Dawn

I'm not a big product freak. What I mean by that is if I find a product I like, I may mention it if the topic comes up (sure, becuase I'm always sitting around discussing the benefits of liquid versus powder laundry detergent or something), but I hardly go out of my way to talk about my experiences.

However; I actually have found a dishwashing liquid that I cannot live without. Dawn Direct Foam is the best product for washing dishes that I have EVER used. I usually burn food in my pots and pans, and the usual way for me to deal with that is to soak them... for days. I hate cleaning that crap and scrubbing them while my hands burn from the hot water! Now I don't have to! I don't know what's in that stuff, but it's fantastic. Just a tiny drop goes in, some water, then a bit of scrubbing and *bam*! all clean.

A Doll is a Doll... Right?

Barbie is no longer a prominent presence in Middle Eastern toy stores; she had been replaced by a more culturally reflective Fulla doll. Fulla forgoes the skin-tight, low neck-line outfits that Barbie usually wears, and instead wears a black abaya and a head scarf which portray a more conservative and culturally 'proper' Middle Eastern system.

There is some controversy surrounding the new Fulla doll. Some say that Fulla is "just a plaything" like Barbie is to the world at large, but other's say that this new Fulla doll represents the pressure to conform to the limiting female role within the Middle East.

It seems that Fulla is everywhere in the Middle East, just as Barbie is here in America. Fulla is on breakfast cereal, is used to sell chewing gum, and is a marketing figure for bikes and backpacks. Some parents complain, saying that Fulla has taken over, but others claim that having a role model that is shown in commercials to be praying before sunrise and acting in the more 'traditional' roles of a woman, are good to have.

What's Your Major?

Sounds like a bad pick up line, doesn't it? Well, now kids in Florida highschools will have a basis for such a question.

In an article written by Written by Nancy Steinbach in Voices of America there are pros and cons to this concept that Florida Governor Jeb Bush supported as part of an education reform plan. Pros include encouraging students to plan for the future and have more students graduate high school due to having the opportunity to learn a job skill while getting educated. Cons of this new requirement are having students limited in their schooling experience, coupled with the known fact that very few fourteen-year-olds know what they want to do with the rest of their life.

The Associated Press article in the New York Times focuses on the same issues, stating that the opponents of the bill say the requirement would put "too much pressure" on students to decide their future, while supporters say they hope the state's dropout rate will fall and that classroom achievement will rise if students can pick out on subjects they are interested in.

I found the Florida Department of Education's Graduation Options. It looks interesting, and it reminds me a bit of college requirements.

The fact of the matter lies within the students themselves. We can, as a State and a Nation, think what we will about this Legislature, but it's going to remain up to the individual students to make this a positive change within the schools.

My interest lies in the students who think they know what they want to do in the future as far as career choices go. When I was fourteen I wanted to be a famous actress or a horse trainer. Now, at 31, I'm a wife, mother, real estate agent, and Forensic Specialist with the local mental health center. Do I think that what ever I could have experienced in high school may have helped me find the way to where I am now? No. However, I'm not single-minded enough to think that there isn't the possibility that the road taken to get here may have been a bit easier to travel if I'd had the chance to dive into certain subjects prior to my college years!

Beauty Knows No Bounds

There is a dance originated in Asia called the Thousand-Hand Guan Yin.

Guan Yin is revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. The name is short for Guan Shi Yin. (Guan which means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi which means the world; and Yin which means sounds, specifically of those who suffer. ) Guan Yin, then, is a compassionate being who watches for, and responds to, the people in the world who cry out for help. (taken, in part, from exerpt by Derek Lin)

I watched this video of the Thousand-Hand Guan Yin performed by 21 dancers who are completely deaf. It is an amazing accomplishment to master this dance considering the intricate and precise dance movements involved, but it's even more amazing in light of the fact that these dancers cannot hear music cues! They perform this dance by relying on on signals from four trainers at the four corners of the stage.

Take a moment and watch this amazing execution of the Thousand-Hand Guan Yin! I'm sure you'll be as amazed as I was.

Product Buzz

I received a Sonicare Toothbrush for free last week. I was hesitant to sign up for this because I'm not a fan of electric toothbrushes, but I decided that since it was free I didn't have much to loose.

The initial attempt to use it was funny; it felt like my gums were getting tickled by a thousand fingers and those fingers were then sending electric currents to my teeth. Sounds fun, right? You'd try again, wouldn't you?

I did, and I'm glad. My teeth feel great! I keep running my tongue across them (I'm sure people find that wildly attractive) and I really do think they're getting whiter.

I also believe that my gums just might get used to the vibrations...

A New Beginning

Fitting that I would 're-start' on a Monday... The Monday before the holidays none the less.

It's a time to start looking over the past and to start planning for the year ahead. Time to right wrongs, make some goals, and to begin a-new. Time to start fresh with the beginning of a brand new year, and hopefully time to make some changes for the better...

I think I'm ready for 2007... but I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to 2006 yet! Good thing there are still a few weeks left.