All About Women | Women

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~ Howard Thurman

Coach Carolyn

... And speaking of being grateful...

“The store was closed so I went home and hugged what I own.” ~ Brooks Palmer

Don't you just love that?

Coach Carolyn

My favorite spiritual teacher Emmet Fox once said "Our resentments bind us to the person with a cord stronger than steel." Now, would you want to be bound by a cord stronger than steel to the person who has hurt you, betrayed you, lied to you or screwed you over? How stupid would that be? First they rip part of your heart out, and then you give them the rest of it! By clinging to your resentments, you rob yourself of your power, your peace of mind and your ability to create yourself anew. It makes no sense. And just in case you think you are actually hurting the person who wronged you by holding on to your grudges and resentments, let me clue you in. Most of them don't care if you are hurt and angry. It's no skin off their back. In fact, some of the people you are devoting your thoughts, feelings and precious energy to hating are now dead. So now not only do you not have access to all of your power, but you have buried it alive in someone else's grave. Crazy, right?

We hold on to our resentments only when we are still trying to prove that we are right and someone else is wrong. Maybe we're still struggling to change what happened in the past or trying to regain a sense of control over our present circumstances. Maybe we still love the person who hurt us, so we would rather be connected to them in a negative way than not to be connected at all. Or maybe they have now become our excuse for why we are not living the life we want to live, for why we are stuck, or for why we continue to beat ourselves up. These are just a few of the reasons we hold on to our resentments. But no matter what the reason, if we want to move on, to have a life greater than the one we have right now in this moment, we must forgive.

Your Weekly Shadow Work
(1) Keep a list this week of all the ways your resentments stop you, hurt you or keep you tied to the past.
(2) Spend this week becoming present to and making a list of what would be available to you if you gave up the grudge.
(3) Meditate each day on this holy line, "Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me."

Coach Carolyn

KATHMANDU: Nepal has always been classed as a developing country. In the U.S. it is often called a “third world” country. And it may well remain that way unless Nepal can break out of the vicious cycle of exploiting its people, particularly its women. One strategy that could break the cycle is a dynamic evolution in the role of Nepali women and the use of new technology.

Since 1980, almost 30 yrs ago, Nepalese women have been included in numerous plans, policies and programs inside the country. Paradoxically, though, the impact of broad inclusion has been very discouraging. But something new is coming. The innovations of computer learning in rural schools will definitely level the field for many girls who will now finally be able to climb the ladder.

For years, Nepal “enlightened policy” for girls education has provided incentives for increasing girls rights in school enrollment, with a push toward “basic education” completion, but efforts have fallen short. Why?

    “Educational exclusion is most pronounced among the poorest children, and especially poor girls,” says Dr Máiréad Dunne in her 2009 report for the University of Sussex (UK), Centre for International Education. 

Education with career, leadership and political opportunity is key to advancing the role of women’s educational rights in Nepal. It is crucial for Nepal to focus on efforts using increased awareness. But will Nepalese society make any real improvements? These and other questions are part of a revolutionary new approach with Nepal girls, and other global education programs. For the first time, rural and poor girls, have a chance to learn through “hands on” techniques in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) with the use of laptops and desktop computers.

If we see the total picture of enrollment in school, it is nearly equal for both boys and girls in grade one, with the same dropout rate. After this, the dropout rate for girls begins to outnumber the boys. In high school, the rate of dropouts for teen girls rises remarkably over boys. It is due mainly to a girl’s household workload, which grows as she gets older. The obligation for teenage girls to manage household duties is twice as much as teen boys in Nepal.

    “I do not send my daughter to school,” said Santi, a rural woman from the Tharu community in the Northwest region of Nepal. “She helps me in domestic work. She needs to know the household chores before marriage.”

The overall picture of education for girls in Nepal is often one of ongoing limitation. Many girls are sent to Nepali government schools which are poorly funded, are lacking facilities and often over crowed. Numerous boys, in great contrast, are often sent to private English-based schools.

One handicap for girls is that they are generally asked to leave school at the young age of 12, just after completing grade five, leaving them with only a rudimentary understanding of literacy.

    “Investing in adolescent girls is precisely the catalyst poor countries need to break intergenerational poverty and to create a better distribution of income. Investing in them is not only fair, it is a smart economic move,” said Robert B. Zoellick, President of  the World Bank in a 2009 report, “Because I am a Girl,” by the UN Girls Education Initiative.

Locked out of opportunities, girls from the lowest castes, known as “dalits,” are sometimes sold by desperate parents to middle-men who promise to find work, along with training and education, for their daughters. One girl selling as a domestic worker currently goes for 4,000 – 6,000 Nepali rupees ($53.00-$80.00 USD). These dalit domestic workers, called “Kamlaris” in Nepal, often live with dashed hopes, mounting limitation, degradation and complete educational exclusion. Although selling and hiring Kamlaris is considered illegal in Nepal, the practice is still in motion.

Most Kamlari girls start out happy with the promise of work and education when they leave home. As they begin to work, though, they soon realize with regret that all the promises made to them were lies.

Girls and women in Nepal are often steered toward gender identified occupations. The Nepal Ministry of Education statistics show only 15 percent of women in 2006 entered the field of engineering, and less than 20 percent began careers in agriculture, forestry, law, science and technology combined. Basic nursing education, on the other hand, welcomes the majority of Nepalese women. In 2007, only fifty people nationwide held a Ph.D. degree in Nepal. Of those fifty, only four were women who had doctorates in science.

    “Although participation in their capacity as nurses is quite encouraging, the number of woman doctors is still very small,” said a 2007 report by Nepal advocacy group, Sancharika Samuha.

Nepal is a strip of land stretched between China to the north and India to the south. It is in the highest part of the Himalayas, crowned by Mount Everest, known as Sagarmatha, the head in the skies. The country is divided into five development regions, 14 zones and 75 districts. Nepal’s total population is 28,563,377 (July 2008 CIA World Factbook). Approx 32 percent or 8,812,675 of the population are women aged 15-64. The median age for women is 21.7. Life expectancy for women is 66.7 years.

About 76 percent of the active population is currently engaged in the agriculture sector, which contributes 32.5 percent of the country’s GDP. The percentage of women engaged in agriculture, including crop and food production, is higher than that of men. A survey shows that rural women work about 11 hours a day while men work only seven hours a day (UNESCO 2006). Nepal’s unemployment rate is very high. Currently, it stands at approx 46 percent unemployment (CIA World Factbook).

The total adult literacy rate in Nepal is 56.5 percent (2007 UNDP). Of this total, only 26 percent of Nepali women are literate (World Bank Country Overview 2009).

    “When I came to America (US) I was 18. That’s when I started knowing what career and work is,” said Angela Shrestha, a 23 year old Nepali biology and business major living near Denver, Colorado (U.S.).

Shrestha had a unique experience. She received strong support from her parents and a (male) principal at school in Kathmandu to press forward with her education. She was encouraged to reach her dream. Because of this, she has managed to study in the U.S. She has jumped ahead as she now returns to Nepal to finish a higher education in medicine and administration.

“My dad graduated from college in Nepal, but my mom had more limited schooling,” continued Shrestha. “It completely depends on a family how they want to treat their daughter. I was very blessed with my mom and dad because they never differentiated between me and my brother,” she admitted.  “In Nepal, I was captain of my class and later school captain. There are families in Nepal who will not let their daughters go to school, though.”

As in neighboring India, many girls are expected to leave their home upon marriage and join the home of their husband. Because of this, some women are valued in marriage only, or worse as domestic laborers only. A surprising 40 percent of rural Nepali women still marry as young as 15, even though 18 is the legally approved age. Pre-arranged marriages, at the age of ten to twelve years of age for girls, are also, especially in rural areas, not uncommon.

    “If Nepal treated boys and girls equally it would be beautiful,” said Anjela Shrestha.

In 1999, U.S. American philanthropist, John Wood, returned to Nepal from a previous eye-opening trip where he realized that 70 percent of all women and 35 percent men in the country were illiterate. He came with eight donkeys loaded to the top with books ready to deliver to schools in rural villages. This was the beginning of an educational initiative called “Room to Read.” Room to Read does not contact villages to build its libraries and schools; villages contact Room to Read.

