Almost Over

    I can't believe that this semester is almost over. At times I thought the end would never come, but we've almost made it! At the beginning of the semester I was very stressed and not sure if I would be able to handle my course load. (I took 19 hours this semester) But as the semester went on I learned to balance my time and was able to complete all 19 hours, with all A's I might add. I only have two more finals left to take; one tonight and one Friday afternoon. Then I'll be home free; well until summer school starts anyway.

    My first couple years of college I goofed around, skipped a lot, and in return failed a bunch of classes. Since I wasn't too concerned with showing up to class I didn't know about a lot of the assignments and quite frankly I really didn't care. My only motivation to even enroll in college was the fact that as long as I was in school my parents paid for my car and insurance. But for some reason or another I decided to take a break. In the first couple of years I actually took two semesters off. The first semester I took off my parents continued paying for my car and insurance, but the next time around I had to start paying my own insurance. Let me tell you when you've had what seems like a million speeding tickets and you're insured under your own policy it can be quite costly. It only took one semester of that before I decided to go back to school and stay in school.

So now I am trying to make up for lost time by taking big course loads and classes every semester. After this summer I will have taken and passed 43 hours this academic year. And I still have two more years of school to go. L I wish I would have had this motivation when I first started, if I had I could have graduated this year, if not before. Oh well, you live and learn. I definitely learned my lesson and after I get my bachelor's degree I'm going to go right back to school and get my master's degree. Taking breaks only makes it that much harder.

Now more than ever pets are an integral part of the family. They can be found in the family portraits hanging on the wall; they are often times the ring bearer at weddings; and almost always accompany their "parents" on family vacations. It's amazing that people include their pets in so many activities, yet forget about or neglect their safety while traveling by not restraining them with a pet harness or pet safety belt. By not restraining pets while traveling not only are the pets at risk; but also the driver and passengers in the vehicle as unrestrained pets often become a flying projectile in the case of the wreck. According to Bark Buckle Up in a 30 mph car accident a 60 pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds! Unrestrained dogs can also distract the driver causing an accident; impede rescue efforts after an accident; escape after an accident and get hit or cause another accident.

Bark Buckle Up through research has concluded that 98% of pets do not travel properly restrained. Bark Buckle Up is a national pet safety awareness program that, in conjunction with the police and fire chiefs, tries to raise awareness of the importance of buckling your pets up; not only for their safety, but also you safety, your passengers' safety, and the safety of first responders. A similar movement is the Paws to Click movement. The Paws to Click movement is a joint effort by the ASPCA and Bergan LLC to promote safe pet travel. According to Paws to Click a car accident occurs every 18 minutes due to an unrestrained pet in the vehicle, resulting in more than 30,000 car accidents per year.

There are currently no laws or restrictions concerning restraining your pets while in transit. To solve this problem Bergan LLC, along with independent laboratories, has taken the first steps in establishing the Pet Safety Durability Test Standard V9DT B2009.1. The purpose of the V9DT is to set the industry standards for pet harnesses for the use in automobiles. As there were no industry standards prior to the V9DT standard it is important to make sure and check for the "complies with the V9DT" logo on the packaging of any harness you're considering in order to ensure the safety of your furry little family member, as well as your safety, you passengers' safety, and the safety of other drivers on the road.

You would never dream of taking your child somewhere without buckling them up, right? Why should your pet be any different?

Change of Plans

    This weekend, out of sheer boredom, I began toying around with the idea of beginning the wedding planning process. The only thing I didn't change about our wedding was who we're marrying. When we got engaged we both decided that we would like to enjoy a long engagement, which would allow us plenty of time to focus on school and save up some money. Originally we planned to have the wedding in mid-October of 2011. We both liked the idea of an outside wedding in the fall and were considering getting married at Springhouse Gardens just outside of Joplin. So we decided that this year we would watch the temperature and the scenery and then set a date. We also decided that we were going to go with more earthy colors, ivory, brown, and a touch of burnt orange.

    After this weekend our wedding plans are not even comparable to what we were originally thinking. We're now going for a more modern wedding. We would like to have the wedding in a loft like setting; open floor plan; high ceilings. (We have yet to find anything big enoughL) I love the idea of black and ivory weddings, but wanted to throw a little accent color in there to break it up, so we have decided to go with chartreuse. In addition to changing the location, as well as the colors, we have also decided to move the wedding up a couple of months. Instead of mid-October we have now decided on early September (not a big change).

    I haven't gotten much into the planning other than that. I did find some invitations I liked. I got the samples in the mail today; it's a good thing I ordered a sample because they are not at all what I thought they were going to be. I also decided that our reception is just going to be hors d'ouevres, cocktails, and cake. I am glad I allowed myself plenty of time to think things through and plan everything out, I just hope I didn't allow myself too much time..

Mushroom Hunting

    Every Sunday for the last month my fiancé and I have headed out to his family's old farm house in search of morels. His family has about 50 acres of land, 25 of which is open pasture and the other 25 is densely wooded. Once we cleared the pasture and got into the woods we would let the dogs off their leashes so they could get their exercise in while we were searching for mushrooms. We have unsuccessfully searched for mushrooms no less than four times. Zeb swears that he used to find them out in the woods every year growing up. I have a hard time believing him considering we have yet to find one. Not even one.

    Yesterday we were supposed to go mushroom hunting again, but I decided to skip out this time around. Wouldn't you know it, he came home with morels. He only found 6, but still at least he found some. There may be a couple of reasons why we hadn't had any luck finding morels in the last month. For one, I think we started looking a little premature. Their growing season is supposed to start in mid-April and sometimes can extend through mid-June. Many morel hunters also say that their growing seasons begins just around the time the Mayapples get their blooms. I think another reason that we didn't have much luck finding morels in the last month is because they have not had the right growing conditions. In order for morels to grow a number of things must be JUST right. The best conditions for morel growth include soil temperature of 65 degrees, air temperature of 65-80 degrees and high relative humidity. I think we haven't really begun to see morels yet because there hasn't been much rain and the temperature has been on the lower end of the spectrum. Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 66 degree and on Wednesday it's supposed to be 75 degrees. Hopefully between that and the rain we got this last weekend we will be able to find some more morels. If not this weekend, there's always next weekend.

Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Modern Day Kitty Genovese

March 13^th 1964, Kew Gardens, Queens, New York

It was around 3:15 A.M. when Catherine "Kitty" Genovese had arrived home work. As she was locking her car she noticed a man standing in between her and her apartment which was approximately 100 yards away. Instead of heading towards her apartment she decided to head to the nearest police call box just down the street. She never made it to that police call box. The man standing in her path had followed her and overcame her, stabbing her in the back twice. Kitty called out "oh my God, he stabbed me. Please help me! Please help me!" Not long after her scream for help a light came on in a nearby apartment building and a man opened the window and called down "let that girl alone." This deterred her attacker, but only for a minute. As Kitty rounded the corner to her apartment the man was waiting for her where he began stabbing her again. Once again she cried out for help, "I'm dying! I'm dying!" This time lights came on and the windows were opened in several apartments which startled her assailant. He got into his car and drove away. Kitty had managed to crawl to the back of her apartment building and make it in to the stairwell before her attacker returned to finish the job he had started. It was at 3:50 A.M. that the police received the first phone call regarding the attack of Kitty Genovese. They arrived two minutes later only to find her dead.

