Daily Thoughts & Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

DECEMBER 13

Days left until the next millennium 01.01.3001

Photo of the Week
Scott Spiker/Adventure Photo & Film
Achieve Your Dreams

December 13 -  National Children's Memorial Day: In remembrance of all of the children the world has lost, National Children's Memorial Day is held on the second Sunday of each December. This year is the Sixth Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting, whereby every person is invited to light a candle in honor of children who have died. Please join the candle lighting event by lighting your candle at 7 p.m. in whatever time zone you are in. This way, the effect will be a 24-hour memorial around the world, with a wave of light that will encircle the globe. You can learn more about this holiday by visiting The Compassionate Friends' website at: www.compassionatefriends.org/index.html * Captain Abel Tasman of the Dutch East India Company first sighted New Zealand but was kept from landing my Maori warriors (1642). In 1769 Captain James Cook landed and claimed formal possession for Great Britain. * North and South Korea signed a treaty of reconciliation and nonaggression, formally ending the Korean War (1991) 38 years after fighting ceased in 1953. This agreement was not hailed as a peace treaty, and the armistice that was signed in 1953 between the UN and North Korea was to remain in effect until it could be transformed into a formal peace.* Leonardo de Vinci's Mona Lisa, stolen two years ago, is recovered and returned to the Louvre Museum in Paris (1913). * Birthdays: Christopher Plummer, Van Heflin, Phillips Brooks, Heinrich, Hein, Steve Buscemi, John Davidson, Sergei Fedorov, Ted Nugent, Robert Prosky, Dick Van Dyke.

DAILY THOUGHTS

On St. Lucia's Day, girls traditionally put cherry branches or hawthorn boughs into wet sand or water, to encourage blooms by Christmas. If the plants bloom on Christmas Day, the girls' wishes will be granted. The Old Farmer's Almanac

The University of Florida integrates on this day in 1958. African American History

I'd rather marry a man with no penis and a great tongue than a man with no tongue and a great penis. - Sylvia, 30 Best of 1001 Sex Secrets Every Man & Woman Should Know

Knowledge and awareness bring with them an enormous responsibility. For to experience one's closeness to God is also to experience the obligation to be God, to be the agent of His power and love. The call to grace is a call to a life of effortful caring, to a life of service and whatever sacrifice seems required. It is a call out of spiritual childhood into adulthood, a call to be a parent unto mankind. The Road Less Traveled

Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans. - Alfred Marshall. Achieve Your Dreams

Things to Be Happy About: Vigil kept. Teaching the young. Illustrious ancestors. 14,000 Things to Be Happy About

Ten minutes is short if it's a recess and long if it's a punishment.  Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me

There isn't a person anywhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can. - Henry Ford  If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

When slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk's cremated ashes were scattered at sea, grape flavored Kool-aid powder and bubble bath were poured into the Pacific Ocean at the same time, so that Milk's ashes could be scattered into a pool of lavender sea foam bubbles. Gay & Lesbian Calendar

Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it's holy ground. There's no greater investment.  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Promise yourself that this holiday you won't go into debt for something you put under the tree. Simplify Your Life

Toy Tips:  (1) Follow the manufacturer's age recommendations; these are based on safety and developmental issues. (2) Tie plastic packaging into a knot and discard it; throw out ribbons, which could cause strangulation. (3) Regularly inspect toys for sharp edges or broken parts. (4) Don't give a toy that shoots small objects to a child under age 7. (5) Make sure a toy meant for an older child is not used around a younger sibling. Parents Tips & Tricks

An often overlooked but incredibly important tip for dealing with holiday stress is to get enough sleep. While you sleep, your body de-stresses and restores itself both physically and emotionally from the previous day's activities. Cheating yourself of an hour or two (or more!) of sleep each night in order to try to get more done will only wear you out and make you less efficient and less enjoyable to be with. Stress Busters

For the Kids: Light a walkway with a luminaria! Draw any design on the front of a small brown paper bag. Cut out the design. Fill part of the bag with sand. Put a candle in the sand. Ask an adult to light the candle at night, and watch the flow! To Do Today

The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows. - Aristotle Onassis Win the Day!

La cueva (KWEHbah). Cave, Den. No vayas alli, es una cueva de labrones!  Don't go there, it's a den of thieves!  Living Language

TODAY'S ISSUE: CREATIVITY

Some painters transform the sun with a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun. - Pablo Picasso

Creativity. Intuition. Invention. Revolution.

