Women’s Independent Press

Programs are at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business on Thursdays at 12:15 pm. They are free and open to the public.

June 7, How to Find Free, Authoritative Answers to Many Personal and Business
Legal Questions
Joel Fishman, Ph.D., Assistant Director
Allegheny County Law Library
If you’re looking for examples of a simple will, a residential lease, or a pre-nuptial agreement, the Internet has many reputable websites that can be helpful. However, the Allegheny County Law Library offers a wealth of information on all things legal and many of their services are available to the general public. Joel Fishman, Ph.D., assistant director for lawyer services at the Allegheny County Law Library, will be here to tell us how to find information on legal topics that can help in many aspects of our daily lives.

June 14 Employment Resources for Jobs in the Pittsburgh Area
Eric Pferdekamper, Site Administrator
Pennsylvania CareerLink, Downtown Pittsburgh

Local employers may be looking for your skills! Discover how Pennsylvania CareerLink can help you maximize your chances of gaining employment. Has it been a while since you’ve updated your resume? How are your interviewing skills? Are you thinking about changing professions? You’ll be amazed by the many services and classes offered by CareerLink that will help make your job search more effective.

June 21 The Amazing Treasures in the Carnegie Library’s William R. Oliver Special Collections Room
Gregory M. Priore, Manager and Archivist
The William R. Oliver Special Collections Room

You would expect to find material about Andrew Carnegie and the early history of Pittsburgh here, but what about Bach manuscripts, original cels from Disney’s Pinocchio and Fantasia, and rare photographs from the Edward Curtis North American Indian Portfolio? Greg Priore will talk about the Oliver room collections, appraising books, historic documents and photographs, and preservation-related issues.

June 28 Sit Down and Fight: Walter Reuther and the Rise of the Auto Workers Union
(PBS American Experience – 60 minutes)

The auto industry underwent an enormous upheaval with the introduction of auto assembly lines. The stress of keeping up with the line was too much for most of the workers, who were unable to work under the pressure. Walter Reuther, an early leader in the American Auto Workers union, led the effort to improve their working conditions, starting with sit-downs at GM and Chrysler, and finally at Ford. Reuther focused on worker benefits, guaranteed wages, paid holidays, and the elimination of racism in the industry. See if he really deserved to be known as “the most dangerous man in Detroit” during these years.

By Patricia Thibault
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

You can probably think of a number of times when you asked your dad for a little extra help. Now, with Father’s Day right around the corner, is the perfect time to offer a little extra help for Dad. People across the nation are helping their dads save nearly $4,000 a year on the cost of Medicare prescription drugs. You can help your dad too — and it won’t cost you a dime.

The high cost of prescription medication can be a burden on fathers (or anyone) who have limited income and resources. But there is Extra Help — available through Social Security — that could pay part of his monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. That Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,000 a year.

To figure out whether your father is eligible, Social Security needs to know his income and the value of his savings, investments, and real estate (other than the home he lives in). To qualify for the Extra Help, he must be enrolled in Medicare and have:

• Income limited to $16,755 for an individual or $22,695 for a married couple living together. Even if his annual income is higher, he still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Some examples where income may be higher include if he or his spouse:
—Support other family members who live with them;
—Have earnings from work; or
—Live in Alaska or Hawaii.
• Resources limited to $13,070 for an individual or $26,120 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks, and bonds. We do not count his house and a car (if he has one) as resources.

Social Security has an easy-to-use online application that you can help complete for your dad. You can find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp. To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

Think of all the times you’ve asked Dad for some extra help. This Father’s Day, give your dad a little extra help he can use year-round — a savings of up to $4,000 a year on his Medicare prescription drugs through Extra Help available from Social Security.

Contact me: JoyceKFaulkner@gmail.com

Wing Wife:How to Be Married to a Marine Fighter Pilot (Kindle Edition) by Marcia Sargent

A fun book that is also thoughtful and thought provoking!
Reviewed by Joyce Faulkner
It’s a wet, windy day here in Pittsburgh. I’ve just finished Marcia Sargent’s award-winning memoir, “Wing Wife.” I proces her work and ponder her question, how do we deal with life when we feel death’s shadow every morning?