After completing the investigation the police concluded that there were no less than thirty eight victims who either saw or heard this attack. The police also stressed that had someone made a phone call, from the safety of their home, when the first attack had taken place Kitty might still be alive. Instead her attacker was given three chances within a thirty five minute span to kill his victim and he ultimately succeeded. The Kitty Genovese murder has gone down in history as well as in psychology. In 1968, four years after the gruesome murder of Kitty Genovese, a study produced results which were coined "Genovese Syndrome" or the bystander effect. This study found that the more people that were present the less likely there were to help a person in distress. They say the reasoning for the bystander effect is the diffusion of responsibility; since other people are present there is less pressure on them to take action; and a need to behave in a socially acceptable manner; because no one else is taking action they perceive it to be unnecessary or inappropriate.

Some things never change. Just last week, a little over 46 years later, a man was stabbed to death in Queens, New York, in broad daylight. As the man approached a woman being attacked, the attacker turned and stabbed him. Shortly after, the woman and attacker took off running in different directions as the man collapsed face down. As seen on a surveillance camera, it was not more than a couple minutes after his collapse that a steady stream of people began walking past him without helping. One man took a picture of him on his cell phone, while another shook him as if to wake him up. But the man lay there dying, in a pool of his blood, for nearly an hour and a half before authorities were notified and arrived on the scene. At this point it was too little, too late.

I am amazed and saddened by people's indifference. I could not imagine walking past someone who lay there dying, in a pool of blood, and not helping them or calling for help. What is this world coming to?

Water

Water is the principal component of the human body. As a matter of fact over 2/3s of the human body is composed of water. According to Better Nutrition our blood is 82% water; our brain is 75% water as well as our muscles being 75% water. Water is also a main component in all of the bodily fluids. As you can see water is necessary in order for the body to function. Water helps to carry all the essential nutrients throughout the body, water also aids in circulation and digestion, in addition to flushing the body of all the toxins. Not only does water help ensure that your body functions properly it also provides the body with an array of other benefits. Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Increasing your water intake can help with water retention problems. Also, consuming enough water also helps to keep your skin hydrated. Water also helps to reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Water helps to reduce sore muscles and muscle cramps in addition to lubricating the joints.

Now we're aware of how important it is to drink enough water each day. But exactly how much water is enough? According to the Mayo Clinic there is no clear cut answer on how much water is enough. The amount of water a person needs to consume each day depends on a number of factors. Among these factors are your health, your level of activity, and where you live. Doctor's generally recommend that a healthy adult, with an average level of activity, in a temperate climate should consume 8 or 9 cups a day. There are three ways to ensure that you have adequate water consumption. The first of these is to use the replacement method where you try to replace the amount of water you expel. If using this method it is important to know that the average adult usually expels 1.5 liters of water through urination and an additional liter through breathing, sweating, and bowel movements. Using the replacement method it would be safe to assume that you would need to consume 2 liters each day to make up for what you lost (this figures that at least half an ounce of water would come from your food intake). Another way to ensure adequate water consumption is the 8 by 8 rule. It's pretty self-explanatory, drink 8, 8 ounce glasses of water each day. The final way to ensure adequate water consumption is to abide my dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men drink 3.7 liters of water a day and women drink 2.7 liters a day (this figure includes water from beverages and food).

Enrollment

    In the fall of 2006 I moved to Springfield to start my college career at Missouri State University. It didn't take long for me to decide that it wasn't the place for me. In the spring of 2007 I transferred to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. While I was up there I began having back problems. When I came home for the summer I went to my family doctor who ordered an MRI then sent me on to an orthopedic specialist. After reading my MRI the specialist informed me that surgery was needed and it was most likely going to be the first surgery of many. Great, just what I wanted to hear. After hearing this news my family and I decided that it was in my best interest to transfer to MSSU and stay local in the event that more went wrong with my back.

    Seeing as my transfer to MSSU was a last minute decision I waited until the last minute to enroll. I just went to admissions and a student enrolled me. And that's the way it went for the next two years. I was never assigned an advisor until the fall of 2009. Only then did I get an advisor because I specifically asked for one. I know this is somewhat my fault, but c'mon, they can do better than that. Because I never had an advisor I hadn't taken some of classes that were prerequisites to other classes. I also hadn't even begun to take any classes for my major.

    It's like I've hit a brick wall, because I do not have all the prerequisite classes to my major classes I cannot carry a full course load. Not even close. The fall of 2009 I took 17 hours and this spring I am taking 19 hours all in an attempt to play catch up. But it's too little too late. This summer I can only take 7 hours and this fall I can only take 9 because you guessed what I am taking this summer is a prerequisite for what I'm taking this fall. What I'm taking fall of2010 are prerequisites for pretty much every other class I have to take. Annoying!

    My advice: if you don't have an advisor make sure you're assigned one ASAP so you can avoid the situation I've gotten myself in to (with a little help, I might add)

Fishing

We have spent the last couple weekends fishing; unsuccessfully at that. Two weeks ago I decided that I wanted to go fishing on our days off. So off we went to Academy and bought the tools of the trade along with our fishing licenses. In the state of Missouri you must have a permit in order to "pursue, take, possess, and transport fish, live bait, mussels, clams, crayfish, frogs and turtles. There are a number of licenses they offer; ranging from a one day license to a year license to a lifetime license for both residents and non-residents. We opted for the year license. The next day we headed to Jolly Mill to try our hand at fishing. We fished for a couple hours unsuccessfully before packing up and calling it a day. This last weekend we had intended to fish at Kellogg Lake in Carthage but had forgotten our fishing poles and had not realized this until we had arrived. After we finished our errands in Carthage we decided that we would just go down to Wildcat Park and fish there. Once again we caught nothing.

We plan to go fishing again this weekend, but this time around we have done a little research. Tomorrow we plan to get up bright and early and head Cassville Missouri with our final destination being Roaring River State Park. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation Roaring River State Park is a trout park. Roaring River State Park is also ranked a white ribbon trout area; which means that it is stocked with trout intensively. The trout areas are ranked white; being the highest rank, red, and then blue being the lowest rank.

Throughout my research I have found a lot of helpful information that should make tomorrow's trip a success. Among this information is how to identify trout and then differentiate between the different types of trout; rainbow and brown trout. Rainbow trout can be identified by the pink streak that runs the length of their body, as well as their forked tail with dark spots. A brown trout can be identified by its yellow abdomen, red and/or orange spots, and its slightly forked tail with faint to no spots. It is important to be able to identify the different types of a daily limit of four trout per person. If any of the trout you possess are brown trout they must have a length of at least 15"; there is no length limit on the rainbow trout.

