My reasons for this are that while immigrants are welcomed and encouraged here in the U.S., as that’s the American way, doing it legally should be a no-brainer.  Legal immigrants are basically temporary guests until such time as they go back to their original home or apply for a U.S. citizenship.  While they are here, they have rules and regulations to follow.  Just as citizens who are born here in American.  Why should illegal immigrants who flaunt their disregard of the rules be rewarded for doing so; when many legal immigrants, who do things by the book, honor our system?  That isn’t right to reward illegals by giving them a free ride when our own citizens don’t get that same level of benefits.

The thing is, not only will they get private scholarships to go to college…but, they have to have money to live on.  How will they get food and money to pay for other necessities? So while they may get private scholarships to go to school…they must turn to the public to meet their other needs.  Already the state of California is struggling financially to meet it’s obligations to those who live there; you know, people that legally have the right to live there.  What about medical care?  What if those illegal immigrants have children while they are here? Those children will be U.S. citizens…but, then the parents have the ability to try to petition the courts to try to stay here as well.  Who picks up the tab in the meantime?  We all know the answer to that…residents of the United States who pay their taxes are stuck picking up the tab to provide for them.  It just isn’t right.

There are some individuals who think that by educating the illegals that it will help our country by causing them to pay taxes.  Yeah right, first of all, illegals don’t want to be noticed by government agencies.  They don’t want to be sent back to the countries that they came from.  Truthfully, why would they?  They can live here…find jobs that will pay them under the table, keep Uncle Sam’s portion for themselves, go to college…often have babies here in America for free, and send money back home where it is worth much more than it is here…and be doing quite well, all things considered.

I happen to think that it is outrageous that Governor Jerry Brown would slap Americans in the face by taking this action. It is what I call poor leadership that will have a negative impact on our nation.  As the head politicians, he should be enforcing the laws of his country, not creating ways around the laws of the nation.  This country is experiencing a time-bomb regarding our ceiling of debt that has the potential to paralyze our country financially; and, he dares to spread out the welcome mat to people that he feels we need to invest in.  The illegal immigrants shouldn’t be America’s obligation financially.

What are your thoughts on this matter?  Oh and before you jot down your opinion…just know that there is another bill being considered in the legislature for public scholarships to be extended to illegal immigrants in the United States as well.  That would squarely place the brunt of the cost, of sending ILLEGAL immigrants, directly onto the American taxpayer who may or may not be able to afford to send their own family members to college.  Is this fair?  Tell me what you think!

Businesses who use video to get more online traffic find it to be an effective tool.  Visually connecting with your market is one of the best ways to catch your customers interest.  In fact, your competitors are probably already using video to their benefit.  Therefore, I am sure that you can see the importance of being able to harness the power of video editing.

In fact, video is used for connecting individuals together for business, family and for entertainment.  So, it is important to know how to, not only capture those moments on video…but, to be able to know how to edit those videos effectively & professionally; and, to preserve them in formats that are useful to the increasingly technological world that we live in.

Understanding how those cameras work and how to render and upload those videos can appear to be overwhelming.  Reading manuals isn’t for everyone…some people learn better from training tutorials and this program called Video Editing Simplified, VES, is done in a wonderful way that breaks down tips, techniques and transitions or special effects into usable videos that actually make it easy to understand.

Each of these 40 training tutorials are from 2 to 14 minutes in length.  They show you what to do with the files and how to edit them to make them interesting and to smoothly showcase your videos in a way that accomplishes your goals whether it be for preserving personal family moments, entertainment, or for business purposes.  Check out the VES program and see if it doesn’t provide you with the information that you need for editing your digital videos; this program can make you look like a technical genius.

Fashion Eyeglasses Charms Even The Most Self Conscious

Let’s be honest, most children who are told that they must wear glasses will often not be thrilled with the idea of having to wear eyeglasses.  For many children, it is the idea that others will make fun of them or, cause them to be viewed as being different from other children their own age.  Being bullied because you are visually impaired and have to wear glasses can cause a child to refuse to wear them, out of fear of being made fun of.

