5 Ways Wise Women Make Money

My Savvy Sisters don't work hard. We make strategic moves that enable us to live the lives we desire. We have the common sense to use our senses to create a steady flow of income.

SIGHT
What is it that you can recognize better than anyone else? Can you spot a fake Louis Vuitton in 10 seconds? Can you recognize grammatical mistakes in a published book? Does everyone you know call you to help them put together an outfit?

There is SOMETHING that your eyes are better tuned in to recognize than most people. Figure out what it is and learn how to profit from it. Start a blog. Begin writing about your expertise. You are an expert, even if you don't believe it. Even if you spend time reaching out to people you admire and asking for the secrets to their success, you are still providing valuable information.

You can make money from your blog by offering advertising space and placing google ads. If you are dedicated to writing about your particular area of expertise, your income will increase.


HEARING
There is a particular topic that you absolutely LOVE to learn about. There is something that is so fascinating to you that you have to find out more about it every single day. Your ears are tuned in to this frequency because it will become a valuable key to your success. You are collecting valuable information that plenty other women would love to have access to. You should transform your fascination into a stream of income by creating an eBook and selling it online.

If you passed elementary school, you can do this. Don't be afraid. All you need to do is learn how to organize your information. Try reading this guide to writing a self help book. It will help you with the structure. Your book doesn't have to be a full length novel. It just has to have valuable information that others are seeking. Some of my eBooks are only 15 pages long and they still sell. Even if you don't believe they are seeking the information that you have, they are. Give it a try.

Step 1) Open up a word document.
Step 2) Sketch an outline for your book of the information you want to present.
Step 3) Write the information down.
Step 4) Ask a friend to edit it. Use spell check.
Step 5) Save the document as a PDF.
Step 6) Create a book cover.
Step 7) Go to Kindle and upload your book.

Once you have a book written, create as many more as you can. You can create a series of short stories or articles related to your topic of interest. Don't worry about who is buying them, just keep sharing the information that you have. People will buy them, eventually. It took 3 years to start seeing consistent income for my eBooks. I wrote them so long ago and now I don't have to do anything but count the money as it comes in. You can do this too.


TOUCH
Every woman needs to develop a skill where they use their hands.

1. Learn how to braid hair.
2. Learn how to crochet.
3. Learn how to cook.
4. Learn how to do massages.
5. Learn how to play a sport.
6. Learn how to fix something.
7. Learn how to grow something.
8. Learn how to create something.

You have to learn how to use your hands to prosper. Once you have developed a skill, go out and ask people to pay money for what you can create. You don't need to have a license or be an expert to get started. Just get started!

The expert status is created AFTER you start. Start small and then build up. Have the confidence to offer a class to teach what you know to other women or place an ad online offering your skill for a fee. You can do this! Your skill is valuable.

SMELL
Even if you aren't into girly things, you have to at least learn how to create something girly to sell. This doesn't have to be your full time job but its a cool way to make new friends or earn the extra bucks you need to fill your gas tank or treat yourself to a new pedicure. Plus, learning how to create a product that all women use makes you look and feel smarter.

I'd try learning how to make perfume. The process behind learning how to create your own perfume is intriguing and fun. You can even host a party to teach your friends how to do it themselves. After hearing about The Sweet Smell of Success from a friend who now makes her own perfumes, body lotions, deodorants and soaps, I decided to give it a try and when I tell people that I know how to make perfume, they all ask me to teach them how. At $10 a person, I can share my knowledge with a gaggle of women giggling over wine and cheese. You can too!

TASTE
You don't have to become a call girl to make money with your mouth. Your particular beliefs and values or your tastes and preferences can earn you cold hard cash if you believe that what you have to say is important.

Share your taste for fashion, politics or community activism with the world by offering online seminars where people can pay to hear you speak. Of course the income won't come in steadily at first but once you develop your signature style of speaking and presenting, your mouth alone will become your segue way to financial freedom.

Start by using UStream to develop an audience or you can host a blogtalk radio show to talk about your perspective of the world if you are camera shy. Keep talking and sharing your tastes and preferences and you will achieve expert status automatically.

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EDITORIAL: You Don't Need A King To Be A Queen

Last week the Commonwealth broke a lifetime tradition of overlooking women born into royal families as appropriate heirs to the throne. The leaders of the 16 realms that have the Queen as their head of state unanimously agreed to change the rules of succession during a meeting in Perth, Australia. This means that if a woman is the first born of a royal family, then she has the right to rule the land instead of the family waiting for a son to be born to inherit the crown.

In essence, we no longer need a King to be a Queen. Women can now rule respectfully in public, although we have been doing it behind the scenes for centuries.

Although the exact time frame that this change will go into effect in the Commonwealth is uncertain, the ramifications of such a decision is only the preamble to the upheaval of the destructive patriarchal societies that deem women as subordinate to their male counterparts.

