Poor Mommy Productions

WHEN PEOPLE WALK AWAY FROM YOU....LET IT GO

2011-09-17T09:33:00.001-05:00

As I sit there this lovely brisk Saturday morning, I think about all the people that have been in and out of my life. Some by divorce, some by death, some by severed friendships....sometimes the circumstances haven't been able to be changed or controlled by me, but IT STILL HURTS.

A few years ago, I received an email of a writing by Bishop T.D. Jakes. And to tell you the truth I don't much about Mr. Jakes - other than this:
TDJ Enterprises and its founder, T.D. Jakes, have reached the world through best-selling books, award-winning music, critically acclaimed plays and record-breaking events and the focus of he and his team is to achieve extraordinary success in the intersecting worlds of faith, media, entertainment and business. Collectively, they bring an impressive body of work and diverse skill set to their company.

As I said I don't know him - BUT I LIKE HIM AND HIS TEAM. I also love the publication that fell into my lap some fall day on 2009 via email.

As I quote:

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When poeple can walk away from you; let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you and if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

LET THEM GO...!!!!

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you....

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are feeling depressed and stressed...

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling by yourself and GOD is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to...

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD IS DOING A NEW THING FOR 2011-2012..

LET IT GO !!!

Get Right or Get Left...think about it, and then...

LET IT GO!!!

"THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!"

12 Ways to Protect Your Joints

2011-09-12T05:50:00.001-05:00

By Fran Smith, Special to LifescriptPublished July 30, 2011Want to stay limber and pain-free as you get older? Then babying your joints is a must. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, the most common degenerative joint disease, you need to protect yourself. Learn how 12 joint-smart moves help relieve pain and keep you moving. Plus, how much do you know about osteoarthritis? Take our quiz to find out...

We power-walk to keep hearts strong and lift weights to build muscle, but most of us never think about our joints until they hurt.

More than 1 in 5 American adults have a painful degenerative joint disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most common is osteoarthritis, which develops when cartilage – the smooth tissue that covers and cushions bones where they meet – wears away, leaving bones to grind painfully against one another.

Age and genetics play a role in joint problems, but a sedentary lifestyle also makes a big difference.

"Joints like motion and exercise," says Heinz Hoenecke, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., and head team physician for the San Diego Padres.

Here are 12 joint-smart moves to remain pain-free even in your golden years.

1. Do lighten your load
Maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to protect joints, especially load-bearing, injury-prone knees and hips. Extra pounds mean extra stress and a higher risk of tears, fracture and osteoarthritis.

“The knee feels about four times your body weight with each step,’’ says Michael Dansinger, M.D., an obesity researcher at Tufts Medical Center and nutrition doctor for "The Biggest Loser."

If you’ve been promising to drop 10 pounds, start today. That’s enough to cut your risk of osteoarthritis by 50%, Dansinger says.

2. Do move!
Staying active is a must. Movement lubricates joints by stimulating the flow of synovial fluid. This gooey substance, which surrounds joints, facilitates mobility – like oil in a car engine – and nourishes cartilage.

Physical activity also strengthens muscles, which reduces stress on bone and cartilage inside the joint.

3. Do strengthen your core
Shaping your midsection means more than great abs; it also helps your joints – all the way to your toes.

“A lot of your power, strength and balance comes from the core," says Patrick McCulloch, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston and physician for the Astros baseball team and Houston Ballet.

Strong core muscles offer more stability and control over movements. You’re much more likely to plant feet firmly, rotate shoulders properly or flex knees smoothly – and less likely to twist a joint, land hard or make other movements that’ll cause pain.

This is true not only when you’re exercising, but also doing routine tasks, such as hauling yourself out of bed or walking down stairs.

Yoga, Pilates and weight training three times a week all help increase core strength.

4. Do try tai chi
The Chinese martial art of tai chi has special features that help joints. A 2009 Tufts University study found that tai chi reduced pain and increased joint function in people with knee osteoarthritis.

The practice uses gentle, rhythmic movements to improve alignment, strength, coordination and flexibility, and relieve stress. Researchers believe the combination of physical and mental benefits may have potent effects on joint health. 5. Do run smart
Running is great for cardio health, but will racking up miles every year ruin knees? Not necessarily, experts say.

Although low-impact exercise is kinder to joints than the pounding of running, basketball, volleyball or kickboxing, a review of research, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association in 2006, found that moderate levels of running don’t increase risk of knee or hip osteoarthritis.

Still, injury is a possibility.

“If running is your thing, figure out a safe way to do it," McCulloch says. His tips:

•If you’re new to the sport, start with short distances – 1-2 miles or 2-3 times a week and increasing distance by 10% a week. If you’re new to exercise, build your muscles first with low-impact activities.

•Run on a trail or soft track, not pavement, to reduce impact.

•Wear shoes designed for running, and replace them before the cushioning wears down (every 250-300 miles). Use running socks – which wick away sweat that can trigger blisters.

•Try cross-training: Switch between running and a gentler sport – such as bicycling or swimming – to avoid joint injuries from overuse.

6. Do fill up on fish
The underlying cause of many joint problems is chronic low-level inflammation caused by microscopic tears in cartilage. Most people don’t feel these injuries, because cartilage has no nerve endings, but over time inflamed tissue weakens and breaks down.

“Prevention is key, and reducing inflammation is central to that,’’ says Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., a director of the University of Arizona’s Program in Integrative Medicine.Omega-3 fatty acids are among nature’s most potent anti-inflammatory compounds. And fatty fish – salmon, herring, lake trout and tuna – are some of the richest sources. Fish are also high in protein, which helps your body form cartilage.