In addition to finding a good place to fish and how to identify the different types of trout I also learned a few things that will improve my chance of catching a fish. One of these ways is by wearing polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses reduce the glare and make it easier to spot trout under the water's surface. I've also learned that it is best to use very thin line when fishing on a clear, sunny day because often the larger line can be seen by the trout and will scare them away. Also, that the best bet for catching trout is when the water level is low is in deep holes where they will often pool up.

Hopefully next week's blog will be about how many trout we caught. J

Do It Yourself Landscaping

    So, we started our landscaping project last weekend. Well, sort of. Our backyard is at two different levels. The higher level runs the length of our neighbors house and extends about two and half feet. At the edge of the higher level they put railroad ties that served as a divider and also kept the dirt from washing away. I'm not sure exactly how long those railroad ties had been there, but they were in bad shape. Several of them had begun to split and fall apart; so last weekend we started out our lovely landscaping adventure by pulling out all the railroad ties in the backyard. That in and of itself wasn't too bad. Surprisingly it only took a couple hours to dig them out, load them up, and haul them off. At this point I was saying to myself "ahh, maybe this won't be so bad after all." Wrong.

    Our plans were to spend every Saturday during the day for the next month or so working in the backyard. Well, you know what they say: plans are made to be broken; and we would sure hate to disappoint. We did not work on the backyard this weekend because we had much more pressing issues to tend to: city wide garage sale in Neosho. As much as I dislike going to garage sales, I must say it sure does beat landscaping. Since we did not make time to work on the backyard this weekend we have decided that we will spend a couple hours out there each night this week playing catch up.

    This week is going to consist of leveling out the backyard, and well, after looking at today's progress, I think we will be doing good to even get that done. Although leveling out the backyard is time consuming and hard manual labor the up side is that it doesn't cost much. Once we get the yard leveled out we start getting into the costly part. We have to build a retaining wall where the pulled out the railroad ties. We could go the cheaper route and just use railroad ties, but that just seems like a huge waste of time and money to me. I really don't ever want to do this again, so I think we're going to opt for stone retaining wall blocks. After we get the retaining wall in place we're going to have to have a couple loads of river rock brought in to cover the walkway from the back patio to the grass. Because the dogs constantly run and play here it is nothing but dirt; I'm sure you can imagine what my floor looks like after the dogs come in from the rain or snow. Once we get the retaining wall and river rock in place then we have to seed the yard and start our flowerboxes. That part doesn't sound so bad.

    Right now I am just so overwhelmed. I am very much so one of those instant gratification people and it is driving me insane that my yard is torn up. Hopefully we make big strides in the next month or so…

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is something that has just started to explode in the last couple years. Social media is promoting your product or business through social media outlets. According to the Social Media Marketing Industry Report Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs are the top four social media outlets. It is no surprise that Facebook ranks among the top social media outlets. Facebook boasts over 400 million users; 50% of which log on each day. Facebook also boasts over 3 million active pages; with 1.5 million of those belonging active businesses. In addition to having over 3 million active pages, 20 million people become fans of these pages each day.

My fiancé works at Grow Marketing in Joplin, Missouri which is currently the only marketing firm in this area that offers social media marketing. Offering this service to their clients gives them a huge leg up on the competition. Social media marketing is beneficial to companies in a number of ways. One of these ways is marketing. The main way that social media helps to market a product or service is through brand awareness. Letting people know what and who you are is a big benefit of all the different social media outlets. Someone may have seen your TV advertisements or billboards a thousand times but once they start to interact with your brand through social media, they really begin to understand your business.

Another way that social media is beneficial to companies is public relations. There may be a lot of negative feedback about your brand or business on the web. There's not really a whole lot business owners can do about that, unless that negative feedback is taking place through social media. Social media personalizes a business and gives each brand a voice. When a customer has a bad experience and publishes that information on Facebook or a blog, it gives the company a chance to ask why, or what they can do to fix the problem. Social media creates dialogue between a customer and a brand.

A third way that Social media is beneficial to a company is market research. Domino's just recently held taste tests to determine what people thought they were doing wrong with their pizza. This marketing research could have been done on Facebook, or another social media outlet, just as effectively. They could have just as easily advertised free pizza to customers who mentioned their Facebook page as long as they posted what they liked and didn't like about their pizza. This is an unprecedented way to do business. There has always been internet, at least in my life time but, it has never been so interactive. Social media, such as Facebook, offers demographic information and "insights" as to what each page's fans are doing on their pages, how many unique visits they get, and they recently began the beta test of a program that will track what people do and where they go once they click on an ads of yours. This is all market research that can be presented to business owners as a tangible return on their investment.

The fourth and final benefit of social media that I would like to discuss is the low cost. Other than consulting fees for things such as front end graphic work on your logo and setting up the basic format of your page, (which are at your disgression) Facebook is free. Ads are free to create and you only pay once they are clicked. If you have a real stinker of an ad and it bombs, it didn't cost you anything. I recently looked at McDonald's Facebook page and they had over 2 million fans. That's 2 million opportunities to market their products for free, to people that have already displayed interest by becoming a fan.

I don't think that anyone can deny the rising popularity of social media in the business world. Traditionalists will always argue that print advertising is better or radio commercial offer a higher ROI, but in reality more and more people are utilizing the internet through computers and smart phones. Take a few moments to compare the amount of time spent on Facebook or YouTube each week as compared to the time spent reading the newspaper or watching TV each week. People are on the internet more and more each day. Traditional media is not dying, but it has to be used creatively along with the newer and more creative social media outlets.

Late Start to the Week

I feel like I am getting off to a late start this week. By this point (Monday night) I usually have about 75% of my homework for the week done. I prefer to do as much as I can Sunday and Monday so that I don't have to worry about fitting all the homework in between work and extracurricular activities. I've also found that doing this I tend not to miss deadlines. However, it's not just my homework schedule that has been thrown off, but pretty much my whole schedule.

My fiancé and I are both creatures of habit. We have a basic schedule that we stick to each week. Seeing as we both work Monday-Friday, 9 to 5, we usually just have a quiet night in on Friday nights, sleep in Saturday, then have the rest of the day and night to do with it whatever we please; which is usually spent hanging out with friends. Sunday, according to our schedule, is cleaning and grocery day. Easy enough, right?