Take a look at what is happening in the world. There is a world war against females that has long since been swept under the rug under the guise of tradition. Families in China and India are being forced to kill their female newborns in a blantant act of gendercide. Women in Africa are still being forced to undergo female circumcision. Major religions continue to reinforce the idea that a man is the superior and should dominate the woman.

Why is this happening? One word- FEAR.

Why would men fear women? It's simple, they know what we are capable of. There is no other reason why humanity as a whole, developing under extremely polar beliefs, traditions and cultures across 7 different continents would elect to produce such damning propaganda that brainwashes people to believe that women are the weaker sex.

Why did Hitler convince an entire country that the Jews were unfit to live? He did it because he was angry and bitter that certain people in the Jewish community were prospering in areas that he felt he couldn't.

Why did slave masters use armor and weapons and then even more damaging tactics like subjugating Africans mentally to instill a self hatred that has shackled an entire race at its core? They did it because they saw what the Africans were capable of. Without the need for greed, status or world dominance, there existed a people who were content with their way of life and accomplished mighty feats without interference from outsiders.

Why is there a war on women? What is it about us that provokes men to create doctrines and call it spiritual LAW or create traditions and call it PROPER which teaches us that our primary roles should involve childbearing, submission and housework?

We are smart. We are strong. We are female.

If we are capable of rearing and supporting the men who call themselves great, then that seed of greatness begins within us. As we push through deconstruction of of our patriarchal societies, we will begin to notice an inner shift that defies definition and translates into a deeper level of existence for mankind. Our vaginas do not make us weak. Our breasts do not shackle our potential. Our soft hands do not equate to weakness.

The strength of a woman can no longer be denied. This small landmark achievement should not be ignored. Although we don't need a council of men to acknowledge our worth or give us permission to rule this amendment by the Commonwealth is just the first drop out of the faucet for women everywhere who need to learn that we do not deserve nor desire to be second rate.

Take your rightful place on the throne, my Queens.

All My Love,

Te-Erika

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My Savvy Sister of The Week- Sherry Russell

My Savvy Sisters had the opportunity to interview Sherry Russell, the author of Conquering The Mysteries and Lies of Grief. Sherry is a member of the National Crisis Management Premier Speakers Bureau and has dedicated her life's work to helping people make a smooth transition through life's challenges. She is also the force behind CatchAFallingLife.Com which empowers people through holistic healing after a loss.

We spoke with Sherry regarding the different ways men and women handle loss and grief. In this interview she shares her most valuable wisdom with us.

MSS: Why do you believe so many women are devastated when they experience a loss in life or love? Do women feel more emotional pain than men?

Sherry: First, men as well as women may be devastated when they experience any type of loss, especially if it migrates to traumatic stress and crisis. Women and men have different expectations and reactions to loss. I think we have to look at how women and men are different to realize the full aspect of why and how women experience their emotions.

More recent research shows that strong emotion - particularly for men - can be physically dangerous. Women used to be dismissively known as the 'weaker sex' - but not true, men are more vulnerable to emotions.

Men's brains are wired for action during high emotion, whereas women's brains are wired for talking things over. From an evolutionary perspective men would have had to shut off their emotions while out hunting, so over time it has become natural for them to do so. Women experience the gamut of their emotions.

MSS: Which is the weaker sex when it comes to enduring painful situations?

Sherry: It may be hard to say since women and men have different experiences with pain. New research has found that women report more pain throughout their lifetime. Compared to men, women feel pain in more areas of their body and for longer durations.

Ed Keogh, a psychologist from the Pain Management Unit at the University of Bath said "The bottom line seems to be that women are suffering more than men”.

With the notion of gender distinctions in pain perception becoming more widely accepted, scientists are now asking why men and women suffer differently, and whether treatments need to be made sex-specific.

"Women who concentrate on the emotional aspects of their pain may actually experience more pain as a result, possibly because the emotions associated with pain are negative," Keogh said.

With all that said: To live a radiant life, we as women must feel our depth of emotion even though it may be foreign and scary to us but we come out with a profound and sounder understanding for our own life and all those we touch.

MSS: What separates the women who deal with these transitions gracefully from those who experience depression and angst?

Sherry: Reacting to grief’s experience is an individual personal reaction. Reason being, everyone is distinctive. I liken our distinctiveness to a bejeweled kaleidoscope. We are all our own amazing work of art with distinguishing features. A kaleidoscope has a finite number of pieces yet you can create an infinite number of combinations by simply rearranging them. And so it is with us. We have a finite physical life yet we have infinite ability to change our perceptions on how we see life.

Each stone in the Kaleidoscope is totally unique in its composition, place of origin, and the forces it is subjected to which influence the nature of the crystal and how it will behave. And so again, it is with us. Each of us has a unique origin. Each carries a unique genetic heritage and each of us is shaped by a distinctive combination of forces. Each one of us is a matchless pattern and therefore, sees our world in an exclusive way through our perceptions based on our understanding and our past experiences.

