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The Curse of the Good Girl: Q&A With Author Rachel Simmons {ParentDish}
Jan 20th 2011 12:11PM I think I understand what the author is trying to say: not that girls should be taught to be bitches, but that they are often not taught to know when to be assertive. I've lived this myself. My own mother had to move back in with her parents while she was pregnant with me, due to going through a divorce. My grandmother became my caregiver while Mom worked a full-time job. There was a clear family hierarchy: My grandmother ruled with an iron fist, then Mom was the second-in-command. I was expected to not question ANYTHING I was told to do, just to be obedient. As a result, I became a doormat. I still struggle with asserting myself. I didn't stand up for myself on one of the most important issues of my life: whether to have children. I knowingly married a man who was adamant about not having any, and I went along with his wishes in order to have his companionship. He passed away last August, and as part of my grieving process, I'm kicking myself for not standing up for my desire for a family. Now I'm 45 and the midlife change in attitude is kicking in. I have started looking into building a family as a single parent (don't know if I will adopt or try to have a baby), regretting all the years I wasted. How differently things could have turned out if I had learned earlier when to assert myself. I hope this book helps girls to learn the proper balance between being cooperative and being assertive. I also hope any daughters I might have can learn that balance.
Ryanair CEO questions the need for the co-pilot - wants to replace them with flight attendants {Gadling}
Sep 7th 2010 12:05PM Speaking of a massive coronary in flight, try Googling the name "Doug White." This incident happened early in 2009: White owned a King Air and was not yet certified to fly it; he had flown Cessnas. He hired a pilot to fly him and his family to and from south Florida for his brother's funeral. Shortly after takeoff on the flight home, the pilot, Joe Cabuk, died at the controls. White had to radio for help landing the plane. Thank the Lord he got down safely. Obviously, such a scenario is not far-fetched!
Top Country Albums Even Country Haters Should Own {The Boot}
Mar 8th 2010 12:05PM This list mostly missed the mark. I agree with including Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and Johnny Cash, but there was so much more not even mentioned. No Patsy Cline, no Loretta Lynn with or without Conway Twitty, no George Jones with or without Tammy Wynette; nearly all of old-school Nashville was overlooked.
America the Peevish: When Debate Descends to Name-Calling {Politics Daily}
Mar 7th 2010 1:10PM I should have not have been surprised that the reaction to an article about political name-calling is...more political name-calling. The author is right...debate isn't what really takes place, it's mockery. Everyone who calls the other side names should be deeply ashamed of themselves. That goes for the left, the right, the center, whatever direction one aligns oneself with. Evidently the lessons most people's parents tried to teach them as children regarding how to treat other people didn't stick.
Should Dogs Go Everywhere With Their Owners? {Pawnation OLD}
Feb 16th 2010 12:37PM Please do not criticize people who choose to have pets. It is none of your concern if someone has a pet and chooses to lavish attention on it. Some have pets because they don't or can't have children - my husband and I are in the former category. If you have that much animosity in your heart toward people like us, perhaps you should seek professional help yourself.
Should Dogs Go Everywhere With Their Owners? {Pawnation OLD}
Feb 16th 2010 11:01AM I have a 4-year-old Chihuahua. She doesn't go everywhere with me, but she does go to the nursing home where my mother is a resident. She is one of the few things Mom positively responds to; at other times, she's usually withdrawn. Most other residents tend to respond well to her, too. Thankfully, this home welcomes pets who have their shots and behave well; the activity director herself has another Chihuahua.
To people saying that even service animals shouldn't be allowed in public places: If I'm not mistaken, it's a legal requirement that public places allow service animals to be present, as they are considered an extension of their owners. I believe this was the case even before the Americans with Disabilities Act. The animals are what allow their people to lead normal lives; that's why they have them.
And to those of you who say "what about allergies," then please, take allergy medication or otherwise seek medical treatment for your condition. You will never be able to completely avoid all animals at all times. Even if you own your own business, you will still be obligated to let service animals in since they are not considered pets. If you try to bar them, you will run afoul of the law. And think of the day you might need the help of a police K9 unit, such as a bomb-sniffing or rescue dog. Again, those are working animals and an extension of their owners.
The people posting here who give the impression that they don't want to ever cross paths with a dog or any animal must be miserable people indeed. I think they must have little or no capacity for any kind of love.
Woman mistakenly declared dead by credit reporting agency {WalletPop}
Feb 16th 2010 10:25AM TTREXXX: I think she was telling us how she got people to realize she was alive, not how she planned to collect money. It appears her actions had their intended purpose - to wake people up and get them to do the right thing.
5 Overpaid Jobs {AOL Jobs}
Feb 3rd 2010 11:54AM I disagree with the person saying anyone making over $100 an hour is overpaid. Anesthesiologists and nurse anesthestists can earn at this level, and deserve every penny of it because they literally have a person's life in their hands. Plus, they go through intensive training to prepare for this work.
My Mother Hates My Baby Name {ParentDish}
Jan 18th 2010 10:36PM My name, Martha, is almost as old as they come, New Testament times to be exact. My mother gave it to me to honor one of her own mother's aunts. I've made my peace with it over the years, but it has been difficult at times. I was born in the mid-60's, so I attended school with girls named Tina, Lisa, Debbie, Jennifer, Kelli, and Amy. Naturally, I often wished I had a trendier name, because I thought my name made me sound old beyond my years. After entering the work world (retail pharmacy), it's often been difficult to get customers to even call me by the correct name - they think Martha should be someone much older, not necessarily someone in her mid-40's. Or they just mis-hear it and call me Margaret, Mary, Wanda, Rhonda, Marla, or Marcia. Even my husband was taken aback by my name when we first met and started dating, because he, too, associated my name with a much older age. I have to say, though, in spite of it all, I like my name now - not too many Marthas are left. It has a uniqueness now.
BTW I know another local pharmacist named Agnes. She's about 20 years younger than I - and I don't hear anyone complaining about her name. :)
IRS Commissioner Does Not Do His Own Taxes {Politics Daily}
Jan 13th 2010 9:56AM The tax code mess can't be blamed on the current president. When has the average citizen EVER understood the tax code? I used a tax preparer from the early 90's - when George H. W. Bush was president - until 2008 when I began using software. And everyone knows there have been tax scofflaws practically since the creation of the IRS. This is NOT a Republican vs. Democratic vs. socialist issue - it's just bad government, period, and no administration has ever done anything tangible to address it.