Eat at least two servings a week – 3.5 ounces cooked or 3/4 cup canned.

7. Don’t slouch
Your mother was right when she nagged you to sit up straight. Erect posture keeps weight evenly distributed over your body.

Slouching, on the other hand, pushes your (surprisingly heavy) head forward, increasing stress on joints. It’s a recipe for strained ligaments (the connective tissue in joints).

Try this: Get up from your chair and stand against a wall without adjusting your upper back and shoulders. Are the backs of your shoulders, head and butt touching the wall? If not, straighten up.

8. Don’t sashay in stilettos
High heels look sexy, but many studies show that wearing them too high, too often can hobble you.

High heels shift joint positions at the knee, hip and trunk in ways that hurt the lower back, according to a 2010 Iowa State University study. And as heels get higher, the load on the knees increases.

The conclusion: “The higher the heel, the greater the risk,’’ says Phil Martin, a kinesiology professor at Iowa State.

9. Do lose that heavy handbag
Many women find it convenient to take all their essentials wherever they go. But if you carry too much weight in a purse or tote bag, you’re punishing your finger joints and wrists.
“Don’t use small joints to carry big loads,’’ advises Susan Biali, M.D., author of Live a Life You Love: 7 Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You (Beaufort Books).

There are better ways to haul your stuff: A well-designed backpack distributes the load across shoulders and upper back. If that’s not your style, use a shoulder bag, not a purse.

And whatever bag you carry, pack it only with things you really need.

10. Don’t be a weekend warrior
If you spend weekdays sitting at a desk, in the car or on the couch, don’t make up for it by running 15 miles or playing three straight tennis sets on weekends.

Weekend warriors increase the risk of knee and other joint injuries and face more painful problems down the road, according to The Nurse Practitioner, a journal for primary-care clinicians.

A 2003 study published in Canada’s BC Medical Journal found that people with sports injuries are at high risk of re-injury. And a 2007 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that 10-20 years after tearing a major knee ligament, one of the most common knee injuries, you’d face a 50% chance of having arthritis in that joint.

If you can exercise or play sports only on the weekend, focus on moderate, low-impact activities – and try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on other days. For more intensive training, spread activities throughout the week.

11. Do avoid processed foods
Potato chips, cookies, commercial baked goods and other highly processed foods are generally made with oils high in destructive omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation, and over time create joint pain.To reduce your consumption, read package labels and avoid products made with corn, vegetable or safflower oils or shortening. Go easy on margarine and mayonnaise too. And make your own salad dressings with olive oil and vinegar. Try this easy All-Purpose Vinaigrette.

12. Don’t push through joint pain
Muscle soreness after exercise is often a sign of hard work, not injury. But with joints, pain always indicates too much stress.

“If a joint hurts or swells, it’s telling you it’s unhappy,” McCulloch says. “You should listen.’’

That’s a warning to stop what you’re doing and let the joint rest.

For more information, visit our new Arthritis Health Center.

Are You Bad to the Bone?
For years, you’ve been the first one on the tennis courts, the weekend hiker, the intrepid gardener on your knees for hours. While all those activities are great for you, they can also be hard on your joints. Find out how much you know about protecting your joints with this osteoarthritis quiz.

OPRAH!

2011-09-09T06:26:00.003-05:00

DON'T GIVE UP HOPE ! WE ALL GOT SHIT!

2011-09-08T20:30:00.001-05:00

As I write this, I think about facebook, my job and my friends....I shower, I drink my beer, I worry about my kids, my friends, my work day...

With the politics, the stock market, the drama...the kid problems, relationship issues I realize something....

WE ALL GOT SHIT...

In my little circle, I know people who have tax debt, impending bankruptcies, pay child support, Good Lord the Cable Guy just lost a house, (as did I). Peoples kids and nephews are going overseas for a dream and a promise. Not to mention, we all hate to get the mail...is it any good except the Ruby Tuesday or Kohls coupon? Friends are getting second jobs, and paying child support...not receiving it. Ex's are assholes..slappin our kids when we aren't around...moms are going broke, siblings are living with parents and getting garnished for child support. What the hell, what haven't I seen.

Kids gettin into drugs..going to probation, Single Moms trying to bail them out. Trying to buy groceries...living paycheck to paycheck. It's ridiculous..

But one thing I know...I love hard, work hard and play hard. I will also hate your ass hard. Right is right wrong is wrong. Black is black and white is white....The kids are important, Money's important, but more important is God and humanity.

Open a door... Smile Pretty when you don't want to...Pray constantly. I don't discuss politics and religion, I hate the news...it's depressing and wrong. The weather's good, but unpredictable...

When push comes to shove, WE ALL HAVE SHIT....! Some no moms, some no dads, some no one at all. Dysfunction, immorality and anger and hate run rampid. Who knows when it's the devil or an angel of God telling you to go which direction? Very hard to tell in my book. Who to trust and who to walk away from.

Bottom line...keep the faith. Stay strong...get back to the basics. Do stuff that counts.

Sunday dinners for the kids - alone.
Naps when your tired.
Flowers...all the time.
Pick up trash.
Don't litter.
Pay your taxes.
Take care of business.
Make memories.
Make love.
Say thank you.
Say Good morning to those you love and tell them to have a good day.
Bargain shop, garage sale and flee market.
Buy new underwear.

Love love love. No matter how bad it seems, it will all get better. It always does and God has a plan for us in operations. Do more right things than wrong. Know that nothing is perfect nor is anyone.