This being the case explains why some people seem to move forward steadfastly through trauma situations and some end up dancing a mean tango with traumatic stress.

MSS: Are there any situations where depression is a healing experience?

Sherry: Absolutely. Grief brings with it a gift – if we take an active role in our grief. To understand grief is to break apart the word, and it's associated cause and effect as applied by the experiencer. Right or wrong the degree and style of grief is simply a tool to express the self based upon one's need or desire. Grief like many emotional expressions can be very healthy or very bad for one's well being.

What do you do with it? On one hand grief is an application of expressing sadness to certain degrees. Grief affects our spiritual, emotional, and physical foundations.Actions such as tears to wracking sobs are natural, wholesome and cleansing and should not be feared. For within such basic reactions is the healing of the soul. This outpouring can be an expression of love.

MSS: What specific methods/words of wisdom do you teach women that have made a significant impact on their ability to cope?

Sherry: Narrow your field of vision to what you can control. I know this seems so odd because the whole idea of treating grief is to open up the field of vision but when the ugliness of life wakes you in the middle of the night, I say narrow the vision to what you can control. Get balanced. If you were having a panic attack you would narrow your field of vision to concentrating on your breathing and on something concrete like a chair. If your mind is filled with pain for yourself or others, by narrowing your vision, you focus your mind. Have you ever gone to sleep and had a bad dream so you turn over as if turning a TV channel? Well, that is how this works.

Get a worry stone. That will help you about as much as worrying all the time about things you cannot control. Use the stone to remind you of how worry robs you of your energy. Worry allows those things to control you. Does worry do us any good at all? Ask yourself what is in it for you to worry so much? Does your worry change things? Does it make you feel like a better person because you worry? Find an activity to transfer your worry into something positive to help the situation. For me, it is tennis or a pottery wheel for others it is grooming their dog or spending time in prayer. Do not keep putting energy into worry. All it does is deplete you. You become a robber of your own soul with worry. No one wants that especially when you can control your how you choose to perceive things.

Volunteer your expertise or your time to help someone worse off than you. I couldn’t go to help the Tsunami victims but I could reach out in my own hurricane devastated area to help those that no longer had homes and were losing their health due to stress. As a lady who is 83 said to me, this was not the way she had intended on living the last years of her life. That is where I could step in and help with small things. Some people feel like the small stuff doesn’t really count but think for a moment about a very welcome smile at a time of utter misery. A smile or someone holding a door open all are small things that can make big changes in perspective.

Trust yourself. When you are tired – sit down. When you are extra irritable – regroup. We all have a little voice in our head that says “don’t do that” or “get out of bed and face the day”. Listen to that voice. If you are feeling overloaded with anxiety look for a corner to go into for a while. So many times, I have actually longed for that corner I was stuck into in elementary school so many times. Go back to that. What did you do when you were in the corner and not allowed to turn around and not allowed to play games? You thought. Now you may have been thinking revenge but most likely you were just letting your thoughts roam and maybe planning what you would do at recess. Sometimes our teachers were right and we needed “time out”. I have a time out for my dogs. When I see one is getting overly agitated and aggressive, they go into the time out area to regroup their dog thoughts. Sure enough, when they come out they are relaxed and ready to play nice.

Accept without guilt. Second guessing doesn’t help. Carrying an extra load of guilt bricks only weighs you down and emotionally destroys. The problem with guilt is it is a manipulator. Guilt is a control mechanism. We can’t move forward very easily if we have a ball and chain as heavy as guilt tugging us back. In order to move forward you have to find a way to accept what happened and release the guilt. Sometimes there is survivor guilt. You see this especially in accidents where one or two people live and the rest die. If you were in a plane crash and the only survivor you would be asking why. Your loved ones would be so grateful and hopefully so would you but you would also feel guilt in trying to accept the fact you were left alive. Guilt must be dealt with. When you feel it, write down the best you can what you feel and why you think you feel that way. Go back and look at your notes from time to time and talk with a professional on how best to deal with the guilt.

Take time to de-stress. Relax. Did you know if you don’t take proper oxygen into your body you are putting yourself at risk? Did you know stress is an oxygen thief? Help yourself to reduce stress by avoiding unnecessary details. Follow routines because it will add structure to a stressed life. Make rest periods a high priority, diligently scheduling them before and after any activity on your calendar. If there is a period of the day when you are likely to be at your best, set aside that time for your most demanding activities. Consolidate and simplify tasks. Don't feel guilty for not getting as much done as you think you should. By overhauling certain aspects of your life, you can help yourself make it through the storms. Look for ways to make life easier for example, if you are handicap, apply for a handicapped parking permit. Contact local agencies and churches about volunteer programs they offer to help those in need. Nowadays, you can choose to have your groceries delivered to your home as well as your prescriptions. Do something new and have some fun. Life isn’t meant to be miserable. A little planning can keep you effective and happy. Focus on the miracles of the day whether it be a new blossom or a baby’s cry or a puppy finally understanding what “outside” means. Find what gives you pleasure and hone in on it, love it and harvest it.

