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The United States political system made up of the Democratic and Republican parties. In recent years, the Tea Party is becoming a major contender but is still not considered a major political party. Every state in the United States has their own Democratic and Republic parties, offices and leaders.

Here’s a look at some basic facts about the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

Where The Democratic Party of New Mexico is Located?

The Democratic headquarters for the New Mexico branch is located in Albuquerque. However, there are events held all throughout the state and local chapters that meet regularly that represent the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

Who is the Party Leader for the State of New Mexico?

The leaders of the Democratic Party of New Mexico is Javier Gonzales. The second in command is vice-chairwoman Annadelle Sanchez.

Who Currently Holds a Position in the National and State Level Offices?

New Mexico has seven positions that can be held by various political parties. Of those seven positions, four of them are held by Democrats as of 2011.

On the state level the Attorney General, State Auditor, State Treasurer and Commissioner of Public Lands are all held by Democrats.

On the federal level the United States Senate has two Democrats in office, and the House of Representatives has two Democrats.

All officials who hold positions in New Mexico are elected by the public during a general election. The positions that are held by the Democratic Party of New Mexico can change during every election.

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The relationship a country has with its neighboring countries and other larger countries is important. Good foreign relations can lead to increased trade, foreign aid in times of need, and a prosperous economy.

Kazakhstan is currently working to establish good foreign relations with a number of countries all over the world. Here’s a look at some of the efforts they are making to create and maintain good relationships with various countries.

Relationship With the United States

The Kazakhstan President and the United States President have been working to establish a good foreign relationship between the two countries. The two countries are working to establish nuclear safety programs, ensure peaceful relations in Central Asia, and work together to make Kazakhstan a prosperous nation.

Relationship With China and Russia

Kazakhstan has been working to maintain a peaceful relationship with Russia and China. Russia and China are the two major political and economic powerhouses in the region and it is important to maintain a working relationship with them. Kazakhstan has worked together with both countries to establish peaceful relations and create an oil export pipeline that establishes a more efficient method to deliver oil to the countries.

Relationship with the Rest of the World

Kazakhstan is also working to establish a good foreign relationship with the rest of the world. It is currently a part of many multi-nation organizations, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Many of these organizations have the one goal of seeking and maintaining a peaceful and safe relationship with all countries involved.

Summer wear also comes with special moisture wicking lining and includes under armour polo shirts, short sleeve shirts, baseball shorts, baseball pants and soccer shirts. All season under armour wear is dominated by different types of underwear such as boxer jocks. Baseball caps can be used daily, and are popular amongst sportsmen. Under armour caps come with a vented mesh design and a sweatband, which allows proper ventilation and ensures the wearer is not under the weather. Some under armour models have an embroidered logo, silicone grip pads and baseball logo.

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Most people don’t realize the importance of tourism to a region. Tourism is good for almost any economy. It brings in extra cash to businesses of all shapes and sizes in the region which makes the economy get a nice boost too. Tourism in New Mexico is just as important as tourism anywhere else – it keeps the businesses alive and lets the community grow. Here’s a quick glance at how tourism affects the New Mexico economy. New Mexico deserves its share of tourism and is a beautiful place to vacation year round.

The Tourism Association of New Mexico (TANM) is making an effort to expand New Mexico’s tourism. The organization teacher businesses about the importance of tourism and encourages businesses to work together to draw in a better flow of tourists. It offers awards to its members when good tourism is achieved and hosts events to get businesses working together.

The community plays a large role in tourism as well, providing a friendly place for visitors to be. Markets flourish when out of town visitors come to buy. Small private businesses can spread the word about themselves by selling to tourists and using online social websites to promote awareness of their businesses.

Large events such as the Santa Fe Indian Market in August draws in over a hundred thousand tourists from across the globe. This event has a huge impact on New Mexico’s economy, bringing in just under $20 million a year – now that’s a big boost.

The reasons touted for attacking Iraq in 2003 was that it was also responsible for the 9/11 catastrophe and one more reason for attacking Iraq was attributed to the presence of weapons of mass destruction and also the possession of nuclear weapons. Even before the first short was fired it was found that all such allegations that Iraq was a rogue state. In hindsight, when we look at the Iraq invasion episode it was driven by more of a person animosity between Bush and Saddam Hussain, rather than any particular reason of consequence.

The net result of the whole misadventure of Bush’s misadventure is that thousands of innocent American soldiers were drawn into this unnecessary battle. After 8 years, Iraq continues to be as volatile as with daily killings. The nation continues to be as deeply divided as it was eight years ago. However, the only solace is that as democracy we are able freely express our views.

Though the TV is a medium which may give us a lot of news regarding the happenings in the USA, there is another medium which is fast catching up with regard to the political happenings in this great country. It is the internet and online news articles pertaining to the USA with special reference to politics of that country is indeed creating lot of interest. The reason is that the information available in online and extremely relevant and real time. The biggest advantage of viewing political happenings in the USA is the fact that it aggregates news from various sources and brings them under one platform. Hence the viewer is in a position to gather more information in one place and he can access to varied opinions and thoughts which makes the news so much wide ranging, relative.

Many citizens of the world would also like to share their thoughts about the happenings in US political system and the only platform available to them as of now is the internet. While thoughts can be shared through newspapers, it is quite tough unless you belong to one of the members of the editorial section. Hence internet is the best place to keep your abreast of the latest happenings in the USA.

While all these motives are understandable and sometimes laudable, people would have a better respect and understanding of America’s policies if the same rule was applied to Myanmar, which is perhaps one the most notorious rogue states of the world. Democracy has literally been butchered time and again in this country by the military dictatorship of Myanmar and the only hope for democracy in that country Aung San Suu Kyi has just been released after years of detention under house arrest. America is not very keen in administering justice to this country because geo-politically it is not of much significance when compared to North Korea. This is because North Korea is closer to the USA and comes under the Japanese archipelago and it perhaps feels that its interests are better served by keeping a tight least on North Korea rather than trying to hoist the flag of freedom in Myanmar. So, in fine, American foreign policy is all about serving its own interests.

Any disastrous situation requires innovative methods to squeeze out and we as nation would do well if we went on a brainstorming session to finds out newer and more unique ways of generating employment and creating more revenue for the nation as a whole. We as a nation should encourage creativity and award those brains which have come up with such ideas that could be implemented. Our society therefore calls for new entrepreneurs and inventors. We should encourage more people who are job creators than job eaters. Small scale industries and home based business opportunities are great income generating sources and could play a significant role in reducing unemployment or underemployment.

The biggest problem for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business. There are basically three methods by which an entrepreneur can raise capital, either through his own resources, through government grants or through venture capitalists. Though capital is out there in plenty, getting it to start a business is difficult because, very few financiers would be willing to put their neck on line for a project which is in its start up stage. Unless capital is available easily, the idea of innovation would remain a pipe dream.

Unless the Environment Protection Agency wakes up to the reality and gets into a cleaning act, the situation is only bounds to worsen over the coming years. The problem of Santa Fe is not about having adequate water resources. The mountains are a perennial source of water for this city, but the crisis as far as providing clean and unpolluted water is concerned has got more to with the lackadaisical approach of the enforcement agencies, both federal and local.

However, some new and bold initiatives are being put in place for augmenting the storage and pumping capacities. Some of the steps include installation of better filtration systems and to reduce contamination caused by septic discharge, agricultural waste and even radioactive wastes at time which would go a long way in removing this problem once for all.

President Obama is at times seemingly doing it and there are many instances over the past two years which go to prove that Obama is an outsider when it came to pushing his personal agenda even if it comes to ruffling some feathers in the Democratic Party itself. A strong president is one who does not cave in to party pressures when it comes to pushing through vital and critical reforms which are for the benefit of larger sections of the society. When people will judge Obama as a President in history, they will surely respect and adore him for sticking on to plans which would be for the better of major portion of America’s population.

He made his intentions very clear by signing a number of landmark bills which gave woman equal rights in the place of work. Then there was the historic Healthcare Reform bill, which no other President of the past had the courage to push it through. Then last but not the least the Patient’s Right bill which was gathering dust for the past 75 years was signed. While all these are indeed great signs of a great leader who cuts across party lines, there are lot of fingers being pointed out at him, accusing him of moving too fast and wanting too much to be done within a short period of time. Whether he “weathers” the storm or trips and falls.

But as the saying goes and as history has shown us time and again, the best people exhibit their best skills in times of great trials and tribulations and this was one such occasion. Though Obama had won a landslide election, the nation was still split down the middle and there was palpable evidence that USA has still to overcome the racial divide which has been its bane for the last so many centuries. However, President Obama took this opportunity to take the sail off his critics by acknowledging the fact that there did exist a problem of racial divide and he used this speech to defuse the situation and take the heat out of the whole atmosphere. He bridged the divide by actually acknowledging the fact that there existed one.

Much water has flown ever since that historic speech in the summer of 2008 and USA is now trying to find back its feet as an economic superpower. But this has been not without setback for Obama on the way and the latest results of opinion poll suggest that his ratings are at the lowest since he got elected in the historic 2008 elections. The health reform program which was so close to his heart is one such program which has pulled his ratings down.

The USA who believe that the missile program of North Korea could be a direct threat to the safety and security of USA and this left many military experts in the USA in a tizzy deciding and planning counter strategies in case of such an event. But their fears could a big far too fetched and misplaced. This is because if you look at North Korea’s missile program from close quarters, it can be described as average to say the least. Their missile program could be compared to what happened in when the Olympic Games were held in Seoul in 1988.

The great dictator of North Korea Kim Jong-II was left fuming and fretting when the games were allotted to South Korea. To show to his own countrymen that North Korea was not far behind, he ordered construction of a hotel which was supposed to the tallest one in the world and having more rotating restaurants than any other such hotels in the world. Work was started with the help of the then USSR. However, things came to a grinding halt when the USSR starting breaking up. The building for many years stood testimony to the in competency of the North Korea regime. So we can rest assured that North Korea is but just a paper tiger.

Though this topics perhaps may make interesting and exciting reading for many people around the globe and particularly people from these countries, it might take a quite bit of time before this happens and who knows it may never happen in the next 60 to 75 years. On a rough estimate if the current growth scenario continues in all these three countries, China may overtake USA in the next 20 to 25 years, whereas for Indian it would take another 45 to 50 years. Remember the current situation has to continue, i.e. USA should still continue struggling and the new economic power houses, i.e. India and China should continue to grow at the current levels of high growth. This looks good and achievable on paper but in reality it might take much more than writing articles to actually achieve this. However, there are signs that USA is coming out from the worst slump since the great crisis of 2008 and things are slowly beginning to fall in place.

If we believe in ourselves as nation, and start working on the basic foundations of hard work, commitment and willpower, it is almost certain that USA will once again occupy the pride of place amongst the world nations and will once again be the undisputed superpower both economically and militarily. A economically and militarily powerful USA is very important for world peace, because if any country even today has the will and courage to taken on extremism, terrorism, religious intolerance in the world stage, it is without doubt our great country.  We are sure the valiant efforts of our great grandfathers will not go in vain.

The greed of corporate America is so naked and blatant that it does not require some extra talent or skill to see it. Though some desperate measures have been put in place to try to put back the economy back on rail, every such move is bound to be temporary and a stop-gap arrangement, until we as a nation try to go deep and find out the actual reason for the disaster called the 2008 meltdown. Unfortunately, America which proclaims itself to be the torch bearer for free enterprise and equal opportunities for all, is today finding itself under the total economic control of a few greedy crocodiles better known and corporate giants.

A small or mid-sized organization or an industry in the USA today has no chance to fight the resources and muscle power of these corporate giants and eventually they lose out. It is indeed a sad fact that in the name of competition, America has created a few corporate giants who have started monopolizing almost every section. This indeed is very bad for the nation. This greed is bound to create deep fissures within the nation and society and if not checked soon, it might blow into a serious socio-economic problem.

The best thing that America could have done if it was really keen on world peace and stability would have been to encourage the forces of democracy and the rule of the law. Instead of doing it, America instigated armed rebels and faction to take up arms and fight the puppet regime in Afghanistan. While USSR’s move of occupying Afghanistan cannot be justified, America should have realized that two wrongs do not make a right. The country not only instigated the rebels to fight against the government of the day, but also armed them to the teeth. In the process it created a Frankenstein which is now haunting not only the USA, but also poses a grave challenge and threat to world peace and stability.

Ironically, many of the arms and ammunitions supplied by the then American administrations are now being used by the Taliban and other terrorist groups against America’s own soldiers. It is high time America realized the importance of the harm it is doing to the cause of world peace by being a Kangaroo Court in trying to settle disputes between two nations or various groups within a nation. However, nothing much is likely to change as long as America believes that it is the unilateral power in the world to arbitrate world disputes. The sooner it realizes this fact, the better it would be for world peace.

Another policy which has made them nearer to the majority of the American Public is to provide low-cost government funded college education where low tuition fees and grants of scholarships are the main cornerstones. Coming to social issues, there popular stems from their perception that they would like to unite the country rather than divide it on the basis of color and creed. There slogan leaving the injuries of past behind and moving forward has struck an emotion cord with a majority of the people irrespective of their color. Problems still remain and even today America remains as divided society in this delicate social issue.

Unlike Republicans their opinion that discriminating a person because of his or her sexual orientation has found favor and acceptance with a sizeable number of bisexuals, lesbians and homosexuals. However, this move if it is to be implemented in letter and spirit would be a difficult one because they have to face the wrath of The Church in the country. Another social issue which is bound to face of criticism and opposition particularly from the conservative American Society is their support of giving the right to easy access to birth control. Their commitment to cell research and further advances on gene technology is another point of discord between them and the conservative section of American Society.

As the idea of currency developed, the aim of every individual is to earn money because only money can give you necessities of life like home, clothing and food and luxuries of life, for using any service, to buy anything and everything one needs money. The social status of a person or family is highly dependent on the family history and financial background.

In some societies, the amount of wealth of a person like land, vehicle, gold and high earning business empires all are considered as status symbols. Nowadays, people do hard work and are ready to take any amount of financial or personal risks to earn money and this money is mainly used to increase the social status in the homeland by building big houses with decorations, expensive vehicles, and spending unnecessarily on materialistic pleasures just to show their social status to others in the neighborhood.

This is an unhealthy practice and should be discouraged. But as all the business enterprises and even small scale industries are gaining from their product distribution and big industries start producing expensive things knowing that people are ready to buy their product at any cost. Honestly, it feels good to be popular in our home town or living locality.

But spending more than what we earn is not suitable for a happy life. It only helps to build financial tension and liabilities as you grow older. Planning and thinking twice before making financial decisions, can help people from running behind social status.

It is true that the word morality is not defined in the same way for everyone, and what is good and bad widely depends on the person’s attitude towards everything. It differs from one person to another, depending on their thoughts, ideas and attitude towards each and everything in life.

If we scan our thoughts for a second to think about the famous people, the first category that comes to our mind are about celebrities. Entertainment being a very important part of common people and increasing in popularity because of the influence of media like television, radio and internet, working in this industry can give you fame, if you are well talented and lucky. Working for social upliftment and involving in social services, helping needy people can also bring in fame. But usually no one does good deeds for name sake.

Actually, without thinking about the various fields of work or industries, the one way to be popular is to be the best in whatever you do. Becoming successful in what you do, be it studies, work or extra-curricular activities is going to give you fame within your circle of friends, family and immediate society. Gradually with hard work and sincere effort, any person can aim a life with high social status, lots of money and popularity. Even children are competing with each other for getting the best out of everything. Days are not far when everyone will become stars!

So, it is very important to understand and follow these when you decide to live in a particular place. It is an art to blend into a society and man very easily adjust to his new surroundings and live happily with the facilities around, just that it should be better than his home town. Living in a society, there are certain common rules that everyone follows without any special instructions, like respecting other people and their privacy, to behave properly at public places, taking care of public property and avoiding anything that makes you look funny in the middle of a crowd.

People who show act of violence like robbery, hijacking, public attacks on people, etc. are considered as anti-social elements. They form groups and work against the well-being of the society and people living in it. The reasons they tell maybe protests against government policies or due to some other personal tragedies that happened due to social riots.

To live successfully in a society, we need to be a part of that society and adapt to the ways, but that does not mean you should forget your culture. A society binds together the families and individuals living in it. Today, most of the international destinations are multi-cultural societies where people from different countries around the globe come in search of high profile jobs, high standard of living and enjoyment.

Instead of doing it individually, people have made charitable organizations and trusts to carry out several social services to help the needy. Another aspect of serving the society is by helping out with the development of public services like roads, water supply, electricity and donating land or money for starting such charitable organizations.

Donation of food, clothes and money for orphanages, educating orphans or children whose parents are unable to afford it, providing jobs to needy candidates who are struggling to support their families, are some good deeds one can do if he is well off. Raising funds for charity is very common today and most of the population are ready to support and be a part of it, helping with what they can afford.

There is a natural tendency for human being to feel concerned about others. There are many instances of natural calamities that had suddenly raised a panic and people all around the world become ready to do their best to help others. I think the best way to serve the society is to be a part of the ruling body or government. Politics is mainly concerned with running a nation with a huge responsibility to take suitable decisions for the development of even a small community inside the geographic area.

