What value do grandparents have in family relationships

Grandparents have qualitative and quantitative value

Carol Forsloff  Grandparents may be more valuable than many people think.  In fact not only is there emotional value in having grandparents, but the value can be quantified as well. 

The value comes with child care while parents take vacations and when they work.  That is the time grandparents often step in and assume the responsibility for caring for the children.

One night stands: Where do they stand in the ethics, freedom debate?

Joan Baez who captured in song her one-night stand

Carol Forsloff - With the 70's came a wave of independence for many women, after civil rights and the sexual revolution, and with it came the one night stand.  How has that changed since STDs and AIDS?

It was, in the late 60's through the 1970's thought a craze that would pass, an experiment, romanticized like Joan Baez  "Love Song to a Stranger, " a song about her own experience.

It turns out rather than vanishing, one night stands have become part of the culture, so much so that there are YouTube videos devoted to the subject and magazine articles as well. These give advice on the how-to's and what-fors, and there are even organizations that cater to the business of one-night stands.

AskMen.com came up with some sizzling advice for these frisky capers, making sure men know the difference between one-night stands and permanent engagements.  The beauty of the former is the ability to escape entanglements and just buzz along afterward with each party having no obligation to the other.

This article directed to the guys advises the fellow to go to her place, not his; so he is in control of the getaway, and there are no lingering issues in getting the gal to move along. Furthermore, there are those reminders (likely addressing those STDs for sure), of having protective gear as well.

Now that's the culture of sex these days in the back rooms of America and everywhere it seems.  But there are counters to this culture that say whoa there, not so fast. Experts tell us it's very important to remember that in a casual relationship it's very difficult to determine who has a sexually transmitted disease and what other issues might be involved.  There are also other risks, of a stranger turning violent, and of other potential dangers as well.  But Ask.com gives instructions on the practice of safe sex from all different angles.  Their advice?

They don't recommend it, but underline if practiced it ought to be safe. The practice of one night stands has created disharmony for such online dating sites as eHarmony.  The site at one time wrote an article on navigating the one-night stand, and after a minor uproar, wrote a retraction.  In fact the founder is said to have espoused relationships that wait for sex until a serious arrangement is made and permanent.

And the sexual freedom has become so absolute that there adult dating sites that underline people meeting for sexual frolic more than the idea of romance itself, marriage or any permanent relationship.

The ethical and healthy ideas about casual sex, and the problems it incurs related to mental and physical health added to the Evangelical push to put women's rights united with morality as well, one might think one night stands might be a thing of the past.  It appears, however, they are here to stay, surely among the youth and the rank-and-file of today's singles.

Still while one-night stands remain part of the culture, with the impetus given by the sexual emancipation of women after the 60's, there are still groups that question the practice and whether it should be habit-forming.  It is the kind of personal freedom some might debate about, the ethnics of which for youth has simply to do with choice as opposed to morality.

The young does not ask if it is right, but do I have the freedom to do so if I wish, which is uniquely different than past generations where the freedom to do it was less an issue than whether or not it was right.

Are pit bulls dangerous or just picked on by the media?

Pit Bull

 Carol Forsloff - Pit bull owners become defensive when there is news or discussion about attacks described in the press, which brings outrage from citizens at the same time who worry about these dogs in neighborhoods where there are children.  

Pit bulls are hanging around in rural areas of Waianae, not too far from its pristine beaches and on streets with young children. In fact some local folk think it's tough there to have a dog that can be fierce enough to attack on sight. Owners consider the dogs protection.  

While some cultures and some people are tolerant about pit bulls and consider them just like other dogs, there is still plenty of news from time to time about them to indicate concerns that come about these dogs. 

At a Christmas holiday in 2008, a 21-year-old man, Christopher Friesen, was attacked and injured by a pit bull in Molalla, Washington. The local television channel provided the news about it. There were two pit bulls involved in the attack, and they were quarantined for 10 days following the attack. They had been found inside an empty lumber mill building foundation and were reported to be very aggressive. Friesen was initially hospitalized at Silverton Hospital with injuries that included what was described as " serious puncture, abrasion and crushing injuries" He was out on a walk on Christmas day when the dogs attacked him.

Right before the holidays that same year another pair of pit bulls mauled to death a 60-year-old man in California. The man was the grandfather of the dogs' owner. He was outside taking a cigarette break when he was attacked by what the sheriff called very aggressive pit bulls. It was said by the County Animal Services spokesperson about it that since the dogs had not been spayed they were particularly aggressive. They were also both good-sized dogs with the male weighing 107 pounds and the female 52 pounds. The name of the victim was not released at the time of the media report.

Three other attacks by pit bulls were reported in the United States in the last two months of that year. In Camarilo, California a man and woman were both treated for hand injuries resulting from an attack by a pit bull, according to newspaper accounts. . In New Orleans a man shot and killed two pit bulls that attacked him.

The New Orleans news online considered the problem of pit bulls material for a serious article about them. Two pit bulls seriously mauled a six-year-old boy and were put down as a result. The television stationthat broke the news in September said the child was in serious condition at a local hospital. 

In Cleveland, Ohio The Metro reported nearly a thousand pit bulls had to be killed because their owners disobeyed the law that required them to be muzzled and kept in a fenced area. So it appears that in many places pit bulls are out and about without supervision.

Pit bulls have not only their friends as apologists, but others as well. There are a number ofwebsites that plead the case for these animals, talking about the abuse they suffer. These people are quite protective of pit bulls.

It isn't difficult to find a recent case of a pit bull attack in the United States. OregonLive reported an incident in November of a 7-year-old who had been attacked badly by a 90-pound pit bull that took several people to subdue. 

Dogs most involved in violent attacks are Rottweilers and pit bulls, according to statistical reports. Although some people claim it is the owner as opposed to the breed of dog that is responsible for the problems caused by dogs like pit bulls who attack and often severely injure or kill their victims, the question continues to arise: why are they kept as pets in ordinary neighborhoods?  But there are those who continue to say pit bulls are fine as pets.

The dog debate has a history. That debate has raged for centuries. If 2009 mirrors 2008 and previous years, it’s likely the argument will continue. 

