A good woman

A good woman is proud of herself. She respects herself and others. She is aware of who she is. She neither seeks definition from the person she is with, nor does she expect them to read her mind. She is quite capable of articulating her needs.
A good woman is hopeful. She is strong enough to make all her dreams come true. She knows love; therefore she gives love. She recognizes that her love has great value and must be reciprocated. If her love is taken for granted, it soon disappears.
A good woman has a dash of inspiration, a dabble of endurance and she knows that she will, at times, have to inspire others to reach the potential God gave them. A good woman knows her past, understands her present and moves toward the future.
A good woman knows God. She knows that with God the world is her playground, but without God she will just be played. A good woman does not live in fear of the future because of her past. Instead, she understands that her life experiences are merely lessons, meant to bring her closer to self-knowledge and unconditional self-love. Girl Smile...

Thank you God

DEAR GOD: I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do moreand do better. I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me. God is just so good, and he's good all the time.

One for the girls

Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my shape to keep. Please no wrinkles, Please no bags And please lift my butt before it sags. Please no age spots, Please no gray And as for my belly, Please take it away. Please keep me healthy, Please keep me young, And thank you Dear Lord, For all that you've done. Five tips for a woman.... 1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job. 2. It is important that a man makes you laugh. 3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to You. 4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you. 5. It is important that these four men don't know each other!

WOMAN'S POEM

Before I lay me down to sleep,I pray for a man, who's not a creep,One who's handsome, smart and strong.One who loves to listen long, One who thinks before he speaks, One who'll call, not wait for weeks.I pray he's gainfully employed, When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed.Pulls out my chair and opens my door, Massages my back and begs to do more.Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind, Knows what to answer to "how big is my behind?"I pray that this man will love me to no end, And always be my very best friend.

MAN'S POEM
I pray for a deaf-mute blonde nymphomaniac with huge b**bs who owns a liquor store and a fishing boat. This doesn't rhyme and I don't give a s**t

"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps"

Words from Pastor Jamal Harrison-Bryant:
I often warn women who are contemplating marriage to marry someone
who can take care of them. When a woman marries, it ought to be to
someone who is capable of taking her to the next level. If she comes from
poverty, there is no reason for her to get married and still be impoverished. The role of the man is to take her to another place. When she gets married, she ought to dress better, drive better, live better, and eat better, not constantly be in a struggle over where her next meal is coming from. My grandmother used to say, "I can do bad all by myself". For a woman desiring a mate, the objective, of course, would be to find a Christian man, who's settled, has goals,
accomplishments and a job. But a goal-oriented and focused man can't just be
approached any kind of way. So the woman who seeks this type of stability must
make sure that he stands out above the crowd:
1. Make sure your relationship with the Lord is strong and growing.
2. Make sure that you are presentable. Working from the inside out, your presentation should be representative of both who you are and whom you seek. Appearance is a reflection of how you see yourself.
3. Have the ability to hold an intelligent conversation.
4. And most importantly, allow the Holy Ghost to take control. You don't need to go after him. He's going to come after you, because after he sees and smells you and knows that you're in his presence, he's going to want to know who you are! I know there's somebody reading this that has been chasing after the "man of your dreams," but God says, "Just sit still and allow patience to have her perfect work through Me."
Furthermore, it's never a good idea to be too forward and too aggressive. It causes him to lose respect for you and question your character. However, if he sees that you are dressed with quality that you smell like you are somebody, that you look like you're doing fine with out him, then that will attract the right attention from him. He'll have no choice but to give you his attention. Stop looking so needy! God woke me up in the middle of the night and said, "The same thing that Naomi told Ruth to do is the same thing that I want them to do for me."
God is so sick of saints coming to Him trying to get a quickie and never romancing Him for Who he is - going to church screaming, shouting and hollering, but hadn't been intimate with God all week long! Stop trying to treat God like a sugar daddy and start romancing Him with worship and praise: "I'm yours Lord...everything I've got...everything I'm not!"
The God we serve, which is the God of love, demands and requires of
us foreplay before He gives us what we need. In the book of Ruth, the mother-in-law tells Ruth, "You have to wash." John 15:3 reminds us, now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. When you sit in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are taking a shower. When you hear the unadulterated Word of God, then the dirt and grime that you've accumulated all week long begins to wash off of you. Ask God to "create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit. “Stand in the word. Then wait upon the Lord to renew your strength.

Our young women need to be informed of how to catch and keep a man that will respect them.

