Tis the season to celebrate

Winter break is my favorite time of the year. Being a student, I just got done with one of the most brutal semester… this calls for celebration people! I cannot emphasize my excitement when I think of having a brown Christmas this year; I am still crossing my fingers tightly. 

As we usher in the holidays and celebrations, driving down the strip and in residential streets the beautiful decorations and lights only say one thing; love and family. What greater gift than having people that love you to celebrate with? I cannot compare. A time to give and receive and most importantly spend quality time together. 

My heart goes out to those that will not be able to be around their families for several reasons; both avoidable and non avoidable circumstances. Nothing feels so good in the world than love. Give love, give gifts, give a smile, give time, give, give, give… It make such a huge difference to the recipient. 

Speaking to one of my residents at the nursing home, I asked her if her family was going to come visit her. The answer she gave weighed on my heart for several seconds before I could respond to her. A well of tears started collecting under my eyelids but I managed to pick myself up and decided to be the rock. She had lost every last one of her family members and she was the only one surviving. I told her how much she was loved at the nursing home and that we were all one big family and are there for each other. The smile on her face was so bright that it could shine up a dark room. That was an epic moment. I am looking forward for so much more. 

This season, make it your goal  to lighten up somebody’s life! Happy holidays everybody…

She said what?

I never thought it significant to run your mouth and basically meddle into people’s’ businesses. I imagine people who desperately seek attention and demand to be noticed by all means to secretly admire this lifestyle. In other words the empty vessels make the most noise.
I certainly know it only takes a kind heart and some humanity to celebrate with those that are celebrating and mourn with those that are mourning. Unfortunately life does not always play out as we expect or as it should. There are monsters in humans’ skin among us that are always waiting for that moment when life will throw you a curve ball so they can hit a home run. A lot of times this is the same person that acts closest to you and seeks to know your deepest secrets.
Whatever does not break you makes you stronger, or so I have heard. Although words can hurt and cut you on the inside like a sword, it should be clear who you can trust and open up. You live and you learn.
My heart, and your heart is like a mansion guarded by vicious dogs and surrounded by high gates and you can only allow someone to enter but not without your permission. I am wearing a big invisible sign that reads; TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT, AND SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN!
Now, since still waters runs deep let the wise solve the riddle and the not so wise continue to add mileage to their buccals. In essence it is the fuel to my life that pushes and drives me to the success that I am setting forth to do. When you wear a smile on the outside while on the inside your rotten, its only a matter of minutes before that shows up to.

When does helping need to stop?

Make the most out of life… Live this day like it is your last…

These and many more are among encouragements and/or quotes that have been directed to me for the past few months. They all look and sound so enticing and fun to do. But I had to learn them the hard way. Obviously life is like a roller coaster; made up of highs and lows. Unfortunately these lows could get so deep that you might not be able to come back up.

So there it goes; Once again I had to learn the hard way how to say NO sometimes. To hell with being Mr. Nice Guy and cheers to taking a different role. I am fine with being called names but I will no longer push myself so far trying to be nice only to find myself in a hole that nobody could take me out of.

It is good sometimes to say NO even to your very own loved ones. Always take care of yourself first because you matter more. If you were not able to take care of yourself then it makes no sense attempting to take care of others. After all the appreciation you get at the end of it all does not measure up to the risks you took and going out of your way trying to save the world.

There I said it and I will say it again. Of course we are supposed to help each other, because you never know when you will equally need to be helped. But as much as the need to want to help comes always remember that you come first. And most importantly you cannot save the world or solve half of the problems that people around you are having. Better yet you cannot lead a blind man, when you cannot see where you are going either.

With that being said and done my HELPLINE is out of service, don’t bother calling.

When would you NOT help somebody that is in need?