If you ask me what a society is, I would ask you to step outside your home and look around and that’s it. A society is not only a common medium for interaction and fulfilling necessities alone. There is entertainment and leisure also. Planning a weekend get-together with your family friends or colleague is also an act of socializing.

Now, many clubs have started aiming people of same interests to become its members and to plan some activities that either benefits the members alone, or does something useful for the society. If we observe our day to day life, we will realize that for each and everything we communicate and interact with other people. All small businesses, shops, banks, theatres, television channels, radio, etc. and giant companies are set up by men to produce and market some useful product for the people and earn money from it.

It would not be an irony if I say that if there is no society, there is no existence for human. You can see that even animals and birds live in groups. But what separates man from them is that man has the power of intelligence and thinks of serving his society. That is how social services like charitable organizations, blood donation campaigns, medical camps, and lots more came by.

But as it happens in many other provinces in other parts of the country, in spite of returning a decent number of representatives from The Democratic Party people still continue to wonder what is link or relation between politics, economy and society. A political party which is insensitive the economic need of the society is totally not in tune with the people and is not in a position to understand the pulse of the people. Good economic management and politics go hand in hand.

What is the benefit of good economics if it remains good only on paper? An economy like New Mexico governed by The Democratic Party may by growing at a healthy rate, but if it is not reflected by more jobs being created and more people leading a better life, then such growth is of no use. How best these resources can be distributed amongst various sections of society is economics.

But politicians play an important role to see that the economic resources are distributed as equally as possible. Here politicians play and important role and create a perception that there is attempt to take care of the people who have elected them. To this objective, the representatives of Democratic Party of New Mexico have done a decent job and that could be the only reason why a majority of representatives from this province are from this party.

Old Spanish is a historical trade route which connected Santa Fe with Los Angeles. Blue water Lake State Park has got numerous fishing areas. Travelers can enjoy hot bath in Battleship Rock and McCauley Hot Spring, Black Rock Hot Spring, Bubbles hot spring, Light feather Hot Spring ,Spence Hot Springs and Turkey Creek Hot Spring.

Those who are interested in Science and Technology also have choices. Apache Point Observatory which is a sunspot observatory. The National Atomic Museum is good for those who are interested in nuclear science and technology.  Acapulco is a large resort town situated in the southwestern coast of Mexico. The nightlife is active here. Night Clubs are active here .It is not really suitable for a quiet family vacation. Some of the famous hotels in Carlsbad, New Mexico are US Travelers Inn, Carlsbad Koa, Days Inn Carlsbad, Windmill RV Park, Quality Inn Carlsbad and Motel 6 Carlsbad Nm.

Mexico unlike any other country enjoys the best atmosphere and is known for its spots all around the country filled with joy. Holy places at this country really speak for themselves and is a pleasant experience visiting. What are you planning then?

It is now considered as an easy way of obtaining money. It is considered as compensation to the groom’s parents for the amount of money they spent to educate their son. So, as the qualification and social status of the groom increases, the dowry also increases. Even some bargaining is done to reduce the amount. The bride’s family usually compromises as it is often related to their status. But if they are not successful in meeting their promises, the marriage may not happen. If it happens without fulfilling the promise, it may end up in the breakage of the marriage. It may be by furnishing a case in the family court or even by killing the woman. This happens as the groom’s family feel that they are betrayed by the bride’s family. As dowry is not legal, furnishing a case demanding dowry is not possible. It often results in character assassination or adultery cases as these are easy grounds for Divorce.

Sometimes the women are accused of Psychic problems. All these make dowry a social problem. A family has to raise a big amount of money for the marriage of their daughter as the expenses include general marriage expenses and dowry. In some societies, the amount of money spent in daughter’s marriage refers to their social status which makes it unaffordable. At the same time, marriage of a son brings money to the family. This results in discrimination between boys and girls.

That is why divorce is considered as a social issue. Increase in the rate of divorce is considered as an abnormal social situation in many countries. Children of the separated partners are worst affected. They are shunted between the parents. Studies reveal that the children of divorced parents are more likely to engage in criminal activities. Growing with a single parent will cause psychological problem in children which has an adverse effect on the future of the society.

This happens if one among the partner is unemployed. This usually happens with housewives. Studies reveal that in 90% of divorce cases, mother holds the custody of the children. If the children are staying with her they may experience poverty. Poverty results in malnutrition, lack of proper clothing and lack of proper schooling.  Divorced individuals may suffer from psychological problems. Divorce may change the attitude of an individual towards the institutions such as marriage. Such individuals may again end up in broken relationships. This is also a serious threat for the society. As divorce is a legal problem, it may take a course of time for the legal separation. During this stage both the partners may experience anxiety or other stress related problems. Modern society gives more freedom for the individuals to take decision about their lives but divorce is definitely not good for the society.

It gives moral support to the individual. It helps in the primary socialization of children. Marriage is the acknowledgement of intimate and sexual relationship. It can be defined as a legal contract which helps in developing kinship. It creates legal obligation between the individuals. The rituals associated with this institution are designed in such a way that they represent marriage as a holy act. Education is a highly developed institution. It helps in socializing individuals. It affects the life chances of an individual. It helps an individual to develop to his full potential. Government is powered to enforce laws of public conduct within a geographical area.

Religion is a sacred institution which imparts solidarity and integrity to the society. It emotionally satisfies a society by giving explanation to problems, purpose and meaning of life. It is a system of beliefs and practices. It helps in retaining collective consciousness. Another major institution is military which is powered to use lethal weapons to save a country and its civilians. Hospitals are another institution which provides healthcare for an individual. Thus social institutions help in maintaining the social life in an organized manner.

Hunters and gatherers: In this, Individuals hunt for their food. They were always mobile without settling in any place. They always wander for food and lived in caves. They never stored food.

Pastoral Society: They are group of people who depends on animals for food and transportation. They store food. They usually settle in a place for a long time but as resources of the place deplete, they move on to another place.
Horticultural Society: They are group of people who depended on plants for food. Depletion of resources was a problem for them too to settle down in one place.

Agricultural Society: They cultivated crops over large areas of land. They were also engaged in farming animals.
Feudal Society: Here Land Lords were the owners of the land. Tenants were the group of people who worked hard in the land and they were not entitled to take the yield. Major part of the yield will be taken away by the Land Lord.

Industrial Society: Large industries were set up to produce various goods. Workers settled down near the factories. Transportation facilities increased, cities emerged, wealth and health improved, schools were established, and many changes occurred in the social, political, economic as well as moral aspects of the society.
Post Industrial society: it is the present day society. Here technology plays as the key for development.

They were hunters and gatherers. Later they started cultivation. At this stage, to look after their crops, they started living in a fixed place. This led to the formation of small groups. Later for convenience, the concept of division of labor got introduced. Thus a primitive form of society evolved. In a primitive society, Mechanical solidarity was given importance forcing people to think and act for a collective conscience. Agriculture was the main occupation and this gave rise to a feudalist society. Introduction of industrial society put an end to the feudal society.

Capitalism evolved. In an industrial society, Organic solidarity was given importance. The process by which a society is modernized is called Modernization. Modern society can be classified in to three-Early Modernity (1453-1789), Classical modernity (1789-1900), Late Modernity (1900-1989). We are living in a Post Modern Society (1990-Present). The post modern society is characterized by Globalization, Pro-environmentalism, Self –conceptualization and Rationalization. It is also characterized by liberal morality. Morality is more personnel than social. Individual is given importance. All religions are treated with equal respect. The process of change is still continuing and will never end.

Type One: Alpha Alcoholism

Is to be considered a phase when an individual drinks to drive away depression and stress. This type is usually linked to be rooted to those that are dealing with physiological issues. It can also be link to emotional problems, such as losing a loved one or divorce.

Type Two: Beta Alcoholism

This is very much linked to type one. This level is looked at to be more of a person become constant with drinking. At this point they may start hiding the fact that they are drinking at odd times of the day. This can lead a person to having more physicals problems such as; excess weight, high blood pressure, and damaging internal organs.

Type Three: Gamma Alcoholism

Causes a person to want to have more alcohol then intended. They crave not the taste, but the stimulation of what the alcohol does. The form of “getting high” causes an individual to go all out on binges, staying in a drunk stat, and eventually leading up to alcoholism.

Type Four: Delta Alcoholism

In this level is deeper for a person who drinks at all times of the day and evening, however, they are unable to get drunk or obtain the drunken high that most try to accomplish when drinking.

Type Five: Epsilon Alcoholism

The final phase is when a person drinks so much that they pass out! This could be dangerous due to many suffer alcohol poisoning or comma like state leading to death.

High Blood Pressure is among one of the risk factors when a person can suffer from obesity. The extra weight causes the heart to work harder to pump blood though the body. This can lead the heart to being over worked and a person can develop heart disease. This intern can bring heart attack or stroke as an end result.
Believe it or not, being overweight can bring an individual to suffer for arthritis!

Bone damage, along with joint pain, are leading when it comes to their mobility. It is know that when a person carries around extra weight, water can collect in the joints. Over time, the joints begging to stiffen and are not as mobile as they use be. The common areas are hands, knees, and feet for this condition!
Aside from the physical elements, a person’s physiologic state can be affected.

Obesity can lead to:

-Low self-esteem
-Depression
-Low Drive for Life
-Becoming Non-Social

If an individual is suffering from these conditions, the first thing they must done is admit there is a problem. Admitting that you need help is the first phases of personal growth. Counseling and support are needed for those dealing with the issue. Talking about it with others, along with diet and exercise, will keep them focused and encouraged. This disorder isn’t different then any other. It should be taking with complete seriousness. Remember that obesity is not a one time deal. It’s an on going recovery for those in need!

A point that is helpful is to spread your meals out over the whole day. Never wait to sit down and have one large meal, nor have three big meals as once taught. Plan so that you can at least have four to five meals a day. This will allow your body to process your meals faster.

One reason why people tend to overeat is due to stressful times we live in. Food becomes a refuge instead of a necessity. Find other ways to relax by breathing exercises or get a massage. Doing this will take your mind off of the problem and out of the fridge. Working out to relieve stress can help you burn off some steam!

Getting out with people is a good way to stay off of binges. We as human beings are made to socialize with others. Working more then nine to five and being alone can lead to a person turning to food for comfort. Now, you don’t have to know the whole neighborhood, but a few friends can keep you entertained and away from overeating.

More then ever, you need to make up in your mind that you love yourself! Again, overeating due to loneliness or lack of love can hinder a person. Always find qualities about yourself and keep them in the forefront of your mind. Tell yourself about these qualities every chance you get!

You could experience something called irritable bowel syndrome, a.k.a (IBS). Signs of this are if you experience a large amount of abdominal pain on a regular. Most people experience it as having heart burn or gas. Some may turn up having constipation or diarrhea due to stressful conditions.

Having a nervous tic or even heart palpitations could be a sign of stress. People who are stressed have a tendency to have muscle spasms that are hard to control. Common areas are the mouth, parts of the head, or neck area. Stress can cause the heart to beat irregularly. This makes the heart work harder to keep up the blood flow.

Loss of sleep is another symptom! A person under a lot of stress can sleep too much or not get enough. This is most common in those who work long hours at jobs, or have constant shift changes.

Many probably have not heard this, but dry mouth could be another sign. Not to be mistaken for those who suffer from dry mouth disorder, but stress can cause you not to breathe properly. This will eventually lead to your mouth drying our due to saliva not being generated properly.

Stress management programs are a good way to help deal with the way individuals handle stressful lives. Most jobs make this a requirement so their employees know how to function in stressful situations. If at any time you feel overwhelmed, never be afraid to walk away to take time for you. Believe me the issues will be there! Dealing with situations beyond your control will get you nowhere.

In America alone, over one trillion dollars have been spent to educate kids not to partake in illegal drugs. Unfortunately, the usage of drug use, as well as drug importing, has gone up within the last 40 years instead of going down!
Reasons behind this include that way students are being educated about drug use. The tactics and ways that are presented could be too “old fashion” for our youth today.
The youth are exposed to or then pot smoking and cocaine. Harder facts and reality checks are needed to awaken them about the dangers of drugs.

Poverty plays a part on how drug sells are conducted. With the poverty level and unemployment at an all time high, people are doing what they can to make ends meet. That means many are selling narcotics for money to survive. The amount of Americans on drugs is not helping the problem either. Drug abuse has become more common in the last 40 years then any other time! As long as there are buyers, then it won’t be a problem for the sellers to make a profit. Violence, on the other hand, develops from this because those who are hooked on drugs do what they can to get funding for their habits.

The Obama administration are looking to see what other alternatives can be taken to increase awareness about drug abuse. Many Americans feel that there is little that can be done. Although they don’t think that drugs should be legalized by any means, but maybe it’s time to accept that this is the way times are! Like alcohol, drugs may have a place on the market for good.

-The estimated level of poverty in the U.S.A. is somewhere around 14.5 percent

-Even though most Americans have full time jobs, about three percent of them are living at the poverty level.

-Lack of education is also blamed on poverty. Those who dropped out of high school are most likely to earn less the $16,000 a year then someone who has a high school education.

Theses numbers only give use a taste of why poverty is so high in States. There are other reasons why so many are having a hard time financially. For starters, job cuts are unemployment top the charts. When a person no longer has the income they once possessed, living the lifestyle they once had is null and void. Even if they were to receive unemployment benefits it’s still not enough to cover simple living expenses.

Let’s look at some disturbing facts of average incomes that show the levels of people in the United States who are pledged by poverty. These earnings are based on yearly earnings!

-Earnings of singles under the age of 65: $12,000

-Earning of singles over 65: $11,000

-Single Parents:

One Child: $15,000
Two Children: $ 17,000

-Two Working Adults:

No Children: $ 14,500
One Child: $17,400
Two Children: $ 22,000
Three Children: $26,000

Educating people about poverty is important for the future. Many are not aware of how others are living in low conditions. If these stats don’t change soon, there is no telling what shape our economy will be in for generations to come!

Although education played a role into setting labor laws, it still wasn’t enough! Parent had their children working for two reasons;

1) Parents were unable to send their children to school.

2) They needed them to contribute to the economic responsibilities of the household.

Back in the late 1700 s it was common to see children working in factories and other high stress environments. In 1788, more the 60 percent of workers in England alone were children! Laws were set into motion to stop this due to the condition and many saw that this was inhuman for children. Unfortunately, this went forward without little success.

It wasn’t until that in the early 1900 s; America formed a group called the National Labor Law Committee, which wouldn’t allow children of a certain age to work! Members of this committee set up inspections to see the conditions and if under aged children were working. Once these findings were exposed, the children would be sent off the premises right away. Word got about the committee doing investigations, some businesses went as far as hiding children in walls and floor boards.

Finally in 1938 after many attempts were made, a bill was passed by congress under the Fare Labor Standards Act. The bill finally became a law in 1941 that prohibited children to work no more then 40 hours a week. The minimum wage at the time was to be set at $0.40 an hour. Any child that was below the age of 16 years old was to be considered hazardous and was not to be hired for employment.

What are some the pros that are associated with immigration:

1. Better standard of living. Immigrants are able to earn to more money then they are able to earn in there own country. This way, they have more options such as sending monies back to their country to help out with their families needs.

2. Immigrants are cheaper when it comes to labor. When migrating for one part of the world to the next, immigrants are almost more then willing to work just as hard for less money. Thus, it can help with the economy to build more on less revenue.

3. The growth of the economy is a big plus! When immigrants settle into a new land, it increases the amount of spending and purchasing of goods! This can bring bigger business to companies such as banks, housing, and insurances to name a few.

Some of the cons that come from immigration:

1. There may be fewer resources for people. With more people in any given environment, resources become scars. This can be anything form jobs, to land and water.

2. There can also be a lack when it comes to employment opportunities. Again with more people being in a general environment, it can bring more people to wanting to have jobs. If jobs are scars, this can even cause unemployment to rise!

3. Crime is another factor that can be a con for immigration. Many lash out at the idea at immigrants for having benefits that they are not entitled to. This is especially so if an immigrant is illegal. Crime can range from beatings, to violent protests!

In Britain alone, over 4,500 deaths have been associated with cheaper tobacco being sold on the black market. High cost in this country, as well as the U.S., are causing many to find cheaper ways to support their nicotine habit. A study conducted by the Cancer Research in the United Kingdom revealed that if it were not for black market tobacco, cigarettes would have gone up by 15 percent in the past year!

Tobacco smuggling has fallen drastically since the government has taken tougher measures to stop illegal sales of tobacco. Back in 2000, this became a problem due to so many becoming mysteriously sick off of the black market tobacco. Patients were found to suffer from sudden heart attacks, collapse lungs, drop in blood pressure, and nerve damage. After tests and surveys that were issued, they found that people were using tobacco that was not passed by the F.D.A. Although such laws have been placed to stop smuggling, doctors feel that it’s not enough! Many feel that the weight should not be just on Congress, but also on the distributors who let this type of activity go on.

This type of smuggling can be deadly due to consumers not knowing what is in their products. Mostly of the times, black market tobacco has chemicals that are dangerous to inhale. Some products have been known to have chemicals such as formaldehyde, which is used to preserve dead bodies. Consumers need awareness that products are on the black market for a reason. Although many are against smoking as a whole, if you must do it, find other ways to cut corners to purchase tobacco products that are legal.

