Education Hotspots and Low-points

Opportunity States

Economy Hotspots

Opportunity in America

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

U.S. Increases Military, Intelligence, and Economic Aid to Pakistan

What is wrong with this picture, or should I say statement? Over the last couple of years Americans have suffered job losses, home foreclosures, and still continue to suffer these losses without much consideration from those who are not affected by the ongoing recession. There has been no countries that have come to the aid of Americans who are struggling with these issues. Yet, the United States have decided to increase foreign aid to other countries, including the latest country--Pakistan. How do you justify increasing economic, military, and intelligence aid to another country when people are struggling on domestic soil? Maybe, I am not knowledgeable enought to comprehend how ludicrous this is, but I highly doubt it. It is my firm belief that one should always care for those on domestic soil before reaching out to care for others outside, this is especially true in cases where struggles are still evidently ongoing on domestic soil.
The Washington Post reported that the increase in aid after Pakistan claimed that the US does not comprehend Pakistani strategic priorities. And my response is, "what exactly are those strategic priorites?" Is it to take offense to a country not giving aid when said country is struggling to get its society back on track during a recession? Is the strategic priority to threaten lack of support and compromised friendship because aid is not given everytime there is a knock on the door requesting it? Is it to drain the American economy and further increase poverty in those already struggling with losing jobs, homes, and faith in the government, so as to undermine the country's ability to get back on track and people at least finding a job to take care of their families? Tell me, because it seems as though we, the United States of America have become eveyone's financial puppet because of globalization and other country's continued dependency on US progress. Well, it will definitely be hard to continue progressing when other countries are draining the US economy and the US is blind to the continued struggles of millions of Americans. For once, let us stop distracting Americans with the "supposedly" threats of illegal immigrants taking jobs from Americans and focus on the reality of our ongoing problems. Politics, greed, and fear have become the common threads that have resulted in the continue drainage of the US economy.
We behave like 6 year olds on the school ground, where a threat to not be friends with us result in undying favors to the perpetrator/s. Our government needs to wake up and realize that if we keep providing aid without first attending the ongoing needs of their citizens, it will be a matter of time before we as a country will be at the complete mercies of others who have been waiting for the right moment to strike and reduce us to another conquest. Now, I am not stating that the US or any country for that matter cannot provide aid to countries in need overseas. However, those aids to suit the purpose of providing humanitarian relief, not military, intelligene, and economic needs for purposes that might become a hazard to the citizens of the United States later on. Far be it from me to remind our politicians about Iran contra, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan during the earlier years before the September 11th, 2001 bombing. How much guns, and other aids did we provide before the packages came back to bite us in the rear? Obviously, enough. Do not reduce spendings and cut budget on domestic soil only to send it somewhere else. It is not a logical solution to the current state of the nation. It is definitely far more logical to fence your yard before giving the materials to your neighbors to fence theirs. My final words, "be careful the aid that is given outside of our government because there is no stronger government than the one that is created from within". D

America Needs Intellect - Exclusion is not the Answer

It is my firm belief that many employers regard individuals with disabilities with little to no respect. Amazingly, even women who bear the workforce of the world are excluded from opportunities based on just simply choosing to have a child and family life. It is imperative that we do not continue down this path if we are to progress as a society. Physical disability or a mental disorder should not exclude individuals from viable opportunities when conditions can be treated. Physical or mental illnesses do not necessarily amount to intellectual difficiency. Trust me when I say that we need all the intellect we can get in our workforce and our current recession should be proof enough that many of our big corporations and agencies are lacking of that. I hope we can move beyond the stigmatization of individuals based on simple labels and focus more on their capabilities.