It didn't seem so easy this weekend. Friday after work instead of just relaxing we decided to head down to my parents to borrow some garden tools being that we decided to start our landscaping project this weekend. We spent a couple hours down there visiting before we loaded up the tools we needed. Once we got back in to town we decided that instead of landscaping the next day we would invite my brother and his girlfriend to go fishing (they were in town for spring break); so off to Academy we went to buy the tools of the trade. The next day we got up at a decent hour, did a little speed cleaning, and then headed down to Jolly Mill. We stayed and fished (with no luck) for about 3 hours. Once we made it back home we barely had time to clean up before it was time to head down to my parents for Easter dinner. Needless to say we spent the majority of our night there.

So Sunday we got up about 9:30 ate some breakfast and then headed to Wal-Mart to get our grocery shopping done. We only buy the stuff that we don't need a whole lot of at Wal-Mart and buy everything else from Sam's. After we left Wal-Mart we headed to Sam's, only to find it closed for Easter (I probably should have seen that one coming). That threw my day off completely considering we buy the bulk of our food there. Once we got home and unloaded the groceries we started in on the cleaning. About 30 minutes into it Zeb decides that he does want to go ahead and start the landscaping project this weekend. Between the cleaning and landscaping we were on the go until 8 pm, which left little time for homework.

So this weekend was a case of too much to do not enough time. It would have been fine had it ended with the weekend, but it didn't. It carried over into today. I normally leave work early every Monday to come home and hit the books, but I wasn't able to today. Normally this would have been fine, except that since Sam's was closed yesterday I had to finish up my grocery shopping after work tonight. Once we got home and unloaded the groceries it was time to make dinner. After dinner and clean up it was time for a shower. Which once again left little time for homework. I hate when my schedule gets thrown off, it makes me feel anxious and overwhelmed. Hopefully everything falls in place tomorrow…

Houdini & Houdini Jr.

So, surprise, surprise, our escape artist dogs escaped once again. Not even once, they have escaped twice in the last four days! The first time they got out was Saturday and sorry to say so, but it was due to our negligence. When Zeb left that morning for his hair appointment for some reason unbeknownst to me he left out the back door and didn't latch the gate. Of course I didn't know this so I let the dogs out into the backyard without thinking a thing of it. Usually they go out back, do their thing, and then come and bark at the back door. After about ten minutes and no barking I began to wonder what they were up to so I went to the back door to check on them. What did I find you ask? Oh, you know, just the gate standing wide open. That morning Zeb had taken my car and hadn't left me his truck keys. I later discovered that my phone was also in my car so I had no way of getting a hold of Zeb or going to look for the dogs. Once Zeb got home I filled him in on what had happened and we jumped in the car to go look for the dogs. Just as we had put the car in drive after backing out here come the boys galloping up the driveway, Jax with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. We were happy that their adventure was short and they made it back to us safe.

Last night was a whole other story. We had my brother over for dinner last night because he is in town for spring break. We were grilling out so we left the back door open so we could go back and forth from the backyard and the dogs could do the same. After dinner we brought the dogs in and sat down and watched some TV. About 9:30 we let the dogs out to do their business before bedtime and what do you know, in about ten minutes when I go to let them in they're nowhere to be found, but for once the gate wasn't opened. After searching around the yard for about 5 minutes we found where they had not only dug out underneath the fence but also ripped a part of the fence off while they were escaping. Zeb hit the neighborhood on foot with a flashlight searching for them while I drove around. They were nowhere to be found. We did all we could do and left the back gate propped open in hopes that they would come home in the middle of the night. No such luck. Zeb checked for them on his way to work this morning, on his lunch break, and went to the humane society after work. Still no luck.

There is a happy ending to the story though. When he pulled into the driveway he found the back gate closed and inside were two worn out, muddy dogs by the names of Buddy and Jax. Later this evening one of our neighbors knocked on the door and told us that when he came home today they were just standing in the driveway barking so he put them in the backyard and closed the gate after them. Jax's belly and legs were covered in mud/tar and buddy had gum on one of his elbows. But other than being dirty and a few cut paws they were no worse for the wear. They're always so exhausted after they get out, you would think eventually they would learn…

We're not exactly sure how it happened, but it happened. In the fall of 2005, I somehow managed to develop a herniated disc in my back. However we didn't know it was a herniated disc until the summer of 2007. The pain was just kind of hit and miss at first, it came and went, but was never too bad. That was until I moved to Maryville to attend school at NWMSU. About half way through the semester my back pain became more frequent and much more severe. There were some days that I couldn't even get out of bed. Once I got to this point I went to the university clinic where they diagnosed me with sciatica. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched. Sciatic is characterized by pain that radiates from your lumbar spine through your butt and often times down your leg, numbness, and muscle weakness. They treated me for my sciatica by giving steroid injections in my sciatic nerve. Although the steroid shots provided relief the first couple days their effects were short lived.

Shortly after I got home for the summer I began to experience tinkling in my right foot. It wasn't a week after that that I lost feeling in my right foot and leg. If anyone has ever experienced anything like that you know it's pretty scary! At that point I made an appointment with my family practitioner who scheduled me for an MRI. Once we got my MRI results back he referred me straight to an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ipsen. At my consultation with Dr. Ipsen we viewed my MRI and filled us in on that fact that I had a herniated disc, and it was among the worst he had seen, especially considering my age. (I was 19 at the time) A herniated disc occurs when a spinal disc ruptures and a portion of the spinal disc moves outside of it normal boundaries, most of the time herniated discs do not require surgery. However that wasn't the case with me, my herniated disc was causing my sciatic nerve to be pinched which in turn caused the loss of feeling in my foot and leg. He also explained that because the nerve was dying so were my muscles. Something I had not noticed prior to my appointment was the size difference between my right and left leg. My right left is my dominant leg, but was noticeably smaller than my left due to the muscles dying.

It wasn't but a couple weeks after my consultation that I was laying on the operating table having a discectomy. A discectomy is a procedure that is done to remove the portion of the spinal disc that ruptured to remove pressure on the nerve. The surgery was quick and painless, thanks to anesthesia. I woke up the next day and it was like I was a new person. I no longer had pain in my back, butt, and legs. Best of all, I had feeling back in my foot and leg.

This last Friday I went back to Ortho 4 States for a check-up. We got my x-rays back and it looks like I may be developing degenerative disc disease. Degenerative disc disease is not really a disease; in fact it just is the normal wear and tear on the spinal discs that come with age; but they're concerned about it considering my age and history. So I have physical therapy in the morning to evaluate and give me some exercises to improve my core muscles to take some of the pressure off of my back. I am also scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday so we can see just how bad the degeneration is. I guess we'll see…

Music & Its Effects

Last year, in my ENG 101 class, the teacher always encouraged us to bring our IPod to class and listen to our favorite music while writing. His reasoning behind this was that he wrote better, and it seemed that most of his student's wrote better when listening to music. I have found plenty of research to validate his viewpoint. Music has many effects on the human mind and body.

