Women’s Independent Press

Have Dog, Will Travel…Safely

Whether it’s a weekend getaway or just driving around with daily errands, an increasing number of pet owners are opting not to leave their other family member at home alone.  Pets live in an estimated 58% of American households, and almost 80% of families with children have pets. But perhaps it’s time for a review of safety tips and innovative products to help you make the journey safer for all.

Pet-friendly car travel is a surging trend in the auto industry, and the right gear and new vehicle modifications offer pet owners plenty of options, so there’s no more excuse for unsafe and reckless pet travel.   

It’s Time for Safer Pet Travel

Perhaps you already take your dog in the car but are in the habit of letting “Rover” roam freely in the back.  It’s time to incorporate the same precautions we give to buckling up our children to include our pets. The top danger is driving with unrestrained pets, and this should be your main consideration when choosing to bring along your canine companion.  A dog roaming freely in the car is a safety hazard to everyone, causing distractions to the driver and potentially being catapulted forward with braking.

Pet Travel Products

It just makes sense to ensure your pet is secure in a moving vehicle.  We’re spoiled for choice with today’s array of safety products for pets of all sizes:

•Travel Booster Seats: Yes, booster seats aren’t just for babies anymore, and the creative designs of restraining pet seats will allow a comfortable and safe ride for smaller dogs, either in the front or back by connecting to the seat belt.   •Travel Barriers: Great for larger dogs or more than one, to separate the back and front of the vehicle.  As a nylon mesh style, metal or steel, barriers are fitted for small cars, mini and full size vans, and SUV’s.  By creating a safe area in the back, it keeps your dog safely restrained yet comfortable to move and stretch.•Travel Crates and Carriers: Ideal for small dogs, puppies and cats, there are many styles and sizes to safely transport your pet.  Many are foldable and easily assembled, for easy storage.•Safety Car Harness: You strap you and your family in; why not the dog?  Today’s dog seat belts are designed with comfort and safety in mind, and are handy for larger dogs who like to sit or stand.  Check to see if the seat buckle has been strength tested and better yet, crash tested, for quality assurance.•Other handy items include window screens to prevent dogs from jumping out open windows, travel water bowls, seat covers and cargo liners and door bibs. 

Pet Friendly Vehicles

Some technology and safety features that make a car ‘pet-friendly’ include:

·         Rear assist camera and back up warning signals

·         Dual and three way temperature control

·         Roomier cargo space in rear

·         Cargo dividers act as a barrier

·         Tether and anchors in the back seats

·         Full length vehicle side curtain air bags

·         Fold flat rear seats

Being safety smart on the road is part of being a responsible pet owner.  Be informed and make the most of all that’s available for a pet-safe vehicle, and enjoy the ride.  This article is written by your friends at

WWW.Women-Drivers.com – this resource is the only place to Write a Dealer Review and locate Certified Women-Friendly Car Dealers

When parents become of a certain age, they start thinking about transferring their home into the names of their children for various reasons.  Some want to avoid probate and taxes, and some want to protect it from being taken should they enter a nursing home and need medical assistance.

In either case there is some careful consideration that needs to take place.  It is important to understand that when a parent deeds their real estate to their children, their children are now the owners of the property and their problems may become your problems. 

For example, should a child lose their job and have creditors looking to collect, your house can be taken by their creditors.  Even if they file for bankruptcy, your house may not be protected, because they can only unusually save their primary residence.  This same problem might occur if they are involved in a lawsuit for any reason, including a car accident in which they were under insured.

Another factor to consider is the tax consequences.  Although, if you transfer the real estate and live a year past the date of transfer, there is no inheritance tax, unless your child dies first.  In which case, you have to pay inheritance tax from inheriting it back from your child.  This may be rare, but I have seen it happen.

Capital gains tax may also be of concern when transferring the property.  If your children inherit the property, they pay inheritance tax of 4.5%.  By paying the tax, their basis in the property is the value of the property on your date of death.  If the property is transferred for little or no consideration, their value is the carry over basis, which is essentially what you paid for the house, adjusted for improvements.  When your child goes to sell your house, they may have to pay capital gains tax.

Your biggest concern, however, may be making sure that the home gets passed along to the next generation and is not taken should you enter a nursing home.  A useful planning tool for you may be an Irrevocable Income Only Trust.  The sooner this tool is utilized the better.

