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Grenadian media workers have scored top grades at the highest media training institution in the Caribbean. The four Grenadian media workers are expected to receive their certificates next month after successfully participating in various summer courses at the Caribbean Institute of Mass Communications (CARIMAC) at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. The four, who have all passed their courses, are Ria Murray of MTV, Sophia Phillip of WE FM, Judy John of the New Today and Donel Scantlebury of the monthly Barnacle newspaper. their attendance was as a result of funding provided by UNESCO who received a proposal from the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG). “The whole experience was a good one for me, helping me with my daily job of preparing our newspaper and dealing with customers” said Scantlebury who did graphic design. “I was awarded 99% in the course and look forward to any future opportunities that would be given to me from MWAG/UNESCO”. John, one of the faces behind the scenes in the New Today Newspaper also did Graphic design. “The course was well structured and informative. The lecturing technique was clear and precise.   The entire experience was beneficial to me,” John said in a report to MWAG. “I am even more gratified on learning of my Grade of 95% and that I will be receiving a certificate of distinction,” Judy John graphic design. The other two media workers who attended the course this summer, Murray and Phillip, both did Feature Writing. “I must say that the five week course did well to introduce me to the basics of feature writing “said Murray. “Coming out of this course, I would say that I am now armed with the knowledge and skills to start a number of features for the company that I work for Meaningful Television”. Murray has since started a BlogSpot as a result of experience gained at the course. “Feature writing was a stranger to me and I was reluctant to make its acquaintance, for my childhood love for words has been dormant for many years” declared Phillip. “However, as a news reporter, I felt it was a catalyst to my dream of one day becoming a well known author.” MWAG is considering an official ceremony to award the CARIMAC certificates to the journalists.

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so if I have this correct, it’s class warfare when any attempt is made to have the very wealthy pay an incrementally small amount of their incredible wealth to keep America financially sound. but squeezing the middle class out of existence by destroying any semblance of their social safety net isn’t.

the truth is that when the middle class is squeezed, it tends to squeeze downward, not upward, thereby putting more pressure on just those programs targeted by conservatives and the Tea Party for the biggest cuts. It’s as though they are trying to negate centuries of human progress and go back to a world in which survival of the strongest is the only law of the land.

It’s apparently not class warfare to try to squeeze an entire class out of existence rather than tap a class whose future seems fairly assured. Considered by the government as too big to fail and so in need of being bailed out whenever their machinations threaten to destroy our economy — a luxury not available to the middle or lower classes — these people are called the job creators. Well, I know a lot of unemployed Americans who feel that the only jobs being created with tax dollars used to bail the super rich out are being created in other countries. In America, not so much.

why? because American workers apparently feel they have a right to some basic dignity and believe conditions at work should be conducive to that dignity. They feel they should be paid a living wage for their labor and their workplace should be safe and humane. the upper class, however, knows that doing this might put the pinch on their finances and make that third villa in France unaffordable. They’d rather the worker should make minimum wage for maximum work to avoid any chance of not snagging that recently renovated castle in Italy. And if they can’t find workers agreeable to those conditions in America, there are plenty of Third World countries where governments are not so concerned with basic human rights.

the message I get from the Tea Party and other ultra conservative right-wingers seems to be that destroying the middle class is fine but any attempt to get a buck or two more out of some billionaires who would not even notice it was gone is a moral outrage.

once again I feel like Alice after she fell through the looking glass. up is down. down is up. And we should just leave those poor billionaires alone and not pick on them anymore. better to pick on school lunches for poor kids, medical care for the elderly and making sure that anyone who has still managed to cling to the lower rungs of the middle class is kicked off so as not to use up too many of the precious resources that rightfully belong to the rich.

If I understand the logic that is used in coming to that conclusion, it seems to be that the rich have somehow earned their riches and deserve every single penny while the poor are obviously lazy slugs who should just die off because they clutter up our world with their neediness. the fact that many of the super rich are rich thanks to the efforts of their grandparents or great-grandparents and the only contribution they have made to the world is showing up at nightclubs without underpants seems to get lost in that logic.

but then, just when I despair for the future of our country, I turn on the TV and hear an interview with Melinda Gates who, along with her husband, have committed to giving away 90 percent of their wealth. when asked why, she said that when you are given so much, you have to give back.

It’s time that message reached our politicians as they try to balance the budget on the backs of the poor.

Elise Patkotak is an Alaska writer and author of "Parallel Logic," a memoir of her 28 years in Barrow. Web site, elisepatkotak.com.

The job of a leader has gotten much harder over the past year or so. Let’s face it, it’s relatively easy to get out in front of people and be positive and uplifting when things are going well and business is growing. lately though, leaders have had to take the stage and deliver somber news and a dismal outlook Leaders who want to keep their organization strong during this period, though must still find a way to focus on a message of hope, possibilities and resolve. That’s what leaders do.

That’s not to say that leaders need to pretend everything is rosy when it’s not or lose touch with the harsh realities that face their organization. But one of the biggest jobs any leader has is helping others see a way out, no matter how dark the situation looks.

