toledoaabc.com

Have you been spending money on countless job boards, only to find that they don’t offer the types of candidates you need? If the answer is yes, don’t fret any longer, you’re about to learn crafty techniques to help you find free resumes on the net. There are numerous free resources online that offer resumes. These include: Free Resume Databases; Free Member Resumes on Association websites; Free College and Alumni resumes on University websites; Free Resume Newsgroups; Free Resume Blaster sites and active and passive resumes hosted on individual candidate websites. All of these resources can be found by using simple search techniques.

You will soon have hundreds of free resumes at your fingertips. The first step is to utilize multiple search engines since they will each offer different sites. The top 10 search engines suggested are: http://www.google.com, http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.altavista.com, http://www.excite.com, http://www.hotbot.com, http://www.alltheweb.com, http://www.galaxy.com, http://www.search.aol.com, http://www.msn.com, http://www.lycos.com. The search engines offer their own search features and they vary slightly. Therefore, it’s important to always read the search tips and check out the advanced search tool for each search engine. The common search symbols used across most search engines are called Boolean phrases.

Using Boolean Phrases

The first step is to choose one of the search engines from the above list and type the address in your Internet browser. Then decide what key words would be effective for finding the type of resource you want. Once you have a list of key words, use the following Boolean techniques to run the most efficient search.

o If searching for a phrase on a webpage, place the statement between quotation marks. Example: “free resume database”

o If searching for multiple words use the word AND between each word. Make sure to capitalize all 3 letters. Example: free AND resumes AND java

o If interested in finding one or more words, use the term OR between your key words. Example: “free resumes” AND java OR oracle OR php

o If looking for resumes that have a specific word with multiple possible endings such as: manager, management, managed, use an asterisk at the end of the base word. Example: manage* This will pull websites with all of the words that start with that base word.

o If searching for specific titles, type the word title: and then fill in the title of choice. Example: title: free resumes. This will pull websites with the words Free Resumes in the html title.

o If looking for URLs that have the word resume in the URL address, type the command URL: resume.

o If looking for a website with specific text such as: free resume search, type the command text: free resume search.

Below you’ll find suggestions of Boolean phrases and keywords to use that will help you find the free resume resources listed above. At the end of this article you will also find a suggested website that can give you access to hundreds of free resume resources instantly.

Free Resume Databases (These sites allow you to search through a database of resumes)

o “free resume database”

o “search for free” AND resumes

o “free resume search”

o text: free resumes

o free AND resume*

Association Websites offering Member Resumes (Many associations or organizations offer sections on their websites where members, who are looking for jobs, can post their resumes)

o “member resumes” AND association OR organization

o url: memberresumes

o text: search member resumes

o member AND resumes

o title: association AND resumes

Free College and Alumni resumes at University websites (Some Universities offer a section on their website where students, looking for internships, can post their resumes. Some also have pages where alumni can also post their resumes, when searching for work)

o “alumni resumes”

o url: edu AND resumes

o alumni OR student AND resumes

o text: alumni resumes

o university AND resumes OR cv

Free Resume Newsgroups (Newsgroups are email lists where people can post various things. There are several free resume newsgroups.)

o “free resumes” AND newsgroups

o newgroup* AND resumes

o url: newsgroup

o text: newsgroup

Free Resume Blaster Sites (These sites send resumes to your inbox after you fill out a form describing the types of resumes you need.)

o “resume distribution”

o “blast your resume”

Active or Passive individual candidate resumes on individual web pages. (There are thousands of personal resumes posted on the web. Some are active and some passive. Using the 4 numbers of the current year in your search can help you find more active resumes)

o url: resume AND 2005

o url: resume AND java AND oracle AND php

o resume AND experience AND education AND java OR oracle

o title: resume AND manage*

Now you’re ready to begin your search for free resume resources. If you find that your busy schedule doesn’t allow enough time for you to run searches to find a substantial amount of free resume resources, you should visit http://www.freeresumesites.com. They have already compiled an extensive list of hundreds of free resume databases, association websites, college resume sites, free resume newsgroups, free resume blaster sites, free job posting sites and links to pages that offer individual resumes. They charge a very minimal fee to access this list. This site can save you time and will provide you with all-of-the free resume resources mentioned in this article.

