Desperate For Money! Please Buy My E Book (And yes, I have a job)

I published an e book on booklocker.com under the family heading called "MacKenzie's Hope" about my experiences as a birth mom.

Here's the link:

http://www.booklocker.com/books/2040.html

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day



Twice the Brutality, One Night of Reality Tune in July 17 at 10p/9c for the premiere of The Gong Show with Dave Attell and Reality Bites Back, hosted by Michael Ian Black.


The Shiny-Walled Box Thingie

An Amish boy and his father were visiting a nearby mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny silver walls that moved apart and back together again by themselves. The lad asked, "What is this, father?"
The father, having never seen an elevator, responded, "I have no idea what it is."

While the boy and his father were watching wide-eyed, an old lady in a wheelchair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched as small circles lit up above the walls.

The walls opened up again and a beautiful twenty-four-year-old woman stepped out.

The father looked at his son anxiously and said, "Go get your mother."

Thought you might be interested in this: How to fix your car fast without hassles, surprises or added expense.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=535171&topart=utes

Check out mtdn.com

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day



Full Episodes of The Daily Show and Colbert Watch now! Watch full episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report — high quality, full screen and totally free!


Kitty & Lady Find L-O-V-E

One day, a fairy visits a lonely widow and says that she is there to give her three wishes.

''I wish I was 21 and beautiful!'' The wish is instantly granted.

''I wish I had a million dollars!'' The wish is granted.

''I wish that my cat here were the most handsome guy in the world and was madly in love with me.'' The wish is granted. The now young lady and her man go inside. They start to cuddle, and the man looks at her.

''Aren't you upset that you had me fixed?''



Love it? Spread the laughter. Hate it? Think you can do better?

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/849265/george_carlin_leaves_a_hole_in_comedy.html

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day



Full Episodes of The Daily Show and Colbert Watch now! Watch full episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report — high quality, full screen and totally free!


Who Is God?

A little kid asks his father, "Daddy, is God a man or a woman?" "Both son. God is both."
After awhile the kid comes again and asks, "Daddy, is God black or white?"

"Both son, both."

"Daddy, does God love children?"

"Yes son, he loves all children."

The child returns a few minutes later and says, "Daddy, is Michael Jackson God?"





Love it? Spread the laughter. Hate it? Think you can do better?


Payin' The Bills
Ninja Gaiden II.
Click Here to Download Demo.

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day




Elephant Time

A young man is wandering around the zoo looking at the animals. He suddenly remembers about an appointment that he scheduled. Unfortunately, he forgot his watch. He searches for someone who could give him the time. He sees a zoo keeper standing next to an elephant. "Excuse me, sir," says the young man "Do you know what time it is?"
The zoo keeper reaches under the elephant, grabs his balls and starts playing with them.

"Mmmmm, it is about 3:00," the zoo keeper responds.

The young man looks at him in awe, "How did you know that?" The zoo keeper looks back at the man, "I looked at the clock on the wall right behind you."

Terri says,
Gas-saving tips




If you like this video please return to http://www.dallasnews.com/video/
to see more!

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/811449/melissa_etheridge_austin_texas_.html

Recommendations From Linkedin.com:
Recommendations are listed in chronological order, with most recent at the top.

Freelance Writer at Associated Content
Edit
1 visible recommendation for this position:

“We were very fortunate to have Terri feature some of Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth's "Dance Delivered" educational and community projects in a Happy News article. Terri was great to work with because she took the time to get some background and perspective before writing her story. In addition, she had a great attitude, and was fun and easy to work with... and when you are trying to find time to do something "extra" in a busy day, it is rewarding and worthwhile when the person you're working with appears to genuinely care about the quality of what they're producing. I feel that Terri has great integrity as a writer, and appreciate her work. You can read her article at http://www.happynews.com/news/contemporary-dance-school.htm” May 25, 2008

Kerry Kreiman, Executive/Artistic Director, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth
was with another company when working with Terri at Associated Content


Pet and House Sitter at USA Self Employed (Self-employed)
Edit
1 visible recommendation for this position:

“Terri is an extremely conciencious pet and house sitter. She is dependable and goes above and beyond the service requested. I would recommend Terri to anyone going out of town or out of the country, to come to your home and take care of pets, plants, mail, turning on and off different lights, so that the place has a "lived in" look.” May 24, 2008

Top qualities: Personable, Expert, High Integrity

Margaret Berry
hired Terri as a Pet and House Sitter in 2,008, and hired Terri more than once


Freelance Writer at Happy News
Edit
1 visible recommendation for this position:

“Terri wrote up a wonderful article highlighting the handcrafted adoption jewelry designs I create. I received some very nice feedback as a result of the article. Terri is very professional and a joy to work with.” May 25, 2008

Barbara Giordano, OffTheCuffArt.com, http://OffTheCuffArt.com
was with another company when working with Terri at Happy News

Recommendation Letter I got

My Linked In Page Profile if you'd like to recommend me:

http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_side_pro

Terri Rimmer,

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/760651/hyperthymestic_syndrome_brain_condition.html

Recommendation Letter:

Recommendation Letter from Volunteer Work:

Recommendation Letter from an Editor:

Letter from a Former Editor:

Letter of recommendation:

(My letter that ran in Wed.'s Star-Telegram):

Thanks for remembering
Thank you so much for running the Mother's Day story "Adoptive parents offer thanks to mom, wherever she may be."
I'm a birth mom who placed my daughter for adoption in 2000. Although I get to see her twice a year, Mother's Day is still very hard for me, as it is for all birth moms. Thanks for remembering us in your paper on this holiday.
-- Terri Rimmer, Fort Worth

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day






Marital Counseling

A husband and wife came for counseling after 20 years of marriage. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a passionate, painful tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the 20 years they had been married.

She went on and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured over the course of their marriage.

Finally, after allowing this to go on for a sufficient length of time, the therapist got up, walked around the desk and, after asking the wife to stand, embraced and kissed her passionately as her husband watched with a raised eyebrow. The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze.

The therapist turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do this?"

The husband thought for a moment and replied, "Well, I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I fish."

Fostering Families TODAY : Healing The Hurt

Terri Rimmer,

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/648633/how_to_have_dorm_room_pets_in_college.html

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day






State Trooper

A state trooper pulls a car over for speeding. In the car is an old lady who is hard of hearing and her husband. When the trooper asks the lady for her driver's license the lady responds, "Heh, what did he say?"
The old man speaks up as he says, "HE NEEDS YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE."

A few minutes later the trooper comes back to the car and says, "Ma'am I see you're from Florida."

The old lady comments, "Heh, what did he say?"

The old man speaks up as he says, "HE SEES YOU'RE FROM FLORIDA.'" The old lady nods her head, "Yup."

The trooper mutters, "Boy, one time, I got the worst piece of ass I ever had in Florida."

The old lady replies, "Heh, what did he say?"

The old man yells, "HE SAYS HE THINKS HE KNOWS YOU!"




Payin' The Bills
Introducing the all-new Infiniti EX.
EXtraordinary. The personal luxury crossover.
Visit Infiniti.com for more information.

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/635331/resource_center_updates_report_on_policies.html

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day






Bus Stop Blondes

Two blondes are waiting at a bus stop. When a bus pulls up and opens the door, one of the blondes leans inside and asks the bus driver:''Will this bus take me to 5th Avenue?''
The bus driver shakes his head and says,''No, I'm sorry.''

At this the other blonde leans inside, smiles, and twitters: ''Will it take ME?''

