Woman hit with car by Iraqi father in Ariz. dies | National News | Comcast.net

Family members had told police that Almaleki attacked his daughter because he believed she had become too Westernized and was not living according to his traditional Iraqi values.

A volatile stock market, unpredictably disastrous weather, home mortgage crises and tightening credit crunch all add up to increasingly difficult home environments. Some of the most at-risk members of our population include pregnant and postpartum mothers. They are already coping with tremendous hormone and brain chemistry changes, and have a biological imperative to establish a safe haven for their new charges.

Unstable world environments can make the creation of a stable home life impossible, ramping up stress and wreaking havoc in parent’s minds and bodies. A stressed mother equals a stressed baby, but the reverse is also true. Helping a new mother feel more secure will have a positive effect on the baby as well. Here are some tips to cope with difficult times:

1. Focus on the Present. It may be tempting to think about the list of problems stretched out ahead of you. This will only lead to a downward mental spiral. Instead, ask yourself if you and your baby or child are safe for the moment. If you are, take a deep breath and allow a moment of gratitude. If not, do whatever you need to do to get the two of you into a safe environment and take it one day at a time.

2. Be Honest. Ignoring your emotions or hiding your feelings can work against you. Whether you are mad, sad, glad, scared or some confusing combination of these, please know that it is O.K. for you to feel whatever is going on inside.

3. Make a Connection. You may not know it yet, but you are in good company. Reaching out to others and sharing your story can bring healing and comfort. Sometimes this is possible face to face, but other options are available. Consider connecting with an online support group. Knowing that just a single person or small group cares about you, even if they are long distance, can provide strength for you to carry on.

4. Nurture Yourself. Ask yourself what you love with each of your senses. What do you love to hear? What do you love to taste? What do you love to feel? What do you love to smell? What do you love to see? Write your answers down, and be creative. Spa days, massages and fancy dinners are great, but the object here is to find small but meaningful ways to nurture yourself every day. You may be surprised to find the variety of simple, inexpensive ways to bring pleasure through multiple senses. A cup of favorite tea or coffee can nourish your sense of taste, smell, touch, and even sight if you take the time to focus and enjoy it. Stroking a cat or dog can be tremendously soothing, nourishing your sense of touch and bringing a sense of connection at the same time. It is possible to become aware of beauty even in some of the harshest environments.

5. Attend to the Basics. You need to eat, sleep, breathe and drink water every day. Remembering these small, simple steps will increase your your health and vitality when you need it the most.

6. Ask Others for Help. This is no sign of weakness. On the contrary, you prove your competence by asking for help for yourself and your family when you need it. Do you need help finding information, food, housing, resources, or a supportive network? People might not know what you need unless you tell them. Don’t let your pride interfere. Give yourself permission to ask for help and increase your chances of finding the resources you need.

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Passover is coming and as usual, I’m both excited and nervous about it. Excited because Passover is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Nervous because it falls on me to set the overall message and presentation of the celebration.

When is Passover 2009? Dates of Jewish Holidays – Pesach Date

In 2009 Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday April 8 and ends at nightfall on Thursday April 16 in the Diaspora (Wednesday April 15 in Israel).

Because we are not Jewish, we weren’t raised with any concept of Passover. Nor do we have years of family tradition surrounding it to adhere to. Instead, we’ve kind of made it up as we went along. You could maybe identify “seasons” to our Passover celebration.

For instance when the kids were small, it definitely took on a character of being geared around them specifically. Then there were several years where we celebrated it with our whole Sunday School/youth group class. (Those were more like an exercise in controlled chaos.)

Last year I pretty much threw out most of what we’d done in the past and drew upon elements and traditions that I’d only just learned about. So this year I’ve yet to decide whether this year too is to be an upheaval, whether to return to past traditions, or whether to build on what was started last year.

Each year I try to take stock of where the family is at in every facet and then go to God with it to determine what needs to be emphasized that year. Its an awesome and humbling responsibility to undertake. Particularly if you try ti get real honest with where the family is at at that specific point in time.

For me Passover is as much about the preparation as it is about the celebration itself. But maybe that’s exactly how it should be. I nervously await where this year’s might go.

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The Dirty Truths No One Shares with New Moms | Blog Nosh Magazine

I thought back to all the times I’d tried to warn her and I knew I was partially to blame. It’s true. We don’t tell our pregnant friends everything, not because we don’t think they can take it, not because we don’t think they’ll believe us, but because it hurts to relive it and it’s easier to joke about sleepless nights than to go into details about how hard it really is.

When It Isn’t Really Senility – The New Old Age Blog – NYTimes.com

Reversible causes of dementia include the side effects of many medications. Ditropan is only the most recent addition to the list, occasioned in part by a study by U.S. Navy neurologist Dr. Jack Tsao involving 870 men and women with an average age of 75. The subjects, who were all Catholic priests, nuns and brothers, were followed for almost eight years. At a 2008 meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Tsao reported that those who were taking anticholinergic drugs — a class that includes not only Detrol but also drugs to treat hypertension, asthma and Parkinson’s disease — had a 50 percent higher rate of cognitive decline than those who were not.