It’s an issue I first faced at thirteen when my grandfather was murdered. Because his loss was the result of another person’s choices and I didn’t have the power to stop it, I thought it was especially frightening. When I grew up, I realized that death is ALWAYS the result of things outside anyone’s control - war, mistakes, murder, disease, accidents, executions. When I volunteered for the rape crises center, I learned that even though it was natural to reach out to a victim saying, “It’s not your fault,” for certain frames of mind, this was an additional cruelty. Bolts out of the blue are so terrifying that it’s preferable to say, it MUST have been something that I did - If I’d turned left rather than right, if I’d worn the blue dress rather than the red one, if I’d stopped at Wendy’s rather than McDonald’s - if, if, if! But in the long run, as Marcia implies, there’s no solace in a litany of possibilities that didn’t happen. There’s only the horror that did.

In my thirties, I read Ernest Becker, an American Philosopher, who was fascinated with this subject. In a more academic approach, he posits that there is one thing that all people throughout time and across geography share - and that’s the knowledge of our own impending death (and that of our loved ones) - and we are universally distressed by this idea. How we live is a measure of how we’ve come to deal with that knowledge. Some find comfort in religion - the notion that the soul never dies, only the body. There’s some physical support to this attractive idea - energy is neither created nor destroyed, it only changes form. However, the believer is still left to deal with the harsh realities of the transition. Others focus on the quality of the lives they lead - however short that joy might be. They want to go out in a “blaze of glory” and have their names inscribed on a wall somewhere - forever remembered for their derring do and bravery. Then there are those who build things that live on after them - pyramids, airplanes, businesses - pieces of art, libraries — books.

Marcia tackles the subject in a much more personal way. As a young wife of a Marine Corps Fighter Pilot and the sister of another, she smells danger every day. At first, she comforts herself with facts that she accepts without question. The young men are excellent pilots. They fly high performance, well-designed aircraft. They are supported by excellent crews. They have wives and families - they are serving their country. They stare catastrophe in the face in the morning, and moon it at drunken parties that same evening. Accidents might happen, but they happen to other people - to the unwary and to the careless. Her guys are savvy and careful. Ergo, it won’t happen to them - to her.

For all Marcia’s youthful surety and resilience, a series of distressingly common tragedies blasts holes into her life. In a fighter pilot’s dangerous world, people die from the smallest miscalculations — their own and anyone else’s. At a time of life when women are naturally “nesting,” Marcia lives in a world controlled totally by others. Where she lives, who she knows, what she does all depend on the military. She cannot be sure that the man she sends off to work each morning will return to her for lunch. And if he doesn’t, there’s no room for her in their little community any more.

With a rising rock ‘n roll beat, tragedy scars the families around her. Marcia’s grief-fueled stress rises - because she can’t do anything about it, because it comes with the territory, because there’s no donut without the dough - and he’s the dough. Still, until her beloved brother is killed, she never asks her husband to change.

Most women under those circumstances would seek another life - another man. There are a vast array of sexy, healthy, intelligent men out there who DON’T risk their lives and “the nest” every day. There are families who live in the towns THEY choose in homes that they want. But at the lowest point in her emotional life, Marcia reacts with something more fundamental. Love. Too often, women’s definitions of the marital bargain are narrow — ending at sexual exclusivity. Marcia evaluates marriage at its most primeval level — a partnership. When she realizes that there is nothing she could change that she would change, she commits the rest of the way and becomes a “Wing Wife.” She is the person her husband can count on — for support, for help, for growth. She takes care of the things that she can so he can focus on the things that he must. She doesn’t forget about her fears, she just uses that energy to back him up and ensure that during those dangerous runs, he is in the moment doing what he was built to do. She ensures that if their time together is to be short, it will also be joyous.