Psychoneuroimmunology

“How stress impacts the immune system”

Modern psychological conceptions of stress emphasize discrepancies between demands on an individual and resources for coping with those demands, and focus on the psychological processes that lead to an event being experienced as stressful. When demands exceed resources, stress is considered to be the result. This is a definition that Sarafino offered in a recent textbook of health psychology: “Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy-whether real or not-between the demands of a situation and the resources of the person’s biological, psychological or social systems” (Sarafino, 1998 p. 70) {Sarafino, E.P. (1998). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial (3rd ed). Wiley.}

A great deal of research has been undertaken to understand the psychological processes involved in the appraisal of stress. Research on stress in relation to the immune system, however, has generally adopted a much more simplistic approach to the assessment of stress. Studies have often employed very crude measures of stress, by counting life events or daily hassles that would be expected to produce stress or by simply asking people about the levels of stress they experience.

There are two basic strategies for investigating stress-infectious illness relationships. One is to conduct experiments in which people are deliberately exposed to infection (“viral challenge” studies), the other is to examine patterns of naturally occurring infections. Evidence about the relationships between stress and susceptibility to infectious illness was reviewed by Cohen & Williamson (1991). Here are some examples of those studies that focused on Upper Respiratory Tract (URT) infections, the most common of which are colds and influenza, both viral infections. Other types of infectious illness they reviewed were recurrences of herpes virus infections, and bacterial infections. {Cohen S. & Williamson, G.M. (1991). Stress and infectious disease in humans. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 5-24.}

These studies focus as much on the timing as on the incidence of colds. Typically, people are asked to keep diaries of life events, and the investigators look for associations between the timing of positive and negative life events and people becoming ill with colds. Studies like these show reductions in positive events and increases in hassles 2 to 4 days before the person becomes ill. That period corresponds more or less to the incubation period of colds.

For example, in an early study of this kind, Meyer & Haggerty (1962) followed 100 members of 16 families over a period of one year, using family diaries to record stressful events, and taking throat cultures every three weeks and at times of reported illness. Daily events that disrupted family life were 4 times more likely to precede than to follow new infections.

In another example, Glaser et al. (1987) followed students through the academic year and compared the numbers of infectious illnesses during exam periods with non-exam periods. Predictably, there were more such illnesses during the exam periods. In a third example, Stone et al. (1987) followed 79 married couples over 3 months, during which time they completed daily checklists of events. Undesirable events increased 3 to 4 days prior to the onset of illness, and desirable events decreased 4 to 5 days prior to onset of illness. {Glaser, R., Rice, J., Sheridan, J., Fertel, R., Stout, J., Speicher, C.E., Pinsky, D., Kotur, M., Post, A., Beck, M. & kiecolt-Glasrer, J.K. (1987) Stress-related immune suppression: health implications. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 1, 7-20}
{Meyer, R.J. & Haggerty, R.T. (1962) Streptococcal infections in families. Pediatrists 9, 539-549}
{Stone, A.A., Reed, B.R. & Neale, J.M. (1987). Changes in daily life event frequency precede episodes of physical symptoms. Journal of Human Stress, 13, 70-74}

Because the common cold is not life-threatening, volunteers can be asked to be exposed to cold viruses without breaching the ethics of research. The basic strategy for this line of investigation is to expose a group of volunteers to cold viruses and examine the extent to which they are infected or go on to become ill with a cold. Those rates can then be compared with other measures like their levels of stress before infection, or baseline psychological variables. {Cohen, S., Tyrell, D.A.J. & Smith, A.P. (1993). Negative life events, perceived stress, negative affect, and susceptibility to the common cold. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 131-140.}

Stress has been associated with a number of behavioral changes, many of which have health implications. When we consider the role of the immune system in the effects of stress on health, therefore, we need to be aware of factors other than immune functions that could also mediate a stress-illness association. In her Health Psychology: A Textbook, Jane Ogden (1996) describes studies showing of health-related behaviors associated with stress that included smoking, drinking, and risk taking.
Smoking: Stress has been associated with starting to smoke, amount smoked, and success of attempts to give up. For example, children who changed secondary schools were more likely to begin to smoke than those who did not. Higher levels of stress have also been associated with relapses to smoking after a period of absence.
Alcohol: People have been shown to be more likely to drink when they are feeling anxious or depressed, and work stress in particular has been associated with increased alcohol consumption.
Risk taking and health behaviors: There is evidence that stress is associated with increased risk of accident involvement, and reductions in health promoting behaviors, including healthy eating and exercise. {Ogden, J. (1996). Health Psychology: A Textbook. Open University Press}

