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My Journey To Temporary Baldness – Part 3

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Read Time:4 Minute, 31 Second

The big event did turn out to be just that. There were so many people at Ceili’s Pub for our fundraiser it was difficult to navigate around the tables and to the silent auction items. That is not a bad thing. Really, when doing a fundraiser one would always hope for a big turnout.

It was wonderful to see all the family and friends of the people being shaved. There were people there from several of the classes I have facilitated over the years who had come out to cheer me on. It was a very heartwarming sight!

In the end we had approximately 40 people shave. Some shaved mustaches, beards, their heads, or all three. We even had one man shave his chest. THAT was a sight to behold – or maybe not. I am still trying to erase the images of Steve and his bare chest from my memory! We even had some last minute shavers, men who were inspired watching others. They went around and collected donations on the spot then came up to get their heads’ shaved. It is very exciting to be a part of that kind of energy.

I was in the last group being shaved. All day long I had been fine. People kept stopping me in the hallway asking how I was and I was totally calm, cool and collected. I was calming others down. One woman from my office kept begging me not to do it! Not to shave my head. I was amazed at how detached I felt about the whole thing really. I have always cried so easily! In the afternoon I wrote a letter to put into the Ziploc bag I would place my hair in to be donated for making a wig. I was fine when I wrote the letter, fine when I printed it off and signed it. I was fine right up to the moment when I folded it and placed it into the bag. Then I burst into tears. I was not upset, I just felt overwhelmingly touched thinking of a young girl who would likely benefit from my doing this. I felt so blessed and so grateful I am able to so this for someone!

I went down the block to the Hair Salon just before the event and had my hair freshly shampooed and dried so it was as clean as possible when they cut it off. I don’t think they have someone go in very often and ask for a wash and dry with no styling, no product or anything. Flora, the woman who did my hair for me was delightful and very sweet. At the end, when she was done, she said it was on her – no charge. I was very touched by her generosity and promised when I have enough length back I will go to her so she can give me a new style.

It was crowded and very hot at Ceili’s when I got back from having my hair washed. The venue was filling up quickly. It continued to get hotter and hotter. I found a good position for watching the people being shaved ahead of me and cheered them on. When it came to my turn to sit in the chair I was astounded at the number of people crowded around to watch, taking pictures and video taping the action. I suddenly had a sense of what it is like for some celebrities being followed by paparazzi. It was very overwhelming and surreal. I am told there was a member of the press there, though I do not know what publication he was with. All I know is he sure shot a LOT of pictures!

I had decided going into Ceili’s on Thursday I needed to give up control over my hair. I had intended to walk in there and tell them how to cut it. These ladies were all professional hair stylists and knew what they were doing. It was important for me to let go of control in order to be able to let go of my hair. First it was put into three ponytails, and then the ponytails were cut off. The hair was immediately placed into the plastic bag with my letter. Once that was done, out came the razor and the job was quickly completed. I had told my mom we would be able to see just how often I had been dropped on my head. I was mildly concerned about what the shape of my scalp would really be like. I know how often I have bashed my own head so I fully expected several bumps and dents. I appear to have a very smooth and round head! To my surprise it is very well shaped.

It is all over and done with now. The hair has been swept up, the lights have been turned off, any my hair is on its way to the organization that will take it and make it into a wig. Nothing left to do but enjoy getting to wear all my hats!

Overall this has been a great experience. And who knows, maybe I will do it again some day. Depends on how long my hair gets before I get too gray!

Thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me along this journey. I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

With gratitude… Mary

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My Family and Timeshares: Exploring the World, One Condo at a Time

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Read Time:2 Minute, 40 Second

In the past, timeshares have a somewhat bad reputation. The pressure from sales associates to purchase the week, the red tape that must be gone through if you do decide to purchase, and sometimes, once the deed is done-the difficulty in getting the destination you want at the time you want it.

My husband and I are the owners of two timeshares. What made us get the second one? We were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, several years ago, and I lay the blame on the sun’s heat, the lovely time we were having, and one too many margarita’s. Nevertheless, our family has come to realize that these timeshares (the other is in Orlando, Florida), are the best way for the five of us to travel and stay on a budget.