BabasFarmLife

If you have lost your job during this economy slump and are wondering how to bring in cash to make ends meet, I may just have the solution for you. You probably have things laying around the house that you don’t need, or have never even used. Perhaps you have collectables taking up space or old CD’s or DVD’s that you no longer listen to or watch; or maybe you received one too many toaster oven’s or coffeemakers for
wedding gifts and not sure what to do with them; or too many designer purses in your closet?

Your Impact Matters

My passions are my children, my home and our beautiful Earth. On these pages you’ll find my personal recipes, crafts I do with my children, homeschooling information for the beginner, and homesteading advice.

THE DAILY BLONDE: The Luck of the Irish?

I am not Irish? Come on, now. I have freckles. Freckles mean I’m Irish, right? I also like cabbage and corned beef. Come to think of it, I eat anything put in front of me, so that doesn’t really mean much. But I have freckles. Not as many as my little auburn haired daughter, but I have them. I also buy Lucky Charms (because they are magically delicious) and I believe in pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Just haven’t located the rainbow yet.

Down with Facebook!

For the five or six Amish shut-ins who may not yet have heard of this scourge (your tenacious ignorance is to be admired, and I’d immediately friend you if I was into Facebook and you had electricity), Facebook is an online community where colleagues, friends, long-lost acquaintances, friends of friends or long-lost acquaintances, and perfect strangers find and “friend” each other based on their real or perceived
affinity. They then have access to each other’s web pages, and
consequently to each other’s lives, quirks, photos, jottings,
oversharings, and mental disorders, as well as to those of the
ever-expanding universe of their friends’ circles, thus increasing the likelihood that you will either embarrass yourself or be embarrassed by someone whose life would never otherwise intersect with yours. (Right about now, a Facetard is ginning up an angry letter to the editor saying this would not be the case if you know how to control your privacy settings. Save the geek speech for your Facebook friends, Facetard, I already got my eight hours sleep.)

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First, there’s absolutely no need to freak out if you’re not the valedictorian or salutatorian of your high school.

Did you know that the majority of students admitted to Harvard and Stanford aren’t valedictorian, either?

Here’s what you need to know about your high school GPA and class rank to get into any Ivy League school:

1) It’s ok to have a poor freshman year GPA. What’s important is to show an UPWARD TREND – improvement over time

2) As important as your GPA is your transcript and the classes you take. Be sure to take the HARDEST CLASSES AVAILABLE – APs, IB, etc

3) Make your junior year count. It’s the one that Admissions Committees focus the most on – you want your best grades in this year

4) Don’t forget about your SAT score. It counts as much (and sometimes even more) than your high school grades

5) As long as you’re in the top 5% of your high school class, you’ll be fine – this varies by school so if you’re at an easy school, the bar will be higher

By no means am I recommending you do just the BARE MINIMUM. You should always aim to be valedictorian.

I went through this process awhile back and was accepted to 6 Ivy League schools and Stanford, so I speak from experience about this process. I wrote a book on college admissions tips called Hopeless to Harvard.

Follow my 5 critical steps above, and you’ll be a strong candidate. Focus your energies on your passions – whether that’s sports, science, or social studies.

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Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club a Run for Awareness

Do you remember the Story of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia? Carlie was the little girl from LI NY who while staying with her mother down in FL was kidnapped and murdered on Super Bowl Sunday, 2004. Her abduction was captured on video in front of the car wash where she was Kidnapped by Joseph P. Smith, who has since been found Guilty of first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping.

The story was carried nationwide and was heartbreaking to all who heard it. Now there is an old saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining and if that is true then the silver lining here is Matt Barbis, Carlie’s Cousin who started the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation (http://rosebrucia.org) with the Mission of reducing child abductions.

Matt goes around to Schools and preforms Puppet Shows and teaches children how to react and what to do if someone ever tries to adduct them. As you can imagine Matt’s Mission does not come without its costs and the Foundation runs on Donations from Groups,Individuals and Businesses.

Matt who Rides a Motorcycle had seen the good that Bikers on Long Island do to Raise Money for those in need, He wanted to Start a Motorcycle Run to help raise Money for the Foundation. A Motorcycle Run is a lot of work and Matt was Referred to the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club (http://Mortalskulls.com) Who do a Run and/or Benefit every year.

When the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club heard Matt’s story and what his Mission was they quickly decided that this would be the run and benefit they would be doing for many years to come.What better cause can there be then keeping Children Safe? said one of the Members.