All of this is futile if you aren’t first honest with yourself with what you need. People are able to accept you and what you offer if you are open and honest with them. Simplify your life as much as possible and learn to say "no” when you need to do so and don’t feel guilty. Everyone has to set boundaries and boundaries are only respected if you stick to them.

MSS: What are 3 things a woman can do to help her deal with her grief over a loss?

Sherry:

By taking medications on time and eating right. Allow and accept that each person will process the trauma at his or her own pace. Non judgement is a key element to employ for yourself and others.

Stay connected by communicating supportively with others and support each other's concerns, coping skills, hopes and goals for the future.

Above all, take time to rest and to regroup and be kind to yourself. Grief is an exhausting journey but you will work your way through it.


Visit Sherry's blog at CatchAFallingLife.Com

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How To Make It A Perfect Day

Most people believe that perfect days only come along every once in a blue moon but that can be changed easily by following these 4 steps.

Step 1
Decide that you want this to be a perfect day. Decide that today you want to be happy, to laugh and to feel good all day long.

Step 2
You must understand that perfection is a matter of perception. No matter what happens today you can choose to view it as a blessing or an added benefit to your life. You choose your perception of everything that surrounds you. You decide what is 'good' or 'bad'. Be careful with the labels you tag on the things and people you encounter today. Nothing is 'bad' unless you decide that it is.

Step 3
Dismiss ALL negative energy. You may encounter people who want to gossip about others, complain about their lives or release their frustrations on you. Their negative energy is transferable without bias and it can attach itself to you and ruin your day if you allow it. Simply decide that you won't. If someone approaches you with a complaint you should smile at them, say 'Thank You' and walk away immediately. Shake it off. Their problems are not yours. Their perception of the world does not affect yours. You are going to have a perfect day and nothing that happens today can ruin that.


Step 4
Pretend it's your birthday. Wait expectantly for a pleasant surprise all day long. Try to guess what the surprise will be. Practice how you will react when it is presented to you. Imagine that the biggest and best gift you've been wanting for so long will be delivered to you today.

Prepare for it. Dress nicely. Wear your favorite shade of lipstick. Smile at every stranger as though they could be the delivery person. Look into the eyes of each person you encounter as though your loving gaze will give them permission to hand you your greatest desire. By holding this particular energy of expectancy, you will begin to notice a shift in the energy of your day which will help to create and attract the type of experiences that you need to turn this ordinary day into a day filled with happy surprises.

Go out and make it a perfect day!

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Small Business Owner Gives 100 Unemployed Women Makeovers

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The national unemployment rate continues to stagnate at a crushing 9.1%, but there was GOOD news recently when 100 unemployed women in Philadelphiareceived complete makeovers as winners of Style Me Hired (http://www.stylemehired.com), a community relations program created by small business owner Marc Voci. See Video to learn more.

For one Style Me Hired winner, Andrea Blassingame, a single mom who lost her job two years ago, the makeover program had immediate results. The next day she landed an interview at Penske Truck Rental and felt confident, prepared and motivated. "Style Me Hired gave me a renewed sense of motivation to go out there and land a job," Blassingame said. "I feel polished and ready to get hired with my new interview suit – I will get the job that I need to help support my family."

Winner Lisa Zeshonski of New Jersey also landed an interview after her makeover. With over 15 years of experience in finance, Zeshonski is very discouraged after applying for over 100 jobs online without any response. She feels self-assured after the interview with Accounts Receivable Concepts, Inc., and hopes that it leads to a full-time position.

"Makeovers are magic," Voci said. "Helping bring that magic of change to women who truly need help getting back into the workforce is our mission."

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EDITORIAL: Gaddafi Is Dead- Why We Should Mourn

Muammar Gaddafi was announced dead October 21, 2011. He was a declared a “ruthless dictator” who needed to be killed because the Media told us he was a bad man and NATO, an intergovernmental military alliance that collectively come together in mutual defense since the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in April 1949, decided he was public enemy #1. There is no clear reason, nor is there any real evidence besides hearsay for why Gaddafi is guilty. When the war first began I questioned it, signed petitions, made some phone calls and now that he is dead and I have listened to many speeches he gave....everything the Media told us seems like a clear blatant lie to keep us from the truth.

Gaddafi gave his people free food, free hospitals, free schools, free housing and free education. His only real crime, was he did not allow Capitalism and its corporations to come into his free country and take over. Listen to his speech here and let me know if that sounds like it comes from a ruthless dictator who denied “freedom” to his people. Let this be a warning. For all who are reading and searching, the real enemy is not the Muslim living abroad. The real enemy is in our backyards telling us we are “free.” Gaddafi took Libya, the poorest country in the world when he came into power in 1969 and brought wealth, democracy at the grassroots level and met the basic needs of the people.