First off, with our timeshares, we are able to travel just about anywhere. It is amazing how many places they are to go once you start looking. Second, because we own 2 and 3 bedroom sized condos, it assures us that we will all have a place to lay our heads without being crowded.

What I, as a wife and mother, consider one of the best things about staying in a timeshare is the kitchen that comes with it. One of the easiest ways to save money while on vacation is to not eat out every meal. In our case, some non-perishables are packed in the car for the drive to the resort, and more groceries are bought once we arrive at our destination. If we happen to fly, all groceries are bought at local supermarkets there.

Most timeshares have come a long way, furnishing wise, since these condos first started being built. Sure, we have had our share of 15-year-old decorating in some, but the majority we have been really pleased with our accommodations. Almost all have a dining area and kitchen bar to take your meals at, multiple TV’s and DVD players. The master bedrooms have enormous king-sized beds, and often a seating area as well. Second and or third bedrooms usually have a queen size or twin beds and the living room – a pull our couch.

For my husband and I, the best part of the condo is the furnished balcony, preferably with an ocean view. Over the years we have sat on those balconies with a cup of coffee or glass of wine, taking in the area. Some of the places have included views of the ocean at Daytona Beach, Sanibel Island and of course Mexico. We’ve also looked at the mountains of Maine, watched the locals go about their business in Maui, and most recently-the space shuttle lift off in Cocoa Beach.

My family, kids included, have wanderlust in our blood. Without staying in timeshares, I don’t think we could afford to travel as much as we do. Getting in when and where we want to hasn’t been much of a problem. Sometimes we haven’t gotten our first choice, but the second has been just as good.

As for the pushy sales people, if you don’t have the money, or simply not interested, say no thanks and walk away. It’s as simple as that.

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Movie Review: Death Sentence

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Read Time:3 Minute, 0 Second

Death Sentence was directed by James Wan, more known for starting the horror series Saw as well as the horror film Dead Silence. The movie stars Kevin Bacon in the lead with performances put in as well by John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Aisha Tyler, and Kelly Preston. The story is revenge tale about a mild-mannered man who turns to murder as a form of justice against the guy who killed his son. However, he soon finds he is in over his head as the entire gang responsible for everything declares war on him.

When I describe them as having declared war on him, I cannot help but smirk and hope it sounded silly to you as well. Death Sentence failed at theatres and I wondered why because quite frankly it had a cool movie trailer. After watching it my first mean thing to say is: the screenplay author, Ian Jeffers, is a hack. The movie is based off of a novel by Brian Garfield, which does help explain some of the premise since he also wrote on the Death Wish series starring Charles Bronson. What director James Wan and screenwriter Ian Jeffers have helped to bring to the screen in Death Sentence is something that feels like it was written by a troubled high school student; freshman.

The action is loud, brutal, dark, and intense; no complaints there. However, you are never able to slip into a sense of entertaining cool with the violence due to the heavy preaching and subject matter. Kevin Bacon transforms into a bad ass, but you cannot give a shout of “Yeah!” ever, because it all becomes a childish exploration of “what is justice?”, etc. The “gang” in the movie is one of the most corny entities to have hit film in a while, and the dialog and scenarios at times makes The Transformers movie look like Shakespeare. I tied so hard to like Death Sentence, tried to just say “Hey, it is a dark revenge flick in homage to past grind house style movies in a way.”, yet the logical errors and thoughts of “that would never happen like that”, just pile up too high and thick. A movie sucks when I cannot get past the critical barriers and enjoy it, and spend the viewing period thinking up clever ways to describe the trash.

Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, and most of the cast are decent in their roles. The wife character, played by Kelly Preston, is a pathetic performance. I’ve seen most of the work of James Wan and quite frankly this fits right in with the rest; I am not a fan of Saw. Wan also seems to have a thing for sappy, emotional music while making character stand in the rain. The entire time I am guessing he is thinking: “It sure is cool to have Kevin Bacon standing in the rain in his hospital gown.” ,whereas on the screen it is overkill thanks to the previous rain scenes and music video breaks and just looks silly. Some of the same things that made Dead Silence a bad film are present in Death Sentence. I am no longer surprised that this film bombed at the box office. The music I was talking about is pretty good, but does not fit in certain scenes, etc.

I could spend a lot more time pointing out each aspect of the story that made it crappy, but I’m finished.