References:
1. www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/psychology/”Stress” as a psychological concept;
2. www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/psychology/Studies of naturally occurring infections;
3. www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/psychology/Experimental studies of exposure to infections;
4. www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/psychology/Behavioral responses to stress;
5. (Sarafino, 1998 p. 70) {Sarafino, E.P. (1998). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial (3rd ed). Wiley.}
6. {Cohen S. & Williamson, G.M. (1991). Stress and infectious disease in humans. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 5-24.}
7. {Glaser, R., Rice, J., Sheridan, J., Fertel, R., Stout, J., Speicher, C.E., Pinsky, D., Kotur, M., Post, A., Beck, M. & kiecolt-Glasrer, J.K. (1987) Stress-related immune suppression: health implications. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 1, 7-20}
{Meyer, R.J. & Haggerty, R.T. (1962) Streptococcal infections in families. Pediatrists 9, 539-549}
{Stone, A.A., Reed, B.R. & Neale, J.M. (1987).
8. {Cohen, S., Tyrell, D.A.J. & Smith, A.P. (1993). Negative life events, perceived stress, negative affect, and susceptibility to the common cold. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 131-140.}
9. {Ogden, J. (1996). Health Psychology: A Textbook. Open University Press}

“FIXING YOUR BRAIN”

Neurologists at several hospitals have just started a major trial of promising implants
that can fix brain damage caused by strokes.

Mickey Lawson is a 63 year old from Lawrenceville, Georgia who is having a procedure called “deep brain stimulation” at Emory University Hospital. He has had Parkinson’s disease for a decade and cannot speak or move. Yet, his brain is active. They are implanting an electrode-a wire only a few millionths of an inch thick into Lawson’s skull. About 70% of patients who get the procedure get some benefit. Lawson still responds to a drug named “levodopa” for short periods, and that’s a big predictor of success, according to Matthew Stern, director of the Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia “it means the circuits are still working to some extent”.

None of the new brain stimulation gadgets hit that most worri-some of disorders, Alzheimer’s disease. New studies indicate that what’s good for your heart is also good for your head. Workouts have been shown to reduce other ailments of aging such as hypertension and heart disease.

Legal Terminology

Attorney-Client Privilege: This is the information/file materials that are discussed with the attorney and the client. The client is free to give the attorney any and all information re: the matter and the attorney are expected to keep it confidential, unless, of course, it’s something that needs to be mentioned in front of the Court. The attorney is not to discuss any of this information with anyone unless the client has authorized it in writing.

Conflict of interest: This is when there is a conflict between the client and the attorney, or the attorney and the other side, or any other party involved who would interfere with the case. Example: an attorney cannot represent both parties in one case, which would be “conflict of interest”, another example: an attorney cannot represent any party who is involved in another matter within the same office. Also, an immediate family member cannot represent you in a case, especially if they have your last name and is in fact related to you by blood.

Ethical wall: This is when an attorney discusses the client’s matter with other uninvolved parties without permission from his client. “The Ethical Wall is designed to provide a procedural surrogate to strict confidentiality of case information by ensuring that an attorney or paralegal will not breach the contract underlying duties. As a practical matter, the erection of an Ethical Wall can, in effect, enhance the attorney’s or paralegal’s mobility. “ (paralegals.org) Law firms use the term “ethical wall” (also called Chinese wall) to describe an environment in which an attorney or a paralegal is isolated from a particular case or client to avoid a conflict of interest or to protect a client’s confidences and secrets. By creating this boundary or wall, any potential communications, whether written or oral, are prevented between the members of the legal team handling a particular matter or client and the person with whom there may be a conflict of interest.

Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Legal Assistant Services: Attorney’s are bound by the ethical code adopted by the state in which they practice. The ethical guidelines for the paralegal are a combination of the ethical rules imposed on the supervising attorney and the paralegal professional association rules imposed on paralegals. As a general rules, whatever the ethical rules forbid the attorney from doing, they also forbid the paralegal from doing. Paralegals therefore can look to their state’s adopted set of rules, or code, of professional responsibility for guidance in deciding what is appropriate or inappropriate from an ethical perspective. SEE ATTACHED

Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Unlike the ABA for lawyers, no single source of ethical rules is set out for the legal assistant. Absent a single unified body of ethical rules, legal assistants must follow state statutes and conduct themselves in conformity with the rules of professional conduct applicable to attorneys and with the ethics opinions of their professional associations. Although legal assistants are not governed by the American Bar Association ethical rules, there is an intertwined relationship between the lawyer, the client, and the paralegal. What the paralegal does or does not do can have a real impact on the lawyer’s duty and obligation to the client. The lawyer is ultimately responsible for the actions of the legal assistant under the Model Rules.

Unauthorized practice of law (UPL): Regulations are put into place in an attempt to prevent abuses in the practice of law. Two relevant issues involve giving advice and filling out forms. All of the states regulate the practice of law, in an attempt to protect the public from incompetent a d unscrupulous practitioners, just as they regulate the practice of medicine and many other professions.