Some pit bull advocates defend the breed by declaring that there is a form of profiling done with pit bulls that targets them in the media and the neighborhood. A journal article by David A. Harris reviews a book about racial profiling by Frederick Schauer, (Profiles, Probabilities, and Stereotypes Cambridge, MA: Belknap/Harvard University Press, 2003. xiii 359 pp.). Harris discusses Schauer’s argument about profiling and his example of pit bulls as part of his examination of the controversial nature of profiling. 

Schauer wrote many contemporary laws about dogs were in response to public panic and profiling that were put on the books in the 1980’s from spurious or isolated cases that neglected information about the overwhelming numbers of docile pit bulls.  

Another author determines that pit bull owners are treated like owners of guns and with similar arguments on both sides. In this case the “weapon” is the pit bull. Owners maintain that it is the owner of the dog who should be held liable for the dog’s behavior. This is similar, according to the author cited here, to the argument that it is the owner who uses the gun that is culpable and not the gun itself. 

So are pit bulls “mean, dangerous and uncontrollable beasts” as one author discusses? The question allows a look at history to examine this issue. Animal trials have been part of history since the medieval period, with the animals cited as dangerous, and some of then executed in much the same ways as humans found guilty of crimes. The fact that there have been animal trials shows the tendency of some to ascribe legal person hood characteristics to entities that are actually property. These days some animals get “hung” and some persons do, depending upon the circumstance. 

An example of dogs being declared guilty and sentenced to death in 1998 shows the controversy. A young man with a criminal history owned several dogs that allegedly had terrorized the neighborhood. The dogs had attacked a 74-year-old man. The neighbors asked for the dogs to be killed. It was acknowledged by the spouse of one of the claimants that it would be impossible to pass a law barring people with criminal records from owning certain types of dogs but mentioned that owners should be responsible. The article summary noted that there had been 90 dog bites in the fiscal year in Montgomery with pit bulls accounting for only 10% of them.  

A review of the literature on Questia found no reliable statistics on the rate of pit bull attacks vs other dogs. The one site commonly cited on the Internet, on dog bite laws used in my previous article, has been seriously questioned by dog owners and their defenders.  

In recent years, 2014 as an example, there were numerous incidences of dog bites from pit bulls leading to death.  Many of the victims were children and the elderly.

So incident by incident the issue becomes part of newspaper literature, with the full story continuing to unfold. 

How cultural differences impact being nude in public areas

Men and women in a communal bathhouse - wikimedia commons

Carol Forsloff - In a women's locker room in Oregon, women dress and
undress casually around each other, after a swim in the public pool,
without concern for nudity.  In Hawaii women of various cultures may stand in the open in front of a mirror with nothing but a towel around their heads while applying makeup and dressing,  but in the South being nude in the locker
room may be considered a social offense.

Who would have thought that being naked in the women's locker room would cause consternation. But it did. I had just finished showering, and stood in the nude while getting my clothes together. What a little furor it caused.

I soon found out a cultural difference I wouldn't have expected. Politely I was informed that if I wanted privacy I could use the men's room because men seldom visited the little spa where I was taking my bath.   Dressing and undressing in a private cubicle would be better, I was politely told.

This was a reminder that customs differ sharply in various locales when it comes to what is considered appropriate and what is not, including whether or not a woman should be nude in front of other women in a public place.

The spa where the incident took place is in Natchitoches, Louisiana, right
near the heart of the downtown area that was tied to a medical clinic. It
is well-lit and lovely, with a view of the Cane river, and has all the
amenities to make one feel special, including massage, special showers,
nail treatments and makeup demonstrations. Hot tea and fresh fruit along
with soft music round out a delightful experience.

But being stark naked in front of other women is unique enough for conversation and a reminder that modesty is defined differently by women depending upon where they live.

In Oregon and Hawaii women of all ages comfortably walk around nude in the women's locker room. Some women do find a private cubicle, but no one looks sideways at anyone nude in the shower.

"It's important to be modest," I was told by the receptionist at the spa in Natchitoches, who scarcely could believe I did not know the rules.  But the end result was a great, big laugh at the differences in style between the South and other parts of the United States when it comes to what is appropriate attire, or no attire at all, in public places.

Internationally, there are also cultural differences concerning nudity.  In front of the hotels in Spain and on most of its beaches, women can be found topless on the beach areas. This is likely starting to an orthodox Christian, Muslim or Jew, who all have cultural views that emphasize modesty.  But in many places in Japan women and men together bathe in the nude, and few are insulted by the practice, outside of foreigners who incidentally find themselves in such a situation.  Mixed bathing in Japan, however, is said to have declined in popularity, however separately men and women ordinarily don't wear swimsuits to bathe.

The moral is:  Look before stripping and don't run naked in the locker room in a region that is unfamiliar unless you have cultural permission to avoid being thought offensive.

Many new mothers remain unmarried in growing percentages

Bristol Palin, who was unmarried when she gave birth and who now preaches abstinence

Several years ago the Pew Forum reported a shocking statistic, and that is 41% of new mothers at that time in the United States were unmarried. Have those statistics improved?

So Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and Levi Johnston were not aberrations when Palin ran on the ticket with John McCain, while her daughter clearly showed her pregnancy.  The couple were unmarried and later split up, just like many other young adults do when the woman is pregnant before marriage.

In the decade reported not just teenagers had babies without marriage, which is a big increase over the previous ten years.

The Pew Research Center in 2010 found a record number of unmarried women gave birth in the U.S.  and that nearly half of these new mothers were unmarried.  1.7 million babies were born that year, most of them to women under the age of 25.  59 percent were to unmarried women in that age group.

This is a growing trend apparently when compared with numbers from 20 years ago when only 28 percent of births were to unmarried women.

Unmarried mothers face a set of legal issues that include establishing paternity, setting a support agreement, custodial agreements, financial agreements, and other related issues.

Each state has its own laws regarding child support, and these vary a good deal across the country.