Obama promised change, promised to bring our troops home and begin a new era for America. Obama lied, there are more troops in Afghanistan with no hope of ever leaving and instead of peace he brought War, using NATO to Libya. I voted for him, and now I regret it, more are suffering now than ever before. Let’s face it, Obama is part of the Corporatist agenda, he has been sold and purchased by Wallstreet and the Banksters who plague the world by raping and pillaging the Earth and stealing from the people, all in the name of “profit.” Gaddafi died not only because he spoke the truth, he died because he was forming an Africa Union, to unite Africa and prevent it from colonialism.

Gaddafi was an activist and financier of the Africa Union, to bring all African countries together and through the richness of Africa, eradicate hunger, disease and suffering. It was for this vision that Gaddafi was killed. His last speech was a warning, to us all. We all know there is much wrong in the world today. We must unite and be prepared, America and the world are heading for dark times. We must come together in this dark hour and unite, love one another and cooperate. Fight for peace, freedom, truth and justice, do not trust your televisions, radios, media....shut off the propaganda.

Towards the end of the speech above, Gaddafi advised to read "the green book," written and published in 1988 by the Human Rights Charter. In 6 months there will be a People's Conference for Crimes Against Humanity taking place in early 2012. The website calls for a Massive People’s Conference on Crimes Against Humanity, it also claims to have real undeniable evidence to present to the people's of the world. This conference will expose crimes that corporations, governments, news media, international organizations and others have committed against humanity, including destruction of the planet. I hope you mark your calendars and get ready for the event because this will be the Most important event of our lives. Take matters into your own hands and stop expecting others to do things for you. In the meantime, read the book, it is available free online. If you ever wondered how we are to change the world, this conference is just the first step, this conference will empower all of humanity to stand up and do something! Hope to see you there.

Peace & Love,

Christina

Gaddaffi’s Last Formal Speech:

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful...

For 40 years, or was it longer, I can't remember, I did all I could to give people houses, hospitals, schools, and when they were hungry, I gave them food. I even made Benghazi into farmland from the desert, I stood up to attacks from that cowboy Ronald Reagan, when he killed my adopted orphaned daughter, he was trying to kill me, instead he killed that poor innocent child. Then I helped my brothers and sisters from Africa with money for the African Union.

I did all I could to help people Understand the concept of real democracy, where people's committees ran our country. But that was never enough, as some told me, even people who had 10 room homes, new suits and furniture, were never satisfied, as selfish as they were they wanted more. They told Americans and other visitors, that they needed "democracy" and "freedom" never realizing it was a cut throat system, where the biggest dog eats the rest, but they were enchanted with those words, never realizing that in America, there was no free medicine, no free hospitals, no free housing, no free education and no free food, except when people had to beg or go to long lines to get soup.

No, no matter what I did, it was never enough for some, but for others, they knew I was the son of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the only true Arab and Muslim leader we've had since Salah-al-Deen, when he claimed the Suez Canal for his people, as I claimed Libya, for my people, it was his footsteps I tried to follow, to keep my people free from colonial domination - from thieves who would steal from us.

Now, I am under attack by the biggest force in military history, my little African son, Obama wants to kill me, to take away the freedom of our country, to take away our free housing, our free medicine, our free education, our free food, and replace it with American style thievery, called "capitalism" ,but all of us in the Third World know what that means, it means corporations run the countries, run the world, and the people suffer.

So, there is no alternative for me, I must make my stand, and if Allah wishes, I shall die by following His path, the path that has made our country rich with farmland, with food and health, and even allowed us to help our African and Arab brothers and sisters.

I do not wish to die, but if it comes to that, to save this land, my people, all the thousands who are all my children, then so be it.

Let this testament be my voice to the world, that I stood up to crusader attacks of NATO, stood up to cruelty, stoop up to betrayal, stood up to the West and its colonialist ambitions, and that I stood with my African brothers, my true Arab and Muslim brothers, as a beacon of light.

When others were building castles, I lived in a modest house, and in a tent. I never forgot my youth in Sirte, I did not spend our national treasury foolishly, and like Salah-al-Deen, our great Muslim leader, who rescued Jerusalem for Islam, I took little for myself...

In the West, some have called me "mad", "crazy", but they know the truth yet continue to lie, they know that our land is independent and free, not in the colonial grip, that my vision, my path, is, and has been clear and for my people and that I will fight to my last breath to keep us free, may Allah almighty help us to remain faithful and free.

-- Mu'ummar Qaddafi.

*I am not a sympathizer or communist or socialist, but I know truth when I see it. I am dedicated to the people of the world, mother Earth and truth. The World deserves to know.

About the Columnist

With a bachelors degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, Christina Fermin has always cultivated her love for history, politics, sociology, ancient knowledge and teachings, the outdoors, the ocean and the environment. Christina strives to make our world better by helping us all create a new reality and understanding of all taking place here and now.