No one want to be made to feel self conscious about themselves, especially at certain ages when it is most important to fit in with their peers.  We’ve come along way since the days of having  a choice between wearing heavy black plastic frames or  wire frames that were basically your only choices.

Still, everyone likes to look their best and there are many fashion frames from which someone can choose to fit the shape of their face and their sense of style.   On the other hand, if you are looking to change things up so that you don’t get bored with a certain look once you’ve purchased your eyeglass frames; there wasn’t much you could do except buy multiple sets of glasses…until now.

Ros Guerrero is the owner of a company that has solved this problem.  She invented eyeglass charms that add a bit of decorator style to your eye wear frames.  Some of these charms are classic styles that are a great way to dress up your lenses for a night out…others are kind of funky colorful and fun charms.  There are charms for adults, for girls and for boys too.  I like the fact that there are charms that a child can choose from in their area of interest of art or sports.

There are also seasonal charms, pets/animals, colorful flowers, or charms that create awareness of issues such as breast cancer.  Ros has created a variety of charms for you to choose from.   These make great gifts too for just about any occasion!  They are easy to attach and the fun is in the conversations that take place when others notice the charms attached to the glasses.  It is a wonderful way to break the ice for children who may have trouble initiating conversations with others.

The really neat thing about Ros’ company is that her daughter Gem was her inspiration.   One day, Ros designed and attached her first set of charms to Gem’s glasses and sent her to school.  Gem received so many compliments, in her special needs class, that the idea of Ficklets was born.  Getting noticed wearing glasses, for a child, is not always a positive experience.   Ficklets charms can positively influence how a child perceives wearing their eye wear.  After all, if a child won’t wear their glasses how can they possibly help their eyesight?  Much of a person’s education is learned visually.   If a persons vision is impaired in any way, it is only logical that getting them to commit to wearing their glasses is important, right?

Ros & Gem ~*~The designer & The inspiration

As you know, children aren’t the only ones who wear glasses.  What’s really great about eye wear today is the fact that there are so many choices.  Still, it is the same for adults…who wants to wear the same old- same old look, day after day.  There are classic charms for female adults as well.  The added touch of these charms can dress up your look at work or, for a night out making you feel stylish and attractive.  Everyone is at their best when they feel confident and assured about their appearance.  Changing your look can be costly.   It’s a lot more affordable to change up the look of your present glasses by purchasing Ficklets than it is to go out and purchase an extra set of frames.

Do you know someone who refuses to wear their glasses because they are self conscious about the way they look?  Have you ever known someone whose life was changed because their vision was improved by wearing glasses?  If so, then you understand the importance that Ficklets can play when it comes to self esteem and wearing prescription glasses.  Are you thinking of someone in your life who would appreciate a pair of Ficklets?  If so…what are you waiting for?  Thanks Ros & Gem for helping us to see things more beautifully!

Check out this young girls reaction to her Ficklets: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ficklets?feature=mhum

It is my understanding that there is nothing against the law about this agreement.  If an employee doesn’t willingly agree to this…they may not be hired; or if they’ve already been hired and refuse to sign this agreement, they can be fired or scheduled for work so little, that an employee is compelled to start looking for a new job.

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sit right with me.  I understand that many businesses are now 24 hours a day, seven days a week in their operations.  However, what is wrong with hiring & regularly scheduling a staff to work those separate shifts?  If someone is willing to be a floater, meaning working any shift as needed, then I see nothing wrong with that.  On the other hand, forcing employees to be available at any time, or basically being on call, to come into work, just doesn’t seem fair nor does it seem like a good way to keep up company morale.

I mean think about it, people have lives outside of their work environment.  Those employees often have other responsibilities outside of their jobs; such as those towards a spouse, a parent or maybe even to children.  I am thinking off of the top of my head here; but, how many child care places are going to be as flexible as an employee needs if they are obligated to work at all hours of the day or night?