For the past three years now on the Third Sunday in June the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club have hosted the run and raised money for the foundation, The run starts every year at the Bellmore NY Train station on Sunrise Hwy,with sign up from 10:30 am till 12 Noon, and has ended at local Long Island Bars with live Music, food,Appearances by local NY Celebrities and so much more. The recommended Donation for the event is $10 per person and Run Shirts are available for an additional $10 with every penny of the Proceeds going to the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation. The Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club Thank all who have come out to help and Support the event every year! This Fundraiser has quickly grown into a huge Long Island NY event, With the continued Support of the Long Island biker world and appearances by Celebrates it will continue to grow for many years to come!!!

I am Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

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A child’s 1st birthday is a joyous occasion, which lives in the memories of the proud parents forever. However, the majority of kids won’t remember anything about this fine day, but do enjoy looking at the birthday photos later on.

Here’s one way to make this special 1st birthday occasion into a stylish memento. Instead of putting these pictures into a photo album along with all the others, buy a special photo album dedicated to this first year of life, culminating in the 1st birthday party. This also makes a terrific gift idea to present to the parents.

So what goes into this keepsake photo album? Most parents takes hundreds of pictures of their children in the first year. Begin your commemorative 1st birthday party photo album with all of the pictures you’ve taken since birth ” consider the size of the photo album which will accommodate the number of pictures! Try to arrange them in sequence, which is easy if you’ve dated them on the back. The 1st birthday party photos go at the end.

If you’re wielding the camera, look sharp! These photos can be treasures! Two photos of our daughter’s 1st birthday has given us all plenty of laughter over the years. We seated her in her high chair, birthday hat and all, placing the birthday cake in front of her. We captured her look of shock and delight on film as she viewed this chocolate concoction. She promptly embraced the cake ” with her face and hands! Following a sampling, she sat up to show her chocolate covered face, smiling as big as you please. Lucky we’d already sung ‘Happy Birthday‘ blown out and removed the candle before she got to the cake! These pictures are the standouts of that 1st birthday party!

Keep a log of all the gifts and gift givers and include this information along with a photo of each gift. As kids get older, particularly around the age of seven or eight, they seem to enjoy knowing who attended their 1st birthday party and were thoughtful enough to give them a gift.

Don’t throw that wrapping paper and ribbon away! Cut small squares of each wrapping and a bit of ribbon, giving each a place in your 1st birthday party album. When you think how much styles, designs and materials change over a 20 year period, these little pieces of ‘antiquity’ will provide a peek back in time when your child’s all grown up.

Last, but not least, is the birthday outfit. This is usually very special and doesn’t get worn out. While it won’t fit in your photo album, this is an outfit you’ll want to save. Sure, you’ll have photos, but there’s nothing like the real article. You might want to wrap it in gift paper and use double-sided tape to attach it to the front or back of the album cover.

Now you’ve got a stylish 1st birthday party memento that can make a beautiful 21st birthday party gift. Think of the pleasure your grandchildren will derive from this lovely ‘antique’.

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Whether a parent admits it or not, he or she will need babysitting services at some point. In order to keep oneself mentally and emotionally healthy, it is important that parents get some quality time for themselves. Whatever your circumstance, you want to be certain your loved ones are well taken care of in your absence. A babysitter can be of huge assistance, as long as you hire an individual who is experienced, mature, reliable and who genuinely cares about the well-being of your children.

Secret To Finding A Good Baby Sitter

The major concern is finding a qualified babysitter. Begin your search as soon as possible. If you put it off until the last minute, you may overlook some very important factors, which can possibly lead to your kids being with an unreliable and even dangerous person. So if you are planning on a short trip with your spouse for instance, make sure you prioritize searching for a trusted and professional sitter way ahead of time.

One of the best options is to find a reputable agency that offers several options for very busy parents. For instance, there are good online agencies out there that offer options for those who need quick babysitter services for the mean time. If you already trust an agency, chances are you will be able to trust the babysitter they have in their database.

Referrals from family, neighbors, friends, and colleagues are also helpful. This is a good starting point so you get an idea of what to look for in a baby sitter. Of course, do not fully rely on these recommendations. You have some other things to consider first to make sure you have someone who can work best with your children.

The internet can also be a very helpful tool. Conduct a search with a reputable online agency. You should be able to find qualified sitters in your area. The agency should provide a database of pre-screened babysitters. It is recommended that you hire certified sitters who have had classes run by your local Red Cross or YMCA. Remember, babysitter services with an insurance bond will cover particular damages or losses to your property, however, not generally to protect your kids in any way. Find out if the babysitter service performs criminal history background checks and screens the sitters in their database or staff.

Secret To Interviewing Potential Candidates

More than being formal, it is only right to make each candidate comfortable before every interview. The more comfortable he or she is, the more natural and genuine his or her response to your questions. Provide basic amenities such as a comfortable chair and a good, quiet environment to conduct the interview. Ask as many questions as you can, but those that are relevant and pertaining to the job expected. Try not to ask questions that are too invasive or personal.

