Really? Twenty-Five Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4 1/2 Minutes??

If you see me with a scarf, you know I’m trying.  Totally clueless on how to wrap this thing around my neck!  Enjoy!

Property Tax Hike or One Cent Sales Tax?

Dear Friends and Arizona Citizens,

Here’s a link to yesterday’s front page article Book it: We’ll pay more to keep inmates in jail.

“County officials say it’s inevitable: either vote to approve the temporary state sales-tax increase May 18 – and raise your taxes – or turn down the measure and your property tax will go up to pay for things the state can’t afford, including keeping prisoners locked away.” (Andrea Kelly, Arizona Daily Star)

One cent sales tax or property tax hike.  The choice is ours.   

 

Inspiration!

Which thoughts do you live by? 

Have a great day!

Boundaries With Teens — Deception, Defiance, Detachment, Driving, Deity (7/10)

Didn’t know there were so many connections between teens and ”D” words!  Here are Dr. John Townsend’s 5 Ds:

• Deception and Lying — When deception begins, relationship ends.  Your teen may fear that truth will interfere with love.  Let him know, “I may not agree or like the things you say, but I’m on your side no matter what.”  Encourage your teen to take a risk and have him decide whether or not you walk the talk.  Follow through with logical consequences (e.g., When your teen is out with friends, he must call home often AND have an adult get on the line to verify the call).
• Defiance — An argumentative teen tests parental boundaries while still respecting parents as their authority figure.  Defiant teens completely reject parental authority.  Solution?  Stand firm.  Provide structure, self-control, respect for authority, delayed gratification, and impulse control.  Give as much freedom as your teen earns.
• Detachment — Teen withdraws emotionally, anti-family, or he’s spending too much time in the outside world.  Solution?  Validate teen’s emotions, ask why, and solve the problem.  Require respect.  Schedule and structure family time.  Teens aren’t adults.  They need mature, wise parents to model socially acceptable behaviors. 

There’s more:

• Driving — What great leverage!  Give your teen a sense of gravity of car ownership.  Tell her she can drive as long as her attitude, conduct, and grades are acceptable.  In addition, she can lose the privilege anytime she chooes not to fulfill her obligations.  With privilege come responsibilities.
• Deity (God and spirituality) — If you believe in higher power, you know God designed humans for relationships.  Let your teen know God cares more about relationship than about keeping score.  Get your teen involved in a healthy youth group.  Insist that your teen join your family in going to worship services.

Whew!  Three more days to go!  Twelve years to implement (for me)! 

 

Edible Education, Citizenship, and Stewardship

Where there’s food, there are people.  When two or more gather, there’s conversation — interaction and connection!  Food not only nourishes our bodies, but more importantly, our hearts and minds!

FOOD — what fun, effective way to educate, equip, and empower the next generation on the ideals of democracy, citizenship, and stewardship! (click here for video)

Edible Education – its real life, hands-on approach facilitates children and adults to get actively involved in learning and doing content and life skills — about health, nutrition, planning, organization, hard work, teamwork, caring, sharing, responsibility, and so much more! (see also All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten)

“Mom, watch me make an awesome omelet!”

Gotta go!  I’m heading to the kitchen!  Gonna cook with my son!

Who Are The Important People in Your Life?

God doesn’t give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED: To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you, and to make you into the person you were meant to be.  (Unknown) 

No pain, no gain, I guess.

Can’t wait to be all grown up … someday!

Joel Rosenberg’s “Inside the (Islamic) Revolution”

Joel Rosenberg’s latest publication, Inside the Revolution, takes readers into the Islamic world where:

• Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers 
• Iranian leaders (not the Iranians) truly believe the end times are near.  These leaders are obsessed with the notion of hastening the coming of their Messiah by destroying Israel, the United States, and subjugating the remaining non-Islamic states (Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu)

Why should we care?

Because ignorance is death — literally. 

If Iran gets hold of nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles to deliver these weapons, six million Jews will perish in six minutes or less, and the rest of “unwanted” humanity within the same hour. (Fox News, Glenn Beck)

We’re toast!

