The Atlanta City Council is currently considering a ban on cigarette smoking in all public parks within the city. The Council heard public comments on the matter today. Continue reading “Atlanta Considers Cigarette Ban in All Public Parks”
Author: chrismtwo
Every day I try to learn and experience new things. The infinite wonder of the universe provides endless opportunity for adventures. My favorite thing is to enjoy these adventures with friends, and to share my stories with others.
At the very core, all people are storytellers. Whether it is a full length motion picture or a chat over a cup of coffee, most of what makes up the human experience is the communication of ideas. For this reason, I am always looking for opportunities to write. I would like to share what I've seen with as many people as possible.
Taxes for Some More than Others: Excise Taxes
In the U.S., national excise taxes are placed on fuels, tobacco, alcohol, tires, airline tickets, telephone calls, firearms, Tanning Salons, coal, heavy trucks, vaccines, ship voyages and air cargo. Some of these go toward services related to the industry, for example the TSA for airline tickets. Others go to the general fund. States have their own excise taxes, often on the same products. Taxes on gambling exist, for example the lottery tax. Additionally, excise taxes on sugar, pornography, prostitution and even on “bad” food have been proposed. These are on top of regular sales tax. Continue reading “Taxes for Some More than Others: Excise Taxes”
Does the Government Tax Us Into Good Behavior?
Don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t eat fatty foods, don’t drink sugary sodas and don’t hire prostitutes, or you’ll pay. This is the message the ever increasing number of “sin taxes” sends to the American people. It seems like a fair compromise, paying a little more to indulge in “bad” behavior. It’s like a parent telling their child, “Well you can have some ice cream, but first you have to clean your room.” But are we really just children who need to be told how to behave by a wiser older government? Continue reading “Does the Government Tax Us Into Good Behavior?”
Child Molestation is All Too Common
According to a 2006 National Institute of Justice report, 3.6% of women and 1.3% of men were raped when they were age 11 or younger. In 2010, there were 63,527 reported instances of child sexual abuse in the U.S, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Compare this to 9,100 deaths in car wrecks in 2009 for those 19 and younger, according to the CDC. You make sure your kid buckles up, but are you worried about who is watching them?
Child molestation is blight upon our society, and should be dealt with swiftly and justly. But what is left for the victims who must put the pieces back together? These events follow people for the rest of their lives, and getting over the incident is an ongoing struggle. Depression, self-loathing, flashbacks, selective memory loss and dissociation are all symptoms of a past child molestation experience. Repression, emotional insulation, rationalization, and intellectualization are common coping mechanisms.
The act of even admitting that abuse occurred is an extremely traumatic experience. Using the example of the Sandusky trial, it took years for the alleged victims to come forward, and testifying was a terrible experience. However, talking about it with a counselor or other trusted individual is crucial to the healing process. Even speaking with your general practitioner is important, as the diagnosis of other ailments such as migraines can change.
You also need to recognize poor coping habits, such as addictive behavior, drinking and fear of intimacy. Admitting both the incident and its effects are an important step toward recovery. Seeking psychiatric help is a good option for making sure the tragic events of childhood don’t ruin an entire life.
Additional Resources
HHS Child Abuse 2010: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm10/cm10.pdf#page=61
RAINN Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: http://rainn.org/get-info/effects-of-sexual-assault/adult-survivors-of-childhood-sexual-abuse
National Institute of Justice National Violence Against Women Survey: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/210346.pdf
University of Nebraska Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=psychfacpub
Teen Runaways
“You won’t live under my roof unless you cut your hair.” What happens when your 15-year-old takes you up on the offer? Each year in the U.S. one in seven teenagers between the ages of 10 and 18 run away, according to the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS). Currently, between one and three million teenagers are living on the streets in the U.S. Continue reading “Teen Runaways”
Retirement is a New Fad
The first precursor to modern retirement occurred in 1883 Germany when Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck announced that he would pay a pension to any non-working German over the age of 65. During this time, in America around 76 % of those 65 and over participated in the labor force. The rate was down to 43.5% in 1940, after Franklin D. Roosevelt invented Social Security. Now it stands under 17.5% Continue reading “Retirement is a New Fad”
Redefining Retirement
Between the financial crisis, taking care of your kids, taking care of your parents, home equity losses and the increased cost of health care, retirement has changed in America. The picture has changed from lobster dinners to peanut butter and jelly. The reality is that this isn’t a temporary cutback; people are faced with a complete lifestyle change which will follow them into retirement years. Continue reading “Redefining Retirement”
Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall: Rebuilding your nest egg
Meltdown was the term used to describe the 2008 financial disaster. Now your retirement picture feels like a full on Chernobyl. You were only ten/five/one year from retirement and now retirement seems like a pipe dream. Will you have to keep working the rest of your life? Will you have to take major cuts in your lifestyle? Not only has your portfolio taken a beating, but your house value crashed and you can’t sell it if you wanted to. What do you do? Continue reading “Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall: Rebuilding your nest egg”
Reincarnation
There have been approximately 107,602,707,791 people born in the history of the earth, according to estimates by the Population Reference Bureau. Are all these lives independent, or have a few souls accounted for several lifetimes? If you have ever felt that this isn’t your first ride on the Merry-Go-Round, it is possible that you have been reincarnated and have past lives. Continue reading “Reincarnation”
The Sixth Sense
Some people claim to see what cannot be seen. Palm readers, tarot cards and crystal balls; these are all the images conjured when you think of psychics. Outside of the stereotypes, however, there actually is substantial evidence supporting certain psychic phenomenon. Even the U.S. government attests to its reality. Continue reading “The Sixth Sense”
Ronin Pen 