Remember, the Internet is an amazing resource for recruiters and if you don’t want to spend large sums of money on useless job boards, you now have the skills it takes to find free resumes. Good luck with your recruiting efforts!

Kim Proulx is a professional Internet Researcher with 10 years of experience.

Here’s your opportunity to discover how to cure fear of public speaking. Did you know that most individuals who fear public speaking are troubled about being perceived as a bad speaker or labeled in a negative way? Virtually all of your fears and anxiousness about public speaking is founded on ideations that have absolutely nothing to do with reality. If you ranked public speaking among fears, it is commonly ranked as the number one fear, exceeding even the fearfulness of dying. So what makes up the secret to overcoming fear of public speaking? This article will help you understand what causes that fear and provide 8 ways to overcome them.

Numerous things may stimulate the fear of public speaking. Gloss phobia or speech anxiety is the fearfulness of public speaking and perhaps related to, or occasionally to include a more intense anxiety disorder. The reasons of this anxiousness are unsuccessful ideas and anxiety-arousing situations. If you or anyone you know is hurting by this phobic disorder for public speaking it merely means that you are fearful about confronting sociable and professional situations in life. If allowed and the anxiety is serious enough, it may interfere with your power to present an adequate speech. Fortunately for some people, the benefits from being able to overcome fear of public speaking are substantial.

In that respect there are 8 proven ways/tips for superb public speaking that can help you no matter what your degree of anxiety or experience:

1. Pick out a subject that you are comfortable with, know intimately and have a passion for.

2. Always maintain a positive mental and physical attitude.

3. Make sure you set realistic goals and just keep in mind that there’s no such thing as a flawless speech so it is futile to try and present one.

4. Regard the audience as a source of support and your reason for giving the presentation in the first place, not as a judge and jury hoping you will fail

5. You must never read your speech word for word (reading in public is not public speaking)

6. You should never be apologetic for anything at the beginning of your speech

7. It’s important for you to know and remember that virtually all signs of nervousness are never detected by the audience but can and will appear amplified by you the speaker.

8. Use a mirror and practice in front of it or in the presence of a friend or family member. Practicing your speech in their presence will give you the opportunity to get constructive feedback from them.

The most beneficial cure for your individual responses to speech anxiety is one or a combination that works out best for you individually. The common difficulties of public speaking are removed because you will be concentrating on the fundamental principles listed above and not the actual act of speaking.

Finally, you must understand that there are additional concepts and techniques that you will need to utilize that will help make you a better public speaker. Overcoming fear of public speaking and learning how to cure fear of public speaking is just the first step. You can find plenty of valuable suggestions and tips in addition to strategies that you will be able to apply immediately so that you can feel confident about taking the second step to public speaking success.

Discover more about how to cure fear of public speaking and find out all about overcoming fear of public speaking

Take the second step to public speaking success at www.publicspeakinginc.com

Your key to the movie world. Buy movies online!

Do you absolutely love watching movies? Well, most of us do! But what you probably don’t know is how internet can be an effective tool for getting and watching movies.

One way internet can be used to get the latest movies is ordering them from stores on CDs or DVDs. Yes, this is much easier than driving around and trying to find the needed one in stores. But after The Movie is found and the money is paid you have to wait. It can be hours, days or weeks… or just minutes! Here is the most nerve-saving way to buy movies online.

How to download movies?

With the use of internet you can download movies directly to your computer. First you look through the site or use a search to type in the movie’s name. If the name consists of two or more words, use parentheses around it. For your convenience there are various catalogues: by name (a special catalogue for each letter), by year, genre or country. For those who are looking for something fresh the latest additions are always on the main page. Found something you like? Then sign into to your account so you can make purchases. If you don’t have an account, create one on our website for free!

Finally, here’s how to buy movies online two different ways:

1-Click. You can buy and download using 1-Click. When you click a ‘buy’ button, the item is charged to your account and downloaded to your iTunes library

Shopping Cart. You can buy using the shopping cart. You can add items to your shopping cart to purchase or delete later.