Americans are not entirely positive about the trend of unmarried mother because as the Pew Center has reported, "while Americans have softened slightly in their disapproval of unmarried parenthood, most continue to say it is bad for society."

The rates dramatically increased in subsequent years.  In 2013 statistics showed that 60% of the women who were having children in their 20's were unmarried.  At the same time Generation X is said to be different than the women in the generations before them, as they are, for the most part, neither in favor of or opposed to abortion even though many of them are on the lines of people protesting against abortion.

And while the marriage rate is falling, out-of-wedlock rates are increasing.  The potential result?  Increased poverty at a time when the gap between rich and the middle class continues to grow as well, pushing further down the ladder those without the resources to struggle up the ladder, which means those babies born to without a two-parent balance or those without the economic means to provide the education and long-term security for them.

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Wikipedia first stop for student research, but should it be?

Wikipedia

Carol Forsloff - Wikipedia may be criticized for its errors and amateur ways at times, but recent research reveals that many students make it their first stop in research.

As one student said, "Wikipedia tells me what's what."

Wikipedia is often an early resource for university students bent on research, according to a study produced at the University of Washington in 2010.

Researchers, Michael Eisenberg, dean emeritus and professor at the Information School, and Alison Head, a research scientist at UW, conducted a survey of 2,300 students and interviewed 86 in focus groups. They found that 52 percent of students frequently used Wikipedia, the online, peer-produced encyclopedia, for background information, even if an instructor advised against it. Eight of 10 students said that to get their research underway, they often go to Wikipedia for background information.

Uniquely it was science students that used Wikipedia more than other students.  Google users used it 10 times more than others.

Some faculty members and librarians have been leery of Wikipedia because of concerns about credibility and intellectual rigor, Head said.

"Nevertheless," she said, "Wikipedia helps many college students because it offers coverage, currency, convenience and comprehensibility in a world where students don't always expect credibility."

Wikipedia drew fewer students than other background resources such as course readings (97 percent), Google (95 percent) and scholarly research databases such as ProQuest (93 percent), but it was the point where they started their research.

For the research, Head and Eisenberg gathered data from sophomores, juniors and seniors at six college campuses between April and June of 2009. Freshmen at four-year colleges and students who had taken fewer than 12 units at community colleges were excluded, as they were more likely to discuss research strategies they had used in high school. The mean grade point average was 3.4, or B .

The research subjects were full-time students at Harvard University, Illinois State University, the University of Washington or students who had completed at least one semester at Chaffey Community College (Calif.), Shoreline Community College (Wash.) or Volunteer State Community College (Tenn.).

"We found that while college students use Wikipedia, they do so knowing its limitations -- it has some credibility but not deep,” Head said. "Our findings also lead us to believe that support and solutions from multiple outlets, not just one tool, service or individual, may work the best.”

But has Wikipedia been found useful four years after the University of Washington study?

Even Wikipedia itself tells us that it is not considered a credible or authoritative resource for serious study, academic use or student papers.

What about for journalism?In an article called "Wikipedia in the newsroom" the pros and cons of using information from Wikipedia is discussed.  Many newsrooms have policies banning their use because of potential inaccuracies.  But reviewers tell us it is unclear how many newsrooms have these policies.  However, as the writer assessing Wikipedia's usefulness for reporters tells us,
use caution when using Wikipedia in any authoritative way because its facts are often uneven.  And again folks are said to be cautious because the users of Wikipedia are often its writers and editors as well.

So despite the fact that students have used Wikipedia to write papers and to find facts, the bottom line conclusion is to use care in doing so, which means turn to other sources to check the facts, just as it is good policy for doing anything relative to finding information and substantiating it as well.

Two sets of victims suffer from a killing in the family

Casey Anthony, Florida police mugshot

"If one of my kids killed somebody, they might just as well get caught and be put away, because they would never see me again."  Larry Beekham's remark is similar to those made by many people who say they would feel shame and would literally disown their children found guilty of a major crime.  But other parents remain staunchly devoted to their children, and their suffering remains, sometimes lifelong.

Leslie Gardner, whose name has been disguised because she lives in a small neighborhood community in Hawaii, left the mainland because her father had killed someone and was sentenced to death row.  She continues to maintain a low profile in her community but says it is lonely when people ask her about her family.  She said, "I go and visit my Mom every year, so people think everything is all right.  But when they ask about my Dad, I don't know what to say, so I say they are separated, my Mom and Dad; and he lives someplace else."

That someplace else is the place that causes Gardner the pain she says never seems to go away, even though it has been six years since her father's conviction.

Joran van der Sloot admitted he killed 21-year-old Stephany Flores, a business student whose body was found in a Lima hotel room last week.  His mother visited over an extended period of time, one of those parents whose future has been compromised by the actions of her son.

Compassion floods towards the victim's families when there is a terrible crime; and although the pain of the perpetrator's family  is mentioned, it is seldom the focus of public concern.

In November 2008 Greta Van Sustern interviewed an assistant District Attorney who had tried to speak with Paulus van der Sloot, Joran's father regarding the disappearance of Natalie Holloway.  Paulus van der Sloot was reported to have resisted speaking with anyone publicly about his son and to have guided Joran through the events that occurred when the young van der Sloot was accused of involvement with the disappearance of Natalie Holloway in Aruba.

The negatives of this were splashed on newspaper pages and in television scripts with quotes as well.  The mother's voice appeared silent, as there was no focus on her feelings during that time.Like other parents whose children have either admitted to or been found guilty of terrible crimes, the van der Sloot's will experience personal pain, experts say, that will go on for years.

Jeffrey Dahmer’s mother and father vacillated from making public pronouncements to withdrawing. Dahmer’s mother tried hard to stay out of the public eye. Jeffrey’s father wrote a book, A Father's Story, chronicling the history of a son who had problems at an early age.  Dahmer is the man who cannibalized and killed his victims.

For certain the grandparents of Caylee Anthony, George and Cindy Anthony, have faced the cameras, showing their personal agonies as their daughter Casey is waiting to be tried for killing Caylee, her young daughter.