Work addicts are rarely, if ever, people who will be described as employing any of the above words to their work or their methods of production. As Picasso states, one can get the job done, but without brilliance, without imagination, without insight or beauty.

In order for us to do our best work, we must have room to grow, be free enough to transform the yellow spot into the sun. Living and working in that atmosphere is life affirming, nonjudgmental, anti-workaholic. Value is placed on invention. Meditations For Men Who Do Too Much

Hey Man: Did you make a difference yesterday? Let us know at Contact Us. I will assess my opportunities. I will think about how I can open up and be more insightful in my life and in my work. Meditations For Men Who Do Too Much Want to make a difference but you don't know where to start?

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Dress Like the Big Fish: How to achieve the image you want and the success you deserve, Dick Lerner. To land a job these days, prospective employees need more than a strong resume. Their dress and image need to mirror their credentials. The author, a Certified Wardrobe Consultant and Certified Custom Clothier, points out, "An investment in an appropriate wardrobe is an investment in career success." In this book he offers sensible, practical advice for everyone from young people looking for their first job or to step up a rung; retiring or recently discharged military personnel who have been wearing a uniform for many years; women and men re-entering the work force; and anyone looking to land a job in this tough job market. Things considered: that sport coast that's on sale may not be such a good buy. Business casual does not mean jeans. Wear wool. When you can't afford wardrobe clothing, buy fewer pieces, but better quality. Dress for the job two levels above you. Also, a check-list for non-clothing items: hair, eyeglasses, facial hair, fingernails. www.DressLiketheBigFish.com, Bel Fir Fashions Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9793463-0-9

SPECIAL URLs

 