The work is not easy. Those who are part of the program must be highly motivated. Hundreds of villages have become involved in Room to Read projects by donating labor, land, materials and their own funds. To date, Room to Read has built over 2127 libraries, with an additional 439 projected for 2009. 388 schools have also been built, with 278 scheduled set as additional school building projects for 2009.

Girl participants in Room to Read’s programs have included 1,250 (2008) girls with a plan to add 350 more girl students before the end of 2009.

    “Access to online resources and educational materials can have a life-changing impact on students,” said Room to Read program partner Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “Not only will they have connectivity that enables access to learning materials and communities for the first time, they will also have the opportunity to gain specialized skills and training.”

Very recently, in October 2009, Room to Read launched a pilot computer lab program at the Amar Jyoti Gaunpharka Secondary School in Pokhara (Kaski district). The school in Pokhara is creating a way for students to instantly reach the world via internet through Skype and Google. This comes with a great opportunity for 350 students, many coming from poor families, to study via the program’s 23 computers.

The program in Pokhara is also partnering with OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) Nepal. One Laptop Per Child is the 1995 brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte, who presented the idea with celebration at a January 2005 conference for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In May 2007, amid some major design bumps, software debates and discussions about teens and web-surfing fears, Negroponte’s vision became a reality, with the help of designers at MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as children in Uruguay began to learn via laptops.

It was quickly discovered that girls and boys do seek out information on the internet from a gender perspective. Girls looked online for doll’s clothes as boys looked for images relating to sex. These and other issues have been discussed and are now being dealt with by teachers and staff alike. Six months ago, OLPC Nepal launched Phase II of an April 2009 pilot initiative (through OLE Nepal) to bring comprehensive computer learning to 26 secondary schools in over six separate districts in Nepal.

Room to Read and its participating school in Pokhara, along with OLPC Nepal share a commitment that girls and boys will be included in all programs equally.

    “I am happy that in this age young kids are getting equipped with new technology. These schools piloting the project have set an example for the rest of the country,” said Nepal’s Ministry of Education and Sports Secretary General, Dipendra Bikram Thapa, recently in an IANS – Indo-Asian News Service interview.

Outside of the computer based learning projects for girls, in Nepal’s political arena,  women have been showing clear advances.

Women have been gaining steadily in legislative leadership. In May 2008, out of 575 newly elected representatives, Nepal voted 33.21 percent of the constituent assembly seats to women. Many women hope to reach a 50 percent presence of women in the constituent assembly in the coming years.

    “There was a time when only women from a high caste could be MPs. This election has changed that. Now it is up to the 191 women of various castes, groups and ethnicities in the constituent assembly to ensure that the rights of 12.5 million diverse Nepali women are protected,” said Jaypuri Gharti Magar, an elected Maoist woman representative from Rolpa who won by a 22,000 majority vote.

By Punita Rimal

The winter solstice brings plenty of movies to brighten the darkest days of the year. One head-turner, opening Dec. 18, is the lush romantic tale of the tumultuous early years of England's Queen Victoria.

Jennifer Merin(WOMENSENEWS)--The year's big holiday season brings a special cinematic gift on Dec. 18 with the limited release of "The Young Victoria," directed by Jean-Marc Vallee.

This is a decidedly femme-centric biopic about the tumultuous early years of the epic reign of England's Queen Victoria and the evolution of her famous and enduring romance with her consort, Prince Albert. Emily Blunt's convincing portrayal of Victoria is superbly supported by an extraordinary ensemble, including Miranda Richardson as the Duchess of Kent, Rupert Friend as Prince Albert, Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne and Jim Broadbent as King William.

"The Young Victoria" begins a wider release on Dec. 25.

Backing up a bit: "Serious Moonlight," opening Dec. 4, is a poignant reminder of the death of its scriptwriter, Adrienne Shelly. In 2006, the actress and writer-director was murdered by a construction worker who entered Shelly's Greenwich Village apartment intent on robbery. Shelly left behind this quirky romantic comedy script with eerie echoes of her own murder. The film is about a couple (Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton) whose marriage is restored after they--along with his mistress--are held captive by a bad-boy robber and his gang of thugs during a home invasion.

"Serious Moonlight" was produced by Andy Ostroy, Shelly's husband. Ostroy also has created the Adrienne Shelly Foundation to benefit female filmmakers. The movie marks the directorial debut of Cheryl Hines, a good friend and colleague of Shelly. As laudatory a legacy project as this may be, it just doesn't seem destined to become a classic comedy. The plot is too much of an ongoing gag and the characters seem too one-dimensional. Who knows how it would have turned out had Shelly lived to see it through.
Another Failing Marriage

Writer-director Michael Hoffman's drama, "The Last Station," concerns a failing marriage, as well. The casting is superb. Helen Mirren stars as Sofya Tolstoy, the drama- queen wife of Leo Tolstoy, played by Christopher Plummer. James McAvoy, Anne-Marie Duff and Kerry Condon all perform well in smaller parts.

But the plot, which twists through the final chapter in the great Russian writer's life, winds itself around the infighting about who will inherit the rights to Tolstoy's writings and seems disjointed, ponderous and sprawling. "The Last Station" opens in limited release on Dec. 4.

"Brothers," Jim Sheridan's English language remake of Danish director Susanne Bier's "Brodre" (2004), also hits theaters on Dec. 4. The film is about a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who becomes involved with the wife (Natalie Portman) of his older brother, a soldier who has gone missing while on a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. It's a strong and timely treatment of the tangential ravages of war.

On Dec. 11, Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" opens in limited release, with wider rollout on Dec. 25 and Jan. 15. Based on Alice Sebold's bestselling novel of the same title, the screenplay by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens revolves around Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), a slain teen who lives on, dramatically, from the vantage point of heaven. From there she weighs her wishes to see her family heal from the trauma of her murder against her desire for revenge against the neighbor (Stanley Tucci) who raped, murdered and dismembered her. The femme-centric film is faithful to the spirit of

Sebold's creation and anyone who liked the book--who didn't?--will likely feel the same about the film.

On Dec. 18, Luc Besson and Celine Garcia bring the delightful animated young hero they created in "Arthur and the Minamoys" (2006) back to the screen for "Arthur and the Vengeance of Malthazar." Freddie Highmore voices the virtuous Arthur and Mia Farrow is strong support as his Granny. Arthur, as you may remember from his first adventure, is keenly aware of the importance of respecting nature and all its species and creatures, and the positive and non-repressive moral values presented in the film make for good family viewing and discussion.

Nancy Meyers, one of Hollywood's most successful female directors, presents again on screens nationwide with "It's Complicated," a romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. They play a divorced couple who have a romantic interlude when they reconnect at their son's college graduation, although Streep is actually there with another guy.

Meyer's "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), about a midlife romance that happened in spite of itself, won critical acclaim. Three years later, in 2006, she released "The Holiday." The film focuses on two women who swap their homes for the holidays to escape male-related angst and, in doing so, find love, failed to impress. Now, another three years have gone by. I haven't seen the film yet, but the media machine's early buzz offers little in the way of serious critical reaction to "It's Complicated." Instead, attention seems focused on Baldwin's butt (which actually belongs to his double who plays the nude scene). Well, that's Hollywood for you.

"Nine," a musical extravaganza based on the Tony Award-winning 1982 Broadway musical, splashes onto screens on Dec. 25. Both the film and play are based on Federico Fellini's 1963 Oscar-winning film "8 ½." It tells the tale of an acclaimed film director, Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), whose personal and professional midlife crisis reflects his relationships with a stockpile of women: his wife (Marion Cotillard), mistress (Penelope Cruz), movie star muse (Nicole Kidman), confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), mother (Sophia Loren), U.S. journalist (Kate Hudson) and a "puta," or prostitute, from his childhood (Stacy Ferguson, aka "Fergie").

Directed by Rob Marshall and scripted by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, the female characters appear as figments of a man's troubled memories and illusions. But even if the women are processed through a male psyche they offer a formidable display of female acting talent. See the film for that.

Another Dec. 25 musical release is the animated "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel," directed by Betty Thomas. It finds the charming chipmunk 'tweens trio coping with the challenges of celebrity and competing with a female singing group called the Chipettes.