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REVIEW: Mooz-Lum (2010)

When writer-director Qasim Basir penned Mooz-Lum, he had a particular message in mind. His attempt to capture the various facets of the inner workings of a Muslim family trying to live and grow in this Christian society is fascinating and will bring tears to your eyes.

As we follow the story of Tariq (Evan Ross), Safiyah (Nia Long), Hassan (Roger Smith) and his young, impressionable little sister Taqua (Kimberley Drummond) we are introduced to a family trying to hold on to their religious roots in a society that views them as outcasts. We cringe for young Tariq, who's brilliant inner light is dimmed by an abusive teacher causing him to deny the religion that his father so adamantly forces upon him.

What struck me during this movie, was the depiction of what I like to call, "moments of truth." There were several during this movie where I personally felt that my worldview, my perception of the world, had changed.

The first happened when Tariq's mother, Safiyah told her husband she wanted a divorce due to his rigid views on life and lifestyle. From my own stereotypical beliefs, I had always thought that being a Muslim woman meant obeying her husband but this Muslim wife would rather face the world as a single parent than watch her husband's militant views of the world be pushed upon her children.

The second "moment of truth" happened when Tariq is in college and enticed by his peers to drink alcohol and be a part of the crowd. His disdain for the abuse he suffered at the hands of his religious teacher pushes him to succumb to the peer pressure.

Another moment of truth happened after the recreation of the chaos surrounding the September 11th Attacks. What we see in this movie, after getting to know these Muslim characters and their inner struggles brings tears to our eyes as they are targeted with violence and blamed for the attacks.

While I will not give away the entire plot, this movie is a must-see for anyone who has any preconceptions about what it is like to be Muslim in America. It's not what you think. It's more than what you know.

For anyone struggling to define themselves in a world that does not look like them or think like them, this movie may ease some of the pain of isolation. I highly recommend this film as a catalyst for compassion for those who are seen as outcasts.

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JCPenny Offers Returning Veterans Free Clothing

"Welcome Heroes" Campaign Helps Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to Ease Transition from Combat to Career

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-profit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are joining forces to provide America's newest generation of military veterans with more than $1 million in apparel and footwear to start new civilian wardrobes. With over two million servicemen and women who deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the "Welcome Heroes" campaign seeks to honor and support recent vets with the apparel needed to pursue new career opportunities or to enjoy the leisure activities missed most at home.

"Our military servicemembers spend years wearing a uniform and many do not get the opportunity to build a wardrobe that makes it possible for them to go to a job interview, attend a friend's wedding or simply enjoy a night out with their spouse," said Steve Lawrence, executive vice president and senior general merchandise manager for jcpenney. "Given all the sacrifices they make to serve our country, we're doing our part as a leading American retailer to outfit our nation's heroes with the head-to-toe looks needed to dress for any occasion with style."

To be eligible, military service members who served in Iraq or Afghanistan can go to therucksack.org fromOct. 20 through Nov. 20 to register for the jcpenney giveaway once they have confirmed their free membership with IAVA at iava.org. Following the registration period, over 6,000 qualified entries will be randomly selected to receive $200 in merchandise certificates toward the purchase of men's or women's apparel available at jcpenney or jcp.com. As the retail destination for all Liz Claiborne® and Claiborne® branded merchandise as well as modern career wear options from Stafford®, J. Ferrar®, IZOD, JOE Joseph Abboud®, Worthington®, American Living and East 5th®, veterans will be able to choose from a broad selection of suits, tailored clothing and casual sportswear.

"After taking off the uniform, one of the greatest challenges that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face is transitioning to a civilian workforce that doesn't truly understand their experience. Thousands of veterans are coming home today to significantly higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than their civilian peers," said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of IAVA. "Having the confidence to walk into an interview and articulate the value of their military experience is absolutely critical for navigating today's job market. IAVA is proud to partner with jcpenney on 'Welcome Heroes' so veterans of this new greatest generation have the resources needed to continue their leadership and service at home."

To showcase jcpenney's stylish assortment of professional and lifestyle attire, jcpenney featured real veterans to model for its "Matters of Style" mailer and captured behind-the-scenes footage from the photo shoot. Through video diaries posted on jcp.com/welcomeheroes and stories highlighted in the mailer, veterans share their deployment experiences by recalling some of the things they missed most from home and the importance of outfitting returning veterans with new clothes.

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Your World News Report - October 20, 2011

President Obama Announces Jobs Bill To Employ Veterans

President Obama has introduced a bill that is set to be voted on by the US Congress that will retain teachers and emergency workers.

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South Korea Students Embrace The Digital Age With Digital Textbooks
South Korea, a country that many claim has the most progressive education system in the world, has recently announced that by 2015 all classrooms will offer digital textbook learning.

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Thousands Protest Tibetan Oppression in China

Monks and religious leaders gathered at the memorial for Independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi to protest against the unfair treatment of Tibetans in their homeland.

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Swiss Researchers Discover A Common Link In Global Economy

A recently published study reports that a small group of banks hold the majority of power over the economy.