Cash-strapped North Korea  continues to develop its nuclear capabilities (they’re way ahead of the Iranians).  Iran has cash.  Desperate “death-cult-leaders” will pay whatever it takes to destroy their non-Muslim counterparts — to hasten the coming of end times, the coming of their Messiah!

But … there’s hope.  Reformers ARE pushing back the radicals. 

Knowledge IS power!

Conflict Resolution and Creative Job Hunting

(First posted on May 10, 2009.  Accidentally deleted and found.)

What do you do if you find yourself working for a tyrannical or incompetent boss, or a jealous co-worker is out to get you?

Some companies can be unhealthy for your career development and your mental health (indeed, people usually get fired because of politics and personal conflicts — not gross incompetence).

How about an annual career check-up. Take out your resume and review it.  Ask yourself several questions about your current job and your goals.

• Am I achieving my goals and purpose in life?
• Has my objective changed?
• Is this job meeting my expectations?
• Does this company fully value my contributions?
• Am I doing what I’m good at and enjoy doing?
• Are my skills up-to-date for this job and organization?
• Am I fully using my skills as well as acquiring new skills?
• Is this job worth keeping?
• How can I best achieve career satisfaction either in this job or in another job or career?
• What other opportunities elsewhere might be better than this job?

Perhaps changing jobs is not the best alternative for you. If you encounter difficulties with your job,  first understand the problem.  Perhaps the problem can be resolved by working with your present employer. Many employers prefer this approach.  They know that increased job satisfaction translates into less job stress and absenteeism as well as more profits for the company.  Happy workers become more productive employees.

You may want to play a “just in case” scenario by entering your resume into various online resume databases where you can literally keep yourself in the job market 24/7. Whether you’re actively looking for a job or just keeping in touch with potential opportunities, putting your resume online may be a good way to conduct a career check up on a regular basis.

Anonymously putting your resume online with websites such as Monster.com, Yahoo! hotjobs, and careerbuilder.com allows you to remain constantly active in the job market.

Participation in such resume databases may result in employers coming to you rather than you seeking out employers by using the job search strategies and techniques outlined in The Blue Collar Resume and Job Hunting Guide.

By the way, white collar workers, don’t click out just yet  This book offers numerous guerrilla job hunting tips and strategies — from how to answer tough questions to getting interviews the street-wise way (knock on doors!) – an invaluable resource!

With number of plumbers and electricians earning more than six figures, blue collar workers, in many cases, may be more skilled — if you define “skilled” by earning power — than their white collar peers.

Thoughts?

The U.S. Food Industry — Faster, Fatter, Bigger, Cheaper, Death! (I)

DEMAND good wholesome food.  We’ll get it!

(see also FOOD, INC.)

Sign this petition — Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization.  Make your voice heard TODAY!

PS — if you strongly disagree with the above, please post opposing views with ample evidence.  Truth, in my opinion, is usually (not always) somewhere between the extremes.

What Most Dentists Won’t Tell You

“Brush your teeth for at least two minutes!”

My dentists never told me that.  How about yours?

For the last year or so, my 70-year-old mother insisted I brush at least two minutes.

“Who has the time?” I used to think … Until my checkup last November.  My dental health was in shambles.

(Did my dentist ever tell me I should brush longer — NO.  Patients equal dollar signs … ch ching!)

Okay mom.  I’ll put my ego aside.  I’ll listen to you one more time.  What do I have to lose?  Once a mother, always a mother.  Once a daughter, always a daughter.

Nevertheless, spending two minutes on my mouth was A COMMITMENT … for me, anyway.  I had to make it fun.

I went to Safeway and bought the musical toothbrush, Tooth Tunes (also available at Toys-R-Us):

Guess what?!  Six months later, my gum and teeth are in tip-top shape! (Colgate swears by minimum-120-seconds brushing!)

My teeth are three shades whiter and stronger than ever!  My gum — Popeye strong!  My dentist recently told me I have a gum of a 15-year-old — youthful!  By the way, I don’t use toothpaste; just water, mouthwash, and dental floss.

Brush two minutes, twice a day (plus floss).  We’ll all be on our way to clean, bright teeth and healthy, strong gums! Decrease your chance of heart disease, too! (Full Story)

Adios periodontal disease!  Adios dentists!

Tooth Tunes, you rock!