In 2003, McDonald’s posted a loss of $343 million and had suffered from consistent sales declines for over two years. the stock price had tumbled from the 30′s to below 13 in about ten months. Stock analyst Jim Kramer had this to say about the company

There can be no fixing of McDonald’s because there is no McDonald’s. the company itself can’t control its franchises. the franchises used to be the source of so much growth and so much profit, but now the franchises can’t be reined in and they can’t be fixed. McDonald’s has become a rogue operation.What can McDonald’s do to save itself? Nothing at this point, nothing.

When the board brought Jim Cantalupo out of retirement to become the new CEO he brought back the original special sauce that had been changed in an effort to cut costs, he also brought back hope.

Cantalupo created what he called a plan to win and together with Charlie Bell, his COO who would succeed Cantalupo after his fatal heart attack and then himself succumb to colon cancer, set out to re-energize the company. the Chief Marketing Officer, Larry Light, had this to say about the change in attitude and mindset that Cantalupo and Bell brought back to the organization.

The doom-and-gloom scenario was transformed by Jim and Charlie’s enthusiasm and unquenchable belief in the McDonald’s brand. Together, they turned the sense of brand urgency into a galvanizing brand rallying cry of being bigger by being better.

The pair is widely lauded for their strategy and their ability to execute it and return McDonalds to success. By late 2004 the stock had climbed back into the 30′s and the company was enjoying operating profits higher than it had seen in over a decade. McDonald’s even maintained their upward trajectory through the death of both CEOs. none of it would have been possible though, if hope not been restored to the company first and maintained throughout the turnaround. Create any strategy you want; if the people in the organization don’t believe it’s possible, it will never get executed. you could certainly argue that hope was the special sauce that saved McDonalds.

People are willing to move toward a vision only if they truly believe they can get there. the job of any leader is to not only to create a compelling vision but also to inspire in others the belief that it can be reached. In this day and age when there are so many challenges facing businesses, communities and even families, leaders need to focus even more on the messages they deliver and the way they are received. If leaders lose their own sense of hope, they also lose the ability to foster it in others. When that’s gone, so is the ability to lead.

COVINA – Catherine Nichols’ professional preference is to set curriculum and find and cultivate the best teaching corps possible for the Covina-Valley Unified School District.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing public schools’ budget crisis, more and more of her time has been spent finding ways to cut costs.

“There was a golden time in this state when we invested adequately in our public schools’ students,” Nichols said. “We can’t say that anymore. Which is a sad situation, because I happen to believe public schools are doing a better job than ever of educating our future work force.”

Nichols would much rather talk about her district’s rising test scores and long traditions of academic and extra-curricular excellence. But in an interview, she touched upon both the positives and negatives of the state of education.

Question: what is one thing about your school district that you wish the public knew more about?

Answer: there are several, including a dramatic rise in our test scores at the elementary school level, but one in particular is what’s going on at our high schools. Covina-Valley is committed to connecting to the talents of all our students during their high school years. We have established academies to help achieve this. the academy at South Hills High School focuses on technology, the one at Northview focuses on arts and entertainment, the one at Covina focuses on business and entrepreneurship.

Q: What’s one book you would recommend to your students to read ASAP, and why?

A: I would want to qualify this by age group. For the younger readers, I would recommend “A Chair for my Mother” (1982) by Vera B. Williams. Its story stresses family unity, saving and overcoming obstacles by hard work. It’s a simple but delightful book. For high school age readers, I would recommend “Outliers – the story of Success” (2008) by Malcolm Gladwell. It has a clear and compelling message for students, a powerful message that applies to all areas of experience. the book’s premise is that most people become successful not because of genes or circumstances but because of hard work.

Both these books are about empowerment. I would also add Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll go!” It’s a book that seems to work for young and old alike.

Q: what makes a good teacher? How does a superintendent make a district’s teachers better?

A: as superintendent, my goal is simple but all encompassing: to connect with our students’ hopes and dreams so that every child flourishes. This goal weaves seamlessly with good teachers to connect with students, hold high expectations and nurture our students’ passions and talents.

Most everyone remembers those teachers who made a positive impact on their lives. good teachers are deeply passionate and hold high expectations for each individual student. These teachers build strong relationships with their students and the students know the teacher cares deeply about them as people.

Good teachers embrace continuous improvement and constantly reflect on their teaching practices to make changes in order for all students to reach the highest possible levels of learning. they are constantly researching, collaborating and talking to colleagues about what is working in their classrooms to help the students experience academic success. they are enthusiastic about teaching and learning and instill a love of learning in their students.

Superintendents have an opportunity to work with both administrators and teachers, so that teachers feel like they are getting the support they need to be successful. Support comes in many forms, including visibility in classrooms, sharing ideas in staff meetings and ensuring resources are dedicated to professional development.

I have had the privilege to work with magnificent teachers who will do whatever it takes to ensure their students attain the absolute highest levels of learning possible, and believe that failure is never an option.