Authorities say one of the major characteristics of the psychopath, or serial killer, is self-centered behavior.  Mental health experts maintain that type of behavior is noticed by parents who may disregard it and not see it as a signal of further mental health problems.

Jeffrey Dahmer’s mother, Joyce, was reported to be frequently sick during Jeffrey's childhood  but  otherwise not a problem mother. When Jeffrey was picked up for the killings, for which he was convicted,  his mother was employed as a drug and alcohol treatment counselor.. His father was a Ph.D chemist. The parents were reported to be as ordinary as the people next door when they lived in Bath, Ohio.  They who divorced when Jeffrey was a teenager.

Scott Peterson’s family ,according to news reports, continues to deny that Scott killed his wife Lacey and the couple’s unborn child and have hired new defense attorneys for appeals. But they too are shown having emotional stress and retreat from public view.

Ronnie Lee Gardner, a killer who was on death row for 25 years, was executed about five years ago for the death of an attorney and the injury of a court bailiff during an escape attempt at the courthouse where he was being held for a robbery and murder the year before.   after 25 years on death row, brought strong reaction on both sides of the death penalty argument.  But it brought up the pain of the parents on both sides as well.  Gardner's family stood in vigil the night of his execution with people against the death penalty, making a total of 60 people sorrowing Utah's education of Gardner by firing squad.

Nick Kirk's daughter, Barb Webb, and granddaughter, Mandy Hull, family members of the bailiff who was shot, never able to work again and who suffered both physical and emotional pain for years, were reported by Desert News to be planning a vigil of their own. They had planned but then canceled it because they did not want to share attention and space with Gardner's family.

"We sure as hell didn't want them thinking it was for them," Webb said. "It's horrible, just absolutely horrible. I don't know why they would do this to us."

The ethics of the death penalty and religious quotes are part of the news frequently in the United States when there is an execution of someone who has committed a terrible crime, both sides expressing outrage, with the families caught in between.

Families of those who commit heinous crimes suffer greatly, as the community turns its sympathy to the victims.  Yet what about the families of those who were found innocent yet spent years on death row?

Ray Krone's story chronicles this issue, as he spent 10 years on death row before being exonerated of the crime of killing a female bartender.  DNA testing found another man had committed the crime.  In the meantime, Ray served that 10 years, but in many ways his family served the same length of time in their grief and struggle to reconcile the image of the man they knew and loved and the one convicted of murder.

Ray Krone said this to one of those people who interviewed him about his release from prison. “There was the time when I was testifying on behalf of Witness to Innocence, and a prosecutor said to me, ‘You’ve been exonerated. They got the guy who did it. You’re out now. See: the system works.’ I said, ‘Tell my mom the system works.’ He didn’t ask any more questions."

There are two sets of victims when a murder is committed: the victim's family and the family of the one convicted of the crime. And it is even worse for the second set of victims when there is no way to recover the years lost and the agony of having to believe someone is guilty of a crime who is found innocent.

Non surgical face lifts expanding in the "greening" of people

Mild rosacea that motivates some people to have a non surgical correction

Carol Forsloff - Portland, Oregon is greening its people it seems to be as young and fresh as its grasses and streams.  Going green is a new way to youth. Will it work?It's the big thing these days, looking younger, as the baby boomers with their accent on youth strive to stay that way forever, so here comes another solution, non surgical facelifts.  But do they work?

Portland,Oregon, center for growing green, has seemingly a doc on each  block with it now.

The demand for non-surgical cosmetic options has brought about new ways that involve ultrasound technology to achieve what the folks there claim will create the same results as a surgical facelefit without the same cost and time it takes for a more intrusive procedure. 

Excitement, for sure, given the growing demand for cosmetic surgery in the United States.  There has been a 162 percent increase in folks clamoring for
help, with the statistics revealing non surgical, non invasive procedures top the list, according to the American Society of Liposuction, reporting 10.2 million cosmetic procedures in 2008.

And while cosmeticians are joining the ever-growing group of those going green, i.e. trying to look youthful without going under the knife, do these procedures work?

In 2013 the Daily Mail tackled that very topic.  This is what they found out.
Most people consider procedures like Botox injections make them appear more relaxed and somewhat younger.  Chemical peels seemed to create a few problems in the healing phase of the procedures, but a patient who was interviewed responded that the end result was worth the pain and the costs.  And a laser treatment also brought a positive response from someone who had used that method to reduce the signs of aging.  Still readers responses on the photos used to show the comparisons of before and after the procedures maintained they could see little difference in them.

Still folks are flocking to clinics in their efforts to look younger and therefore what they assume will be better, a growing trend of going green that seems to appeal to many folks in a world where many want to avoid looking old before their time.

Given the growing demand and concerns, these new methods of creating a new appearance for people who want to look younger or better, who knows what direction will be the result? 

"You join a long line of people praying to the gods of
beauty to bring some non-surgical answer to their prayers for facial
rejuvenation. It is truly the Holy Grail of plastic surgery.
Unfortunately, there is no non-surgical way to get the same results as a
facelift," responds Adam Rubenstein, plastic surgeon.

Internet fuels women's empowerment through crafts and cooperativeventures

Women of India look for ways to make money with crafts as do women from underdeveloped countries

Across the world indigenous people offer their crafts in the marketplaces, but with the advent of the Internet more and more of the creations made by these talented people are becoming available to everyone, while providing opportunities for empowerment as well.

In Natchitoches, Louisiana the local Methodist church has a bazaar annually where the crafts of women are displayed, providing another way to reach the public with the cause of helping women in underdeveloped countries be able to earn a living.  The program of helping women in this way attracts many visitors to the church, where at the door church women sell the crafts and explain how they are made.  This is a way of bringing the world to a small town in the South and in a way that helps empower women too.

On a small island in Bali, the only Muslim island in the country, the people are so poor a woman of 40 appears as a very old woman.  The women on the island fashion crafts with cloth, tapestries for the wall and also clothes made from hand-woven fabric.  They work all day cross-legged on mats, as the sun beats savagely on the ground  hardened by soil and rain, as the women avert their eyes, focusing instead on the tasks before them, making something beautiful to sell.