What kinds of movies there are?

In the internet you can find greatest collection of different genres – comedy movies, drama, beautiful romance movies and musicals, action and horror movies, great adventures and fantasy, powerful historical ones, well-loved westerns and much, much more. Though source is quite new, there are old movies too. Your children will love the great animated cartoons, serials and family movies. So not only you, but all of your family members can enjoy!

Exactly like the movies in stores, which can be on VHS, CDs or DVDs, movies you get from online can be different in format as well. We offer movies in three most common versions – DVD, DivX and PDA.

The DVD version matches the original DVD resolution (720px wide) and its quality is almost like the one of original DVD. It fits PC, laptop or home video the best. It is for those who prefer the highest quality of both video and audio. If you have a home theatre, this version is the only possible one, because of the 6 channel surround sound and high image resolution.

DivX’s stereo sound and high resolution can satisfy the requirements of most PCs, laptops and TVs. This version is smaller in size and it will take you much less time to download a movie. This version is the most popular one because it’s space-saving, yet good enough in terms of quality.

The PDA version is designed for portable digital devices. (yes, you can use those, too!) Its resolution and sound are optimized for these portable devices and the size of the file is even smaller then for a DivX.

There’s no optimal choice – you download what you think is best!

What it takes you to get movies this way

Unlike you might think, you will never be asked to download or install any additional software. Just use your favorite browser and media player. After you download movies, you own them and use for as long as you wish.

A complete movie is usually from $1.99 to $4.99.

And, of course, you need Internet connection. You can buy movies online even with a modem, but the higher the speed, the faster you get the movie you are dying to see!

…And even more options for you!

What if you don’t know if you want this movie? Find out more about it! Here’s how:

- Video & Audio Previews. This way is probably the best if you want to get into the atmosphere of the movie and find out how well it is directed. Though it takes a couple of minutes to download, it’s worth it!

- Stills. They are our favorite pictures taken from the movie. Like little snapshots of the most important scenes, stills can be seen in no time to help make the right decision.

- Storylines. A little bit of reading – and you know what this all is about… except for what happened in the very end. By the way, what do you expect it to be?

And one more feature you’ll love. After you download movies, you can burn them! To CDs or DVDs, to keep on the shelf or to share with friends and family – an extra copy is never a problem.

It’s faster, easier and cheaper to buy movies online. No more rental late fees!

If you are interested for more detailed information about how to buy movies online [http://www.buymoviesonline.biz], please visit our website, where you can find a big choice of all your favourite movies [http://www.buymoviesonline.biz].

Trading the Forex market has become very popular in the last years. Why is it that traders around the world see the Forex market as an investment opportunity? We will try to answer this question in this article. Also we will discuss come differences between the Forex market, the stocks market and the futures market.

Some of the benefits of trading the Forex market are:

Superior liquidity.

Liquidity is what really makes the Forex market different from other markets. The Forex market is by far the most liquid financial market in the world with nearly 2 trillion dollars traded everyday. This ensures price stability and better trade execution. Allowing traders to open and close transactions with ease. Also such a tremendous volume makes it hard to manipulate the market in an extended manner.

24hr Market.

This one is also one of the greatest advantages of trading Forex. It is an around the click market, the market opens on Sunday at 3:00 pm EST when New Zealand begins operations, and closes on Friday at 5:00 pm EST when San Francisco terminates operations. There are transactions in practically every time zone, allowing active traders to choose at what time to trade.

Leverage trading.

Trading the Forex Market offers a greater buying power than many other markets. Some Forex brokers offer leverage up to 400:1, allowing traders to have only 0.25% in margin of the total investment. For instance, a trader using 100:1 means that to have a US$100,000 position, only US$1,000 are needed on margin to be able to open that position.

Low Transaction costs.

Almost all brokers offer commission free trading. The only cost traders incur in any transaction is the spread (difference between the buy and sell price of each currency pair). This spread could be as low as 1 pip (the minimum increment in any currency pair) in some pairs.

Low minimum investment.