Q: Is the public schools system better or worse than when you were a child? Why?

A: For many years in this country, public schools operated to maintain the status quo, and universal access to quality education was not addressed. This, clearly, was not acceptable. now, we have seen a knowledge and technology explosion. there has been a remarkable transformation in our schools in the last 35 years. in California, educators now deal with a far more diverse population than in the 1960s and 1970s.

Educators have responded to these changes. I believe public schools are better than ever. A big part of that is that there has been a vast improvement in how colleges prepare young people for the teaching profession.

Q: Why is parental involvement important in a child’s education?

A: Parents are our first teachers, our first role models and the most influential people in our lives. Their encouragement, especially during their child’s elementary school years, is crucial. our teachers, our staff and our administrators all work together in a partnership with parents. Parents want the best for their children and we educators need to tap into that energy. the involvement of a child’s extended family is also important. And, of course, the PTA is a very valuable asset.

When parents get involved, volunteering to help in classrooms, at lunch or being chaperones on field trips, a child feels valued, even if it doesn’t happen to be their parent. Parents who care deeply help all students. We really welcome parental involvement.

Q: in these tough economic times, how do you ensure kids get the kind of education they deserve? Is education and economics mutually exclusive?

A: The short answer is yes. To get right to the heart of this, I cannot understand how California, with the eighth-largest economy in the world, cannot provide necessary funding for its public schools. We’re at the bottom of our 50 states academically, we have some of the largest class sizes, we have fewer counselors and fewer administrators. We have had to cut salaries, employees had to take furloughs, benefits have been cut. Employees sacrificed, and we still had to have layoffs. And there may be mid-year cuts this school year. It’s shameful.

Education must be a priority. our politicians need to find the moral courage to restore funding. For a state that was once the nation’s leader in public education to be in its current straits is an outrage. A well-educated work force is critical to the U.S. economy. Public schools are the pipeline that produces that work force. Why would you want to adversely impact that?

Make no mistake. Every cut we make affects the classroom. School funding has fallen woefully behind the levels necessary to make the system work. California public schools are doing a remarkable job of fulfilling their mission, but the reality is there’s nothing left to cut. We are looking at more layoffs, and from my vantage point that’s a devastating choice to have to make, absolutely the last resort.

The one big positive in all of this is that we have received phenomenal support for our schools at the local level. Last spring, Covina-Valley parents sent more than 5,500 letters to legislators, asking that funding be restored. That kind of support is very gratifying and it helps keep you going.

jim.mcconnell@sgvn.com626-962-8811, ext. 2306

I’m sure most of you are well aware of the activist stance the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken, especially under the direction of Lisa Jackson.

Over the last two years, they have proposed some of the most controversial rules and regulations that, even by their own accounting, have the potential of costing American companies tens of billions of dollars.

Unfortunately, too often, the overwhelming number and scope of these regulations results in each individual one being forgotten. I hope to use at least some of these Regulatory Roundups to highlight some of the most harmful EPA regulations.

This week, I want to discuss two recent regulations imposed by the EPA that will have a negative impact on the American economy, job growth, and our already sky-high fuel prices. they are the Utility MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) rule and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), also known as the Transport Rule, and they are expected to cost the energy industry an astounding $17.8 billion annually.

The Utility MACT rule is aimed at the electric utility industry and would establish new standards to limit the amount of mercury, acid gases, and non-mercury metals power plants can release into the air.

If implemented, it is anticipated to affect at least 525 coal and oil-fired power plants throughout the United States, and according to the EPA’s own numbers is expected to cost $10.9 billion per year.

This number makes it one of the most expensive regulations in the history of the EPA.

And even more shocking, that number doesn’t include any indirect costs – such as the expected price increase in consumer electricity and natural gas – associated with it. many analyses have estimated its total cost is closer to $100 billion.

This high cost is a result of the expensive technology required to comply with the new regulation. while many power plants are beginning to slowly make these changes to their operation, the EPA’s regulation would require they come in full compliance by 2015. And the EPA imposed this extremely costly regulation without a single action by Congress.

CSAPR, finalized in July of this year, would establish emission caps for Eastern states in the United States to assist downwind states in complying with ozone standards.

More specifically, it would replace the EPA’s Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and require 27 states to make dramatic cuts in power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particle pollution in other states.

This rule is expected to impact 1,081 power plants nationwide and will have at least some impact on a majority of the 148 power plants in Georgia. According to the EPA’s own estimates, it is expected to cost $2.8 billion annually.

So, in spite of sulfur emissions being cut by 56 percent since 1980 and nitrogen oxide emissions decreasing by 77 percent since 1990, the EPA plans to move forward with CSAPR.

They have implemented an extremely short deadline for utilities to make modifications to existing equipment – giving them less than six months from the time the regulation was finalized to come into compliance.

The regulation is expected to cost as much as $100 million for a 350-megawatt power plant, and those costs would eventually be passed along to consumers.