Love love love...I love you all. We all can't be crazy at the same time. And know the world is not burdened on your shoulders. It may feel like it but WE ALL GOT SHIT AND IT COULD BE WORSE...

BEWARE OF MO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SCAM!!!

2011-04-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

With all the credit fraud - beware as a consumer!

I'm Back in Business

2011-04-26T05:10:00.000-05:00

I admit I've been an irresponsible blogger. I've had some personal life changes that have taken away from my writing for a while.
The kids are all phone and it was a wonderful Christmas...Spring is upon us and the weather in my home state of Missouri is as unpredictable as ever...

World events are disturbing, the economy sounds frightening and the price of gas is ridiculous...Gas, tires and goods are killing everyone.

I found a great new church on Easter Sunday thanks to my son Brian...

I've been working hard at my job, praying hard to Jesus and trying to figure it all out.

I look forward to creating things that I hope you will find of interest and look forward to reconstructing my site.

God Bless all of you and remember - get back on that horse of life and knock them dead!

Children’s Mercy and Kohl’s Announce New Program

2010-08-27T15:25:00.002-05:00

Kansas City, Mo (August 26, 2010) – Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and Kohl’s Department Stores announce the Children’s Mercy Strong, Talented, And Resilient Kids Power Program.

The program is designed to empower children with tools for success that can be utilized throughout the school year and beyond. Kansas City metro area children, parents, community leaders and others will be introduced to the Kohl’s and Children’s Mercy S.T.A.R. power program which will kick off this fall in area schools. The program will have curriculum focused on four key areas including: body image and self esteem, relaxation and stress relief, healthy eating, and movement and exercise. Research has shown that placing an emphasis on these topics with school-aged children leads to a healthier, more active, adolescent and adult lifestyle and often helps to curb poor choices.

The program is made possible with a $259,303 grant from Kohl’s. The grant also supported the Children’s Mercy Back-to-School Backpack Give-a-way Day on Saturday, August 21, at Kohl’s Department Store, 8500 North Madison Ave Kansas City, MO. The event provided 1,000 backpacks to Kansas City area children, which helped ease that transition from summer to fall and gave kids “tools for school.”

Kohl's Department Store, through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program, made the donation possible. The donations were collected from Kohl’s stores located in the Kansas City area. Kohl’s has gifted more than $1 million to Children’s Mercy over the past 10 years.

Kohl's commitment to Children’s Mercy is made possible through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program. Through this initiative, Kohl’s sells $5 books and plush toys with100 percent of net profit benefiting children’s health and education programs nationwide, including hospital partnerships like this one. Kohl's has raised more than $150 million dollars through this merchandise program. In addition, Kohl's Cares features a scholarship program, which recognizes more than 2,100 young volunteers with a total of $410,000 in scholarships and prizes this year; the Associates in Action program, which encourages associate volunteerism and provided more than $10 million in grants to youth-focused nonprofit organizations last year alone; and fundraising gift cards for schools and youth-serving organizations. For more information, visit www.kohlscorporation.com.

About Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, located in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the nation’s top pediatric medical centers. The 314-bed hospital provides care for children from birth through the age of 18, and has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services, and ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America's Best Children's Hospitals.” Its faculty of 600 pediatricians and researchers across more than 40subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research, and educating the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. For more information about Children’s Mercy and its research, visit childrensmercy.org. For breaking news and videos, follow For breaking news and videos, follow us on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

Kohl’s Department Stores
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. By the end of September, Kohl’s will operate 1,089 stores in 49 states with a commitment to environmental leadership. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $150 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

CONTACTS:
Jessica Salazar
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics
816-346-1346
jmsalazar@cmh.edu

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Drew Barrymore's $25 Red Carpet Hit

2010-08-14T08:28:00.000-05:00

Talk about mixing high and low fashion! What did the adorable Drew Barrymore choose to wear to host the Nylon
magazine/Express party this week in Los Angeles?

This gorgeous $25 metallic-printed 3/4-sleeve shift dress
from a thrift store paired with $760 Yves Saint Laurent "Tribute" pumps, of course! I love the 1960's vibe she's got going on; the psychedelic print, the cut, and the pumped-up voluminous feel of her hair is a total win.

It's so refreshing to see someone mix it up and have fun
with fashion. Just last month she made an appearance in an Oscar de la Renta runway dress--a far cry, financially, from an Austin, TX thrift-store find.

Don't you love it when vintage Drew -- the irreverent, quirky, girl power praising, throw-a-daisy-in-her-hair Drew that we all idolized in the 90's--steps out on the red carpet?

YOUR MAN AND SEARS........LIKE THE SHOE STORE FOR CHICKS!!!

2010-08-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

After having a lovely lunch at Bob Evans Restaurant with my sweetie, we decided to check out the new Sears store in Belton!

Bad idea for a chick although I have found my next fancy washer and dryer red I might add and $2,800!

Do not go through the tool aisle....many memories there of buying a new Craftsman tool for dad during childhood.

We looked at tvs, appliances and landed there - in tools...I tried to kiss him and was talking to him affectionately.

HE TOLD ME TO STOP CAUSE HE WAS LOOKING AT TOOLS AND DIDN'T HEAR A WORD I SAID.

I think it's funny actually...probably like us girls are at the Shoe Store.

