Switch Careers to Be Happier

This article is talking about how some people may be unhappy in their careers. Unhappiness most likely means your career isn't right for you. The article suggests switching careers. Switching careers is extremely common right now. The average person switches careers every 4.4 years. The article suggests having flexibility with your hours and vacation times. One flexible option is being an SEO writer or sales representatives. If one wants more money, he or she could be a management consultant, who earns a six-figure income, or an actuary. To have more satisfaction, you could be a health care manager or education administrator.

I think being happy in your job is extremely important. Say the average person works eight hours a day, that's approximately half of your waking hours at your job. It would be terrible to spend half of your time at an unhappy setting. I think I want to be a dentist. This would be a good career for me because it would make me very happy. It would make me happy because I would earn a lot of money. It would also make me happy because the hours would be relatively flexible. I wouldn't have to take call like some doctors. I would hopefully be able to choose vacation times. I wouldn't mind being a pilot either. I'm excited to have my own career.

25 Manners Every Kid Should Know By Age 9

This article was put on Yahoo! about manners kids should have by age nine. The article suggests that parents enforce these manners in order to have well-behaved and -adjusted children. These manners include saying please, thank you and excuse me. It also includes the banning of interrupting when others are talking, voicing very negative opinions, insulting others, using foul language, making fun of others and reaching for things at the table without asking. It promotes asking permission for things, being verbally grateful, knocking on closed doors, covering your mouth when you sneeze, helping others and using a napkin on your lap.

I think this article is probably very helpful for many parents, especially new parents. Some parents may not have grown up in households that required or even had a model of good manners. It's possible that some parents have absolutely no idea what their kids should be doing in order to be considered polite kids. I do think all of these "manner rules" are important. I think my parents did a good job teaching me them subtly: they never sat me down and read the rules; they showed me good manners, which is what I think is important.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/25-manners-every-kid-should-know-by-age-9-2480238/

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I thought it would be beneficial for me and other blog-readers to do a post about what to give to their mom on mother's day. The article says that sometimes moms, especially empty-nester moms sometimes just want to add happy decorations to their house. They suggest getting her something with a burst of color, or things like nice new coffee mugs or throw pillows. The writer of the article found some gifts for under $25, for those of us who like to save our money. She suggested Hive Vases, Homegrown Monogram Mugs, a hanging planter, an elephant tea pot, or a cormac pillow.

This article is helpful for me because of two things: 1) I'm not creative when it comes to gift-giving and 2) I don't have very much money... at all. I think that my mom would enjoy any of these gifts, as would most moms. I also think making something for your mother can be just as nice as buying something, or nicer. I usually write her a nice poem or something to that effect. Either way, I hope my mom has a great mother's day!

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/mothersday/mothers-day-gift-ideas-5-picks-for-the-happy-home-2480499/

America's Most Beautiful Roads

This article is about some of America's most beautiful roads. It includes U.S. 1, which connects the Florida Keys. Next is Route 12 in Utah which weaves its way through canyons. 17-Mile Drive is on Highway 1 in California, which is famous as it is. Blue Ridge Parkway in the Carolinas and Virginia twists through the Great Smoky Mountains of Virginia. Next is Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, which goes past various Chicago attractions. The Bluebonnet Trail in Texas goes through the hilly region between Austin and Houston, and passes by many scenic lakes on the way. Hana Highway is a scenic road in Maui, Hawaii. Next is Trail Ridge Road in Colorado, followed by the North Shore Drive in Duluth, then Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

I chose to read this article because I think it's always good for me, and other Americans, to realize what treasures we have here. Oftentimes I think about how badly I long to sojourn to other countries, with the mindset that "there's nothing for me here" or "I've seen it all." Simply seeing the pictures and reading the descriptions of those lovely drives made me realize that you really don't need to spend thousands of dollars to go on a voyage to foreign lands--you can simply hop in your car and you're right there.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-39636578;_ylt=AplR1gk0mNDJhu63eFu8FBChpYMA

Putting Welfare to Work

The issue I'm choosing to write about is the issue with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), formally referred to as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). These are closely tied into welfare. This program is one that gives direct cash payments to families with one or more children under the age of eighteen, with at least one parent being deceased, incapacitated, absent or unemployed. In 1996, it was argued that the AFDC provided incentives for families to remain unemployed, so a rule was put in place that required families to find full-time jobs within two years of being given periodic payments. This is when the program changed its name from AFDC to TANF. Some people argue that changing requirements for TANF did not improve poverty levels and that time limits force families off of the program even when they can't support themselves, and ends up requiring government to spend more on things like food stamps and medicaid.

I agree with the lawmakers who changed the requirements for TANF. Although I do believe it's unfortunate that some people may not be able to support themselves after two years and are kicked off the program, I think it's relatively ridiculous. Two years is ample time to find and keep a full-time job. If someone's unemployed, then what can they be spending their time doing? Obviously childcare, but beyond that, they should have enough free time to look for jobs. I worry about America catering to the poor too much. Don't get me wrong, I have a heart. I feel terrible for the situations that some Americans have put upon them. I'm simply saying, we cannot let them continue in their lifestyle of not working simply because they don't need to. That would be unfair to the middle class that works very hard. Senator Anthony Sykes has the same opinion as me on this issue.

Issue 1: At the time that I posted this, no one had done issue 1 yet.
Issue 2: (minimum wage) http://katiebruzik.blogspot.com/