Closing out the month--and the year--actress-turned-director Jodie Markell's first feature, "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond," opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 30. Based on a little known and previously unproduced screenplay by Tennessee Williams, with female characters predictably complex and compelling, the film is a 1920s period piece about a recalcitrant Southern belle, Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard), who risks her heritage and inheritance for love. There are strong performances, too, by Ellen Burstyn, Ann Margret and Mamie Gummer.

By Jennifer Merin

Launched annually on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March), Women Make the News is a global initiative aimed at promoting gender equality in the media.

The theme chosen for this year’s campaign - “Gender Equality Policies in Media Organizations” – will seek to highlight best practices in this area and remind media managers and journalists’ unions of the importance of developing policies that prevent all forms of discrimination based on gender.

As a part of the Women Make the News 2009 commemoration, UNESCO has teamed up with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to produce a handbook entitled “Getting the Balance Right”, which provides a guide on how to address some of the main problems faced by women working in the media.

The handbook, developed by the IFJ with the support of UNESCO and the LO-TCO Secretariat of International Trade Union Development Cooperation, is now available on the UNESCO website (PDF, 1.12 Mb).

The booklet focuses on three main areas. Firstly, on existing gender-based inequalities in the media sector and measures that are used to address them. Secondly, on the portrayal of women in the media and gender stereotyping. And thirdly, on the role of journalists’ unions in promoting gender equality within media organizations. A useful list of resources and contacts related to the defense of women’s rights in the media is also included.

By Unesco

Paula J. Schmitt is an award-winning author, blogger, radio talk show host, and founder and CEO of Mom Writer's Productions, LLC. Her company's mission is to help moms who want to start writing, accomplish their goals and become published. Paula believes all mothers have something important to say and should be heard.

Paula writes at What Did You Do All Day? and is the Founder and Publisher of Mom Writer's Literary magazine, an award-winning online and print publication for mom writers and authors. She is also the creator and host of Mom Writer's Talk Radio, a radio talk show for moms who have something to say.

Ms. Schmitt is a respected resource on life/family balance, work from home moms, and children and has been featured in several publications such as American Baby, Family Circle, Parenting, All You, Real Simple, Adoption Today, Adopting for Tomorrow magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Herald, The Burlington Free Press, as well as appearing on numerous radio talk shows and the NBC Today Show.

She is the author of the award-winning book, Living in a Locker Room: A Mom's Tale of Survival in a Houseful of Boys (2005, Wyatt-MacKenzie). Her upcoming book, Adoption Journey: Birthmothers, Adoptive Mothers and Adopted Daughters Share Their Stories, will be available soon. Paula serves as a parenting expert for several online publications as well.

The mother of five children, Ms. Schmitt lives in St. Johnsbury, Vermont with her family. She is an avid reader and enjoys music, theatre and spending time with her family.

By Paula

LOS ANGELES -- The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Diversity Committee and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) American Indian Writers Committee will co-present "American Indian 101" on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Television Academy’s Conference Centre (5210 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood).

This joint ATAS-WGAW special event will feature a panel discussion exploring contemporary American Indian life, opportunities and challenges for American Indian creative professionals in the entertainment industry, as well as current and future media representations.

Taking part in the panel are: Nancy Miller, creator / showrunner, Saving Grace; Gregory Cruz, Saving Grace's 'Bobby Stillwater,' who portrays one of the few American Indian characters featured on a primetime TV show; Jason Gavin, currently a staff writer on Royal Pains and formerly on the critically acclaimed series, Friday Night Lights, and a member of the WGAW American Indian Writers Committee; Angela Riley, Visiting Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and newly appointed Acting Associate Director, UCLA American Indian Studies Center. The evening will be moderated by WGAW AIWC member Brian Wescott, co-writer (with Leslie Clark) of the documentary miniseries American Century.

Topics to be discussed include:

    * Create more opportunity for American Indian writers / other entertainment professionals to tell all kinds of stories
    * Communicate contemporary realities and concerns of -- and encourage more projects about -- this story and character-rich sector of American life using Saving Grace and other recent TV and film projects as positive examples
    * Provide a reliable information resource for writers, directors, producers, actors, and other creative professionals so that they may learn more about American Indians pertinent to any project with American Indian characters and/or storylines with which they are already or may become involved
    * Inspire American Indian and other writers to write and/or include these kinds of characters and stories

The Television Academy’s Diversity Committee presents an annual series of provocative events which have included "LGBT Youth in Television: Tweens, Teens & More." "LGBT: Above and Below the Line in Prime," "Diversity in Animation: Beyond the Color Bars,” "4th Annual NAACP Hollywood Bureau Symposium: Artists & Activism," "Hispanics & Television: In Transition," "Television's Challenges in Black, White and Multi-Color" and the Televisionary Salon Awards, which honors individuals who have encouraged diversity in the industry.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, founded in 1946 at the birth of the medium, is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunication arts, sciences and creative leadership. Known for recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy also publishes emmy magazine. Its charitable Foundation operates the Archive of American Television, College Television Awards, acclaimed student internships and other educational outreach programs. For more information on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, its many industry-related programs and services, including year-round events, please visit www.emmys.tv.

Writers Guild of America, West American Indian Writers Committee:
This Committee represents the professional and creative interests of American Indian writers. It works to mentor, encourage, empower and increase the visibility and employment of writers of American Indian heritage, and serves as a cultural and educational resource for all Guild member-writers seeking to portray American Indians in their work.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.

By Wga

LOS ANGELES -- Emmy-winning writer Stan Berkowitz is set to receive the Writers Guild of America, West Animation Writers Caucus’ twelfth annual Animation Writing Award, recognizing his prolific career and creative contributions to the craft of film and television animation writing, as well as his efforts to organize animation on behalf of the Writers Guild.

The AWC’s prestigious lifetime achievement award will be presented to Berkowitz tonight at the AWC’s annual awards ceremony held at WGAW headquarters in Los Angeles.

“While Stan has built an acclaimed writing career bringing superheroes to the screen, he's a real-life superhero to the animation writing community – not only helping to raise the profile of animation writers through his many creative gifts, but also by playing a lead role in the Guild’s ongoing efforts to organize animation writing,” said WGAW President John Wells.

A two-time Daytime Emmy winner (shared for Batman Beyond in 2001 and The New Batman/Superman Adventures in 1998, Outstanding Special Class Animated Program), seven-time Daytime Emmy nominee, and one-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Berkowitz has most recently served as Story Editor for the upcoming animated superhero series, The 99, which was written under a Writers Guild contract.

Berkowitz’s many animated TV writing and/or co-writing credits include Legion of Super Heroes, The Batman, Transformers: Animated, Superman, Spider-Man, Justice League, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, Ben 10, The Brave and the Bold, and Friends and Heroes, a WGA-covered animated series for the BBC on which he served as Story Editor for 39 episodes.

Earlier this year, Berkowitz adapted Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’ Superman/Batman: Public Enemies graphic novel into an animated direct-to-DVD feature for Warners Animation, which debuted in September. Berkowitz’s previous adaptation of Darwyn Cooke’s graphic novel, Justice League: The New Frontier, became a best-selling direct-to-DVD animated feature last year.

Berkowitz’s live-action writing and/or co-writing television credits include Dragnet: The 90’s, Power Rangers: Space Patrol Delta, The New Adam 12, Players, Grand Slam, Houston Knights, Mike Hammer, T.J. Hooker, The Adventures of Superboy and Cover Up. His screenwriting credits include Street Corner Justice (Screenplay by Stan Berkowitz & Gary Kent & Chuck Bail, Story by Chuck Bail) and Acapulco Gold (Screenplay by Don Enright & O’Brian Tomalin, Story by David Lees & Stan Berkowitz).

Berkowitz began writing for animated TV programs in 1994, when he worked with the legendary Stan Lee on Spider-Man. Prior to that stint, Berkowitz freelanced as an entertainment journalist for Esquire, People, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, New York Daily News and other publications, as well as working as a film preservationist. An L.A. native, Berkowitz earned his MFA screenwriting degree from UCLA. He currently lives in Westlake Village with his wife, Teagan Clive.