As long as you do not need to qualify for medical assistance in the next five years, or you have the money to private pay for a period of time, your house will be protected, passed along to the next generation as you wish, and also have some tax benefits.

Another useful tool may be a Caregiver Agreement.  If a child is living with you and taking care of you, and you wish to leave your home to such child for their help, it is important to have an attorney draft a Caregivers Agreement, to make sure your wishes are carried out, and it can also be used to save the real estate from being taken to help repay a Medicaid claim.

In all cases, simply transferring your real estate to your children may render you ineligible for medical assistance, depending on when it is transferred. 

I know this is a lot of information, and there is a lot more information to be given depending on your individual situation.  Therefore it is important that you consult with an estate and elder law attorney prior to making any real estate transfers.

I am always happy to give a free educational sessions / free consultations, so please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you were asked to describe how you begin your day, are your mornings filled with rushing around, dragging kids out of bed, fumbling to find your shoes, dreading the bus ride to the city and complaining about going to a job you do not like?  For most women, the mornings are not filled with an hour of meditation, some time for reading, a quiet breakfast with the family discussing their plans for the day.  Yet how we set up our day in the morning will most likely be responsible for how our day progresses.

Although we would love to start our days with peace and quiet, and a cup of coffee while we sit by the fireplace; limited time robs us of the opportunity to do this.  But what if there was a way to bring a positive spin into the early morning that would last through the day?  While you brush your teeth, or feed the dog, or ride on the bus, or walk into the office – give thanks.

Give thanks for the house you live in, the family that surrounds you, the people on the bus who smile at you, the change in your purse, the clothes you wear, the job you have.  Give thanks for your health, your dog, the food on the table.  Thanks for your relatives, friend and co-workers.

Now it may seem improbable to be grateful when kids are sick, you missed the bus, the boss is angry, and you’re in a rut.  Yet it seems almost impossible to be thankful when there is no money in the bank, the mortgage is overdue and you were passed over for that raise.  Worries about family, work and money steal your days and take away the ability to enjoy life.  Living becomes existing.

But even at these most despairing moments, you need to reach beyond the “liabilities” to find those things to add to the “asset” side of your life’s ledger.

By starting your day in this spirit, you set up your day to be prosperous and satisfying.  If you start the day feeling stressed and lacking, you will have a day of stress and lack.  But if you take an inventory in your mind of your life’s assets, you will realize just what a rich woman you really are.  You will see that you have much to be grateful for and that you are probably taking for granted the abundance that already exists in your life.  The world around you will give you more if you appreciate what you already have.  If you sow seeds of lack, you will reap lack.  But if you sow seeds of abundance you will reap more of the same.

Melody Beattie wrote in the Language of Letting Go, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.”

Begin each day with gratitude; because if you do this every day for a month, you will simply not be the same person you are today.  By giving thanks each day for the abundance you already have in your life, you will set in motion an ancient spiritual law that says, the more you have and are grateful for, the more you will receive

The cool winds and changing leaves are tell-tale signs: another autumn has arrived. Sometimes it’s hard to believe how quickly the seasons change and the years pass by. Whatever season of life you happen to be in, it may be a good time to reflect on the protection you have through Social Security.

Each stage of life — from the spring of youth to the summer of middle age to the autumn of retirement — comes with its own set of financial concerns. And in each situation, Social Security is there to help.

Of the more than 53 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits, nearly one-third are not retired workers or their dependents. They’re disabled workers and their families, or the survivors of a deceased worker. These non-retirement Social Security benefits can be especially important to young workers because about one-in-eight young people will die before retirement, and about one-in-four will become disabled.

While the death of a husband, wife, or parent is emotionally devastating, it often can be financially devastating as well. Social Security provides a monthly survivors benefit payment to help the qualified family members of a deceased worker.

Social Security disability protection is equally valuable. Few workers have an employer-provided, long-term disability policy. With Social Security, however, the average worker has the equivalent of a disability insurance policy that pays monthly benefits to workers and their families, based on the workers’ lifetime earnings. So you can rest a little easier knowing that Social Security provides some measure of security, if life does not turn out as planned.

