What The King's Speech Means To Me

Yes, I am a stutterer. I can say that here in the anonymonity of this blog. I would never say this to anyone, except I did admit it to my speech therapist that I had for a while back in the early 1990s. You see, stuttering is a problem that you hide. If you hardly ever stutter, you don't want anyone to know. If you only stutter once in a while, like I do, then you can pretend you are just flustered when you stammer. And that works well.

I don't know why stuttering is cause for shame for many of us. Or is it really shame? I know one of the reasons I don't want to admit I am a stutterer is because I don't want  people to expect me to stutter, or for me to feel I have to perform, or for me to feel anxious. Like if people know I stutter, then I will feel anxious and stutter for sure. And I sure as heck don't want people talking to me about it.

There is no reason to be ashamed of stuttering, but then again many of us are. I would rather let the world be uninformed about my condition.  I would rather they be ignorant of this fact. I am lucky in that I stutter so seldom, I can get away with it. That wasn't the way it was when I was a kid however. Up through 3rd grade, my stutter would be bad whenever I was called on to read a passage in class or to say certain words. It works better when you can improvise. Use your own words to say the same thing. Then you can avoid stuttering. The King's Speech showed how anguished he was when he had to speak, but to me it didn't go far enough. I couldn't feel the pounding of his heart or his sweaty hands, as I have experienced when I know I am  going to be called upon to speak and am afraid I will stutter. You don't want that for the world. You don't want to be pitied. You just want to not have to go through it. You would rather just get up and leave. I guess I couldn't feel him going through this, because I was seeing it from a safe distance. It was him and not me.

Through my speech therapist, I learned about the genetics of stuttering, and that if I were to ever have a son, there would be a 50 percent chance he would be a stutterer. If I had a daughter, the chances would be less. That was enough for me. I decided I not to have children. I wouldn't ever want to put someone through this. And that is OK. I am at peace with that decision.

But what I am glad about the movie is that it is a feel good movie. That there are things that can be done, and some can be healed. But it is a tough row to hoe.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/24/stuttering.kings.speech/index.html

Tennesseans Stand In Solidarity With Wisconsin

A group of Tennesseans stood in solidarity yesterday with those protesting union busting in Wisconsin. The group gathered at noon across the street from the state capitol.

Do I Need To Buy Some Writing Software?

I am a longtime writer, but when I worked as an editor full time, my company supplied all of our tools. We first had Word Perfect, and then we switched to Microsoft Word. I didn't have to worry about any of this, because it was taken care of for us.

But now, I don't work as an editor full-time, but work in another field, non writing related. I am writing and editing on the side however and now I have to make these decisions for myself. I use Open Office, because it is free, and I hear it is as good Microsoft Word. However, I keep getting documents from people that are in Word, and I can't open them, which is problemmatic. I also feel like I am handicapped in bidding on freelance writing and editing assignments, because so many people use word.

So I am thinking I need to think about getting some other kind of writing software.  Something that will help me in being more versatile and also help check spelling and grammar more. I am going to start researching
what other kinds of English writing solutions there are out there. I don't need a lot of help in that arena, but I would like a program that offers a lot of writing tools can help me do a variety of writing projects.

I want to be able to make tracking changes, write ebooks, maybe even do power points. That would help me win more projects.

Wanting To Save Money On Food

I have been looking for ways to increase my income and save money and get out of debt. I have made some headway, but still need to work on those things. I am making extra money, have not been using my credit cards, and paying down debt. I just need to do more of it. One thing I have not done is concentrate on couponing and saving on my food costs. Part of saving at the grocery store is also being better at
food storage and eating leftovers. I could save a lot of money every week by planning out meals, cooking at home, and storing food well to eat during the week. The only problem is finding time to do all of that. It takes time to coupon, find recipes and the rest. But that is another one of my money goals for the year.

Backsliding On My Weight Loss

I had lost a little weight by cutting down what I eat and exercising. Was looking a little better, and BOOM! I fell off the wagon. Not sure when it happened, but I am feeling like I have gained back a few pounds. I don't have a scale, but I have no doubt. I went to a diet and exercise workshop last weekend, and go some new ideas to try. Will do that in a few weeks after my birthday. Meanwhile I am still on the lookout for the
best weight loss supplement. Not sure what that would be, but I am researching. Meanwhile, I am still drinking green tea every afternoon and need to ramp back up. I want to look good this spring!