While fair trade practices are highlighted by organizations around the world, the conditions under which many women make their crafts continues to be primitive in many areas, where they often work from early morning until late evening.  It is that environment that the women cannot escape, even as their crafts are made available around the world.

Still in many places women are doing well enough to band together to make demands they be paid fairly, that they are involved in the business itself as they emphasize the need not just to make a living, but earning it in conditions that do not rob them of their youth long before their time.

India's SAHAJ is one of those organizations  that provides women opportunities to sell crafts on the Internet and through organizations as well.  Women have become organized in clusters, self-sustaining groups where they learn the elements of business and working together, even as they improve the work itself.  They use a Common Facility Center model where raw materials are made available in the right way and to the right individuals.  Production is higher in these facilities.

Churches are involved in helping artisans and so are universities.  Carnegie Mellon at its Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is helping facilitate the empowerment of women by providing visitors with exhibits where they can view the crafts and learn of the culture and how many of the beautiful products are produced.  It is one of the ways to make contact with the public so that the markets for traditional crafts can be opened to the world.

Many of the self-sufficient groups that receive training come from that same principle used by the Peace Corps, not giving people fish but instead teaching them to fish, but in this case the fish are the raw materials that people learn how to use in an expanded way with one another and learn the business of marketing as well.

The Baha'is are among those religious groups most active in the empowerment of women in India.  In 1985 a vocational training center was developed by the Baha'is of India.  Barli Development Institute for Rural Women was established for the empowerment of rural and tribal women.  Its very name underlines the belief based on Baha'i principles that women are the central pillars of society and are equal to men.  This name highlights the belief of the Institute that women are the central pillars of the society.

While international groups proclaim the problems of poor women in indigenous cultures, many people are unaware that building communities through crafts and increasing markets for them is making a difference.  In fact, in India many women are able to sustain their families and become independent by learning to work in a community of women who bond, then band together to learn and to become proud of what they do.

As the world worries over the lot of women, the human trafficking, lack of education and domestic violence, there are changes that are making a difference in many indigenous cultures.  Those who want to help the cause of empowering women have only to peruse the local paper, to see where craft shows are held and ask if any of them support these cooperative ventures.  It is a way that everyone can be involved in lifting women out of poverty and helping them become educated and fully participating citizens in their cities around the world.

Video gaming brings both good and bad consequences

Ground Kontrol in Portland, Oregon

While many people offer the negatives about video gaming, there are also the positives as well, although many of these good aspects are hidden in the hype about video games.  Recently some of these aspects were examined, both good and bad, and here's what is said about them.

On the positive side, video gaming can increase patience.  Children learn to wait, watch and have the will to observe what happens, a transferable skill that can be used in school with reading and academics.  Eye-hand coordination are also part of the positive aspects of video gaming, as the ability to manage some of the game icons and movements and match these with instructions and what is seen on the screen requires coordination on several levels.

The games can also enhance reaction time and teach one how to focus on a task, then move to another in a certain sequence.  Decision-making skills are also a benefit of video gaming, as one must anticipate and think about the next move in the light of possibilities.

What are the negatives?  The critics underline some of the uselessness or the violent nature of some of the games.  Parents worry about children losing time from academics while they play games online or in arcades.  And then there is the aspect of video gaming used by people to make money.  Folks get hooked on the games, and to advance in some of them requires the outlay of real cash.  Then there are the negatives that affect health, as some of the game playing in the arcades has led to repetitive motion injuries.  Then there is the fact that video games can also be addictive.

Video gaming as entertainment has a wide following.  But it's how it is used, and what controls may be exercised, can be make the difference in whether the consequences of playing these games are good or bad.  They are an economic force, experts say, that are part of the world of possibilities, but like any possibility the consequences may be positive or negative depending on the nature of the game and how it is used.

FTC offers guide for businesses, others to safeguard personal information

Internet

Personal information is left behind wherever a person may go in these modern times, with the technology that brings communication across the world.  But with that technology, more personal information becomes available in many places and impacts credit cards, bank accounts, and personal records of all types simply as people go about their day.

The security breach that impacted 100 million Target customers over the Christmas holidays this past year has brought attention to how many people can be affected when security is compromised.  The seriousness of what happened gave impetus to finding ways to establish better security in various areas, for both businesses and private individuals.   The Federal Trade Commission offers a guide to businesses and consumers on how to safeguard information.  They advise using the following five key principles as important to use in establishing security:1.  Know what is contained in files and on computers and do an inventory of it.  For businesses this means across all computers, including peripheral devices and laptops employees take home.  For private individuals, it also means doing an inventory of where information is kept.2. Minimize the footprint of the information by scaling down.  Not all information needs to be stored.  The important information is what is important, and social security numbers for businesses may not be necessary and should not therefore be kept.  For individuals, there is a tendency at times to embrace so many platforms for storage and for documents that it becomes more and more difficult to maintain the information and remember where it is.  Therefore, it is important to store what's important and even have different locations for sensitive information and information that is general in nature.

3.  The FTC reminds businesses to lock the information so that it is protected with physical and electronic security measures.  That includes all devices, including peripheral storage drives.  Furthermore sensitive material should not be left unprotected, which includes the habit some people have of keeping a laptop in the car that may have important data that if stolen could create serious harm.

We are also reminded to change passwords to avoid risks, and that the more complex these passwords are, the more security they offer.4. When information is no longer needed, it should be shredded or burned, then tossed out.  Furthermore files should be erased in a fashion that the data can't be recovered once it is removed.5.  Finally, a good security plan for both businesses and individuals is to plan ahead in the event there is a personal security breach, a plan on how to respond that can help everyone involved, including who to contact in the event the worst happens.

Just say no ineffective in winning war against drugs and latest craze,the N-Bomb

 25i compound

Just say no isn't working. This favorite phrase of the 1980's was part of President Ronald Reagan's program to rid the nation of drugs. It was an often heard phrase, part of a widespread campaign, launched by former First Lady, Nancy Reagan. But drugs are proliferating, with the latest called 25i, a substance that is described as LSD-like and that can create serious problems for users, as occurred with two adolescents in Sherwood, Oregon.