The Forex market requires less capital to start trading than any other markets. The initial investment could go as low as $300 USD, depending on leverage offered by the broker. This is a great advantage since Forex traders are able to keep their risk investment to the lowest level.

Specialized trading.

The liquidity of the market allows us to focus on just a few instruments (or currency pairs) as our main investments (85% of all trading transactions are made on the seven major currencies). Allowing us to monitor, and at the end get to know each instrument better.

Trading from anywhere.

If you do a lot of traveling, you can trade from anywhere in the world just having an internet connection.

Some of the most important differences between the Forex market and other markets are explained below.

Forex market vs. Equity markets

Liquidity

FX market: Near two trillion dollars of daily volume.

Equity market: Around 200 billion on a daily basis.

Trading hours

FX market: 24hr market, 5.5 days a week.

Equity market: Monday through Friday from 8:30 EST to 5:00 EST.

Profit potential

FX market: In both, rising and falling markets.

Equity market: Most traders/investor profit only from rising markets.

Transaction costs

FX market: Commission free and tight spreads.

Equity market: High Commissions and transaction fees.

Buying power

FX market: Leverage up to 400:1.

Equity market: Leverage from 2:1 to 4:1.

Specialization

FX market: most volume (85%) is made on major currencies (USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD and AUD.)

Equity market: More than 40,000 stocks to choose from.

Forex market vs. Futures market

Liquidity

FX Market: Near two trillion dollars of daily volume.

Futures market: Around 400 billion dollars on a daily basis.

Transaction costs

FX market: Commission free and tight spreads.

Futures market: High commissions fees.

Margin

FX market: Fixed rate of margin on every position.

Futures market: Different levels of margin on overnight positions than day time positions.

Trade execution

FX market: Instantaneous execution.

Futures market: Inconsistent execution.

All this makes the Forex market very attractive to investors and traders. But I need to make something clear, although the benefits of trading the Forex market are notorious; it is still difficult to make a successful career trading the Forex market. It requires a lot of education, discipline, commitment and patience, as any other market.

Raul Lopez is a full time Forex trader and founder of http://www.straightforex.com; high quality Forex training and a Forex trading course provider.

Cooking is the artistic act of preparing food or dishes for eating and consumption. Cooking encompasses a very broad range of tools, methods and combinations of different ingredients to modify or improve flavor, appeal and food digestibility. Cooking in general requires and involves the selection, combination and measurement of ingredients in an orderly manner or procedure to achieve a desired result or final product. However, successful cooking is hindered by a number of factors that may include the availability of tools, the pricing and accessibility of ingredients, and of course, above all, the skill and talent of the cook or the person cooking. Globally, the diversity of cooking reflects the myriad aesthetic, nutritional, economic, cultural, agricultural and religious situations, environment or considerations that may influence or affect it. To cook, heat must be applied to food. The process will chemically transform the food, changing its flavor, its appearance, its texture, and of course, more importantly, its nutritional characteristics and properties. History have it that cooked food stuff, both animal and vegetable, in human civilizations from the ancient times used fire to cook food. Cooking techniques There a number of cooking techniques used by modern cooks to prepare sumptuous meals for people and guests. Be aware that cooking has somehow turned into an exact science because cooks have turned very systematic and exact or meticulous on ingredients and procedures. It will be amusing to know that nowadays, cooking has also become a very important profession. Around the world, lots of cooking schools and academies have proliferated. Lots of students and young people have changed their perspective of cooking and some of them even chose to make the activity or task a life-long commitment or profession. The art of cooking now has become more sophisticated. Five-star hotels around the globe has turned very requiring and particular about the food they serve their clients. There are a number of techniques on how people cook food the most common and the most advanced techniques will be described here. Read on. Baking is one form of cooking that has advanced through the years. It involves meticulous following of procedures and utmost attention and focus to the measurement of the ingredients. Take note that when you cook, you have to be exact. Too mich flour or egg yolk or sugar can ruin your project or recipe. Baking involves the use of the microwave for heat requirements. Boiling is the process when the raw food material is immersed in water and the whole thing is put up under fire until the water boils down. You know that boiling kills germs so this is a process where it is ensured that contamination in food is eliminated. People have devised ways on how to make food taste better through boiling. In the Philippines, there is a dish called ‘sinigang’ where raw meat of pork, beef or even fish is boiled with water. After the water has boiled, other food ingredients are added. Frying is that kind of cooking where the food is cooked by immersing them in boiling oil or very hot oil. The oil temperature will do the cooking. Most fast food dishes are cooked. The most loved cooked foods include fried chicken, fried fish and other fried delicacies. It should be noted though that fried foods are oily and contains more cholesterol than other food cooked the other way.

Khieng ‘Ken‘ Chho is author and owner of Online Cooking Resources. For related articles and other resources, visit Ken’s website: http://cooking.onew3b.net

Anyone wanting a new kitten should be a cat lover. Let’s face it, folks, cats are just different from dogs. Cats do not usually perform any special tricks, and they certainly do not guard your possessions while you are away. In fact, the only thing you can be guaranteed of by having a cat is that a mouse won’t last long if they creep into your home.

Cats are loved by many because of their independence. Cats have a life, so to speak. Most cats do not follow you around the home with their tongues hanging out of their mouths waiting on your attention. While they do love their owners fiercely, cats will not grovel like a dog and worship and fawn over their owners. Cats are perfectly content simply being themselves–and they do not seem to need constant reassurance, unlike canines.

This does not mean cats do not need love and affection, it simply means cats are not “fragile” characters. In fact, cats exude a self assurance which can often be misunderstood as aloofness or coldness. Yet, cats are far from aloof or unfeeling. They feel deeply and love deeply. If a cat comes to sit on your lap, you know you are truly loved.

Anytime the family thinks about bringing a new pet into the home, it is exciting. Cats are a favorite of many because as kittens they are so entertaining to watch. Cats have a mind all of their own and only a true cat lover can even claim to understand the psyche of a feline. Cats are mysterious animals, which is part of the draw to them. While cats have been brought into the home, their instincts still remain. Cats adopt their owners and will even go out and provide “dinner.” Many cat owners have stepped out on the stoop to find a dead mouse, opossum, or mole waiting for them. Now, that is love and loyalty!

If you are planning to bring a cat into your home, you should look at it as a life long commitment. Cats can live fifteen years and beyond. You should also understand that as cats mature, they will often sleep and laze around the home. If you are wanting a cat to entertain you throughout her life, you should seriously think about whether a cat is the pet for you. Kittens are very entertaining and young cats are always curious and open for a challenge. However, older cats aren’t easily excitable and usually prefer to watch the antics in the home from a distance.

When you have made the decision to bring a new cat into your home, you will have to decide between a domestic or purebred cat. If you choose to go with a purebred cat, you can be guaranteed of size and appearance, and possibly temperament. There are more than 40 breeds to choose from, so do your homework. You will want to research the grooming requirements of the breed you are considering, along with the general disposition of the breed.

Domestic cats come in all colors and shapes. When you look at any cat, there are some things you should consider. For instance, while all cats are fairly in proportion to each other, there are some cats which are more lanky and lean than others. These cats will be the ones who may be more interested in running and exploration. The chunkier, heavier cat will probably be more laid back and not get into too big a hurry about anything. You have a choice between a domestic long hair or domestic short hair cat.

When picking out your kitten, you should understand that kittens should not have an odor. While puppies do tend to have a smell about them, kittens do not. You should observe the entire litter of kittens. Do any of them have crusty eyes or a runny nose? If so, you may want to reconsider choosing a kitten from that litter. You certainly shouldn’t take one home simply because you feel sorry for it, either. Especially if you have other pets in your home. All of the kittens should have bright and clear eyes and be very alert.

You should handle the kittens. Their fur should be soft and silky, and never stiff or dry. Likewise, their coat should not feel oily or greasy. When you are petting the kitten, you should run your hands along her skin to ensure she has no sores. When you are holding each kitten, place them up to your face and nuzzle them. Listen for any breathing noises. You should not hear any raspy or breathy breathing. If you do, this is possibly a signal that the kitten has a respitory infection.