Terri Rimmer,

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/628783/south_coast_air_district_funds_open.html

I saw an article in the Star-Telegram awhile back and they did an article on these sites:

Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs:

crbestbuydrugs.org


Rxaminer.com


DestinationRx.com


BenefitsCheckupRx:

benefitscheckup.org


The Partnership for Prescription Assistance:

pparx.org

Check out tradeaway.com

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day






Name That Animal, Kids

Eddie's first-grade class was having a game of Name That Animal. The teacher held up a picture of a cat and asked, "What animal is this?" "A cat!" said Suzy.
"Good job! Now, what's this animal?"

"A dog!" said Ricky.

"Good! Now what animal is this?" she asked, holding up a picture of a deer.

The class fell silent. After a couple of minutes, the teacher said, "It's what your mom calls your dad."

"A horny bastard!" called out Eddie.




Payin' The Bills
KFC’s Sauceless Hot Wings.
Spicy on the inside. Crunchy on the outside.
Get a bucket of 20 or try 6 wings for $2.99, Only at KFC.

Strategies to save on travel expenses

Here's one: Booking flight at last minute may be a loser


01:07 PM CST on Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Boston Globe

Are you one of those people who waited till the last minute to book a flight, thinking you would snag a bargain airfare? You might wish you had heeded this from the United States Tour Operators Association:

"When it comes to airfare ... waiting for last-minute bargains, contrary to popular belief, does not guarantee the best price. Booking early will often help lock in the best price and the best routing."

That is one bit of advice that emerged when the association surveyed its members, who move more than 11 million vacationers yearly. Here are more hints and strategies:

*A strong euro means that a four-star hotel can cost $450 or more per night, and meals and sightseeing can cost more than you had counted on. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Europe suggest looking for cruise-tour prices bundled in dollars at the time of purchase. That protects against further devaluation.

*Choose train travel over renting a car.

*Travel in the shoulder seasons (just before and after a destination's busiest time) to get value pricing.

*Look for discounts for children 17 and younger.

*With an escorted tour, more features are usually included in the package price than if you visited the same places on your own.

*A lower-priced tour may not always be the best buy, because it may not include as many features as another. Look for packages and tours that include as many meals as possible, because dining is one of the biggest expenses on the road.

The Boston Globe

Daniele Dockter
www.badlandsbullterrier.com

I saw some job-hunting tips in the March Glamour that you might could use now or in the future or pass on to someone who could use them:

"How Facebook Can Land You a Job":

1. Create a professional profile - Treat it like a resume - as in ax, the love meter. And set your personal stuff to "private" so work people can't find it.

2. Rack up contacts. Recruit colleagues past and present (if they don't reply, let it go). To invite a stranger, ask a mutual colleague for an introduction.

3. Work your page. When job hunting, email your contacts. Meanwhile, e-schmooze by posting smart commments on other profiles and blogs.

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/593145/women_who_could_be_president_ca.html

Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Condition Has Various Names


My sister Debbie was just diagnosed with a condition known as swollen thyroid nodules and recently underwent a biopsy.



In this test, a thin needle is inserted into the nodule to remove cells and/or fluid samples from the nodule for examination under a microscope.



She is only 49.



The doctor gave her some medication to help the swelling go down regarding the cysts found in her throat. Hopefully the treatment will help but she has to wait and see. To complicate matters Debbie, a mother and grandma who has no insurance has Diabetes and her vision has been affected by that primary illness.



According to healthbanks.com, thyroid nodules are abnormal growths or cells or lumps in the thyroid gland. The nodules feel round or oval-shaped and differ from normal thyroid tissue. Some symptoms of thyroid nodules include palpitations, insomnia, weight loss, anxiety, and tremors, common in hyperthyroidism, as explained on thyroid.about.com. Some doctor prescribe hormone pills to shrink the size of the nodules which are usually more than one quarter of an inch in diameter that may protrude from the neck's surface or may form in the thyroid gland itself.



The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland that lies across the trachea (windpipe) below the Adam's apple, is controlled by the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain that sends out Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). (Source: Healthlink.mcw.edu). The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, the system of organs that secrete hormones into the blood.



Thyroid nodules increase with age and occur in almost ten percent of the adult population, states Endocrineweb.com at http://www.endocrineweb.com/fna.html.



Most nodules are benign or non-cancerous and can be treated with medication, revealed by helium.com. (http://www.helium.com/tm/613012/nodules-small-lumps-found).



According to WebMD.com, most nodules are so small that you can’t feel them and they do not cause symptoms. But if they are big you will feel that your neck is swollen.



The Mayo Clinic dictates that usually thyroid nodules are found by a doctor during a routine medical exam. Large nodules can press against other structures

in the neck. Lymph nodes can also swell in response to any infection or irritation.



The American Family Physician stated in an article dated Feb. 1, 2003 that thyroiditis may present as a nodule.

In rare cases, you may also:

Feel pain in your throat or feel like your throat is full.
Have a hard time swallowing.
Have a hard time breathing.
Feel nervous, have a fast heartbeat, sweat a lot, lose weight, or have other symptoms of hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone).
Feel tired or depressed, have memory problems, be constipated, have dry skin, feel cold, or have other symptoms of hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone).
(Reference: Meritcare.com).

Thyroid nodules usually run in families, according to Cigna.com.

An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...

Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?

Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.

Older Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Older Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.

Officer: Don't have one?

Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.

Officer: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Older Woman: I can't do that.

Officer: Why not?

Older Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Officer: You what?

Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Older woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Older Woman: Murdered the owner?

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?

Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.
The officer is quite stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer.

The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

Older Woman: Bet the liar told you I was speeding it, too!

Alanon and Privacy
By Terri Rimmer
Published Today
Health & Medicine
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Traditions Dictate How Privacy Works
I got a call from a friend of mine in recovery Feb. 5 who was upset about a recent article I wrote about Alanon.



She said I shouldn’t have quoted a mutual friend of ours from a meeting even though I only used her first name and no one besides members of our group could even guess who she is. Or not.



“I hope you’re not going to write about what I say in meetings,” my friend said to me. “That is private.”



“I hadn’t planned on it,” I told her.



I listened to her point of view but didn’t apologize because I don’t agree with her.



I took it upon myself to triple check the traditions of Alanon and sure enough as long as you don’t use someone’s full name and/or picture, you are not violating the traditions talking about something they might say in a meeting. (http://www.al-anon-co.org/12_tradition.html).



I have heard theories such as my friend’s before and while I can understand why she feels the way she does and I wouldn’t want my dirty laundry aired in public or online either, I did not violate the traditions of Alanon.



I’m not saying I have all the answers but it’s not like I said the Alanon member’s full name and ran it with her picture (either/or).



Online in chat rooms and support groups via the web everyone in a 12-step group is anonymous as far as having their full identity disclosed.



There even is an Alanon video on You Tube with a man standing against a colorful backdrop. But the man’s identity is not disclosed.



You can even exercise several options of anonymity when you choose to receive emails, updates, or messages from Alanon online. (http://www.ola-is.org/olais/anon.htm).



Beth Daniell of Clemson University came up against the anonymity issue when writing a dissertation on Alanon. Several members were upset with her for addressing various problems that Alanon members discussed in meetings. But Daniell did not identify these women. She did, instead, research the tradition regarding anonymity and pointed it out to the parties of women who were upset with her. The women were questioning her methodology methods. For details, see http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0010-096X(199505)46%3A2%3C284%3AICTBEA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O.



Sometimes when I’ve been to live meetings, either Alcoholics Anomyous or Alanon, I have seen students take notes as part of a class project on AA groups. I have also witnessed college students ask the chairperson ahead of time if it’s okay if they sit in and why they are there. The chairperson of the meeting usually says yes, as long as they don’t identify who shares in the meeting. It has long been a tradition of colleges and various other institutions who are learning about recovery to sit in on meetings to gain an education about how this stuff works.