The Oregonian reported two teenage girls had been given the drug 25ialso referred to as N-Bomb, by a young man and were observed having seizures on the side of a road by a police officer in Sherwood. Sherwood is part of the greater Portland suburban area.

This newest drug to hit the streets has been labeled a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Division. Such a drug is defined as having an imminent threat to public safety. This one is labeled as a threat because it can cause serious health consequences that include agitation, seizures, hypertension, aggression, visual and auditory hallucinations, elevated white cell count, acute kidney injury and even death.

America has a particular style of drug use in that it crosses all cultures, ages, races and income levels. Much of this widespread drug use has happened as a consequence of the particular trend and national cultural climate at the time, that sparks a certain type of drug to become popular, or a variety of drugs to be in vogue. Experts tell us that young people turn to marijuana and LSD to explore their minds and perhaps change the minds of other people as well, which may be the reason for 25i's new popularity .

The country is losing the war on drugs, that Reagan once referred to as the nation's worst enemy, having taken its recent victim, Philip Seymour Hoffman, the great actor, found with 70 bags of heroin and various prescription pills at his home, dead from a drug overdose, unable to just say no.

Rajneesh cult and former girls hotel example of Oregon, where beingdifferent thrives

Martha Washington

Carol Forsloff-----More than 30 years ago, Oregon became the home of an unusual sect with its unique practices and unusual members.  The group took over acres of land around Antelope, Oregon as well as a former fine residence for girls in Portland once called The Martha Washington.  Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the founder,  started the sect in the 1970's, where many of his ideas were rejected; so he went on to the United States and Europe to expand.  He ended up settling in Oregon, offering a story of eccentricity in a place where doing your own thing can thrive---for awhile.

The story of Rajneesh is indeed an example of Oregon's tolerance and unique ways, offering refuge to the refugee, Rajneesh, seeking tax shelter, indeed from taxes owed in India.

Oregon is the place where nude bicyclists move through the byways of Portland regularly every summer, and pantsless day is celebrated by young people through the city on an annual basis.  It is a city that draws in the homeless, and where myriads of young people protest where protest is part of tradition.  But Rajneesh was more than Oregon ended up being able to tolerate, for his behaviors caused some local residents some serious trouble.

Rajneesh was not a man who believed in either poverty or propriety in many ways.  He owned elaborate cars and residences.  He believed in, and promoted, sexual pleasures.  On the land in Oregon Rajneesh created a community, with the help of Ma Anand Sheela, also from India.  Together they and their followers built Ragneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon.  There they ran into conflict with local residents when they launched a bioterrorist attack and poisoned restaurant food in the Dalles.  At the height of their activity, the group had approximately 2500 members.  Rajneesh ended up being deported for immigration fraud, while other leaders and community members fled the area.

The story of Rajneesh continues to fascinate Oregon residents and visitors.  Portland's newspaper, The Oregonian, has covered the group over the years, including during their sojourn in Oregon that began in 1981.

Visitors continue to explore the remnants of the community and hear the tales from residents about the curious band of cult members whose ways were particularly unusual, even to the Oregon taste of wildness and different and where tolerance reigns sublime.   Blogs of those who travel through the area often mention Rajneesh and his followers.

The backstory of Rajneesh  talks about the man and his disciples.  While some portrayed the followers as loving and gentle people, the memories of the leader remain as someone who left India, owing taxes, and found his way to Oregon in order to continue his reign of infamy.

The former girls residence, once called The Martha Washington and located within a close walking distance of Portland University, is part of that history of Rajneesh, as many of his followers lived there a few years.  It is part of the tale a journalist, born and raised in Oregon who once lived in that residence learned.   This is just another reminder of how the Pacific Northwest State continues to fascinate its own residents, as well as visitors, as a place where almost anything can happen---and does.

Adaptive clothing allows persons with disabilities to be fashionable, sociable

[caption id="attachment_22401" align="alignleft" width="480"] Adaptive clothing for service men and women[/caption]

Marsha Hunt---"It's so hard to get dressed every day," she said.  "When you live most of the time in a wheelchair, getting dressed and doing simple things is so difficult that half the time I would rather just stay home."

Like many people, Doris is unaware of the resources for people with disabilities, or those involved in helping her may not know there are ways of making life simpler for those who have trouble with activities of daily living, like simply getting dressed.

There are in fact a number of online resources on clothing for persons with disabilities.  These include clothes that snap, have adjustments in the seat, back, or sides, sleeves that are relatively easy for the arms to enter, and a host of adaptations that provide an easier time getting dressed than standard clothing.

Adapted clothing can even include jeans, something many people identify with the fit and healthy.  These kinds of clothes, as opposed to the proverbial shift dress or nightgown and robe, allow the user to feel a closer identification with the non-disabled population.  And since jeans are fashion these days, they are able to be in fashion as well.  Often the service man or woman has difficulty enough adapting to civilian life, and with the increased isolation caused by disabilities, they have even greater problems in that adaptation.  But special clothing allows them to be out and about more often than they would be otherwise.

It isn't just outer clothing that persons with disabilities need to be able to doff on and off easily.  Many elderly persons and those with special foot problems, often diabetics, need special shoes.  There are shoes with velcro closures, that are extra wide, or have special on non-slip soles, especially useful given the higher rates of falls that occur among elderly persons.

Many people with disabilities feel isolated from others, and often depressed; and adaptive clothing can enhance opportunities for socialization.  So the uses are multiple, and the need for special clothing has brought a whole new line of apparel for those who have those special needs.

Experts: We are winning the fight against cancer

Greek salad closeup. Common Purslane and more vegetables in a plate with Greek salad.[/caption]

Marsha Hunt----In the fight against cancer, medical science is making progress.  Lifestyle factors, for example, have been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of cancer over one's lifetime.  So while we don't have a cure for cancer, science is well on the way in the prevention of the disease, while at the same time finding better and better treatment options.

Mark Varvares, M.D., director of the Saint Louis University Cancer Center says that "there are things we can do that can significantly decrease our risk of getting cancer.