Many power plants are in the process of discussing whether or not they will be able to afford compliance with this new regulation and it is anticipated that some will be forced to close their doors.

That jeopardizes our country’s electricity grid, which could have an impact on our national security, and costs American jobs. And once again, this extremely costly regulation was passed without the approval of Congress.

In response to the EPA’s dramatic overreach both with CSAPR and Utility MACT as well as other harmful regulations, the House of Representatives will take up H.R. 2401, the TRAIN Act (Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act).

The TRAIN Act establishes a rule that a report on the direct and indirect results of all rules and regulations issued by the EPA is required prior to implementation.

If enacted, this legislation will increase transparency within the regulation process at the EPA and will ensure that proper attention is paid to the total impact regulations may have on the energy industry and on American consumers.

It is expected to pass the House sometime this week, although Senate Democrats are expected to table it immediately rather than allow debate or a vote. I will support the legislation when it comes to the House floor.

Next week, I will address the new rule by the Department of Justice concerning deportation of illegal immigrants. Earlier this summer, the DOJ announced they would review each case to determine if an illegal immigrant should be deported – rather than deporting each illegal immigrant caught inside the United States.

[Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd District) was first elected to Congress in 2004 and currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. his website is house.gov/westmoreland. he lives in Grantville.]

The allure of Chico is something that attracts new studentsevery year, and it’s the same allure that has brought formerathletes back to become coaches at Chico State.

Not only are many of the current athletic coaches at Chico Statealumni, but their assistant coaches are former students aswell.

Greg Clink, head coach of the men’s basketball team, playedbasketball for Chico State and graduated with a bachelor’s degreein kinesiology in 1995.

Clink had friends whom he visited at Chico State. his enjoyablevisits, along with the academic and basketball programs, ultimatelyled him to choose to attend Chico State.

His best memories as a student at Chico State come from the overallexperience and the strong relationships he built with his teammatesand his coaches, Clink said.

After coaching at UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, Clink made his wayback to his alma mater. the community and college atmosphere arepart of what brought Clink back to the home of the Wildcats.

“This is the job that I always had wanted,” Clink said.

Creating the same positive experience for his athletes is somethingthat he strives to do.

“I want them to love their coaches,” Clink said. “I want them tobuild great relationships with us and their teammates. I want themto experience winning.”

Another Chico State alum is Kathy Dais, head coach of women’s golf,who graduated with a degree in recreation administration in1975.

Dais decided to attend Chico State because when she drove up fromLodi “it felt right,” she said.

Dais helped to create and launch the golf program at Chico State.Prior to becoming a coach, Dais taught golf classes at Chico.

In 2000, Dais began her coaching stint as an assistant coach in thegolf program and is now in her fifth season as head coach. In 2005,Dais completed her master’s degree in kinesiology.

She loves to teach the game and thought that coaching would be agreat challenge, Dais said.

Dais enjoys running into Chico State alumni, which happensfrequently, she said.

“I love Chico, and I love to represent it in the best waypossible,” Dais said.

The biggest challenge in being a coach is keeping everythingtogether and doing it well, she said.

Head women’s track and field coach Oliver Hanf transferred to ChicoState from Diablo Valley College and graduated from Chico with abachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 1992.

Hanf came to Chico in August of 1989 to visit a friend. the drivein was hot and miserable, but the moment he arrived in Chico, it”felt like an oasis,” he said.

Hanf loved Chico for its youthful atmosphere and saw it as “almostan escape from the real world,” he said.

“There is a charm here,” Hanf said.

Hanf’s coach when he was a student at Chico State was Kirk Freitas,also a Chico alumnus who is still coaching track and field for the’Cats.

Chico State has an energy and a connection to the community thatthe rest of the California State Universities don’t quite have,Hanf said.

“We have an appeal that separates us,” he said.

That friend that Hanf came to visit in 1989 is now his wife, andthey don’t plan to leave Chico.

Other alumni who have come back to the Wildcat program include GaryTowne, the men’s and women’s cross-country coach, and Audi Spencer,the assistant coach for the women’s basketball team.

Towne ran for Chico before graduating with a bachelor’s degree inkinesiology in 1991 and then obtained his master’s degree in 1996.his assistant coach, Michael Wickman, is also an alumnus who earnedhis bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Chico State inMay 2010.

Spencer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiologyin 2008.

The community and atmosphere of Chico State seem to be what attractstudents, and that draw is so strong that sometimes it keeps alumnihere for years after their days as students.

Sarah Goad can be reached at

Time has a question:

Is 10 Minutes enough for a Well-Child Visit with the Pediatrician?

If only they had called me.  I could have told them “no.”

Because I probably spend too much time whinging about the pressures and frustrations of being a physician, I’m going to start out on a different note today.  One of the things I absolutely love about the practice where I work now is that all well-child visits are 30 minutes long, and the schedule is set up to protect that time.  When I interviewed, my future colleagues were rightfully proud of how the practice genuinely respects the importance of having plenty of time to spend at routine well visits, and it is no lie to say that it was no small factor in my decision to take the job.  I know from experience that not all pediatricians are nearly so lucky.

From the article:

Parents, especially brand-new ones, are full of questions. how long should baby sleep? When should he start rolling over, sitting up, cooing? What about naps — when and how often? it would be nice to spend a leisurely hour with the pediatrician, getting all the answers, but one-third of parents say well-visit check-ups last less than 10 minutes, according to new research published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Perhaps even more surprising is that just half of those short visits included a developmental assessment, which is frequently the main reason for well-child visits. most surprising of all, though, is that most parents reported high levels of satisfaction even with an in-and-out doctor visits, indicating either that pediatricians are doing a good job covering a lot of ground in little time or that parents don’t know to expect otherwise.

I am going to assume the best of those pediatricians out there who spend 10 minutes with their patients at well checks, and say that they would almost certainly choose to spend more time if they could.  because there is no way you can really deliver optimal pediatric care in 10 minutes, and I choose to believe most medical providers would want to deliver the best care they can.

Here’s how I do things.  Whenever I see anyone for a well check, I begin the visit by letting the parents ask whatever questions they have.  many bring lists, and sometimes seem a little embarrassed or sheepish about bringing them out.  When this happens, I point out that answering all of their questions is my job.  It’s what I’m expected to do.  I also reassure them that when my own son was a newborn there were all kinds of questions that I had, and I’m a pediatrician!  Brand new babies are freaky little things, and being a new parent can be very disorienting.  it often takes ten minutes or more simply to address all of the parents’ questions, and that’s for babies that are perfectly well.  If there’s anything that’s not quite right, it obviously takes more time.

Even for healthy older children, there are all kinds of questions that I ask that easily take ten minutes or more.  I ask how school is going.  I ask how they get along with other kids, and if anyone is giving them a hard time.  I ask about their eating habits, and if they get any exercise.  I ask what they like to do for fun.  and then there are all the additional questions I ask my adolescent patients during the confidential portions of their exams.  I ask these questions for every single one of my patients, and I couldn’t possibly feel like I was doing my job well if I didn’t.

Not surprisingly, parents reported less “family-centered” care and fewer preventive-care discussions during the shorter visits. There’s a huge push in medical care to emphasize prevention — teaching kids to exercise and eat well when they’re young, for example, rather than waiting until adolescence to treat obesity — but the Pediatrics research shows that demands on physicians’ time are restricting their ability to emphasize preventive care or delve into dicier topics.

The article reports that most of the parents whose visits are short feel that their questions are answered, and that’s not nothing.  but it’s also not the best they could be getting.  In addition to all the information we give regarding questions parents already have, there’s all the information we give about preventive care.  this is typically referred to as “anticipatory guidance.”  It’s something I know my patients should be getting, but parents may not know to expect it.

For example, if I’m seeing a two-month-old I’ll ask to make sure she’s doing the things a two-month old should be doing.  but I’ll also talk to the parents about the things they can expect between now and the next visit.  I’ll advise them that their child might learn to roll over, so it’s important not to leave her unattended on flat surfaces.  I’ll talk about things they can do to foster motor development.  for older kids, I try to tailor the anticipatory guidance to their particular situation.  for kids who are in contact sports, I’ll talk about taking concussions seriously.  I’ll talk to my teenagers about body image.  you get the idea.  If all I were to have was ten minutes, you can bet all of that would get the axe.

The actual physical examination itself can easily be done within ten minutes.  however, the more rushed you are, the more cursory your exam can get.  I can think of a few very serious conditions that my colleagues and I have found in the course of a routine physical exam, which we might have missed or glossed over if we’d been in and out.  Missing serious diagnoses is one of those things that gives me a cold sweat in the middle of the night, and it can happen to anyone.  but being able to perform a methodical, unhurried exam certainly makes it less likely.

As I’ve already said, I’m sure that most pediatricians who do spend only 10 minutes with their patients for well visits are doing so because of financial realities.  One of the big changes I hope to see eventually with our healthcare policy is in how we compensate medical providers.  Payment is inordinately shifted toward specialized, procedure-based care.  Paying more for the care that keeps us healthy rather than fixing us when we’re broken would allow physicians to spend the time they should with their patients.  Short-changing patients with rapid-fire well checks gives the appearance of preventive care, and puts a check mark in a box rather than giving patients the attention they really deserve.