On the other hand, if you do work and retire as planned, Social Security serves as the foundation for a secure retirement. Social Security is the largest source of income for most elderly Americans today, but Social Security was never intended to be your only source of income when you retire. You also will need other savings, investments, pensions or retirement accounts to make sure you have enough money to live comfortably when you retire.

The Social Security Statement that you receive in the mail each year provides an estimate of your retirement, survivors, and disability insurance benefits. If you’d like to try out some different scenarios and see how various retirement ages and future earnings may change your retirement picture, visit our online Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. It provides an instant, personalized estimate of your future benefits.

And perhaps the best news of all is that it’s easier than ever to apply for retirement benefits. You can do it right from the comfort and convenience of your home or office by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/applytoretire. It can take as little as 15 minutes.

Whether you’re young or old, Social Security is there through every season. You can find out more at www.socialsecurity.gov.

 
* If you are using a variety of styles of furniture and knick knacks,
make sure you create a pleasant flow and combination so you don’t overdue it or the room will look cluttered.
 
* If you are buying new furniture, make sure you stay in scale to the room size. Take measurements to stay on track with the furnishings, the floor, and wall space. Make sure there is ample room to walk around the furnishings.
 
* When choosing a new paint color, paint a small area first to be sure you like the color on your wall with your furnishings and décor. It’s a good idea to paint one shade lighter than your choice because the sample will look brighter on a big wall than on a small sample swatch.
 
* If you want to make a room look bigger, use an assortment of mirrors.  They will give the illusion of more space. Placing them in groups or singularly will provide a different affect.
 
Need a personal assistant for the holidays or help getting holiday decorations sorted and up? Give me a call, I’d be glad help. There’s no time like the present to get your “stuff” in order.
 
Cheers to transforming your life to a place of peace & harmony ~ Carole
 
Carole Brecht
412-418-4978
cebrecht@hotmail.com
www.organizeyourlifenow.net
Facebook business fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/Organize-Your-Life-Now/167825409901347

   The art of Feng Shui often brings furniture arranging and artwork to mind for many people and a small portion of that is true. But Feng Shui is also about sustainability, a term you will be hearing more about in the months and years to come.

Sustainability is the “characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely,” as defined by one source. It’s basically making the best — and longest — use of things we create and own. So when I refer to decluttering and moving things on to other people and recycling, it is all part of sustainability

Here are some examples of how they work together:

No matter what school of Feng Shui you follow, one of the most important steps is to start by decluttering, when you declutter, you gather up items to discard, recycle, donate to Goodwill or pass onto friends and family members. As you go through this process, it is important to keep only what you are using at the moment.

In keeping with the concept of sustainability, you will be moving things from your environment to give to others so they can find a use for them or recycling the items to give them new life. Decluttering has to happen or you can’t even get to the root of the goals of Feng Shui.

Keep in mind that as older adults we recognize that our children aren’t going to use all the items that we’ve stored in the attic. Members of the Now generation purchase their own goods without relying so much on parents to provide these items. The accumulation of such materials can create a drain on your energy, something none of us need, especially since these items aren’t being used for long periods of time.

I encourage you to take a new look at your home when you do your Holiday Cleaning. Start by de-cluttering the house before you start cleaning. Follow these three simple Feng Shui recommendations:

1. Start decluttering by removing extra items from your home to allow you to redecorate or clean the space the way you want to. This symbolically means that you are allowing more opportunities to come into your life. Don’t forget to recycle or donate items to your favorite charity.

2. Next, have your decorations support your ability to achieve your life goals. This is simply done by looking at the Bagua Map and selecting which area in your life require the most energy. For example, I will be placing my 3-way lamps in the Relationship area of my house to support and maintain personal and business relationships.

3. Finally, renew the energy of your house for the Holidays by adding special touches like your favorite music, beautiful flowers or perhaps a wonderful, light lemony smell.

Surrounding yourself with things and people you truly love and following some basic Feng Shui recommendations will create a sustainable and balanced environment for you and your family for the New Year!