Many baby boomers are what they call the sandwich generation meaning they are taking care of their parents while they are at the same time working and raising their own children.  Schedules have to be somewhat co-ordinated with a spouse or significant other to meet all of those requirements.  I wonder too about people who have more than one job.  Many people can’t earn enough money to support themselves & their families one the income from a job, especially if it is part time.  How could they agree to come in at any time if they are holding a second job…having a concrete schedule is the only way to balance two jobs.  Also what about college students who are trying to get an education as well as work to pay for that education; how are they to be expected to come into work at any given moment when they must be in class on a set schedule?  These issues impact a lot of people.  It is important to the quality of life that people need to enjoy life.

I read about one employee who was asked to sign one of these agreements.   She had a personal conflict regarding her religious beliefs.  The young woman expressed concerns about possibly being forced to work on a Sunday; when she felt very strongly that Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest according to scripture in the Bible.  Once the media became aware of this woman’s conflict about signing the agreement… she was allegedly told by her employer that she would not be required to sign it.  She was worried that if she signed it she would find herself in the position of having to choose between her job and her faith or possibly loose her job altogether if she refused to sign it.  I wonder how that particular company will enforce this worker agreement with other employees if they allow some to sign it and others to refuse?  It gets complicated in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on this subject?  Is this an abuse of power?   Should employers get dibs on an employees time twenty four hours a day, seven days a week?  Who should have priority over decision making regarding the employees time…an employer, family members or the employee themselves?

       Getting a mentor or an instructor who’s teaching style matches up with your learning style is important to maximizing the instruction.  I love learning in a relaxed setting. 

         It is hard not to feel intimidated when you are trying to absorb information all at once from someone who is treating you with a superior attitude or in a demeaning way.  My mentor doesn’t do that.   As an adult, I realize that not everyone has access to a coach, mentor, or instructor who is as great as mine is…however, if what you are wanting to learn is important enough to you…you will make an effort to find someone who makes you feel safe enough to make mistakes while you learn; knowing that you will not be made to feel stupid while you learn it.

       That is important.  Life is interesting and there are so many things to do and learn.  Be adverturous and explore…find someone who loves teaching, to learn from.  You will not be disappointed.  Remember, if you are ever in the position of doing the teaching…take the time to make sure that those who are in the position of learning…actually do so, while feeling good about the process!

        Kudos to my coach and mentor Dixie Brown of Lay Off Your Boss Marketing.    I am an affiliate for them because I believe in what they teach and how they teach it.  If you are interested in learning how to market online or to becoming an affiliate marketer in any niche online…then Jeff Wellman, Dixie Brown, Paul Counts are the people you need to learn from.   Right at the moment, Dixie has a great video training for *Free* on turning your PLR products into CASH -  http://bit.ly/315R1m  Take advantage of her great teaching abilities and you too will know what value she adds to the Lay Off Your Boss Marketing Team and to those who wish to learn to making money online!

          However, if they become disillusioned/free of that belief or stand; they have in other words switched sides and are convinced that they were wrong in their original position of belief.  For every argument or discussion, they have a response to their opposition’s point of view because they have defended or stood up for each point of discussion on the other side.   It is sort of like arguing with yourself, inside your head when you are weighing a decision.    When you finally decide what is the correct point of view, it becomes the one that you most effectively communicate to others because you have DECIDED the issue in your own mind first! 

          So, for those who have been a strong, vocal voice say in the realm of spiritual discussions such as atheism over a belief in God and have switched sides; they are much more persuasive in their discussions with other atheists.   Or, say for example a political representative for one party over another suddenly switches sides…they become a powerful tool to their former political opponents because they have inside information on how the other party approached certain issues or subjects and even how they operated as an organization.   Even the media sits up and takes notice if a politician switches sides on an issue or political affiliation.

         Now this morning I read, with interest, a news item about a woman who worked for eight years as a director for a Planned Parenthood clinic.  She for years defended the right of women to seek services at her clinic and to even have abortions if it was the decision that they made that was considered to be in their best interest.  She was a very strong voice for pro-choice issues.    She hinted that while Planned Parenthood is a multi-service organization which helps families to handle their reproductive health and educates them, there is not much money in the education portion of the business.

         The lucrative side of the business comes from performing abortions, according to Abby Johnson’s statements.  She said she was getting internal, personal pressure to increase the clinics profitability.   What seemed to change her opinion on pro-choice beliefs to one of  a vocal stance of  pro-life  is when she witnessed, for the first time the actual death of a fetus on an ultra sound monitor as the baby was vacuumed out of it’s mother’s body. 