A study conducted by Canadian researchers found that the brains of children who have had musical training not only respond differently than the brains of children who have not had musical training, but also improve their memory. This conclusion was reached after studying and testing two different groups of children at four month increments. The children ranged in age from 4 to 6 years. All the children in one of the groups were taking Suzuki music lessons while all the children in the other group were taking no musical training. At the conclusion of the study researchers found that those who had received musical training received better scores on memory tests that related to literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics, and IQ. Some of the children receiving musical training showed improvement on the tests in as little as 3 months.

Music can help to slow down the brain waves which can help a person's brain reach the ideal state for learning. In day to day activity our brain waves are in the beta state, in which we are alert and conscious. In the beta state brain waves can range from 13-60 pulses per second; the lower end of the spectrum when we're more relaxed; the higher end of the spectrum when we are agitated, tense, or afraid. The optimum learning state for the brain is the alpha state, in which we are physically and mentally relaxed. In the alpha state brain waves range from 7-13 pulses per second. One of the best ways for your brain to achieve alpha state is by listening to baroque music. Baroque music is normally within the range of 50-80 beats per minute and research has shown that it helps it's listeners to attain a state of deep concentration and focus which then makes learning and processing information much easier.

Most researchers agree that classical music and/or baroque music is the way to go when using music to aid in learning. This is because it is purely musical and provides little distraction since the listener is not concentrating on what is being said or trying to sing along. However, there are many different learning styles and different genres of music affect people's brains differently. Heavy Metal and Hip Hop are said to excite the nervous system and sometimes inspire dynamic behavior and self expression. Rock is said to stir passion and activity and can help to release stress as well mask pain and unpleasant noises. South American music is said to make our heart race and urges us to get up and get moving. Big Band music is said to engage our emotions and provide comfort. Jazz and Blues music is said to uplift and inspire us. Classical music is said to improve concentration and memory. Baroque music is said to encourage creativity and innovation. Romantic music is said to enhance our senses and emotions. Religious music is said to bring peace and spiritual awareness. Impressionist music is said to encourage dreamlike images which can in turn put us in touch with our unconscious thoughts. Ambient music is said to induce a state of relaxed alertness, reduce stress, and quiet the mind. I find that listening to my favorite music while brainstorming for a paper can be very helpful, but I have a hard time concentrating if I listen while I am trying to read or write. Only you can find out what works best for you, if anything.

Casinos: Good or Bad for the Local Economy?

When you talk to people about the effects of casinos on the local economy you are bound to get mixed reviews. Those employed by casinos along with winners at casinos will tell you of the great effect they have on the economy; whereas those who lost at casinos may tell you of the awful effect they have on the economy. After researching the subject I found that most of the research you will find will tell you of the negative effect of casinos on the economy; but I must disagree with the bulk of the research.

I work at Downstream Casino Resort and have since day one. Not only have I witnessed the positive effects on the economy firsthand, but I have also experienced them. When Downstream Casino opened in July 2008, it opened with 1,250 employees, most of which fro the Four-State area. Not only did Downstream Casino creat 1,250 jobs, but when those people left their current jobs to become Downstream Casino employees it opened up they positions that they previously held. Almost two years later Downstream Casino still boasts over 1,100 employees and is one of the few local businesses that has experienced growth and prosperity during the recession. Downstream Casino, along with other local casinos, have had a positive effect on the local economy by decreasing the unemployment rate.

Another way that Downstream Casino, along with other local casinos, have had a positive impact on the local economy is through the flow of revenue. As of August 2009, a little over a year after opening, Downstream Casino had paid $21.5 million in gross payroll. A good majority of that $21.5 million was then spent in the local community on a number of things; rent, mortgages, groceries, gas, as well as other things. Not only did employees spend their paychecks in the local community, but Downstream Casino and Quapaw Casino also generated revenues for the state of Oklahoma to the tune of about $4.5 million. This exclude the millions of dollars that local vendors have received. Oklahoma vendors received $58 million Missouri vendors received $16 million; Kansas vendors received almost $2 million; and Arkansas vendors received about $1.5 million. Downstream Casino alone, excluding all other local casinos, noted a $107 million impact in it's first year. Not only does Downstream Casino, along with other local casinos, contribute to the local economy through payroll, revenues, and vendors, but they also helped to improve the economy by bringing in people outside of our community. Of Downstream Casino's 1.9 million guests in the first year, 65% of them came from outside of the immediate area, which means that they spent their money in our community which in turned gave our local community a boost.

Another way that local casinos boost the economy is through those players who win. Not only do those players then redistribute their winnings back in to the local community through rent, mortgages, groceries, gas, etc; but sometimes they even do things that have a much more significant effect on the community, like opening a business; such as the case of Terry Garrett. Terry had been itching to start a bakery for quite some time but had given up on her dream when she realized that she simply couldn't afford it. That is until she won a $21,000 jackpot at High Winds Casino is Miami, Oklahoma. After winning that jackpot she was then able to open her now successful bakery, Garrett's Bakery, in Southtown Plaza in Joplin, Missouri.

For those of you who believe casinos have a negative impact on the economy, I beg to differ...

Google Chrome

    We have recently switched our web browser from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to Google Chrome. My fiancé was the one who first turned me on to Google Chrome. He works at a Grow Marketing in Joplin and had just gotten a new computer in his office and was having some issues with it so they called the IT guy. Once the problem was fixed the IT guy was on his computer testing it out and saw that he used Internet Explorer for his web browser. The IT guy suggested that he try out Google Chrome and downloaded it on to his computer for him. The more he used it the more familiar he became with it and the more he liked it. He liked it so much in fact that he came home and downloaded it on his laptop. After he downloaded it he kept telling me how great it was and that I ought to try it out. Being a creature of habit and partial to Mozilla Firefox I didn't try it out until I absolutely had to. One night while trying to finish up some homework an error message kept popping up and closing out my Firefox browser window, being that I was on a time constraint I had to give in and try out Google Chrome.

    I must say I am now quite partial to Google Chrome. It is so much faster that Firefox and definitely way faster than Internet Explorer. The placement of all the buttons such as "print", "copy", "paste", etc are a little tricky to find, but once you familiarize yourself with the browser it is very easy to use. The one issue I have with Google Chrome and it is a fairly big issue, considering just about the only time I'm on the internet is for class, is it's compatibility with Blackboard, or lack thereof. So far I have ran into two issues on Blackboard, the first being that it won't allow me to send excel files through "Digital Dropbox". This is a big problem for me because I have a class where we turn in 3-4 excel files through "Digital Dropbox" a week. The second issue I ran into with Google Chrome and Blackboard is that it when you are threading in "Discussion Board" it does not show all the buttons. For example I needed to embed an object into a Discussion Board thread last week, and was unable to using Google Chrome because the button was not there. I'm sure there are solutions out there for these issues that I just do not know about. But when I had to switch over to Internet Explorer and send the excel files and embed the object in "Discussion Board" it made me appreciate the speed of Google Chrome that much more.