Please go to www.fengshuiabc1.com for a class on Holiday Feng Shui to Anchor your Intentions.  Yvonnephillips1@aol.com  412-215-8247

I am an expert in cross-cultural communication.  I have lived in several different cultures and have first-hand experience of why it is important to bridge the gap between cultures.  Germans have a tendency to be more serious than Americans.  We (I am German after all) take things more literal and we like to dive in right away when we are solving a problem.  We also are a bit more black and white than our American friends across the Atlantic Ocean.  But enough about the differences.  As I was talking to people from the U.S., Brazil and Lebanon, I was wondering how different we really are.  I saw mothers who wanted to talk to their sons, husbands who stayed up to check in with their wives and overall people who wanted to be respected and valued and get the sense that they contributed and made a difference.

My experience has always been that it has been easier to remedy my cultural faux pas as long as I respected the other person who was the recipient.  And it has always been okay with me when someone made a mistake when I felt that it was an earnest mistake.  What did not sit well with me were people who did not respect me and/or judged me.  Personally, I don’t like that no matter where you are from.

Perhaps cultural difference can be more easily overcome when we can respect, value each other and embrace each other in an open way.  Maybe it does not matter what I look like or whether or not I make eye contact when I look at you as long as if I am not telling you, or you telling me, there is something wrong with either one of us.  When judgment is absent, mistakes are easily remedied and rapport can be restored.  After all, we don’t like to be made wrong and, in general, people respond much more positively when they feel welcomed.

Global Executive Coach and President of Clear Intentions International (CII), Barbara Schwarck has coached hundreds of executives, leaders and entrepreneurs from around the globe to be truly exceptional through a unique methodology using Neuro Emotional Coaching™– executive coaching combined with neuroscience and its implications for change and leadership.  CII is a people development company offering executive coaching, leadership training and assessment services for professionals, public servants, global leaders and influencers who want to free themselves from emotional and behavioral patterns that prevent them from being truly exceptional.

I recently took a trip to the Pacific Northwest.  Of course, I took my computer….can’t be without email. I took my iPod…..can’t be without tunes. It goes without saying, I took my cell phone too. I practically had to take a separate suitcase just for the cords.

You got your chargers that plug into the wall, and the ones that plug into your computer and let’s not forget the ones that plug into what used to be the cigarette lighter in the car.

Get a new device ( the old ones are obsolete when you take them out of the package) get a new cord. Why can’t they make them universal like the cord to your mother’s electric frying pan?   

It’s big business. There are over 200,000 listings on EBay for power cords. Maybe they’ll let me trade for a new car.

A “demonic musical mantra.” This was how a friend recently described the position of some popular music for large portions of America’s youth.

We were discussing women and their role in the world of music. In spite of a very real presence in music throughout history, music history books have, until very recently, ignored women composers and performers. If they haven’t been ignored, women in the world of classical music have been treated with tokenism.

From the Middle Ages all the way up until the late 1500s, Hildegard of Bingen and the Comtessa de Dia are the only two women whose music is known to survive. And of course, the low profile is merely reflective of women in society at large in those long-ago days. A prime reason for this is that education, and the advancement that education can provide, was not offered equally to women and men.

By the late 16^th and early 17^th centuries, more women’s voices are heard. The music of Maddalena Casulana, Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi survives. As we move into the 18^th and 19^th century, many more women in music are known. Clara Schumann, wife of the more familiar Franz, and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, sister of the better known Felix Mendelssohn are among the most famous. These composers’ music holds its own when compared to similar works by the men of their time.

It is most amazing that these women were able to accomplish all they did in spite of the fact that, like most women in the western world, they had to constantly deal with difficult restrictions on their behavior and activities. Restrictions included travelling only in the company of a man, focusing most of their attention and energy on their home and family. They were to be their husband’s faithful and constant caregiver, as well as a mirror of his every opinion. Essentially, a woman’s horizons and accomplishments were limited to the home. To vary from the norm could lead to the destruction of a woman’s reputation, and sometimes her family’s reputation. Even up until the late 20^th century, women in the world of classical music still faced the stereotyping, the exclusionary practices, the sexism, not to mention the racism, that was prevalent in earlier centuries.

Still, regardless of their difficulties, women in the world of classical music did not fit the description of “demonic.”

When we turn to popular music, women have definitely had a much greater voice, but again one can’t really describe it as being demonic. From the early 20^th century on, blues greats such as Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainy, Bessie Smith and others set the stage for later performers such as Etta James, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee and too many others to mention. Talented women who were dedicated, hard-working, devoted, sometimes troubled, they still can’t really be called demonic.

