Bye Bye Product

Photo By: Olivia N. Castañeda

As I sit here and blog, I continue to look down and glance at my stubby legs. "What am I going to do about this?" I think. Shave, possibly? Yes, but my favorite, numero uno shaving product is no where to be found! I have frantically gone to my local Wal-Marts and Targets and nothing.

Have you ever been faithfully devoted to a beauty product and all of a sudden without fair warning, it is discontinued?

Going back to my shaving dilemma, as a devoted customer, I called the 800 number on the back of my empty shaving can- no I have not thrown it out yet- and spoke with "Information Specailist" Tracy. Due to employee policy, she could not give out her full name. Tracy informed me that the Aveeno Active Naturals shave gels have been temporarily removed from store shelves due to a malfunction with the pump.

The pumps are dispersing the product as a cream, rather than a gel, hence the name "shave gel." I did notice this happening in the shower.

Tracy continued on by telling me that the line of shave gels will be back on the market, hopefully, by the end of this year. Whoop-dee-doo. Now I know what to put on my wish list for Santa Claus.

-Written by: Olivia N. Castañeda

Throw Out the Pain...Keep the Lesson

Over the weekend I posed a question to a friend. "What would you tell the 16-year-old you?"


Would you advise 16 year old you to steer clear of that guy sitting behind you in Algebra? Would you tell him/her to focus on a specific career? Or maybe you could warn him/her that what they are doing at that EXACT moment will forever impact their life.


My friend's responses were reflective and humorous at best; however, the sadness that laced her tone when speaking of regret stunned me.


The reality is that some people are stuck in the murk and mire of their past. You can't change it, but you should committ to learn from it. Incessant reprimanding over things you could have done differently leave you looking in the rearview mirror of life and eventually you will crash.


I encouraged my friend, as I'm doing you, to write a letter to the wounded child in you. Let them know that it's okay now and healing can begin. Tell them that the experiences they had, helped create the person you are today. Allow yourself a chance at true happiness by throwing out the pain and keeping the lessons.



Link to home Blog:

http://http//members.webs.com/MembersB/editAppPage.jsp?app=blog&pageID=193990598&token=null#blog/

What drives a mom to kill her children?

Everyone is struggling with the effects of the shaky economy, but one South Carolina mother Shaquan Duley couldn't deal with the struggles of being a parent, and took the lives of her toddlers who were 1 and 2 years old.

Duley is facing two counts of murder after police say she she killed her own two children. Authorities said Duley suffocated both of her toddlers before strapping them into car seats, and submerging the car into a river. There is speculation that Duley's mother had argued over and over again about her not knowing how to be a parent.

How could someone who has given birth to two children kill them and drown them in a river? From the information I have read, and from statements family members have said, she was a ticking time bomb. If family members knew she had issues raising children, why didn't they step in before these children had to tragically suffer and die?

According to the American Anthropological Association, more than 200 women kill their children in the United States each year. Three to five children a day are killed by their parents. So the question is why do they do it, and what makes them commit one of the most heinous crimes a person can commit?

Medical Anthropologist Nancy Hughes says in one of her articles that we should "Detach from the idea that motherhood is universal or natural, and see it as a social response." She also goes on to discuss how mothers who kill their children aren't as rare as we make it seem.

Mothers who kill their children tend to fall into five categories according to Meyer's research on dozens of cases: killing of a newborn, killing through abuse, being assisted or coerced by a partner, killing purposely and killing through neglect.

In 1996, 33-year-old Susan Eubanks of California shot her four sons 4,6,7 and 14, in the head. The day started out when Eubanks and her boyfriend began drinking. As they drank more and more the arguments began. She became so outraged with him that she slashed his tires, and locked him out of their home. Eubanks' boyfriend called the police to have them escort him to the home. After he left Eubanks lost control of her mind and body, and the catalysts of killings occurred. Eubanks and her boyfriend had a history of a violent relationship, and things kept getting worse. Finally when she could take no more she lost control, and lost everything.

If you or someone you know is dealing with the constant pressures and demands of life, be there for them and let them know they have support. Often times when people have support and love from friends or family, they won't have to take drastic measures and put themselves or someone else at risk.




Susan Eubanks

Children in Inappropriate Venues

You've all experienced it.

You attend a much-needed Relationship Seminar. Ruckus enters the room in the form of two women with children in tow. The speaker then announces that due to the presence of the children, he must censor his topics.

You throw major attitude towards the children; however, your anger is misdirected. The kids don't want to be there either, but the babysitter wasn't available and 'Mama needs to be out'.

Our children are being exposed to too much!

Let's return to the days when children weren't allowed to be in the same room as adults. The days when children were sent to the basement with food, board games and movies as the adults conversed and played cards on Saturday nights.

Overexposure at this rate could lead to a peak in teenage violence and sexual nuances....Oh wait, we're already there!

Link to full article:
http://members.webs.com/MembersB/editAppPage.jsp?app=blog&pageID=193990598&token=null#blog/

America's oil disaster

America's worst environmental disaster is wreaking havoc on the Marine wildlife in the Gulf Coast, and many are worried that after the oil is cleared up the long term effects could prove to be ever so frightening.

A government report released a week ago stated that 75 percent of the oil that gushed into the Gulf of New Mexico has been collected. According to the head of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the oil is being degraded and cleaned up on shore. There is a lot of damage below the surface that we can't see, and no one knows if the marine wildlife will ever be the same. BP has taken responsibility for their actions, but the cost for this disaster is having harmful effects on the already shaky economy.

Two hundred and sixty million gallons of oil has proven to be America's worst nightmare, and the local ecosystem and fishing communities still haven't recovered. The U.S. has just recently opened around 9 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's fishing areas closed by the BP Oil Company saying the seafood is safe to eat. Many tests were given to insure this.

The seafood industry is feeling the effects of this crisis as the seafood production is down 60 percent from last year. You can help out by simply going online to a variety of websites no-hunger.org, and ccstb.org to those affected by the oil spill, and you can also sign up to volunteer online or by phone to help with the cleanup efforts.

Leonardo DiCaprio's road to success

The Sci-Fi blockbuster hit "Inception" is catching movie-goers all around the world. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the Sci-Fi thriller playing an espionage expert who has a highly specialized way of stealing corporate secrets, which involves extracting them from within the dreams of his targets. The opening of the movie goes on the list for being DiCaprio's biggest opening movie yet, topping "Titanic" in 1997.

Let's go back many years to explore the man behind the screen who went on to achieve much triumph. When the movie Titanic came out in 1997 women fell in love with DiCaprio's personality and his sheer good looks, but movie critics had the opposite opinion: they claimed his role in "Titanic" was anything but talent. Throughout the years after Titanic DiCaprio would prove them wrong.

DiCaprio's opportunity for a comeback came in 2002 when he starred in the movie "Gangs of New York," which was set amidst urban uprisings, and the 1863 Civil War Draft Riots. His role captures the violence and the character of a young Irish American who sees his father, the leader of an Irish immigrant street gang, get killed in a street brawl. Critics everywhere applauded DiCaprio's role in the movie. Many were stunned by his performance and would be stunned again and again.

DiCaprio tested his skill and talent in the movie "The Aviator," which required him to jump from one extreme emotion to the other. His performance in this film was highly praised as he played the eccentric Howard Hughes, which depicts the early years of the legendary director and aviator's career.

DiCaprio went on to make many more films including "Blood Diamond" in 2006, "Revolutionary Road" in 2008, and his latest film "Inception" is wowing audiences everywhere. His career has had some ups and downs, but he has always come out on top. If you haven't seen Inception, you might be in for a mind-bending roller coaster.