The WGAW’s AWC Animation Writing Award is given to members of the Animation Writers Caucus or Writers Guild who have advanced the literature of animation in film and/or television through the years and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the animation writer. Founded in 1994, the WGAW’s Animation Writers Caucus represents over 600 animation writers and works to advance economic and creative conditions in the field. Through organizing efforts, educational events, and networking opportunities, the AWC is a leading proponent for animation writers. Recent AWC Writing Award honorees include Brad Bird, Al Jean, Jules Feiffer, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Michael Reiss, and the AWC’s most recent recipient, Linda Woolverton.

By Wga

I had to write my way out. I wrote on big yellow pads, the backs of old envelopes, and cocktail napkins. I wrote around the edges of magazine pages as I waited in line for the bus. I wrote in small notebooks that I carried with me everywhere, buying and beginning new ones when I’d forgotten to bring the old. I wrote in my head at the supermarket and scribbled sentences on the backs of register slips. I left a pad and a pen by my bed because I wrote in my sleep. I piled the bits and pieces on my desk, typed them into the computer, printed out a day’s work. Next morning I’d sit with the hard copy, read it out loud, and listen for the speed bumps and the phrases that rang false. I edited the pages with a pen, crossed out and rewrote, typed them back into the computer, and went on.

It took me twenty years. I wrote like crazy for periods of time, then would stop for several months because I had to leave the past and come back to live fully in the present. I had to digest my own experience. Sometimes I went to therapy to discuss what I had discovered through my writing. I exploded my own myths.

I attended as many writing workshops as I could. I made it a project to read every National Book Award-nominated memoir each year that I was writing, so I could be assured I was reading—and learning—at a high level. I read every book on the craft of writing that was on the shelf. I researched the history of my hometown, books on siblings, and university studies on siblings of disabled children. Then I wrote again.

Through the years, I went through several drafts: the pity-party draft, the agenda draft (where I vented my anger on everyone), the faux-literary draft, etc., etc. With each draft, I changed as a woman and developed as a writer, so that I found I needed another draft, convinced I could write the next one at a higher level. I drove my friends and supporters mad.

There were days when I would write a few sentences, lay down on the floor and cry for an hour, then get back up and continue to write. At first I was concerned about what my family would think, how they would feel, but as I went on I wrote more and more for me and for the story…because it was necessary. I did not write for publication until the very last draft. If you are worried about what others are going to think, you can’t write the story the way it needs to be written, and there’s no point in doing it. I wrote to find out what the story was, and to serve it. I wrote to heal myself, to make sense of the chaos I felt, to excavate the truth, not just as I remembered it but also as I discovered it to be in the process.

To write an effective memoir, you have to be willing to go to the well and damn the torpedoes (if you’ll excuse the clichés). I had a quote by Virginia Woolf above my desk the whole time: “If you don’t tell the truth about yourself, you can’t tell it about anyone else.” My goal was to reach as much truth as I could within myself, peeling through the layers of what I had previously thought was truth, finding deeper truths I didn’t know existed. This effort alone is tremendously worthwhile for you as a woman and a writer, even if in the end you have a work that you feel you can’t publish while others are still living. You will have given yourself a Masters course on your life, and your writing.

Perhaps if you need to, you can then take the bones of the story and create fiction out of it that will have a shape and a depth it would not have had if you hadn’t done this work. This is exactly what I’m doing with my next book, a work of fiction that will be autobiographically based.

For a long time, I tried to tell my sister’s story. This was impossible. I finally learned I had to tell my own story, and that my sister’s story would be revealed in the process. This taught me to value my own story, and therefore myself. I learned that in memoir one must master both a narrative voice and a reflective voice. Reflection is a huge part of memoir. I took my husband’s advice and wrote everything, because an important factor in writing memoir is what you choose to put in, and what you choose to leave out of the final, crafted draft, and you can’t know that until you’ve written it. These decisions cannot come ahead of time.

There is no need to rush a memoir—in the writing or towards publication. What you put out there will be out there forever, so you want to make very sure you’ve said what you wanted to say with the best craft and compassion possible. To write a successful memoir, you have to have found distance and perspective. Sometimes this comes through the writing itself. You must endeavour to write with love, forgiveness, and understanding, or at least write your way towards that.

Consider that your memoir will have a gift in it for your readers, so that they can leave your story changed in some positive way. Although my life experience was painful, I wanted to make it a light for others, not just a dark confessional. Remember also that memoir is not autobiography. It is not the facts of an entire life, only a window into a life—it focuses on a specific place, time, or relationship, and as I said before, it requires reflection. It uses the elements of imagery and metaphor. It is a life not merely reported on, but distilled, like a good poem.

Writing a memoir takes guts, patience, emotion and craft. It takes discipline and resilience. Sometimes you will sit at your desk despairing, asking the empty room, “Why would anyone else care about this?” The question, however, is why do YOU care? Have passionate thoughts about the consequences of your own life. Take responsibility for your own experience. Make peace with the facts; tell the story for the story’s sake, without a hidden plea for help or sympathy. Decide where the integrity—the honest heart of the story—rests, while at the same time giving respect to events as you remember them.

Then write your ass off.

by Heather Summerhayes Cariou

While some women focus on buying the most expensive clothing they can afford to look stylish, fashionable women have realized that expensive clothing doesn't make someone look their best. Instead, it's the accessories and how the look all comes together that reflects both your personality and helps you look your absolute best.

Clothing accessories, from handbags to scarves to what you put in your hair, can create a very fashionable look without the need to wear overly trendly clothing. Fads come and go so quickly that you'd constantly have to be replacing your wardrobe to try to keep up with all the latest clothing- but with the right accessories you can make every item in your closet look fashionable and complete.

First, you will want to be sure you have a few “must have” items at your disposal to help create your outfits:

- several belts, in a variety of sizes, colors and styles
- scarves, in a few different textures and colors
- purses and handbags
- hair accessories (ribbons, decorative clips, ponytail holders)
- shoes (a girl can never have too many different types of shoes!)

Once you have your accessory inventory built up, you can easily accessorize your outfits to pull together a complete, fashionable look that will impress even the girls in the latest, most expensive clothing from the trendy store in the mall!

You will want to choose accessories based on how they coordinate with the colors, textures and fabric of the clothing you're wearing. If you stock your “accessory inventory” with neutral colored items, you'll stretch your budget and be able to create more looks with the same items. You can almost always work in accessories that are solid colors of white, black and tan; but having a few selections in more vibrant colors will help you add interest to your favorite black dress or pants suit! Try pairing a red hat, red high heels and a red purse with your black pants suit and you'll be an instant fashionista!

Keep your eye on the fashion magazines to see what women are wearing and how they accessorize. Are over-sized purses in style now, or tiny handbags? Do women wear stripes and floral prints together or are they keeping to more solid patterns at the moment? Most importantly- pick styles that you are comfortable with and that make you feel good because the better you feel the more confident you will be.

Jewelry, shoes and belts help you further accessorize your outfits and pull a complete look together. You don't need a lot of jewelry, but having necklaces in different lengths will allow you to wear a longer chain with a v-neck shirt and a shorter chain with a sweater. Having matching bracelets or earrings will help you pull the look all together for a polished look. Pairing a wide belt with skinny pants is trendy, and you can often create a whole new look just by changing the style of jewelry you wear.

Here's a trick that you can do with necklaces! If you want to help pull the focus away from your neck and face a bit, you can wear long necklaces as the eyes naturally will follow the line of the necklace.

By: Lynn Stewart

Disposable Cameras (also called single-use cameras) first came on the market as film cameras. You would take the entire camera back where you bought it and they would crack it open, take out the film and process it, resulting in photos that were virtually indistinguishable from photos taken with a more conventional camera. Now, following the trends in conventional cameras, there is a choice between using film or digital disposable cameras.

Some people think digital cameras are too hard to use; the disposable digital cameras offer a solution. Disposable digital cameras still have all of the great features that attract people to digital cameras such viewing your pictures before printing and photo manipulation. With a disposable digital camera, you get a flash, a timer, and a viewing monitor (depending on the model you buy). This means that you can see whether you want to take the picture over or not, as you also have the ability to delete an unwanted photo, and retake it if you have the opportunity. Additionally, a free picture CD is usually included with your prints in a disposable digital camera package.