Work product doctrine: Work product is broadly defined to include the certain written statements and memoranda prepared by counsel in representation of a client, generally in preparation for trial. This is the work that is generated in preparation for trial. The work product doctrine is an extension of the attorney-client privilege wherein the nonlawyer is assisting the lawyer in trial preparation. Litigation practice today requires that attorneys use nonlawyers including paralegals, secretaries, law clerks, and others.

“CAPITAL PUNISHMENT”

The death penalty is the harshest form of punishment enforced in the United States of America today.
a. Each year there are about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed.
b. In January 2000, the Florida Legislature passed legislation that allows lethal injection as an alternative method of execution in Florida. Florida administers executions by lethal injection or electric chair at the execution chamber located at Florida State Prison.
c. The three-legged electric chair was constructed from oak by Department of Corrections personnel in 1998 and was installed at Florida State Prison (FSP) in Starke in 1999. The previous chair was made by inmates from oak in 1923 after the Florida Legislature designated electrocution as the official mode of execution. (Prior to that, executions were carried out by counties, usually by hanging).

Frank Johnson was the first inmate executed in Florida’s electric chair on October 7, 1924. In 1929 and from May 1964 to May 1979 there were no executions in Florida.
a. The executioner is a private citizen who is paid $150 per execution. State law allows for his or her identity to remain anonymous.
b. A death row cell is 6x9x9.5 feet high. Florida State Prison also has Death Watch cells to incarcerate inmates awaiting execution after the Governor signs a death warrant for them. A Death Watch Cell is 12x7x8.5 feet high.
c. Men on death row are housed at Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida and Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. Women on death row are housed at Lowell Correctional Institution Annex in Lowell, Florida.
d. The inmates may shower every other day.
e. It costs approximately $72.39 per day to incarcerate a Death Row inmate.

There are no Juveniles on Death Row. Death Row inmates younger than 16 at the time of their offense were adjudicated as adults in court proceedings.
a. Two oldest Death Row inmates are John Vining- d.o.b.: 3/13/31, sentenced from Orange County in 1990. William Cruse, Jr.- d.o.b.: 11/21/27, sentenced from Brevard County in 1989.
b. Two youngest male Death Row inmates: Randy Schoenwetter- d.o.b.: 10/27/81, sentenced from Brevard County in 2004. Thomas E. Bevel- d.o.b.: 6/20/81, sentenced from Duval County in 2005.
c. Oldest inmate executed: Charlie Grifford- age 72, executed on 2/21/51.
d. Youngest inmates executed (both 16 years old): Willie Clay-sentenced from Duval County, executed 12/29/41. James Davis-sentenced from Alachua County, executed 10/9/44.
e. John Spenkelink was the first inmate to be executed in Florida after reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. He was executed on 5/25/79.
f. Inmate who has been on Death Row the longest: Gary E. Alvord- received on Death Row 4/1174; date of offense: 6/17/73. Alvord was sentenced from Hillsborough County.

Capital punishment is a difficult issue and there are as many different opinions as there are people. My opinion is that it’s “just plain wrong”.

REFERENCES

· www.cwrl.utexas.edu
· www.soci.niu.edu
· www.dc,state.fl.us;
· www.prodeathpenalty.com
· www.crimemagazine.com

Life

I truly believe that success in life comes from taking risks, trying new things, and most importantly, having faith in God and in yourself. Think positive and you will achieve your goals.

Many people like myself were brought up to think that life has always been and always will be very hard and that you will have to work a 9-5 job everyday and struggle to make ends meat. And even though a lot of people (even in my family and close friends) think that is the only way to be successful, I, in the other hand completely disagree. I have recently learned that you have to learn how to set specific goals when goal setting and use specific goals in all your business planning. Goals need to be specific if we have any chance of accomplishing them. Setting specific goals when we're goal setting sets us up for success rather than failure. The performance measure in the goal is often a date or a length of time, but it could be any objective criteria that you can use to determine whether or not you've accomplished the specific goal that you've set. This is why it is very important for everyone to have a “vision board”. On your vision board, you will put a picture of everything that you want in life and if you vision yourself in it, if you really concentrate and have faith and just know that you will get it, you will achieve that goal and you will work hard and take risks to get there.
It pays to learn, especially from your mistakes. The successful entrepreneur learns how to deal with mistakes every day. They look forward to the challenge. It‘s important to remember that they don’t have to know it all. There’s always someone they can go to for assistance, support, or technical information. Setting goals to reach success is like climbing a mountain. It takes a very long time to reach the top. Along the way may be several obstacles, but you must keep going. Further on you may stumble and need to rest. To reach the next level, there may be times when you have to take a different path or go around the obstacle. The last step to the top is the crucial one and requires all your concentration. Don’t let the difficult climb persuade you to quit or from setting higher goals. If you enjoy the climb, you will eventually reach the top.
A goal envisioned is a goal half completed. Most people find it difficult if not impossible to expend large amounts of energy on something that they can't "see" as existing in their reality. Creating that vision before starting out on your journey creates a real destination in your mind, which is infinitely preferable to just wondering off in the general direction of whatever it is you want and hoping you end up somewhere acceptable. The stronger and more realistically detailed you make your visualizations, the better chance you have of succeeding. Why leave anything to chance? Picture your goal right down to the stitching, as it were, to ensure that your energy is being focused in the right direction and is concentrated on creating the most effective and appropriate.

Working Out

I love working out. I love working out because it is something that I have been doing for years and it is something that makes me feel good, not only physically but mentally as well as psychologically. Exercising makes me look good, therefore, it makes me feel great. I have been working out for years now. Not only lifting weights, but also yoga, cardio and pilates. It improves your mood. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem as I mentioned before. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.

I also love going to the beach. I live on the beach (recently moved there) and I can’t get enough of it. I love being tan all year round. I love the salt water- it makes your skin smooth and it cleans out your pores in your body. I love spending the entire day on the beach on a hot, sunny day. There is nothing that I enjoy more than the beach. My kids love it as well. I don’t think I can ever move out of South Florida. I would be homesick missing the weather if I moved. I also love the beach at night. There is nothing more romantic than a walk on the beach with that special someone, and maybe a picnic with a bottle of wine. That is where I will get married. Right on the sand; on a warm, summer night. That is my dream. There is nothing like it.

I like dancing. Going to night clubs is one of my favorite things to do on the weekends and sometimes on Thursday nights. Dancing is so much fun especially when you go dancing with someone you like spending time with. It could be your significant other or it can be your girlfriends. But in my opinion, it is way more fun with girlfriends or sisters. I love going clubbing with my sister. We have a blast every single time. Dancing makes me happy, it also burns calories and that is an A+.

I don’t like liars. I hate being lied to. One thing I cannot stand is someone who lies. I have been lied to many times in my life and I have developed a dislike for liars of all kinds. I am an honest person and I would tell anybody bluntly how I feel. Someone who doesn’t take honesty seriously, will be cut out of my life quickly.

I hate the cold weather. Cold weather makes me sick and sometimes depressed. I was born in Cuba- Cuba is very summer like. I have been an island girl my entire life and I couldn’t picture myself living somewhere up north. The cold weather just really does not sit well with my body. I always keep my A/C in 75 degrees.

I don’t like traffic. I hate traffic as a matter of fact. I hate it when I have to be somewhere and there is traffic. That is the worst. Especially when I have to be at work at 8:30 a.m. and I am late because of traffic. That is one of the things I don’t like about South Florida but I also love the fact that there are a lot of people down here- more variety, different cultures. It is always nice to visit different restaurants and try the foods. I love doing that. But I hate sitting in traffic, that is for sure.

OUTLINE: “Benefits of Physical Exercise”

I. Physical exercise: Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health.
a. Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining physical fitness including healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.
b. Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, this is to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.
c. Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as exercise, otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.
d. Frequent and regular exercise has been shown to help prevent or to cure major illnesses such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, cancer and depression, and many more diseases.

II. Regular physical activity can also help reduce or eliminate some of these risk factors:
High blood pressure- Regular aerobic activities can lower blood pressure.
Cigarette smoking- Smokers who become physically active are more likely to cut down or stop smoking.
Diabetes- People at their ideal weight are less likely to develop diabetes. Physical activity may also decrease insulin requirements for people with diabetes.
Obesity and overweight- Regular physical activity can help people lose excess fat or stay at a reasonable weight.
III. Depression and exercise: Regular exercise can be an effective way to treat some forms of depression. Physical activity alters brain chemistry and leads to feelings of wellbeing. Exercise can also be an effective treatment for anxiety. Some research studies indicate that regular exercise may be as effective as other treatments like medication to relieve mild to moderate depression.
a. Everyone feels sad from time to time, but depression is characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness, dejection and hopelessness. One in four women and one in six men will suffer from depression at some point in their lives. b. Depression is a complicated illness, which can involve a number of contributing factors, such as genes, environment, diet, lifestyle, brain chemicals, psychology and personality. c. Depression, health and heart attacks:On average, depressed people only exercise about half as much as people who aren’t depressed. This lack of cardiovascular fitness puts a depressed person at an increased risk of heart attack. It also seems that depression and exercise influence each other – a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of depression, and depression increases the likelihood of a sedentary lifestyle. d. Exercise study :One research study compared the effects of exercise and drug therapy in treating depression in older people. The 156 depressed men and women were divided into three groups. Over 16 weeks, one group took antidepressants, the second group undertook an aerobic exercise program, and the third group used both medications and exercise.
IV. The cost of inactivity: If exercise and regular physical activity benefit the body, a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite. According to analyses by Graham Colditz, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, the direct medical cost of inactivity is at least $24 billion a year. An analysis of health-care costs by a team from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that because individuals who are physically active have significantly lower annual direct medical costs than those who are inactive, getting people to become more active could cut yearly medical costs in the U.S. by more than $70 billion.

V. Weight training exercises for a bigger, stronger chestA powerful chest is something everybody recognizes. Almost anybody can improve his/her chest by lifting weights with only the smallest bit of know-how. Now, we show you how you can be successful building a stronger chest with these weight lifting exercises.
· Incline dumbbell presses
· Flat dumbbell presses
· Incline dumbbell flyes

Training Exercises for Rock Hard Abs
a. Exercises for rock-hard abs:Developing a washboard set of abs takes more than just a few minutes a day on some trendy ab cruncher. Like any other muscle group, your midsection needs to be trained in accordance with the proper principles of resistance exercise.
· Crunches
· Reverse crunches

b. Biceps and Triceps Weight Training Exercises
WEIGHT LIFTING FOR BIG ARMSThere's something just so gratifying about having lean, well-shaped biceps and triceps that it makes all the hours in the gym seem well worth it.
· Standing barbell curls
· Incline dumbbell curls
· Lying overhead triceps extensions
· Single-arm seated overhead triceps extensions
· Flat bench triceps dips

c. Weight Lifting Exercises for Leg Muscles
WEIGHT TRAINING EXERCISES FOR STRONG, MUSCULAR LEGSHere's something interesting I've noticed about weight training for legs: if you work them, they'll grow. There are plenty of hardgainers out there who have trouble developing their arms, back, or chest, but for some reason, I've never met anybody who can't get their legs to grow.
· Free-weight squats
· Dumbbell lunges
· Stiff-legged deadlifts



WORKS CITED: REFERENCES

www.familydoctor.org
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/exercise
www.fi.edu/biosci/healthy/exercise
www.americanheart.org
www.betterhealth.vic.gov
www.hsph.harvard.edu
www.weight-training.realsolutionsmag.com

Abortion, right or wrong?

Soraya Peña

Critical Thinking

Dr. A. Cwiak

Friday, June 30th, 2006

Abortion, right or wrong?

Because the issue of abortion is emotive, pro-choice and pro-life supporters argue on what constitutes an abortion and the legal ramifications that such a definition would have. Therefore several definitions have been put forward:
Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage): An abortion due to accidental trauma or natural causes.
Induced abortion: An abortion deliberately caused. Induced abortions are further subcategorized into therapeutic abortions and elective abortions: Therapeutic abortion: To save the life of the pregnant woman, to preserve the woman’s physical or mental health, to terminate a pregnancy that would result in a child born with a congenital disorder which would be fatal or associated with significant morbidity, to selectively reduce the number of fetuses to lessen health risks associated with multiple pregnancy.
Elective abortion: An abortion performed for any other reason.

The incidence of and reasons for induced abortion vary in regions in which abortion is generally permitted. It has been estimated approximately 46 million abortions are performed globally each year. Of these, 26 million are said to occur in places where abortion is legal; the other 20 million happen where it is illegal. Some countries, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, have a low rate of induced abortion, while others like Russia and Vietnam have a comparatively high rate. Early term surgical abortion is a simple procedure. When performed before the 16th week by competent doctors or in some states, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants- it is safer than childbirth. {en.wikipedia.org-Abortion}

The controversy swirling about the first question can be explained by the fact that different people use different standards of measurement by which to define “human life”. Some would define it thorough a theological or religious faith belief. Others define “human life” by using biologic, scientific facts. {abortionfacts.com- Human Life}

The question of when human life begins is a scientific question. Therefore, we should look to scientific facts rather than philosophic theories or religious beliefs for the answer. We must conclude then that each individual human life begins at the beginning, at fertilization, and that human life is a continuum from that time until death. {abortionfacts.com- Why Can’t We Love Them}

Ever since its discovery 150 years ago, both words “different from fertilization” were used to mean the union of sperm and ovum. In the 1960’s the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American College of OB & GYN agreed to attempt to redefine “conception” to mean implantation. “Conception is the implantation of the blastocyst. It is not synonymous with fertilization”. {GYN Terminology, “Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 1972} This made it possible to call an intrauterine device a “contraceptive” even though it was an abortifacient. But in 1982, lengthy hearings in the U.S. Senate and the two-volume report of the Human Life Bill defined “conception” and used it exclusively to mean the time of union of sperm and ovum. {“Human Life Bill”, U.S. Senate Common Judiciary, Subcommittee of Separation of Powers, 97th Congress, S-158, April-June 1982, Serial No. J-97-16}

Once a woman is pregnant, barring a miscarriage or an induced abortion, she’ll have a baby. Therefore, her only choice is, “How is the baby going to come out?” Will he or she come out alive and crying, or dead in pieces? For many women this is an agonizing decision. Truly her choice is between life and death- a live baby or a dead one. But, for many women, it doesn’t end with the abortion. It can impact the rest of her life. There can be physical complications. Perhaps more important, for many, is the emotional aftermath that can result.

Should we kill an innocent unborn baby for the crime of his father? Do we punish other criminals by killing their children? Besides, such laws pose major problems in reporting, and also women have been known to report falsely.
Many nations report only one figure for women who die. They clump together women’s deaths from spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), legally induced abortion and illegally induced abortion. Such statistics are no help. The United States, since the 1940s, has reported such deaths separately, so we know the number of deaths from illegal abortions. Now if we knew how many illegal abortions it took to cause death, we could easily calculate the total number of illegal abortions. The problem is, no one has the slightest idea how many it took, and so we’re back to where we started from. {abortionfacts.com- “Illegal Abortions”}

Maternal mortality also includes deaths from caesarean section. To compare comparable risks, one would have to compare the risk of being pregnant in the first three months with the risk of having an abortion within the first three months. When compared in this fashion, abortion is many times more dangerous. Actually, it is probable that induced abortion is more dangerous than carrying a baby to term. {Maternal Mortality Surveillance “79-“86, Center for Disease Control, M&M Weekly report July ’91, Vol. 40, No. SS-1}

A second thought: Women resent that the value of a woman is sometimes determined by whether a man wants her. Yet radical feminists insist that the value of an unborn boy or girl is to be determined by whether a woman wants him or her. To use being wanted by someone as a measure of whether a human life is allowed to live is a frightening concept. Its converse logically awaits us- that the unwanted can be eliminated.

ABORTION IS LEGAL.
It was made legal throughout the US in 1973 by a Supreme Court decision known as Roe v Wade. This decision is based on a woman’s right to privacy regarding medical matters including family planning. The Supreme Court allows some restrictions on the practice of abortion. These restrictions vary from state to state.
ABORTION IS SAFE.
Since 1973, abortion has become the most often performed outpatient surgery. Thousands of doctors across the country have learned to provide abortion using the safest medical techniques. Today, abortion is about 10 times safer than giving birth.
MAKING YOUR OWN DECISION . . .
Becoming a parent is a very important decision that will affect the rest of your life. It’s essential to make your own decision. No one else has the right to tell you what to do. Listen to your own heart.
If you - or someone you know - is pregnant, it’s a good idea to talk about it with someone you trust. Talk with a friend, parent, teacher, relative, or call a clinic. (In Washington, it is NOT necessary to have your parent's permission.)
Once you have made your decision, believe in yourself for making a good decision. Abortion is the right of every woman.

WHAT ABOUT PARENTS?
In Washington State, parent’s permission is NOT required for a minor to obtain abortion, pregnancy tests, birth control methods, or tests for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. It is also not necessary to notify a parent before or after the procedure or test.
When teens feel they cannot tell their parents, they have compelling reasons, such as mentally ill or chemically dependent parents, family violence or incest. Laws cannot mandate good family communications. Desperate teens seek illegal abortion or even commit suicide rather than tell their parents. Parental consent laws are bad medicine and bad legislation. Responsible parents open the doors of communication themselves; they do not expect government to do it for them. Parental consent/notice laws are a form of parents abdicating responsibility to the government to curb the decisions teens may make.
STATE ASSISTANCE
In Washington State, if you are pregnant and low income, you may qualify for "Medical Assistance" -- regardless of your age, and regardless of whether you want to give birth or get an abortion. Contact your local DSHS, to sign up for Medical Assistance for pregnant women.
COST
The cost of an abortion depends on the stage of pregnancy and which clinic is providing services. First trimester procedures run about $450-800. Second trimester procedures cost $600-6000. Many insurance plans cover abortion. In Washington, abortion is covered by the state medical assistance. State Medicaid coverage varies from state to state.
INSURANCE
Abortion is covered under many insurance plans. The clinic can help by verifying coverage and other paperwork. It may not be necessary to obtain a referral from a primary care physician before setting up an abortion appointment.
RISKS
Abortion is very safe. It is safer than giving birth and safer than receiving an injection of penicillin. Like all medical procedures, there are some risks with abortion, but the risk is comparatively minimal.
Potential complications from the abortion procedure include
incomplete abortion - which means the procedure needs to be repeated (a minor complication)
infection - which is easily treated with antibiotics
perforation of the uterine wall - for which the treatment may be nothing, to surgical repair in a hospital, depending on the severity.
Less than 1% of all abortion patients experience a major complication, such as serious pelvic infection, hemorrhage requiring a blood transfusion or unintended major surgery. The risks associated with abortion increases with the length of pregnancy. Hysterectomy is exceedingly rare.
The risk of death associated with childbirth is about 10 times as high as that associated with abortion.
Unless you have a complication during or after the abortion, abortion has no impact on your future ability to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term.
{www.fwhc.com/abortion-What do you want to know?}