The story is a mess: a hack writer, a hack director: I cannot think of anything nice to say other than the stunt work was very good.

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Mandalay Bay Hotel Review

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Read Time:2 Minute, 24 Second

So you’re looking to take a trip to that enchanted place full of flashy lights, nice cars, and beautiful people? The place we know and love as the infamous “Sin City” Las Vegas, Nevada. The big question when getting ready to go to Vegas is what hotel do I stay at. With so many nice and fun places to stay you have your hands pretty tied up just picking a place. If you are seeking a little class, luxury, affordability, hot entertainment and upscale room accomodations Mandalay Bay Hotel amp; Casino has your name written all over it.

Mandalay Bay Hotel amp; Casino offers a variety of dining, shopping and entertainment. It’s tropical decor setting is calming and luxurious, giving you the feeling of being right on the beaches of Tahiti or the tropics of Brazil. The 43 story Golden Hotel offers 3000+ rooms. Average room rates at Mandalay Bay are from $150 per night. Its large gaming area offers slot machines, table games, poker, and a sporting book. Mandalay Bay Hotel amp; Casino has a huge theater which features shows and comedy performers. The events center which seats 12,000 people hosts great concerts and larger productions such as mama mia. The Shark Reef Aquarium is a nice attraction for the whole family, a walk through aquarium that has a wide variety of sea creatures to look at.

Mandalay Beach, the pool at Mandalay Bay Hotel amp; Casino has 3 pools surrounded by sand to give the full effect of being right at the beach, a lazy river, a wave pool and pool side cabanas. Mandalay Beach also has a performance stage set right out near the pools for great entertainment and an outdoor restaurant. The Moorea Beach Club, the spa at Mandalay Bay offers massage and oil treatment services, beauty treatments and a hair salon.

Dining at Mandalay Bay Hotel includes restaurants such as: Strip Steak, Fleur de Lys, Aureole, China Grill, Shanhai Lilly, Red Square, Trattona Re Lupo, Rumjungle, Raffles Cafe which is open 24 hours, Bayside Buffett, Turf Club Deli, and of course a Starbucks.

Rooms at Mandalay Bay have been newly renovated and offer the perfect blend of class, comfort and style. With floor to celing windows, pillow top mattresses, 42″ plasma tv’s, and Ipod compatible alarm clock/radios. Rooms are also complete with mini bars and cordless phones.

Nightlife at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino is surely the best on the strip. With lounges and clubs and restaurants by day clubs by night you will no doubt be bored at this Hotel. Resturants.clubs such as Rumjungle, Red Square, Flur de Lys, Fountian Room and House of Blues all offer different types of relaxing, inviting, hot entertainment and food. Beautifully decorated and dress to impress dress codes in effect you can party till you drop.

Go get pampered in style at Mandalay Bay Hotel amp; Casino!

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Landlords, Beware of Dogs!

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Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second

I own a townhouse condo that is half renovated and half “vintage”. I have been renting this unit for about three years, and I have just finished a lease renting to my first dog owner. I am not generalizing to say that “this is what you can expect” from dog owners. However, this is my experience, and I want to share it, simply to put it out there to caution new landlords who are considering allowing tenants with dogs.

Prior to renting out my condo, I upgraded the main level flooring with laminate as well as the entire bathroom. The 300 sq. ft. of carpets I did not replace. The carpet ran the stairs, hallways and in two bedrooms on the second level. The carpet was in great shape and was even in style, but it did need to be re-stretched in many places. It also had the odd coffee stain from me dribbling a full coffee cup from the kitchen into my office.

I decided to rent to pet owners, because I did not want to upgrade the carpet, and people with pets were more forgiving of my carpet with the odd coffee stain. I am a responsible owner of two cats, and know that not all animals are problematic. I also know it is hard to find a unit that allows pets, and my condo complex is pet friendly, so it seemed like the perfect solution at the time.

This last tenant had a bulldog, and when she moved out, I had to replace all the carpet. There was not a stair that this dog missed. Even the inside of the linen closet was soiled. The condo itself smelled like an outhouse from all of the damage to the carpet. The damage seeped all the way to the subfloor, and removing the carpet and underlay was not nearly enough. The subfloor needed to be scraped and then treated with Kilz to deal with the damage and the odor.