Need To Backup Data

I get a little nervous because I never back up my data on my computer. I get around it by emailing documents back to myself, so at least I would have a copy in my email. I know that is not the best, but at least it is something. And of course, I keep a paper copy.

I know I need a better system for backup, especially as I get more experience and more clients in my law practice. I keep hearing about an online data backup on the radio and from other people. I think it is time that I really look into it. I don't think it is that expensive either.

When Your Boss Is A Bully

One of my beefs is the supervisor or boss who doesn't treat his/her employees well. They scream at employees or intimidate them or threaten them. It is a scene all too common (I have been in one myself previously) and unfortunately, it appears that that happened at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee as well.

There is not much an employee can do in such a situation, unless it crosses into discrimination or criminal behavior. When a state is an at will state, employers can fire an employee for almost any reason. In other words, if you don't like your boss's behavior, the general thinking is, go find a new job. But it gets complicated in an economy such as the one we have today, where it is almost impossible to find a new job, or when the job is your heart's desire. Then what do you do? Like most people, you try to grin and bear it, and hope that it somehow gets better.

It is helpful when there is a superior you can complain to about your boss. In most large corporations, there is a hierarchy, and hopefully the next person up the chain of command isn't your boss's best friend (this does happen). If so, that muddies the water.

But it is bad when there is no one to complain to because your boss owns the company. The buck stops there. It is their way or the highway.

But if the company is a charity or an agency, there might be a board of directors you can complain to, that can then take the steps to make things better. This was the case recently with the Elephant Sanctuary. There is currently a lawsuit going on: One of the co-founders of the Sanctuary, Carol Buckley, was fired, and she sued for, among other things, to get her job back. The board of directors has released its countersuit, along with a number of letters from former employees saying how she intimidated and frightened them.

I applaud the board of directors for taking action. That is the right thing if indeed these allegations are true, and there are plenty of people saying they are true.

Usually these kind of toxic work situations eventually are found out and fixed. But my question--and this is not directed at the Sanctuary board of directors but is a general question--is why does it always take so long to oust an unfortunate boss? Why does there always have to be so much destruction first? That is my wish for working America--that bullies no longer rule the workplace, and these type of situations are corrected more quickly. Eveyone has the right to go to work and be treated respectfully.

Why Has Jean And Scott Adams' Website Been Taken Down?

Most everyone by now has heard the tragic news of Jean and Scott Adams, as well as two other Americans, being murdered by pirates aboard the Adams yacht. in the waters off Somalia. It is just too horrible to imagine. My question is why has Jean and Scott Adams' website, the S/V Quest Adventure Log been taken down? I have tried to find out the answer, but have not seen any info on this. Someone connected to them may think it is respectful to take it down, but I think it would be more respectful to keep it up. They devoted their lives to sailing around the world, and people could benefit from reading their information. I hope someone sees to it that it goes back live.

Project Getaway--Make Your Dreams Of A Four-Hour Work Week A Reality

Are you tired of the 40+ hour work week rat race? Tired of being chained to a desk? Most of us are. But how do we turn that around and learn to maximize our strengths and make valuable connections to make the 4-hour work week a reality?

Well, self help is hard. But we can learn from those who have already done it and from each other as we make our way. There is a great forum called Project Getaway Community that is exploring these issues.

Project Getaway offers a chance for spirited entrepreneurs to work with other like minded entrepreneurs in exotic locations. They have already had one event in Bali and another is being planned for Peru. People seem to be creative in exotic locations and often by the water. At least I know I am more creative in those kinds of situations!

If you want to leverage your entrepreneurial strengths, love travel, and want to make a lot of money and work less, you need to check out Project Getaway Join the forum and chime in on the discussions. Sign up to participate in one of the international or local events around the world. Your dreams will thank you..

Pet Star

Guest post written by Christine Duncan

Has anyone else seen Pet Star? It's amazing! It comes on Animal Planet almost every morning (it may come on other times too, but the early morning is when I catch it - my daughter and I keep it on as we're getting her ready for school). It's basically a talent show for pets. There are talking birds, dancing dogs, and cats with crazy talents. Sometimes they even have exotic animals like kangaroos and marine animals - I once saw an episode where they'd taught a sea loin to jump through hoops and play basketball with inflatable balls!