Human Rights are privileges that can be obtain by anyone regardless of race, creed, religion, or gender. This also means that we have rights to things that we should not be discriminated against. Human Rights can go all the way back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That was the desires of the leaders in this county that all men be created equal.

This includes, but not limited to:

- A Right to Life
- Civil and Political Rights
- Being equal when it come to the Law
- Freedom to express ones self
- The right for employment
- Education
- Social Security

These rights came to pass in 1948. Since then, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have revised and established new privileges so that all can be equal. In 1993 treaties were established in many states, protecting individual’s rights for equal opportunities. In turn, these treaties establish liability for each state. A person or group can not be deprived of their Human Rights. The only time where an individuals rights are questioned or withheld, is unless they have been convicted of pass crimes. Their right to free liberty can be affected.

To this day, Human Rights are still an issue due to many cultures not felling they have the same rights as others. Discrimination and segregation are still in many vocabularies, especially in the African American community. Human Rights still need to be discussed and taught to all. If you don’t know what your rights are, how can you be aware when wronged in any way? Rights of a human are not limited and neither should a person limit themselves of who they are to obtain them.

Let’s look at it this way; children in single family homes are likely to get more attention. This is because the parent that is raising the child has a stronger mandate to raise and nurture. The United States Census Bureau reported some interesting stats of how single parents are raising their children.

Did you know there are almost 15 million single mothers and fathers raising their children alone? Surprisingly, these numbers have not changed since the mid 1990 s. There are approximately 90 million children, under the age of 21, who are being raised by single parents. 25 million out of that statistic are raised by single parents. Out of all of the single parents accounted for, 83 percent are woman and 17 percent are men.

Let’s look at the working parent’s statistics. Studies show that 60 percent of working parents are working full time, while 30 percent have part time employment. 10 percent, on the other hand, are not working at all! These parents are most likely full time parents and collecting government benefits.

For most Americans, raising a child in a single family home can be a challenge on any level. It can be a challenge financially. It can be a task trying to make time for that child, due to work and other responsibilities. Aside from that, you will find that in most single parent households, that the parent is more attached to their child. The good news is, is that most single family homes over come this hurdle and raise promising children!

There are four number two cards in the deck when you play deuces wild, which means you have a reasonable chance of getting a couple of them. This becomes even more true when you are dealing with a card “shoe,” or with a video poker machine.  But it is a law of life that sometimes when you place a bet, you end up losing.  Other laws also apply to gambling, of course, although these vary based on where you are. New Mexico has one law that relates directly to gambling, but that may end up biting the unwary gambler in a sensitive spot if it ends up applying in their particular situation.

For instance, if you were playing a game against someone in New Mexico, and you bet money that you did not happen to have, you could actually go into debt to carry on with your gambling.  This can be a serious problem if the person you are betting against wants to actually get paid the amount that you owe them,  since debt is no guarantee of being paid promptly. The bad news is, this is just a problem that happens in the real world.

However, there are some solutions to this problem. One of them is to never bet with money you do not already have to avoid debt-gambling laws. This is a solution which is extremely easy to employ, especially if your preferred method of placing bets is to use online casino games. After all, with an online casino, you have no capability of betting more than you have already deposited into your gaming account. The computers are smart like that — they can see the difference between a positive number, a zero, and a negative number. Of course, it is a little bit less exciting this way, but you can still end up winning without any issue at all.

Once an individual is infected, the symptoms start showing up six to twelve weeks after. In many cases a person can have flu like symptoms and most times, it is ignored. That is, if a person knows for certain that are infected. Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, if treated at the HIV level, it will take approximately 10 years for the individual to develop the AIDS virus. With proper treatment it could be as long as 15 years depending on the person.

What is the difference in men and woman when it comes to HIV symptoms?

In Woman

- Abnormal amounts of fat that is distributed in the body

- The breast my become enlarged and get headaches for no reason

- The pelvis may become inflamed at various times

- They may suffer from frequent abdominal problems

- Physical and psychological problems start to occur at a fast rate

In Men

- Headaches and vomiting may occur

- May suffer from enlarged lymph’s in armpits, neck, and genital area

- Could suffer from rapid weight loss and constant diarrhea over weeks at a time

- Loss of memory and fatigue for long periods of time can be signs of HIV

Although education in our society is plentiful, it is still important to reinforce the dangers of this illness. A person should not be worried if they have some of the symptoms listed above, but it’s something that you should take note of. Get tested as soon as possible to find out if you could be a carrier. The soon you find out, the better chance you have to control the virus!

Political mudslinging certainly isn’t a new phenomenon – candidates have been buying ad space to slay their opponents since our country’s inception. And certainly, a little healthy competition serves our country well and motivates voters to hit the polls on election days. The disturbing trend lately – and one that seemed to reach fever pitch during the Obama/McCain race of 2008 – is that candidates are now focusing almost all of their ad dollars on negativity. At the end of a nasty ad, a viewer/voter knows everything about why they should hate the opponent – but nothing about why they should vote for the candidate who bought the ad. This imbalance is frightening, mostly because it blinds and manipulates the viewer.

Of course, in a perfect political climate, voters wouldn’t need negativity to influence their opinions and would give their vote to the candidate they saw best fit for the position – but sadly, we don’t live in a perfect political world. Negativity and mudslinging have become as common in political television and print advertising as the colors red, white and blue. No matter your political opinion though, it’s safe to say that if Saturday Night Live can generate entire two-hour episodes mocking our political atmosphere, today’s politicians and their outlandish accusations and hate campaigns are providing too much fodder.

Governor-elect Susana Martinez is walking a fine line between bowing to the public’s demand to reduce Hollywood’s access to New Mexico and a much needed income boost to the state despite huge incentives.

Until now, New Mexico has been very aggressive in luring Hollywood film and television makers by offering a staggering 25% refund on any in-state production expenses as well as loans up to $15 million, interest free.

Since first offering these incentives in 2002, New Mexico has drawn more than 150 television and film projects, and the film commission estimates that more than $2.1 billion has been generated for the state.

It is doubtful that Susana Martinez is going to completely eliminate the tax incentives; however, it is likely that she’ll consider putting a cap on the amounts handed out. This would bring New Mexico more in line with other states who have also dropped the amount of incentives to film makers. To end it completely would withdraw a much needed source of employment and economic stimulus.

Currently incentives have been radically scaled back in Wisconsin, suspended entirely in New Jersey, Kansas and Iowa, capped in Rhode Island and they are scheduled to expire soon in Arizona.

On the other side of the debate are the people of New Mexico. They love that their beautiful state is featured so often in shows and movies, but complaints pour in from townspeople and business owners who complain that when film crews move in, they take completely over. Entire towns can be engulfed by a single movie production crew who expect the locals and their businesses to be fully accommodating despite the noise, traffic, pollution and the strain on local resources.

Like Scott Kay jewelry, New Mexico is etched with majestic beauty that should be shared with the world via movies and television programs, but a balance between incentives and revenue and the people must be found.

Many people in society are not aware how any current political situation can be linked to the country’s economy. The state of the economy can govern how jobs and resources are distributed among residents.  It can also decide if there is a shortage in one area or a surplus in another. Politics plays a very key role in that it is the key decision makers who can influence how the resources are distributed among the residents. Some analysts have also stated that the link between politics and the economy are proportionate to each other.

Therefore with this link in mind, most people would like to see politics and politicians who are concerned about the state of the economy and that any decisions made by a politician should be in favor of improving the economy for the general good of all. This is the task of the key policy decision makers in places such as New Mexico.

Economic Systems

In the case of the world’s governments, two main systems drive the links between politics, society and the economy. The world’s governments will either by a central planned economy in which the government or politicians do not only influence but have command over a major share of the economy. In some countries, the government might have command over all of the economy. This type is seen mainly in developing nations.

The second type of economy that influences the links between politics, society and the economy is a free market economy. The politics of the country does have influence over the economy but it is small or minimal. This is seen mainly in the society of developed nations. The free market economy exists in countries where there is a large amount of foreign investors that can also influence the state of a country’s economy. Therefore, as an example the United States would fall mostly into a free market economy with its politics having some influence.

The cabinet of the United States has a very important job and the United States Constitution governs the work that it does. The cabinet mainly functions to counsel the President of the United States on matters in society. This is done by having regular sessions with the President to review any policy that needs to be changed or needs to be implemented. Represent around the globe

The US Constitution

The guidelines for the cabinet are contained within the United States constitution. The information within Article II, discusses the information on how the cabinet should be formed. It also discusses the responsibility of the cabinet in providing guidance to the President in the areas it oversees. The cabinet members are given a department to oversee and will report any information to the President, especially during times when policy or a situation can largely affect the American society and population.

How Its Constructed

Generally, the cabinet of the President will consists of sixteen members. There is a Vice President that directly below the President. If the President would like information or an update on any foreign or international policy, he would have a meeting with the Secretary of the State. The current financial state of the country falls under the responsibility of the Secretary of the Treasury. Another important department within the Cabinet is in regards to law enforcement. For example, if the President would like information on a current legal issue that pertains to the country, he would consult with the Attorney General who oversees the enforcement of laws in the nation.

Cabinet Selection

Cabinet selection is done when the President comes into office, but can be selected or removed any time. The Democratic Party members chosen have a proven track record in the departments they are chosen to represent. In some instances, a new president may keep a cabinet member of a former president when he comes into office.

The first people to arrive in what is now known as the United States of American first used metals such as silver or gold to buy any food and supplies. The use of precious metals continued, but it became harder to find and use silver and gold. Many people in society also started hoarding this form of currency.

Each of the American colonies then had to resort to printing of paper money for each resident to use. This continued slowly at first, and then increased as the request for more money made from paper increased. By this time, using silver and gold could not be exported or imported as it was being controlled by Britain.

First Paper Money

Paper money was initially used around the end of the seventeenth century and beginning of the eighteenth century. The initial colony to do so is what is now known as the state of Massachusetts. The money made of paper was printed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony and this colony would go on to be renamed the cities of Boston or Salem.

With a strict control by Britain on silver and gold, the use of paper money caught on like wildfire over the colonies. It was especially useful during the United States American Revolution. This occurred in 1775. It was during this time that a bank called the Bank of North America controlled the issuing of paper money during the war.

The Federal Reserve Act

Time progressed and the issuing and use of paper money within the United States became evident during the early 1920’s. The Federal Reserve Bank that was created to regulate the printing by the US Treasury released the first $1 bank note. The $1 bank note was printed in the same style until about 1970 when it was redone. The present paper money has come a long way with many security features added.

Someone under the age of 18 and born to parents who are American citizens can become naturalized into society when his or her parents become naturalized. Naturalization is a concept within immigration whereby citizenship is acquired after permanent residency. The person born internationally is not born with this American citizenship but acquires it through a parent. There are various conditions that govern this process for the parent to become naturalized.

·    The parent will need to have lived in legally on American soil for at least five years. During these five years, they could not have lived outside of US for any longer than six months.
·    The parent should have reached the age of majority- 18 years old. Therefore teenage parents are not able to apply until the parent’s 18th birthday.
·    The parent will need to reside in one state such as New Mexico for a minimum of three months before an application can be accepted.
·    The parent will also need to know facts and dates about the United States society and the democratic party.

Derived Citizenship

In the case of a parent that becomes naturalized, any children the new naturalized US citizen has can also become a citizen. The parent should contact the local branch of the United States Customs Immigration Service department to find out what is the current form he or she will need to fill in and submit. As this is a serious immigration matter, two photographs will need to be submitted.

The information submitted with the application form should show how the minor is related to the newly naturalized citizen. There is never too much evidence that can be submitted with the application. However, in all cases the naturalized citizen will need to have sole or joint custody of the minor. Some documents include a marriage certificate, birth certificates of parents, and birth certificate of minor. A certificate of citizenship is obtained once the application is approved.

Some of the rules that New Mexico has implemented include:

• Even if your spouse does not file bankruptcy with you, you must disclose his or her name, mailing address, and last four digits of their social security number.
• The debtor must mail notices to the creditors of the non-filing spouse within five days of filing for bankruptcy and notify the court of compliance with this rule within two additional days.
• If the debtor is experiencing financial hardship, but doesn’t qualify for a waiver of fees, he or she can request to pay in installments.
• For Chapter 13 cases in New Mexico, the trustee can only pay the debtor’s attorney’s fees with court approval.
• Homestead exemptions in New Mexico for homeowners can add up to $30,000. This means that you’re allowed to have up to this amount in household goods and home equity.
• People who don’t own a home can keep up to $2,000 in property as a substitution for the homestead exemption.
• You can also keep $500 worth of personal items, $2,500 worth of jewelry, $4,000 in automobile equity, and $1,500 in tools of your trade that are used to earn an income.

Of course, there are many more rules that the New Mexico Bankruptcy court has decided apply to their court. To find an experienced bankruptcy attorney that is licensed to practice in New Mexico, visit www.totalbankruptcy.com. They will be able to explain the rules in detail and explain all of your options, as well as go over any bankruptcy laws you may need to know. Many bankruptcy attorneys will offer a free consultation or only charge a small fee.

It is the essential duty of an American citizen parent living abroad to be acquainted with the stipulations for applying to have a foreign born child become a citizen of the United States. This information is contained within the child citizenship act.

When searching information under the child citizenship act, the parent who is an American citizen living abroad should apply for his or her child to become a citizen before the child reaches the age of majority. However, this does not apply to any child born on American soil, as he or she will be an US citizen at the time of birth. Therefore, it can be seen that the United States has established this Act to govern how foreign-born children of American s become citizens.

The Act of 2000

The US Constitution holds citizenship as a right of society. This Act was created when US Citizen parents returned home, but any children born in another country were not entitled to the same rights, as they did not possess citizenship. By reviewing the information supplied by the Democratic Party, a foreign-born child to receive citizenship only one parent has to be a US citizen and this parent must have sole or joint custody of the child.

Application & Documentation

The parent who is a US citizen should make an application before the child reaches the age of majority. Accordingly, the child should be in the United States and entered legally as a permanent resident.

The US citizen parent should make an application for the foreign-born child to receive American citizenship.  All of the documents pertaining to the child will need to be translated to English, if they are in another language. The parent must submit both his or her passport and the child’s passport.

It can be stated that other documentation that can be submitted includes a marriage certificate, school records, and proof of residence.

Powerful First Ladies in America:

•    Jackie Kennedy-Jackie Kennedy was born in 1929 as Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and was married to John F. Kennedy in 1953.  She spent much of her time at the White House trying to redesign and restore it.  She was also known for her dignity and fashion sense.
•    Laura Bush-Laura Bush was a powerful force in the White House and in her husband’s re-election campaign. Advocate for issues such as homelessness, Aids awareness, and literacy.
•    Rosalynn Carter-born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith, she married Jimmy Carter in 1946.  Rosalynn Carter became associated with politics, as she was one of Jimmy Carter’s closest advisers through his term as president.  She also became the honorary chair of the presidents’ Mental Health Commission and took up many mental health issues.
•    Lucy Ware Webb Hayes-Nicknamed “Lemonade Lucy” for her role at banning alcohol at the White House.  Was a fierce opponent of slavery.
•    Dolly Madison-Well loved and noted for saving national treasures during the time that Washington was under attack in the War of 1812.
•    Abigail Powers Fillmore-Had a deep love of learning and is credited  for creating much of the White House Library.
•    Mamie G. Eisenhower-Was a very popular first lady and was known for holding many dinners for heads of state.
•    Hillary Rodham Clinton-Very Powerful first lady who was an advocate for national health insurance along with rights for children and women around the world.
•    Michelle Robinson Obama-While her tenure as first lady is still relatively new, Mrs. Obama has a deep interest in helping military and working families.

The Democratic Party in the United States can look back on a proud history that encompasses a national vision and political organization.  This vision is primarily based on the power and strength of politically active, diverse, and economically empowered American people.  Our Party’s founder, over the past two hundred years, have determined that social status and wealth entitlements.  The belief of our founders was based the compassion and wisdom that was found within every person and that a stable government must come about by wide popular base.

Politics in American History

Former Chairman of the Democratic Party, the late Ron Brown, made a statement once that exuded to the fact that the thread that binds the Democratic history, from the likes of Thomas Jefferson to Bill Clinton, was found within hard working American families. He also went on to say that the commitment to helping the poor, disenfranchised, the excluded, has in turn strengthened our nation whereby they earned a piece of the American Dream.  His thoughts were that we could hold on to the fact that this land was built by slaves and immigrants and those before them.

Thomas Jefferson who fought against the elitist Federalist Party and the Bill of Rights, founded the Democratic Party as a congressional caucus in 1792.  In 1798, the party known as the “party of the common man” was formally named the Democratic-Republican Party. In 1800, Jefferson was elected the first Democratic President of the United States where he served two terms.  James Madison followed Jefferson in 1808. Madison helped reaffirm American independence by strengthening America’s armed forces and conquering the British in the War of 1812. In 1816, James Monroe was elected president and served during a time where Democratic Republicans served with little opposition.  This period in our nation was frequently referred to as “The Era of Good Feeling”.

The History of the Democratic Party in the United States has enjoyed over 200 years leadership of which to be proud.  The Democratic system has sought to economically empower, and strengthen, those involved in politics and socially diverse Americans.  This national vision has led then to strive to build a stable government that is made up of the people.