ADHD, Conduct Disorder And Smoking Most Strongly Related To Dropping Out Of High School

2010-07-28T14:37:00.001-05:00

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 July 2010, 23:53 CDT

Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — the most common childhood psychiatric condition in the United States — are less likely to finish high school on time than students with other mental-health disorders that often are considered more serious, a large national study by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine has found. The study found that nearly one third of students with ADHD, twice the proportion as students with no psychiatric disorder, either drop out or delay high school graduation.

The study also examined the effects of substance use and abuse on high school graduation and found that among students who engage in substance use, including alcohol and other drugs, teens who smoke cigarettes are at greatest risk of dropping out.

There are three types of ADHD: the hyperactive type, the inattentive type and the combined type. Symptoms include not being able to pay attention, daydreaming, being easily distracted and being in constant motion or unable to remain seated.

“Most people think that the student who is acting out, who is lying and stealing, is most likely to drop out of school. But we found that students with the combined type of ADHD — the most common type — have a higher likelihood of dropping out than students with disciplinary problems,” said Julie Schweitzer, an expert on ADHD at the UC Davis MIND Institute, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the study’s senior author. "This study shows that ADHD is a serious disorder that affects a child’s ability to be successful in school and subsequently in a way that can limit success in life.”

Published online in July in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, the study “Childhood and Adolescent-onset Psychiatric Disorders, Substance Use, and Failure to Graduate High School on Time” found that 32.3 percent of students with the combined type of ADHD — which incorporates hyperactive and inattentive symptoms — drop out of high school. Fifteen percent of teens with no psychiatric disorder drop out.

“Understanding the factors that contribute to dropping out of high school has major public-health implications, given that a third of youth in this country do not complete high school on time. Supporting mental-health interventions for students may have a significant impact on reducing high school dropout,” said study author Elizabeth Miller, an assistant professor of pediatrics and an adolescent medicine specialist at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

In 2006 an estimated 4.5 million children in the United States between 5 and 17 years of age were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 9.5 percent of boys and 5.9 percent of girls are diagnosed with the condition.

The next most at-risk teens are students with conduct disorder, whose symptoms include aggression, lying, stealing, truancy, vandalism and a general pattern of rule-breaking. Thirty-one percent of students with conduct disorder drop out, said Joshua Breslau, associate professor of internal medicine and the study’s lead author. Breslau said the research shows there are different pathways to poor high school performance.

“This study identifies multiple ways in which mental-health problems can affect education at the high school level. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder impacts achievement because it affects how well students are able to perform basic classroom tasks from paying attention to turning in their homework,” said Breslau. “Students with conduct disorder are able to do just as well as everyone else academically but disciplinary issues and dealing with the routines of school life may cause them to drop out.”

For the study, the researchers examined the joint, predictive effects of childhood- and adolescent-onset psychiatric and substance-use disorders on failure to graduate high school on time, using data collected during 2001 and 2002 from the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions. A total of approximately 43,000 racially diverse male and female participants over 18 from throughout the United States were interviewed by U.S. Census Bureau representatives about the age of onset of psychiatric diagnoses, substance use and high school graduation. Respondents were excluded if they had less than eight years of education or arrived in the U.S. after age 13. A total of 29,662 of the respondents were included in the UC Davis study.

Among childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders, diagnosis with either the combined type of ADHD or the inattentive type — at 28.6 percent — resulted in the highest dropout rates. Students with mania, a mood disorder, and panic disorder dropped out at 26.6 and 24.9 percent respectively. Students with other mental-health disorders had dropout rates in the high teen- to low 20-percent range. The disorders included specific phobias (like fear of water), social phobia (fear of people), post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.

But more predictive of dropping out than all other mental-health disorders except ADHD and conduct disorder was tobacco use. The study found that 29 percent of students who used tobacco failed to complete high school on time. Only 20 percent of teens who used alcohol and 24.6 percent of teens who used drugs dropped out. However, when the three substances were examined together, the effect of drinking and using drugs was no longer significant, Breslau said.

"Kids who smoke had a much higher risk of dropping out than kids who drink alcohol or use other drugs. When we looked at smoking in combination with other substances, drinking and using drugs did not increase one’s risk of not completing high school on time. There’s no additional increment of risk of dropping out once you account for smoking,” Breslau said.

The reasons why this is the case merits further investigation, he said. However, existing literature suggests that poor educational performance contributes to smoking. If this is true, then breaking the connection between smoking and education may be essential to further reduction in the prevalence of smoking, Breslau said.

The implication of the findings, according to Breslau, is that the impact of mental health on education is likely to arise from a small set of conditions.

“This study suggests that focusing on a relatively narrow and hopefully more manageable range of mental-health conditions may have a consequential impact on improving school performance in secondary education.”

Schweitzer said that devising effective interventions to help students with ADHD graduate high school would have important long-term societal consequences.

"If you don’t have your high school degree, you’re going to have less income. You can’t buy houses and cars. People who drop out of high school are more likely to be reliant on public assistance. This is a disorder that has serious long-term impacts on your ability to be successful and contribute to society, not just in school, but for the rest of your life,” she said.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool/.

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On the Net:

UCDavis Health System

Volunteer spirit reflects new chapter in history of KC schools - KansasCity.com

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Volunteer spirit reflects new chapter in history of KC schools - KansasCity.com

AskMen.com's Great Male Survey 2010 Edition

2010-07-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

Who exactly is the modern man? You might be surprised, after hearing the results of AskMen’s 2010 Great Male Survey, held in collaboration with Cosmopolitan magazine’s Great Female Survey. It turns out that as we enter the second decade of the 21 st century, the modern man is actually more traditional than most of us would expect him to be, and surprisingly more old-fashioned in his values than his female counterpart.