Rock, Pop, and Indie music also have their female greats, as does Christian music. Women are well represented in Country music, as well as in Folk and its close cousin, Protest music. In most of these genres, women performers are constantly faced with the decision of whether or not to use or exploit their sexuality as a means of gaining attention. The jury is still out on whether women’s’ hyper sexualized performances speak to women’s strength, power and control or pander to the male (i.e., pornographic) gaze as filtered through the media and the music industry, as Sut Jhally’s Dreamworlds would have us understand.

Many issues dealing with women and popular music have been, and are still, problematic. But demonic? I couldn’t see it, except in one genre—Hip-Hop. My companion smiled at my understanding, and at my agreement. And rather than women causing this musical mantra, it is in their exploitation that the damage happens. It is in the misogynistic expressions of Hip-Hop music that the term “demonic musical mantra” begins to make sense.

Sadly for women, all women, misogyny is a part of mainstream American culture, whether acknowledged or not. And as we read in an article by Ayanna, Hip-Hop expresses the ideas of mainstream American culture. These ideas that have “now been internalized and embedded into the psyches of American people, especially people of color, over the past number of years” (Ayanna, 1).

The jury is not out on the wrongness of continually describing women or girls as ho’s, bitches and sluts, mantra like. However, there is no consensus on how to stop the misogyny. Some young friends suggested the following possibilities:

• “Show how sexist, misogynistic values are not correct. Every effort has to be made to teach girls, and boys, how to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong, especially as regards what they see in the media.”

Education is the key. Education can come from a teacher, a preacher or pastor, a relative. A good role model is useful too. Positive role models for boys and girls may be difficult to find within the world of Hip-Hop itself, as the bands with the more positive messages get less air time. Sex sells. Misogyny must too.

• “Boycott the music labels that sell objectionable stuff. Tell your friends. Spread the word.”

A boycott can be a powerful tool, but only if it is widespread. Wikipedia tells us that “most organized consumer boycotts today are focused on long-term change of buying habits,” which can only be successfully initiated and maintained through consumer commitment. Social networking sites could be a big help in spreading the news of a boycott of objectionable, exploitive music. Regardless, this will be a difficult thing to accomplish, because the outcry against misogyny is minuscule and the music industry is mighty.

• “Empower young women (and men). Don’t let them think that the lyrics are true or that they are the only truth. Social networking sites should promote knowing what you are dancing to. . . . getting everyone to talk about the lyrics will help young girls learn to recognize what they are hearing and what affect they have.”

So many girls just tune out the lyrics, ignore them, and just start dancing to the beat. The negativity expressed in the lyrics needs to be talked about so that girls can’t easily make this “disconnect” between what is being said and the sexy, seductive rhythm that accompanies it.

• It is critical to stop women from taking on the roles expressed in the lyrics by showing women in intellectual roles or other positions of empowerment. Show women that they can defy the stereotypes expressed in Hip-Hop music’s lyrics.

• Blog about women’s negative image in Rap and Hip-Hop—this will get more people involved.

The more people are aware of the negative effects on young girls and women caused by the exploitation of Hip-Hop music, and where the roots of that exploitation lie, the more discussion can be started in mainstream America. The sooner that happens, the sooner the exploitation of women can begin to be reduced in Hip-Hop culture.

After centuries of inequality, women can now pursue the same goals as men. It is ironic that though so much has changed, in Hip-Hop culture and elsewhere, that change is ignored, demeaned or undervalued. I look forward to the day when Ayanna or one of her girlfriends can write an article about the new trend of women’s empowerment in Hip-Hop culture instead of their exploitation. That will be the day when the demonic musical mantra will be laid to rest, with a new and positive mantra taking shape in the minds, hearts, and the dance music, of the youth of America.

Works Cited

Ayanna, “The Exploitation of Women in Hip-hop Culture.” http://www.mysistahs.org/features/hiphop.htm

“Hip-Hop and Misogyny Discussion.”

http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/vanessaaishacoleman/2009/6/6/Hip-Hop-and-Misogyny

Sut Jhally, Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex and Power in Music Video. Media Education Foundation, 2007.

Wikipedia, “Boycott.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott