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.

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.

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...

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?