Ask what is already provided in the resume, but also to expound on the details. Basic inquiries such as past experiences, training, certifications and fees are a given. Ask situational questions, such as, what would you do? Finally, conduct trials and be around to observe.

Secret To Finding An Online Babysitter Service

There are just a few things to consider here. Check on the reputation first and foremost. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions and the membership fee schemes. Also, find out what specific services are offered. The more options you have, the better.

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For the most part, the nursing home and elder care facilities that comprise the bulk of the assisted living communities across the United States are filled with well trained, caring and attentive staff members who keep the surroundings clean and attend to the patients to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, though, this isn’t the case across the board and in a field like this -the majority simply isn’t enough.

There have been plenty of reported cases in the last several years of nursing home abuse and neglect. Some of these cases stem from the facilities being grossly understaffed and some from hiring unqualified or unscrupulous employees who don’t have to go through any type of training process and who aren’t watched as closely as they should be while they are caring for the patients and residents.

Sadly, Nursing Home Abuse is a tragedy that is one hundred percent preventable – if the offending facilities had better management and more structured rules and policies in place then we would probably see a very large percentage of the abuse that occurs today disappear – add in background checks and stringent hiring policies for all prospective employees and it’s likely that injury would all but disappear.

This isn’t limited to just actual physical abuse, it could include a number of other equally reprehensible offenses including theft of money and property from residents, neglecting the food and medicinal needs of residents and not keeping the residents or their environment as clean as necessary for the best chances of remaining healthy.

If you have a loved one who resides in a nursing home and have any proof, or even any suspicion of potential abuse, you need to take action immediately. The first step is to speak with the management of the facility to express your concerns – let them know exactly what you’ve seen as well as any suspicions you may have, if the situation is an isolated incident or if the party suspected of the abuse has had any previous complaints or allegations against them then this contact with the management may be enough to end the alleged abuse.

If you suspect and/or see evidence of physical abuse like unexplained bruising, cuts and scrapes or broken bones then a meeting with the management won’t be enough. If you feel that your loved one is being physically abused in the nursing home at which they reside you should get in contact with a personal injury lawyer right away.

A local personal injury lawyer may already have knowledge of previous abuse situations that have gone on in the same facility, they will be able to look at medical records and identify if the injuries listed are consistent with physical abuse and they’ll be able to guide you through the entire process as it unfolds.

Promises and excuses from the management of a nursing home are never enough in the event of abuse. Understand that the management will do whatever it takes to protect themselves from appearing in court as a defendant.

If the allegations of abuse are true, something needs to be done so that nothing like that ever happens again in that location. Threat of and follow through with a lawsuit and representation by a reputable personal injury attorney can force those necessary changes.

A widely publicized lawsuit could lead to the necessary staffing changes, the stricter rules and hiring policies put in place by the management and reparations for the damage that has already been done. Though none of these things will take away the pain that was inflicted from the initial abuse, they can collectively help to ensure that it will never happen again.

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Who would think that a bunch of flowers would cause a lot of trouble? Unfortunately, that’s what happened to a man who sent some flowers to his girlfriend.

Leroy Greer, a car salesman from Texas, called 1-800-Flowers and asked them to send a dozen long-stemmed red roses to his girlfriend with a note that read, “Just wanted to say I love you and you mean the world to me.” He asked the company to keep his purchase private.

It was a sweet thing to do. The flowers were delivered as promised and 1-800-Flowers sent Greer a thank you note out of courtesy.

But Greer happens to be married and the note was read by his wife. She phoned the company who gave her a copy of the receipt from Leroy’s secret purchase. When she learned Greer had a girlfriend, things got crazy.

“The couple was already going through what Greer’s attorney described as an amicable divorce. After learning of the affair, Greer’s wife asked for a $300,000 divorce settlement in addition to child support, said Kennitra Foote, Greer’s attorney,” according to Scott Michels of ABC News.

“That thank-you note is going to cost him money,” Foote said.

In retaliation, Greer sued 1-800 Flowers for $1 million for breach of contract and deceptive practices. He claims that the company violated its privacy policy by sharing his personal information with a “third party.”

“This is not a moral issue. The issue is, is 1-800-Flowers in the business of causing divorce or are they in the business of sending flowers and sticking to their privacy policy?” Foote said.

“In fairness to poor Leroy, 1-800-Flowers does appear to have made a mistake. He explicitly asked them not to send anything to his home, and they assured him that wouldn’t happen. If his account is accurate, they proffered a service – discretely delivering flowers – and they failed to deliver,” added Noah Oppenheim of MSNBC.

No one knows what happened afterwards or if the case prospered. But this story should serve as a warning to two-timing romantic husbands.

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