References:
· en.wikipedia.org-Abortion}
· {abortionfacts.com- Human Life}
· {abortionfacts.com- Why Can’t We Love Them}
· GYN Terminology, “Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 1972}
{“Human Life Bill”, U.S. Senate Common Judiciary, Subcommittee of Separation of Powers, 97th Congress, S-158, April-June 1982, Serial No. J-97-16}
· {abortionfacts.com- “Illegal Abortions”}
{Maternal Mortality Surveillance “79-“86, Center for Disease Control, M&M Weekly report July ’91, Vol. 40, No. SS-1}
· {www.fwhc.com/abortion-What do you want to know?}
· International Dictionary of Medicine and Biology. John Wiley & Sons, 1986. Volume 1. Dorland’s Illustrated and Medical Dictionary. W.B. Saunders Company, 2000. 29th edition.
· The First Nine Months of Life. By Geraldine Lux Flanagan. Simon & Shuster, 1962. Second edition.

Comes the Dawn

Women have to learn not to depend on a man, or anyone else, for their happiness and fulfillment. I learned that in everyone's life there are good-byes of one kind or another. We are always saying good-bye. Spouses let us down; spouses disappoint us; spouses don't keep promises. Spouses and other loved ones die. Friends move away; friendships cool, and children grow up and leave home.They begin their own lives and aren't so much a part of ours anymore. Some stay close to us, some don't. Parents do the best they can, but most of us have some scars and issues from childhood. Eventually, they leave us too. So, we have to build our own world, plan our own lives, and learn not to depend on anyone else except God. Most of all, we realize that we can survive if we are strong. Then, anything that comes along to make us happy is just icing on the cake.

"After a While"
"After a while you learn the subtle differencebetween holding a hand and chaining a soul.And you learn that love doesn't mean leaningand company isn't security.(Kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises.) After awhile you begin to accept your defeatswith your head up and your eyes open,with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.And you learn to build your roads on todaybecause tomorrow's ground is too uncertain and the inevitable has a way of crumbling in mid-flight.After a while you learn that even sunshine burnsif you stand too long in one place.So, you plant your own garden and decorate your own soulinstead of waiting for someone else to bring you flowers.And you learn you really can endure,that you really do have worth.You learn that with every good-bye comes the dawn."

The Guys' Rules

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down
Finally , the guys' side of the story. (I must admit, it's pretty good.) We always hear " the rules"From the female side.
Now here are the rules from the male side.These are MEN rules!Please note.. these are all numbered "1"ON PURPOSE!
1. Men are NOT mind readers.
1. Learn to work the toilet seat.You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.We need it up, you need it down.You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports It's like the full moonor the changing of the tides.Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport.And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want.Let us be clear on this one:Subtle hints do not work!Strong hints do not work!Obvious hints do not work!Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem.
See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.
1. If you won't dress like the Victoria 's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one
1. You can either ask us to do somethingOr tell us how you want it done.Not both.If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit.We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched.We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely any thing you wear is fine... Really.
1. Don't ask us what w e're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation,or golf.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
1. Thank you for reading this.Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Regular Friends vs. Cuban Friends

REGULAR FRIENDS vs. CUBAN FRIENDS!!!

REGULAR FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Are the reason you have food.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Will say "hello."
CUBAN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' ass that left you.

REGULAR FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"

REGULAR FRIENDS: Are for awhile.
CUBAN FRIENDS: Are for life.

To all my cubans :)

Inspirational Thought for today

Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies and caution lights called Family. You will even have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, an insurance called Faith and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.