MENSTUFF COLUMNS BY AUTHOR

  • The Advice Diva - The Advice Diva - relationship and sexuality issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/advicediva/archive.html
  • Peter Alsop - Song of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/alsop/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - A Man Overboard - Interview of the Month - www.menstuff.org/columns/overboard/archive.html
  • Reid Baer - Poetry - poetry read on YouTube - www.menstuff.org/columns/baer/archive.html
  • Molly Barrow - Shrink About This - www.menstuff.org/columns/barrow/archive.html
  • Peter Baylies - At Home Dads - on at-home-dad issues that impact fathers who stay at home to raise their kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/baylies/archive.html
  • Tom Blake - Middle-Age Relationships - from an expert on dating after 50. www.menstuff.org/columns/blake/archive.html
  • Mark Brandenburg - Great Fathers - on fathering issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/greatfathers/archive.html
  • Ted Braude - BoysWork - a columnist in the The Detroit Free Press "Body and Mind" section www.menstuff.org/columns/braude/archive.html
  • Armin Brott - A Father's Guide - hosts "Positive Parenting" on radio www.menstuff.org/columns/brott/archive.html
  • Dan Bulf - Get Real - weekly pod cast on men's issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/bulf/archive.html
  • Ken Byers - Transition - on men's life transitions - www.menstuff.org/columns/byers/archive.html
  • Sandra L. Caron - Sex Talk - college students get answers to their questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/sextalk/archive.html
  • Neil Chethik - Relationships - www.menstuff.org/columns/chethik/archive.html
  • Otto & Susie Collins - Susie and Otto - relationship issues discussed - www.menstuff.org/columns/susie&otto/archive.html
  • David Copeland - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Layne & Paul Cutright - Powerful Partnerships - relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/cutright/archive.html
  • Ron DesMarais - Cavemen in the Kitchen - great recipes for men - www.menstuff.org/columns/desmarais/archive.html
  • Jed Diamond - Irritable Male Syndrome - www.menstuff.org/columns/diamond/archive.html
  • Doc Love - Women Don't Lie, Man Don't Listen - answers to relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/doclov/archive.html
  • Barry Durdant-Hollamby - Creating Change - creating change in your life - www.menstuff.org/columns/durdant/archive.html
  • Irv Engel - The Real Deal - www.menstuff.org/columns/engel/archive.html
  • Nancy Fagan - Expert Dating Advice - with Nancy Fagan - www.menstuf.org/columns/fagan/archive.html
  • Warren Farrell - Men's Issues: Facts and Perspectives www.menstuff.org/columns/farrell/archive.html
  • Leonard Felder - Wake Up or Break Up - www.menstuff.org/columns/felder/archive.html
  • Marty Friedman - Strong Men, Strong Marriage - www.menstuff.org/columns/friedman/archive.html
  • Kim Garretson - Mansgland - using humor to encourage prostate exams - www.menstuff.org/columns/mansgland/archive.html
  • Lion Goodman - How to get Women to Love You - www.menstuff.org/columns/goodman/archive.html
  • Liz Halliday - In a Man's World - www.menstuff.org/columns/halliday/archive.html
  • Tim Hartnett - Daddyman Speaks - being a father www.menstuff.org/columns/daddyman/archive.html
  • John Hershey - Blood, Phlegm & Bile: Parenting with Humor - He writes a syndicated biweekly humor column about parenting and family life. www.menstuff.org/columns/hershey/archive.html
  • Gary Hoeber - Psychotherapy as Soul Work, www.menstuff.org/columns/hoeber/archive.html
  • Patrick Houser - Fathers Make a World of Difference, www.menstuff.org/columns/houser/archive.html
  • Paul Joannides - The Guide to Getting It On - on sex - www.menstuff.org/columns/getiton/archive.html
  • Jack Kahn - NOMAS Boston - www.menstuff.org/columns/kahn/archive.html
  • Patrick Kennedy - Seniors - www.menstuff.org/columns/kennedy/archive.html
  • Joe Kort - Gaydar - to increase understanding between gay and het men - www.menstuff.org/columns/kort/archive.html
  • David Kundtz - David Kundtz - presents seminars, workshops, retreats, and conference presentations in the areas of men's emotional health, stress management, and spirituality. www.menstuff.org/columns/kundtz/archive.html
  • Bruce Linton - Dr. Dad - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/drdad/archive.html
  • Ron Louis - How to Succeed with Women - www.menstuff.org/columns/howtosucceed/archive.html
  • Wendy McElroy - Wendy McElroy on Feminism, www.menstuff.org/columns/mcelroy/archive.html
  • Robert N. Minor - Minor Details - on GBT sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/minordetails/archive.html
  • Robert L. Moore - Man & Mythology - www.menstuff.org/columns/moore/archive.html
  • Dennis W. Neder - Being a Man - general questions about men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/neder/archive.html
  • Marty Nemko - Worklife - general questions about men and work - www.menstuff.org/columns/nemko/archive.html
  • Eli Newberger - Eli Newberger - general information on men's lives - www.menstuff.org/columns/newberger/archive.html
  • Linda Nielsen - Embracing the Father - working with the father/daughter relationship. www.menstuff.org/columns/nielsen/archive.html
  • Kathy Noll - Bullies and Youth Violence - working with schools, teachers and parents to end school violence - www.menstuff.org/columns/noll/archive.html
  • Mark Phillips - Stay-at-Home-Dads - helping men maintain that which makes us men, instead of becoming hairy Mom-substitutes - www.menstuff.org/columns/phillips/archive.html
  • Carey Roberts - Socialism & Feminism - is a social commentator on political correctness. www.menstuff.org/columns/roberts/archive.html
  • Perry Rose - Dating, Relationship, Sex
  • Glenn Sacks - His Side - on fathering - www.menstuff.org/columns/sacks/archive.html
  • Trudy Schuett - Domestic Violence - serving the under-represented www.menstuff.org/columns/schuett/archive.html
  • Carl J. Schutt - Circumcision - social commentator on circumcision - www.menstuff.org/columns/schutt/archive.html
  • Hugo Schwyzer - A Pro-feminist's Response - www.menstuff.org/columns/schwyzer/archive.html
  • Michael Shaffran - Men's Issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/shaffran/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Judith Sherven - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • George Simons - Bellicose Veins - is a US specialist in intercultural and gender communication who hangs out in Mandelieu - la Napoule, France, as well as in Santa Cruz, CA. www.menstuff.org/columns/simons/archive.html
  • Andy Smith - Hard Hat Brotherhood - www.menstuff.org/columns/hardhat/archive.html
  • David B. Smith - Fighting Father Dave - www.menstuff.org/columns/smith/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - Judith & Jim - discussion and answers regarding relationship issues - www.menstuff.org/columns/judith&jim/archive.html
  • Jim Sniechowski - The New Intimacy - www.menstuff.org/columns/newintimacy/archive.html
  • Reena Sommer - Custody - is an internationally recognized relationship and divorce consultant. www.menstuff.org/columns/sommer/archive.html
  • R. Don Steele - Don Steele - relationship questions answered -
    www.menstuff.org/columns/steele/archive.html
  • David Steinberg - Comes Naturally - on sexuality - www.menstuff.org/columns/steinberg/archive.html
  • Mary Lou St Lucas - A Mother's Love - www.menstuf.org/columns/stlucas/archive.html
  • Surprise - Surprise Author - From a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Steven Svoboda - Fatherhood, Activism and the Law www.menstuff.org/columns/svoboda/archive.html
  • Michael Taylor - A New Conversation with Men - www.menstuff.org/columns/taylor/archive.html
  • Bruce Van Horn - Yoga for Men - issues around the health benefits of yoga for men - www.menstuff.org/yoga/archive.html
  • Michael Webb - Secrets of Blissful Relationships - on relationship - www.menstuff.org/columns/bliss/archive.html
  • Stuart Wilde - Spirituality - www.menstuff.org/columns/wilde/archive.html
  • Dr.Williams - Sex Health - on sexual health - Dr. Williams, www.menstuff.org/columns/sexhealth/archive.html
  • KC Wilson - On Gender Politics is a social commentator and author. www.menstuff.org/columns/wilson/archive.html