I wonder if my strategy or my neighbor’s will be as effective as Marcia’s. Perhaps the tremulous nature of life is what makes it so very precious!

Wing Wife is available on Amazon.com

Joyce Faulkner, Author
Windshift
USERNAME
Chance … and other horrors
In the Shadow of Suribachi
Losing Patience

Coauthor of:
Role Call: Women’s Voices
Sunchon Tunnel Massacre Survivors

PO Box 264, Bridgeville, PA 15017
412.496.5034

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
For Immediate Release: May 1, 2012
Bridget Lee-Calfas, Advertising and Publicity Director
bklee@illinois.edu
217/333-6282

SUMMER STUDIO THEATRE 2012 SEASON AT KRANNERT CENTER ANNOUNCED

The U of I Department of Theatre’s Summer Studio Theatre returns to Krannert Center for its 21st season. Under the direction of UI Department of Theatre Interim Head Tom Mitchell, Summer Studio Theatre will once again provide a three-show series to Central Illinois audiences. This year’s program selections offer a diverse array of theatrical experiences. During the month of June, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)will alternate with the chamber musical Gone Missing. In the month of July, The Diary of Anne Frank, adapted in 1997 by Wendy Kesselman, will be presented. The summer season will also feature a special two-evening-only performance by vocalist Kent Conrad and pianist Paul Johnston entitled Sprung and Awakened: A Cabaret About Change.

Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)
By Donald Margulies
Directed by J.W. Morrissette
Nineteen-year-old Louis de Rougemont grew up on adventure stories and sets off from London to create his own. The high seas beckon when he’s invited to join a pearl fishing expedition off the coast of Australia with a salty Victorian captain. An encounter with an octopus leaves him stranded on a deserted island, and after years alone and an eventual marriage to an Aborigine woman, he treks home, where his amazing but inconsistent tales are greeted with cheers . . . and skepticism.
Fr-Sa Jun 1-2, Tu-We Jun 12-13, Sa Jun 16, and Th-Fr Jun 21-22 at 7:30pm
Sa Jun 2 at 2pm

Gone Missing
By the Civilians
Written by Steven Cosson from interviews by the company
Music and lyrics by Michael Friedman
Directed by Tom Mitchell
Musical Direction by Kent Conrad
A New York Times top 10 play from 2007, Gone Missing boasts wry songs and lively montages of what’s somehow disappeared from our lives: a black Gucci pump, an uncle’s fortune, Sniffle the doll, Atlantis, a sweetheart’s photo, various body parts. Based on interviews with New Yorkers, this witty musical tracks emotional and philosophical responses to life’s transient pleasures and the many ways we cope.
Th-Sa Jun 7-9, Th-Fr Jun 14-15, Tu-We Jun 19-20, and Sa Jun 23 at 7:30pm
Sa Jun 9 and Sa Jun 23 at 2pm

The Diary of Anne Frank
By Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Directed by Lisa Gaye Dixon
Wendy Kesselman’s new adaptation of Anne Frank’s personal account of the dark events of World War II includes selections from Anne’s other writings and chronicles from Holocaust survivors. Despite her terror and forced exile into a secret annex, Anne retains a hopeful outlook as she bears witness not just to the horror but also to the goodness in our world. The cast for this production includes local adult actors and features performances by two local youth, Dominique Allen and Max Keagle.
Th-Sa Jul 5-7, We-Sa Jul 11-14, Tu-Sa Jul 17-21 at 7:30pm

Sprung and Awakened: A Cabaret About Change
Kent Conrad, voice
Paul Johnston, piano
Using a mixture of biography and invented truths, a series of meditations on the effects of change—real or imagined—are presented through monologue and song.
Sa Jun 16 at 10pm and Su Jun 17 at 7:30

Tickets and Information
Tickets are on sale Monday, May 7, at 10am. Tickets can be purchased by phone, mail, online, or by visiting the Ticket Office.