Does a disposable digital camera offer the same features as a regular digital camera? It does offer the most frequently used features, but you will not get zoom or night shots, or most of the other bells and whistles that come with a $400.00 camera. But disposable digital cameras do not cost anywhere near $400, and they do allow you to leave your valuable cameras safe at home and still have the technology that you may crave in a camera for between $10.00 and $20.00, and sometimes even cheaper.

However, you cannot connect your disposable digital camera to your PC or Mac. The photos must be developed at a retailer that provides the proper equipment for your particular brand of disposable digital camera. This may actually be a plus for the technologically challenged, though, since you don't have to hook up the wire, crop, fix the color -- no need to waste hours in front of a computer, as it's all done for you. Your time is valuable.

By: Jason Gluckman

Male or female infertility usually accounts for about 40% cases. For men, the fault lies with the sperms (quality & quantity) while in women is more complex.

Let us take a look over the major reasons of infertility in women:

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease- is one of the major causes worldwide caused due to infections in the pelvic region that affect the reproductive organs. This is generally caused by the sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic tuberculosis, unhealthy abortions and more. Normally 20% of the women who have PID become infertile.

Endometriosis- This disorder develops when fragments of the endometrial lining, instead of being expelled from the uterus into the vagina, are carried upward in the tubes and reside in the pelvic area leading to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle causing scarring and inflammation.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Disorders—Irregularities in this part that controls ovulation accounts for 33% of infertility in women. Excessive exercise, injuries to the pituitary gland, kidney failure, cirrhosis, and anorexia nervosa are some of the major reasons causing the pituitary gland malfunction.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome—this occurs when there is a high production of male hormone particularly testosterone in women causing irregular and infrequent cycles. In most cases, the cause is not known but genetic factors are likely to be responsible.

Surgical Problems—bands used up in binding tissues after surgery may restrict the movement of ovaries and fallopian tubes causing infertility. Abortion performed under sterile conditions is safe, but not those that are frequent carry risk. Frequent abortions, however, may also impair woman’s fertility.

Other Causes of Infertility

Cancer Treatments, Medications, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Thyroid Problems are some the most common problems that surface around as the cause of infertility.

Treatment—Modern day science has made a lot of progress in the field of assisted reproductive technology or ART. This technology combines the use of fertility drugs, hormonal therapy, with artificial insemination using any of a group of techniques. In most of cases infertility cannot be prevented. However there are some measures that women must take in order to ensure that they do not develop this kind of problem. Avoid smoking, alcohol. Take a well balanced diet, and consult your doctor regularly!

By: Jenifer D'souza

History is filled with men and women who made some of the greatest achievements by excelling only slightly over the masses of others in their field. Often that slight edge is attitude.

We must admit that aptitude is important to our success in life. Yet success or failure in any undertaking is caused more by mental attitude than by mere mental capabilities. Oh great, now it’s not only what I know but how I apply what I know. I read of a Princeton Seminary professor who discovered that the spirit of optimism really does make a difference. He made a study of great preachers across past centuries. He noted their tremendous varieties of personalities and gifts. Then he asked the questions, “What do these outstanding pulpiteers all have in common besides their faith?” After several years of searching he found the answer. It was their cheerfulness. In most cases they were happy men. The difference was attitude. They liked what they were doing.

Try faking a good attitude day after day and week after week. You may be able to get away with it for a short time but you can’t fake a good attitude for long. Either you ‘blow your top’ or your attitude actually adjusts to become positive.

Secondly, your attitude at the beginning of a task greatly determines the outcome. Have you ever started a task that you just hated or didn’t want to be doing? What happened? I have found that the task takes at least twice as long, sometimes more. I either miss something or break something or dump something. That’ll extend the task far beyond what it takes when I have a good attitude at the beginning.

Your attitude at the beginning greatly determines if the task will even get completed. If you start a task with a bad attitude what happens when you run into a problem? Most likely you’ll up and quit and tell everyone “you knew it couldn’t be done.” But if I have a good attitude at the beginning when problems come along I will see them as a challenge and find the solution.

Put that thinking into the job market. Why do two people with equal qualifications go for interviews one gets a job the other goes home upset with ‘the system.’ I have had several managers say it is simply their attitude. One asks what all the benefits are and how much time off he will get. The other asks what the advancement opportunities are gong to be for him. He asks if they are open to suggestions and improvement.

Once again, put that thinking into the home based business world. Everyone wants to make the big bucks and make them fast. So they start a new business only thinking of the money that will be coming in. They give no thought to learning, listening and advice. The attitude was ‘here I am come and give me your money.’ They were not concerned about the customer and the product they delivered.

Betty Gordon is successfully running a business with the attitude of helping others enjoy travel and have the opportunity to join with her in this internet venture. anointeddiamonds. Check it out and if you have the right attitude you to can be successful.

By: James Heller

Depending on where you live school will be starting this month or next month. A new school year is usually exciting and scary at the same time. Most children won’t admit it, but they are ready to get back to school and see their friends. As much as I love not having a rigid schedule in the summer, I do miss the structure of the school year. We get up later in the summer and go to bed later as well.

When you think of a new School Year what are your first thoughts? Back to school shopping for clothes and school supplies. A big transition from elementary to middle school, or to high school, even college. A new teacher who you heard is strict or not strict enough? There can often be lots of anxiety with a new school year for parents as well as children.

Can I offer a few suggestions for your back to school list? Remember whose children they are. Yes they are our children, but they are God’s children. He cares about them and loves them more than we ever could. Pray for your children. Pray for their academics, choice of friends, study habits, and wisdom to make Godly choices. Pray for their teachers. If their teachers are not Christians, pray that God can use you to be an example to their teachers. Pray for the administrators in your child’s school. Pray for the safety of your child and all the children at their school. Pray that your children will see a Godly example in you, with how you handle school difficulties or problems with your children. Begin praying with other mothers for their children as well. We don’t have to carry the burden alone. Above all remember God is in control. I often have a difficult time remembering that principle.

In closing, God is a mighty God and He cares about our concerns. I often pray on the way to taking my children to school. I pray when my children are having difficulties with friends. God cares about everything in our lives and He truly cares about our children. My mother is a prayer warrior for my children and myself. May we all become prayer warriors for our children. Take your problems to Him and leave them there.

By: Kimberly Chastain

They’re generous, they’re consistent, they’re giving…and most of all...they love your music. They’re your fans and they come to every one of your live shows, fork out money for cover charges, CDs and t-shirts, bring your band gifts, throw you house parties, and spread the word of your music on the internet and beyond. Your fans are the single most important ingredient to the success of your band. Without them, you’d be rocking out in your Aunt’s basement to an audience of none…well, maybe her cat.

But there can be a dark side to the hoards of happy humans drunk on your future #1 hits. Sometimes the folks barreling in to see you play, or flooding your websites with their online presence are causing more harm than good to the reputation of your band. Rude behavior, message board flaming, compulsive sticker-ing and flyer-ing, may all seem like helping to your flock of followers but to club owners, industry and those newly interested in your music, they may seem like trouble-makers, belligerents and vandals.

It may be simply a case of over-exuberant fan zeal. Your fans think they’re preaching the gospel of your band to anyone with eyes and ears: by dropping your postcards all over town like a bird with irritable bowel syndrome, by filling up strangers email in-boxes with bulky MP3s and HTML photo-heavy notices about how much you rock, and by yelling your band’s name at the top of their lungs during another band’s set like a parrot with Turret’s Syndrome. These unsolicited over-promotions…albeit well-intentioned…are hard for the average person to separate from your band’s own promotional efforts and may not be appreciated in the way they were intended. On the other hand, it may be that your fans are so revved up by the love of your music that they’ve become arrogant, aggressive and just plain out of control in any arena (or cyber place) your band inhabits. At any rate, you may find that you need to dial these folks back a bit to create a environment that is fan-friendly without comprising your band’s opportunities.

The following are a few tips that will help you to guide your supporters in their quest to be adamant fans without allowing them to turn into an obnoxious, rowdy, gang of rabid baboons.