Back in the 80s and 90s I didn’t like these “imposters” coming into “our meetings.” But now I realize what they’re doing is a gift to recovering people and to society because the students are learning about AA and they, in turn, are going back and reporting their findings to their class. If in the process some people are getting educated about recovery and what really goes on in meetings regarding honesty, humility, recovery, and new beginnings, how can that be a bad thing?



The same thing applies to online meetings.

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life, Remember


1. Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written

An impressive new book. It's called .........

"Ministers Do More Than Lay People"



2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink

And be Mary

3. The difference between the Pope and

Your boss, the Pope only expects you

To kiss his ring.



4. My mind works like lightning, One brilliant

Flash and it is gone.



5. The only time the world beats a path to

Your door is if you're in the bathroom.



6. I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once.

The seat folded up, the drink spilled and

That ice, well, it really chilled the mood.



7. It used to be only death and taxes

Were inevitable Now, of course, there's

Shipping and handling, too.



8.. A husband is someone who, after taking

The trash out, gives the impression that

He just cleaned the whole house.



9. My next house will have no kitchen - just

Vending machines and a large trash can.



10. A blonde said, "I was worried that my

Mechanic might try to rip me off.

I was relieved when he told me all

I needed was turn signal fluid."



11. Definition of a teenager?

God's punishment...for enjoying sex.


12. As you slide down the banister of life, may

The splinters never point the wrong way.

Subject: Comedy Central's Joke of the Day






Man, Woman, Sleeping Compartment

A man and a woman who have never met before find themselves in the same sleeping carriage of a train. After the initial embarrassment they both go to sleep, the woman on the top bunk, the man on the lower.
In the middle of the night the woman leans over, wakes the man and says, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm awfully cold and I was wondering if you could possibly get me another blanket."

The man leans out and, with a glint in his eye, says, "I've got a better idea... just for tonight, let's pretend we're married."

The woman thinks for a moment. "Why not," she giggles.

"Great," he replies, "Get your own damn blanket!"

Check out petsmo.com

Kangaroos

Two kangaroos were talking to each other, and one said, "Gee, I hope it doesn't rain today, I hate it when the children play inside."

Look at myetrek.com

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/556151/rx_hope.html

Lovefraud Blog
Wake up to the danger of sociopaths
Jan. 24, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New blog posts
-- Ask Dr. Leedom: Are sociopaths (and psychopaths) vindictive?
-- Will you help others by recommending a professional resource?
-- After he's gone: Looking at the sociopath through open eyes
-- The psychopath's bewildering ways of talking
-- Aggression
-- Differentiating narcissists and psychopaths
Terri,
Because you've expressed an interest in Lovefraud, I'm sending you this update of our blog articles and discussions. If you do not wish to receive updates, you may unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of this email.



Ask Dr. Leedom: Are sociopaths (and psychopaths) vindictive?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Liane Leedom explains what sociopaths really mean when they say, "I love you," and why, even though they don't really care about you, they turn vindictive when you leave. Read Ask Dr. Leedom: Are sociopaths (and psychopaths) vindictive?


Will you help others by recommending a professional resource?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost every day, someone calls Lovefraud asking for help--a therapist, a lawyer, an investigator. If you know a qualified professional--someone who gets it when it comes to dealing with sociopaths--will you help others by telling us who it is? Please contact us with your referral right away. Some other victim's sanity--or life--may depend on it.
Read: Will you help others by recommending a professional resource?


After he's gone: Looking at the sociopath through open eyes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While M. L. Gallagher was with the sociopath, she focused on coping with what he did. She did not focus on what she was doing--and that was the difference between living with abuse or freeing herself. Read After he's gone: Looking at the sociopath through open eyes


The psychopath's bewildering ways of talking
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Steve writes that psychopaths frequently make contradictory statements, construct strange words and talk in logical fallacies. He asks Lovefraud readers to supply examples of the bewildering speech of psychopaths--and a lively discussion ensued. Read The psychopath's bewildering ways of talking


Aggression
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New research seems to indicate that aggression can be as emotionally rewarding as food and sex, Dr. Steve writes. Many people who have tangled with a psychopath have learned to become more aggressive to protect themselves. Is there pleasure in it? Read Aggression


Differentiating narcissists and psychopaths
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a guest post, Steve Becker, LCSW, CH.T, explains that although narcissists and psychopaths behave in similar ways, the reasons for their behavior are different. Read Differentiating narcissists and psychopaths

Juno The Movie Versus Real Birth Moms
By Terri Rimmer
Published Yesterday
Chlidren
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Does the film depict what adoption is really like?
A lot of talk has been going on about the popular teen movie “Juno” about a girl who gets pregnant and places her child for adoption.



The movie takes the typical safe route in a lot of ways when it comes to portraying birth moms in a realistic light, that is to say they did not do so. Instead they opted for the story to be a closed adoption and for the birth mom on screen to be viewed as a smart-alecky brat who moves on after saying goodbye to her baby without incident. This is, of course, what society preaches and the film did birth moms no favors with regard to telling a real story. I can tell you as a birth mom involved in a semi-open adoption that you don’t “just move on” after placing your child into the arms of his or her new parents. But society wants us to do just that so they don’t have to deal with our grief.



I can count on one hand how many people actually acknowledged my pain and let me grieve.



Many bloggers have made their opinions known on various boards across the country, some who have no experience with adoption, others who do.



But, I think this birth mom hit the nail on the head when she said, “Giving your child up is not the simple solution this movie has made it out to be nor is the closed adoption it advocates healthy for the mother or child.” (http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/12/31/juno-misses-chance-to-address-abortion-honestly).



One statement made by someone who saw the film was that just because the adoptive parents were rich was no reason for the birth mom to choose them. Yes, the adoptive parents of my little girl are better off than me, but that is not the entire reason I chose them

. No money does not necessarily equal happiness but in my case I knew they would be able to provide things for her that I would not be able to and I’m not talking about ponies and a tiara. As it turns out my birth daughter wound up with a medical condition and the adoptive parents I chose are both nurses though when I picked them I did not know she was going to have a problem at the time.



Another person stated on one of the websites after seeing the film that birth moms shouldn’t make sure that adoptive parents get their need fulfilled by furnishing them with a child. It’s not about getting their needs filled. It’s a lot more than that. In my case, the adoptive parents of my little girl went through three miscarriages and three birth moms changing their mind before they met me. So to say they have been through a lot in that arena is putting it mildly.



Someone else made the comment that if the character in the film is supposed to be so “whip-smart” as described in movie reviews, why did she get pregnant? Well, I have been called smart yet I got pregnant because for 14 years I didn’t think I could conceive.



The fact that the screenwriter chose to make the film “quirky, funny, and smarmy” says a lot about how society isn’t ready to deal with the real picture of adoption when it comes to birth moms. And they even have a line of merchandise to go with the movie like it’s all a game. Oh, and don’t forget the hip soundtrack.



And another thing: A closed adoption doesn’t mean that the birth mom hangs out at the adoptive couple’s house all the time. In fact, in reality she would have no idea of where they live or who they are.



Note to filmmakers: Next time you want to make a realistic adoption movie, talk to some real birth moms, adoptive parents, and adoptees.

Terri Rimmer,

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/550755/reproduction_rally_.html

There is a story called The Boy Who Couldn't Eat about a little boy, Adam, 7, who doesn't eat. It sounded just like McKenna only he has Crohn's Disease. He has something called EE (eosinophilic esophagitis, a gastro disorder. I just found it and couldn't believe it.