    Hopefully I can figure out a way around these issues with Blackboard so that I don't have to use Internet Explorer or Firefox. If you haven't tried out Google Chrome I suggest you give it a try!

Bring on Spring!

I must say I have absolutely been loving this weather the last couple of days. I'm not too fond of the allergies and sinus infection that came along with it. But hey, you gotta take the good with the bad.

Since the weather was so nice today we decided we would take our dogs out to the farm to run and play. We have an almost 6 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever and a 9 month Australian Shepherd, which are two pretty good sized dogs to have living in the house. We have a fenced in backyard, but it's not near big enough for them to run around in; so off to the farm we went. On the way to the farm we stopped at the dollar store and bought a couple Frisbees. While it was a good idea their attention span was darn near non-existent today. After we threw the Frisbee, before it hit the ground they had already lost interest. They were far too busy, sniffing around, running around, and chasing the horses to pay any attention to the Frisbees.

Just the night before we had bought a new handgun, a Taurus 66, a medium frame 357 revolver, so we decided to try it out while we were out at the farm. We put up a couple targets and spent a whole box of ammo doing some target practice. I've shot shotguns and rifles before but never a handgun, so it was a new experience for me. After we finished up target practice we loaded up the dogs and headed back to the house.

After we got home we cleaned up and got ready for dinner. We decided since it was so nice out tonight that we were going to grill out. So we made a quick run to Wal-Mart to get all the ingredients we needed. When we got home I put the groceries away and prepped the food while Zeb fired up the grill. We ending up having salad, steak, and vegetable kabobs with mushrooms, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow squash, and green squash for dinner. It was so good. I am so ready for the weather to warm up and stay warm so that we can cook out more often.

All in all today was a great day!

Procrastination

Someone once said, "If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." It seems that no matter how hard I try I find myself living by this quotation as do many others.

Although most of us believe we know the meaning of procrastination there are actually two kinds of procrastination; positive procrastination and negative procrastination. According to PowerFull Living positive procrastination is "taking time to gather your thoughts, review or research information to gain clarity so that you can make the best decisions for yourself and take actions that move you towards what you desire." Negative procrastination, commonly just referred to as procrastination is defined by Merriam-Webster as intentionally putting off something that must be done. Just as there are different types of procrastination there are also different types of procrastinators; thrill seekers, avoiders, and decisional procrastinators. Thrill seekers are procrastinators who get an adrenaline rush out of waiting until the last minute and feeling the pressure of being close to a deadline. Avoiders are those procrastinators who put off tasks for fear of success or failure and are often times perfectionists. Decisional procrastinators are those procrastinators who are those who are indecisive. They do not like having to make decisions and by procrastinating they often avoid having to make a decision.

We all know that procrastination is bad and can have some very undesirable consequences, both internal (stress and anxiety) and external (missing a deadline). But why is it that if we know that procrastination is bad and has undesirable consequences that we continue to do it? As well all know there are a number of reasons people procrastinate, some of which I have already covered. The top seven reasons people procrastinate, according to PowerFull Living, are fear of success/failure, lack of desire, lack of inspiration from goals/dreams, lack of motivation, negativity, feeling of being overwhelmed and distractions.

Procrastination is a vice that can be overcome. According to MindTools the first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you're doing it. Once you've established that you are procrastinating the next step is to get to the bottom of exactly why it is that you're procrastinating. Once you have discovered why you are procrastinating it will be easier to address this issue. The final way to overcome procrastination is by adopting anti-procrastination strategies. These anti-procrastination strategies range from making a prioritized to-do list to rewarding yourself for accomplishing the task.

Remember, "a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

J

Engaged!

As of Saturday evening, I became the future Mrs. Madsen. I must say, it feels wonderful!

Saturday morning I woke up sick. We'll just say I had the flu, the Moscato flu. Oh, about 7:30 AM I attempted to get up and around but shortly after my head was pounding and my stomach turning. It wasn't long until I decided to take a pill for nausea, drink a little water, eat a bite, and lay back down. I passed out until 5 PM!!! And I only got up then because I HAD to. I had to get up and around for one of my best friend's baby showers. After the baby shower I met my parents, grandparents, and Zeb for dinner at Red Onion. I was finally feeling a little better; I had an appetite at least. After dinner I was feeling a lot better, my stomach had finally settled and I had a little energy. Since I was feeling better we decided to meet our friend's at Wasabi then head to Magoo's to meet up with some other friends.

Once we pulled into the parking lot at Wasabi he pulled out a leather bound notebook and handed it to me. On the front page it said "I made this list a long time ago. Last summer I knew one day I would marry you. I began compiling a list of all the things I loved about you. I may have missed some obvious ones, but I think I got most of them. I guess you're just really loveable!!! There's room at the back of this notebook for more entries and maybe one day, wedding vows. The deal is, you have to make it all the way through this notebook without crying or the accompanying gift will disappear. I love you. Zeb." Then page by page he listed off a different reason why he loved me. I'll spare you the details because most of them are things that people other than us wouldn't understand. On the last page he wrote "See, that wasn't too corny or sappy, right? You know what's gonna happen next…. I'm always going to love you. Forever, for always, no matter what." When I looked up he was holding the box in his hand and before he could even ask I found myself saying yes, over and over again.

Come to find out Zeb had met with my parents and grandparents before dinner to ask their permission. That explains all the weird looks my mom and grandma kept shooting Zeb and each other toward the end of dinner. When I talked to them the next day they said they were just waiting and waiting for him to do it there in front of them.

If You Act That Way in Public I Can Only Imagine How You Act at Home…

Working at a casino I see and interact with a variety of people on a daily basis. For the most part I'm not too surprised by the things people do, say, and/or the way they act. But at least once a day I am completely taken aback by something someone says or does.

For one, we have this old guy who comes in pretty regularly, at least once a week, and instead of asking for ashtray, or grabbing one of the ten ashtrays in a ten foot radius he just ashes on the floor. Really, you're just going to use the floor? You think that's acceptable? I can only imagine what your house looks like.

We also have the guy who has psoriasis, and picks at his skin at the table, leaves flakes of skin all over the table, not to mention he touches the cards and his chips before, during, and after picking at his skin. Keep in mind he and I aren't the only people who have to touch those cards, but also every other player and dealer in the casino. C'mon now, there is a time and place for that, like in your bathroom in the privacy of your own home.

Of course I can't forget the mention the countless people, who cough, sneeze, and pick their nose, then touch their cards and chips. Oh, and even better, the guy who would reach down his pants and scratch then touch his cards and chips. I think it's pretty safe to assume that no one wants to touch any cards or chips he's had his hands on.

As awful as all that sounds, that's the stuff that happens daily, without fail, not once, not twice, but pretty much at every table. This is the stuff that no longer fazes me. Apparently common courtesy is not something that most Americans have not learned let alone practice. But what still can't get over are the things people say and the way they act. Not just the things they say to me, but what they say to each other and the way they act.