Crime and Criminality in America

Have you ever thought about the amount of individuals that are in distress from their continuous state of destitution? February 18th, 2010 brought a story out of Austin, Texas, about a gentleman who decided to fly his plane into a building that house IRS offices and employees. Typically, the media and criminologists flock to such cases and declare terrorism, mental incapacity, and or deviancy on the part of the individual committing the act. However, this case does not involve the typical profile that accompanies many case files that include criminal or violent acts. Rather, this man seems to ring true to the typical blue collar, lower to middle class individual in the United States.
Crime and criminality in America are not aspects of our society that one wants to be exposed to, especially if an individual is not involved in criminal acts. However, crimes seem to get our attention as much as act of altruism, and even more at times. Individuals have learned that if they commit acts of violence, they are able to secure attention that would have othwerwise been almost impossible to secure without some acts of breaking the law. The media is not the only agent that takes notice whenever criminals acts are committed. People in general take notice and if the act is severe enough, government typically pays attention by becoming involved in the matter.
It is definitely a shame that individuals have to resort to violence to get attention to matters that affect the majority of individuals within our society. Let us hope that it does not take another major act of violence to open up our eyes to the possibility that the next person committing the act could be you or your neighbor.

Is the Current State of the Economy Affecting Your Relationship

The last few years have not been easy for anyone. It has especially been hard for couples who have lost just about everything except their sanity due to the downturn economy. It is imperative that whether you are single or a couple, you maintain the love and honor that was a part of your relationship prior to your current hardships. Although things are difficult at the moment, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the ecnomy will bounce back, but your relationship will not if you fail to see your current hardships as wavering challenges. Most couples typically fight about money and it is a definite certainty that those fights do not cease during job loss, economic hardships, or other relationship challenges. However, it is my belief that if couples can agree to disagree on their finacial situations, relationship crinks can be smoothed out with much more ease and success than not. Before you fight with your significant other over job loss and financial difficulties, remember that you can replace a job easier than a dependable partner.
There are many ways that couples can approach the current economic instability. First, you have to see your current situation as another challenge in your life, and one that can potentially strengthen your connection with your partner if you can work together. Second, find a church or other positive place of gathering that both of you can attend at least once per week. Engagement in such gatherings do not cost anything, and can result in a renewed sense of looking at your daily and weekly challenges. Many people do not currently have a budget for weekly or monthly entertainment because of the changes in their economic status. Do not focus on what use to be, rather, focus on what you can do together in the now. Ruminating on your past economic status will not ease the burden of the current economic situation. Grow together as a couple with your challenges becoming a positive way to build a loving and dependable partnership. It does not hurt to cut back on what could be considered luxuries, so that your expenses for bills, etc., can be securely maintained without causing added stress to your relationship.
Third, stay focus on what you are trying to accomplish while you redo your budget to accommodate your new lifestyle. Try to stay positive by reading devotionals, daily motivational self-help books, or any instrument that will give you that extra push to start your day on a positive note.
Remember, even though money can buy things, it does not buy love. Do not convince yourself otherwise. I am not saying that one cannot be rich and happy, but I know that even rich and happy takes work. So, continue or start to compliment your partner, treat each other with love and respect, and maintain your strong bond while awaiting this tide to turn.

Psychotropic Medications are not a Necessity in All Mental Health Cases

Psychotropic drugs can help or hurt individuals for many different reasons. It has been, and continues to be common practice to administer drugs to individuals who are affected by mental health issues regardless of mildness or severity. Western culture is so consumed with fixing every "supposed" anomaly that we sometimes forget to use rationality in decision-making. Mind you, anomalies are subjective according to an individual's beliefs because what may be abnormal for one person may in fact be normal to another person. However, the "know-it-all" textbook nature of many in authority prevents rational thinking from surfacing when treating individuals who may or may not have mental health issues. For example, it is extremely common for Disabled Veterans to be inundated with prescription drugs for mental health issues. The philosophy seems to be that "if one drug does not work, then another will". Providers typically fail to address the combined effects of the many drugs being administered to their clients / patients. Negative effects typically outweigh the positive effects, and individuals usually find themselves becoming more ill than when they first entered treatment. As an individual who has had the experience of being treated by multiple providers who failed to communicate with each other about their lack of treatment plans, medication administrations, and changing health status, I would personally advise individuals with mental health issues or physical illnesses to be an active part of their treatment. Do not completely depend on your providers to be the best mode of treatment and information outlet. Actively research and evaluate your health status and changes so that you can have some idea about what works for your particular situation. During my dependence on my providers, I took many medications based on their recommendations. The result was gaining more than 50lbs in about one year, and not being able to fit in any of my clothing. My complete dependence on my providers for helping with my health concerns turned out to be a rather depressing and expensive venture. Originally, I was wearing size 2 and 4 clothing and weight was not a concern. Afterwards, I was 50lbs heavier, which resulted in exacerbation of health issues, new health issues, and no money to purchase a new wardrobe. I am still struggling to lose all the weight gained, and also to reduce and eventually eliminate the health issues that surfaced during treatment. I hope that based on this article, readers will keep in mind that active participation and independent decision-making is the best way to approach their healthcare.

