CLASSES & JOBS

We all want to give the best gifts possible. But what defines an excellent gift? Does the gift have to be used often? Does it have to be what the person told you they wanted? Does it have to look really cool? Do you want to be told that the person really liked your gift? Everyone has different measures. Some people just like to get whatever the gift receiver asked for, whereas I like to give presents that will be used. Personally, I define a successful gift by how often it is used. If someone uses my gift once, it was a waste. This is why whenever I go to a wedding I always give a pizza cutter and a cheese grater. I know that it is boring, but I know they will be used.

My goal is to never give someone a trinket, or in other words something that will sit in a drawer for a few years then be thrown away. Souvenirs can be fun if they are used as a decoration, but if I own a really modern house, I won’t be hanging up a cactus sculpture from the Grand Canyon. Giving a great gift isn’t easy, but if you give out enough gifts, eventually you’ll get a winner.

I am not a gear head by any means, but I do love listening to Car Talk on NPR. I can change a tire, put gas in my car and on rare occasions, change my own oil. So I am always amazed by those Americans who can see a car pass on the street and give me every small detail about its engine, performance, structure and paint.

These are the friends I turn to every time my car starts to make a weird noise, which I inevitably try to describe to them without success. This provides them with a good laugh and a feeling of superiority to my meager automotive knowledge. I guess cars can just be a hobby and passion like any other. I think I’ll stick to my passion and hobby of listening instead of getting my hands dirty.

Giving gifts is a risky business. You never know what the other person will like, or maybe someone else already got them the same gift. You want to be considerate and get them something they really will use. For instance, buying clothes for anyone is risky. No matter how cool looking a shirt or dress may be, if it doesn’t fit right it is useless and they will never use it. This is where gift cards come in. They are not creative, they are not thoughtful, but they will be used and the person will find something they like with them.

Personally, I love getting gift certificates. It is fun to get out and “buy” something nice for yourself. I’d much rather have gift cards than a pair of gloves or shoes I will never use. If you do not know someone well, but want to get him or her something they can use, get a gift card to a store you know they’d like. Obviously a gift card doesn’t work for girlfriends/boyfriends or husbands/wives because it lacks creativity, but for a friend or relative, it may be your best option. You’ll never be remembered for giving great gifts, but at least you know your gifts are useful.

Business is moving faster and faster everyday. People can no longer wait to get e-mails at a computer; they need them sent to their phone. Or, they cannot look up directions before leaving on the house; they need them on the go with their phone.

All of these new developments make us believe that we will have more time to spent with our families or doing things we enjoy, but in reality it makes it so that we are working everywhere we are. It can seem as if there is no separation between your work and your life.

However annoying this may seem, it has become impossible to avoid. In order to compete in the extreme business world, you have to have cutting edge technology that moves “at the speed of light.” People often think that if only they had one more hour in a day they would be so much happier, but eventually that hour will turn into one more hour of work if we aren’t careful.

Business seems to be moving too fast. It is a necessary part of our economy, but we need to try to keep things in perspective and try to separate our work from or life as much as possible.

Recently, I had a friend who started a diet that was very strict. It limited her food choices to about fifteen things. It was very ambitious, but it only lasted a few days, so therefore it turned out to be essentially pointless. At least with gifts it is the thought that counts, but in regards to diets, you can think about being healthy all you want, but if you don’t walk the walk, you won’t see any pounds drop. Starting a diet is one thing, but finishing a diet is a completely different beast.

The most successful people I know at dieting don’t set up extremely rigid diet plans. They simply cut out little excesses (i.e. Diet Coke not regular, never “Biggie Size” anything). A diet plan needs to include little treats. For instance, if you are out celebrating something, allow yourself to have some cake or dessert. It is better to do a flexible diet for an entire lifetime than a strict one for a few days. Just maintaining regular exercise and eating remotely healthy will do wonders for you, as opposed to shifting from extremely healthy eating to poor eating every few weeks.