   1. Communicate With Your Fans---A lot of problems can be eliminated by simply setting up a line of communication between your band members and your fans. For instance, if you know that a particular club forbids setting around flyers, postcards or other promo materials, post it on your website with the upcoming show info-blast. Set guidelines for your band and for each individual show and let your fans know that they need to follow these simple rules or they’re no longer permitted to attend live gigs and to post on your cyber message boards. A little information can go a long way and your fans will be happy that you let them know what they can and can’t do at any particular show.

   2. Learn From Experience---Sad but true, often the best way to learn what’s not appropriate at shows is for inappropriate things to happen. When fans begin their overblown behaviors, benign-intentioned or not, you will learn by the reaction of the clubs, the industry and your other fans what’s okay and what’s not going to fly. A good example is this…placing bumper stickers on club walls may be encouraged at some places but forbidden at others. The first time you get a call from a red-faced bar owner screeching through clenched teeth that his men’s room walls have to be repainted, you’ll know that it’s time to email your fan base and let them know to leave their reserve of band stickers at home when the band plays that club again. In another example, it may not occur to your band that certain fans are behaving rudely to club personnel or to your other fans, at your shows, until someone makes you aware of it. At that time, you may need to email your naughty fans and let them know that certain bad attitudes are unacceptable at shows, and on your message boards, and that fans who can’t be pleasant will not be invited back.

   3. Friends And Family Are No Exception---As awful as it sounds, often times a band’s family and friends are the most out of control and obnoxious at shows…and on the web. Maybe it’s because they’re more emotionally invested in the band and its members, or maybe because the musicians forget to remind their loved one about fan etiquette. You and your bandmates may think it’s a given, but some of the biggest jerks, idiots, and rebel rousers at gigs are your loved ones. It doesn’t matter it’s the bass player’s ten year-old brother to the drummer’s 60 year-old dad, you don’t want to be banned from your favorite showcase venue because granny kicked the bouncer in the shin. Don’t be afraid to sit your friends/family down and spell out the live show/internet rules for your band. Sometimes you can’t control the fans you don’t know, which makes it all the more important than ever to control the fans you do.

   4. Lay Down The Law---Once you become aware of the “problem” fans, it’s time to explain to them what they can and cannot do at your gigs and on your website. Before banning anyone from visiting the band’s shows and sites, try sending out a polite, but firm, email with some specific guidelines and a serious warning that the next step will be cutting these bad elements out of the band’s loop. It’s important to try not to make the email too harsh, as it may insight further acting up. So, just deliver the message in a casual way, explaining that their actions are hurting and not helping the band…a fact that they honestly may not realize. Honestly, you may need to give it some backbone so that your jerky fans really understand that their jig is up. If you’re having trouble with someone you know well…a particular friend or family member…a phone call or face-to-face meeting might better do the trick. No matter how the message is executed, it’s important to let your fans know that certain behaviors will not be tolerated by the band under any circumstance. Most fans would rather shape up that be cut out of all of the fun, and the band’s reputation will be safe from troublesome followers for the time being.

It’s true that fans are a band’s biggest asset. But left uncontrolled they can also be the biggest liability as your band takes on the responsibility and reputation for the antics that its fans pull at live shows and on websites. Like crazed leprechauns, full of mischief, each fan’s silly stunts and nasty attitude problems will eat away at your band’s good name with tiny bites…like a school of piranha in a stream eating a full sized goat down to the bone in seconds…until your band is left, a former shell of itself, wandering your town trying to figure out why you can’t get booked and no one visits your website. It’s not a good sign when you see a tumbleweed blow through your music career. Nip it in the bud now. Control your fans behavior. Trust me; you’ll be glad you did.

By: Sheena Metal

It is a common practice for brides to acknowledge their bridesmaids’ hard work by giving them a token of appreciation. A traditional bridesmaids gift might consist of something small and inexpensive, yet holding a lot of sentimental value. Many brick and mortar and online stores have developed over the past decade that specializes in gifts for bridesmaids. Some of these bridesmaids gifts include bridal jewelry, tote bags, cosmetic bags, jewelry boxes, and picture frames. The wonderful benefit to bridesmaids gifts is that despite their name, they are not limited to bridesmaids only. In fact, these gifts are appropriate for most occasions.

Bridesmaids gifts are useful for birthdays, Mother’s day, Christmas, and graduations. They can also be given as “just because” gifts or for an occasion when the hubby wants to win back his wife’s good graces. No matter the occasion, bridal jewelry, picture frames, personalized tote bags, and all other bridesmaids gifts are appropriate for every girl. As a word of caution, please be advised that any personalized bridesmaids gifts that are embellished with the word “bridesmaid” or “maid of honor” is obviously limited to bridesmaids only.

The following are some bridesmaids gift ideas for birthdays, graduation, Christmas, Mother’s day, or an anniversary.

If you are in search of a special gift for a girlfriend, mother, sister, or any other woman in your life, a personalized tote bag is the way to go. Many brides have chosen the tote bag as the bridesmaids gift of choice. It is not only practical, but it’s versatile and inexpensive. Every girl can use another bag to tote her things. To make the gift even more special, you should have the recipients name or nickname embroidered in her favor color or something neutral like black or brown. Take this bridesmaids gift another step further and fill the personalized tote bag with some of her favorite things such as toiletries or snacks.

Whoever said that bridal jewelry is strictly for weddings? Bridal jewelry is commonly given as bridesmaids gifts. Every girl will have to attend a formal event at some point in her life. get her a set of bridesmaids jewelry. And give your loved one the upper hand on choosing the right accessories for that up and coming special event.

Photos are always an expression of sentiment. Giving that special girl in your life a personalized picture frame with a picture of you and her is a sure way of making her feel specia

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for her, shopping in the bridesmaids gifts section is not a bad idea after all!

By: Michelle Lindsey

5 police cars, 10 policemen. Searched the vicinity, never found him. When they left, he showed up. He looked at me and started screaming, "Who the hell did this to you!?" I only had one eye to look at him with and disgustingly looked at him while all my friends were there and said, "You did."

He didn't believe it. He said he went into a "blackout." Well, my opinion of whether or not alcoholics actually do go into "blackouts" is neither here nor there. But something happened that was never fully understandable, that's for certain.

What happened to him? Well, this was a while ago, and California didn't impose strict standards on domestic violence abuse the way they do today. That's too bad, isn't it?

He got 30 days of picking up garbage on the side of the road. BUT, since he had a doctor's note saying he had a bad back from a car accident, he actually only wound up doing 15 days doing desk duty. He would leave early because the woman running the program said he was a hard worker.

Trying to get a job (remember, I had been laid off) looking beat up was impossible. I didn't even leave the house for two weeks, and he shut off the phone so I didn't have anyway to even make phone calls to get a job.

There's more to the story, but this gives you an idea as to how quickly domestic violence can happen. Or was it quickly?

If you see red flags, get out now while you can. My story doesn't get happy, and things didn't get much better, not for quite a while.

I'll tell you more about my life again soon, but please don't repeat my mistakes. Because you will end up with a very difficult, unhappy, low self esteem, codependent life like I have lived for far too long.

Trust me, You DO Deserve Better!

God Bless,

Adrienne

P.S. - These pictures were taken 2 weeks after the initial incident. I can tell you this, makeup doesn't hide these injuries. I went to the supermarket because I had no food, so I tried to look decent. I had two people come up to me and ask to take me to the emergency room and wanted to know who just did this to me. When I told them it happened two weeks ago, they didn't believe me.

By: Adrienne DeVita

When you take a good hard look at your house, you may find a few things you would like to change and, for the most part, some simple remodeling chores can make a difference. To improve your house’s appeal however, there may be some major changes needed. About the only thing that prevents many homeowners from turning their house into their desired castle is the home renovation costs associated with remodeling. In some instances, especially in older homes requiring a boatload of utility work, the home renovation costs can approach the value of the property. However, before putting remodeling on hold due to the expense, you should consider the financial benefits of the future. While the expense of extensive remodeling may be high, it will also increase the value of the property and in most cases, the home renovation costs will be rewarded with a higher value of the home.

Appropriate planning is the cornerstone for any home renovation project and unless you have performed this type of work previously, it will pay to look at the many aspects involved in a project. For all home renovations there will be materials needed and there may be some expensive equipment required, although for most rental companies will probably have what you need to get the job done without the added expense of buying equipment only used for one job.

Even little things like new countertops, fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom sink and new floor coverings can make a huge impact if the homeowner ever decides to sell the house. Taking on some home renovation costs can make a difference between having the home on the market selling it quickly. The less work that is needed on a home when a potential buyer looks at it, will make it more appealing and more likely to sell closer to the asking price.

Whenever you consider the home renovation costs of a project, especially if you are not very handy with tools, as paying for the job to get done right the first time. Whether you hire a contractor with a big crew or a small company with only the owner and one or two workers, you can save on the home renovation costs if you can do some of the work on your own.

While some contractors may not be amenable to the homeowner doing some of the labor, others may welcome the help. Tearing out old walls or removing old flooring can be done with little experience and it can trim several dollars from home renovation costs. While saving money may be on your mind when planning a project, there are some things you should not skimp on.

When installing new kitchen cabinets and sink, for instance, do not pick the cheapest faucets you can find. The top of the mine merchandise may not fit into your budget for the home renovation costs, but units that look good, have exceptional durability and blend well with the rest of the room will make a bigger impact.

By: Roger Thompson

Tips to help you and your children move towards Simple and Organized Living!

1. Outdoor Toys - Organize outside toys by keeping a large plastic tub or crate on the porch/deck or in the garage. Go through and throw away toys that are broken and give away or sell toys that have been outgrown or are no longer in use.

2. Snacks - Keep children's dishes and snacks on low shelves so they can access them.

3. Baskets - Keep baskets or crates for toys in each room to avoid scattered toys everywhere.

4. Videos - Label all video movies and turn them so that kids can easily find the movie they are looking for. Go through and do away with those that you no longer watch.

5. Make a Sandwich Center - Simply put lunch meat, pre-sliced tomatoes, lettuce and what ever else your children eat on sandwiches in a plastic container and label it "Sandwich Center" and teach them to make their own sandwich. All they have to do is open the fridge and grab the "Sandwich Center" which contains everything they need to put the sandwich together and return the container to the fridge when finished.

6. Chore Time - Give children appropriate chores for their ages. It is so easy for us as parents to do it ourselves to save time and arguments but this is not doing our children any good in the long run. Give them a choice of chores, trade chores among each other in order to combat boredom make it a fun process and they will want to do the chores. When they do a good job let them know and likewise if they do a bad job because they are in a hurry let them know that also and have them do it better next time.

7. The Night Before - A great way to relieve morning stress is to do what you can the night before. Children can take a bath, lay their clothes out for the next day, have parents sign notes, get their backpacks, jackets and books together and have ready at an accessible place.

8. Donate Toys - Have children go through toys and donate them or help them have a yard sale and earn extra money.

9. Pick Up Time - Have kids use 5 - 10 minutes daily to pick up their room and this will save alot of time when room cleaning day rolls around because they have stayed somewhat ahead of the mess.

10. Backpacks - Have kids clean out their backpacks and launder or wipe them clean once a week. Throw away all papers that are no longer any good and only return the items needed for the week or next day.

By: Angela Billings

All the determination in the world to lose weight won't make a bit of difference if you're hanging onto an unhealthy set of dietary commandments that drive you unconsciously to eat at the wrong times or for the wrong reasons.

If you are on a diet, no doubt you are ready to get all the tips possible that have to do with weight loss. Losing weight is not always easy, and from time to time it is easy to get into a slump.

Here are eight simple tips on how you actually can get closer to your ideal weight:

1. Eating won't make you fat after 7 p.m.

It's not because calories consumed after a certain hour stay with you longer. The real problem with most people is, when they eat late at night, they're typically skipping meals during the day, said Annie Neuendorf, a dietician at Northwestern Memorial's Wellness Institute. That puts the body into deprivation mode, slowing your metabolism and making you more inclined to overeat later on. Better to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

2. Eating out?

Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.

3. You can treat yourself once a week

You can't be good all the time, notwithstanding how devoted you are to sticking to a healthy diet. Allowing yourself to have something decadent every now and then is not only OK, it's encouraged. However, if you're the kind of person that can eat 10,000 calories in one day, it's not a good idea to do that.

4. Is it best to work out early in the morning?

This is one of the most- unrelenting myths about weight loss. Exercising earlier in the day doesn't burn more calories. But the number of calories you burn relies on your metabolism, food intake and body composition -- things that aren't dependent on when you choose to exercise. Get your activity whenever it matches into your schedule, even if it's just 10 minutes at a time.

5. Eating is better than Drinking

Eating the fruit would be better than fruit juice that might seem a healthy choice, since liquids leave you feeling less full than solid foods. Likewise, drinking pop on a regular basis can add unnecessary calories. Consider: A 12-ounce can of regular pop has 9 teaspoons of sugar and about 100 calories. "If you do that three times a day, that's almost a pound a week of calories," said Celia Pappas, a dietician at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Water and low-fat milk are brilliant options.

6. Drink water

When you're dieting, you should drink even more than usual. Even the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.

7. Not to eat standing up.

One of the easiest ways to disrupt your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat appropriately. You will be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

8. Purchase a vegetable steamer.

Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food keeps nearly all of its natural nutrients instead of discharging it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.

By: Gree Lya

Compost organic waste with Red Wigglers, A.K.A. composting worms! Add composting worms to any compost pile to speed up the process, reduce frequency of turning the compost pile and to aerate the composting material. Worms used in the worm bin or worm bed should be special "Composting Worms" (red worms).Yep, composting worms are different from your native garden worms. Composting worms are worms that do not live directly in the soil, but rather live in organic matter (food source). Composting worms are the ideal addition to your home compost heap. They will help produce the best and fastest compost. Simply put, the fastest way to compost is by using worms.

The two most common home and commercial composting worms are the Red Wiggler, E. Foetida and the new arrival on the vermicompost scene, the European Nightcrawler or Belgian Leaf Worm, E. hortensis. Vermi-composting (worm composting), not only helps to improve the environment (and the compost), but can be used as a tremendous educational tool in schools. Composting worms are one of nature's most efficient recyclers, preferring an environment which is rich in organic matter, instead of soil. Composting worms, such as the species Eisenia foetida, are recognized as a powerful resource in waste mitigation both commercially and on the home front. Red worms are ideal to add to your home compost pile.

Red worms for Composting

Red wiggler worms, Eisenia foetida, red worms, manure worms, brown nose worms, tiger worms, or brandling worms as they are more commonly known, are important recyclers and make excellent worms for vermicomposting. Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is the accelerated decomposition of organic waste by using red worms in the process. In the worm bin, composting worms work as a group to break down organic matter into vermicast (that's worm poop). The hungry little critters will eat anything that was once alive, assuming that they can get their toothless mouth around or through it. Red worms, Eisenia foetida, are quite easy to keep in captivity. These composting worms are top feeders and tend to concentrate near the surface of the compost and/or organic matter in the bin.

Composting worms do not like living in the dirt. They make their living eating organic waste principally above ground moving to the bedding layers of the worm bin for rest or to get away from bad conditions in the food. A worm bin is a container used to hold the composting worms, worm bedding and food waste which the worms turn into rich compost. Indoor composting is dependent on red worms. They, when properly fed, will work overtime to transform your kitchen waste into rich black humus. Worm bins are designed for composting food wastes using red worms (Eisenia Foetida).The composting worms are prolific breeders, which can easily sustain large populations you can use to produce that wonderful organic fertilizer called worm castings (black gold).

Worms grown for commercial composting and waste processing are typically E. foetida because they are a tuff breed that tolerates poor conditions well. It is red worms that make composting indoors feasible because they are very efficient processors of organic waste. This earthworm species can consume half to all of their own weight every day when in a confined area like a vermicomposter (worm bin). Red worms have no eyes, but are able to sense vibrations, and blue or white light and many other relevant environmental conditions.