        It doesn’t get any more real than watching a baby’s body dissolve into pieces when it was moments before a connected living creature inside of it’s mother’s womb.  Abortion is destructive to the life of the child as well as potentially destructive to the emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of the mother.  Often the opinion of fathers of babies who lives hang in the balance while a woman considers her “option” of abortion, are not considered because the child is encased inside of the woman’s body.  It is somehow “her decision”.   The decision to abort a fetus/child is one that will impact the individuals involved for the rest of their lives.  Relationships can be forever destroyed by the decision to abort a baby.  Trust, respect and responsibility are all tightly woven into people’s opinions on the subject.

         Abby Johnson now stands outside of the very clinic and protests with an anti-abortion group.  To me, this kind of critic is way more powerful than a person who has always believed that it was wrong.  It is not to say that those people aren’t as convicted about their beliefs because obviously they are if they live their lives supporting that belief; however, a person who now stands toe- to -toe against their formally declared opinion or stance is what I call an effective critic. 

          When they declare that they have decided that their previous belief was wrong and take action to correct their actions from before…I find that persuasive and potentially, life changing for their circle of influence. 

           I would like to add a link, with permission granted, to an interesting article written by @mommyperks from my Twitter stream.  I think she has written a wonderful article with an interesting personal interview with a young woman, regarding her regret over having an abortion.  Please read:  http://www.mommyperks.com/vip/?p=3427 .  Thank you!

         What don’t YOU know, that you can learn to use to make an impact to change a situation that needs changed, at this moment in time?   Let’s both get busy learning so that we can use what we learn to positively change a situation that needs changing today!  It is a great big world out there…someone has a situation that needs changing and you could help by being the catalyst that makes it happen.  Volunteer, take a class, write about what you learn, educate someone,  open your eyes, hear and listen to what is going on around you…choose to take action in a positive way to make a difference today.   Come back and tell me all about it!

It is no secret that human beings need security and stability.  We all like to know that we will have enough food to eat, a place to sleep and people who care about us in our daily lives; a place to come home to…a place to belong.  It keeps us connected, protected and stops us from feeling rejected.  Children who are in foster care, no matter their age, have issues with security and stability; mostly through no fault of their own.   Most children, in care, have suffered through abuse or neglect or they wouldn’t be in the foster care system.   Their lives are in a constant state of chaos; a condition that they have little, or no control over.  That does not feel good on any level.  After all, they are the ones who have to live with the results of any decisions that are made about their future.

For teens who are in the foster care system; the effects are even more pronounced.  You see the chances of finding a permanent adoptive placement, if their parents rights are terminated, are slim.   It can happen and for those that do find a permanent adoptive placement that is stable and healthy…they often are able to find a certain level of peace, after a period of adjustment;  sometimes they do not.  Conflicting emotions can’t be avoided about leaving the tangled web of a biological family to join another family; even if the biological family dynamics are not ideal, from which they came.  It can be heartbreaking,  all children need and deserve love and protection.

For those teens in foster care, who do not find a permanent adoptive placement, even their status as a foster child can be chaotic.  Some placements are broken over, and over again, due to behavior issues, personality conflicts, demands of the court, death, violence, legal issues that can arise out of acting out behaviors…school placement needs and yes, even financial reasons.   Sometimes, as a child nears the “magical” age of 17 or 18 years of age…the system begins it’s process of moving the child out of the court’s jourisdiction.  In other words, they begin to weigh the cost of “caring and providing” services to that teen against the age of the child and conditions surrounding their placement; they start to plan for the release of that foster child into society.

This is where things can become more complicated.  Some agencies don’t want the legal or financial burden that continued care  can place on an agency when a teen is so close to “legal adult status”.  Especially, if the cost of that care includes, expensive psychological/psychiatric care, rehab or institutionalization, services of the juvenile delinquency system, respite care, high medical costs, or specialized placement due to violence or run-away issues.   Still other situations include those such as a teen that is getting close to adult status…but, he or she may not, have any biological family that can or will, stand up and be willing to parent the child/teen.   That is emotionally difficult…and can add much hurt and damage to the young person.

