The day I looked forward to is finally here.

The day i looked forward to is finally here. I’m still wondering what to do with my pile of files, notes, books and whatnots. I can’t possibly simply shove it aside. There’re possibilities of *deep breath* retaining, right?
Guess i’ll contemplate for a while before I make my decision.  Im too tired right now. Somehow when everything is sinking in my head, i just feel so heavy headed.


I’m gonna hibernate now with my bed and Twilight and drown myself into a magical, mystical world of romantic Vampires. Although this class was a good one, I’m quite glad its over. I just wonder how long will it take for tension to dissipate, or at least dilute. And is the probabilty of a class, i repeat CLASS gathering really zero? But then again, maybe i shouldn’t wonder so much.

Are We There Yet?

Will you be traveling a long distance with children this Thanksgiving or perhaps another holiday coming up? Traveling with children can be, well, interesting to say the least! Surviving the drive to your holiday destination does not have to be a nightmare, so don’t worry; just have a game plan in place to help reduce your holiday stress! At least there are portable DVD players these days; they didn’t have those around when I was a kid!


One super-mom I know shared one of her travel secrets with me recently, her advice, drive at night. I think that this is such a great idea. Your children can be safely strapped in the back seat sleeping while you make the long trek to wherever it is you are going. The silence will allow for you to better pay attention to where you are going and what is happening on the road. Also, you will feel more relaxed not having a screaming kid(s) in the back or being repeatedly bombarded with that all time favorite question, “Are we there yet?” Another bonus to traveling at night, the roads should have less traffic on them since most people will be traveling during the day! So if you can make the trip at night I say, go for it!


If you can not travel at night or your kids are not sleeping even if you do, make sure you have lots of entertainment for them! Portable DVD players are great to take on a road trip if you can afford to purchase one. Your kid(s) will be distracted by whatever you throw up on the screen which will keep them happy and hopefully quiet. If you have headphones for the little ones to use that is even better, no distraction for you whatsoever!

There are also so many travel games out there to keep your children occupied during a long drive! There are even games you can play that don’t require you to purchase a thing! Play the license plate game. When I was a kid my sister and I would play the license plate game for hours! I think there are many versions of this game in existence but here is how we did it…Look out the window and look for license plates from different states; whoever spots the most license plates from the most states is the winner! Nice and simple, isn’t it? This game can also be played by replacing the state the car is from with what color the car is. Use your imagination to come up with more game ideas like this for hours of entertainment!


There are also a million different board games with travel editions on the market these days. You can get everything from travel Apples to Apples to travel Scrabble. So no matter what age(s) your kid(s) are you will be able to find something fun for them to play while you travel!

A Failure or a Victory in the Making

OMG, Last week's loss for marriage equality in New York state was a heavy pill to swallow for many LGBT rights activists. But despite the defeat, there's at least one positive outcome from having New York's State Senate debate same-sex marriage legislation: the world got a chance to hear from State Sen. Diane Savino.



Savino has become somewhat of a marriage equality sensation these past few days, testifying in support of marriage equality legislation on the floor of the State Senate. And while her argument might not have swayed enough votes in the legislature, it's certainly capturing the hearts and minds of thousands across the globe.


What was her message? Pretty simple, really. Marriage equality is about fairness and love, not Republican or Democratic politics.

A GAY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you're having a wonderful day.


I wanted to bring back a post that was made a year ago from my mother who was celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time with her son and his partner. It's a pretty touching story, so I wanted to share it again this holiday season. Here's what she had to say:


"My son is 31 years old. He came out on his 21st birthday. He has been living with his partner for about a 8 years and a half. Until June of the first year we only knew of his partner as a roommate. After lots of conversation, lots of tears, I have accepted my son's sexuality and told him he and his partner will always be welcome in our home.


So, now it's the holidays. I'm cooking my first ever Thanksgiving dinner. I'm 31 years old so I guess it's time I become the grown-up and do the entertaining. We will have myself and husband, my two sons their dates, my two younger daughters. It's not the planning and cooking that's at issue. It's my youngest child.


My baby just turned 12 last week. She is just at the age where she is beginning to understand sex and sexuality. It hadn't been too long since we talked about sex and love and marriage when she learned her brother was gay.


For those of you who have good relationships with family, what helps most in breaking through uncomfortable barriers with family members? Is a holiday as good a time as any to have a first (after coming out) family gathering? Any words of advice for a 12 year old girl? And my big burning question, would I be out of line to ask my son and his partner not to show public affection in front of his younger sister?


Please, someone tell me I'm doing this right. I love my son more than life itself. I want him and his partner to feel welcome here. But I also am still responsible for my daughters' well being and I don't want to make her angry and confused. Boy, we thought parenting small children was tough. Those years were a breeze compared to parenting adults."