Further, on my patio, was a very large box full of dog feces that had been freezing and thawing throughout the winter. It took four and a half hours to remove the waste from my deck. After removal, the deck still stunk and required more work.

The good news is this previous tenant is working with me to pay all expenses. However, what I was completely unaware of (naively) was how much damage one cute, little bulldog could do. I am sure more experienced landlords are shaking their heads at the fact I did not know. However, as a new landlord and animal owner (and lover), I have to honestly say that I did not see it coming. I did plenty of due diligence on this tenant prior to allowing her, or her pet to live in my premises. I even interviewed her last landlord. However, it apparently was not enough work on my part to prevent this from happening.

If you are a landlord that is considering allowing dogs on your property, I strongly encourage you to do as many reference checks on your pet-loving tenant as possible to protect your asset.

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Lady Gaga and Her Mesmerizing Hit Song “Poker Face”

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Read Time:2 Minute, 12 Second

Lady Gaga is on fire. Literally. At the MuchMusic Video Awards on June 21, she wore a bra that shot out sparks as she danced around the stage. Yes, it was about more than just the song. Lady Gaga is an artist by nature and it certainly shows in every performance.

She was recently quoted in Channel News Asia as saying, “I’ve always been a fashionista and I’ve always loved to wear fun clothes…I became very well known for my stage performances and my clothes.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Lady Gaga has captured the imagination of millions with her outlandish shows and irresistible throbbing pop songs like “Poker Face” and “Just Dance.”

An analysis of the lyrics of one of her biggest hits, “Poker Face,” shows a complicated artist who is about to take the world by storm. Much like Madonna, Lady Gaga knows how to give a scintillating, tantalizing performance that leaves you wanting more.

“Poker Face” is a song about a poker face, of course, but that is just the beginning, Poker faces are the key to hiding one’s feelings, according to Forbes.com, and to have a poker face implies strength and assertiveness because nobody can read your intentions.

Lady Gaga’s song begins with the goal of wanting to be in the game of poker, not necessarily the card game but the intimate interaction between girl and boy where one is being pursued by the other. It is a game, yes, but the stakes are the hearts of each other.

The chorus is simple yet broad-stroked as Lady Gaga croons about how “he can’t read my poker face” and this is crucial to the art of the seductive dance where the girl wants to be pursued but doesn’t want to make it easy for the boy.

The song moves along with a little note about how love isn’t fun unless it’s rough. Then a line about how she “won’t tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you.” These are classic examples of wanting intense passion without clear, boring reciprocated professions of feelings and commitments.

Lady Gaga doesn’t want to feel obligated to anyone for anything in the song “Poker Face.” Over and over we hear how “she’s got to love nobody.” She wants fiery passion, of course, and she’s going to get it. But the love part is optional.

Lady Gaga is surely and decidedly the new princess of pop as Rolling Stone announced with her on the cover of its Hot List issue. She has enough firepower, both literally and figuratively, to dynamite us to smithereens for years to come.

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How To Pick The Best Shows For Your Child To Watch

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Read Time:3 Minute, 14 Second

With digital cable becoming the norm in most households, channel choices are becoming harder and harder to choose. When it is time for the children to settle down, which show and channel do you pick? There are many options from Toon Disney to Nickelodeon, and instead of playing channel roulette with the remote, here is a list of ways to pick the best show for your child.

1. Popularity

Certain children’s shows are popular for a reason, they are just plain good. Right now some of the most popular children’s shows are Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, Bear in the Big Blue House, Mickey’s Clubhouse and Blue’s Clues. Most of these shows will be brought up again in this article because of their popularity and more detailed examples of why they are popular.

2. Entertaining for the whole family

Some of the times you will be watching television with your children, and instead of being bored out of your mind with a simple show that the kids find entertainment in, it is nice to watch a show that the whole family can get into and enjoy. For this, Spongebob Squarepants is the best choice. The silly antics of Spongebob and Patrick are sure to make you kids laugh, but there are many jokes that will go over their head and make you laugh. Different meanings for certain things and storylines so rediculous that you cannot help but laugh. Jimmy Nuetron: Boy Genius also has jokes and hidden gags for the adult crowd. There are a lot of movie references throughout the show, like Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park and others that you can catch if you keep a close eye on them.

