Gerald Ford and James Brown: We Hardly Knew Ye

I find it fascinating that our nation is mourning two famous individuals whom hardly anybody knew. People all across America are talking about President Ford and James Brown in glowing and endearing terms, almost as if the two of them had been our next-door neighbors. Only they weren't, but it doesn't seem to matter. We mourn their deaths because both of them were important to us as a nation. President Ford took over when President Nixon resigned, at a crucial point in our history. We had just suffered through Watergate, the worst example of political incompetence and graft we had ever seen. We were wounded as a nation, and Gerry Ford became our First Healer. James Brown came around when Afro-Americans in America were disenfranchised, when music in this country truly sounded like "white-bread." He revolutionized the musical industry, and we are a better and a more sophisticated country thanks to his efforts.

But aside from those who were personally involved with them, most Americans did not know, nor ever meet, either one of these larger-than-life individuals. And yet, we mourn them as if we had known them. What's going on here?

I will call it "The If Factor." In short, what goes through our minds and hearts when a famous person dies is: "if they could do it, so can I." Both President Ford and James Brown were "little people," just like you and me. Their roots were nothing special, neither one was born into wealth or guaranteed success, yet both of them became men who achieved personal fulfillment, and were revered by others for what they had accomplished. You and I look at them with longing, as if to say: why can't I do what they did? What is stopping me from rising up and becoming an influence in this world? Surely I have gifts and talents, as they did, so "if" they could change the word, so can I!"

So what do we really mourn? The fact that they died? Yes, and that is perfectly normal Their deaths are a loss to this country. But what else do we mourn? Do we mourn that we cannot rise to greatness like they did, that we are powerless to achieve because _________(you fill in the blank with why you think you're stuck)? If so, stop mourning and start living--remember, "if" they could do it, so can we!

Know the Signs of Menopause

Menopause is the end of menstruation and fertility in women. It is a natural process not a medical illness. But the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause can disrupt your life in many ways. It can affect your sleep, take your energy, trigger feelings of sadness and loss, and many other things.

Hormone changes are the cause of the physical symptoms of menopause. Mistake beliefs and myths are mostly to blame for the emotion symptoms. Menopause does not mean that the end is near and your going to pass, it only means you still have half your life to go. Menopause will also not take away your femininity and sexuality. Actually, you may find it more relieving to not have a period monthly, not to mention worry about getting pregnant anymore.

Menopause is not an illness but that does not mean that you don't have to get treatment for it. If you have severe symptoms that are interfering with your life you may want to consider getting help. There is a lot available for treatments; from simple changes in your every day living to hormone therapy, to alternative solutions.

Signs of menopause are irregular periods, decreased fertility, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleep disruption, mood swings, increased abdominal fat, and thinning hair. There is no way of knowing which period is going to be your last. You have to wait till your 12 months after your last period. Then you have officially hit menopause.

Menopause is divided into stages; perimenopause and postmenopause. Perimenopause is when you begin experiencing the signs and symptoms of menopause even though you are still getting periods. Hormone levels rise and fall unevenly. Hot flashes and other symptoms may occur. This stage may last for 4 to five years. Postmenopause is when the 12 months have past after your last period. Ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone and do not release eggs.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the symptoms of menopause. To cool hot flashes you can get regular exercise, dressing in layers, and trying to pinpoint what is triggering your hot flashes. For some women spicy or hot foods, alcohol, and hot weather are triggers. Using a lubricant to alleviate vaginal dryness should be a simple solution. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will help with any urinary issues that may be menopause related.

Taking a dietary supplement will help to balance your hormones and boost your health. Herbal supplements such as Dong Quai, licorice, chastleberry, evening primrose oil and wild yam will help with calming menopausal symptoms. Alternative Health Supplements offers a variety of products to health with menopause symptoms.

Avoid caffeine and exercising during the day will help with sleep problems, as well as using relaxation techniques. Deep breathing and relaxation tapes may help. Quit smoking, it may increase your hot flashes and bring an early menopause. Eating a balanced diet will help with keeping you healthy and your immune system healthy. And lastly, get regular check ups with your doctor, talk with them about how often you should have mammograms, paps, lipid levels checked, and other tests that may need to be done.