All of that tends to affect their self-esteem, confidence, and the desire for stability in the teen.  Some teens get so anxious that they act out, even more, in school or within the foster home; which only deepens the difficulty in maintaining their placement.   Foster parents are often caught in the middle of the situation because they “work” for the agency through which they are licensed and are obligated to uphold whatever decisions are made when it comes to the placement.

So, if an agency or a court system decides to “release” a teen to live on their own…even though they may not have completed their high school education, have a job, or an appropriate place to live…the foster family is often forbidden to continue to provide a home for them.  Once they are no longer a ward of the court, and the foster parent has other children in the home…it then could violate their agreement with the agency who licenses them to “allow” a person who is not a “family” member to stay there; even though that child may have lived there for months or years with the same “family” members.   It makes little sense to me.

If you know an individual or foster family who is struggling with such a situation…you can be a conduit for finding a place for that older child or teen to belong.   It is hard enough for anyone starting out in life…but, if you come from a place of dysfunction because of family issues in the birth family and spend time in foster care because of it…it can affect that person for life.

Everyone needs to feel good about themselves and what they are trying to achieve.   Spread the word to people who would be appropriate to help this young person to transition to adulthood; by allowing them to finish their education or continue it, providing a job, emotional support, maybe even some financial help to getting established, help them to find a church to support them in their efforts to start out on their own.    All of those pieces of the puzzle are needed to allow this young person to grow into an individual who is a productive, happy, well educated and on a positive path instead of perpetuating patterns of negative behaviors and actions that they may have picked up along the way.  Any ideas on how you can help someone to find a permanent place to belong that is condusive to living a long and healthy, productive and happy life as a young adult?

How many businesses do you know about who have started up only to go out of business in the first year or two?  Often after investing much time, energy and money; they go out in a flame of glory.  It can happen in small business and it can happen in the world of high finance.  It takes alot of know how to start a business, to nurture it and to direct it’s growth to a place of prominence.  Knowing when to diversify and when to narrow your focus with your sales or service is an important skill to have.

In today’s world we hear about all kinds of strategies to get your business off of the ground, to keep it afloat, to build it up, and take it to the next level.  What if your business doesn’t have a long legacy like the one I just told you about who have had a 100 year track record and base of customers; how do you stay in business in today’s economy?

Well, I think you can try many of the new strategies that other experts are recommending.  If your business is a brick and mortar business…you can benefit from adding an online presence to harness the power of the web.  You can get creative with your advertising…but beware, many of your customers are going to be looking to your online presence…and, if you educate yourself, it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.  You can add bells and whistles to your business and the latest and greatest attention grabbing techniques….but; if you are wise you will listen to the wisdom of that business owner I just told you about.

You see, he realizes that no matter what you do to draw in your customers…if you do not provide a commitment to customer service…you are not going to keep their business if they do happen to purchase your product or services.  You need to hire a staff that cares as much as you do about making the customer feel satisfied not only with what you are providing them…but, also with their choice of your company as the provider of that product or service.  Once you realize the importance of the “keeping the customer happy and satisfied” you will have begun to build the kind of business that future generations will celebrate as having had a legacy of staying power!

         Put yourself in the position of a person who is hearing impaired, or a person who lives with special needs; and, consider some environments they they may experience differently than you; such as a trip to the hospital or emergency room.  How different would the experience be for you if you were the one who had difficulty making your needs known to the health care professionals.  Or say you are an elderly person who is experiencing hearing loss…how are you going to communicate with other residents or say the staff?   How about shopping or getting educational services at college or in elementary school?   How about ordering a meal in a restaurant?   Do you see how the quality of life can be improved for people impacted in this way?   Can you see how sign language could open doors for people if others in the community took the opportunity to learn it from someone like Louise or through her DVD’s?

Click on Image to listen to Interview

        If you are interested in learning more about Louise and her educational services please listen to the interview here:  http://www.rapidcashmarketing.com/lorrainesinterview/signingfamilies.htm