I have finally found something to help me sleep that doesn’t turn me into a zombie the next morning and I owe it all to my neighborhood natural herb store. Valerian root is a perennial plant that is native to Europe and Asia. Historically it was used in perfumes but has been found to aid in sleep disorders and anxiety problems.

Ever since I was a kid I have had problems sleeping and it has dramatically affected my health. I have tried everything, prescription drugs, CDs of soothing music, I even tried hypnosis and nothing has been able to help me sleep without giving me a drowsy hang over the next morning.

I walked into the herb store not even looking for a sleep aid but when my conversation with the owner turned to my sleeping problems he immediately walked me over to the valerian root. I was reluctant at first, considering I felt I had tried everything, but I figured why not give it a try. So I took two tablets about an hour before going to bed. Much to my surprise, I got a full night of rest and the following morning I didn’t need my morning coffee to get to work.

Just recently, the U.S. Senate passed the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which was started in 1997 as an additional health care program to Medicaid. There is one big proposed change in the program this year: the income eligibility will be raised.

According to reports, SCHIP covered 7 million low-income children and Medicaid covered 23 million. The proposed change would almost double the amount of children covered by the health care program. While some look at this as a needed change to the program, others are worried about the toll it will take on taxpayers.

Lawmakers on both sides agree that the program is beneficial to the country but disagree on certain aspects, including eligibility. A proposed tax increase on tobacco is just one way the government is looking to pay for the health care program.

Democrats are looking to move the government toward a national health insurance that is not restricted to low-income families, similar to programs in Europe and Canada.

Having insurance is important. This includes health, life, dental, house, car, and even pet insurance. There is insurance for everything you can imagine, and it’s your responsibility to decide what kind of insurance is necessary for you and your loved ones, and what kind you can live without. My grandfather raised his children (my mom) without having any health insurance. He kept a large savings account to draw from if there ever was an emergency, and he chose not to pay a monthly fee for insurance. However, he got lucky. No one was ever seriously injured or ill. His was of providing health insurance for his family is not advisable, especially considering modern medical costs.

Health and car insurance are two types of insurance families should not go without. It is illegal to operate a car that isn’t insured, and it is unwise to live without health insurance. Medical bills can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and very few people have that large of savings accounts. My friend recently broke her arm and is now faced with $40,000 worth of medical bills, all because she chose not to have health insurance.

My mom runs a therapeutic horseback riding program for people with developmental disabilities. Growing up around people with many people with disabilities was really good for me. It taught me to accept people for who they are, no matter their ability level.

My mom befriended Harry, a physically and mentally challenged man who pretty much became part of our family when she first started working for the agency that took care of him. He was about the age to be a grandparent to me, but saw my mom as his mom too. Harry came to all of our family events, every birthday parties my brother and I had, and sometimes even to sports games. He was just like a part of our family. His abilities inspired all of us and made us want to try harder at everything we did.

During my lunch break I’ve been reading alot. My favorite new book is The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. The historical-fiction depicts the Prices, an American missionary family who move to the Congo in the 1960’s to spread the word of the Lord to the tribal people of the Kilanga village. The father takes it into his own hands to convert the local people and denounce their traditional pagan ways of faith and does so in a blatantly aggressive manner. He is also verbally assaulting to his family and belittles his girls when given the opportunity.

The story is narrated by Orleanna, the mother, and her four daughters Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth-May. Throughout the book, you see the transformations each of the girls make and how they deal with family and societal issues in living with the Congo. The book follows these characters from when they first arrive in the Congo to their adult lives in the 1990’s and shows the very different routes that each of the women take in their lives. Leah, one of the daughters and Adah’s twin, makes the biggest transition of all the girls in her perceptions of religion. Originally having worshiped her father and his words, she later identifies herself with the Congolese people and questions her father’s actions. This novel is so great because it incorporates the historical background of the Congo in its descriptions, and is a really interesting read.