In 1824 election of John Quincy Adams was greatly disputed and let to a 4-way split among the Democratic-Republicans.  As a result of this split, Andrew Jackson became a national leader.  Andrew Jackson was known as a war hero and one of the fore fathers of the Democratic Party, was noted with having a huge impact with his supporters that reached unprecedented numbers in American History.  The Democrats in Jackson’s time, created the party platform, the national convention process, and brought together the Democratic Party from the victories Jackson won between 1828 and 1832.  The first National Convention that the party held was in 1832 and President Jackson was nominated to his second term.  The Party’s name was simplified to the Democratic Party by the National Convention in 1844.

The Powerful Democratic Party

The Democratic National Committee was established by the National Convention in 1848.  This is still the longest running organization of politics in the world.  The Democratic National Committee was given the responsibility, by the Convention, of preparing for the next convention and endorsing the cause of the Democrats between the conventions.

The Democratic Party started to support the immigrants who swamped the industrial centers and centers at the close of the 19th century  by bringing them into the American mainstream thus creating the most powerful economic tool in American History.  William Jennings, who was a Democratic Party leader, supported the right of women’s suffrage, led an agrarian reformers movement, directed election of Senators, and the evolution of income tax. The Democratic Party became a force in local urban politics as it entered the 20th Century.

When considering the benefits and the drawbacks of democracy in a state such as New Mexico, it is sometimes beneficial to do a comparison and contrast between the state in question and other locales all together. For example, you might look at the New Mexico democracy in comparison to basic Canada 411 to get a good idea of what the differences are. Countries like Canada have their own government and legal systems, and comparing them to the democratic system of the United States can give you some interesting insight into how the world works. The more you know about each side, the better able you will be to become informed on the subject.

A democratic state and a democratic society are important considerations. The reason is because in a democracy, the people have the power to choose a leader. In New Mexico, all aspects of government are democratic. This means that the people get to put every measure to a vote before a decision is made. In New Mexico, politicians are chosen, ballot measures are voted on, and no serious decision can be made without the people first deciding as a whole. Just as the United States as a whole is a democratic environment, so is the governmental system in the state of New Mexico.

It is vitally important that you understand how a democracy works in order to take part in it. You must understand your role as a democratic citizen in order to best benefit from what this system affords you with. Once you know how a democracy is formed and run, that is when you can really make educated and informed decisions when you vote and participate in other democratic principles and processes. Take the time to get to know how the democratic process works, and what role you have in voting, and make your vote count in the New Mexico democracy.

For over 200 years, the Democratic Party has been a powerful reminder of the wonderful history in politics our country has been a part.  This party had a national vision that included diverse Americans of every socioeconomic realm, as the Party’s founders believed that social status and wealth did not entitle individuals to rule, but the broad base of the people was needed to build a stable government.

Political Democratic Leaders of Yesteryear

Woodrow Wilson, in 1912, became known as the first Democratic president of the 20th Century.  Wilson fought strongly for the League of Nations, he let the country through World War I, passed the first child and labor welfare laws, and he instituted the Federal Reserve Board.

A generation after this, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president by running on the pledge of the New deal.  Roosevelt energized citizens on the belief that the government could give them the assistant they needed and successfully pulled America out of the Depression.  The New Deal electrified Appalachia, brought water to the Central Valley in California, and secured farms across the Midwest.  The nation was made stronger by giving Americans a stake in the future and bringing them into systems such as the WPA, the Social Security System and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Democrats began to fight in order to brig down barriers of gender and race with the election of Harry Truman.  Truman oversaw the rebuilding of Europe and integrated the military by creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Marshall Plan.

President John F. Kennedy, in the 1960’s, encouraged the nation to build our country’s past experiences in history.  Kennedy created the Peace Corps, negotiated a treaty prohibiting the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, and dared the country to put a man on the moon.  Following the assassination of Kennedy, Johnson fought against the War on Poverty and created a series of society programs such Medicare so older Americans would receive health care.

The Democratic Party in America has a proud heritage of a strong national vision and political organization that includes politically active and socially diverse Americans.  For over 200 years the Party’s leaders have longed believed that a government built on a vast popular base as opposed to entitlements, should encompass a stable government.

How the Democrats brought Healing to America

With the election and win of Jimmy Carter as president in 1976, the nation’s trust in government began its healing process following the Watergate scandal.  Carter did many positive things during his tenure as president, one of which was negotiating the Camp David historic peace accords between Israel and Egypt.

Governor Bill Clinton from Arkansas was elected President of the United states in 1992.  President Clinton took the stand on a New Covenant for the hard working American families that were forgotten in this country.  America was in a huge state of high unemployment, increasing crime, and record budget deficits, following 12 years of Republican presidents.  President Clinton’s policies were aimed at putting people first and produced the longest period of economic growth in America’s peacetime history.  Both the Senate and House passed what was known as the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993, without even one Republican vote.  The Deficit Reduction Act ended up leading to a cease in perennial budget deficits and also put America on a road to fiscal recovery and responsibility.  President Clinton’s final budget resulted in over a $ 200 billion surplus, which had followed an inherited $ 290 billion deficit in 1992. The Clinton and Gore Administration was also responsible for reducing crime to its lowest levels in a generation and reducing unemployment levels to it lowest levels in decades. With the win in the election of 1996, Clinton had become the first Democratic President since Roosevelt to be reelected.

For over 200 years, the Democratic Party has accomplished much in the areas of American economic re- structuring and growth.  To run a good, sound, stable government, the Party’s premise from its inception was a vision of government run and led by a broad base of people and not one focused on those with entitlements.  Looking back, our country’s leaders can be proud on what has been accomplished.

Democrats Party’s Future Goals

With a history the encompasses over 2000 elections, the Democrats gained 4 more Senate Seats, one more gubernatorial seat, and one more House seat.  Vice President Al Gore also won the popular vote for the Candidacy for President by over 500,000 votes.  The Democrats once again regained control of the Senate in 2001, under Majority Leader Tom Daschle.  During this period, the Democrats won victories all over the country including races for Virginia Lt. Governor and Governor, 39 major mayoral races including Houston and Los Angeles, and New Jersey Governor.

While  the 21st Century can mark a time that our nation can look back and be proud of all the hard work that has been accomplished, we must continue ahead on what needs to be accomplished. Our nation needs to focus on incorporating every American into the fabric of our country.  The success of the history in the next hundred years for America will only come about when we bridge the divisions of separation in areas such as ethnicity, region, class, and race.  Some feel that the Democratic Party is now ready to take on the opportunities we currently are afforded to meet our nations’ challenges.  The positive growth needed in this country will branch out as our nation continues to govern by opportunity, inclusion and strength, the same principles that have given America the title “the greatest nation on earth”.

The Democratic Party is currently one of the two main contemporary political parties in America, the other being the Republican Party.  The party has had a history of liberal views and has been classified as more to “the left” on the U.S. political scale.  As of 2004, the Democratic Party has the most registered voters that encompass any political organization worldwide, which makes up about 72 million voters.  The results of polls taken from the last decade indicate that about 35% of American voters consider themselves Democrats.

The Melting Pot of Democratic Voters

The Democratic Party has had a strong history of support amongst Native Americans populations in areas such as New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Alaska, North Carolina, South Dakota, Idaho, Minnesota, and Washington. Records indicate that most Native Americans vote Democratic in borders that are led only by African-Americans.

The Democratic Party has also had significant support amongst a growing number of Asian Americans.  Throughout history, most Asian Americans have held on to a more pro-business view, which has led them to have a stronghold on voting Republican.  Starting between the years of 1996 and 2006 the Democratic appeal started to gain amongst the Asian American population with a 62% vote increase.  Some feel that this leaning toward a more Democratic vote was largely due to a newer generation of more liberal Filipino American and Vietnamese youths and growing numbers of Indian and Chinese immigrants that were normally fiscal centrists but adopted a leftward approach on social policy. Currently, Vietnamese Americans still vote, on a large scale, Republican, while Indian Americans, Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Pacific Island Americans, and Southeast Asians have primarily voted Democratic.  Americans of Korean, Pakistani, and Filipino descent have recently leaned toward a more Democratic vote. In the last few elections, younger Asian Americans that encompass all backgrounds between the ages of 18-30 have also leaned toward the Democratic Party.

Despite pushing through significant legislation aimed to stimulate the economy and provide health insurance for everyone in American society, President Obama seems to have fallen out of favor in the court of public opinion. Part of the problem is the perception that the economy has not improved significantly under his watch.

Presidents often fall on their swords due to the state of the economy. Herbert Hoover was a great humanitarian and by all accounts a decent human being, but due to his misfortune of sitting in the White House during the dawn of the Great Depression his reputation has fallen into disrepair.

Blaming economic misfortune on the President is putting a face on a complex network that few people, if any, fully understand. The President can guide fiscal policy or push for new laws, but his power is limited by the natural checks and balances of a democracy and the whims of the market. The job market has picked up during the Obama Administration, but the promises of the Grant Park rally seem to be forgotten during the first difficult two years of his leadership.

Policy takes months to enact and then take effect. So while opponents might have written off Obama as a failure, historians will probably provide a much softer view. The economy was not insured by 21st car insurance. There was not a check in the mail by the end of the week to get it rolling again.

Franklin Roosevelt is regarded by historians as a successful leader, but even his administration had not solved all of the ills of the Great Depression during the first half of his first term in the White House. It is too early to write off Obama or his policies.

Social media has become huge and important in nearly every area of our lives. People blog, connect on social networking sites, photo share and more. Is it any wonder that politicians, political parties, political action groups and nearly everyone else involved in the process have hopped on the social media bandwagon?

During Barack Obama’s bid for the White House in 2008, his campaign took to social media, conquering these channels and harnessing their power in ways no one had ever seen. But true to the fast-paced nature of social media, politicians at all levels are now adept at using this new medium.

Some experts speculate that use of social media in politics has placed our society at the edge of a monumental power shift. Traditionally, people with higher education levels and higher incomes have been the most involved in politics and have had the most influence. But social media is altering the landscape, giving people who haven’t traditionally had much of a voice in the political discussion greater influence. Nearly everyone seems to have access to a computer and the most widely used social media sites are free.

Young adults – those 18 to 29 – are becoming more interested in politics, thanks to social media. They are commenting on blogs and news stories, “liking” political candidates and more. And those that take these steps online have been proven to be more likely to participate in the political process offline, too. Gaining the interest of these young voters has become crucial to almost every political candidate’s success.

You can be sure that candidates, pundits, political activists and nearly everyone else involved in the political process is watching these trends closely. Those involved work tirelessly to develop social media plans and strategies aimed at capturing your online interest – and converting that online interest into a “yes” vote.

Those interested in the subject of campaign finance reform may be surprised to know the topic dates all the way back to 1867, when a Naval appropriations bill prohibiting government employees from asking Navy yard workers for campaign contributions was passed. This law came about because at the time, political parties depended so much on money from government employees that they even assessed funds from their pay.

Despite this law and other efforts along the way, including the Tillman Act in 1907, it wasn’t until the 1970s that meaningful reform began to occur. The Federal Election Campaign Act was passed in 1971. It required campaigns and political parties to disclose where they received money from. After Watergate in 1974, this law was amended to establish the Federal Election Commission. The commission was tasked with enforcing the new regulations that were also outlined in the amendment.

In 2001 and 2002, congress passed and the president signed into law the McCain-Feingold bill. This bill made significant changes to the way politicians and parties fund campaigns, but it was controversial. Senators, political parties, not-for-profit groups and other groups were unhappy with various aspects of the reform and challenged it in court. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was upheld.

People continue to try to put more campaign finance reform in place. They feel corporations and the wealthy are still better represented in the political process than the poor or uneducated – an argument that was central to some of the original attempts at campaign finance reform. Some want to publicly fund all campaigns by giving each candidate a set amount of money. Others want to provide voters with vouchers worth a set amount of money that they can donate to the candidate or party of their choice.

What will happen next with campaign finance reform remains to be seen, but more change will come as we work to fine-tune the process.

The Democratic Party was founded more than 200 years ago. From the beginning, it was designed to serve the common man – farmers, factory workers, immigrants and others – and represent their interests in Washington, D.C. As the party primarily in power from the 1830s to the 1850s, they stood on the platform of westward expansion, opposed the development of a national bank, and staunchly believed in Manifest Destiny. The early Democrats opposed elitism and many programs proposed by their main opposition, the Whigs, that they felt would make life harder for small farmers.

The party grew from the collapsed Democratic-Republican Party in the 1830s, largely supported by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, both of whom would go on to become Democratic presidents. The Democratic National Convention was established in 1848, but the democrats lost that election, mostly due to the party being split over the issue of slavery.

Under the Democrats in the 1840s and 1850s, the country experienced the development of culture, literature and an infrastructure that the young country needed. Roads, telegraphs, railroads and more were constructed. Harbors were modernized. Canals and roadways were built. The country was prepped and prepared for economic growth.

In the 1850s the Whig party dissolved and the Republican Party developed. The election of Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, in 1860, led to a loss of power for the Democrats. After many years of back-and-forth politics for the presidency, the Democrats lost that office in 1896 and it remained in the hands of the Republicans for 28 of the next 36 years.

It wasn’t until 1932 and the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt that the Democrats again became the dominant party. Roosevelt instituted his New Deal – a progressive plan that successfully brought the country out of the Great Depression. They controlled the House of Representatives almost exclusively from 1930 – 1994.

Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue in the United States and around the world today. Pick up any newspaper, visit any website, walk into any coffee shop and you are sure to see a story or hear a discussion about the topic.

Most people seem to agree that illegal immigration must be curbed, though they often disagree on the methods. But studies have shown that these fiery discussions are also causing many people to develop negative views of legal immigration.

Legal immigrants come from around the world. In the United States they are smart, skilled individuals who want to move here not only to gain a better life for themselves, but to contribute to society and the economy. These are not undocumented workers, but people who move here legally. They are business owners, scientists, engineers, software developers and more. They help keep the economy humming.  These are not the illegal immigrants who sneak or are smuggled across the border – although most of these people are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their families, too.

Obviously, immigration reform is needed and the country’s borders must be secured, for a variety of reasons. But a means for legal immigration must be secured so that the best and brightest in the world can come here to live and work. Politicians have offered many suggestions, including revising existing laws so immigrants can more easily invest in the United States and open businesses; developing policies designed to attract people with needed talents; and easing restrictions on employers so they can hire these individuals.

The world is a big place, full of people with exciting ideas. Many people theorize that if the United States wants to remain a world leader and continue to participate in global commerce, it must welcome immigrants with open arms and make it easier for them to legally join society.

Though it’s the nature of the White House, and the First Lady, to embrace a socially conservative look, a few of the First Ladies have set a high standard for style, and their personal tastes have had an influence outside the political realm of Washington D.C.

Jackie Kennedy came to the White House already known as a woman of formidable style and cultivation. She had a unique sense for finding the right look, and worked with high-end designers, like Oleg Cassini, to develop a look that bespoke tasteful elegance and minimalism. The French-influenced designs Cassini created for her inaugural gowns and her suits for everyday wear captured the imagination of feminine society in the early 1960s with their cool simplicity. Her carefully tailored, elegant suits bore a definite influence from the House of Chanel, and to this day Mrs. Kennedy’s look remains the standard for all First Ladies or working women of style.

Nancy Reagan became First Lady in 1981, at the dawning of the age of Reagan. She was already well known as an attractive and somewhat regal woman, first during her time as a Hollywood actress, and then later as the First Lady of California when Reagan served as Governor. Always a woman of taste and elegance, she developed a style all her own during her time as First Lady in Washington. After years when a more casual style prevailed at the White House, Mrs. Reagan upped the ante, wearing expensive clothing created by top designers like Adolfo, Bill Blass and Oscar De la Renta. Throughout the ups and downs of the Reagan Presidency, Mrs. Reagan consistently appeared impeccably well-groomed and styled. She was another First Lady who set a standard in society for true elegance.

Mrs. Obama was a cool breath of fresh air on the campaign trail, always appearing poised, elegant and bubbling with enthusiasm. She is a lawyer with a degree from Harvard Law and a devoted mother to two charming little girls, Sasha and Malia. Yes, Mrs. Obama is a role model in society on many levels. Now that Mrs. Obama is First Lady of the United States, however, let’s move past politics and talk about her clothes!

Mrs. Obama’s look and personal style comes from more than just her choice of clothing and designers. She has an athletic yet regal bearing, and carries herself with confidence. The freshness and integrity she brings to her public appearances has as much to do with her confidence, intelligence and athletic ability as to anything she could ever choose from a designer. The essence of her style comes from the strength of her smile and winning personality; qualities that always make every clothing choice look great.

During Obama’s candidacy, Michelle Obama often appeared in styles from J.Crew. The colorful, clean-cut designs from this popular clothing line suited her well, giving her a casual yet somewhat tailored style that kept her looking beautifully fresh on her many campaign stops.

Since becoming First Lady, Mrs. Obama has set a new standard with her casually elegant look. She favors young designers, like Jason Wu (who designed her white chiffon inaugural evening gown) and Isabel Toledo (who designed Michelle’s lemon yellow lace inaugural day suit). To make a look that’s all her own, Mrs. Obama often combines designer looks with off-the-rack pieces. With her unique sense of style, she’s created a new standard of loveliness for the First Lady of The White House.

Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and served with vision and courage during the nearly catastrophic Civil War between the states. He served from 1861, at the time of the war’s outbreak, until he was assassinated in 1865, as the war was ending. Lincoln used his position to abolish the “wrong” of slavery, and to emancipate the slaves. Lincoln’s leadership provided the moral foundation that is now the backbone of this country.

Much of Lincoln’s vision was manifested in his brilliant writings. His Gettysburg Address, which he delivered at the consecration of the battlefields of Gettysburg, is considered one of the most eloquent and powerful speeches ever written.

Ulysses S. Grant. General Ulysses S. Grant served courageously during the Civil War, leading the Union army to victory with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox. He went on to serve as President of the United States, from 1869 to 1877, but his presidency is not remembered as one of distinction, due to numerous scandals among his staff. Some regarded him as the president who kept the U.S. glued together after the war’s terrible chaos had subsided, and he did make major, even revolutionary advances in civil rights during his two terms in office. Significantly, he also proved himself a writer of great distinction when he published his book,’The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.” The two-volume memoir deals only glancingly with Grants’ youth and childhood, but deals in detail with his recollection of his service in the U.S.-Mexican War and the Civil War.

Grant was praised for the honesty and unusual economy of his writing. Mark Twain acted as the publisher of Grant’s book, which was received with great acclaim and commercial success on its publication.

Hair? What’s hair got to do with anything? Obviously, it shouldn’t have anything to do with who becomes President, but a careful historical study (easily done by looking at the Presidential portraits printed on paper money) reveals that there have, arguably, been NO bald presidents.

Think about it. George W. Bush? He obviously had a good head of hair, as did his dad, President George Herbert Walker Bush. Bill Clinton had hair. Obama? He ran a tough campaign against the pretty-much balding John McCain, and won. John Kennedy was famous for his hair. Richard Nixon had to resign, but he did have hair.

Admittedly, some of the Presidents have been borderline bald. President Eisenhower didn’t have a lot of hair, but because he was a General we can argue he kept his hair short for the military. John Quincy Adams is hard to call, as he had a very high hairline, just this side of baldness. Ben Franklin was definitely bald, with bohemian-style long hair, but remember, he was a Founding Father, not the President.

Future elections will likely involve more female candidates, so we should expect even less baldness among our presidential choices in years to come. The important thing to remember in all this is the graceful style of our National Symbol, the Bald Eagle, who always wears its baldness with pride.

The political world provides some of the most interesting scandals, perhaps because, fair or not, we expect better from our elected officials. We hold them up against the standards set by the Founding Fathers, who, seen through the mists of history, seem Godly and somehow perfect. It all makes the misbehavior of admired officials all the more painful to watch.

Most scandals quickly fade from memory, but some are so outrageous they take on a life of their own. Here’s a roundup of a few of the most talked-about political sex scandals of recent times:

In 1993, Bill Clinton’s candidacy was threatened when rumors of his numerous affairs – a “zipper problem” – erupted. Hillary Clinton saved his candidacy by appearing on “60 Minutes” to defend him. After the election, another scandal emerged over questionable billings at the law office in Arkansas where Hillary had been employed. Ultimately, the “Whitewater” scandal faded away with minimum damage to the Clintons. Ironically, it was another affair, Bill Clinton’s involvement with White House Intern Monica Lewinsky, that nearly brought down his Presidency in 1998. Clinton remained in office, and his wife, Hillary, went on to become Secretary of State under President Obama.

In another highly ironic sex scandal, Eliot Spitzer, the hard-charging Attorney General, and then Governor of New York, who known for prosecuting white-collar crime, was forced to resign when his relations with a prostitute were revealed.

John Edwards is another talented politician brought down by a sex problem. He was a promising candidate for Vice President with John Kerrey in 2004, and ran again for President in 2008. His career was derailed over an affair he conducted with a video director who worked on his campaign, who later gave birth to his child.

Even still, many of the Presidential children have grown up to become greatly beloved national figures in their own right, and many say they have fond memories of their unusual experiences as children and teenagers in the White House. Here’s an update on just a few of the memorable daughters who made an impact on the national conversation.

Chelsea Clinton spent her formative years in the glare of the White House media, and at one point was mocked as an ugly duckling on “Saturday Night Live” Later in the administration, Chelsea seemed to be the glue holding the family together when her father, Bill Clinton, became engulfed in a scandal regarding his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Chelsea’s wedding, in the summer of 2010, was something of a national event, and revealed her to be a young woman of grace and style.

President Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford, was a talented photographer and a lively teenager during her time in the White House during the mid-1970s. She held her high school prom in the East Room of the White House, and went on to become a professional photographer. She is now Chairman of the Board at the Betty Ford Center.

Patti Davis, a sometime actress, writer and political activist, was already an adult by the time her father, Ronald Reagan, was elected President in 1981, but she became well known to the American public with her outspoken views on politics and society, which were largely at odds with those of her mom and dad. She later made amends with her family, and wrote movingly of his long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In the United States, the notion of universal health care is just shy of political suicide. If you have ever heard President Obama speak about health, he takes pains to express that the goal is always “insurance coverage,” ignoring the underlying principle of health care. The health of our nation, at the level of every citizen, has become downright commoditized in the modern age. The notion that we should be charged an additional tax, just so that the risk taking maniacs of the world can have a free ride, infuriates far too many people to ever pass into a serious discussion. If you try to bring it up, you will inevitably encounter eye rolling and jeering at every turn.

However, let’s think about what insurance companies already do. Whether you’re dealing with home insurance, auto insurance, life or health insurance, you have a body of individuals who will probably never use the service paying for those who will. The fact is, nobody knows when or even if they will ever end up using what the insurance company provides (payment for services rendered). You know you’ll get sick or injured sooner or later, but you don’t know if you’ll end up accidentally crashing into somebody. Yet, the law mandates having auto insurance, while your own health (or at least its payments) may end up putting you in bankruptcy court.

What is the difference between an insurance company being a pool of people’s payments, and a government entity being the same kind of pool full of the same type of payments? The main difference would appear to be that while one chooses a particular insurance company, the government provides only its own monopolistic, one-size-fits-all type of coverage. Moreover, nothing short of a grassroots movement could provide the kind of citizen-inspired change that businesses already have. It seems the main difference is a matter of some choice.

The legendary, long-fought Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed after years of protests and political struggle in the south. It involved many major figures in the worlds of politics and religion. The legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who had introduced the legislation to the American people during a major address in June 1963. The act protects the rights of all citizens, providing equal protection under the law and banning discrimination based on “race, color, religion or national origin.” It guaranteed the right of all citizens to vote and have access to public accommodations, including schools. It ended the Jim Crow laws that had prevailed in the south, segregating people of color from whites, often barring them from equal treatment at every level of public life.

The civil rights era began in the 1950s, when black groups began protesting conditions in the south with a series of nonviolent protests, including boycotts and sit-ins at lunch counters. One of the key acts of protest was the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in 1955, which was sparked when Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old seamstress, refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. Her quiet act set of resistance became one of the key acts in the growing protest movement which culminated in the legendary March on Washington, lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, and passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In recent years, women have made great inroads into the American political system. Nancy Pelosi is the current Speaker of the House, and Hillary Clinton, who nearly became the Democratic candidate for President, is now Secretary of State. Today, Americans seem more and more accepting of the idea of electing a woman as President.

Arguably, however, there has already been a female President. The woman in question is First Lady Edith Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson. She served as “de facto” President when the President himself was too sick to serve.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President, serving from 1913 to 1921 during the First World War. Serving with distinction, Wilson was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in establishing the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations.

In October of 1919, Wilson suffered an incapacitating stroke that left him blind in one eye, and partially paralyzed. With Wilson unable to attend meetings or to act in any way as an effective leader, the first lady stepped in to be his “steward”.  Apparently, the First Lady was not open to the idea of the Vice President taking over to act as President, and at the time, the rules regarding such a situation were unclear. And so, Edith took over.

According to Mrs. Wilson, she was not the acting President, nor did she take on the real duties of the office. She did, however, oversee meetings with the President’s cabinet. She herself would review a list of pertinent issues and decide which ones should be brought to the President’s attention, and communicated to the staff. In this way Mrs. Wilson continued the Presidency while Wilson was unable to function.

In the pre-television era, the White House was able to mask the situation, not informing the public of the seriousness of Wilson’s condition until he left office. The crisis lead to passage of the 25th Amendment, which clarifies what steps should be taken in the event a sitting President becomes incapacitated.

The President of United States holds great power, and given that, its abuse must always be guarded against. For this reason, the U.S. Constitution of the United States includes a means for removing the President from office -Impeachment — should the President ever become involved in gross misconduct, or what is referred to as an “indictable offense.”

On the federal level, Impeachment is a two-part process. The first is a vote (which requires a 2/3 majority) to proceed and bring charges. Part two is a vote to convict, requiring a supermajority vote. Conviction leads to removal from office. Though the President may be removed for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” impeachment is not a criminal proceeding; it simply decides whether the official should be removed from office. The rules of Impeachment are written in Article One of The U.S. Constitution.

By design, Impeachment is a complicated process. Removing a high-ranking official, especially the leader of the free world, is no small thing. For this reason, the framers of the Constitution made it a drawn out process, as if to say, “Hey folks, let’s take some time to think about what we’re doing here. Do we really want to ask the freely elected President to leave office?” It’s not a small question, which is why the process is so rarely used in the U.S.

What is an impeachable offense? The Constitution loosely defines “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors,” as impeachable offenses. In 1970 Gerald Ford, then the House Minority Leader, defined impeachable offenses as basically, whatever a majority of the House of Representatives deemed them to be, “at a given moment in history.” Ironically, it was Ford himself who was appointed President of the United States in 1974, after Richard Nixon was threatened with impeachment.

Only two Presidents, Andrew Johnson, in 1868, and Bill Clinton, in 1999, have had impeachment proceedings brought against them. In both cases the Presidents were acquitted of charges. Richard Nixon, caught up in the scandal of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover up, resigned before impeachment proceedings could be initiated against him.

Every four years the United States takes part in the race for President. It’s a long and expensive contest that ends with the pivotal decision of who will become the leader of the free world. At the same time we choose the President, we also decide who will become the nation’s First lady. Though not an elected official, The First Lady is a defacto leader who holds an important position on many levels. She represents the United States diplomatically and symbolically.

Historically, the First lady wasn’t always necessarily the wife of the President; she was sometimes a close relative who stepped in to represent the President if he wasn’t married. In recent times, however, the First Lady has always been the presidential wife as well.

Several of the First Ladies have been greatly admired for their achievements, intelligence, interests, and for their personal style. Lady Bird Johnson was known for her national beautification project, which put a focus on landscaping the nation’s roadways. Jackie Kennedy used her knowledge of antiques and art history to head up a major restoration project at the White House. Dolly Madison was known for her heroism. Thinking quickly, she saved a portrait of President George Washington when the White House was threatened by British troops during the War of 1812.

The Internet has several sites devoted to our nation’s First Ladies, offering a wealth of information about the various women who have held the role and their part in history.

The National Library has a very detailed site at: http://www.firstladies.org. It offers biographies, film clips, information on events and exhibits about the First Ladies, and a special section on the First Ladies’ style choices.

The White House has its own Internet website at http://www.whitehouse.gov. The site focuses on the biography and special achievements of our current First Lady, Michelle Obama.

There’s even a site devoted to the work of former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who is now Secretary of State. Go to: http://www.state.gov/secretary/ to find out what Secretary of State Clinton (and President Clinton’s First Lady) is doing today.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a searing event that changed the social and political landscape of the United States in ways that continue to reverberate. The shock of his death affected the populace as deeply as a death in the family.

The funeral of President Kennedy took place over the three days following his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. The event was broadcast live, and was, to this day, one of most watched events ever broadcast. The funeral stands out in history not only as it signified the tragic loss of a young President, but also because it was the first time television, still a relatively new medium, was used as a means for bringing people together. Americans everywhere stopped what they were doing and gathered to watch, in sorrow, as the sad pageant of JFK’s funeral procession made its way through Washington D.C.

Accompanying the military procession throughout was President Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy. Greatly admired for her grace and style as First Lady, Mrs. Kennedy exhibited another kind of grace after her husband’s death. She walked alongside the President’s casket during the funeral procession, dressed in black, displaying great stoicism and an almost regal composure throughout.

Somehow Mrs. Kennedy had the presence of mind to outline a plan for the funeral, staying up all night to prepare it, just hours after witnessing, first-hand, the President’s assassination. At Mrs. Kennedy’s direction, the event followed along the lines of the funeral of Abraham Lincoln. The procession included a military guard lead by a riderless horse.

In the years that followed, Mrs. Kennedy held a special place in the hearts of the American public, as many people said it was her brave composure in the aftermath of the tragedy that gave them a feeling of hope, a feeling that somehow the loss of President could be endured, and life would go on.

Some political events shake things up on a grand scale, causing major cultural shifts and changing social attitudes, even affecting our trust in government, and by association, society in general. The Watergate scandal of the early 1970s, was one such event; it shook the political world violently, yet somehow the democratic system survived intact. It’s fascinating to look back at the scandal, however, and the drama that lead to the resignation of Richard Nixon, and briefly, what seemed the near collapse of our government.

The Watergate story unfolded with many political characters and behind-the-scenes dramas. It brought down a President, and made folk heroes of the two driven young reporters who exposed the truth of the scandal.

The scandal involved a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee, in 1972. Five “burglars” were arrested during the break-in, and ultimately convicted. A link between the burglars and the Nixon re-election campaign was uncovered, as well as ties to major Washington officials, including President Nixon himself.

As the scandal unfolded, senate hearings were called to determine whether any high level officials, including Nixon, were actually involved. At the same time, two dynamic young reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, began an intense investigation of the affair for the Washington Post. Their in-depth coverage of the scandal unfolded as the hearings progressed, captivating the American public with the depth of White House’s involvement. One of the most important sources for information about the break-in, and subsequent cover-up, was an unnamed government official, who went only by the name “Deep Throat.”

Ultimately, seven high-level White House officials were forced to resign, and were convicted of crimes. The U.S. Attorney General, John Mitchell, also resigned, as did John Dean, the Counsel to the President, who later became a key witness against the President during the hearings.

On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon resigned from office – the only American President ever to do so. Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon as President. Then Jimmy Carter succeeded Ford, and Ronald Reagan followed Carter. Bush followed Reagan, then Clinton, Bush and Obama. The democracy, and the Presidency, somehow endured.

Hillary Clinton first appeared on the political radar screen in 1992, as the wife of then presidential candidate Bill Clinton. A drama unfolded early on in the campaign. Just as Bill Clinton was moving to the head of the pack of democratic hopefuls, rumors of an affair between Clinton and a blonde nightclub singer were revealed. The embarrassing news threatened to end Clinton’s run for office, as this and talk of other extra-marital affairs were broadcast on media outlets coast-to-coast. To defend Clinton and save his candidacy, Bill and Hillary went on the CBS news show, “60 Minutes” to discuss the scandal, and their marriage. Hillary’s impressive appearance and her devotion to her marriage did much to save Clinton’s ultimately successful presidential bid.

Hillary was a popular but also polarizing figure in the world of politics and culture. She had been a practicing lawyer in Arkansas and made it known that she would be more than just a figurehead as First Lady. She became involved in White House policy by heading up the task force that developed Clinton’s proposed national healthcare policy. Though the healthcare policy was ultimately voted down, her performance as the head of the task force was an impressive one, though some detractors felt she had overstepped the limits of the First Lady’s role by becoming involved in policy.

It was all just a warm up for Hillary, however. She endured more ups and downs as the wife of President Bill Clinton, as in his second term he became ensnared in an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. At the same time, a rumored affair with Paula Jones lead to an investigation, and impeachment proceedings (ultimately dismissed) against the President. Throughout, Hillary’s confidence, poise, and loyalty to her husband saw her through.

After Clinton’s term ended, Hillary was elected to the U.S. Senate. After her successful term as senator from New York, she ran for President. Though she lost out to Barack Obama, she landed on her feet when Obama appointed her Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton. She’s quite a First Lady indeed.

Once in awhile, though, an election is actually too close to call, leading to nail biting and confusion at the television networks and polling places. The chances of this happening are extremely rare, yet, in a handful of historic presidential races, the results were truly “too close to call.” Let’s take a look at a few of these statistically improbable presidential races.

In 1960, a dashing young senator from Massachusetts named John F. Kennedy ran for President against former Vice President Richard M. Nixon. It was a clash between experience versus vitality and new ideas. It was also the first televised campaign, featuring a series of debates broadcast on the new medium of television. The election came down to the wire, with Kennedy beating Nixon by just a fraction of a percent of the vote.

The election of 1876 pitted Samuel Tilden, the Democrat, against Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican. The vote was problematic on many levels, with some states turning in two sets of votes. Finally, an outside electoral commission was appointed. In a politically charged decision, Hayes was named President under pressure from republicans. Outraged democrats asked for concessions, and the election was resolved in The Compromise of 1877, which removed federal troops from the south and ended reconstruction.

More recently, the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore came down to a hair, with the outcome decided by Florida, with the candidates apart by just a few hundred votes. In an unprecedented political move, the Supreme Court stepped in and named George W. Bush the President. Bush served two terms as President, and Al Gore went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and an Academy Award for his work on climate change.