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/546907/national_callin_day_for_horses_.html

Wake up to the danger of sociopaths
Jan. 16, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New blog posts
-- Ask Dr. Leedom: Are there psychological tactics for dealing with a psychopath?
-- Nothing says "I'm sexy" like an automatic weapon
-- What the sociopath experience has taught me
-- Book Review: The Other Mrs. Jordan
-- (Given what you've learned the hard way) what's your attitude like?
-- Married man sleeps with 13 women in a week
-- Letters to Lovefraud: He wanted me to keep playing his bitch
-- Undoing the riddle of the sociopath
-- Worst-case scenarios at the Battered Women conference
Terri,
Thank you for your interest in Lovefraud.com. If you do not wish to receive updates, you may unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom at this e- mail.



Ask Dr. Leedom: Are there psychological tactics for dealing with a psychopath?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A reader asks if there are tools and strategies for staying ahead of a psychopath. Dr. Leedom answers that there are only two legitimate reasons for involvement with psychopaths, and tells what you must always keep in mind in dealing with them. Read Ask Dr. Leedom: Are there psychological tactics for dealing with a psychopath?


Nothing says "I'm sexy" like an automatic weapon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not long ago, Arizona's Miss Desert Sun 2006 posed for the Subguns.com catalog in a black vinyl bikini holding an automatic weapon--see the photo on Lovefraud. In December, she was arrested for holding her ex-boyfriend captive. Read: Nothing says "I'm sexy" like an automatic weapon


What the sociopath experience has taught me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M. L. Gallagher recently had a run-in with someone who had the traits of a bully. Because of her experience with the sociopath, she knew what to do. Read What the sociopath experience has taught me


Book Review: The Other Mrs. Jordan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Turner Thomson of Scotland wrote a book about her relationship with a bigamous sociopath. If you want to know how con artists do it, or if you want your own experience validated, it's must reading. Read Book Review: The Other Mrs. Jordan


(Given what you've learned the hard way) what's your attitude like?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've had a nasty encounter with a sociopath, there is a danger that you could become jaded. Dr. Steve asks about your attitude, which sparked a lively discussion among Lovefraud readers. Read (Given what you've learned the hard way) what's your attitude like?


Married man sleeps with 13 women in a week
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a letter to Dr. Gail Schultz on the Today Show website, a married man said that even though his wife is beautiful and intelligent, and they have a great sex life, he cheats incessantly. Dr. Schultz's reply broke new ground when it comes to sociopaths and the media. Read Married man sleeps with 13 women in a week


Letters to Lovefraud: He wanted me to keep playing his bitch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A 24-year-old graduate student tells about her relationship with a sociopath. The abuse started slowly, but then spiraled downward into dangerous sexual demands. Read Letters to Lovefraud: He wanted me to keep playing his bitch


Undoing the riddle of the sociopath
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M.L. Gallagher describes how her relationship with a sociopath was like living a riddle. Following his misdirection, she didn't see what he was really doing--which is a typical sociopathic ploy. Read Undoing the riddle of the sociopath


Worst-case scenarios at the Battered Women conference
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lovefraud attended the Battered Women, Abused Children and Child Custody conference in Albany, N.Y. Many of the women there had lost custody of their children to abusive partners. The consensus: America's family court system is broken. Read Worst-case scenarios at the Battered Women conference

The Other Promises of AA
By Terri Rimmer
Published Yesterday
Religion & Spirituality
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
There Are Other Guarantees That Go With the Steps
There are several sets of Promises in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, the textbook of the fellowship and most members are familiar with the ones on Pages 83 and 84.



But in this piece, I will talk about the subsets of Promises that are also found in various parts of the book.



The First Step Promises state: “I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that I incredibly more wonderful as time passes.” (Source: AA). An illustration of this would be the former newspaperman I knew who went from Skid Row to being an award-winning journalist. The First Step Promises continue with: “Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements” and “There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us.” A good example of this would be the man in the program who had to ride a bike everywhere because he couldn’t afford a car for six years of his sobriety then he was able to finally afford a vehicle.



They continue with: “There is, however a vast amount of fun about it all” which can be illustrated as having fun in sobriety without alcohol and “There exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful.” This means there is a bond among AA members that doesn’t go away. It goes on to say: “The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us…The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.”



The First Step Promises conclude with: “The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves” and “A new life has been give us, or, if you prefer, ’a design for living’ that really works.” You can understand this by imagining the former single mom who used to physically abuse her child who undergoes a spiritual transformation. The last two guarantees state “All of us, whatever our race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try.” This means we all have a fundamental idea of God and that is the beginning of our attempt for a sober life.



The Second Step Promises states the following: “We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God” (Source: Alcoholics Anonymous) and “The Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.” It goes on to say that “As soon as a man or woman can say that he does believe, or is wiling to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.” For instance, there is a woman who once had ten years sober, relapsed, came back to the program after staying out for years and having had stolen credit cards and abused prescription drugs, and is now a totally different person.



The Second Step Promises continue by saying: “In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the

total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them,” which would explain why some prison inmates find, after serving time for DUIs, for example, a higher power and sobriety as a new way of life. They also state that “When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not not work. But the God idea did” and “He has come to all who have honestly sought Him. When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!” This can be illustrated in the portrait of the man in treatment who gets on his knees and prays in earnest to something, somewhere that will help him.



The Third Step Promises state that “God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are his agents. He is the Father and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom.” An old sponsor of mine told me to use this direction when it came to problems with the boss. She also used it with another sponsee to help her stop stealing. This set of promises goes on to state that “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans, and designs.” An example of this would be the employee who has grandiose ideas without much much talent who realizes that his goal on this earth is not to chase after ill-conceived get-rich-quick schemes.



“More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life” is also part of this set of promises as is “As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we begin to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or hereafter. We were reborn.” Another example of this would be the widow who is able to overcome her depression and isolation and who, yesterday, could not imagine life withot her husband but now can see some hope.



The Fourth Step Promises say “When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.” I have heard stories from many who have told me that some or all of their health problems cleared up when they strengthened themselves spiritually. “Just as to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity” is also part of this set of promises. Somehow, in this whole process we are able to hear that still, small voice guiding us to do the right thing.



It continues with “We have begun to learn tolerance, patience, and good will toward all men, even our enemies, for we look on them as sick people” which is a tough one for alcoholics but it can be achieved.



Fifth Step Promises tell us that once we have done the Fifth Step with our sponsor or that trusted someone that “We can look the world in the eye,” “We can be alone at perfect peace and ease,” “Our fears fall from us,” “We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator,“ “We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience,” “The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly,” and “We feel we are on the broad highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.”



To translate, these promises mean we can hold our head up, not be morose about going through a divorce, for instance, we feel the inner spirit within us, and we might re-examine our old spiritual hang-ups. It also can be seen in an example such as this one: A formerly promiscuous woman, now sober, has a husband and child and has left that life behind all due to a psychic change.

Article on me in Fostering Families Today Magazine:

Editorial about foster care system - mentions me

juicy bits
The Condensed Tom Cruise
Slate reads the new Tom Cruise bio so you don't have to.
By Juliet Lapidos
Posted Friday, Jan. 11, 2008, at 2:04 PM ET


How dubious is Andrew Morton's long-awaited Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography? Well, the book is not for sale in the United Kingdom, due to that country's libel laws; and it's rumored that Scientology lawyers are already drawing up a suit against Morton's publisher, St. Martin's Press. If you're craving the inside (and blatantly unsubstantiated) scoop on Tom's private life, follow Slate's handy guide straight to the good parts.

Inside the Actor's Closet

Ever since that ridiculously homoerotic volleyball scene in Top Gun, the world has wondered about Tom Cruise's sexuality. But Andrew Morton's Tom is a hot-blooded heterosexual.

Page 13: One of Tom's first girlfriends, Carol Trumpler, still gets "misty-eyed" when she remembers her brief dalliance with the future star: "He was a very good kisser, very much at ease with it all. But what do you know at eleven?" Sadly for Carol, Tom moved on pretty quick. "I was trying to be a good girl, and when I didn't give in to his ways he moved on."