See the results of the "Great Male Survey" at AskMen.com

Over 85% of men still believe in the institution of marriage, with 1 out of 3 males stating that they would not pursue a relationship if they felt their partner didn’t have wife potential. Men also ranked “having a family” as the No. 1 status symbol, above having a “high profile career.” On the flip side, more than half of the women surveyed insisted that they do not feel pressured by family or society to tie the knot by a certain age, or even at all. Also of note, 85% of the women said they would be comfortable being in a relationship with a man who has a lower income than they do.

See the results of the "Great Female Survey" at Cosmopolitan.com

Despite all this, 4 out of 5 men still believe that they should pay for all dates, for the duration of the relationship or at least until it’s established. On the other hand, less than 25% of women said that their partner should always pick up the bill.

See AskMen.com's take on the "New Masculinity"
While men and women are becoming more and more on par in terms of salary, we're still negotiating what that means in terms of our personal relationships. Should a man pick up the bill more than a woman? Is the rent divided in half? Maybe it's not about money after all and more about opening the door. Despite how far we've come in terms of equality, there's always an argument to be made for chivalry.

U.S. Army unveils a trove of soldiers' war paintings

2010-07-20T06:35:00.002-05:00

By Jon Hurdle Jon Hurdle – Mon Jul 19, 12:57 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An American soldier stands alone amid the long grass of a Vietnamese field accompanied by the helicopter that brought him there while a few other soldiers are seen in the background.

"Landing Zone," a somber depiction of the Vietnam War in 1966 by soldier John Wehrle, is among about 300 paintings by U.S. servicemen and women that will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center in September.

Click image to see war paintings from U.S. servicemen, women

Reuters
The paintings have been selected from about 15,000 collected by the U.S. Army since the 1840s. Most have never been on public display.

"Art of the American Soldier" focuses on the duties, sacrifices, and everyday lives of troops, and covers every conflict from the World War One to Afghanistan.

The depiction of war through painting gives it an emotional dimension that photography cannot match, said Col. Peter Crean, deputy director of the Army Center of Military History.

"War is a totally emotional experience, and the medium of painting brings that out in a way that other mediums can't," Crean told reporters at the Pentagon, where the Army's vast collection of paintings has been held, mostly in storage.

In "GI's in Paris", Floyd Davis painted three exhausted-looking soldiers as a shawl-clad woman huddles in the background during the closing stages of the World War Two.

The war in Iraq is depicted by "Big Country", a 2004 painting by Heather Engelhart showing the silhouette of a soldier against a darkening sky.

But the hardship of war is briefly forgotten in "Bob Hope Entertaining the Troops Somewhere in England, 1943" also by Floyd Davis. It shows the comedian wearing a metal helmet and a trench coat, performing in front of laughing soldiers.

The show includes four oil paintings by Master Sgt. Martin Cervantez, a combat artist who spent 90 days in Afghanistan in 2008 recording the experiences of soldiers on active duty.

Cervantez worked from some 18,000 photos but argued that photographic evidence is no substitute for the personal experience of the artist who is also a soldier.

"The public needs to see this because it's from the soldier's perspective," he said.

The exhibition will give visitors a clearer understanding of war at a time when more troops are in Afghanistan fighting the longest war in U.S. history and public support is wavering, said David Eisner, chief executive of the National Constitution Center.

Eisner argued that the center is an appropriate setting for the show because U.S. soldiers take an oath to defend the Constitution, whose stated purpose is to secure liberty for American citizens.

"It's important that we understand that what the soldiers are fighting for is the framework of our democracy," he said.

The exhibition is also designed to enable active and retired servicemen and women to give their relatives a realistic view of their experience of war.

"If a soldier takes his family to the museum, I want them to be able to say, 'That's what it was like,'" Cervantez said.

Other soldiers/artists will be invited to submit their works to an online gallery for possible display in a computer kiosk within the exhibition. The show runs from September 24 to January 10, 2011 and will then tour other U.S. cities.

Homes lost to foreclosure on track for 1M in 2010

2010-07-16T05:36:00.001-05:00

AP
LOS ANGELES – Rosalyn Dalebout rents out space in her home to three tenants, has cut off her phone service and canceled her earthquake and life insurance — all to pay her mortgage every month.

So far, she's one of the lucky ones.

More than 1 million American households are likely to lose their homes to foreclosure this year, as lenders work their way through a huge backlog of borrowers who have fallen behind on their loans.

Nearly 528,000 homes were taken over by lenders in the first six months of the year. If foreclosures continue at that rate, the yearly number would eclipse the more than 900,000 homes repossessed in 2009, RealtyTrac Inc., a foreclosure listing service, said Thursday.

"That would be unprecedented," said Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at RealtyTrac.

Lenders have historically taken over about 100,000 homes a year, he said.

The surge in foreclosures reflects a crisis that has shown signs of leveling off in recent months but remains a crippling drag on the housing market and the economy.

Many homeowners struggling to make their monthly payments have had little success in negotiating more deals.

Dalebout, a manager of a recreation center who lives in the Salt Lake City suburb of Holladay, said her lender has refused to refinance her loan with lower rates and payments.

The monthly payments on her $240,000 mortgage take more than half her salary.

"I'm just running into a lot of brick walls," Dalebout, 58 said.

Banks seem to be creating two classes of troubled homeowners. Those who are falling behind in their payments are being allowed to stay in their homes longer because lenders are reluctant to add to the glut of foreclosed homes on the market. At the same time, lenders are stepping up repossessions to clear out the backlog of bad loans.