First Lady Betty Ford met the American public rather suddenly, due to the unusual circumstances of her husband’s transition into the Presidency. Unlike other First Ladies, she wasn’t exposed to the media spotlight during her husband’s run for office (he didn’t run) and there was no pre-inaugural “getting to know each other”  honeymoon period.

The situation was unusual because Gerald Ford, instead of campaigning for office, became Richard Nixon’s Vice President during the scandals that engulfed the Nixon presidency in the early 1970s. Chaos reigned in the Nixon White House as the Watergate scandal raged. In the midst of Watergate, in 1973, Nixon’s acting Vice President, Spiro T. Agnew, was charged with tax evasion and forced to resign. Nixon appointed the well-regarded Gerald Ford, a congressman from Michigan and former Republican Minority Leader, to step in as Vice President and steady an increasingly shaky situation. Then, when Nixon resigned in 1974, Ford was elevated to President of the United States, and Betty Ford instantly became our First Lady.

As the scandal of Watergate died down, Ford was seen as a stabilizing figure. His wife, Betty, was admired as a devoted wife and mother, and a socially and politically active First Lady. In her later years she showed great strength when her struggles with addiction were revealed.

In 1978, Mrs. Ford’s family confronted her about her drinking problem and use of painkillers. It was the start of a journey that lead Mrs. Ford to seek treatment and to candidly discuss her addiction problem. After her recovery, she teamed with healthcare professionals devoted to finding a cure for drug and alcohol addiction, and to stimulating more discussion regarding the need for treatment in the United States. The Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, opened in 1982. The center’s successful treatment system is a model for many of the drug and alcohol rehab centers operating today.

Today, drug and alcohol treatment is openly discussed, and this openness has healed a great many people from addiction. We have the former First Lady to thank for much of this.

Each president creates his own era. The President’s ideals, projects and aura help us remember his time in history, and effect on society. When a major cultural shakeup occurs in the transition between Presidents, it truly signifies “the end of an era.” One of the more dramatic transitions came as the Carter Presidency ended, and the Reagan era began.

Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, defeating Gerald Ford, who served after Richard Nixon resigned from the White House in 1974. Carter, a peanut farmer, naval veteran and former Governor of Georgia, was a plainspoken and intellectual Washington outsider. He made human rights a major focus of his presidency, and was hailed for his work in the Middle East peace process.

Carter’s tenure was a difficult time in U.S. history, however, as the U.S. economy during the 70s reeled with high inflation and high unemployment, a situation referred to as “stagflation.” An ongoing energy crisis, which hit the U.S. with a shortage that played out in long lines at the gas pumps, added to a general feeling of a “malaise” – the word used by Carter himself – in the America spirit.

In November 1979, during the second half of the Carter Presidency, an international crisis broke out when hostages were taken at the American Embassy in Tehran. The political crisis brought international tensions to a boiling point, and shadowed Carter during his run for re-election in 1980. An attempted military rescue ended in disaster, and Ronald Reagan, the former actor and Governor of California, defeated Carter. Reagan was sworn in as President January 20, 1981. The hostages were set free shortly after Reagan’s inauguration.

Ronald Reagan immediately took charge of the Oval Office, and declared it “Morning in America.” Reagan’s muscular bravado, large personality and “can-do” spirit reinvigorated the American public with feelings of national pride. Though Reagan’s early years in office were plagued by a recession, the economy boomed again in the mid-1980s. Reagan’s Presidency had its ups and downs, and its controversies, but polls show that many Americans remember the “Reagan era” with fondness and pride.

Brilliant, brash, eloquent and blessed with seemingly superhuman energy, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt changed the American landscape with his dynamic service to the United States as the 28th President, serving from 1901 to 1909. His diplomatic work bringing an end to the Russo-Japanese War brought him the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first American ever to be given the award. Among many passions, Roosevelt had a strong commitment to nature, and his commitment to conservation sparked the national movement toward preservation.

Growing up, Roosevelt was often sick with asthma, but his childhood convalescence lead him to develop his interior life. His love of learning and literacy, and the wide sphere of his interests served him well as he rose to the heights of political power. He published his first book, a study of the War of 1812, in 1882, shortly after graduating from Harvard University.

Despite, or perhaps because of his early illnesses, he became an athlete of uncommon stamina. He was a competitive boxer and skilled horseman. His service during the Spanish-American war became the stuff of legend when he lead a group of soldiers called “the Roughriders” up San Juan Hill in Cuba. He was posthumously given the Medal of Honor for war service.

After the war, Roosevelt quickly made his name in the sphere of politics, challenging the status quo and fighting for justice. He served as Vice President to William McKinley, and then became President, at age 42, following McKinley’s assassination in 1901.

Roosevelt declined a reelection bid in 1908. Roosevelt instead headed off to Africa for a safari, followed by a tour of Europe. When he returned, a conflict with the Republican candidate, Howard Taft, lead Roosevelt to run as a third party candidate. Roosevelt’s run as a candidate for the “Bull Moose” party made history when he became the only third party candidate to ever come in second. Roosevelt won more votes than Taft but ultimately lost to Woodrow Wilson.

Teddy Roosevelt died at age 60 of malaria, contracted during his travels to South American. He is remembered by society as one of our greatest Presidents.

As voters, we invest a lot in the democratic process. Since we all have a say in the system, we want people elected who will really lead. We also crave leaders who can add grace, energy and charisma into the mix. It’s a lot to ask, and not all have been able to pull it off.

Let’s take a look at a few of our most notable Presidents, and how they combined leadership and hard work with charisma and style.

As our first President, George Washington served from 1789 to 1797. Called “the Father of our Country,” Washington led the continental army with heroism and verve during the War of Independence from England, and presided over the creation of the U.S. Constitution. He was asked to serve a third term as President, but refused. He knew the temptations of power, and wanted the presidency to be about service to the people, unlike the British monarchy. Washington’s vision and leadership give him the highest marks on every level.

Thomas Jefferson served as President from 1801-1809. He was a stylish aristocrat and brilliant man of many talents. He was a writer, architect, musician, archeologist and landowner. His association with the intellectuals of the day brought a rich legacy to the White House. Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence and was one of the Founding Fathers. With his wit, style, and genius Thomas Jefferson was a gift to the American people.

John F. Kennedy served just one term, from 1961-1963. Style, wit, charisma — Kennedy had it all. He was a gifted public speaker and held a personal vision of a “New Frontier” for society that inspired Americans. His executive work wasn’t fulfilled due to his untimely death, but he is remembered well for his charm and brilliance.

Richard M. Nixon. Nixon served as President from 1969 to 1974. He was noted as a brilliant thinker, and had a great impact on foreign policy. His seeming paranoia and bitterness, however, and utter lack of personal charm made him an unloved leader. He resigned in disgrace in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal.

Image is a big part of the political process. It always has been, but with the advent of television and the proliferation of media outlets and the Internet, personal style makes up a major part of the process today – like it or not. The issue is a huge one for women entering the political arena. As for men, of course, we expect a modicum of professional style from the men taking part in the political process (Barack Obama was featured on the cover of the magazine, “Men’s Vogue” during his candidacy) but for women, the stakes are even higher.

The most recent presidential election brought the issue into bold relief. Hillary Clinton became a model of high style during her presidential candidacy, always looking razor sharp, with professionally styled hair and makeup, and wearing an array of designer pant suits as she hit the road to shake hands during her wearying run for president. Even her First Lady style couldn’t match the looks she had professionally put together for her time on the campaign trail.

Sarah Palin came seemingly out of nowhere as John McCain’s running mate for Vice President in the same election in 2008. Palin was tapped to run as McCain’s second in command while still serving as Governor of Alaska. Palin’s outdoorsy-casual Alaskan running gear look was quickly transformed by stylists into a sleek and chic modern career woman style.
Yet when news was leaked regarding the cost of turning the Governor into a more carefully coiffed and polished version of herself, a scandal briefly erupted over the costs of her high-end suits and accessories. The criticism was tempered, however, with an acknowledgement of the pressures faced by female candidates who run in the media glare.

There’s no question that women face a double standard regarding their physical appearance. For ladies working in the political arena, the stakes are even higher. It seems to be a hard reality women have to face. We expect women to look fabulous, even if they’re running for executive office. Fair or not, these days, that’s just how it is.

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Eleanor Roosevelt’s social conscience and passion for public service elevated her to heroic status during her term as First Lady, when her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, served as President. She worked tirelessly for civil rights and was often regarded as Franklin Roosevelt’s “conscience.” Together, their intellectual abilities and humanity brought a new level of achievement to the White House.

Eleanor was known as a thoughtful and shy child. She was born into great wealth as part of the Roosevelt family of New York; President Theodore Roosevelt was her uncle. Yet her early life was marked by tragedy – her parents both died by the time she was ten years old. She was raised by her grandmother, and sent to finishing school in England. Her outstanding scholarship helped her recover after the trauma of losing her parents. She was insecure about her plain looks, but knew she had much to offer with her intellectual ability and passion for learning.

She met Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1902. They were distantly related cousins. FDR was immediately taken in by Eleanor’s intellect and emotional depth. With her passion for social justice, she showed him a side of life he had never experienced. They were married in 1904, and began a partnership that went far beyond the limitations of marriage.

Franklin Roosevelt was stricken with polio in 1921, which left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. Eleanor remained devoted to him and helped him recover his strength. She also took on a larger role as a speaker and political force during his recovery.

FDR was elected President of the United States and served from 1933 until his death in 1945. During his time in office, the U.S. endured the Great Depression and the trauma of World War II. Eleanor’s role as First Lady gave her a career she had prepared for her entire life. She was an outspoken leader who gave weekly press conferences and traveled widely, always fighting for the working class and the forgotten in American society. Today she is regarded as one of the greatest humanitarians in American history.

The most important investments that provide stability are government bonds. Government bonds act as a hedge against riskier market investments. They do not yield as much as stocks, but they have relatively more assurance of a payout.

Not all government bonds offer similar yields and stability. There are two types of government bonds. There are muni or municipal bonds and BAB or Build America Bonds, and investment planners can offer advice about muni bonds vs BAB bonds. There are two types of muni bonds–GO bonds and revenue bonds. GO bonds are for welfare projects like building non-profit institutions (i.e. hospitals). These bonds have a lower yield. Revenue bonds are used to fund for-profit government projects like tollways. These have a higher yield as long as the for-profit project provides good revenue. If it does not, the bond holder stands to lose. Both kinds of muni bonds are exempt from federal capital gains taxes, so these are good vehicles you can use to hedge your investments.

BAB bonds are issued by local or state governments with tax subsidies from the federal government. While muni bonds usually attract domestic investors, foreign investors have a good deal of interest in BAB bonds because of the possibility of a higher yield over longer periods of time.

Whether you invest in one or the other, make sure you know the details of the bonds. For example, muni bonds generally come with a 10 year term, while BABs come with 20 year terms.

New Mexico tourism is a definite boost to the state’s bottom-line economy. Currently the responsibility of advancing tourism in New Mexico falls to the New Mexico Tourism Department. According to its website the mission of this organization is to market the state by spotlighting the destination areas of the state; attracting tourists from around the world as well as the United States; and to encourage those tourists and visitors to prolong their planned stays.

The New Mexico Tourism Department touts the State’s landscapes and natural resources and being rich and diverse. It states that there are adventures of all kinds for any type of traveler, including snow and water skiing, hiking, biking, boating, sailing and so much more.

New Mexico has plenty to do and see such as art, exploring history that includes conquistadors and dinosaurs. Among some of the activities to be found include exploring old ranching, railroading and mining towns. You can learn about the history of these towns including stories about Pancho Villa, John Chisum and Billy the Kid while traveling on the wonderfully scenic highways. You can also stop and visit many state and national parks, ancient lava flows, ice caves and archeological sites. New Mexico has a wealth of geology and sites to be explored.

There’s also high-tech to be discovered in New Mexico. The state is home to Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos, the Very Large Array and many space observatories. The state’s wide-open landscape has been a home to much aerospace industry advancement since Robert Goddard started his space and rocket research in the 1930s. Goddard is considered to be a frontier of modern rocketry and started his research in Roswell. And of course if you are visiting Roswell, you should visit all the fascinating venues surrounding the aliens of Roswell, whether you are a believer or not.

There is so much to do and discover in New Mexico—there will be something for everyone!

As super controversial as it may seem, there’s just no dancing around the issue anymore. Polls show that marijuana initiatives built into a democratic candidate’s platform and campaign are becoming the no-fail ticket to winning an election. Much like a gay marriage ban or abortion ban have long been a conservative republican’s ticket to winning favor in the party, so now is a pro-marijuana slant to a democrat’s constituents. Why is that? Maybe it’s that our country, now largely ruled by liberal leaders, is just leaning further left than ever before. Or maybe, in our seemingly stagnated economy, where jobless claims are climbing dangerously close to the ten percent mark, people are beginning to think outside the box in terms of job creation and revenue building. Maybe it’s a combination of these, or maybe there’s an entirely different explanation.

Despite the reason for this surprising shift in America’s public view of marijuana, one issue becomes increasingly clear: marijuana equals money. And right now, America needs money. It really IS that simple. Fourteen states (and the District of Columbia) have already legalized medical marijuana – and its use is on the rise in every one of those states. Come November, Republican-run California will vote on a similar initiative to legalize and tax the sale and recreational use of the drug – and recent polls show almost 60 percent of Californians are in favor of the bill. For an explanation of this strange shift in opinion, look no further than California’s bankruptcy filings. The state is currently in financial dire straits, and perhaps Democrats and Republicans alike agree that in this case, money’s money, honey!

Certainly, this is a galvanizing and polarizing subject, and one that will no doubt only become louder and demand more attention as we approach November’s election season across the country. America is headed into uncharted territory this year, and it will be fascinating to see where we land on the recreational marijuana tolerance map. Especially for democrats – whose success may lie solely in a marijuana initiative – it will be a wild ride. Just don’t forget the Doritos.

In the United States, it’s easy to take the advanced society for granted. The educational system ensures all children can get an education–even if their parents aren’t U.S. citizens. Local governments oversee the developments of towns, planning roads so cars won’t pollute the drinking water. Most cities have water plants to treat water to eliminate any waste or toxins in it, making tap water safe to drink. Fluoride in the water can help improve health by helping to prevent cavities among the general population.

The availability of insurance is another sign of an advanced society. Auto insurance protects the owners of the cars, passengers in the cars, and other people and property. For instance, if you lose control of your car and hit a building, your insurance will pay to repair the building. In a third-world country, insurance usually isn’t an option. If a person destroys a building, the owner of the building usually must make the repairs. In the U.S., people can also get life insurance, which can take care of a family should a person die. In a third-world country, the lack of insurance means a family member’s death will be more financially difficult to deal with.

While you may not realize your monthly auto insurance payment is a tribute to society, it is. Being responsible for yourself and do what you can to protect others is what helps the U.S. continue to be an advanced society.

With so much recent debate from both sides surrounding President Obama’s healthcare bill featuring the polarizing public option, it’s easy to get confused – or lost in jargon. Among the mess, one thing’s certain — liberals and conservatives can agree that our country’s current healthcare policies need reform – and quickly. Health insurance is becoming unreasonably costly – even for America’s super rich –- and more employers are opting out of providing healthcare packages for workers. Something needs to change, for sure, but is President Obama’s current plan the right answer?

The pros to “Obamacare” – as it’s been dubbed – are clear. Every American would be required to have health insurance by a government-granted date. On the surface this seems to be a huge step in the right direction. If every American was somehow insured, strain on charity care and Medicaid greatly decrease. No longer would uninsured patients get slapped with astronomical hospital and prescription drug bills, which then ultimately are passed to taxpayers. Great.

That is, until you take a closer look and realize what Obamacare has plenty of holes. How exactly would every citizen get covered? What about preexisting conditions? Would disgruntled insurance companies provide sub par coverage – or worse – would healthcare providers provide sub par patient care? As a country, we hope not – but our new healthcare reform plan is so freshly minted, no one has a concrete idea of how it will ultimately unfold and work for Americans. A public healthcare option has been successful in other countries – and here’s hoping it will take hold and be successful here. Something needs to change for the better.

The bottom line is that this new public healthcare option poses so many varied positive and negative arguments, it’s impossible to tell what’s right. Unfortunately for the American public, only time, implementation and evaluation will give us the facts we all wish we had right now.

Mary Robinson was a typical doting midwestern grandmother, not unlike the majority of matriarchs in America today who fuss over their beautiful grandchildren and often stand in as free and ever-present babysitters for their full-time employed children and spouses. Mrs. Robinson is unlike most other matriarchs today however, because in 2008, she made the selfless decision to uproot her settled, comfortable Chicago life and move halfway across the country with her daughter’s family. Oh, and her daughter happens to be current beloved First Lady Michelle Obama.

Multi-generation households are on the rise in light of our current dreary economic climate. “Boomerang kids,” unemployed college graduates who move back in with Mom and Dad are contributing to these statistics, of course – but recently, the older generation is making a move in with sons and daughters – and grandchildren. Like it or not, multi-generational households are more economical, and trends also show – healthier for young kids. In the past, an elderly grandparent will move in with their children’s families if they are unable to care for themselves physically or financially. Recently though, it’s the children and their spouses who find themselves neck-deep in debt, both forced work full-time, inviting their elderly parents to move in and serve as free childcare.