Page 68: Remember the sex-on-a-train scene in Risky Business? Morton alleges that "while Tom and Rebecca [De Mornay] were nervous before playing the scene, those who snuck onto the closed set are convinced that the answer to the question of 'did they, didn't they' really get it on on camera is a firm yes."

Page 195: High-school girlfriend Diane Van Zoeren doesn't give any credence to the "Tom is gay" rumor: "I don't get it. I find these stories just hard to believe. We romanced in my dad's Oldsmobile doing what you are not supposed to."

Page 34: Nancy Armel, another high-school flame, also remembers fooling around in a parked car. She told Morton: "I was black and blue from the gearshift."

Page 65: Tom tried to impress Nancy by taking her to the Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles, but he "was unaware of the story line—about two gay men living together in St. Tropez." According to Nancy, "he couldn't handle it. We had to leave before the intermission. It really bothered him. He was definitely homophobic."

Page 195: Morton claims that "Tom was uncomfortable around gay men. Those who saw him in the company of some of Nicole [Kidman's] gay friends, who included designer John Galliano, noticed that he was awkward and ill at ease, much preferring the company of jocks who talked about football rather than fashion."

Courtly Knight/Night Stalker

Page 259: Just one day after Sofía Vergara met Tom, Morton says the Colombian actress "faced a blizzard of phone calls, text messages, and e-mails." Tom also "sent her flowers, notes, and chocolates."

Page 263: Eventually, Sofía got freaked out by Tom's attentiveness and his faith. When Tom arranged for a trip to Clearwater, the Scientology center in Florida, she allegedly "stood him up, packing a bag and 'disappearing' for a few days." Tom, however, wouldn't let up: "For five days he left messages and texts, but she resolutely refused to return his calls."

Page 145: During their courtship phase, Tom sent Nicole Kidman "flowers, usually red roses, almost daily."

Page 157: Tom's romancing didn't stop with clichéd flora; he also had a way with words. Morton claims that "one householder in Toronto who rented her house to the Cruises was bemused to find several love notes in her sofa cushions when she moved back in. At first she thought her husband was being uncharacteristically affectionate. Then she realized they were penned by Tom."

Page 166: Tom was always asking, "Where is Nic?" An unnamed insider confirms that he was "a control freak, certainly. … He was always checking up on Nic especially."

Free Katie!

Page 278: Allegedly, Katie signed a Scientology contract that fundamentally changed her "human rights and those of her future children, requiring that if she or any of her children were ever to suffer from mental or terminal illness, they must turn only to Scientology's treatments. She must never use psychiatric care or psychiatric drugs."

Page 290-291: Morton repeats the sketchy tabloid rumors that Tom "bought a fetus learning system that was strapped to Katie's stomach" and that he "fitted Katie's cell phone with a tracking device so that he would know where she was day and night."

Page 289: Without naming his sources, Morton spins the following yarn: "Some [Scientology] sect members sincerely believed that Katie Holmes was carrying the baby who would be the vessel for L. Ron Hubbard's spirit when he returned from his trip around the galaxy. True believers were convinced that Tom's spawn would be the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard. Some Sea Org fanatics even wondered if the actress had been impregnated with Hubbard's frozen sperm." How'd Katie feel about all this? Morton puts his intuitive powers to the test to produce this gem: "Katie might have felt as if she were in the middle of a real-life version of the horror movie Rosemary's Baby, in which an unsuspecting young woman is impregnated with the Devil's child."

Operating Thetan

Page 109: Scriptwriter and onetime Scientologist Skip Press conjectures that Tom's first wife, Mimi Rogers, "made a play for Tom with the primary intention of bringing him into the [Scientology] cult and leapfrogging over him to an acting career."

Page 123: When Tom accepted an invitation to the Scientology Gold Base in the California desert, head honcho David Miscavige allegedly announced to his staff: "The most important recruit ever is in the process of being secured. His arrival will change the face of Scientology forever."

Page 153-154: Tom and Nicole shared a "fantasy of running through a meadow of wildflowers together." Eager to please his recruit, Miscavige "decided to make his dream come true. A team of twenty Sea Org disciples was set to work digging, hoeing, and planting wheat grass and wildflower seed near the Cruises' bungalow. Former Scientologist Maureen Bolstad recalled working until early in the morning in the mud and pouring rain." Sounds implausible, but Morton quotes another former Scientologist, Karen Pressley, as saying: "the story of the meadow for Tom and Nicole is absolutely true. I was there."

Page 171-172: By 1993, Morton says Tom "progressed to what Scientologists call 'the Wall of Fire,' or Operating Thetan III, where the secrets of the universe according to Hubbard [are] revealed." Allegedly, "Tom found the knowledge he had just received disturbing and alarming, as he struggled to reconcile the creationist myth with the more practical teachings contained in the lower levels of Scientology. … It was recalled that around this time relations became 'ugly' between David Miscavige and the Hollywood actor, Tom complaining that he had studied all these years and the whole faith was about space aliens."

Page 250: Tom's disenchantment didn't last long. Morton writes that by 2004, Tom "reached the exalted level of Operating Thetan VII, where Hubbard promised that man would become his own god." What's level VII like? According to former Scientologist Peter Alexander, "You believe that all your problems are due to these thetans. So when you come back into reality, you're like, 'Wow, this is a nice day, my dog's been killed but that doesn't matter, I realize that I am a being who has lived endlessly contacting all those long-lost body thetans. So nothing is really a problem.'"

Juliet Lapidos is a Slate editorial assistant.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2181858/
Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC

Students Who Work Some are More Organized
By Terri Rimmer
Published 01/3/2008
Making Money
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc. In 2003.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Students Who Work Some are More Organized


According to studies, college students who work between eight to ten hours a week tend to be more efficient and spend their free time more wisely. (Source: phy.ilstu.edu).

Back in 1986, now Director of Career Services Bruce Brewer said that students who get caught up in academics often don’t take the time to look for jobs. (Source: University of West Georgia). At the time Brewer was director of placement and co-op education at the school, which back then only had approximately 1,800 students and was a college before becoming a university.

Brewer has so much to offer students who are job-seeking.

“In looking for a job, it’s an easy thing to put off,” said Brewer. “We encouraged all seniors (back then) within three quarters of graduation to come by and get set up at the Placement Office.”

There were three components to the office in ‘86 – Student Employment Referral Service (SERS), which dealt with off-campus employments such as fast food or secretarial work; Co-Operative Education, whereby students could get practical work experience in fields they were interested in, and Career Placement Service, when the people involved in the service work with seniors graduating, teach them to write resumes, interview, and talk with employers when they come to the college.

“We had good responses from the programs,” Brewer said. “Sometimes we already had the jobs.

Brewer also stated that sometimes Co-Ops (studnets working their chosen fields while going to school, had positions before graduating because of the contacts they made while in school.

Some students did internships through the Governor’s Intern Program.

“Many thought Co-Op would lengthen school for them but it only extended it a quarter. If it did lengthen it, it’d be worth it,” said Brewer. “Our biggest problem was getting enough students in. We had more jobs than students.”

The Placement Office helped with baby-sitting, temporary work, Christmas jobs, and seasonal positions, along with summer opportunities, which the job fairs are for. Representatives come to the college either by contacts from faculty members or ones the Placement Office has.

Back in 1986 Brewer aimed to try to increase the number of on-campus jobs.

“I saw that as a big help for students,” he said.

There was a coordinator with SERS, one for Office Services in the Placement and Co-Op Education Program, and an assistant director of Placement and Co-Op.

“I felt all students should intern or co-op, gain some practical experience before graduating,” said Brewer.

Brewer said staff members used to have to hunt for students.

“We spent quite a bit of time tracking down students for jobs. I encouraged students be a little more aggressive,” explained Brewer.