How about the young kid who has yelled at numerous players, including an 80-some-year old woman for not hitting her 12 against my face card. We're not talking made he made a statement or suggestion, we're talking he YELLED at her. Or the one who threw his chips across the casino when he lost a hand, knocked over his chair leaving the table, and then punched another one on his way out of the casino. Classy. Oh, I can't forget the old guy who called me a f***ing b**** a couple weeks ago. For what, you ask? Oh you know, just doing my job, flipping the cards over.

I am completely amazed at what people say and the way people act out in public. I am embarrassed for them and their families. It makes me wonder, if they have no qualms about acting that way out in public, in front of people who don't know them, I can only imagine how they act at home…

Humane Societies

Up until today I hadn't realized the worth of humane societies. The importance of humane societies is often overlooked or taken for granted. Until you're in a situation where you find yourself relying on the services of a humane society it is all too easy to take for granted what they do for not only pets but also families. This is where I found myself today….

Today started out normal enough. I drug myself out of bed about 6 AM, stumbled to the back door to let the dogs out to do their business then proceeded to get ready and leave for work. It happens the same way every day of the work week; I let the dogs out when I get up and Zeb lets them back in the house in time to eat and drink before he leaves for work. However something went wrong today. I got a frantic voicemail from Zeb about 8:35 saying that when he went to let the dogs back in this morning the gate was open and they were nowhere to be found. He had already driven all around the neighborhood looking for them with no luck.

Once I got the voicemail I tried calling the Joplin Humane Society but their phone was disconnected because they are moving into their new facility tomorrow. Since I was unable to reach anyone I decided to leave work early to go look for our boys. Once I got home I searched the neighborhood with no luck and then decided to take a ride down to the humane society to have a look for myself just as their website suggests. Our dogs had not been brought in but I took the necessary precautions and filled out lost animal reports so they could be identified if they were brought in. Once I got home I began posting ads on Facebook, Myspace, CraigsList, and even an ad in the Joplin Globe. Luckily the humane society called a couple of hours later saying that they were just brought in by animal control and that I was able to come pick them up anytime. We were very lucky that they stuck together and that they made it back home with no problems other than being very sleepy from their big adventure. We were also very lucky that there are establishments out there like humane societies.

The mission of humane societies as outlined by the Humane Society of Missouri is to provide second chances. Humane societies do this by providing a safe place for abused, neglected, abandoned, and in our case runaway animals providing them with food, shelter, and veterinary care, obedience, and behavior classes. They also seek to find loving homes for these animals through adoption. At the Joplin Humane Society all of the animals are available for adoption for a fee of 60 dollars. This fee covers their shots and spay/neuter. Up until this day I really hadn't given a second thought to the value of Humane Societies. But I now plan on helping them as they helped me. There are a number of ways you can do this, by becoming a member, volunteering, or making a donation.

HP TouchSmart 300-1017

So Sunday night as I'm finishing up some last minute homework on my boyfriend's laptop, it died out of nowhere. Flashback to Friday night, we were laying in bed watching The Boondock Saints on Netflix (which is amazing by the way), and out of the corner of my eye I see a blue flashing light. Apparently our two boys, Jax and Buddy, decided that the power cord for the laptop was their new favorite chew toy. I'd like to say that this was the first time something along these lines had happened but they had already chewed through the power cord for my laptop and the replacement power cord.

    As a temporary fix Friday night Zeb took some electrical tape and taped it up. We hadn't realized that it would be that temporary of a fix. So after the laptop died we had to run to Best Buy in hopes of finding a replacement cord. Of course they didn't have the cord we needed, but had a generic one that was made to fit just about every computer. This cord was a little pricier than the one direct from the factory, but it was important that we had it that night and could not wait 2-3 weeks for the other one to arrive. Once we got it home we also realized that it had an adapter that would work with my laptop.

Prior to Zeb's laptop dying we had been considering getting a desktop computer. We are both online students and between the two of us we have 35 hours this semester, so we could definitely benefit from a quick, reliable computer with a lot of memory. So while we were at Best Buy buying a power cord we decided to look at desktop computers also. We had already been looking at buying the Gateway One, an all-in-one touch screen computer. My laptop is a Gateway notepad and I love it and prior to the power cord being eaten I had never had any problems with it. However, when we were browsing the selection at Best Buy we both fell in love with the HP TouchSmart, an all-in-one touch screen computer. We opted to wait and do a little research before we decided. Once we got home we researched and read reviews on the HP TouchSmart. We are now the proud owners of an HP TouchSmart 300-1017 PC. Our HP TouchSmart 300-1017 has a 20" diagonal screen, an AMD Athlon II 235e dual-core processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, built in HDTV tuner, built in 6 slot card reader, built in webcam, Windows 7 Home Premium, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student, Adobe Photoshop, MacAfee Virus Protection for three years and so much more! Now if only it would hurry up and arrive!

thank you for NOT smoking

Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a pool. It just doesn’t make much sense. Although your level of exposure can be reduced dependent on where you’re at, there is still some level of exposure. According to Ezine Articles, the number one cause of death in the United States, premature death at that, is cigarette smoke. Not only is it the number one cause of death, but it is also the most preventable. We have known for quite some time now that cigarettes are hazardous to your health, but it’s not only your health that you have to take into consideration.

Many smokers believe that smoking falls in one of their unalienable rights, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, the right to the pursuit of happiness. However, this does not apply here because the right to the pursuit of happiness states that a man is free to do anything that he pleases so long as it is legal and so long as it does not interfere with the rights of others. I completely understand if you choose to live your life by the cigarette and die by it, but numerous other people choose not to and should not have to suffer the consequences of your smoking.

The Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, released a report in June 2006, which announced that approximately 126 million non-smokers are exposed to the hazards of cigarette smoke every year. With this exposure comes an increased risk for development of coronary heart disease, which in turn may lead to heart attacks, asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and stroke. Not to mention that children under the age of five are the most susceptible to these risks, along with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Second hand smoke can also hinder both physical and cognitive development in children.

The most serious risk that other non-smokers face is heart attack. Dr. David Meyers, professor of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine stated that “even breathing in low doses of cigarette smoke can increase one’s risk of heart attack.” As a matter of fact second hand smoke is nearly as detrimental to the heart as chronic active smoking and can increase the risk of heart attack in non-smokers by up to 30%. Studies show that bans on smoking can help to reduce the number of heart attacks by up to 26% a year, not to mention the numerous other health benefits that result from bans on smoking.

I work as a blackjack dealer in a local casino. And although I am not a smoker, I probably “smoke” about two packs of cigarettes a day. I made the decision not to smoke and do not think that it is fair that I have to suffer the consequences because of those who choose to smoke. I believe that smoking should be banned in all public places, both indoor and outdoor. I hope eventually smoking will also be banned in homes, even if only those with minors in them.