"The banks are really sort of controlling or managing the dial on how fast these things get processed so they can ultimately manage the inventory of distressed assets on the market," Sharga said.

On average, it takes about 15 months for a home loan to go from being 30 days late to the property being foreclosed and sold, according to Lender Processing Services Inc., which tracks mortgages.

The number of homeowners that received a legal warnings that they could lose their homes in the first half of the year climbed 8 percent from the same period last year. But the rate dropped 5 percent from the last six months of 2009, according to RealtyTrac, which tracks notices for defaults, scheduled home auctions and home repossessions.

About 1.7 million homeowners received a foreclosure-related warning, one of several steps in the foreclosure process, between January and June. That translates to one in 78 U.S. homes.

Nevada posted the highest foreclosure rate in the first half of the year. Arizona, Florida, California and Utah were among the other foreclosure hotbeds. But the problem stretches to all parts of the country.

Sherri Leu of Lino Lakes, a suburb of Minneapolis, is unemployed and stopped receiving unemployment benefits earlier this year.

"I burned up my savings," she said. "The best thing that's going to help me is a job."

The software engineer has been living on what's left of a $120,000 home equity line of credit she took out shortly after she bought her house in 2006.

Leu estimates she's got enough money for another five or six mortgage payments.

"I might try to put it up for sale," Leu said. "The other option is to let the bank have it, but then I'll end up walking away losing money I put down on the house."

Assuming the economy doesn't worsen, RealtyTrac's Sharga projects lenders won't work through the backlog of distressed properties until the end of 2013. More than 7.3 million home loans are in some stage of delinquency, according to Lender Processing Services. The fastest-growing group of foreclosures is coming from people who took out conventional fixed-rate loans.

The prospect of lenders taking over more than a million homes this year is likely to push housing values down, experts say. Foreclosed homes are typically sold at steep discounts, lowering the value of surrounding properties.

"The downward pressure from foreclosures will persist and prices will be very weak well into 2012," said Celia Chen, senior director of Moody's Economy.com.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Zibel in Washington, Paul Foy in Salt Lake City and Jeff Karoub in Detroit contributed to this report.

POOR MOMMY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO WRITE AND PRODUCE TV SHOW

2010-07-14T08:16:00.001-05:00

This is a great story plot - NOT Fiction!
Single mom six kids...two divorces. She pays child support...kids flock to her cause their Dad's chosen a new life. They are beautiful and clean, like to have fun! Not perfect, but the perfect characters. Email me at aphelps1966@yahoo.com - more interesting details will be provided. No freebies. Serious inquirIes only.

Mono-tasking your makeover: What one thing do you want most from life?

2010-07-14T05:34:00.000-05:00

Recently, one of my friends who is pretty much in the dictionary under "goal oriented," told me she's going to ease up a little on her life to do list. For someone who is ambitiously over-scheduled, it seemed like the most brilliant thing I'd ever heard. Duh: if you've spent years trying to completely overhaul your love life, body, and career, at some point, you will hit a wall. You will need to lie in the dark and watch hours of reality television and eat barbecue spareribs. You will be burned out.

We're a country of multi-taskers, but if there were ever a time to make things simple, it's during the summer. My brain barely works during crazy heat and humidity. It's like nature itself is pleading with us to take stock of the craziness that is daily life and see if it's really working. Was there ever a better time to focus on the one thing you really want?

I've been thinking lately about the conceit of making over our lives. It's so tempting to do it all at once, to go full throttle at every single area, hoping by week's end our living room has turned into something from House Beautiful, the CEO thinks we're brilliant, and our thighs rival Serena Williams's. But crikey, it's just too much. It's overload for one woman who also wants to somehow manage to find some peace and meaning in each day.

We still need to keep things running. We still need toilet paper and olive oil and deodorant. But that nagging feeling that hovers over us in daily life, that voice that wants more and better: more love, better health, more creativity, better home decor. That voice that seems to think everything in our lives can be put in shipshape all at one? That voice needs to be put in check.

So if we were to step back, to do one thing at a time like they did in Ye Olden Tyme ("monotasking" the modern experts call it) what would you focus on?

What do you want most from life?

* A beautiful home. I want to make it a sanctuary away from the stress of the world.
* A great love life. It's like the Beatles said: All you need is love.
* A better job. I want to find a job that's not quite so soul-crushing/stressful/meaningless.
* A healthy body. I pretty much agree with Jillian Michaels: this is the foundation on which the rest of your life rests.
* A rich spiritual life. I've lost touch with my values and the higher meaning of life.
* Creative fulfillment. I want to write novels, paint watercolors, and feel a sense of wonder and fun. That's when I feel most alive.
* Financial security. I need this piece to be in place in order to appreciate everything else in my life.
* Emotional well-being. I like thinking about who I am, what's important to me, what makes me happy.
* A great family life. I want to have kids, or if I already have them, I want to create the most meaningful, joyful, supportive family life possible.
* Something else, and I'll tell you in the comments.

Will stocks keep rising? Profit reports may tell

2010-07-12T05:43:00.000-05:00

Stocks jump most in year, and bulls say it's just the start. What to watch in earnings reports
ap
Quotes
Symbol Price Change
AA 10.94 0.00
Chart for Alcoa Inc. Common Stock
BAC 15.11 0.00
Chart for Bank of America Corporation Com
GOOG 467.49 0.00
Chart for Google Inc.
INTC 20.24 0.00
Chart for Intel Corporation
JPM 38.85 0.00
Chart for JP Morgan Chase & Co. Common St
{"s" : "aa,bac,goog,intc,jpm","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""}
Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer, On Sunday July 11, 2010, 2:50 pm EDT

NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors cast aside worries of another recession last week and bought stocks by the bucketful. This week brings hard evidence of whether they were right.