Face the Winter Naked Bonnie Turner (Author) 1 day in the top 100 (30)Download: $0.99 196 used & new from $0.99(Visit the Bestsellers in Parenting & Families list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.)Review & Description

Daniel Tomelin, a battle-worn veteran haunted by the carnage of the first World War, deserts his family in the great Depression and goes on the road to seek relief from his soul-shaking trauma. He’s too proud to return and face his loving wife without a job, but LaDaisy is determined to care for their family alone, if that’s what it takes. after leaving his loved ones to cope with a hell he helped create, does Daniel dare show his face again? sometimes LaDaisy feels like killing him.FACE THE WINTER NAKED is a story for today’s struggling economy and unemployed citizens, set in a tragic era when hope was sometimes all they had.Bonnie Turner’s Face the Winter Naked is set during the great Depression, but her story encompasses issues that reach far beyond that era and know no time constraints”war. Political strife. Economic collapse. Environmental catastrophe. Division of families. Cruelty and oppression. Poverty, inequity, and all the faces of prejudice. but it is also about love. and faith. and strength. and hope, forgiveness, and perseverance. Face the Winter Naked provides an engrossing read in which Turner interweaves history, geography, and a compelling love story. more than that, it is a story that looks beyond the surface, delving into the inner workings of the human mind”a powerful narrative that illuminates larger issues of humanity that are timeless and volatile and just as apropos today as decades ago. “~ Karen Donley-Hayes, M.a.I.S., author and editor____”FACE THE WINTER NAKED is a gorgeously written and evocative novel of an earlier economic crisis: the great Depression. Readers looking for a stunning read, intelligent and emotional on every level, will not be disappointed.”~ Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of Crazy Beautiful and the Education of BetDaniel Tomelin, a battle-worn veteran haunted by the carnage of the first World War, deserts his family in the great Depression and goes on the road to seek relief from his soul-shaking trauma. He’s too proud to return and face his loving wife without a job, but LaDaisy is determined to care for their family alone, if that’s what it takes. after leaving his loved ones to cope with a hell he helped create, does Daniel dare show his face again? sometimes LaDaisy feels like killing him.FACE THE WINTER NAKED is a story for today’s struggling economy and unemployed citizens, set in a tragic era when hope was sometimes all they had.Bonnie Turner’s Face the Winter Naked is set during the great Depression, but her story encompasses issues that reach far beyond that era and know no time constraints”war. Political strife. Economic collapse. Environmental catastrophe. Division of families. Cruelty and oppression. Poverty, inequity, and all the faces of prejudice. but it is also about love. and faith. and strength. and hope, forgiveness, and perseverance. Face the Winter Naked provides an engrossing read in which Turner interweaves history, geography, and a compelling love story. more than that, it is a story that looks beyond the surface, delving into the inner workings of the human mind”a powerful narrative that illuminates larger issues of humanity that are timeless and volatile and just as apropos today as decades ago. “~ Karen Donley-Hayes, M.a.I.S., author and editor____”FACE THE WINTER NAKED is a gorgeously written and evocative novel of an earlier economic crisis: the great Depression. Readers looking for a stunning read, intelligent and emotional on every level, will not be disappointed.”~ Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of Crazy Beautiful and the Education of Bet Read more

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Do you have the opportunity each day at work to use your strengths?

If you do, you’re outperforming other people even if you aren’t sure exactly what your strengths are that you’re using.

How often do you feel an emotional high on the job?

Most people say they get an emotional high from their work at least once a week.

Do you lose track of time at work doing particular projects?

If so, then you’re most likely leveraging your strengths. You are building upon how you naturally think, feel and behave — your greatest talents.

You’ll feel happier at work if you use your strengths on a consistent basis.

According to Marcus Buckingham, author of Now Discover Your Strengths, only 12 percent of people in the U.S. believe they use their strengths in their work every day.

Our business culture tends to shore up corporate weaknesses rather than focusing on strengthening strengths.

Each of us has areas in which we’re naturally talented, and areas in which we’re naturally weak.

Ask yourself what are you doing that strengthens you.

Then ask yourself what you’re doing that weakens you. You want to eliminate those things you’re doing that weaken you!

I don’t recommend quitting your job. I would recommend that you work on your thinking first.  be grateful about what you get from your job. the money you’re earning from your job is putting food on the table and hopefully a roof you’re over your head. Focusing on gratitude will quickly shift your thinking.

So how do you move from using your strengths once or twice a month to using them most of the time?

Begin to notice what you are doing when you’re feeling in the flow or you are feeling energized at work. be the observer and observe what you’re doing and think about which strength you’re using.

Notice when you are having energy drains and energy gains at work. Follow your energy – your body never lies. it will show you what is feeding your soul and what is draining it.

Next you look at your weekly schedule and deliberately shift your weekly schedule to include activities that energize you.

Focus on working from your strengths from once a month to most of the time.

Get clear on what strengthens you and weakens you.

Eliminate anything from your life you are doing that weakens you. (Remember most of the time it’s your thinking around that issue and not a person, place or thing).

Plan your strong week. I ask my clients to focus on doing what they do best and to plan activities that give them energy.

Start focusing on those tasks and activities that will help you develop your talents into strengths. A talent only becomes a true strength after it’s developed, which means that you will want to focus on building your skills and experience in that particular area.

My top five strengths are Activator, WOO (win others over), Significance, Self-Assurance, and Strategic. I make things happen, and I have no qualms with taking risks and asking people to be interviewed or in pitching a story to a New York Times reporter (and getting the client in that article). Yet my employees in my PR firm would never have taken that risk. my WOO, Activator and Self-Assurance combined help me take big risks in my professional life. I love being strategic and looking for patterns and learning from them. It’s easy for me because these are my natural talents.