Response to Fellow Blogger Comment on, "Why We Remain in Relationships that Seem to Drain Us Dry"

In response to your comment, I feel like this is deja vu. Relationships are always works in progress, and so is the fear of betrayal, abandonment, and every wrongs you attempt to avoid in this life. You definitely seem to possess qualities that I typically search for in my relationships. Essentially, I felt like I was the one who needed that extra bit of emotional support, but at the same time felt such support was irrelevant. I typically felt as though I needed to pay back individuals for their efforts with me in order to avoid owing them, which resulted in my extremely minute social network even as we speak. Basically, whenever I enter a relationship, I commence planning my exit strategy but will never leave the person worse than I found them. Pretty screwed up, huh? I have definitely been in relationships where due to my own dysfunctionality, I treated my partner with little regards at times. In most cases that I can recall, it was not necessarily a fact that I intended any hurt. However, I never felt as though I had much support growing up, and I never learned to expect any. So, whenever individuals commence showing support, I become scared because most of those who did in my life, needed something in return. I now know that I do what I do for fear of abandonment, but nevertheless, those behaviors are not the easiest to treat without some serious "mojo" - psychiatric or otherwise. Irrespective of my sordid behaviors, I eventually learned how to apologize and acknowledge my inappropriate behaviors in order to seek forgiveness and be at peace with the universe. I am not saying I am completely at peace - obtaining contentment can be a struggle. Amazingly, I still do not know whether I love or obsess when it is time for a relationship to be dissolved. Actually, as dysfunctional as it may sound, I believe it to be the latter. I have always known how to show compassion, but love is so much different from that. I have now learned how to apologize when I am wrong, granted of course that I am treated humanely. I do care about having relationships with individuals with your qualities---I call them the caregivers because they help to protect one as much as possible from the world. This is in a very respected manner of course. It is easy to love a wounded animal, which explains why I am more taken to individuals in hurt than those who are happy. After all, our past can majorly shape our future without much deviation from our upbringing. Eventually we come to realize that we all are provided a miracle through someone who is patient enough to lick our wounds and assists us in healing from injuries received in this life. We are not going to be able to heal every wounded heart, or be ourselves healed by one particular individual. Our lives are such that it takes a little bit of every experiences encountered to jump start and make better, the hurt inflicted by others and ourselves. Patience is a gift of luxury that many do not possess, and for those who possess this quality, their marks are left upon the world in an overwhelmingly positive manner. We help and are helped by every encounters and experiences in this life even though we may not be able to recognize those benefits at first. Negative experiences cause us to close our eves to the positive outcomes that result from those experiences. I guess that is why we stick around when it makes no sense to anyone else. It always makes perfect sense to us.

Relationships

It is quite amazing that many individuals who are in a relationship continue to be attached to individuals that they do not love. Why do you think this is so? Is it because people are afraid of change or they are just comfortable being miserable? Whatever the case might be (love, lust, economic or financial hardship, or other), we all engage in this type of behavior at some point in our lives for one reason or another. Sound off, or consider this while you continue to surf.