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She's Got Skillz: Heather Fay

Heather Fay

New Haven, CT

Wife, Mother and Musician

Heather Fay caught the singing bug when she was just a little girl and her family and friends watched in delight as she developed her skill eventually venturing into songwriting. After teaching herself how to play the guitar Heather became a one woman band and continues to cultivate her love for creating music while enjoying the roles of wife and mother.

"The most amazing benefit from being a singer/songwriter is that I can share music with my children," Heather says. "I have been singing to my kids since I was pregnant with them and they continue to be my biggest inspiration both for songwriting and life in general. My daughter loves to sing and play the piano while I practice my songs and my son, at just over a year, already sings and dances whenever he hears me play. I love that I have been able to share my love of music with them and watch them develop their own love of it."

To celebrate Heather Fay's awesome skillset as a musician, get tour info, see photos/videos or buy her CD please visit - www.heatherfay.net







For My Savvy Sisters: To nominate a woman you know who has artistic talent and would like exposure, please email editorial{at}mysavvysisters.com and tell us about her in a short paragraph along with links to her work.

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EDITORIAL: Occupy Wall Street - Both Sides Of The Coin

By Te-Erika Patterson

I was a bit hesitant to write my opinion about the Occupy Wall Street Protests that are spreading around the globe simply because I had no clear understanding of what the protestors wanted. Although the web blasted reports of mayhem and confusion and arrests and videos of women being hurt which angered me, I still had to figure out the point of the protests before I could voice an opinion.

After lengthy conversations with many people I now have a general idea and here is my summary.

What do the Occupy Wall Street Protestors want?

They want to call attention to the fact that they are in debt due to higher education and they don't have jobs because of an economy that is plummeting while the wealthy thrive and prosper further widening the gap between the rich and the poor. In the past there were 3 classes, the upper class, middle class and lower class and now the middle class has disappeared leaving a distinct gap between the majority of the country and the financial elite, the 1% of the country who owns the majority of the wealth and ultimately, the power to influence decision makers.

The protestors believe that the country's elite should be taxed just as much as those in the lower tax brackets. The mere fact that they are not taxed in the same manner has caused a cry of outrage from those who struggle to survive while the wealthy continue to thrive. The big businesses of banks and other wealthy CEO's have been labeled as GREEDY while some protestors claim that if the wealthy were simply taxed the same as they were, the money gathered could be used for programs that could help them improve the lives of every American.

Watching recent budgets cuts in government assistance programs healthcare, education and the travel industry is daunting for the protestors who are upset that the less they make, the more they pay out which further digs them into a never ending hole of debt, which they feel is a direct ploy by the powers that be to retain power and to oppress them.

OWS supporters want the leadership in this country to stand in the best interests of the majority of the people instead of the financial elite and eliminate financial gain as the chief motivating factor behind the decision making that affects millions of Americans.

Now that you have a general understanding of the Protestors point of view I would like to present the opposing perspective so you can see where the two perspectives clash.


How do the 1% feel about the Occupy Wall Street Protests?

The financial elite, banking industries and their families probably feel as though they have worked for generations to establish themselves as part of the 1%. They feel that the unfair taxing that so many of the protestors complain about is completely unfounded. They argue that although they may not pay the same rate in taxes on their earned income, they do pay other taxes that the majority of the population do not even know exist; capital gains taxes, interest earnings taxes, luxury taxes, all above and beyond income and sales taxes.

The financial elite are doing what most people do in secret, they use the power of their dollar as well as the power of their influence through voting to protect their own interests. The 1% who oppose the OWS movement probably feel as though they have earned their financial success and do not have to share it if they do not want to. They probably feel as though they have learned the formulas to success through trial, error and many sacrifices and even through a floundering economy they will still prosper because they know how to educate themselves enough to make their money make money for them.

They see no reason why everyone can't bring themselves to their level financially and have no sympathy for the people marching and hoping for a handout or even a hand up. DO THE WORK is what they want to scream to protestors that they believe are mostly motivated by the coolness of the idea of a protest and who are oblivious to the premise that it takes action and dedication to incite change.

Now that you have a better understanding of both sides of the protest, this is what I suggest you do.

Focus on yourself. You have the power to create your own destiny. The group mentality in general is flawed simply because as new leaders arise they will work toward achieving their own personal interests, which is a trait that seems to be inherent to all people.

If you accept this inherent human tendency and focus on improving your personal situation whether it is finances, relationships or spiritual growth, you will realize that your victim mentality is diminished and you then take ownership of your current situation and are either compelled to make the changes necessary to improve it or wallow in despair hoping for someone to rescue you.

Take ownership of your life and recognize that your choices are personal and lead your life the way you want it to go. You blame the educational institution for leading you to believe that an investment in higher education will afford you a better lifestyle and then you graduated college and did not see the realization of that fairy tale and you are wholly upset. Upset with who? Who told you to believe it and stake your entire future on it?