Try to use several or more of your strengths together. This is where your success lies in combining your strengths and observing what works for you.

How do you find your top five strengths? I like to recommend an inexpensive and easy online resource called The Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. it will help you quickly find out your top five strengths. This will enable you to focus your time and energy on what matters most.

One of the key things I’ve learned by owning my own business for the past 16 years is to hire people that have strengths in areas that are weakest for me. This is how my boutique PR business became a mid-six figure company. I had five employees, and we focused on our strengths. they shored up my weak areas and my strengths were their weaknesses. together we were unstoppable.

I ask each of my clients to get to know themselves by taking a series of assessments so they can get to know themselves thoroughly. we find out their strengths, talents, and values and how they learn information. This information is much more valuable then you might think at first glance. When you focus on strengthening your strengths and working from that place, it will lead you to success and well-being as you use your creative energy to solve problems.

I help my clients find their soul’s “calling” to their “true” work in the world. I help them learn their strengths and play to them in a bigger way.  most important of all – I help them understand that their thoughts create their reality.

I am going into 11th grade. I can't decide what I want to do with my life. I like to make meals for my family and I enjoy time in the kitchen. I know that you cannot go into cooking school and come out a chef. I've read loads of books on cooking. Kitchen Confidential is really what it's like I guess. it sounds fun to me. The only problem I have is I keep second guessing myself. I know I would have fun cooking, but it consumes your social life. you breathe, live and eat cooking. I'm having trouble deciding if it is really the career path I want to follow. on the other hand, I don't know what I would like to be. I would probably go to college without knowing what I would like to do. The pay sucks, the hours suck, the work sucks, but for some reason i'm drawn to that. Yeah I like to hang out with my family and have a life, but cooking makes me smile. When I see people eat what I've created it is like a reward. so how do I know if I should do this. I'm currently in the process of getting a job at a restaurant. Probably being a dishwasher, but I want to see if this is really for me. Suggestions? Thanks!!

Let me say firstly, starting out as a dishwasher at a restaurant is right on the bottom rung of the ladder. if you want to make it to the top, you'll really have to work hard, and watch everything that goes on around you. as time goes by, the chef or sous chef might ask you to start doing prep work, which also can be very boring. Have you ever thought about becoming a personal chef. a chef that doesn't work in restaurants, but who cooks in people's homes, or having a catering business. not all good chefs work in restaurants. Who knows you could be the Next Food Network Star!….good luck, and follow your dreams

If it's something you're truly passionate about, I would say go for it. but I would still go to college and major in something you can fall back on if you ever tire of the restaurant business.

My dad worked as a chef and a restaurant manager for years and years and that's how he met my mom (she was a hostess at one of the restaurants). I guess the schedule worked for him when he was single but once he settled down and had kids he eventually switched out to a job that wasn't so time-consuming.

So really, I would pursue the cooking but have another major or field of expertise that you can use if you ever decide that you need to make a career change. you don't want to be stuck with no options!

go ahead and be a chef and open up your own business i know you like seasoning your own food to your taste and if you out you can tell if the food not season right or they did not cut the steaks right or vegetables is over cook

She's right. you can be a chef without working in a busy high-strung restaurant. The benefits of working in a smaller place (such as a bed and breakfast, bakery, or personal chef) is that you can change the menu often and do crazy things so that you (and your customers) never get bored. by the way, you sound just like me the way you love cooking and watching people enjoy your food. I was going to go to culinary school, too, but some things changed. right now, though, I'm the head cook in a small summer resort – we usually have between 20-50 people per meal, so it's not too crazy. And like I said, I get to cook whatever I want. I suggest you explore your options and definitely find someway to test drive this career. but you can always change your mind – goodness knows I've done that enough! haha good luck!

It sounds like you already know what you want to do. I feel the same way about cooking. When I am in the kitchen I am happy and never feel awkward or out of place. I always feel like I know what I'm doing and that is the best feeling. I also love the look on people's faces when they try my "creations" and love it!!
"Do what makes you happy and never work another day in your life" Someone wise said that

But also remember that you should not be afraid to make mistakes in your life. for some people it just takes a little longer to know what they want to do. you are still young and still learning about yourself so don't stress about it and it will eventually "come" to you. good luck!!

I debated whether or not to become a chef last year (I'm going into 12th grade), so I was in your shoes not too long ago. I did fear the "all-consuming" aspect of being a chef and the fact that you are working when people are out, having fun with their friends and family. it really bothered me to think that I would be the one in the kitchen and not the one sitting at the table, enjoying an evening with those that I love. if you can't tell already, I decided not to become a chef. Cooking is still my greatest passion and hobbie, but I can tell you now that it will not be my career. I had to ask myself, what it is that I want for my life. I wrote it out and thought it out endlessly, and it came down to the fact that I want to have a family some day and I want to have a good QUALITY of life, ya know, relaxed, as stress-free as possible. it all comes down to what YOU want for YOUR life. what do you want your life to be like? I encourage you to pursue your dream and become a chef, but I advise you to keep in mind the fact that you'll work nights and holidays, and weekends, and in a very stressful environment. I had a job in a restaurant last summer and it really showed me that I wasn't meant to have my greatest hobbie as a job. it made it not so much fun anymore when I had chefs yelling at me to make things perfect. it sucked the enjoyment out of cooking. Listen to YOUR heart.