What I really like about the show is how they respect the animals. They may teach them tricks for show, but the pet owners and professional handlers are always very loving and gentle. The animals get treats when they perform well, and if they mess up occasionally, the handlers just encourage them to try again. It's not at all an abusive environment - just good clean fun. Like I said, I watch it with my daughter, and I love that it's something we can do together without any worries on my part.

You know, talking about Pet Star has made me want to watch it. It's not morning, but I have satellite TV from http://www.dish.tv/, so I bet it's on *somewhere*. See you guys later!

Getting My Doggy A Jacket

My wonderful doggy Stoopot is very wiry and thin. He is a bird dog type, not sure what mix exactly. He does not eat much--rarely wolfs down his food, like other dogs I have had. He more grazes all day. Once in a while, he chows down, but that is unusual.

Because of this he is a thin dog. But strong as a mule! Don't let his thinness take you unaware. He could pull you down on the leash in a second if you are not paying attention.

Because he is thin, he gets cold in the winter. He shivers when I take him outside and that makes me sad. I am thinking about geting him one of those dog jackets. It just occurred to me the other day to do that. I think that would make our walks outside more enjoyable for him. He doesn't have the fat or the thick coat to keep him warm otherwise.

I am going to look for dog jackets online first. I now there are a lot of different kinds to get. I am also not sure how to find the right size. I might check at some of my local pet stores to see if they have dog jackets too. I'd like to get something in red. Stoopot would look pretty spiffy in a red jacket!

Going To New York Next Thanksgiving?

My aunt and cousins and I have been talking about going to New York City next Thanksgiving. My little cousin has never been there and desperately wants to go. We would be traveling from Pennsylvania, so we are trying to think how to get there. They have bus trips up there, but she doesn't want to do that. We could drive, but that could be an issue because of the traffic and parking the car.I am wanting to find out if we can take a train up there. That would solve the problem--my cousin does want to take a train and we wouldn't have to worry about parking the car. We thought we would do the town--shopping, see the famed Christmas decorations (particularly the lifesize white angels with trumpets and the Christmas tree at 30 Rock, and maybe even the Macy's Day Parade. We haven't thought about where to stay yet. I have heard about setai new york and am going to look into some other places too. I guess we will have to start making our plans soon or no later than early summer, I would think.There are so many nice hotels there that I would love to stay in. I really hope we do this.

I Want To Go To The Smoky Mountains Sometime Soon

I try to go to the Smoky Mountains at least once a year. I went to undergrad school at the University of Tennessee, and that is very close to the mountains, only about 45 minutes away. I haven't been up there in over a year and I can feel that I am getting itchy. Sometimes I stay in a hotel, and sometimes in a cabin. It depends on how many people are going with me.

The last few times I have stayed in a cabin, I have been so impressed with the cabin furniture. The furniture in the cabins is really nice these days and so modern. It makes staying in the cabins feel like you are being pampered. And most of the cabins also have such things as game rooms and hot tubs. I can tell that I will need to go back very soon. I need to breathe that clean mountan air and get a caramel apple!

Name Tags Are Good

I have a really good memory for names and faces--I really do. But there are those times when even the best of the best at remembering names and faces needs a little help in that area. I'll always remember a face, but sometimes a name escapes me, especially when I haven't seen someone in ages, or if I was distracted when I met them. And there are the cases, when you never did know someone's name. You can't remember a name if you never knew it. That happened to me in college. I went to a big college, and now I remember people's faces, but can't recall their names, because I never learned their name. We needed nametags in school! That is why I always like it now when there are nametags on hand. It saves everyone a lot of grief. And at a meeting, it is good to have name plates. It just makes everything easier and cuts down on embarrassment.

Self Storage Units Come In Handy

Right after my grandmother died, I had no good way to move her furniture to my house several states away. I was upset--I couldn't afford at that moment to rent a u-haul it truck, and no one could lend me the money. My grandmother had left me some beautiful furniture, and it was important to her that I have it. And it was important to me that I get it. What was I to do?

Luckily for me, there was a self storage unit near her house. It was so close to her house, in fact, that we could walk between her apartment and the self storage unit I rented, which made it easy.

I had to keep that self storage unit for almost a year until I could figure out how to get the furniture to my home. I finally rented a van and then had my cousin help me load the van, and hired a couple of guys to help me unload it when I got back home. But if I hadn't been able to store my grandmother's furniture for a while, it would have been sad indeed. I am grateful it was there.