MIDS 100: A Waste of Life

As I was registering for my classes last semester I was informed that because I was a transfer student and did not transfer a certain amount of hours that I had to take MIDS 100, a freshman orientation class. Did it matter that I had already taken the equivalent of that course at NWMSU? That I had already completed over 80 credit hours, with 50+ from MSSU? Of course not. Why would anyone take those things into consideration? That makes sense.

As if students don’t have enough to focus on with their core classes universities are going to go ahead and FORCE them to take a freshman orientation class. I think the old proverb “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” applies here. You can force me take this class, and pass it, but you can’t force me to learn. In order to learn from this class there would have to be something to learn.

One of the main subjects this class attempts to “teach” is time management. I find it a little more than difficult to effectively manage my time when I have to spend so many hours a week reading, filling out journals, and doing critically thinking exercises about things such as something I do well and how I learned to do it. C’mon now that is time that could be better spent. On what? I don’t know, maybe studying and doing homework for your core and major classes. Just a thought. It’s also a little difficult to manage my time when I have anywhere from 3-5 pointless assignments in this class A WEEK. Once again, time that could be better spent.

Most of what they teach in these freshman orientation classes is common sense. And that which isn’t common sense has been force fed to us our whole lives. If you don’t know about the food pyramid, eating right and exercising, peer pressure and ways to say no to it, that binge drinking can have bad consequences, unprotected sex can lead to pregnancies and STDs, drunk driving is never a good idea, etc, then quite frankly I’m not sure how you made it to college.

I think if anything this class should be optional. I understand there are some people out there who probably could learn a thing or two from this class. Or people who perhaps love to talk about themselves and would really get a kick out of writing 3-5 papers a week about what they do well, what they had for lunch, etc. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this does not apply to the vast majority of students.

Having Kids: The Younger, The Better

Although there are some advantages to having children at an older age, marriage, educations, savings, stability, etc, there are also a great number of disadvantages. It has been common knowledge for quite some time that the older a woman is the more health risk that both she and her unborn child face. Some of these risks include miscarriages, premature delivery, stillbirth, bleeding complications, hypertensive disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, growth retardation, multiples, and the need for a cesarean section, and infertility. However, in order for any of these risks to pose a threat a woman would first have to be able to conceive. The biggest disadvantage that older women face when trying to have children is infertility. According to eMedicine, couples who are considered infertile are those who have tried to conceive with no success after at least one year of unprotected sex. Although we have known for quite some time that the older the woman was often times the more difficult it was for her to conceive we did not know to what extent until recently. The findings of a study done at the St. Andrews and Edinburgh University concluded that by the age of 30 the average woman has lost close to 90 percent of her approximately 800,000 eggs that she was born with. By the age of 40 the average woman has lost all but 3 percent of her eggs, making conception near impossible.
Infertility is often very costly to diagnose and then treat. The most common infertility treatment is IVF, in vitro fertilization. IVF involves taking a woman's egg and a man's sperm and combining them in a petri dish in a laboratory. Once the eggs are fertilized then 2 to 4 of them are transferred into the woman's uterus in hopes that they will implant into the uterine wall and begin to grow. This process is called a cycle. On average one IVF cycle can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000, and takes 3 cycles for a woman to become pregnant. Not only is the cost extensive but there is not guarantee that any of the fertilized eggs with implant and thrive.
One of the best reasons to have children at a young age is to protect your health and your child's health. Women who have children in their 20s often times have easier pregnancies and labor than those women who wait until their 30s and especially their 40s. These younger women also tend to rebound from their pregnancies much better than older women. Also, according to LBBC, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, studies indicate that those women who have their first child before the age of 25 are less likely to develop breast cancer thorough their lifetime. Also by having children at a younger age you decrease the risk of growth retardation and chromosomal abnormalities among other things. Another benefit of having your children at a young age is that it is easier to diagnose and treat infertility at a young age.


http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/getting-pregnant/age-factor/pregnancy-risks-after-age-35/
http://buzz7.com/health-science/how-women%E2%80%99s-fertility-declines-after-30.html
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Infertility
http://infertility.about.com/od/infertilitytreatments/ss/ivf_treatment.htm
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm
http://www.lbbc.org/

.basic strategy.

It is in everyone's best interest to learn and play basic strategy when playing blackjack at the casino. A blackjack player who does not know how to play whatsoever has a 3-5% disadvantage compared to the house, a player who picks and chooses when they play basic strategy has about a 2% disadvantage compared to the house and a blackjack player who plays basic strategy is only at a .5% disadvantage compared to the house. So as you can see basic strategy if played correctly can significantly improve your odds. However it is not necessarily about improving YOUR odds, but decreasing the house odds. A lot of people do not understand that every time you hit when you shouldn’t or stay when you shouldn’t affects the outcome of the hand. I hate to break it to you, but the shufflers do not stack the deck. In order for the shufflers to stack the deck they would have to be able to read everyone at the table’s mind and know exactly when you were and weren’t going to hit in order to ensure I had the better hand. C’mon now, I think that’s more than a little bit out of the realm of possibility. Nope, it’s not the shufflers, it’s your buddy sitting next to you that stood on his 12 against my face card, or hit his fifteen against my six that caused me to draw to 21.

There are a number of ways to learn basic strategy. Heck, you don’t even have to LEARN it; you can buy or print off a basic strategy card. But for those of you who know nothing about basic strategy I’ll give you a few pointers. As a player you are always supposed to assume that the dealer has a ten in the hole, so if I’m showing an 8, then you would assume that I have an 18. The dealer’s bust cards are 2-6. What that means is that if I have an ten in the hole and am showing a 2-6 that I will have to take another card to get to a stopping point (the dealer stands at 17). So if I HAVE to take a card why would you run the risk of busting? So if the dealer is showing a 2-6 and you have a hand that could bust, 12-16, you do not want to hit. If I am showing a 7 or above (made hand) as a player you will want to hit any hand up to 16. On sixteen there is no right or wrong answer of whether to hit or stand. But whatever you decide to do you need to stick with it. Consistency is the key. A soft hand consists of an ace, which is either 1 or 11, and a card other than a face card or ten. You should always hit your soft hands up to 18, or ace 7, it’s a free hit, and you must as well try and better your hand. Of course there are variations in basic strategy, it all depends on what “book” you read. Some people hit their 12s and 13s against my 2, some people don’t.

As a final note, keep in mind that contrary to popular belief it is not just YOUR money that you’re playing. Today I had a player bettings $100 for him and $25 for me, the set up was perfect, I had a 5 showing, he had a 19. Then Joe Blow beside him decides to double down (double your money, only receive one card) on his pair of 3s (6) instead of splitting them as basic strategy would tell you to do. Needless to say he drew a 2, and then I flipped over my hole card which was a 10, and drew a 6 for 21! All because this guy either didn’t know or choose not to play basic strategy. Needless to say it was not a happy table and I was NOT a happy dealer!