Obviously, the Obamas lack the financial worries many American families are currently facing, but that doesn’t mean Mary Robinson’s move into the White House makes any less sense. Recent studies find that children in multigenerational households grow up independent and emotionally healthy. This may be attributed to the fact that having a grandparent around provides both stability and prospective in a young person’s life – and that’s important weather you’re the child of the President or not. Regardless, Mary Robinson’s move to Washington seems to be a perfect fit for our First Family – just like it’s becoming a great way of life for so may other American families.

Let’s be honest here. Recently, we’ve read, heard and seen constant jabs, from Democrats and Republicans alike, about how the Obama administration has had enough time to straighten things out. As of July 2010, the President has sat in the Oval Office for 18 (that’s eighteen!) months, and still, national unemployment claims hover right around the nine or ten percent mark. Union workers who long thought they were safe from economic turmoil have found themselves in the unemployment office (we’re looking at you, teachers and nurses) – and outlook doesn’t seem to be brightening for anyone. State and local governments across America have tried to be patient, but are beginning to express frustration and aggravation with our current administration’s lack of progress to get Americans back to work – and to get our economy back on track.

One look at the Gallup’s most recent poll of America’s Frustration Index finds feelings of anti-incumbency at an all-time high. Dissatisfaction with government and what they’ve been able to accomplish – or more clearly, what they have not been able to accomplish – in the past year and a half is reaching fever pitch, and some might say rightfully so. But a second, closer look at what the Obama administration has dealt with, and those feelings of dissatisfaction may subside.

The President and his team have been thrown curveball after curveball in the form of massive Wall Street corruption, followed by historic economic fallout, accompanied by a behemoth heap of American joblessness right on top. Sure, Americans aren’t seeing immediate relief, more citizens are filing for unemployment benefits everyday, and it’s only natural human reaction that society automatically and instantly points fingers at President Obama. But are we being too hard on our administration? Are we, as a country, demanding the impossible? Do we all just need to step back and give the bailouts and recovery bills time to trickle down? Maybe. And hopefully – for our future’s sake, they will eventually take effect.

If Michelle Obama and her newest proposed legislation have any say, the answer might surprise you. With her June 2010 “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” campaign aimed squarely at our nation’s childhood obesity epidemic – and her massive White House vegetable and fruit garden in full bloom, you might think government-funded school districts may be forced serve up wheat germ and mineral water, with a heaping side of grassy sprouts as students across the country all let out a simultaneous, “Yuck, gross!” come September.

However, luckily for school children – and ultimately, for parents who are responsible for feeding them – Michelle Obama’s bill, which was approved by a whopping 32-13 vote in July, and will take effect this September if all goes according to plan, will have schools serving traditional cafeteria fare like pizza and cheeseburgers – in an untraditional way. The bill dictates new ways of preparing and serving school meals, geared toward eventually eliminating overly processed, overly salted, overly sugary and heavily fattening foods. In other words, pizza in its truest form – that is, made from whole wheat flour, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and calcium-rich, low-fat mozzerella cheese – on site, is not the enemy in schools. It’s the processed, frozen pizza packed with preservatives and salt, which gets freeze-dried and shipped across the world before a child enjoys it that is ultimately to blame. And those are the foods Mrs. Obama targets in her new bill.

The House of Labor and Education Committee voted on the bill with surprising support from House Republicans. Even packaged food and beverage companies are supporting the movement, agreeing to stock school vending machines with nutrient-packed munchies like granola and whole wheat crackers in lieu of potato chips and candy. Perhaps we are finally putting partisan politics to rest, at least for this tiny issue – and can agree that steering our nation’s children down the right nutritional path today will ultimately save millions of dollars in healthcare costs years down the road. For sure, everyone can support that – including the kids, as long as they can still eat pizza.

This means that one out of every four people in New Mexico will have an 85% chance of needing assisted living. That doesn’t include younger individuals who, for whatever reason, are disabled and need assisted living support.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a State Residential Care and Assisted Living Policy in 2004. If you go to the website for the New Mexico Department of Health, very little is explained with regard to assisted living, and it is categorized under State General Funded Services. To the state’s credit, a phone number is supplied, as well as a link to send an email. With government agencies, it can often be very difficult to get a response.

What are New Mexico’s assisted living policies? How many assisted living facilities are there in the state? How many residents need care, now or in the future? What regulations are in place to ensure the health and well-being of the residents? To answer these vital questions, the New Mexico Department of Health could add a PDF on its website, outlining the pertinent policies and regulations.

In today’s health-obsessed society, most people are hyper aware of what could potentially harm their families. Cigarette smoke and asbestos residue lurking in the siding of an older home, for example, are two easily recognizable carcinogens. An educated, healthy minded person would never purposely expose themselves or their children to such dangerous substances. But according to an American Cancer Society alert issued in July 2010, millions of people are unknowingly exposing themselves to carcinogens and harmful conditions. The report lifts the disguise from 20 (twenty!) potential hazards.

Some of the “new” carcinogens are unsurprising, and almost impossible to pronounce! Take the chemical tetrachloroethylene, for example. Never heard the word? You’ve most likely been inhaling it without knowing, as it’s most often used in chemical dry cleaning. To avoid any further contact, simply invest in an at-home dry cleaning laundry system – or insist on only visiting organic dry cleaning facilities, where all chemicals have been eliminated. The study also highlights that if you happen to live in an apartment or condo located above or adjacent to a dry cleaning facility, you might want to think about moving. Higher occurrences of liver cancer, cervical cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were reported among these types of tenants.

Steering clear of toxic substances may seem simple – but what if avoiding certain chemicals – like titanium dioxide, found in many mass-produced sunscreens and cosmetics – is the culprit? According to the report, experts have mixed feelings about titanium dioxide. It’s been linked to several different types of cancer in animals who actually ingested it, where humans slather it on skin. Beyond that, the actual danger a painful sunburn poses for humans may far outweigh any potential danger found in the titanium dioxide in sunscreen. Still, the American Cancer Society suggests investing in organic sun blocks or non-chemical forms of sun protection like sun hats and beach umbrellas.

While these findings may be cause for concern – and perhaps reason for government intervention down the road to protect consumers – the steadfast rule of staying healthy remains. Eat right, stay active, abstain from smoking – and despite the world becoming more polluted everyday, you’ll still decrease your cancer risk.

It’s almost August – and that means our country and government have hit summer’s official “dog days.” The record heat throughout our nation has sent most families fleeing to cooler climates – or at least to their local pool or lake to splash around. Certainly, everyone deserves a break during the year – no one more than our First Family, President and Michelle, beautiful daughters Sasha and Malia – who’ve no doubt had a stressful several months. But was an extended retreat to Maine – and away from our country’s major healthcare war – really appropriate? Not to mention, was it fair for our President to make major changes to his administration during his summer recession? After all, he did just appoint Dr. Donald Berwick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid – two critical, prominent programs currently gasping for air.

Because we’re currently in the throws of government’s annual summer recession – this sly decision – one that will ultimately control one-third of America’s healthcare budget – was made swiftly, without a press conference or briefing. Who is Donald Berwick anyway? And don’t taxpayers have the right to a little background on him? Why did our President hire him right now, or more importantly, couldn’t this decision have waited until everyone was back in Washington? If not, could the First Family have at least cut their vacation short to help the public adapt and adjust to this huge change?

With the healthcare debate growing more heated as we barrel towards mid-term election season in November, both sides have turned up the heat. Republicans are throwing punches in the form of anti-incumbency, and Democrats are hitting back with accusations of heartlessness. Needless to say, both right and left are fired up – and our President’s decision to appoint Dr. Berwick when, essentially, no one was looking – and he was on vacation – appears a bit backhanded. Nonetheless, both sides of the debate are hopeful that, once our new CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Administrator settles in and hits his preverbal stride, he might be able to straighten out the healthcare mess we handed him.

For the first time in what feels like forever, New Mexico jobless rates have finally dropped. The Associated Press recently released a study proving that jobless claims in June 2010 were at 8.2 percent, down from 8.4 the previous month. That small percentage decrease may seem insignificant when stacked up against June 2009’s comparatively measly 7.1 percent jobless rate. However, when compared with New Mexico statistics over the past several months, it’s a wonderfully vast improvement. Throughout the past twelve months, the state of New Mexico has reportedly lost over 14,000 jobs – and unemployment claims have steadily and continually grown each month – until June 2010, when things began to change.

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) has suggested that this drop in jobless rate may be attributed to the fact that many unemployed New Mexico citizens have stopped actively looking for work. However, the small improvement may still be reason to hope, as the United State Census Bureau temporary employment opportunities ended in June, and the improvement in jobless claims persisted in spite of the loss of many temporary jobs.

Regardless for the reasons behind the improvement, New Mexicans – and Americans as a whole – still have good reason to believe unemployment rates will turn around. President Obama signed a bill in July 2010 to extend jobless benefits like COBRA health coverage and partial salary reimbursement to those still searching for work. We still have quite along way to go before everyone can feel comfortable and stable in a suitable area of work. In the meantime, however, we should certainly view every small victory – even if it’s only a partial percentage point decrease in jobless claims – as a step in the right direction.

Adding or subtracting just a few dollars per month to your mortgage payment can mean a difference of years in paying it off. The interest rate has a big impact on this as well. You can add a few dollars a month, and pay off the mortgage ahead of schedule. Online tools can help you calculate how you would do this. By entering basic information such as the loan amount, the interest rate, the length of the loan, what you are considering for a monthly payment, and your contact information, a quick click provides you with an answer that can help you manage your mortgage term.

This kind of tool helps you understand your own needs, and match that to what lenders are offering. Since owning a home is expensive and also incurs other costs such as maintenance and energy costs, having a sufficient means to compare mortgage rates is important not for just savings, but to your family’s well being.

You can find a simple tool such as a mortgage term calculator on the Internet, and it is free to use as well. It will enable you to understand better how you can actually remove the financial burden of a mortgage sooner than you originally planned to.

Albuquerque’s own Buffalo Exchange (3005 Central Avenue) is open seven days a week, and has won acclaim in popular New Mexico publications like The Alibi. The Exchange even took home the coveted “Best Thrift Store” and “Readers Choice” awards in the “Best of Burque” 2010 issue. Need a new look, but fresh out of cash? Not a problem at this favorite hotspot, where customers can bring a gently worn outfit to the store, and trade it in for a new wardrobe – no money necessary! Become a regular, and the friendly and helpful staff will pull looks specifically for you and have them waiting for your next budget-conscious shopping trip. Not too far from Buffalo Exchange, located right on Menaul Blvd is Thrift Town, where a savvy shopper can dress her entire clan for a fraction of retail. The trendy shop even offers a large variety or bridal and special occasion gowns.

Santa Fe’s Barkin Boutique (1107 Pen Rd) feels more like a luxe shopping spree in Manhattan than a consignment shop. From designer jeans and shoes to home décor and furniture, the smart shopper on a budget will find exactly what he/she needs for less. Shopping on a budget doesn’t need to be daunting and difficult, especially in New Mexico! You can dress for less and look and feel your best too, if you use those dollars wisely and scope out the right spots.

Contentious and divisive debates over every issue from healthcare to the environment has left our House of Representatives facing a reality they haven’t seen since the Clinton administration in 1994. Republicans stand to take over the House. Currently, Democrats control 256 House seats, to the Republicans’ 178 – and while many political experts are pointing towards President Obama taking the ultimate fall in 2012, the truth is that he actually has time to recover, while the Democratic majority in the House does not. They are the ones with big red, white and blue targets on their backs come November 2010.

Many Democrats are taking the danger of being overturned in stride, citing the vast gap of 78 seats as a nice buoyant cushion, coupled with President Obama’s personal popularity – and think there’s nothing to worry about. Republicans, meanwhile, are licking their chops, chomping at the bit to strike come election season, knowing that in 1994, under uber popular President Clinton, the GOP easily turned the House upside down by winning 52 seats.

The surprising poll results over the past several months have shown Republicans dominating their Democratic candidates in informal queries like, “If you had to vote right now, would you choose your Democratic or Republican representative?” These casual polls are alarming because they indicate a major shift from the past several years, where Democrats have won by landslides in most states.

The battle for the House of Representatives will no doubt continue, only growing louder and demanding more attention from America – both Democrats and Republicans – as we barrel toward November. Whoever takes control in 2010 will ultimately help dictate who takes control of the White House in 2012 – and if that’s not enormous motivation to vote in your local and state elections, I don’t know what is.

However, there has been an increase in people using payday loans, perhaps because of the economic situation. Payday loan lenders report that only 2% of their clients use a payday loan only once. Most people return to a payday loan as a source of emergency cash again and again when they fall short.

Internet payday loans can cost up to $30 for every $100 borrowed. Some sites allow for a no penalty payback fee if the loan is paid back before a certain time, yet if the loan is not paid back, the fee is reapplied to the loan. Many lenders automatically renew the loan by withdrawing the fee from the borrower’s account.

Typically, a payday loan ranges from $200 to $2,500 and is made only to people who are over eighteen and who are employed or have a regular source of income. These types of loans are generally unsecured and poor credit is usually not a problem. To apply for an online payday loan, most online lenders make the application process simple, using either an online form or a toll-free number to call. The loan amount is then deposited in your account within the next few days.

Payday loans are not for everyone and are only recommended in the case of extreme emergency. Some payday loans can be worth it, however, if you will be avoiding paying late fees or other expenses by having cash on hand. Talking to a financial counselor prior to getting a payday loan is advisable.

In our current dismal economy, with jobless rates continuing to climb, many working Americans feel blessed and grateful to be employed at all, and the male/female salary debate has seemingly gone quiet for the past several months. However, disturbing statistics emerged from the University of Southern California in July 2010, citing a persistent salary gap between men and women, even those who earned advanced degrees – especially in the country’s desperate job market.

The USC study indicates that among male and female freshman students, financial freedom and security was cited equally as a reason for attending the prestigious school. By now, most Americans can agree that a Bachelor’s Degree in any field will place a job candidate head and shoulders above his or her competition – so this particular finding was unsurprising.

The study’s most troubling result is that among women, education difference matters very little when stacked up against male counterparts. Evidently, a woman with a four-year degree will earn equal wages as her male counterpart, without a four-year degree over her lifetime. So ladies, that very expensive, hard-earned piece of paper hanging behind your desk will earn you just about what a (free!) high school education earns a typical American male over the course of your career. Female college students, are you depressed yet?

With America’s jobless rate stubbornly hanging right around nine percent, most women – even highly-educated women – are thankful to be in the workforce. But maybe working gals shouldn’t be so complacent. Obviously, a male worker with a four-year degree will continue to lap his female equal on the workforce track until there is enough push-back in society for salary equality. But at least those two candidates have equal education! The true travesty from the USC study is that females who worked hard – and financed! – a college education are earning what a less qualified male earns in the workforce. Poor economy or not – women need to be paid what they’re worth.

Almost 5,000 MBA and graduate management programs utilize this test and another 2,000 schools across the globe.

To prepare for the Graduate Management Admission Test, many students will find it necessary to be proactive and find a GMAT prep course to help them succeed.

A Graduate Management Admission Test prep course is a course that helps students study for the actual test with practice questions online, video instruction and preparation, and strategies to help pass the GMAT with a high or higher score than a person would likely receive without the course. Since getting into graduate school is a competitive strategy, a GMAT prep course can help a student prepare more efficiently for the test. Test scores are valid for 5 years, so it is imperative to get the highest score possible to ensure entry into the best school possible.

Taking a Graduate Management Admission Test prep course can give you the confidence and skill you need to pass the test and get into the school you desire.

It’s no secret that America’s economy hasn’t exactly been on the upswing lately. Sure, some projected trends show that President Obama and Congress have been steering our country toward an eventual recovery – but the majority of society continues to struggle. Certainly, more Americans haven’t seen any promise than those who have – and the jobless claims hover around nine percent. Meanwhile, it’s still July, children are still on summer break, and families still want to celebrate and spend quality time together in their hours off from school and work. What to do? Enter the summer staycation – the trendiest way to stay cool, enjoy each other and still manage to save money in the process!

Especially in New Mexico, where the weather is super hot and dry, it’s easy to find places to splash around. Pack up the kids and head to the nearest local pool, brown bag lunches in tow to save even more cash. An even more economical way to get wet is one of the oldest child pleasures – turn the backyard sprinkler on high and watch the kids have a blast. Have homemade yogurt or juice pops ready to snack on when they come inside – and they’ll never miss a traditional summer getaway.

Looking to stay cool in the air conditioner, rather than bear the stifling desert summer heat outdoors? The New Mexico Museum of Art is free on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and offers fun educational opportunities for the whole family! The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science has both a planetarium and “dynatheater” for only a four-dollar admission.

These suggestions are all great ways to supplement your family’s summer fun in lieu of a pricey summer excursion – but the key is to make time in your schedule in the same way you would, had you traveled someplace exotic. Block out weekends for these close-to-home-activities, and give your family your full attention. That way, it’s easy to squeeze the most quality time out of your summer, without squeezing the last pennies out of your family budget!