Sick and Tired

Why is it that the first trip to the ER never accomplished anything?  Went Saturday night, and now I'm going back because I'm not any better.  It gets very frustrating.  They sent me home because they didn't have any isolation beds, so they think I'm less contagious in the real world than I would be in the hospital.  Doesn't make any sense to me.  Hopefully they'll figure out what to do this time.  I get tired of going back and forth.

School and Long Sleepless Nights

Sleepless and stressfull night start playing havoc in you school and personal life. 

Everyone has trouble sleeping occasionally, but people with insomnia have trouble sleeping for more than three weeks without improvement(Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, 2006). Their sleep problems also interfere with their ability to function during the day.



Studies have also shown a correlation between sleep problems and levels of stress.

Not getting enough sleep can increase a person’s stress. Studies have shown that people who sleep less have higher amounts of cortisol — a hormone that is related to stress, depression and cardiovascular disease — in their bodies. With a good night’s rest, the body regulates the levels of the hormone that can cause stress, according to the Newsweek article.

But another study shows that stress is the main factor in students’ poor sleep quality. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that stress from school and life keeps 68 percent of students awake. Of those students, 20 percent couldn’t sleep at least once a week due to stress.

“Students underestimate the importance of sleep in their daily lives. They forgo sleep during periods of stress, not realizing that they are sabotaging their physical and mental health" (Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, 2006).

Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, M. (2006, May 18). SleepEducation.org. Retrieved 11 21, 2009, from Academy of Sleep Medicine : http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=6

Week of Horror

This week has been a god awful week in school. I can’t wait until this semester is over; I have just had issue after issue which makes it very hard to concentrate. One challenge I am facing at this point in class is communication. I feel that communication get lost in posts and emails. Communication is usually taken for granted—that is, until it breaks down. Why didn't my teacher get my point? How can I get my counselor to understand what I'm saying? Why does every discussion turn into an disagreement or conflict? Good communication skills help you express your ideas clearly, learn from other people, and resolve any conflicts.  These are guestions that I need to ask myself over and over agian.  If anyone can help let me know.  HELP !!!

Plagiarism, Why do you think we need to cite sources???

Documenting our sources provides essential information for your reader. By citing sources, we show our indebtedness to the work of others, and give our reader the chance to seek further information from the sources themselves. Citing sources also supports our own credibility as a writer and researcher. Citations reflect the careful and thorough work you have put into locating and exploring your sources.  They also help readers understand the context of your argument and are a courtesy to the reader, who may share your interest in a particular area of study.  Citations, by illustrating your own learning process, also draw attention to the originality and legitimacy of your own ideas. Plagiarism is a serious issue in the academic community. While plagiarism sometimes does occur intentionally, it also occurs because the writer doesn’t understand or does not know how to avoid it. 

Gay Rights on Adoption in The United States

Many states do not have specific laws or court decisions on gay adoption or gay foster parenting.


Eleven states and Washington, D.C. either implicitly or explicitly state that sexual orientation cannot legally prevent gay and lesbians from adopting. Three states have laws denying gays and lesbians the right to adopt or take in foster children. Though Mississippi allows single gays and lesbians to adopt, it prohibits same-sex couples from adopting. Utah excludes same-sex couples indirectly through a statute barring all unmarried couples from adopting or taking in foster children. Florida is currently the only state that specifically bans "homosexual" individuals from adopting, although the state does allow them to be foster parents. In the remaining 36 states, gays and lesbians who want to adopt or take in foster care children are at the mercy of judges and adoption and foster agencies. (The New York Times Company, 2009)


In Virginia, the state in which I live, it permits single gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) adoption. Virginia does not clearly prohibit joint gay adoption and second-parent adoption unclear.


Here are my thoughts on this matter. I am a gay man that has been with the same partner eight years. Our home is like that of a so called “straight” couple. The only difference is there are two men under the roof. If we have the means and the love to raise a child there should be no reason why we cannot. Many studies have shown the children of GLBT couples thrive. Even though the rumor out there is that the children of GLBT couples will more than likely grow up confused or gay, IT IS WRONG!

My question to you all is why do you think this is? Do you think it is a close minded decision?

References
The New York Times Company. (2009). Where is Gay Adoption Legal: Why or Why Not. New York.

Sex Addiction: Does it Really Exist

Well does it? I have a great friend who 18 years ago was arrested for indecent exposure. He willingly knows what he did was wrong and what he needs to do from keeping it from happening again. The other day the stress became too much and he relapsed. He was arrest again for Indecent exposure. The first time his whole family walked out on him, he picked up the pieces and began to rebuild his life. He met a wonderful woman told her about all his ambitions, dreams and flaws. She accepted him for it all. This go around the wife has stayed and is working on finding out what to do to help their family move past this.


