Gold Rush 1849 – Where the news is good as gold

CITE: Forbes.com

Can you make a good living working in retail? Yes, it is possible. The stores that are touted for the best customer service, such as Sephora USA and Nordstrom, are the companies that pay their employees the highest. When an employee is paid well it stands to reason that he is going to do a better job.

In addition to salaries, compensation and benefits are important. Those companies that recognize this get better performing employees. Some of the perks of working in retail for a company that does right by its employees include great employee discounts along with good pay and commission-based sales, which is certainly an incentive to hit the floor running.

A company wants and needs its employees to provide great customer service so they are willing to pay nicely for the right employee who meets these needs. When customer service is forthcoming this does a lot of the sales.

Additionally, when employees are given valuable training, are able to be promoted within the company and receive performance-based evaluations this makes a huge difference in their work efficacy.

The last thing a company wants is for a customer to turn away because she has not been treated in a nice and professional manner. It is very difficult to win a customer back if he has had a bad experience with a salesperson or any employee of the company. The sales people and their attitude make all the difference.

Consumers often encounter less-than-accommodating behavior from salespeople and other employees and it is certainly enough to turn the consumer off from that particular store forever more.

When working in a well-paying retail job, this type of behavior is certainly not going to be tolerate by management, who will learn of it sooner or later, and out the door you go because you were having a snotty day and copped an attitude with a customer.

High-paying retailers expect their employees to rise to the occasion and be pleasant and helpful to all customers, even the annoying one,  even when the employee be having a bad day. You do what you have to do to keep your good-paying job and that includes putting a smile on your face and going the extra mile to help the customer and, of course, make the sale.

Not everyone is capable of being a good salesperson. Companies owners and recruiters realize that and they make every effort to weed out potential employees who probably won’t be able to cut the mustard and hire those that seemed suited for this occupation. These retail stores are willing to “put their money where their mouth is” so they can keep the best employees working for them.

MY TAKE:

Getting and keeping a good job in retail, or in any industry, requires that the employee exceed expectations and contributes in such a way that the higher-ups recognize this employee’s worth and value. It’s always a good idea to make a good impression, as soon as possible, on those within the company who do the hiring and firing.

CITE: Businessdegreeonline.net

It is truly advantageous to get a degree in business? Yes. Employers recognize a business degree as an educational advancement. This degree allows an individual to make more money, receive promotions and avail himself of more career options.

Many young people, and even those who are older, are seeking business degrees or degrees in economics, as well as master’s degrees in business administration because they realize the perks of having this degree.

The majority of business courses include finance, business strategy, commerce, operations, manufacturing, information technology, marketing, accounting and entrepreneurship. The business student learns vital skills that can be applied to any industry including communications skills, how to lead, problem solving, teamwork, report writing, data analysis, computer literacy, numeracy and time management.

It is very common for an individual who has a bachelor’s degree to return to school after entering the workforce to get a degree in business because he realizes the benefits of doing such.

Those with degrees in business receive higher salaries or about 16 percent more than the average salary, after one year of employment, of all other degrees. In fact, those with a bachelor’s degree in business can make on average $20,000 more per year than their counterparts who do not have business degrees. Even better is having a master’s degree in business. This can raise your income by  $31,000 per year compared to those who do not have a business degree. The person with a master’s degree in business is going to make $1.3 million more in his lifetime than the person who only has high school diploma.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, seven out of the top 25 highest paying jobs in 2008 required that the employee had a master’s degree in business administration or some other business degree.

Those wanting to work in consulting or management services need a business degree. This is the quickest growing industry in the country.

MY TAKE:

If you still need convincing that a business degree is the way to go, keep in mind that a business degree enables you to specialize in one area or you can explore various aspects of maintaining and developing businesses and dealing with finance. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit a business degree might be the perfect degree for you and your future career.

The individual with a business degree can work in almost any field. The holders of business degrees are generally taught in school to communicate effectively and are exposed to the whole picture of business, including human resources and marketing strategies.