Getting engaged can be a very exciting time in a person’s life. Everything is changing, and you’ve found that perfect person that you want to spend your life with. You’re thrilled, but you’re nervous. What if she says no? She won’t. Don’t worry. The Tacori engagement ring you’ll be presenting her with will help seal the deal, and you won’t have to be afraid that she’ll turn you down. You’ll be showing her that you know about quality, you understand about elegance, and you want to make sure that she has the best things in life. You may not be able to give her everything, but you can give her this timeless and classic engagement ring – which will mean more coming from a recognized and well-thought-of brand.

Take your time when selecting an engagement ring. You don’t want to rush. She’ll wear it for the rest of her life, so you don’t want to make a hasty decision and give her something she might not really love. If you’re unsure, take her shopping and let her choose some rings that she really likes. Ultimately, which one you pick will be a surprise – but you’ll know that you’re getting her something she’ll love and treasure.

Multi-generation households are on the rise in light of our current dreary economic climate. “Boomerang kids,” unemployed college graduates who move back in with Mom and Dad are contributing to these statistics, of course – but recently, the older generation is making a move in with sons and daughters – and grandchildren. Like it or not, multi-generational households are more economical, and trends also show – healthier for young kids. In the past, an elderly grandparent will move in with their children’s families if they are unable to care for themselves physically or financially. Recently though, it’s the children and their spouses who find themselves neck-deep in debt, both forced work full-time, inviting their elderly parents to move in and serve as free childcare.

Obviously, the Obamas lack the financial worries many American families are currently facing, but that doesn’t mean Mary Robinson’s move into the White House makes any less sense. Recent studies find that children in multigenerational households grow up independent and emotionally healthy. This may be attributed to the fact that having a grandparent around provides both stability and prospective in a young person’s life – and that’s important weather you’re the child of the President or not. Regardless, Mary Robinson’s move to Washington seems to be a perfect fit for our First Family – just like it’s becoming a great way of life for so may other American families.

Some of the most popular treasures hidden in attics are children’s toys. Since everyone had a childhood and most people had a hard time saying goodbye to it, the solution is often to toss the relics of what once was into a box and hide that box upstairs. However depending on when you were a child and what kind of toys you played with, those boxes could be hiding a boatload of cash. There are many collectors and antique dealers who will pay top dollar for toys dating back to as recent as the ’90′s, which means you don’t have to be 100 years old to potentially be sitting on a goldmine.

While on the subject of goldmines, there are several places online as well as in stores that buy and sell silver and gold in all of its forms. While most people won’t find antique coin collections in their attics, they may find some old or broken jewelry that many stores would be glad to pay for so that they can melt it and resell it.

Finally, since fashion is cyclical, selling your retro clothing is always a way to make a surprisingly large sum of money. For those people who had a hard time saying goodbye to the wardrobe of their youth, putting a price tag on it may make that transition much easier.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and it’s remarkable to find just how much trash most people keep in their attics.

Despite the reason for this surprising shift in America’s public view of marijuana, one issue becomes increasingly clear: marijuana equals money. And right now, America needs money. It really IS that simple. Fourteen states (and the District of Columbia) have already legalized medical marijuana – and its use is on the rise in every one of those states. Come November, Republican-run California will vote on a similar initiative to legalize and tax the sale and recreational use of the drug – and recent polls show almost 60 percent of Californians are in favor of the bill. For an explanation of this strange shift in opinion, look no further than California’s bankruptcy filings. The state is currently in financial dire straits, and perhaps Democrats and Republicans alike agree that in this case, money’s money, honey!

Certainly, this is a galvanizing and polarizing subject, and one that will no doubt only become louder and demand more attention as we approach November’s election season across the country. America is headed into uncharted territory this year, and it will be fascinating to see where we land on the recreational marijuana tolerance map. Especially for democrats – whose success may lie solely in a marijuana initiative – it will be a wild ride. Just don’t forget the Doritos.

The pros to “Obamacare” – as it’s been dubbed – are clear. Every American would be required to have health insurance by a government-granted date. On the surface this seems to be a huge step in the right direction. If every American was somehow insured, strain on charity care and Medicaid greatly decrease. No longer would uninsured patients get slapped with astronomical hospital and prescription drug bills, which then ultimately are passed to taxpayers. Great.

That is, until you take a closer look and realize what Obamacare has plenty of holes. How exactly would every citizen get covered? What about preexisting conditions? Would disgruntled insurance companies provide sub par coverage – or worse – would healthcare providers provide sub par patient care? As a country, we hope not – but our new healthcare reform plan is so freshly minted, no one has a concrete idea of how it will ultimately unfold and work for Americans. A public healthcare option has been successful in other countries – and here’s hoping it will take hold and be successful here. Something needs to change for the better.

The bottom line is that this new public healthcare option poses so many varied positive and negative arguments, it’s impossible to tell what’s right. Unfortunately for the American public, only time, implementation and evaluation will give us the facts we all wish we had right now.

Every time we open a newspaper or flip on cable television, we’re bombarded with headlines telling us our economy is recovering; that we’re through the darkest hours of America’s most biggest economic catastrophe since the 1930s, and that trends show a light at the end of the jobless, homeless, profitless tunnel. Interestingly, these headlines and news stories can tell the public anything, but that doesn’t make them true.

In light of the federally funded homebuyer tax credit expiring and continued joblessness, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported in July 2010 that confidence in their industry has taken a major hit. In the several months before, the housing market showed promise as buyers rushed to purchase new properties to redeem up to an $8,000 tax credit. July marked the expiration of the government program, as well as a retreat of eager and interested buyers from the market.

In addition to lack of the tax incentive, the NAHB report also points to a jump in home foreclosures as a reason for a drop in builder confidence. Certainly, homeowners who found themselves out of work for several months thanks to a down economy are defaulting on FHA home mortgage at record pace. The few buyers looking for properties are now mainly hoping to close on a great foreclosure deal rather than purchase a new construction, sending homebuilder confidence nose-diving even further.

Bernard Markstein, Senior Economist and Vice President of the NAHB, believes the industry still has reason to hope in the face of these new discouraging reports. He actually views the foreclosures as a galvanizing point in the market, claiming that buyers will get the itch to purchase once they investigate the historically low home prices and mortgage rates. He also cites a recent uptick in automobile sales, another industry circling the drain only a few months back, as reason to believe that home sales will soon surge. Let’s hope he’s right – and that, like the inflated positive reports of economic recovery, the depressing housing industry reports are just as exaggerated.

Democrat or Republican, few First Ladies have been as relatable to the everywoman as Michelle Obama. That’s not to say Laura Bush’s quiet politeness and literary background or Hilary Clinton’s “bull-by-the-horns” version of healthcare reform weren’t equally important or equally beneficial for our country. It’s just that somewhere between the DIY vegetable garden in the South Lawn of the White House and the wardrobe from Talbot’s and J.Crew (read: NOT Saks or Barney’s), Michelle Obama seems to effortlessly tap into the hearts and homes of the everymom, because she is one. Good thing too, since she’ll no doubt need the support of women, moms and teachers across America this summer as she tackles the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

The most recent initiative in Michelle Obama’s ongoing battle against the sad state of our children’s waistlines zeroes in on the educational and nutritional backslide America’s school aged kids call summer break. Dubbed “Let’s Read. Let’s Move,” the initiative aims to contend both with children’s lack of physical activity and healthy eating habits during their off months, and also with their tendency to lose up to three months of reading progress in that time. The First Lady, alongside congressional leaders, officially launched the program on June 8, 2010 – and jump started progress by supplying underprivileged youth with “healthy lifestyle kits” packed with healthy snacks, reading material and activity equipment like swim goggles.

The ideas and motivation behind “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” are rock-solid. The statistics on unhealthy kids are staggering, and Type 2 Diabetes among children under 12 is rapidly spiraling out of control. Truthfully, parents and educators ultimately bear responsibility for these alarming trends – and if Michelle Obama can reach out to those American mothers who already connect with her, turning an unhealthy summer break into an educational, nutritious and healthy one for our country’s children may be easier than we think.

Financial Advisers

The first thing you can do is rely on financial advisers who will make the decisions for you on how and where to invest. They will use their knowledge on the current market trends and on various mutual funds available to make choices on how and where to invest. You can also decide whether you want the money to be liquid, which means it can be pulled out if needed, or non-liquid. Non-liquid investments usually yield a higher return, but you will not be able to touch it until the investment period is over.

Online Stock Trading

If you want more control over where you invest, you can be your own financial adviser by trading stocks online. There are many online trading website that will provide you with information on how to trade stocks and how to invest wisely. One good way to invest is to diversify. This means putting money into different options including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs (exchange trade funds). These sites provide educational materials online including reports and videos including independent research so you can get unbiased information on where you should invest.

Which One Should You Choose

There are positives and negatives to both investing options and the choice really depends on how much time you have to invest in learning about stocks and investing. If you’re like many people out there, you might not have the time to look into which stocks are doing well. In that case, a financial adviser is a good option.

But if you want to have more control over your investments and are interested in learning how to invest effectively, online trading may be the best solution. You may yield more reward as well since you’re more invested in the results. The fees will likely be lower than with a financial adviser as well.

Tragically, the current economic and political climate in America finds a lot of college educated 20-somethings unable to find suitable employment and right back on Mom and Dad’s sofa, eating Cheerios and endlessly, aimlessly sifting through online want ads. Even sadder than this emerging trend is that, besides the estimated 14 percent of Millennials who are unemployed and actively seeking work, a whopping 23 percent have given up and are, quite literally, becoming professional couch potatoes. If you’re keeping track, that’s a 37 (thirty-seven!) percent unemployment rate among these young people, a number veering dangerously close to what it was in 1930. And to top it off, the majority of these kids are intelligent, articulate, college educated, well traveled and generally employable!

Frankly, the bulk of responsibility for these depressing numbers lands squarely on the shoulders of the economic fallout, a factor entirely out of Millennials’ control. You can blame plain old bad luck for the poor timing of this generation’s coming of age. It’s also quite possible that a tiny bit of responsibility for those statistics falls on the Millennials themselves, who trends show were raised by Baby Boomers who constantly told them how wonderful they were. Few Millennials would be willing to accept a job offer with a salary and benefits package they deemed below their inflated self worth. Nonetheless, the current state of the up-and-coming generation is sad, bleak and sordid. Here’s hoping things turnaround for everyone soon, unless Millennials can discover a way to earn a paycheck for climbing the couch potato ladder.

When you’re ready to buy a home, the first thing that you’ll need to do is find a lender. The lender will go over your documentation to make sure that you can afford to buy a home, and to make sure that you are trustworthy in paying your debts.

Finding the right home mortgage lender can make all the difference. Each lender has different requirements, so it’s important to make sure that you’ll qualify for a mortgage. If you have the necessary credit score, income, and down payment, you can proceed. The following tips will help you find the best lender for your mortgage:

• Look for the best rates. An interest rate of just a half percent lower can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your mortgage. Shop around at different lenders in your area and compare rates. This can easily be done online. Keep in mind that many banks want your business. If you find one you like, you can negotiate for a better rate if they know other lenders are offering you one.
• Start with your own bank first. It’s a good idea to start with a bank with which you have a relationship. This can also make the process, as well as your banking and finances, more convenient.
• Find one that specializes in home loans. There are many different types of mortgages. You want a lender that knows everything there is to know about home loans, refinancing, and so forth.
• Consider customer service. You will have your home mortgage for 15 to 30 years. It’s important that you choose a lender that prides itself on customer service. Choosing a mortgage lender that is professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and prompt in returning your calls and addressing your concerns is a must.

Finding the right mortgage lender can be time consuming, but the results are well worth it.

Or, in other words, WHY has President Obama seemingly turned a blind eye to this whole BP mess? We’ve hashed and rehashed the issue on every newspaper, cable network, website, and blog (both democratic and republican!) — and the general theme, despite what side a particular pundit may learn toward, is that our President has barely flinched in the face of our country’s most catastrophic human-made disaster. Why?

We’re barraged with answers to this question, both from the left and right – and my feeling is that the truth may lie somewhere in between. Or maybe it’s nowhere to be found. Only President Obama knows the reasons behind his apparent apathy toward the estimated 40 to 50 thousand (thousand!) barrels of crude spewing into our pristine Atlantic everyday.

True, maybe our President is actually working doggedly, tirelessly behind the scenes, nary even a cig break, to fix the problem. Who am I to say otherwise? All I know and all I’ve seen is what BP graciously grants access to – and that’s not a whole lot, so maybe I’m being unfair. What I DO know for certain is that left to continue it’s ugly, messy, polluted reign over America’s Gulf Coast at its current rate, the Oil Spill of 2010 will continue up our East Coast, destroying communities along the way – basically crushing the coastal economies where an estimated 85 percent of our country’s population calls home. Apologies for repeating myself — but why? Why can’t we fix this?

Democrat or republican, I think we can all agree that losing the economies of Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and so on until Maine can only leave our entire country decimated. And that’s not the kind of change we need. What we need is to reach out to allies for help and guidance. Foreign lands have offered assistance, and we’ve turned them away. It might sting, but America needs to swallow its pride and accept generous offers from Russia and Germany to close the well, clean our ocean and resume life as we knew it before April 22, 2010. I’m just curious why we’ve had to wait this long.

Investing can be risky, but it can also yield big monetary gains when it’s done correctly. One hot commodity right now that investors and financial experts both agree on is silver.

Why Buy Silver?
Silver is a precious metal that is in short supply. However, there’s great demand for it. As a result, prices have been rising steadily, and don’t appear to be slowing down any time in the foreseeable future. It is estimated that 95 percent of the supply of silver in the world has already been used, so an eventual shortage of silver will lead to huge gains and jumps in prices. Silver goes into the creation of many products. You will see silver in everything from the utensils you use to eat to the car you drive to the cell phone in your pocket.

Silver is a good investment because it can make you money as a long or short term investment. While most investments are traditionally meant to be long-term and rise steadily over time, silver can be a good short-term investment as well. This is the case because the price of silver is rising at a steady clip. You can make a nice profit off of silver after just a few years or even months of owning it.

As a long-term investment, silver is a smart choice because it will only continue to grow in value as the supply of silver dwindles and the demand becomes even greater. Silver is also a good investment for keeping your portfolio diverse. And as an actual commodity, many investment experts believe silver is a good hedge against inflation, particularly in a poor economy.

Now is a great time to begin investing in silver, whether you want to do so for the long or short term.

If you’re a political junkie – and especially if you’re a democrat – you certainly have a tiny reason to rejoice today. And no, it’s not because we’re celebrating America’s 234th birthday this Fourth of July. It’s because as of July 1, 2010, Fox News (yes, you read that correctly) is reporting that, in spite of recent gloomy headlines surrounding the BP oil disaster, America’s involvement in Iraq, and President and Mrs. Obama’s recent jaunts to NYC for dinner and a Broadway show, that our leader’s approval rating is finally steadying after a turbulent several months.

The blatantly right-slanted news outlet released a story explaining the reasons behind the sudden stability of President Obama’s approval rating – most of them involving his decision (supported by democrats and republicans alike) to replace General McChrystal over a few (let’s be honest here, idiotic) remarks to Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone?! Couldn’t General McChrystal have chosen a more respectable magazine to spill the beans and lose his job? I digress…

The Fox News story delves deeper into the issue, explaining why President Obama was just in his decision to appoint General David Patraeus – but not without getting its hooks in Obama first, noting that, “Despite this significant [bipartisan] support for this action…His overall job performance rating is mostly unchanged.” Remember, this is Fox News we’re talking about.

Obviously, despite our partisan politics, I think we can all agree that canning a General who’s willing to inappropriately and unprofessionally speak to a mainstream (music!) magazine was the right thing to do. President Obama was honest with the American public, sternly and openly admitting embarrassment and shame for McChrystal’s comments. Truthfully, I’m relieved our leader was brave enough to take action on this one – I’m just shocked Fox News was brave enough to concede this tiny fight. To check out the Fox News article, click here:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/01/fox-news-poll-obamas-approval-steady-support-action-afghanistan/

As the economy sits at a stagnant low, more and more Americans have to seek out credit card relief to help lower monthly bills and, in some cases, avoid bankruptcy. Consolidation of debt involves taking out one loan to pay off multiple existing loans with higher interest rates. Some debt consolidations are done through loans secured against an asset, such as a car or a house. The use of collateral to secure a debt consolidation loan helps to lower the associated interest rate by reducing the risk to the lender.

Consolidation of debt is normally viewed as a way to join various higher interest balances into one with a lower interest, adding convenience and, in theory, reducing the overall balance that needs to be paid. Debt consolidation is generally offered by multiple banks and credit unions, so shopping around and some basic application of math skills can ensure that the borrower is truly paying less than he or she would were the debt not to be consolidated.

Also, it is important to note that interest rates are based on the borrower’s credit score. So the earlier a prospective borrower seeks help in consolidating debt, before creditors make negative reports to the credit bureaus, the lower the interest rate the borrower stands to obtain from a debt consolidation loan. As mentioned earlier, the application of any available assets as collateral may also assist with lowering whatever interest rates a borrower may be offered.

Debt consolidation is not an end-all fix all to debt accruement, but if done responsibly can help alleviate the stress of dealing with bills. It must be done with caution, and the borrower must commit to changing necessary spending habits in order to ensure that new debts aren’t incurred and the process of debt consolidation fails.