Since 1986 representatives from various companies such as Metropolitan Life, C & S Bank, and First Atlanta Corporation have been participating in on-campus recruitment, career days, and workshops conducted by the Placement Office.

Career Placement Services (CPS) assisted students and alumni with career exploration an decision making by providing career consultation, an availability of a career research library, current career position announcements, on-campus interviewing, referrals to employers for available positions, employer contacts, and workshops.

The SERS helped students looking for part-time, temporary, seasonal, or internship work. The Co-Op Program blended college study with periods of practical experience in a work setting relating to the student’s major or career field by providing students with hands-on experience in his or her chosen field of study, testing classroom theories in the work setting, evaluating career directions prior to graduation, and increasing career options after graduation while earning money to help meet college expenses.

The average salary for a student with a B.S. in Education, according to results taken from an alumni questionnaire in Dec. 1985 was $16,904. In the School of Arts and Sciences the average salery with an A.S. degree was $20,750 and in the School of Business the average for a student with an M.B.A. degree was $27,500.00. Surveys were mailed out during July to graduates from August 1984-June 1985.

Brewer said the Placement Office was working with area industries, business affiliations, and was active with the Chamber of Commerce even back then.

“We were trying to work with them and meet needs,” he said. “One student worked in the Roosevelt Institution and students also interned from hospitals, accounting firms, and banks typically one quarter, with many working during the summer.”

There was still a demand in the area of food service and workers with United Parcel Service (UPS).

“UPS was a big employer for us,” said Brewer. “It paid well, it was mostly labor work.”

There were 30-40 students in UPS in 1986 who made $7-$8 per hour.

“Students tried to find jobs not requiring more than 20 hours,” Brewer revealed.

According to Brewer, IBM employed the largest number of students from the University of West Georiga along with AT & T in ’86.

The “hot” jobs in that era were in computer science, math, and science.

“There were more science positions than there were people to go into them,” Brewer reported.

He predicted that the computer science field would get tighter and more competitive back then.

“Our co-op students were very competitive,” he said. “If you had no experience it was going to be tough.”

Brewer said History and Science majors were going to be have to be more flexible, a key word for many majors, along with English concentrations in 1986. Those majoring in physical education would find there was a big demand for early childhood daycare positions because of all the public kindergartens in the 80s.

Special Education was considered a “hot” job, too back then. In the area of Foreign Language, there was a shortage of people with specialties in 1986.

“It wouldn’t hurt people to have some foreign language background,” Brewer said. “If I were a student I’d definitely co-op. Experience is the key word.”

Why Some People Can't Get Sober
By Terri Rimmer
Published 01/3/2008
Religion & Spirituality
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc. In 2003.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Why Some People Can't Get Sober
There’s a scene in the 1988 movie “Clean and Sober” with Michael Keaton where a character cannot seem to get off alcohol.

In actual life, Mike, who has been to prison twice and rehab once, prefers panhandling to getting sober and the problem at his Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group has gotten so bad that the steering committee recently had a meeting about his continually asking for money from members. Recently Mike went AWOL from a two-year treatment program and was back at the group panhandling again only this time no one is helping him. Everyone says they’re fed up. (Source: Southwest Group).

Michelle, who has also been in and out of the “program” of AA for years, takes advantage of her dying mother by living off of her and getting drunk off and on. As of now Michelle has two days sober.

Linda, also around AA for many years and a former paralegal in Miami, FL, has only recently gotten sober after experimenting with cocaine during her last relapse and losing everything. (Source: San Marco Group).

There are many theories as to why some people in AA get clean and sober and others don’t.

Certain members in the program say that if you enable the drunk he will not get sober and that he has to hit his bottom, meaning don’t interrupt his journey and let him face the consequences of his behavior. Others feel that you should help the alcoholic as much as you can.

On page 25 of the AA textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous, it is written that “If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution” meaning that it is all or nothing in the program when it comes to stopping drinking; that you must be willing to take the suggestions to stay stopped. The alcoholic who wants to stop drinking must have all the desperation of a dying man, according to the book. He or she get that when people keep bailing them out?

The other key is that the alcoholic must be willing to admit she is a real alcoholic, that is a person who has no choice in the matter of drink.

Lack of power, that was our dilemma, as stated on page 45 of the textbook. The alcoholic has no defense against the first drink and the problem of alcoholism centers in the mind. So the person who cannot stop drinking first has to admit that they have the problem and that they have no control over it. Perhaps that is another reason why people like Linda, Michelle, and Mike cannot stop drinking, because they are still living with the assumption that they can stop any time and they are in control. People die this way.

"It doesn’t matter why the jackass is in the ditch, just get him out of the ditch,” says Claudia, a long-time member of AA. “Some people don’t want to get sober. Some people just want a pack of Marlboros and a bucket of chicken.”

Still others struggle with the concept of God, or a Higher Power, which is talked about at length in the chapter “We Agnostics” but the beauty of the program is that you don’t have to believe in anyone’s God but your own conception of a power greater than yourself.

Roads to Recovery from Sexual Addiction
By Terri Rimmer
Published 01/3/2008
Dating & Relationships
Rating: Unrated
Terri Rimmer
Terri Rimmer has 24 years of journalism experience, having worked for ten newspapers and some magazines. Currently she writes for http://associatedcontent.com. She has a daughter, McKenna, whom she placed for adoption in August 2000. Ms. Rimmer published her e-book "MacKenzie's Hope" on http://booklocker.com under the family heading. It's also listed on http://adopting.com. She resides in Fort Worth, TX. In 2007 she won a Media Award from Associated Content and in 2005 she received a grant from Change, Inc. In 2003.
View all articles by Terri Rimmer
Roads to Recovery From Sexual Addiction
Do you know if you or someone you love has the symptoms of sexual dependency?

According to a a Sexual Dependency Program brochure from Coral Ridge Psychiatric Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL behavior patterns of those suffering from sexual dependency may include but are not limited to multiple extramarital affairs and repeated incidents of sexual harassment among others.

“My sex addiction was not something that was easily talked about, and when I did talk about it I was told to ‘stop my denial process and concentrate on my allergy to alcohol.’ I was told time and again, ‘Don’t drink and go to (AA) meetings,’” says David R. “I became abstinent from alcohol. I am now experiencing a level of sobriety that in the past I could only have wished for. We who are recovering from the shame of sexual addiction are truly miracles.”

According to the now defunct Recovery Today Newspaper, in July 1992 sexual addiction treatment, per se, was not covered by insurance, but it was covered under the category of major depression. Accepted patients went through standard hospital admissions procedures an an assessment determined the actual level of care.

“Today I am choosing recovery from a sex addiction that has plaged me since I first started getting sober the first time in 1998. It has not been easy. In fact, it has been harder in some ways than stopping drinking and staying stopped. It has been been harder because of the underlying problems surrounding it; the lack of support from others who don’t understand the loneliness, struggle, and pain. With an addiction such as this one it is hard just to abstain because sex is part of life,” states Denise P.

Denise’s sex addiction began during treatment for alcholism when she switched one addiction for another. When the drug (alcohol) was taken away she statd that she was left with an empty hole inside of her that could not be filled, she said. She began a collision course with a very real addiction that almost led her to drink many times, she revealed. She slept with two different men while in treatment to get back at her boyfriend who wasn’t calling, writing, or visitng. Once out of treatment she engaged in a three-week fling with a divorced, practicing alcoholic and addict and didn’t go to support meetings during that period. It was a miracle, she said, she stayed sober. During that time she also lost one of her former foster moms to cancer.

“Shortly therafter I moved to California from Illinois,” says Denise. “I lived with my brother, also a recovering alcoholic who didn’t understand my sex addiction but because he was a therapist steered me to a meeting of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, a women’s group which gave me hope.”

