Thursday, October 26, 2006

Christmas Gift For A Man

I am sick of the marketing of Christmas, and I bet that you are as well by now. Oh, I know, people have talked to death about commercialism and consumerism and such, but these are not the things that anger me the very most. No, not at all. What angers me most is the way that our rigid roles are reinforced by the ways that people market their Christmas gift ideas. This, they will say, is the right Christmas gift for a man, that the right Christmas gift for a woman, and the other, the perfect Christmas gift for a teenager – as if the whole personality of someone could come down simply to their gender and age. Let me say this plainly now, and not be misunderstood: there is no ideal Christmas gift for a male. They may tell you that a Christmas gift for a man is a pocket knife, or a new tie, or a war book, but all of that is hogwash. The only perfect Christmas gift for a man is the gift that that man wants, and men are as different from each other as they are from women or teenagers.
Of course, I know that the companies market Christmas gifts for a man partly as a way to make things easy for the consumer. They want to put things that men usually want all together, so that when someone does go out and look for a Christmas gift for a man, they will see them all in one section. But beyond that, I think that the system of having men's Christmas gifts and women's Christmas gifts has a more sinister function. I think that they do it all to cement their hold over us. If a Christmas gift for a man is a pocket knife or a nice watch, then every year you have to buy all of the men in your life one of these things. And so on.
It is really every bit as sinister as all that, and I am not joking. There are people who spend years thinking about how to best market to a group of people, and this is how they think. They will try to make everyone buy the most expensive Christmas gift for a man that they can, and that way they will make more money. And money is, of course, what the holiday is all about for these companies.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Birth Control Patch

The new birth control patch may be a big danger. You should research this option thoroughly before using it. Birth control pills have been around for decades and are generally safe for everyone. Smoking cigarettes can make using birth control pills or the patch very dangerous. The risks associated with smoking cigarettes are increased greatly with the use of the birth control patch.
The birth control patch has come under serious scrutiny lately. It seems as though the birth control patch comes with a much higher risk of blood clotting than its counterpart the pill. I had a hard time buying into the idea of a birth control patch mostly because of silly reasons. I wondered how well a birth control patch would stay on.
I thought that it had to be difficult to get the right dose of hormones with the birth control patch and I wondered what would happen if too much hormone was released into my bloodstream. I worried that it could cause a skin rash. I did not give much thought to the serious health concerns that come with the birth control patch mostly because I never really considered it as a possibility for myself. It appears that may have been a very wise decision on my part.
The patch may be on its way to being banned if it keeps getting the bad press that it has been getting as of late. It has been alleged that the birth control patch has caused blood clots in otherwise healthy women. I do not recommend the use of the birth control patch. With all the pills out there that do the same thing, I do not think that the patch is necessary. Although it may have appeared to be a new and intriguing option for birth control, it has yet to prove itself to be safe.
There seem to be class action lawsuits waiting in the wings that could take down the patch for good. Once the manufacturer has to shell out big bucks to settle such lawsuits, they may have to discontinue making the product because it is no longer cost effective. The FDA has been criticized for approving medications without giving them enough thought or doing adequate research to prove that the medications are safe. In a world where the pharmaceutical realm seems to be more concerned with turning profits, you should not blindly trust any medication or procedure that has been approved by the FDA.
We all know that we should be wary of any compound or procedure that has not been approved by the FDA, but we have reason to questions those that are approved. Do not diagnose yourself. With the amount of information consumers receive through commercials, many are overconfident and think that they can accurately diagnose their health problems as well as appropriate solutions. This is simply untrue. You should always speak to a doctor before going on any new health regimen and be a skeptical consumer when it comes to new drugs.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Cheap Christmas Present

Cheap Christmas present
Shockingly enough, I'm a woman who doesn't enjoy shopping very much. I am definitely not a fan of Christmas shopping. I never know what to get for people, how much to spend and feel like I'm forgetting someone on my list. This year, shopping will be incredibly difficult because I'm on a very tight budget. Everyone on my list will be getting a cheap Christmas present. Not that I want to get people a cheap Christmas present, but I financially have no choice. Now I just need to find some place to get a cheap Christmas present for everyone. And I just hope that people don't open their gifts and think "what a cheap Christmas present!"
The first thing I needed to do to accommodate my incredibly tight budget, was to narrow down my list. We all have a list of people that we want to get presents for. However, sometimes that list needs to be revised several times. I tried to only list family and friends whom I need to get things for. Now, I have to find a cheap Christmas present for each of the people on my list. That's so much easier said than done. The task will be to find a cheap Christmas present for everyone that doesn't look cheap. I don't want people to be offended. I looked through some magazines that had some creative gift ideas in them and decided to mix creativity with my shopping. I picked a Saturday and hit the local strip mall. We have a local discount store that is actually an excellent source for finding some really nice things. I cruised the aisles for about an hour getting some ideas in my head before I decided to start putting some things in my card. I picked up some nice, but plain picture frames and knew that I could be very creative with them. I chose some basic colored scented candles and found some plain, but elegant wine glasses to add to my cart. I searched the aisles for some inexpensive baskets. I also bought cheap plain ornaments. I paid for everything and headed home. I was now even more nervous about giving everyone a cheap Christmas present.
That evening, I mustered up all of my creative talents and set to work. With a little bit of glitter and glue, ribbons and paint, I managed to turn all of the items that I'd bought into some really fun and unique presents. Everyone on my list would be getting a cheap Christmas present that was completely unique to them. My best friend just got married, so I made a frame and 2 wine glasses for her. I decorated a small basket and put those items in there. I painted the ornaments with snowflakes and trees, snowmen and candy canes. Each one was different. After they dried, they made a really neat present. It goes to show that you can give a cheap Christmas present with some creativity and love. I couldn't wait to get them wrapped up.

Meaning Of Names

When searching for the meaning of names, we find ourselves often leaning towards names that mean something that is important to us. Perhaps you hope your daughter to be lady like, and feminine. Thus, you are drawn to the meaning of names that represent flowers, seasons, or pleasant feelings,like they do in japan . If independence is a trait you value, something more along the lines of high mountains, and constellations might be more your style. If it is your son you are choosing a name for, one that represents brain over brawn might be your preference, or vice versa.
Full Article Meaning Of Names Or if You would Like to find Out The Meaning Of your Name Visit Top 1000 Baby Names Meanings