Business degrees are comprehensive and flexible so you have a chance to choose from a wide range of career options. Business degree graduates are often recruited right out of college so you are quickly employed and bringing in some income.

CITE: National Mental Health America

Many individuals suffer from mental disorders or poor mental health. Some of them fall through the cracks and aren’t treated in a timely fashion or at all while others fail to recognize their own illness and as a consequence don’t seek help. Not getting treatment can have devastating consequences.

When a person has good mental health he is emotionally well and has good cognitive function. Mental health is described as a state of well being in which a person knows his own abilities and is able to cope with the various stresses in life. This person is able to work productively and contributes to his community. However, it is often easier to describe mental illness rather than mental health, which can be a subjective judgment. Sometimes mental health is described simply as the absence of a mental illness.

Having good mental health means that a person is safe and secure, is capable of self actualization which means the person makes the best of what he has and is able to rebound from adversity, enjoy life and achieves balance by doing things in moderation.

When a person has optimal wellness he is able to find purpose and meaning in his life and lives to the fullest extent while maximizing his potential in a variety of ways. When an individual is able to achieve a balance between emotions, physical- and intellectual wellness and spiritual fulfillment, this equals true wellness.

Unfortunately a person who has a mental illness and who has low socio-economic status is less likely than someone with higher socioeconomic status to seek and receive treatment. Those with lower levels of education have greater risk of experiencing poor mental health and will also have lower self esteem than someone who has more education. So in a nutshell, the poorer and less educated a person the less likely that this person is going to receive the treatment he needs to get better and become functional and productive.

There was once a great stigma about having a mental health problem but that is no longer the case. It is widely recognized that many people have mental problems and it is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. There are medications available to help those with mental issues and the afflicted can also avail themselves of counseling and therapy. Talking about it is going to help. Pretending that there isn’t a problem is not going to help.

MY TAKE:

If you or a loved one is suffering from a mental health problems or experiencing a crisis there are organizations that can help you. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a 24-hour toss-free crisis hotline (1-800-273-TALK.) For survivors of abuse, there is The Child-Help USA (1-800-422-4453.) In the areas where 211 is available, you can call this number and will be connected with mental health crises services in the area in which you live.

Most communities now have mental health centers. Look in your phone book or call the operator for help. These centers provide excellent help and information as well as treatment that anyone can afford. Most charge on a sliding scale so don’t forgo mental health treatment because you don’t think you can afford it. You can.

CITE: Child development-guide.com

When a young child is given manipulative toys, this helps his fine motor skills develop quicker. Fine motor skills refer to the coordination of small muscle movements in the fingers, for example, in coordination with the eyes. The term dexterity is used when coordination and motor skills involving the hands and fingers are referred to.

Infants are not born with fine motor skills but they quickly develop them particularly if someone routinely works and interacts with them and gives them the proper toys to play with.

Early on, babies start grabbing at objects. This is a primitive gesture. As time passes, babies start to be more exact in their activities and when this happens good eye-hand coordination is required.

When a human uses small muscles that control the fingers, hands and thumbs this is considered a fine motor skill. If a person does not have fine motor skills he won’t be able to write, button his clothing or draw.

When a baby gets older, he becomes more capable of doing tasks that require the use of both hands. When you give your child toys that encourage grabbing, reaching and inserting pieces into one another this helps the child hone his fine motor skills. Fine motor skills usually develop to such a degree that a child can model clay, draw and learn to sculpt.

When a child is given a manipulative toy this helps him develop his fine motor skills. Handling a manipulative toy requires that the child use his hands and eyes.  As a result, this type of toys encourages the development of fine motor skills because the child has to control his hands and finger muscles.

A puzzle, is, for example, a manipulative toy and it is self-correcting which means if the child doesn’t put the right piece in the right place it doesn’t work. The child must figure it out on his own and generally does.

Another excellent example of a manipulative toy is Play Doh, which can be rolled, squeezed, pounded and manipulated. Handling Play Doh strengthens the child’s fingers and hands.

Eventually a child becomes so competent that he can dress himself, button his clothes, use a zipper and tie his shoe strings. And then he moves on to scribbling, painting, printing and writing in cursive. Encouraging your child to draw is a wonderful way to improve his fine motor skills.

If you child is just starting to use draw, give her 3-D tetrahedral shaped crayons because they are designed for her hand size and are easier to use, giving her more control. Buy primer pencils for your young child because they are thick and easier for a little kid to handle.

MY TAKE:

Manipulative toys do not have to be some expensive item bought at the toy store. Give your child pots and pans to play with or a nest of plastic bowls. Children love playing with measuring spoons and cups and blocks. Kids have loved blocks since the beginning of time and that has not changed. They can stack them and then, of course, knock them over with great glee.

Play with your children. Talk to them. Tell them the names of the objects. Bang the pots with a spoon. Make loud noises. Feel different textures and discuss what you are feeling. The best gift a parent can give their young child is their time and attention. Encourage your child to be creative and to investigate his surroundings, within reason.

CITE: Nil2million.com

Teenagers and college students, for the most part, are not very savvy about finances. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and some people are wonderful money managers from the time they are nine. However, for the most part, parents can only roll their eyes in despair, explain finances to the their children, once again, reminding them that there isn’t a money tree in the back yard and hope for the best.

It would be ideal if kids were taught financial management in high school or college but they aren’t. So, when the child gets some money, a college loan, for example, or an inheritance, they don’t always manage it in the best fashion. Case in point: They go on a spending spree and then don’t have enough money left over to finish out the quarter or semester.

And it is not as though these teens and college kids don’t know how to do math. They do. They simply do not put much thought or effort into how to manage their money because they were never required to.  That is the fault of the parents.

The first thing that young adults must learn is self control when it comes to finances. They have got to control their impulse spending, because it can get you in a barrel of trouble.

Another thing young adults must realize is that loading up a credit card is going to come back and haunt them for a very long time and may very well ruin their credit.

The basic rule of thumb: Your expenses should not exceed your income. If a student knows that he has such-and-such money for one term, he needs to take the time to divide that amount by how many days or weeks that are in that semester and come up with the amount of money he is able to spend without going overboard. He must factor in rent, food, utilities and the cost of books or essentials first and what is left over can be spent on “fun stuff.”

Young adults needs to overcome instant gratification attitude. You can’t always have what you want when you want it. If an individual does not learn to rein in this impulse it’s going to create financial problems for him his entire life.

All parents should take the time, before your child heads off to school, to have a serious conversation about money. Explain to them in no uncertain terms that credit card debt is brutal and can ruin one’s life.

Ideally, an 18-year-old should open up an IRA and start contributing to it. Not many do but if they did they would have a very nice nest egg in the future.  Granted, it is hard for young people to envision themselves at the age of 40 or 50 or heaven’s forbid 80. Tell them that they will get there, if they are lucky, and if they are smart they can start accumulating now for the future. No one wants to be a poverty stricken 80-year-old but it happens.

The day-to-day purchases that young people make, and some older people, are what do them in. They fritter away masses amount of money eating fast food or buying a pair of jeans here and a sweater there. Before they know it, all of their money is going, although it did not go in one fell swoop.

MY TAKE:

Talk to your children and talk some more. Hound them if you have. Parents do bail their kids out BUT they shouldn’t do it every time of the child is never going to learn to fend for himself and rein in his compulsive spending habits. There has got to be a straw that breaks the camel’s back. Sooner or later the parent has to say NO MORE MONEY! If you are still bailing out your 30-year-old son, you’ve got trouble on your hands.

CITE: Raisingchildren.net

Parents used to complain about their children watching too much TV and that progressed to issues about too much time spent playing video games on to …. too much time spent on the Internet, on their cell phone,  texting, etc. and so on. Yes, a child came devote too much time to these activities at the expense of physical activity and interacting with family and friends but on the plus side technology can be advantageous to a child. The child needs to strike a healthy balance, which is hard to do, especially if they love tinkering with technology. This is where the parent or parents have to jump in and curtail activities if the parents thinks too much time is being devote to one thing.

It is hard for a parent to decipher what technology is good for their child, what is too much and what restraints should be placed on their use. There is so much for today’s parents to worry about, which parents from previous generations did not have to deal with, although they had specific issues of their own that were inherent in a different time and era.

According to Raisingchildren.net, the majority of parents believe that video games can have a good effect on their children when they are played within reason (not all the time.) Video games do improve hand-eye coordination, motor skills, creativity and problem solving skills, according to the majority of parents that were interviewed. Many parents enjoy playing video games with their kids.

How a child benefits from technology, including watching TV, depends on his age and what he is watching. Social networking sites can be beneficial but they can also be detrimental, particularly if cyber bullying is going on, which can have horrible ramifications. A parent needs to be involved with his child and that child’s use of media so that he is using it to its best advantage.

Using media can teach a young child his letters and numbers, particularly watching shows such as Sesame Street or playing computer games that are educationally-oriented. When a child watches a show where the characters are exhibiting helpful and cooperative behavior they learn to emulate this good behavior.

Older children can hone their critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities when they play computer games. Children must read in order to follow instructions so game-playing improves reading skills. The creative benefits of technology include exposure to the arts and music. For older children, social and political awareness is increased when they read the news online or watch the news on TV.

MY TAKE:

If a parent doesn’t supervise his child at all in his use of technology this may not have a good outcome. The child may get immersed in things he shouldn’t be involved in or exposed to.  Technology is a way of life, now, and alth0ugh parents and grandparents may not be completely comfortable with it they can’t avoid it. Talk to your child about what he’s doing. Ask him to explain it to you. Play games with him. Keep the lines of communication open, which isn’t always easy when they get older and secretive.

CITE: U.S. Legalforms.com

If you have been named “power of attorney” (POA) by a family member or friend this means that you are an “agent” or “attorney-in-fact” and have the legal authority to make decisions for the “principal,” who is the person who appointed you POA. It may be that the “principal” is unwell or fears imminent incapacitation due to health problems and doesn’t feel that he can make decisions any longer thus the need to appoint a trusted person as POA.

The person or principal who is appointing the POA determines exactly how much power the attorney-in-fact has. The POA or attorney-in-fact may only be given authority to deal with one specific issue, which is a specific power of attorney, or can be given the authority to handle most of the principal’s financial and personal matter (a general power of attorney).

Once appointed POA, you will be required to make decisions about finances, health care decisions, including the huge responsibility of deciding on giving-, withholding- or stopping medical treatments, diagnostic procedures and services. In fact, a separate “health care or medical POA” can be created, which specifically gives the attorney-in-fact the power to deal with medical issues and nothing else.

A medical power of attorney is appointed via a document that is signed by an individual who is an adult and competent and who specifies a person that he trust to make health care decisions for him in the event that he can’t make them himself.

As soon as the document is executed and delivered to the agent, or the medical POA, it goes into effect and remains in effect indefinitely unless a specific termination date is included in the document or the POA status is revoked or the principal becomes competent and capable of making his own medical decisions.

The agent, or the person designed as medical POA, can not make health care decisions that the principal objects to. This holds true regardless of the principal’s competence. If he says “no” then it is “no.”

The medical power of attorney is given quite a wide berth; however, he cannot decide that the principal needs to be committed to a mental institution, should undergo psycho-surgery or convulsive treatment, receive an abortion or neglect comfort care.

Medical power of attorney can be revoked as easily as orally or in writing telling the principal’s health care provider that principal intends to revoke the medical POA.

MY TAKE:

Appointing a POA is a wise move on the part of someone who is elderly, perhaps in poor health and deems himself incapable of making certain decisions or judgments. However, the person who is appointed POA has to be a trustworthy and honorable character, and, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, which can lead to havoc. Fortunately, POA status can be revoked. The principal, or the individual who bestowed POA status on an individual can take it away.

CITE: Helpguide.org

Step-parenting can be a challenge

Step-families are now called blended families, which is a more politically-correct way of saying the same thing. And no one is going to kid you that this is an easy situation that you’re going to breeze through, even for those men and women who are totally on board. For those of you who have reservations it is going to be even more difficult.

Don’t beat yourself up because you don’t love your partner’s children. It takes time and it may never happen, but it might. It’s usually best when a parent waits two years or more before remarrying after a divorce because otherwise the children are going to be bombarded with several major lifestyle changes, and this is going to make them nuts and what could you expect? They’re kids and their life as they knew it has been pulled out from underneath them.

Before you marry the woman or man (and their children) discuss with your future spouse how you plan to parent, advises Helpguide.org, although you may not have a clue if you have never parented before. Start thinking about it.

Don’t expect the children to fall for your charms immediately. It takes time. However, you can still invest a lot of time, energy, affection and love in them and some day they may return the feelings. Don’t expect things to be great right from the get-go because that’s not realistic. There are going to be some bumps ahead. However, do insist that the children respect you. They may not like you, but they have to treat you respectfully. If they don’t, you and their parent have a lot of talking to do.

Know in advance that boys are apt to accept a step father more readily than girls, and girls are likely to be uncomfortable if their step father shows physical displays of affection so be careful about that.

On the one hand, there have been step-fathers and step-mothers since the beginning of time and sometimes the relationship goes swimmingly. That is a possibility, you know.

According to Rod Smith of Difficult Relationships, getting Annie or Scottie a new daddy or mommy, although they are probably perfectly content with the old one who no longer lives with them, is not a panacea, and it won’t cure them of their anger or distress over their parents’ divorce. Mother’s new marriage and new husband or father’s new marriage an new wife are not going to fix anything but are more likely to expose and intensify underlying problems that already exist.

We hear you. Just great, you’re thinking.

It is crucial that you share with your girlfriend or boyfriend your apprehensions and reluctance about being a step-parent. You cannot  be skittish about having this conversation. It will be disastrous if you don’t and you go ahead and get married and then tell your spouse that you don’t like being a parent. What do you expect your spouse to do? Give the kids to the ex? That’s probably not going to happen, and you shouldn’t want it to. If you really love your new wife or husband, you know what the kids mean to them. No spouse should ever be forced to give up his/her children to appease a new spouse.

Rod Smith of Difficult Relationships recommends that you have several “hard” talks with your future spouse about the merging of the family. This is going to be difficult, the talk and the blending of families, but it’s going to be even harder if you don’t do it now.

MY TAKE:

Other words of wisdom

Do not take on the role of the step-parent until you legally are the child’s step parent. In other words, do not assume a role that you do not occupy. Do not allow anyone to push you into a role that you are not ready to occupy. However, you need to be ready to occupy it once you say “I do.” Even if your girlfriend or boyfriend’s children treat you as if you are their father or mother it does not mean that you are their parent, yet.

As much as you hate the thought of it, get together with your girlfriend or boyfriend and the ex and discuss the situation. Do this before you get married. Talk about how all three of you are going to co-parent the children. It may go well. It may not. However, it’s better to do it now rather than waiting until after the wedding.

CITE: Mayo Clinic

There are some things in life that you would rather not talk about or know about and don’t want to experience. You certainly don’t want someone looking at or poking around in it.  This is not a reference to your business but rather … hemorrhoids.

Oh, the dreaded, ghastly, life-ruining hemorrhoids.

There is nothing pleasant about this topic. There is no way to pretty it up. The fact that you have to sit on them is, however, the straw that eventually breaks the camel’s back, and you find yourself at the doctor’s office, begging for relief because you cannot tolerate it anymore.

Men and women both get hemorrhoids. Women may sprout them while giving birth because the pressure down there is so intense that hemorrhoids can pop out on the spot. Hauling around 30 extra pounds and experiencing constipation during pregnancy also sets up a female for a whopping case of “piles” as they used to be called.

Truck drivers get hemorrhoids because they sit so much and for such long periods of time.

People who regularly lift and lug heavy objects get hemorrhoids because of the strain.

Someone who is prone to constipation is likely to develop hemorrhoids because of all the straining and pushing involved. Regular anal sex can lead to hemorrhoids.

Some claim, jokingly, when they can summon the humor that hemorrhoids are God’s punishment for something they’ve done in a former lifetime, and it must’ve been really, really bad!

Hemorrhoids can be so ghastly that they bring grown man to tears. Having a bowel movement when you are suffering from hemorrhoids is excruciating. Sitting on hard surfaces is equally painful. You will suffer when you walk. It’s a no-win situation.

Many older people have hemorrhoids because the tissues in the anus and rectum that support the veins weaken and stretch as you age.

You need to find yourself a good butt doctor, namely a proctologist, because these bad boys aren’t going to go away on their own. Oh, the pain may ebb and flow, but if you’ve got a bad case of piles, you are going to need medical attention.

Hemorrhoids are veins in the anus that become inflamed and swollen and often bleed. You can have external or internal hemorrhoids or both. An external hemorrhoid looks kind of like a glob of grapes hanging out of your rectum.

The reason external hemorrhoids are so awfully painful is because your butt tissue is covered in nerve endings. The hemorrhoid can be soft and located around the anal entrance, or it can become a thrombosed hemorrhoid, which means a blood clot occurs and the lump becomes hard. Soft or hard, neither is pleasant.

Internal hemorrhoids may not be as painful, but they can bleed when you are going to the bathroom. It is possible for an internal hemorrhoid to become prolapsed, which means it is pushed to the outside. You can shove a prolapsed hemorrhoid back inside, using your hand.

If you haven’t yet reached the stage where you are ready to pick up the phone and call a surgeon, there are things that you can do that will give you some relief.

Take a warm bath. This reduces swelling and inflammation. Put a cold compress against the hemorrhoids. Use OTC hemorrhoid creams or suppositories. Use wet wipes when you wipe your rear end because this isn’t as irritating to the hemorrhoids as is toilet paper.

If nothing has worked for you, there are surgical treatments available. One kind is called ligation. A rubber band is wrapped around the external hemorrhoid. This cuts off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid, and it dies and falls off. This procedure is not pleasant, but all things are relative. It isn’t going to kill you, but you are going to experience some pain, and you will feel like you need to have a bowel movement after the rubber band is wrapped around the hemorrhoid.

Ask your physician about sclerotherapy. A chemical solution is injected into the vein, and this causes the hemorrhoid to shrink. Another process involves using a laser to burn off or shrivel up the hemorrhoid tissue. This is called coagulation.

If you have protruding hemorrhoids or permanently prolapsed hemorrhoids, you may require surgery, which requires hospitalization. The aftermath of hemorrhoid surgery is no walk in the park, but you will eventually heal and feel 1,000 percent better than you did before the surgery. Yes, the first bowel movement post-surgery is going to have you crying out for mama, but you will survive. Sob if you have to. You won’t be the first man to do so post-hemorrhoid surgery.
If you don’t have hemorrhoids, or you just had hemorrhoid surgery and don’t ever want to experience them again you can prevent the appearance or reappearance of them by eating better. Eat whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Whole grains make your stool bulkier, which makes it easier to go to the bathroom.

If you have to go to the bathroom go. Don’t postpone it. When you do this, the stool becomes dry and hardens, and it is hard to excrete it.

Drink a lot of water and fluids because this makes your stool softer and easier to pass. Try not to sit so much. Get up and walk. When you sit or stand for too long this puts pressure on the veins in your anus. Exercising helps you stay regular.

MY TAKE:

Now you know the score. Do not ignore your hemorrhoids (how can you?) Get treatment as soon as possible. Change your lifestyle so that you aren’t as sedentary, which should help relieve constipation. Eat better. Be kind to your butt. OTC salves and medications will help but if you have nth degree hemorrhoids, and you will know if you do, you have to see a doctor. One of the options named above is going to be the solution to your problem. When we say “Pain in the butt” we mean it.