A new earnings reporting season kicks off Monday with Alcoa Inc., followed by dozens of other companies over the next few days. A question on everyone's lips: Will these second-quarter reports show that companies are feeling better about the future, too?

"We'll find out soon enough what the reality is," says Howard Silverblatt, a senior analyst at Standard & Poor's.

After dumping stocks since late April, investors last week drove the Dow Jones industrial average up 5.3 percent, its best weekly performance in a year. Some analysts say stocks had simply gotten too cheap for investors to resist. Others point to an International Monetary Fund report that the world economy could grow faster than projected. That took some of the fear out of the market.

"The economy is running on two cylinders but the risk of a double-dip recession" has fallen, says Peter Buchanan, senior economist at CIBC World Markets. "The market could go higher."

Certainly, that is the view of professional stock pickers. When investors were selling stocks week after week, eventually driving shares down 13.6 percent from their April peak, Wall Street analysts never lost faith in the future.

They're projecting that second-quarter operating earnings of S&P 500 companies rose 42 percent, according to S&P's Silverblatt. They also think operating earnings in the current quarter, which ends Sept. 30, will jump 31 percent over a year ago. And in the following three months, they'll jump again -- 28 percent.

Then it's up, up and away.

By the end of 2011, S&P 500 index companies should be earning more than they did at the peak of the credit bubble in 2006 -- if you believe the professional prognosticators.

With hurdles so high, all eyes are on profit reports now. Analysts say they'll be paying at least as much attention to what executives say about future earnings as to what's been generated so far. Those forecasts will tell investors whether last week's burst of optimism was justified.

Some big reports to watch besides Alcoa's: Intel Corp. on Tuesday, Google Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Thursday and Bank of America Corp. on Friday.

Shannon Puls, who runs researcher EarningsWhispers.com in Jackson, Mo., says that even if earnings reports are upbeat, investors should think twice before jumping into the market. His reason: Wall Street analysts are saying to do it with both feet.

The problem, Puls says, is that analysts shy away from "gutsy calls" because if they're wrong, clients could lose money and analysts will lose their jobs. So, Puls says, they predict in packs, often proving a "contrarian indicator."

In other words, don't do what they say. Do the opposite.

Puls says that analysts are now more optimistic than ever, and that means stocks could fall. He ranks analyst recommendations on more than 3,000 companies on a sliding scale, with 1 representing a strong "buy" and 5 a strong "sell." The average call now: 2.07. That's the lowest, or most bullish, in the nine years he's been tallying the numbers.

Analyst ratings "have got to come down," Puls says. "And that's going to be bearish on stocks."

Another reason for investors to exercise caution is all the corporate cash lying around in banks vaults, earning little. Companies worried about the future hoard money, just as people do. In March, cash at S&P 500 companies hit a record $837 billion. That's equivalent to 1 1/2 years of their operating earnings.

The cash hoard of as June 30 won't be known until mid-August, and it's anyone's guess what the level will be. But S&P's Silverblatt is willing to predict this: It'll hit a new record.

Hollywood's Top 5 Fashionable Moms on Shine

2010-07-08T12:53:00.001-05:00

Hollywood's Top 5 Fashionable Moms on Shine

Oklahoma Joe's Praised In Vanity Fair - Kansas City News Story - KCTV Kansas City

2010-07-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma Joe's Praised In Vanity Fair - Kansas City News Story - KCTV Kansas City: "Oklahoma Joe's Praised In Vanity Fair
POSTED: 9:12 am CDT July 7, 2010
UPDATED: 10:53 am CDT July 7, 2010

-- An article titled 'Where There's Smoke… There's Great Barbecue' in Vanity Fair's August issue features a local barbecue favorite -- Oklahoma Joe's.
The barbecue favorite, located at 3002 W. 47th Ave, is among 10 restaurants mentioned, including restaurants in big-hitter barbecue locales like Tennessee and North Carolina.
The article also gives tips to readers, like what cuts of meat, drinks and sides are best for barbecues, and some mistakes that first-time barbecuers should avoid.
Previously, Travel Channel host and author Anthony Bourdain has called Oklahoma Joe's the best barbecue in Kansas City, which he said makes it the best in the world. Copyright 2010 by KCTV5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed."

Dr. Oz lists five fighting foods he says will keep you fit, plus tips on feeding it to your family - NBCActionNews.com

2010-07-07T06:11:00.001-05:00

Dr. Oz lists five fighting foods he says will keep you fit, plus tips on feeding it to your family - NBCActionNews.com

Judge sends Lohan to jail for probation violation AP

2010-07-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

Judge sends Lohan to jail for probation violation
Lindsay Lohan AP – Actress Lindsay Lohan, left, reacts with her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley after the sentencing by Superior …

* Lindsay Lohan Slideshow:Lindsay Lohan
* Lohan Breaks Down As She Addresses The Court Play Video Celebrity Video:Lohan Breaks Down As She Addresses The Court CBS 2 / KCAL 9 Los Angeles
* Lohan cries in court, gets 90 days in jail Play Video Celebrity Video:Lohan cries in court, gets 90 days in jail AP

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 1 min ago

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – A judge sentenced Lindsay Lohan on Tuesday to 90 days in jail and an inpatient rehab program after finding the actress had violated her probation in a 2007 drug case by failing to attend alcohol education classes.