The future of this country depends on breaking the mentality that success equals achieving millionaire or rock star status. The only thing abundant in the lives of these people is money yet they still have to endure sickness, the loss of loved ones and in most cases, an extreme spiritual awakening because they realize that their perceived successes, no matter how much they are celebrated, still do not determine their sense of self worth.

Wake up. You don't need to be GREAT to feel great about yourself. You don't need to ask for change when you have the power to create change, starting from within. If you are waiting for someone to give you permission or a hand out to achieve your best life then you have missed the key ingredient that fuels most success stories. Those who GROW don't ask for permission to prosper, their desire drives them.

Those who have achieved the western ideal of success can attest that once it is accomplished they have to grind harder to maintain it, spending their entire lives trying to keep their status and even resorting to suicide if it is lost. The majority of you are in a situation that the elite would kill themselves if they ever went through. Who is really better off?

There are entire countries, civilizations and populations of people that we believe are sad and depressed because financially they are not abundant but they actually are abundant because they are not bound by this idea that they are worthless unless they are on the cover of a magazine.

Wake up. You have more than you really need- Four walls, Food, Clothing, Family, Laughter. Many of us have all of these things and do not even appreciate it. If you see something that you think can be improved, create the improvement. You are stirring up so much negative energy and multiplying it with your protests. Who listens to a child throwing a tantrum? You are not a victim. Regain your composure and create the circumstances that you want to see around you. You don't need permission. You have every right to do so.

It is within your power to take action and you should or not, your lifestyle is your choice.

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EDITORIAL: Move Your Money

By Christina Fermin

Politics & Society Columnist

The recent announcement of big banks getting rid of free checking for customers has angered many consumers. The top 4 largest banks: Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, CitiBank & Wellsfargo do not offer free checking without meeting some requirements. It amazes me that these banks, considered too big to fail, are charging their customers access to their own money. All of these banks are now charging minimum account fees, debit card fees and charging per withdrawal (on top of the ATM fee). Many customers are left to either take it, attempt to meet their “requirements” to qualify for free checking or move their money. What do we do?

Move Your Money. Cash, credit union or local bank, prepaid card, in that order.

If you are banking with any one of those financial institutions that I mentioned above, or with a bank that will soon be imposing those fees upon you. Move your money, that is your power as a consumer! I know it is a pain, I know there is not enough time in day, and I know you are busy, because that is exactly how I feel when having to deal with these things, but trust me, you will be happier that you did it and you will be saving loads of money. The smartest thing you could do is move your money to a local bank or credit union. Many of these banks partner up with institutions outside their states or counties, so when you are out of town you still have access to your money. I personally have switched to a credit union and may I say that the customer service it better, the fees are better and the online banking features are as good as any other.

There are some horror stories out there, that is why you must do your research. You don’t have to go as far as visiting every bank, a simple online search will give you access to their sites, products and what they have to offer. Not to mention customer reviews and issues. Then you have the option of going with a prepaid card, but if you are always going to be loading it up, you are better off going with a local bank or credit union. Prepaid cards are great to use for online shopping or if you use it sometimes, but if you are a regular at pulling out the plastic, may as well go with a banking institution. Prepaid cards sometimes have loading fees, monthly fees, transaction fees and many other hidden fees. There are a few who are direct, but again, caution and research is needed when delving in the world of prepaid cards.

These 'too big to fail' banks are not places you want your money. Many of these banks finance abhorrent behavior, make risky investments and invest in far away places. At least with local banks and credit unions, you have the comfort of knowing your money is being invested in the community, local businesses and not leaving the state or regional area. Last year Wachovia (now Wellsfargo) got into trouble when it was discovered that they were involved in laundering Mexican drug money. All four banks listed above are known for funding mountain top removal mining, a horrific procedure that destroys the environment, communities, families and does untold amounts of damage that will not be known for decades to come. Is this the type of behavior you want your hard earned dollars flowing into? The real question is, what are you waiting for?

One way to boost your local economy and give opportunities to new business and entrepreneurs is through switching your money into a local bank or credit union, this will allow more cash available so that these local institutions could invest into the local economy, which in turns helps small businesses and new businesses. Banks like Bank of America, Chase, Wellsfargo and Citi are rarely investing in your community and small businesses. These same banks are directly or indirectly related to causing the global financial meltdown in 2008 and are also very much involved in lobbying our congress people to vote in their best interests and against ours, another reason why you would want to get your money out. When in doubt, use cash, but in today's day and age, I know that it can be difficult. Cash, credit union or local bank, prepaid card, in that order. Make your voice heard, let these banks know why you will no longer accept their behavior and make that switch today, after all it's your money!

Peace & Harmony,

Christina

About the Columnist

With a bachelors degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, Christina Fermin has always cultivated her love for history, politics, sociology, ancient knowledge and teachings, the outdoors, the ocean and the environment. Christina strives to make our world better by helping us all create a new reality and understanding of all taking place here and now.

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