Indoor composting is dependent on red worms, which, properly fed, will work 24/7 to transform your kitchen waste into rich black loam (humus). Worm bins are designed for composting food wastes using red worms (Eisenia Foetida) whether indoors or out. Home composting with worms may lead some folks to become more involved with worm production, resulting in a move toward vermiculture. Vermiculture (worm farming) is a simple, natural way to produce your own red worms. Remember the prolific breeding part? Well that's how it happens, one worm bin becomes 2 worm bins and then, well, the rest is history and you have become a vermiculturist.

Worm composting requires a shady, cool place for your worms to live. When doing your outdoor bed or pile, putting it under a nice shady tree is a good idea. Protection from critters that like to eat worms is a must because the composting worms are top feeders; they tend to concentrate near the surface of the bedding, making them vulnerable to predation. Whether it's a bin inside or a bed or compost pile outside, a lid is a good thing. Don't forget what the early bird gets!

Worm Compost and Worm Castings

Worm composting is using worms to recycle food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost, worm compost or castings. Some things that are needed to make good worm compost are; a bin, bedding, worms, and worm food. Worms compost quickly: they can eat up to half their own body weight in waste material every day. Your worms actually consume the bedding as well as the food, so you may need to add more bedding as worm castings begin to fill the bottom layer. The wonderful thing about that is, what goes into the worms comes out as castings and harvesting worm castings is what worm composting is all about. Harvesting the castings means to empty the worm castings out of your worm bins (leave the worms). As the worms finish digesting they will migrate upward into the food above leaving rich castings behind and the cycle is repeated.

The result of their work in your bin, even a small bin, will be pounds of the glorious stuff and in the process; you recycle your kitchen scraps, help the environment, feed your plants and become the envy of the neighborhood.

The worms love it, you'll love it, and your plants will love it!

By: Rea Blossom

Cheia Vida by Alive Worldwide is a wonderful product and literally everyone I show it too loves it. It is a multi-functional drink that is a energy drink, a weight loss drink, Speeds metabolism, and is loaded with antioxidant support.

Cheia Vida has many ingredients harvested from the Amazon Rainforest in a very earth friendly way. The ingredients include Acia berries for total antioxidant support (even more antioxidants than orange juice or blueberries) and their are a host of other benefits of Acai you can read about on my website. Cheia Vida also contains Cha De burgre, a natural stimulant and mood enhancer that has long been known about in brazil and other countries but is new in the USA. Also it contains Yerba Mate, also a known natural mood lifting stimulant.

Also Cheia Vida contains Green tea another excellent source of many healthy ingredients. Cheia vida alo has anti-fungal properties and has a colon cleansing effect that is excellent.

Cheia Vida actually helps your body accept less fatty deposits from the food you eat while it controls your appetite making it the best weight loss product I've ever seen. In fact I've lost over ten pounds without really trying to. I was using it primarily for the energy boost effect, but found after a week and a half I lost over ten pounds.

This product is real and although it is a MLM company, Alive worldwide also supplies all of its associates with a retail website, with a simple shopping cart style for those not interested in the home business aspect. This way, you can buy Cheia Vida quick and simple without "joining" anything. Many of our distributors have had great success with these retail sites.

Alive Worldwide's MLM distributors are finding this product and company to be very easy to work with and the founder, Scotty Paulson has shown that her really cares about his people and makes them feel that they are being taken care of in a professional way. He does not claim you will get rich with no effort, rather he honestly tells everyone that they will get back what they put into their business. If you are a hard worker you will go far with Alive worldwide! You can learn more here: http://www.squidoo.com/raysgroup.

By: Raymond Noud

The perfect wedding is all about the perfect dress or gowns, looking good and sexy are every woman's dream especially on her ''wedding day''. Bridal gowns are available in different colors and sizes to compliment your personality. . The bridal gown you select for your wedding will probably be the most significant style decision you will have to make in your life.

Beach weddings are enormously beautiful but nature does give an element of insecurity. It's no surprise that beach weddings are becoming more and more popular. Beach Weddings also offers a beautiful ceremony for renewing your vows. When a wedding takes place on the beach, it is likely that the weather will be warm and dry. Brides with beach weddings in the past have worn anything from a white bathing suit and sarong to a full-blown princess style wedding gown with all the bridal trimmings. Most of the bridesmaid dresses out there were too formal and just too much for the beach.

When purchasing a wedding gown for the beach, there are a few things to keep in mind. Like any wedding, you get what is within your budget. This is when it would be a good idea to choose a wedding gown that is above the ankles. Also, if the weather is going to be very warm you may want to get a wedding gown that is made of light, thin material. Of course there are people who decide to have very traditional looking dresses even when the wedding is on the beach. The classic beach wedding dress is cool, casual, and relaxed, yet sexy and beautiful.

Beach wedding dresses tend to be much simpler and no-frills affairs given the surroundings, that is why some brides prefer not to spend too much on designer dresses. Beach wedding dresses have to lightweight, comfortable (no air conditioning out there) and accentuate your beach wedding theme. Beach wedding dresses should be relatively informal, but they can still look like real wedding dresses. But finding the perfect beach wedding dress can pose some challenge

Florida's beaches are the best exotic weddings locations on earth. A Florida beach wedding is a stress-free and romantic way to kick off your new life with the person of your dreams. The unique setting of a Florida beach wedding opens up possibilities when it comes to the clothing worn by the bride and the rest of the wedding party. . A dress made from a light material that covers your shoulders is a good choice, keeping you cool while protecting you from sun exposure during your Florida beach wedding. Choosing the Right Bridal Party Attire for your Florida Beach Wedding is same standards for choosing a bridal gown for a Florida beach wedding apply for bridesmaids' dresses as well.

Are you looking for bridesmaid dresses for a beach wedding? Order your bridal dress and gowns now at very affordable prices from a wide range of collection in different style and cut in www.FashionGalleryLive.com All these bridal dresses are elegant, sexy and stylish made for today's bride who loves to look good and sexy.

By: M. Ali Shodiqin

(ARA) – When most people undertake a painting project, it’s not the actual painting that they dread, it is the preparation. And when preparation means removing wallpaper, it’s particularly difficult. If your dated wallpaper bothers you, but you keep finding excuses to avoid the project, it’s time to take charge. Removing wallpaper doesn’t have to be difficult.

“There are a variety of tools that professionals use to help make painting jobs go faster,” comments Denis Tierney, a Product Manager at Wagner Spray Tech, an industry leader in painting technology. “Wallpaper was popular in the past but today much of it is old and people want to remove it without having a lot of hassle. With the right steps, it won’t be a job that you’ll loath.”

When it comes to stripping wallpaper, there are a variety of techniques, but some are easier than others. First, take a look at the wall you will be working with. Prepare the area by moving furniture from the room or at least moving it to the middle. Cover furniture and flooring at the bottom of the wall because the glue from the wallpaper is very sticky and can be difficult to remove once on fabric or carpet.

Using a steamer can be a huge time saver and is a popular wallpaper removal tool for professionals and interior designers alike. Steamers can be rented or purchased. Because they can be used for multiple tasks, such as cleaning tile, stove tops and other sanitizing purposes, it might be a great time to invest in one for your home.

For example, the new Wagner 905 Power Steamer is a pressurized system that removes wallpaper up to 20 percent faster than other steamers, saving you time. This steamer works without chemicals so you can be proud you aren’t putting additional waste into the environment or into the air you are breathing.

Start by scoring the wallpaper. Remember, you don’t want to damage the wall underneath so it is ideal to invest in a special scoring tool that properly perforates the wallpaper before steaming and stripping.

Next, apply steam to the wallpaper and slowly pull the paper to remove it from the wall. If your wallpaper is old, one swipe might be all you need for removal as older adhesives can be more susceptible to moisture. Newer wallpaper has better glue technology and might be more difficult and require additional scoring and steam application.

After you remove a piece of wallpaper, it is a good idea to take a damp, warm rag and gently wipe the area to remove excess glue that might remain on the wall. If the glue begins to harden, simply soften it with a quick swipe of your steamer.

Allow time for the wall to properly dry. Once dry, examine any dents or damages that have affected the wall while the wallpaper was applied or as it was being removed. This is the time to repair any damaged areas to ensure the best looking results. Use putty or plaster on any larger holes and consider priming the entire wall prior to painting. Once the wall is clean and smooth, you have a new canvas on which to paint your home’s personality.

By: AWC Staff