Plus

  • Health Tips - on general health - www.menstuff.org/columns/healthtips/archive.html
  • Independent Means - resources for raising financially fit kids - www.menstuff.org/columns/independentmeans/archive.html
  • Numbers - www.menstuff.org/columns/numbers/archive.html
  • Questions - www.menstuff.org/columns/q&a/archive.html
  • Surprise - from a new columnist every month - www.menstuff.org/columns/surprise/archive.html
  • Words Can Heal - helping children grow up healthy - www.menstuff.org/columns/wordscanheal/archive.html
  • Wuzup?! - National or international events happening this month - www.menstuff.org/columns/whassup/archive.html 

AWARENESS EVENTS THIS MONTH

December is Kidstuff month. Also check Toy Safety and Happy Holidaze. Holiday Designated Driver, Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness; Hug-A-Week for Hearing Impaired; International Calendar Awareness; *National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention; National Stress-Free Family Holidays; Safe Toys and Gifts; Universal Human Rights Month.

11/1-12/13: Merlin's Snug Hugs for Kids, 11/27-12/26: Ramadan. 11/1/00-01/01/01: Tie One on the Safety; 11/4-12/4: Jewish Book Month. 11/26-12/25: Operation Blessing International's 30 Days of Holiday Hope. 12/1-7: National Aplastic Anemia Awareness; Tolerance; 12/10-16: *Human Rights Week. 12/15-21: International Language Week 12/16-24: Posadas.. 12/17-23: Tell Someone They're Doing a Good Job Week. 12/22-29: Chanukah. 12/25-31: It's About Time Week. 12/26-1/1: Kwanzaa. 12/1: Day without Art/*UN World AIDS Day; 12/2: Pan American Health; International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Advent/Festival of Lights. 12/3: UN International Day of Disabled Persons. 12/5: Bathtub Party; International Volunteer Day for Economy and Social Development Day. 12/7: *National Pearl Harbor Remembrance; UN International Civil Aviation Day. 12/9: UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). 12/10: * Human Rights; International Shareware; UN Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination Day. 12/12: Poinsettia Day. 12/15: *Bill of Rights; Underdog; One Day. 12/17: End Violence Against Sex Workers (International) *Pan American Aviation; Wright Brothers Day. 12/20: Louisiana Purchase; Mudd Day. 12/21: Forefathers'; Humbug; Phileas Fogg Wins a Wager; World Peace Day. 12/25: Christmas, A'phabet Day. 12/26: National Whiner's; Boxing Day. 12/28: Holy Innocents Day. 12/29: UN International Day for Biological Diversity Day. 12/31: Namahage (Japan); Make Up Your Mind Day. World Peace Meditation.

* Means a Presidential Proclamation has been made.

National Missing Children's Day
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Men are so competitive that we even "out-die" women in all 15 of the major causes of death in the U.S. Most of these deaths are preventable with a positive change in life-style, eating habits, and/or general health care. Let's not strive so hard to hold on to this record. See what you can change now to live a healthier life.
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