3. Catchphrases and Songs

Ever heard your kid run around shouting “I’m Ready! I’m Ready! I’m Ready!” or “Here’s the mail!”? Those are phrases from shows Spongebob Squarepants and Blue’s Clues. Catchphrases that are repeated in numerous episodes help the child’s memory and keep them entertained with the show. Interactiveness in Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer makes watching television more of an activity than just sitting on the couch. Kids are jumping on their feet helping Steve solve Blue’s Clues and singing and dancing to one of the many songs featured in each episode. In Dora the Explorer, Dora even pauses to give children time to answer and feel like they are part of the adventure. Dora also features many catchy songs for the kids to learn.

4. Sending a Message

An important aspect of children programming is sending a message to viewer. Episodes of Blue Clues help teach counting, colors, teamwork, and variety of other things, but your kids won’t even feel like they are in the school atmosphere. As crazy as the plots are in Spongebob Squarepants, there are even messages there, like being nice, and learning not to steal.

Some shows out there cover all of these aspects in picking a great children’s show, but some also show none. PBS’s Telletubbies, does not feature any of the aspects above, and is more of a show for your child to zone out to. There are no catchphrases on this show, because there are no words on this show. Even if your child cannot speak it, it is important for him/her to be adapted to speaking and hearing the language and Telletubbies does not provide this.

Even with all of these aspects into play, it is really up to an individual child to choose a show to his/her liking. Do not try to force your child to watch a show they show interest in, they will eventually find a show that has these qualitys, and if they do not, try renting or buying older shows like Barney or Rugrats that the kids can enjoy. Though they are old, they still feature all of the aspects above and are great entertainment.

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Using Social Media For Business In Sense Of Creating High PR And Great Sales!

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Read Time:2 Minute, 58 Second

Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have already become juggernauts of the internet world. Even better, their services are free as long as you don’t mind putting up with the occasional advertising that goes along with such websites. Instead of networking like businesses normally do, there is a new and vastly more efficient way to get the contacts you need. Here are five creative ways your business can utilize a free social networking site to get more business and sales.

Press Releases

Press releases are snippets of important information that can be released to the public for free that gets whatever information you want to disseminated quickly throughout the internet. Twitter is great for press releases from famous people. A great example of word-of-mouth advertising is Frank Marshall, leDoctor on Twitter.

Marshall is a movie producer who is working on The Last Airbender, a huge movie release this summer. His tweets informed the world when new photos and trailers would be airing for the hotly anticipated movie. Anyone who subscribed to his page instantly knew about the movie and when commercials for it would air.

Employee Pages

Imagine getting to know the CEO of a company through Facebook. He or she could list hobbies, how to contact, and even leave messages on his or her own Facebook account. Make your own circle of company employees on a company’s official Twitter page that can even add to contacts that your sales force could have.

Employee pages are also great for getting feedback and information posted that needs to be expedited. If you only want your “friends” to see something on Facebook you can set your privacy settings and release any information you need to through them.

General Motors is a great example. On their Facebook page you can get exclusive content and news including stock numbers.

Video Reports

Publicly traded companies must file with the SEC every quarter. Many times, their conference calls and paper reports can be cumbersome to read and interpret. Enter the video summary. If a company wants to communicate in a brief way with its large number of employees and shareholders, having the CEO in front of the cameras giving a brief interpretation of the results of the previous quarter is a great way to do some free PR work through YouTube.

LivePerson is a good website that has their CEO, Robert LoCascio, on their YouTube channel giving brief ten minute summaries. Ericsson is also a great example of a large company utilizing free services to give out information in video format.

Gimmicks and Contests

Let’s face it. Coupons and exclusive content off of websites are all about trying to get consumers to visit your website. Offer only Facebook friends a coupon or discount for visiting. This is fantastic whether you are selling mass-produced cleaning products or if you’re a small corner bistro trying to sell more steak.

Have more clients subscribe to your social networking account to offer them exclusive specials once a week. I say weekly because that will keep clientele interested on a regular basis. If your restaurant has daily specials, then use the site for those. Instead of coupons, a “phrase” or “keyword” that is only posted to your Twitter page could also be useful for discounts. If you want to more know about these practices then you can look up to socialized.me, regarding your concerns. Mention the word “space shuttle” for ten percent off your meal. Whatever works to get your product sold that’s what you need to accomplish.

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