“I urge people to take advantage of these advances. This information and these screening opportunities weren’t always available to our parents and grandparents.

“Healthy choices and preventive screenings won’t totally erase cancer, but they can reduce our risk in a really meaningful way. They offer us the chance to change the course of the future, if we take advantage of them.”

Several websites offer information on how to reduce the risk of cancer.  The Mayo Clinic is one that provides specific tips that include exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and getting screening for certain types of cancers, such as colon and rectal cancers as well as breast cancer.  Regular physical activity is also important.

Medical News Today expands upon some of the recommendations made by the Mayo Clinic.  An article in one of the online publications maintains it's all about choice.  Cancer can strike almost anyone, but vigilance and choice are essential ingredients in prevention.  These choices include avoiding radiation as much as possible, alcohol and fatty foods, as well as red meat.

These are the essential parameters for each individual to set a path to maintaining good health.  In the fight against cancer, every person can don the armor for victory or passively take the chance of becoming a willing victim instead.

Get on board the hottest trends in applying for a job

Networking


Leanne Jenkins---If you are one of those sending out typed resumes to companies, you might want to read about the latest and most popular trend that allows employers to actually see and hear individuals applying for jobs.  While some of the old ways might work in small towns where people know each other, and through personal contacts, this newest trend is going to put those in the know with technology at the front of the line for jobs.

Video job applications are becoming one of the hottest trends in 2014.  Employers like having applicants they can actually observe and interact with, when there is a follow up teleconference over the web.  The process is first to submit the video job application, and then potential employers call and ask questions through live Internet interaction.

So if you are one of those presenting yourself as sophisticated with the computer and modern technology, it's important to have this in your front pocket when looking for a job.  Whereas some employers are still doing the tried and true print job applications, still others want to see how you appear and present yourself before committing to a personal, in-house interview.

This also accents the issue concerning the haves and have nots, the difference between those with the knowledge, skills and equipment to get in line with the trends and at the place where employers have the best opportunity to interact and evaluate candidates.  It means those who lack these skills not only fall further and further behind when it comes to specific job skills, but further behind as well in the process of actually applying for a job.  And those state employment offices have computers to use, but these often don't have the interactive equipment and know how to be up with the hottest employment trends.

Experts tell us that the way to be one of those up front, at least in the game, is to read about what's happening in job search and find the tools through contact with friends, relatives, libraries and places that might have some of the equipment to borrow or rent that can allow the job applicant to learn some of these new ways of contacting and following up with employers.  There are different ways to apply for a job these days, and it pays to keep up with them, job counselors tell us.

Whatever the direction an individual might take, vocational counselors remind potential job applicants to stay informed, be diversified and creative and be persistent, as it is in those ways one is more likely to find a job.

Cats provide comfort, aid, understanding for the sick or dying

[caption id="attachment_22297" align="alignleft" width="480"] Mandy is not just another pretty face[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---In 2007 a number of news agencies reported on Oscar the Cat who resided in a nursing home and seemed to be able to predict when people were dying there and would offer support and attention. The cat was seen as a companion at the time of death or a welcome friend for the ones grieving. Folks speculated on whether or not animals could actually sense when someone is dying, but many people report that some cats seem to know when someone might be ill and need attention.

Service animals, mostly dogs, are used to support the care of people with disabilities both mental and physical. These animals have special training for helping people become alert to certain risks and to provide guidance, as well as that companionship and friendship folks often need when they have limitations. But few, if any, service cats are found, yet there are reports of their sensitivity to those who are ill or dying.

Some people offer the explanation that cats sense when there is a change in behavior and act accordingly, so when someone is ill some of them may respond in a way that is at least sympathetic to the suffering one. Others observe that people who are dying or who have cancer or another serious disease sometimes give off a certain smell that is picked up by animals. Much of that has to do with dogs smelling illnesses, which has been documented, referenced and reported in a number of cases.

The case of Oscar the Cat, however, is unique, however, according to animal psychologist, Roger Mugford who says that although cats can detect illness he doesn't know of their being able to predict impending death and believes cats would be unlikely to be able to do it.

There is considerable anecdotal evidence from cat owners that cats offer comfort when someone is sick.  In the Forsloff household there are two cats: Jack and Mandy, Mandy the elder of the two at 8 ½ and Jack at 4 ½, the younger. Jack is the playful one, easy to know, who greets strangers comfortably, sits on laps and snuggles into bed with his owners, and generally is an easygoing, yet somewhat rascally fellow who offers good humor in his antics. Mandy, on the other hand, seems to have that oft-described imperious and impervious attitude, picking her people, her moods and her time to be out and about. Often she is content to stay by herself, resisting the advances of her young feline household member, for whom she has a certain disdain, and swatting him if he gets too close.

But Mandy has another side. If anyone in the household is ill, she responds immediately, goes to the side of the sick one, and lays her paws on the vulnerable area. On a night of a hacking cough, she moved to the unfortunate and sleepless owner, put her paws on the owner's lips, then stroked the face, after which she rested arms and paws nearby and snuggled close. Although she sometimes finds her way to bed, she has her preferences; and seldom sits with the female owner in the household or sleeps on her side of the bed. On the other hand she makes exceptions when that other female, the owner, that she sometimes views as a rival for her male owner's attention, becomes ill.

On another occasion, when the male owner had a hernia and a scheduled operation for it, Mandy went to the exact spot of the hernia in the area of the groin and massaged it with her paws, an unusual area surely for her to massage and the first time she had ever done that. The male owner said she seemed to know which area of his body needed attention and was try to offer comfort.

So are cats able to predict illness and render aid? Surely there are some cats who seem to respond well in situations where people need special attention. And those same kitties can bring comfort for the lonely or just offer a bit of love on that depressing and dark day when everything seems to go wrong. Whatever the reason for many people, cats have become the stalwart pet of many, as Mandy has become when someone is ill and needs her.

 

 

 

 

Intelligent people found to be less God-fearing, yet less promiscuous

Religion may not be the path of the most intelligent people

Carol Forsloff - In a published study several years ago, researchers found intelligent people tend to be less religious but are also less promiscuous.  In other words the rules that smart people use for self governance are different than those who adhere to a particular faith group. This difference, and others, may explain the separation of views in the contemporary world that explains voting styles and the unique ways people behave. 