At the end of the storm

I long for the day the storm will calm down in my life. I must say the past 4 months have been the hardest ever in my life. I have encountered with more hardships and obstacles than I have had good moments. I was so close to quitting and say to hell with this life but I found hope and strength in God again. Even though I am still struggling and haven’t seen a light at the end of the tunnel, He is still beside me.
Part of me has forgotten what not having problems feels like anymore. Let me see when was the last time I didn’t have to worry about past due bills…? It must have been way back that I can’t even remember. And as if things couldn’t get any worse, At the beginning of August my father got ill and a little short while after, he died. I don’t remember experiencing a pain like this in the past. Upon receiving the news about my father’s death, I passed out and when I came back to my senses it was the darkest moment in my life. I felt such a void that couldn’t be replaced.
This was the only time the family was distraught all at once and the shock wave of the news transpired everywhere and phone calls of condolences started ringing back to back. While the family still mourned each member was going through personal hardships; bank accounts were over drafted, eviction notes hang by the doors, vehicles close to repossession, dropped out of school programs, family fighting with family, and having problems with the criminal justice system.
Having gone through all this and still being able to keep our heads up has been a great milestone and is on the right track to healing. I must admit it is hard to keep a positive mind after having gone through the things we have been through but nothing lasts forever. There is a time to be happy and a time to mourn. I have had both.

What strategies do you use to recuperate from various crisis?

Is it fair?

When I think of an old person, I think of my uncle. I think old people are
• Wise
• Experienced
• Understanding
• Hard of hearing
• Malnourished
• Wrinkly
• Annoying
• Dependent
I think 70 years is reasonably old. Most individuals at this age lose their permanent teeth, bowel and bladder control, muscle strength, sight, hearing, they tend to get shorter, hair loss, and loss of skin elasticity. The skin becomes wrinkled.
A lot of times they will require assistance with activities of daily living. They are unable to read probably due to loss of sight, they are unable to use the bathroom as they would normally do, they are unable to lift due to muscle weakness, their libido is low and therefore may not enjoy sexual activities, some co ordination is lost and cannot drive vehicles as well, they are not able to walk or stand for quite an amount of time, they cannot socialize as well due to hearing loss, sight, and they cannot probably feed themselves.
For this reason I presume a good age to retire would be 70. Of course other individuals would still be strong at this age but most other people are beginning to get weaker and weaker around this time. They are no longer incompetent and should therefore not be allowed to work. I feel like forced retirement should be implemented to protect both the individual and the employer from law suits in case of injury.
A no mandatory retirement law would only allow more and more old folks to be out in the work places probably doing a sloppy job, besides meaning that they would be taking jobs that the younger individuals would be doing. Also having a cut off age sets some rules and laws to follow in case of applying for social security and other welfare programs. Yet on the other hand if the retirement age was raised, most old people would be forced to stay at work beyond their ability. This will increase chances of injuries at work and companies scoring low and producing even lower as opposed to a more competent worker. If the age was lowered it would mean that the government would have to pay social security to people that are still capable of working and contributing to the economy.

What should the government do about lowering, raising,no mandatory retirement age, or a mandatory retirement age?

History repeats itself

When people lost their jobs when the GM factories were moved to Mexico, many people were angry at Roger Smith. Those affected were really worried but the rich folks made comments such as,” people don’t want to work; they like to take the easy way out.” The way I saw it on the video, the citizens wanted their jobs back and were ready to work, but their jobs had just been taken away from them. It was not just easy to get up in the morning and do something. What had just happened was tragic. Over 30,000 people had been laid off. GM just like any other large employer, could affect many families say those firms closed down. At the same time the employers being capitalists they didn’t see a problem with it. As a representative said, “GM has no intention to put anybody out of work.” They did what they had to do. In other words everybody had to watch after themselves.
Right after the lay off, many families lost their homes. People got evicted and the streets got infested by rats. But I noticed as others were getting evicted and wondering where they would sleep, others enjoyed playing golf and worried about winning a crown for Miss America yet they were aware of the current problem affecting Flint. At the same time, other people took their time out to try to cheer up the citizens during the difficult times. Churches encouraged people to look at the brighter side of life and be happy.
As time went by crime rates started going up. The jail population increased. There were a number of homicides reported. Something else happened. The government started welfare programs to help those families in need. Individuals received social security. Some of the help was just never enough to take care of the families and only came along monthly. People decided to go out and make money. One lady started rearing rabbits and selling them out as grocery.
Some families were forced to move out of Flint and go to southern states such as Texas where better jobs were expected. Those that remained in Flint ended up taking jobs that paid as half as what they made while employed by GM. All along while the journalists searched and looked for Roger to interview him, he was nowhere to be found and when he was finally approached, he showed no remorse for the people. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

What can people do to end or decrease this state of poverty from reoccurring?