Ticket Prices
Regular Performances $18 / SC & Stu 15 / UI 10

Sprung and Awakened: A Cabaret About Change $10

Performance Details
All performances are in the Studio Theatre; there will be no late seating.

How to Order Tickets
Online: www.KrannertCenter.com
Phone: 800/KCPATIX (800/527-2849), 217/333-6280
TTY for deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired patrons: 217/333-9714
Fax: 217/244-SHOW (217/244-7469)
Email: kran-tix@illinois.edu
Mail: Krannert Center Ticket Office, 500 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
In Person: Krannert Center Ticket Office, open 10am-6pm daily

By Patricia Thibault
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

Summer will be here before we know it. That means millions of high school and college students will be searching for jobs. Whether a new worker is beginning the career of a lifetime or just earning some extra money for the school year to come, there is one question that is likely to be on each new worker’s mind when they see their first pay stub: Where’s the rest of my money?

Generally, employers are required to withhold Social Security and Medicare tax from a worker’s paycheck. The amounts you pay in Social Security and Medicare taxes are matched by your employer. Usually the money that is withheld is referred to as “Social Security taxes” on the employee’s payroll statement. Sometimes the deduction is labeled as “FICA taxes,” which stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. So let us tell you how that money is being used, and what’s in it for you.

The taxes paid now translate to a lifetime of protection, when you eventually retire or if you become disabled. In the event that you die young, your dependent children and spouse may be able to receive survivors benefits based on your work. Today you probably have family members — grandparents, for example — who already enjoy Social Security benefits that your Social Security taxes help provide.

You may be a long way from retirement now, so you may find it hard to appreciate the value of benefits that could be 40 or 50 years away. But consider that your Social Security taxes could pay off sooner than you think. Social Security provides valuable disability benefits — and studies show that a 20-year-old has about a three in 10 chance of becoming disabled sometime before reaching retirement age.

Another bit of helpful advice for young workers: be wary if you’re offered a job “under the table” or “off the books.” If you work for any employer who pays you only in cash, understand that you’re likely not getting Social Security credit for the work you’re doing.

Want to learn more about Social Security and what it means to young workers? If so, we invite you to enjoy a webcast: Social Security 101: What’s In It For Me? The webcast will fill you in on the details you should know to get the most out of Social Security. Check it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars/social_security_101.html .

If you have questions about Social Security, the best place to go is online — to www.socialsecurity.gov  .

By: Mary Grace Musuneggi
www.MFGPlanners.com

Many of our clients have grown up in Western Pennsylvania; an area of ethnic and cultural diversity. This area brings with it the basics of a strong work ethic. Growing up as the daughter of a hard-working, strict Irish Catholic mother, I understood the rhetoric of all the various philosophies that inundated this region. No matter what the nationality, religion or family dynamics; the values were all there. Hard work, family unity, the importance of the home.

Although there were times that my mother barely had enough income to feed us day to day, she would sometimes work two jobs to be sure that we had a roof over our head. That roof came in the form of owning a home. Homeownership was without a doubt the most formidable goal for families. In my neighborhood, I only knew one family that rented.

Owning a home reiterated the voice of “Gone With the Wind,” that “land” is the most important thing you could own. The American Dream. Our circle of acquaintances and family believed that owning a home brought with it security, safety and success.

Today’s economy has challenged these beliefs, as owning a home today can bring with it excessive debt, no security, a lack of safety, struggles; and in fact, can be the source of owning an asset that is worth a whole lot less than what it was worth when it was purchased.

While for many generations passing on a family home to children was an important goal; today passing on a home with a mortgage or especially one that is “underwater” can create serious financial issues for an heir.

We had been taught that we should never rent. Why pay to add equity to someone else’s real estate when we can add equity to our own. If we were paying rent, we could easily turn that rent into a house payment? But today the argument is that if real estate does not appreciate, then during the first 5 to 10 years of owning a home with a 30-year mortgage most of your payments are going towards interest. And then there is the overlooked “costs of ownership” like landscaping, maintenance, painting, appliances, issues with plumbing, heating, electric; or roof repairs.

And considering that many studies have shown that most people who have purchased a home since 2006 have lost money; the rules have changed. Renting now needs to be seen as a viable housing option.
-Continued on Reverse-
But on the other hand, with housing prices so low, wouldn’t this be the best time to buy?

So who should rent?

Young people coming out of college with large education loans and credit card debt.

People without substantial down payments.

Those with no emergency funds and household savings.

Someone not prepared to stay in their home for at least 5 years.

Seniors who like their freedom to travel extensively and not be tied to their home.

Retirees who don’t want to carry a mortgage during their retirement years.

Those who don’t have the skills or income to handle their home maintenance issues.

Singles who don’t want the responsibilities of yard work and household chores.

Parents who can’t afford to pay the mortgage and all household expenses; and at the same time also pay for adequate life insurance and education funding to protect their children’s futures.

Future retirees who are unable to invest in their retirement while they are investing in a home.

Anyone who thinks other assets will grow faster than their home equity will grow.

So the decision to own vs. rent depends on the person and their circumstances. Although this may just be the right time for you to buy; it is very obvious that over the last 6 years many owners should have been renters.

Like all financial decisions, knowing all the upsides and downsides; being knowledgeable and understanding all the ramifications, is the best way to make the right decision for you and your family.

May 2 - Accessorize & Socialize - Register today and you may bring a young adult - collegiate to the event compliments of WIN-Pittsburgh…We want to support our future young professional women – Olive or Twist – 140 6th Street 2nd floor – Pittsburgh – RSVP required – register online www.winpitt.org   ($45 per person – non member, $30 member)

May 4 – Gallerie Chiz - Opening Artists’ Reception – 8:30-5:30 with Ashley Buckley on the violin – show runs 5/4 – 5/26 – 5831 Ellsworth Ave, Shadyside, Pittsburgh – www.galleriechiz.com

May 8 – Siba-cucina
530 Northpointe Circle Seven Fields, PA 16046 724-741-6000 (off Rt. 228) (www.siba-cucina.com 
7:00-9:00 PM 

Jessica Lee performs with Mark Strickland

May 9 - Brown Bag Lunch - 12:00 – 1:00pm - Speaker: Barbara Mohajery, Esq. Topic: Get it in writing. Barbara Mohajery, Esq., Mohajery and Associates, will uncover the “plain English” of legal contracts and review what to look out for before you sign or write a contract. Learn to recognize what the legal wording means, what must be covered to make a contract legal and when you should get legal advice - Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania 1650 Main Street Pittsburgh – FREE - RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

 
 
NAWBO Greater Pittsburgh Presents
 STANDING FIRM- A free event
 
The Business Case to End Partner Violence
How Partner Violence affects company liability
Wednesday, May 9th
 Allegheny County Human Resources Building
100 Smithfield Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 For more information, contact
 Mary Pam Kilgore at 412-260-4178

May 10 – ET Jazz Networking Show at Little E’s (Entrepreneurial Thursdays)
949 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, 412.392.2217
5:30 - 8:00 PM -There will no ET Jazz Networking show on May 3 (Spring Break). The show resumes May 10 - 21st Century Writing and Media.

May 11 – Silk Screen Opening Night – 8 pm – midnight - Rivers Club, 301 Grant Street, One Oxford Centre Pittsburgh – Opening Night Film featuring “The Lady” – tickets $20 – Harris Theater, 7:00. Gala Advance - $85, regular $100, extended $125

May 11 - Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series - 7:30-9:00AM
Venue: James Laughlin Music Hall, Chatham University, Shadyside Campus
Cost: $25.00 ($12.50 for students with valid ID) Register Online at www.chatham.edu/cwe  - Speaker: Christine WardTopic:”Social Entrepreneurs: How Women and Girls can Solve Economic and Social Challenges”

May 13 - Have you registered for the 20th anniversary Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure - We are less than two weeks away from our deadline for mailing all Race packets. Register ONLINE by 8 a.m. on May 2 to receive your Race packet, which includes your Race t-shirt, in the mail. Don’t miss all the great activities we have planned as we acknowledge our 20th year in the fight against breast cancer. This year, we are honored to have Dr. Bernard Fisher, a pioneer in breast cancer research and treatment, as our Honorary Race Chair. Leslie Sansone, a nationally recognized fitness expert and creator of the Walk at Home program, will lead this year’s warm up. http://www.komenpittsburgh.org/

May 15 - Developing New Market Opportunities – 9-12 PM - $15 - Location: Robert Morris – visit http://www.sbdc.duq.edu/EventDetail.asp?id=314  to register

May 15 - Building Bridges for Business (@bridges4biz) will present its monthly #SmallBizPgh Twitterchat - between 7-8 pm EST featuring Los Angeles-based award-winning entrepreneur and public relations expert, Lisa Elia. At the event, which can be followed on twebevent.com using hashtag #smallbizpgh, Elia will answer Pittsburgh entrepreneurs’ and Building Bridges for Business’ question on starting and sustaining a small business.

May 16 - 12 noon-1:30 pm - Westin Hotel, 1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh - Celebrate the achievements of eight exceptional women at the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s 30th Annual Tribute to Women Leadership Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 16 at the Westin Hotel. The luncheon begins at 12:00 pm and Silent Auction at 11:00 am. Cost is $70 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10. Proceeds from this event support YWCA programs and services. Register online at www.ywcapgh.org . For more information, please call 412-255-1261 or email ttw@ywcapgh.org.

May 17 - Disability Resource Breakfast - 8:30 – 9:30 AM - Speaker: Mick Sittig, Ph. D., Psychologist, ReMed - Topic: Psychosocial Dynamics of Relationships Following Traumatic Brain Injury - TBI turns the world upside down, causing relationships to evolve or devolve. Learn about anticipating and managing the changes in oneself, with others and with the world at large - Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania, 1650 Main Street, Pittsburgh – FREE - RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

May 17 - Pittsburgh Professional Women May Workshop: Your Inner Committee - with Special Guest Speaker Dr. Nancy Mramor - from 1-3pm - LeMont Restaurant, Mt. Washington, Members $35, non Members $49 - Prices increase on May 10th - Register on our new website www.PittsburghProfessionalWomen.org  - Valet Parking $6 - Does a part of you want to play while another wants to work? - Do you want to achieve a goal but you stop yourself? - Do you criticize yourself or compare your achievements to others?

May 18th – Cocktails and Cuisine for Women in Crisis –
An Afterwork Grazing/Sipping event that benefits Crisis Center North.
6PM at the Woodlands in Bradford Woods . Tickets are just $65 with
over 25 chefs/ wine/beer and spirit purveyors. Silent and Live auction
with amazing, unique trips. This event sells out so don’t miss out!
MC is John Burnett with jazz by “It Takes Two”! For tickets go to
Www.CrisisCenterNorth.org  or call 724-935-6100

May 18 - Kauffman FastTrac® Listening to Your Business™ Workshop - 8:30 am to Noon - Place: Chatham University, Gatehouse - Cost: $40.00, Register online at
http://www.chatham.edu/cwe/events/fasttrac/listen_workshop.cfm

Student Rate: $20.00 with valid ID (email
pdecker@chatham.edu < ?xml:namespace prefix = mailto />

May 19 - Pittsburgh Professional Women & ESSpa Invite You to a Special Mothers Day Fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation from 6-8pm, ESSpa Kozmetika, 17 Brilliant Avenue, Pittsburgh -Enjoy Champagne, Beverages, Snacks and Networking for a Great Cause with Special Guest Speaker Michelle Wright, WTAE 4 News Tickets just $30 www.mothersdayatesspa.eventbrite.com

May 21 - Building Bridges for Business will present its Small Business Works event at the Kingsley Association in Pittsburgh’s East End from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event – which will feature prominent speakers, including Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald – will educate aspiring entrepreneurs on finding capital to start and grow their businesses. Interested entrepreneurs can register at www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org .