The actress burst into tears after the ruling.

Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel issued the sentence after listening to testimony from employees of an alcohol treatment program that Lohan had been ordered to attend.

Lohan missed seven classes since December, which led to the judge's harsh rebuke moments after the "Mean Girls" star offered a tearful apology.

"I did do everything I was told to do and did the best I could to balance jobs and showing up," Lohan told the judge. "It wasn't vacation, it wasn't some sort of a joke."

Revel said she found Lohan's apology insincere, comparing it to "somebody who cheats and thinks it isn't cheating if she doesn't get caught."

Lohan was not immediately taken into custody and will be permitted to surrender on July 20. She will have to wear an ankle alcohol monitor until then.

Los Angeles County district attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said it was not uncommon for judges to allow defendants to turn themselves in at a later date so they can get their affairs in order.

The sentence tripled the monthlong jail sentence prosecutors had sought for Lohan.

It was unclear how much time Lohan will actually spend in jail. Los Angeles Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said female inmates convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors serve about a quarter of their sentence but that can be further reduced by state credits.

Whitmore said Lohan might be released on house arrest, but it would depend on the specifics of Revel's order.

Lohan could be returning to the suburban Lynwood jail where she spent 84 minutes in 2007 after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of cocaine, and no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent and one count of reckless driving. She had been sentenced to four days behind bars.

The same jail housed Paris Hilton for 23 days in 2007 after she was found guilty of driving on a suspended license while on probation in an alcohol-related, reckless-driving case.

Whitmore said then that budget problems meant nonviolent female inmates were only serving about 10 percent of their sentences. The department still faces overcrowding and budget issues, he said.

Judge Revel spent several minutes Tuesday detailing Lohan's conduct since 2007, noting the actress had repeatedly deflected blame and made excuses.

There were "a number of instances that would show her not taking things seriously," said Revel, who imposed a series of strict, new conditions on the actress.

Lohan will now have a probation officer who will monitor her progress more closely. Lohan was previously on informal probation and supervised by a judge. She will also have to enter inpatient rehab.

Revel revoked Lohan's probation and ordered her to wear an ankle alcohol monitor after the starlet missed a court date in May. She was promoting a film project at the Cannes Film Festival at the time and claimed her passport was stolen.

The monitor issued an alert after the actress attended the MTV Movie Awards and after-parties last month. Revel said the device registered a .03 blood alcohol level at the time. Lohan has denied drinking that night.

Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, urged the judge to place the actress back on probation, saying she had learned her lesson and had improved.

Prosecutor Danette Meyers disagreed and urged jail time for the star.

"When you ordered her to go every week, it didn't catch her attention," Meyers said in a closing statement.

The 2007 plea came after a pair of high-profile arrests earlier that year. Lohan was sentenced to three years probation but had to ask for a yearlong extension in October after she failed to complete her alcohol-education courses on time.

___

Associated Press Writers Sandy Cohen and Nardine Saad contributed to this report.

I JUST LOVE CHER'S HOUSE ! CHECK IT OUT

2010-06-04T14:23:00.001-05:00

In a troubled world of problems and misfortune - let's escape to a dreamworld! I listened to Cher and her great music in grade school....

MY BIRTHDAY - A SPECIAL DAY

2010-06-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

Today was my birthday. It was an unpredictable but great day. Four out of six kids responded and thanks to Facebook I had more birthday greetings ever in one day! Kudos to Facebook.

It's rough turning another year older. I am now 44. Wow....not a milestone by any means, but believe me it feels like 66.

Today's birthday involved presents from co-workers, a lovely lunch, a fabulous chocolate cake from Costco, some new dishtowels, some homemade cards and some Dove bodywash products.

It started out with a hurricane type rainstorm and pumping gas in pouring rain. I wore a cute dress, went to work with wet hair and was 18 minutes late.

But at the end of the day I had several texts (even from DAD! Didn't know he could text). I had lots of emails and greetings from old friends.

Unfortunately, my sweetie is ill so we couldn't be together.

But I'm convinced the lesson I've learned this birthday is no birthday or regular day is what you plan it to be. Trials, tribulations and blessings come unexpectedly and without prediction.

This is life. I am grateful, I am happy, and even though it's not what I planned, it's what God gave me. Thank you God, friends and family for touching my life today and making me feel special. I love you all.

When live gives you lemons, make lemonade. When the chips are down, stack the back up.

Any birthday no matter what is better than a day away from the hustle, bustle, problems and worries. It will be okay!

It has to be.

POOR MOMMY'S MUSIC

2010-05-30T08:29:00.001-05:00

Poor Mommy Productions: Rihanna - Rude Boy

REMEMBER THE TRUE MEMORIAL DAY MEANING

2010-05-30T08:05:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day and true meanings of any holiday are always underrated. Today's world has commercialized every holiday we have.

Advertising, marketing and sales events by every business known to man trying to get a piece of the American profit pie.

I feel that we all need to get back to the meaning and root of the reasons things happen and why. What is this holiday actually? More than a paid holiday.

What happens today and tomorrow affects our future. History and events of yesterday and the past should be honored and remembered. That is what we owe those who stood up for the rights and cause of our country. We are sitting here today making plans for family barbeques, planning lake vacations, etc....Enjoying the three day weekend.

But what about those who are remembering those in their family that died for the country? The pain and sorrow they must feel to have lost their loved ones?

God Bless all of you and God Bless America!