But Denise was not ready to end her self-destructive cycle and continued to indulge in “binges” which left her feeling worthless and experiencing actual physical sickness, much like a real hangover, only without the alcohol, she explained.

"In short, I wasn’t ready to stop being used and victimized,” Denise said. “I continued to go to meetings and knew that everyone had their own control device. For some it was as simple as not picking up the phone. Others could go out on a date but that was it.”

Denise said that it wasn’t as simple as not having or having sex.

“It wasn’t realistic to ask people to abstain from something as natural as sex; each person set their own behavior limits based on the consequences of their past actions,” she said. “For me it was as simple as not picking up the phone. For me it always started there.”

Denise eventually stopped going to the group and got involved with a married man, a practicing addict. That relationship went on and off for two years and it was still a temptation in 2002, she said, though not as strong as it once was.

“When I think about the insanity of my behavior during that time I still cringe and hurt for what I put others around me through,” said Denise. “I rmember sending my brother home with a plate of food after inviting him to dinner because the married man had called at the spur of the moment and said he’d be over in five minutes.”

Denise reported that she would buy expensive food at the local Mom and Pop grocery on credit and spend hours preparing a full-course meal complete with dessert only to have the married man cancel on her at the last minute.

“Married men have a way of doing that,” she said. “One day I hid behind my own house form a man who I had been out with the night before. He had come back to see me because I wouldn’t talk to him on the phone. Rather than face him, it was easier to hide.”

After beating her head against the wall through various affairs, flings, relationships, and overall destructive behavior, Denise said she finally succumbed in August 2001 a day at time to “this horrible addiction which ultimately cost me jobs, living situations, money, relationships, friendships, and my health.”

“Today I have a reprieve from choosing victim behavior contingent on my spiritual condition,” she says. “I did not find the answers in Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) because I haven’t been back there in two years. But I did apply the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to my sex addiction and found that it works! Through my Higher Power’s grace I know that I don’t have to allow myself to be used over and over again. Today I know I deserve more.”

Denise said it is not easy, especially when the loneliness kicks in.

“I constantly have to examine my motives and judge situations individually based on my point of reference or my past pain,” she noted. “It’s more ore less breaking the cycle of doing the same things and expecting different results.”

Denise said the fact that she was sexually abused from the time she was three years old until the age of 17 by her stepfather is directly linked to her addiction.

“But toady I am in therapy and through the 12 Steps of AA I do not have to let me past rob me of today,” she said. “And for that, I am extremely and eternally grateful.”



For help with a sex addiction, go to sexhelp.com.

Fido Finder - Where Lost Dogs Are Found Fido Finder Alert! A Lost Dog was just added to Fido Finder that is in your area. To view the dog's information click the following link.http://www.fidofinder.com/dog.php?id=105766

Are You Being Abused?

Whether it’s mental or physical, abuse takes a devastating toll on the life of the person who is being victimized. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, every day 4 women are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands. The DOJ also reports that domestic violence is the number one cause of emergency room visits by women. Here are three sure-fire signs that you are being abused in your relationship and three places you can turn to for help if it’s happening to you!

1. Constant Criticism – you are in a relationship where your man is consisting carping about your faults. The love is gone and it’s been replaced by a verbal barrage about everything that’s wrong with you. This is abuse.


2. Two Toms – your man Tom has two lives; the one he lives when he’s with you and the one when you’re not around. Increasingly, Tom spends more and more time in his life without you. When he’s with you, it’s hell. Bickering, resentment and tension makes your time together unbearable as if he only comes around so he can hurl verbal insults at you and abuse you. You are also completely excluded from the life he lives when you’re not around.


3. Condescending Comparisons – your man is constantly comparing you to other women. When he does it, you cringe. This is a sign of abuse.

If you’re in an abusive relationship, get help here!

1. S.A.F.E. or Stop Abusive for Everyone has a great website crammed with information on domestic violence and abuse - http://www.safe4all.org/resource-list/view/23118


2. www.HelpAbusedWomen.org – an awesome website chock full of information.


3. Assaulted Women’s Helpline – an organization that helps abused women throughout Canada. http://www.awhl.org/


by Tasha Joseph Cunningham

found this beautiful winter poem and thought
it might be a comfort to you. It was to me, and
it's very well written.



' WINTER '
a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre


' SHIT, It's Cold ! '

The End

Dear God, I ask you to keep me clean and sober, and I believe you can restore me to sanity and I ask you to do that for me now and throughout this day... Heavenly Father, I offer myself to You, to build with me and do with me as You would. I ask You to relieve me of the bondage of self, that I can better do Your will. Take away my problems, that victory over them would bear witness to those I would help through Your Power, Your Love, and Your way of life... I ask for the grace I need to overcome myself, particularly in those situations where I tend to fall back into self, into my will and into fear.I ask that Your Holy Spirit give me guidance and direction-clear vision of what Your will is in all situations... My Creator,I am willing that you should have all of me, both the good and the bad. I pray that you will remove from me every defect of character that would limit my ability to be of maximum service to You and my fellows... I pray that Your Love will fill my heart-that I may spread Your Love throughout the world, touching everyone I come into contact with in a good and positive way. And that Your Love will help me to see the good in all people and situations... I ask You to bless all those people that aid in my recovery and that contribute continued growth-particularly my children, my sponsor, sponsees, and those people that touch me everyday. Bless them with Your Grace, Your Love and with all good things...And now Heavenly Father, as I go forth to live this day...I ask You to go with me...guide me, protect me and show me the way. Help, me to live this day in a way that is truly pleasing to you. Amen.

I just woke up and thought you might have opened your present from me! Glad you liked everything.
I was picturing us getting up years ago........"Let's go see what Santa brought!" There were these two little girls yesterday I gave bikes, too, that seemed like they had a bond like us. They were like 4 and 7 years old and you should have seen the looks on their faces when I gave them their pink bikes to ride!

A funny thing happened. There were just a few kids left from Sunday's giveaway that I couldn't stop thinking about because they weren't on my list so they didn't get one. Well, I made another trip to WalMart and those were the kids I saw yesterday who were totally shocked and delighted that I came back.

When I turned down the street with my window rolled down (beautiful summer day here!), I heard "The bike lady is here!" kinda like I was the ice cream man or something! I got to thinking I hope that doesn't happen every time I turn into the neighborhood now! :)

Anyway, it was the most magnificent experience and just made my Christmas season.

We even were able to get one for a single Mom who has been walking to her 2 jobs in the rain!

Love you and will talk to you soon and Merry Christmas!
Cindy

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Editor's Note
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I don't normally begin anything with a quote. But just this once, I'll break my own cardinal rule because the quote is fitting for this, my final editor's note to you.

I've had the pleasure of editing this publication for four years now, and during that time, I've observed that authorship gets better with time. I'm always elated to receive news of your success, whether in completing chapter one or in discovering the path to the perfect book signing.

This month, we focus on giving back to the community. In the Author Corner, we feature Reg Green and his stories of organ and tissue donation, including his own family's unforgettable donation experience. The Marketing Feature contains ideas for how you can give back to your community while generating interest in your book. And in AuthorHouse News, we announce the recipients of the 2007 Authors Across America publishing grants.

Let me leave you with one final inspiration: Keep writing, and as Emerson suggested, we'll each become better authors and book marketers with each passing word.