May 22 - Rev-Up Marketing is teaming up with Babb University and 21st Century Employee Assistance Partners (EAP). On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, from 1 to 3 pm they will host a workshop for human resource personnel on legal and community resources options for elderly and caregivers. This workshop has been approved for 2 HR CECs. - Panelists for the workshop include: Julian E. Gray, Certified Elderlaw Attorney, Mary Phan-Gruber, MSW, ACSW, Deputy Administrator with the Area Agency on Aging, Donald H. Goughler, President and CEO of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, and James R. Long Ph.D., CEO of 21st Century Employee Assistance Partners. The panel will discuss legal issues that require planning and foresight, present eldercare resources and how to access them, and identify work behavior trends that may indicate a need for help. Networking and lunch from 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Seminar will begin at 1:00 pm in the ballroom. Free on-site parking. Space is limited. Please RSVP today at ~ www.events.constantcontact.com  . Anyone is welcome to attend, but feel free to share with HR personnel needing CE Credit Hours.

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

May 4 – Public Policy Discussion and Luncheon
May 16 – Public Policy Discussion and Luncheon

Visit http://www.worldpittsburgh.org/  for additional details

FYI

Class: Self-Defense for Women
Dates: June 3 - 24 (four Sundays)
Time: 10 – 12
Place: Falk School, Oakland

Spring Special: sign up with another woman and take $10 off each registration. Details and a registration form are attached. Please let us know if you need any more information.

Lioness Martial Arts
412.241.6519
info@lionessmartialarts.com
www.lionessmartialarts.com

** A complimentary 3-part teleclass series for solo professionals who want to attract more clients through public speaking.

Presented by Sam Wieder, MBA of Commanding Confidence
Join us for one or more of these complimentary 30-minute, business-building teleclasses:

Session #1 (11:30 a.m. – 12 noon, Tuesday, May 1, 2012)
Public Speaking Slip-ups that Cost You Clients:
The 3 Biggest Mistakes that Prevent Professionals from Attracting Clients through Public Speaking–and What You Can Do Instead

Session #2 (11:30 a.m.- 12 noon, Thursday, May 3, 2012)
Powerhouse Preparation for a Client-Winning Speech:
What You Need to Clarify to Make Your Public Speaking Profitable

Session #3 (11:30 a.m. – 12 noon, Tuesday, May 8, 2012)
Tantalizing Speech Topics to Boost Your Business:
What to Talk About to Make Your Ideal Potential Clients Want to Talk to You

These free programs at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business, 612 Smithfield Street, Downtown are held on Thursdays at 12:15 pm.

May 3 A Homeowner’s Guide to Hiring a Contractor: What Service Providers Don’t Want You to Know
Alexandra Sabina, Author and Lecturer

When you are ready to make repairs or major renovations to your property, how do you know if the company or person you plan to hire is trustworthy and reliable? Ms. Sabina, author of A Homeowner’s Guide to Hiring a Contractor, will explain where to find a services provider, questions to ask during the interview, how to obtain reliable references, and everything you should see on a contract before signing. Ms. Sabina’s book will be available for purchase after the program.

May 10 Betting to Win – Your Guide to Casino Gambling
Mark Gruetze, Administrative Editor
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Winning always makes a casino visit more fun. In order to do that, you need to know which bets to make and which to avoid. Join us as Mark Gruetze, longtime recreational gambler and author of the weekly Player’s Advantage column in the Trib, reveals the best strategies for blackjack, craps and other table games. You’ll learn how to make money, or at least how to make your money last longer!

May 17 Investing for Today, Tomorrow and the Future
Nadav Baum, Executive Vice President
BPU Investments, Inc.

Are you wondering how you can maintain your same lifestyle today, tomorrow and into retirement? It’s important to invest your assets so the principal and income will keep pace with inflation. After you understand your tax status, risk tolerance, expectation of return and time horizon, you’ll be prepared to create a plan of action that will help you achieve your goals.

May 24 No program – Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend!

May 31 Stock Shock: The Short Selling of the American Dream
(DVD – 72 minutes)

When Sirius XM Satellite Radio went public, potential investors were told they had the opportunity to realize enormous profits if they bought stock in this company that offers hundreds of commercial-free music stations, sports channels and talk show personalities like Howard Stern. This documentary is a cautionary tale of how unsuspecting (and unsophisticated) investors became victims of a calculated ‘pump and dump’ scheme that caused the stock fall to five cents a share before a massive recapitalization plan saved it from bankruptcy.

That many ancient cultures celebrated mothers including
theancient Egyptians who celebrated
the goddess Isis, the Mother of the Pharaohs
with an annual festival?

That ancient Greeks celebrated a holiday in honor
of Rhea, the mother of the gods ?

That ancient Romans celebrated a holiday in
honor of Cybele, a mother goddess?
That the celebrations were notorious enough that followers
of Cybele were banished from Rome

That in the British Isles and Celtic Europe, the goddess Brigid,
and later her successor St. Brigid, were honored with a spring Mother’s
Day, connected with the first milk of the ewes?

That In the 17th century, due to a clerical decree,
the British Isles initiated a religious celebration
of motherhood, called Mothering Sunday, held on the fourth Sunday during lent?
That the reason for the holiday was to serve as a reunification of the children of
mothers who were servants and trade workers who on Mothering Day, were allowed to
travel back to their home towns to visit with their families. This day also became a reprieve
from the fasting of lent, providing a time to enjoy a family feast with mom being the guest
of honor and Moms received gifts, such as cakes and flowers and a visit from their children?

That long before the “Hallmark” version of Mother’s day, Anna Reeves Jarvis was the 1st woman to
hold a celebration of Mothers day by declaring Mother’s day in 1858, in West Virginia?

That in 1914 the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution, signed by President Wilson,
that established a national Mother’s day?
That Since that time, Mother’s day has been celebrated by Americans on the 2nd Sunday
in May?

That the greatest advocate of motherhood, Anna Jarvis never had children of her own? Ms Jarvis
was dismayed over the commercialization of Mother’s day, “I wanted it to be a day of
sentiment, not profit,” she is quoted as saying.

www.Now.org   

Statement of NOW President Terry O’Neill

On Equal Pay Day, the day when U.S. women’s average earnings finally catch up with the amount men were paid on average in the previous year. That means that women must have worked more than 600 hours into 2012 to attain the same pay men received in 2011.

Recent reports show that the wage gap is wide for women across the board, regardless of educational level. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women with the same education as their male counterparts and doing the same job as men still earn far less. Just one example of the disparity can be found in a new study by the corporate governance firm GMI Ratings, which shows that women chief financial officers are paid an average of 16 percent less than their male counterparts. Overall, by one estimate, the average woman stands to lose about $400,000 over her working lifetime to wage discrimination. Such pay discrimination compels women to seek higher and higher degrees if they hope to begin to match their male peers in pay — often forcing women into the increasingly costly student loan market.

Women working full-time annually are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to a man, and the gap is significantly wider for women of color. An unprecedented number of women are now family breadwinners due to persistent unemployment rates, making pay equality critical not simply to family economic security but also the nation’s economic recovery.

Thanks to the wage gap, women are more vulnerable during economic downturns, making government action to strengthen pay equity laws more essential now than ever before. NOW calls for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1519/S. 797) and a stronger bill, the Fair Pay Act (H.R. 1493). In the meantime, we call on President Obama to issue an executive order protecting employees of federal contractors against retaliation for disclosing or asking about their wages — an important first step that would reach more than 20 percent of the civilian workforce. Together, these measures can help to create a climate where wage discrimination is not tolerated, employers provide a women-friendly workplace, and government has the enforcement tools it needs to make real progress on ending wage discrimination.