The American Psychiatric Association publishes and periodically updates the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a widely recognized compendium of acknowledged mental disorders and their diagnostic criteria. The most recent version of that manual, DSM-IV-TR, was published in 2000 and does not recognize sexual addiction as a diagnosis.


The DSM does, however, include a miscellaneous diagnosis called Sexual Disorders: Not Otherwise Specified, and includes as one of the examples of it: "distress about a pattern of repeated sexual relationships involving a succession of lovers who are experienced by the individual only as things to be used." Other examples include: compulsive fixation on an unattainable partner, compulsive masturbation, compulsive love relationships, and compulsive sexuality in a relationship.


Dr. Patrick J. Carnes is a nationally known speaker on addiction and recovery issues. He is author of Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction. Carnes says the same way that people can become addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling, they can become addicted to sex, anything from Internet sex to obsessive masturbation to affairs. New studies, like one at Vanderbilt University, are being conducted to determine if brains of sex addicts are somehow different, and if sex addiction is a true, measurable disorder (Manley). Yet despite growing interest in such research, there are still some who do not believe it is a true addiction. The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, for example, does not list sex addiction as a disorder.






Manley, G, Koehler, J. (2001). Sexual behavior disorders: Proposed new classification in the DSM-V. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 8:3-4, 253-265.

Gay or Straight: What's The Big Deal?

Gay men and lesbians are often portrayed as subverting society. But what are they trying to do? They are trying to be true to themselves and their values as any man or woman would do. Join the military, Get married, get the house with the white picket fence, dog and to have a family. In short, build the kind of world the religious right dreams of, except that the basic social unit is a happily married couple of the same sex.

I am not disputing that the original purpose of the marriage was to facilitate procreation. But is this objective obsolete? I think so. "The present law of marriage is based on an outmoded appreciation of marriage as it operates in present-day society," one law review article says.

Marriage is now primarily an economic and emotional relationship. Marriage conveys a host of benefits unrelated to childbearing including tax breaks, family insurance coverage, and many married couples never have children. With the liberalization of adoption rules in some jurisdictions, some gay couples raise children, and using "procreative technologies" such as artificial insemination, a few lesbians have borne children after coming out.

So that being said, what’s the difference?

Kaplan Teachers - A Wide Range of Colors

Kaplan teachers the good, bad , and indifferent? I have been with Kaplan for my Certificate Program in Pharmacy Technician and now 4 Semesters towards my B.S. in Health and Wellness. I have had the most wonderful teachers there and never had an issue with them. For some reason this term has been the worst of the worst as far as a class is concerned. From the seminar not loading to student jumping down my throat. I am a very sensitive person who would do nothing to offend another person. I am on the Presidents list and Honors program. This pettiness is just not my style. Please understand I am here to help everyone and will do my best to do so.

People and Confilts

Why in this day and age must people find confilt in any situation.


Two ways we get “hooked” into reacting to people and situations causing Conflits:


1. We make assumptions. We unconsciously react believing we understand what is happening. Assumptions can become an automatic conditioned response based on past experiences and what we believe is true. Words, phrases, beliefs, and perspectives mean different things for each person. When you assume you know what the other person means, thinks and feels, you can only know what anything means for you, not them. Some people are afraid to ask questions because they worry about looking dumb or think they should know what the other person wants. Making assumptions that are off the mark can create a lot of stress and pain. Be open to realize you might not know something! Be willing to ask for clarity so that you can eliminate assumptions that might cause conflicts and misunderstandings. Communication is an important element in fostering trust and building deeper connections.


2. We take things personally. We can feel invalidated, disrespected, attacked, unheard…The truth is that most of the time, if not all of the time, the things we take personally have nothing to do with us. Our reactions stem from the beliefs and insecurities we have about ourselves, others, and the world. I have found that personalizing is one of the main ways people experience conflicts in relationships causing many misunderstandings and hurtful feelings.
And, when your self-care is off (your life is out of balance), the tendency to overreact, become irritable, defensive, and take things personally becomes much stronger and likely to occur. That’s usually a signal to me that I’m out of alignment and need to do some things to nurture myself!










Links: http://www.joe.org/joe/1982september/

My very bad day

Ok, I hate to say it but are all customer service reps idiots? I get a box from dish network and am to send the old box back. I do exactlly that and today I get a call stating my TV is geting cut off because they didnt get the box back. I all them and tell them like hell you didnt get the box back I sent it 4days ago, I get the please hold while I look in to this...


And even though they sent me the label, they didn't have the tracking number. At least not until the second hold. UPS suggested I speak to a supervisor at Dish Network, because they had to have it.


And it isn't just Dish Network, it seems anytime I call anywhere and need help, I can't get straight answers, it seems companies, in their efforts to hire cheap, also hire incompetent.

Kaplan University First Day Headache

Here We GO!!!!!!