Kind regards,

Erica Dorocke (vip@authorhouse.com)
Editor


In This Issue:
Reg Green captures the transformative power of organ and tissue donation.
Author Corner >>
___________________________________
Darryl Rosen writes about covering the middle miles in business and publishing.
The Writer's Sense >>
___________________________________

Give back to your community by donating your book, time and expertise.
Marketing Feature >>
___________________________________

Six steps to make 2008 the year you publish your book.
Writing Feature >>
___________________________________

AuthorHouse helps make book publishing dreams a reality for deserving organizations.
AuthorHouse News >>




Author Corner

Reg Green Captures the Transformative Power of Organ Donation
Some moments in life change your worldview forever. For Reg Green, that moment happened in 1994 while on a family vacation in Italy. On the main road south of Naples, highway bandits fired two shots into the Green family's rental car, mistaking it for a jewelry delivery vehicle. When the family stopped at the scene of an unrelated accident to summon the Italian authorities, they realized the dire truth. "When the interior light came on, my son Nicholas didn't move," says Green.
Read more >>



The Writer's Sense

Darryl Rosen Covers the Middle Miles in Business and Publishing
I started running marathons when I was thirteen years old, the same year I began working in the family business. In those days, I thought running and working were simple and easy; I didn't know any better. After college, and a couple years of public accounting, I got a big shot of reality. My experience inspired me write my first book, Surviving the Middle Miles: 26.2 Ways to Cross the Finish Line with Your Customers, to help readers become successful in business and life by surviving the middle miles.
Read more >>



Marketing Feature

Giving Back to the Community
Millions of shoppers are looking for the perfect gift, making the holiday season a prime selling opportunity for your book. But the true spirit of the holidays is more about giving than buying, and you can give back to your community while marketing your book to new readers.
Read more >>



Writing Feature

Six Steps to Publish Your Book in 2008
With Christmas just a few days away, the New Year's resolution season is in full effect. Last year, we highlighted the top 10 resolutions for writers. Those tips can help people start writing and keep at it, but several AuthorHouse authors have asked about specific goals to publish a book. If you're ready to make 2008 the year you publish, consider these crucial steps.
Read more >>



AuthorHouse News

AuthorHouse Helps Make Book Publishing Dreams a Reality for Deserving Organizations
AuthorHouse announced it will help three deserving organizations this year. The Denver School Museum, SKIP, Inc., and the Rainbow Repertory Theatre will each realize their dream of publishing a book through a standard paperback publishing package grant through AuthorHouse's Authors Across America initiative.

Authors Across America, designed to inspire literacy and encourage authors to get published, is in its inaugural year of granting publishing services to educational and service-based organizations.

"Through this grant, we are giving a diverse group of writers who wouldn't normally have access to book-publishing resources the opportunity to have their voices heard," said Terry Dwyer, AuthorHouse's vice president of sales. "We're pleased to help these organizations achieve their goals through book publishing."
Read more >>
AuthorHouse Bookstore Top Sellers

Surviving The Middle Miles: 26.2 Ways To Cross the Finish Line With Your Customers
Darryl Rosen


Energy Transcendence: A Guide for Living Beyond the Ordinary Range of Perception
Dr. Larry Lytle


A Gift in Wolf's Clothing: Life With Diabetes
Rachel A. Gifford, RN, MN, CDE


Plum Gum and Other Chunk Poems: Teacher tested kid approved poems for building fluency through phonics
Adele Tolley Wilson


Montauk: The Disappearances
Richard Prince
See the top 100 sellers>>





Conferences & Events to Attend Contests to Enter
Find inspiration and education at a writers' conference near you in 2007.
View Conferences & Events >> Ready for a challenge? Put your writing to the test by entering one of these featured contests.
Contests to Enter >>



Author Corner | Writing Feature | Book Marketing | AuthorHouse News | Conferences | Contests

Terri Rimmer,

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Adoptive Support
To the editor: Thank you so much for your story “Healing Humpty-Dumpty” (April 6, 2005) on the TCU Child Development Institute’s adoption program, which I read recently. I placed my birth daughter for adoption in August 2000, so this article meant a lot to me. Thankfully she has never exhibited any destructive tendencies, but then I never abused or neglected her, either. Placing her for adoption was the hardest and smartest thing I ever did, and every day it is confirmed for me that I made the right decision when I witness her life unfolding before my eyes — a life she would’ve never had with me.
I think it’s great that these adoptive parents are getting the support they need and that much is being done to address these problems in kids who are adopted internationally.
Terri Rimmer
Fort Worth

My dog's name is Ripley because the day he showed up in my driveway he was already acting like a guard dog. And I thought, what's a good tough movie character? Ripley from "Alien." I don't look like my pet except when I need another dye job. If I could speak my pet's language, I'd say, "I couldn't have done it without you."

You've been published on Associated Content! View your content here:
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Check out familywanted.com

Subject: How Your Help Is Keeping Dogs Out of the Cold This Winter







Notes on Angel for Animals Doghouse Deliveries (November 16, 2007)

"We dropped off two houses at the address. The dogs were again super-friendly. We removed the useless shelters that they had and set up two new homes for the dogs. We removed LOTS of broken glass, feces, etc., and set up new bowls for food and water. What I remember most about this stop was how good the dogs were while we worked. Because of the incredibly short chains, we had to dig, chop, and rake right next to the dogs. They didn't mind at all."

"This location had a young dog living inside a small pen on a concrete slab, with a tipped-over trash can for shelter. We provided a new house and moved the pen to a grassy area. We also put in some extra straw and reinforced the bottom of the pen as much as we could so that the dog wouldn't be able to dig his way out. Again, lots of treats, food, and water were provided. A caseworker will follow up with this one too."





Dear Terri,

Thanks to your support, 496 dogs can look forward to shelter in sturdy doghouses through the frigid winter months this year and for many years to come.

There are so many dogs facing months of sleet and snow while they are chained in freezing back yards with only the most decrepit shelter, if any. Helping these dogs is the reason why PETA created the "Angel for Animals" program.

For the past nine winters, PETA has driven into low-income, depressed areas and provided hundreds of durable, solid doghouses--free of charge--to dogs who otherwise would have to endure the bitter wind, ice, and snow without any shelter or with just a piece of metal or board up against the fence. Each doghouse is built to last and filled with straw bedding to help provide what--for some dogs--is the first feeling of warmth and comfort they've ever known.

Could you provide a doghouse for such a "forgotten dog" this holiday season?

Since its start, I've seen firsthand exactly how this program has improved the lives of needy dogs. The "before" photos can be deeply upsetting: dogs chained like bicycles to trash cans or trees or attached to a heavy chain--all of which is legal in the areas we visit. It's the dozens of "after" photos of these dogs' happy faces that illustrate how much dogs need the basic, vital comfort that sturdy, straw-filled shelter can provide.

You tax-deductible sponsorship gift will make a huge difference in the life of a needy dog.

Your Angel for Animals sponsorship gift of $265 can provide one durable, solid, lasting doghouse to a dog facing the cold of winter, long night after long night.

Your Angel for Animals gift of $530 can give homes to two dogs in need.

Your Angel for Animals gift of $1,325 can provide straw-filled doghouses for five dogs.
Please take a moment to read the firsthand account from an Angel for Animals worker who has delivered these doghouses. You'll see how, with your help, an Angel for Animals doghouse sponsorship can bring the joy and warmth of the holiday season to a dog who has never known love or comfort.

Thank you for everything you do for animals.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian
youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest,
blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole
night and not remove the blindfold until the
rays of the morning sun shine through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this
experience because each lad must come
into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear
all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely
be all around him. Maybe even some human
might do him harm. The wind blew the grass
and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat
stoically, never removing the blindfold.
It would be the only way he
could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun
appeared and he removed his blindfold.
It was then that he discovered his
father sitting on the stump next to him.
He had been at watch the entire night,
protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone.
Even when we don't know it,
our Heavenly Father is watching over us,
sitting on the stump beside us.

When trouble comes, all we have
to do is reach out to Him.

Moral of the Story:
Just because you can't see God,
doesn't mean He is not there.