LadyRomp

“Every event in life can be causing only one of two things. Either it is good for you, or it is bringing up what you need to look at in order to create good for you.” – Deepak Chopra

Ladies, have you ever been in a situation where you were feeling trapped.

When you feel “stuck,” the first thing you want to do is struggle.  Flailing about, throwing your weight around, trying harder and harder, pushing against the resistance you feel.  Only these things don’t get you unstuck.  In fact, they tend to make you sink deeper into whatever problem you are trying to solve.

From time to time we all have problems that seem to take on a life of their own.  We try to solve them, but the solution doesn’t come easy.  We try harder to solve the problem, but the harder we try, the more we feel like we…

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Tax Reforms

Raising taxes has come to affect both individuals and business owners. A lot of people are not enjoying the money they have worked hard to earn due to the high taxes being charged. Businesses are making less revenue and are at a loss.
Tax payment is a voluntary act but really is a law. Nobody wants to ignore a law therefore moat people end up paying their taxes. Middle and lower –income taxpayers are over assessed. President Obama’s tax reforms reduced taxes from 35%-28% but really 23% is recommended to ease its complexity and burdensome. Taxes are unacceptably high for entrepreneurs and small business owners. As a result this becomes burdensome. Some entrepreneurs might resolve in some other private activities.
According to NTU in 2009, the following were the percentages of taxes paid by;
• Top 1% paid 36.73
• Top 5% paid 58.66
• Top 50% paid 97.75

What’s your take on raising taxes?

Gender Inequality

Generally I consider myself as the breadwinner. I take pride in providing for my family. I therefore invest my time in college so I could be able to make more money in the future. When I decided I wanted to become a nurse, friends and family thought it was ridiculous because it was considered a women’ profession. But in my opinion it had nothing to do with it. Nursing was just another career that I was interested in. although statistics show that a higher percentage of nurses are females.
I support gender equality and therefore don’t think anybody should be refused to work in an area that is considered women’s or men’s only studies. If somebody has the qualifications of a certain job I believe they should have the right to do it. Although men are considered to do better in studies such as math, physics, and chemistry and women in languages, my standing is still that everybody should get a shot.
I feel like if I were a woman, life would have been harder. First of all the fact that women bear children, already puts them at a risk of poverty because they have to miss work for a several months to nurse the baby. The world as it is male oriented I would have to work twice as hard to get the same recognition. Although the world is going through changes it remains that a lot of households are being run by the women. In other words, the men go out to work or to further his education while the female has to stay home with the children and take care of the house chores. Prostitution, working at Hooters, strippers, and hip hop video girls and so on; all these industries that might rather pay well have reduced women to sex objects.
What’s your take on gender inequality?

Child Labor

I see child labor in other forms other than children working in cotton farms in Africa; For instance child super stars who are introduced into the entertainment world at very young ages. Another good example is one television show, pageant mom. The parents of these young 8 year olds push them way beyond their ability. By raising voices and making this known, could be a step towards stopping child labor. If consumers could stop entertaining these shows and movies then child labor could be on it’s to being reduced.
In nations that rely on the input of each member of the family to survive seems to be no other way out. If all the working elder makes in a day of work is $1.00 then I would imagine it best for the government to enact laws to support. Children should be allowed to be children. It should be up to the government to act on this issue. But in developing countries where the economy is pretty bad and the government is run by corrupted leaders, this problem only seems to persist.
Unfortunately I must agree that child labor might be a fact of life especially in emerging nations. I think this goes away as the nation becomes more economically stable. A war raged country for instance recruits little boys in the army. A war zone should never be a child’s playground. But most of these nations lack laws that govern them or corruption is so persistent that this goes unnoticed. Most families would have over 7 children altogether relying, relying on one person’s income is close to impossible and therefore children get introduced to the workforce pretty early.