You are on the right path by getting a job in a restaurant. if you are in or near a large city, where there are lots of kitchens you can apply for a job in a restaurant or a hotel kitchen as a "prep cook" which means that YOU do the chopping and cutting of the raw ingredients that the chefs will use later in the cooking of the meal. you don't need a lot of experience to do that, but you do need the ability to listen to orders, be willing to learn and to work without a lot of supervision. if you are lucky, and what happened with me, one or two of the more friendly chefs showed me how to do things and started to encourage my interest in cooking. Everybody likes to think they are a good teacher, so you'll probably find someone who will take you "under their wing".

I started out in the culinary field by working with the head cook in a nursing home as a "prep person" and eventually became his assistant cook and was able to fill in for him when health problems came up. I hadn't gone to culinary school but I do come from a family of good cooks and back in those days I had a lot more energy (LOL). From there I went on to cooking in restaurants and a bakery.

It is very rough work; LONG hours, 120 degree days "behind the line", and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to complete what needs to be done. And there is a lot of tedious work to do; endless chopping, dicing, mincing, washing of vegetables, on and on and on…
and ALL those dirty pots, pans, dishes…

On the positive side, after all that work, you do find the satisfaction of creating something delicious and beautiful for people to enjoy. And sometimes, if you are very lucky, you find a great group of people who are fun to work with.

Cooking professionally does consume a lot of time and, as you have already figured out, you live, breathe, sleep FOOD 24/7 which can be a drag if you suspect there are other things in life. I met some great people but since I didn't share their dedication to the culinary arts I finally figured out that it wasn't the way for me to make my living. I will always value the lessons I learned but it is a very draining way to make a living and I'm now glad to be out of it, although I do still love to cook for my family and friends. it got so cooking professionally actually ruined the enjoyment of cooking for me and I had to take a break from it for a while.

But you are young and strong and this won't happen to you, I predict!

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

Even if you decide not to go into the culinary field, the experience you gain from that background will serve you all the rest of your life. it NEVER hurts to know how to cook!

You sound exactly like me a few years ago. I'm in culinary school…only after trying to do what I thought was a more logical approach to a career: being at a university for 3 years attempting to earn a p.h.d. in history. Finally, I decided that if I wanted to be truly happy, I had to follow my heart. AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER! Being in the culinary industry has opened so many doors for me. I worked as an apprentice at a ski resort for a while. I love being able to express my creativity through my food. Don't get me wrong, it's hard work and some days you work for 15 hours. but for some reason, I'm still excited to get up and do it again the next day. It's just something about doing what you love that keeps you motivated and excited. Oh, and the pay isn't all that bad either. you just have to find a good location. When I worked at the resort, I often did chef stations at parties for $100 an HOUR! so whatever you decide, just follow your heart. it is so worth it in the end. good Luck

P.S. I still have very much of a social life. you just have to make time for it with whatever you do. And PLEASE don't let working at a chain restaurant as a dishwasher be your deciding factor!

Actually, you can go to cooking school and come out a chef. as long asyou go to a real cooking school, not just some 8-month course at some "college" that merely is designed to charge larges amts of $$ so you can get student loans. consider Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Johnson & Wales, Cordon Bleu in Paris, even…. real cooking schools.

You can always go to culinary schoola fter college. you will get more pay that way, and more management opportunities. you can also major in subjects that will get you near the foodservice industry w/o having to actually cook the food. you could be a Registered Dietitian, a home economist, a Foodservice Manager, in Marketing and Sales for food wholesalers or specialty food purveyors, or a writer or editor specializing in cookbooks. you coudl be a county healht inspector. even fast food chains and cafeterias need people to keep their books, to tell them if they are profitable, graphic designer for food labels and signage, financial analysts, insurance risk analysts, and attorneys. so whatever your skills and interests are, they can be woven into the food industry. Being a chef is not the only thing.

If you have the grades/brains to be college bound, definitely do that first. You'll always have a college degree to fall back on.

And ask your high school guidance counselor about taking an aptitude test, to tell you what you're good at adn how to turn that into a career. you can do them online, too, but they may not be as reliable as if a trained career couselor administers and evaluates it. but the 'net would be a good place to start.

You've still got time. take those college-prep courses, continue to cook for your family and learn all you can about cooking. just spend 10 min. here on Y!a and you'll see the Q's posted by pathetic souls who can't heat up a can of soup. At least,you'll never starve.

If cooking is what you like to do, then you shouldn't second guess yourself. try to make it to the big time. The average payment for head chef is around $50 p/h.