The published research in The Journal of  Social Psychology advances a new theory to explain why people form certain preferences and values. The theory maintains higher intelligence is associated with atheism, liberal politics and also the male's preference for sexual exclusive behavior. Both men and women score similarly on all measures, except for sexual attitudes.

The term 'evolutionary preferences' is explained by scientists as those values not biologically determined and that ancestors likely didn't have but which may instead have been 'evolutionary familiar.'

Researchers used the following definition to explain their concept of intelligence as this: “General intelligence, the ability to think and reason, endowed our ancestors with advantages in solving evolutionarily novel problems for which they did not have innate solutions,” according to Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “As a result, more intelligent people are more likely to recognize and understand such novel entities and situations than less intelligent people, and some of these entities and situations are preferences, values, and lifestyles.”

What Kanazawa also found in an earlier study is that intelligent people are more noctural, stay up later at night than others. This is unique in that ancestors had no artificial light so they went to sleep earlier and got up earlier. Thus Kanazawa points out being nocturnal is evolutionary novel.

With other values, intelligent people deviate from the evolutionary norm as well. For example, Kanazawa explains how in evolutionary terms people are actually designed to be conservative, caring for family and friends first as opposed to being liberal, which expands the caring to an undefined number of genetically unrelated persons.

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health presents data that according to analysis supports Kanazawa's hypothesis. Those young adults identifying themselves as "very liberal" have IQ's averaging 106 in adolescence while those describing themselves as conservative have an average IQ of 95.

Kanazawa explains religion represents a form of paranoid perception, seeing God's work behind natural events. This helped humans survive and protect families because of serious vigilance to dangers that hurt themselves and those they loved the most. More intelligent children, who test with higher IQ's, are less likely to believe in God and therefore unique in the evolutionary cycles.

In evolutionary terms people were slightly polygamous, that is allowing more than one mate Consequently, males were not anticipated to be sexually exclusive in their behaviors. Intelligent men have been found to be more exclusive in their sexual behaviors. Again Kanazawa's suppositions are supported by the health data collected in reference to adolescents as cited above.

Man's ability to use language in a fashion that allows it to be read and passed to other generations aids learning in an evolutionary manner.  Knowledge is not viewed as static.  Those who read history and the sciences will read research and also learn from its conclusions.  They are less apt to rely on anecdotal evidence that is specific to only their behaviors without comparing them to others.  Yet while some people attribute this to the understanding of science, certain individuals attest to language as a gift from God.  In other words intelligent people may draw initially upon the science but may mix in some level of religious belief as well.  That is the middle ground, albeit not often heard as loudly as those who see the blacks and whites of the universe and not those shades of gray.

The new study brings a level of scientific awareness to human behavior, yet religious scholars might say not to toss aside religious principles as a result.

Then there are the audacious who question these notions, as one writer did in 2008. What this fellow points out, using a table he created to back up the beliefs, is conservative men are actually smarter than conservative women. Would this mean if conservative women were weeded out of the study, conservative men would still be less intelligent, stay up late, and be less inclined to stray while in a relationship?

Duck Dynasty and the bacon bowl: We are what we eat and think

[caption id="attachment_21998" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bacon bowl[/caption]

Gordon Matilla---Experts tell us repeatedly that what we think about and what we put in our bodies impact for good or ill our mental and physical health.  Many spiritual leaders would also say it also affects our spiritual health.  But the Christmas conversation presently embraces the bacon bowl and Duck Dynasty, and one must wonder how these discussions, and our food choices, bring us to full realization of the holiday spirit and the message of Christ, whose birthday will be celebrated soon.

A frequent advertisement on television includes the bacon bowl.  The advertisement tells us we can use a cooking apparatus called the bacon bowl to make bacon that cooks just right.  Then we can load up the bowl, made of bacon with those great vegetables and other nutritious food items for the holiday and other times.  It also shows us that it can be used in so many ways that from breakfast through dinner, our meals will be tasty and good.

Bacon, however, is that red flag for cancer.  It also raises cholesterol levels.  Bacon is not only a processed food, but it is categorized as red meat.  Too much of it can kill you or at least raise the stakes when it comes to whether or not folks will live a long life, doctors say.  And the bacon bowl.  It has been news, for an article about it in the Huffington Post declares 'Bacon Bowl' May Be the Most Useless Gadget Yet.

Duck Dynasty is now the major discussion choice in much of social media, whether it's on Facebook or mainstream news.  This television show offers comedy at the lowest common denominator of entertainment, funny but often following the road down both in language content and values.  Yet it is upheld by viewers, especially recently, as a fun-loving, entertaining show that should be kept on the air in spite of its star comparing homosexual relationships with bestiality and worse along with comments that African Americans were happier as slaves than they are in present times.  We are what we think, as people uphold the First Amendment rights over hate messages children hear in association with the show's star, Phil Robertson, while extolling the entertainment value, when the values bring out the least in us and become what children learn.  It is what we think that helps create not just our present but our future, even as Fox News headlines maintain that A & E has "declared war on 'Duck Dynasty.'    And while it contains positive values about family and working hard, the show also focuses on hunting and sexist attitudes, reinforcing to the rest of the world that America is composed mainly of bearded backwoodsmen and wives who serve them, as opposed to the Father Knows Best model that worked as a family show but offered the fatherly role as a loving and supportive one instead with neatly dressed parents and well-behaved children.  When folks think about old-fashioned values, an old-fashioned show may have done it best.

Duck Dynasty Pawn Stars, Bad Girls Club, and the crime series that dominate television channels throughout most of the day offer very little in the way of upgrading culture, language and thought.  While entertaining, the focus is on the dress, mannerisms and style that reinforce the negative, even as some of the better values may also be embedded in the mix.  And some believe too much news is a negative also, making folks focus on fear and aggression as opposed to happy and cheerful events.   Indeed as experts tell us there is power in thought, so what we think, we become.