cover someone for up to 28 days. Why do I think this is a great idea? Simply because in the UK it's about 10 pounds per day and 4 pounds (about $20 and $8 respectively) thereafter. If it was established in the US, why cover your husband or boyfriend for the time he's not driving your car? He's a high risk anyway.

Then if you take a trip to your Orlando Vacation Rental and need to share the driving, take your husband or whomever and take your car (with the lower insurance rate) and add them on temporarily. You might save money that way. An interesting coincidence about Orlando is that just a 45 minute drive from the theme parks takes you countryside very similar to the UK with rolling hills and oak trees. Orlando has some of the best shopping experiences in the U.S. and the Everglades just to the South, as well, but you got to drive to get there! Coincidentally, the UK is where the temporary comprehensive coverage appears to have started. But, it doesn't appear to be available in the U.S. yet.

Also, if you don't drive your car every day, maybe they would let us get short term insurance for ourselves! I think that would save a lot of money on insurance! I would just schedule certain days when I use the cars, and others when it just stays parked, if they had such a flexible plan. Seeing that regular insurance costs hundreds a month, this would be a real flexible way to handle insurance for those of us who don't go out a lot or who have people who constantly want to borrow our car. Or we could just have one car for several people. Co-oping cars! We could reduce a ton of waste in this country if we did that.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Women Networking for Women

Let's face it, the good ol' boys know how to network for business, but women sadly don't have such an efficient resource. We're stuck trying to take care of other people's needs until we divorce, someone dies, and then maybe we're left unable to enter the workforce with any reasonable skills and knowing no one in business. What are we to do?

I say we must start networking amongst ourselves. That's right. Women networking for women...not men. If you hear of a job opening, or are in charge of hiring, why not hire a woman? Men choose men over women all the time in business! How are we going to change the corporate structure to be more women-friendly unless more women are sitting on those boards? How are they going to get there? Someone has to hire them and someone has to promote them.

Some more progressive places than the United States have already set up quotas based on gender. Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark all have tried this with astonishing success. Take a look at how board quotas shake up the sexual status quo.

But, then, some of these places also have free health care for their citizenry, something the United States has failed to implement despite numerous politician's sounding the "family values" trumpet. We need change in this country and we need it on the issues that are close to women's hearts: family, health, community, and support.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Why are women still struggling to survive?

According to the Ohio State University fact sheet, about 13.7% of the total U.S. population can be said to be poor. Of that, 57.2% are females and 42.7% are males. That's a whopping difference of 14%. Why is that? Why are there more poor women then poor men?

This fact sheet attributes the disparity to single family households where the mother is the sole provider for the children. Education levels are not as high for women as for men which contributes to only being able to obtain low level skilled jobs. But, in addition to that, women make only 60 cents for every dollar that a man makes due to bias within our society toward male "breadwinners."

I do not know how current this study is, but the challenges that women face today are no different now than in the last few thousand years. We are expected to care for the children which limits our ability to work outside the home. We can hire nannies, if we make enough money, but if we don't we face some very hard choices about how our children are to be cared for and what jobs we can do so that they are not abandoned or neglected while we choose to work.

Personally, I think this data is outrageous and something needs to be done. We can't wait for government to step in and help us. They are too busy fighting wars and sending our children to die in them. It's okay for us to struggle to raise them as long as they make it to eighteen so they can be shipped to Iraq or some other flavor of the day war. We can't wait for the employers to cough up an equal pay for equal work, simply because most of them are headed by men with corporate boards dominated by men. We don't need to ask permission from husbands, lovers, or whomever we have been taught may be an authority over our lives. We can see just from the data that they don't give a fig about what is happening to women all over the U.S.

We must learn to help ourselves. We, women, must learn what it takes to make the world a hospitable place for us. We must band together and network and we must "take back the night." This blog is for all the women out there struggling to survive. I hear you, sisters.