Easing the Transition to a Nursing Home

Moving to a long-term care facility can be difficult, but there are a number of steps that family members can take to ease the transition. By taking an empathetic stance and considering your loved one's emotions, you can choose actions that are both comforting and appropriate.

Fear and loss of control are two of the most common feelings among those admitted to nursing homes. To help your loved one combat those feelings, make sure that he or she is kept well-informed about what is going on. To the greatest extent possible, keep your loved one involved in the decision-making process. Where that isn't possible, offer explanations as to why things can't be done in the manner that he or she prefers. When it comes to choosing the home, make every effort to accommodate preferences, except in cases where safety could be compromised.

Feelings of anger or abandonment are not uncommon among those admitted to long-term care facilities. As with many things, when it comes to addressing feelings of those feelings, actions speak louder than words. Show your loved one that you intend to play an active role in his or her life, regardless of who takes care of the primary care duties. Visit often, and encourage other family members to do the same. If possible, make an effort to bring your loved one to family birthdays and holiday parties. The only way to alleviate feelings of abandonment is to prove that they have no merit.

Anger can be more difficult to deal with, but in most cases, the best course of action is to let it go. Just as parents understand when their teenagers proclaim their hatred for the parents, you need to understand that anger may be a necessary step for your loved one. If you continue to provide love and support, those feelings should pass in time. If they don't, a counselor or religious advisor may be able to help.

With many nursing home residents, there is a great deal of sadness. Dealing with chronic pain or illness can be a difficult reminder of things to come. Religious beliefs may be called into question, and many residents become very depressed. If a spouse has already died, the resident may feel like giving up. These are not signs of mental illness as much as they are signs of normal reactions to very difficult circumstances.

Instead of trying to make feelings of sadness go away, try to divert your loved one's thoughts to happy memories and enjoyable hobbies. Work at making your loved one feel warmth and love for the remainder of his or her days. Working together on a scrapbook or family photo album can be an enjoyable activity that calls to mind hundreds of good memories. It also helps your loved one feel that he or she is leaving something behind that the family can enjoy for years to come.

Show your support, understanding and caring for one another during this time, and be reassuring, making organized plans for who will visit and how often, and arrange some activities together to look forward to in the near future.

The move to a nursing home represents a stage of life that requires many changes, but the elderly person still has a vital role in the family and should be reminded of this as often as possible. By working together, a successful transition is indeed possible, and can serve to strengthen family bonds and create new precious memories.

Find out what services are offered by the nursing home in the way of allowing a gradual introduction to the facility before the move. Are there meetings you can attend together, social activities, or other means of helping your elderly family member to feel more comfortable and confident ahead of time? Psychological preparation, and a clear sense of what to expect will help you all figure out how to make a successful transition to a nursing home.

Oddly enough, the hardest part of moving to a nursing home may be dealing with the change in scenery. After many years in a family home, an institutional environment can feel harsh and unwelcoming. Helping your loved one to personalize his or her room can go a long way towards making it feel like home. Family photos, favorite plants, and familiar blankets and pillows can make a room more personal. A small stereo or headset with favorite music might be helpful to some residents, and many facilities will even allow family members to bring a beloved pet in for visits.

Helping the staff get to know your loved one can also help make the transition easier. While it is important to ensure that medical information gets to those who need it, try sharing some personal facts, too. If your loved one had a particular love for gardening, you may find that a nurse on staff has the same interest. Those types of connections can make a nursing home feel more like a regular home.

Just as every resident is different, every transition is different. You may find that your loved one's needs are different than someone else's, and you might make mistakes, but the fact that you are making an effort is the most important part of all.

Hope Quotes

There is nothing like hope quotes to bring us away from the brink of despair in the midst of tragedy or depressing times. That is the idea (sort of) behind this man's book, though I think that his hope is of too much of a political slant and not enough of true hope for the world. To me true hope cannot be brought by the hope quotes of a political party or political opinion, or even by a great political philosopher. If it could, then wouldn't the hope quotes of the many, many politicians of this world's history have changed the world to a much better one than what we have now. Of course, on that logic one could argue that without the hope quotes that have already been given the world that it would be a much worse place, but that is a philosophical argument for another day.

While I understand the importance that politics have played in the history of both our culture and country and the world at large, and certainly hope quotes have been important, I feel that it would take something more than what everybody is already doing and relying on to change the world from the path that it is headed down to one that is more promising, more enlightening, and better for us all.

Perhaps part of that is because there has been left much room to doubt the authenticity of many of the world's hope quotes. While I don't doubt the sincerity of the hope quotes of most of the great thinkers, writers, and speakers of both our age and all previous ones, one can't help but wonder at times whether these hope quotes are inspired purely by a desire to be of use to one's people and to the world, or whether they are inspired by a fear of being obliterated by history's passing after one's death and the subsequent urge to prolifically create and share as many of these quotes as possible in the hope that the more one puts out there the longer one's memory will live in the hearts, minds, and historical annals of the people. Often, it seems, contributions to society originate in a weak human grasp at immortality.

Perhaps instead of pursuing immortality through personal history, like becoming famous, writing popular books, or single-handedly raising and destroying governments, we ought instead to be pursuing this eternal effect on the world by learning how to live and love appropriately. Perhaps by leaving an indelible legacy of love on the lives of those we touch during our brief existence we can mold them to do the same. Perhaps our own little words and actions of love can be the quotes that change the world. Not in a big, glamorous way, but in the way a thousand individual grains of rice pile together to tip the scale in their direction.

Nevada Corporations

California Business Magazine, ranked Nevada's business climate #1 over-all, and Money Magazine ranked Nevada's tax climate the third lowest in state & local tax burden.

Significant changes to the Nevada Private Corporation Law have been enacted, by the Nevada Legislature. The changes were implemented in order to increase the flexibility and attractiveness of Nevada corporate law, and to represent a continuation of Nevada's increasingly successful effort to attract corporations to that state.

Currently, Nevada corporations offer outstanding and unique opportunities for privacy, protection, and profits by taking advantage of Nevada state tax and business laws in the following areas:

1. No State Corporate tax on profits or major annual fees 2. No State personal income tax 3. Protection from personal liability 4. Stockholders' name are not public 5. Directors can change corporate bylaws 6. Stockholders are not required to be U.S. Citizens 7. An individual can be sole President, Secretary, and Treasurer

Additionally, Nevada is the only state without a reciprocal information exchange program with the Internal Revenue Service, thereby rendering it especially attractive to some corporations or individuals who want to legally protect their privacy.

Corporate reporting requirements in Nevada are very attractive in that only the names and addresses of officers, directors and resident agent are required on an annual basis, and the annual list of individuals may change after the filing date. Meetings can be held anywhere in the world, at the option of the directors, and the tax deductible expenses can be paid by the corporation.

A very effective and useful Asset Protection vehicle would entail the use of a Nevada Corporation. The specific arrangement would depend on your particular circumstances, business activity, and the type of assets owned. If you are engaged in any business or if you own property, we recommend that you take necessary steps to arrange your affairs in order to maximize the income tax, estate planning, and lawsuit protection techniques currently available.

How To Relieve Your Back Pain With Proper Footwear

Back pain is one of the most common ailments among Americans. Whether it is a chronic pain, a spasm, or a mixture of both, back pains are never a fun experience.

There are a lot of different reasons why people get back pain. This could include the fact that they have a strenuous job that includes a lot of lifting, or that they are not wearing the proper support at work. It could also be a genetic problem where they have an extra vertebra or maybe even scoliosis. One thing that many people don't realize is that many of the back problems that people have are actually caused by the shoes that they wear. Shoes that don't have proper support and angle feet at weird positions can actually lead to poor posture and some pretty painful disorders. In order to help you get rid of unnecessary back problems you should look for back pain shoes that can help.

When looking for good shoes, you should target some of the wellness shoes that are out there. Many of these shoes have been created with your back in mind. They have special attachments on the heel that help you to stand up straighter and realign your back. Some of these shoes are also great because they can do a better job of absorbing shock from walking. If you have poor shoes that have no shock absorption then you will likely feel the shock jolt all the way up your body and it can result in painful muscles and chronic pain.

When looking for wellness shoes you will want to make sure that you get online and check out a bunch of different stores. There are many sites online that sell similar shoes so you can do a lot of price matching and find ones that will help you with your problems as well as fit into your budget.