After visiting with the kittens, instinct will usually dictate to you which kitten is your match. You may feel the rowdy, rambunctious kitten will fit the best into your lively home. Or, you may decide the laid back kitten is more your speed, especially if you have a quiet home. Once you have made your decision and chosen your kitten, you should have a kennel waiting for travel. You should never try to ride in a car with a cat unless they are restrained or in a kennel. While most dogs love car rides, cats tend to scare. They can cower under your feet and this can lead to a wreck.

When you bring your new kitten into your home, you should immediately show her where the litter box, food and water are located. You should also have a supply of cat toys on hand to distract the cat from missing her mom and litter mates. While this cannot entirely be avoided, lavishing attention on a new kitten will do wonders in the transition to her new family.

You should expect your new kitten to explore every nook and cranny in the home. This is a necessary part of a kitten’s disposition. (Even older cats seem to perk up when a new piece of furniture is brought into a home they have lived in for years.) You will want to kitten proof your home. You should keep the lids down on the toilet, and you may want to remove potted plants and the like until your cat learns the rules.

Cats are social creatures, and they can learn the rules of their new environment with consistency. While you may think they do not understand what you are saying, this is not true. If you have a new kitten who wants to walk across the kitchen counter or dining room table, simply rattling a newspaper at her and saying “down” will teach her to stay off. With time you will be able to put the newspaper away and simply speak the command.

Kittens can add joy to any home. Part of the fun is knowing the kitten is oblivious to the fact that she is the center of attention. She is not trying to gain your attention by performing. She is simply being a cat. You should also not be upset if your kitten is not interested in being a lap cat. While she may be content for a few moments on your lap, kittens have to roam, play and explore. As your cat matures she will be more inclined to take it easy curled up on your lap. Until then, just make her feel loved and you will have a feline that will adore you and her new home.

Author Ian White is founder of cat-breeders.biz This extensive online directory includes listings by private breeders, and occasional hobby or family breeders. Those seeking kittens can locate and match with appropriate breeders. Cat-Breeders.biz automates the matching of kittens for sale with kitten wanted entries, with daily email notifications to all parties. Cat Lovers and Breeders find more information

Runaway children are regarded as serious social problem. For runaway children, the main problem is family matters like neglecting children, physical or sexual abuse, family violence and family substance (drugs or alcohol) abuse. However, it is not always that children who runaway are from an abusive home, sometimes it is simply because they don’t like the life style and regulation of family or it becomes boring for them. These all problems lead children to depression, anxiety and at last hopelessness and forced to runaway from home. Runaway children are not bad but the decision they make is bad that they usually take quickly without thinking about the future consequences. Because runaway children are unable to face the pressure of the problem surrounding them and to escape from it, they run away from home.

It is also necessary to know that not a single child runs away from home without having contact with other person who has already had experience about running away from home. This kind of company influences more over the mind of child and when condition comes into the life that leads them to depression and anxiety, that time influence makes them to runaway from home.

Other reasons that can make a child to runaway from home are following:

Constant quarrels of parents causes child to feel insecure.

Sibling rivalry or arrival of new child.

Fear of physical danger for wrong doing.

Failure or fewer grades in examination or test paper.

To accompany a friend in distress.

All children are naturally insecure and immature emotionally as it is a part of growing process. Each day they become more secure when family is a close knit one with proper freedom for communication and to express their emotions. But if family fails to meet the love for children, children become unstable and try to escape from that atmosphere to get freedom. However, after running away from home, they feel completely lonely and without support of family. They feel guilt for running away from home and then decide to come back to home. Usually period of running away from home doesn’t remain for long time. But when it becomes habitual then it is advised to consult with psychiatrics for psychotherapy.

Runaway can be of four categories.

Running to children are those who are running from home in search of excitement of life like limitless pleasures, instant gratification and freedom. These children leaves home without any reason mentioned above.

Running from children are those who run away from home to escape from negative within home like physical and sexual abuse, financial hardship, neglect of alcoholic parents or stepparent. These children run away not to look for excitement of life but to look for a life that is tolerable. These children have no desire to return home to the same environment of neglecting parents.

Throw away children are not those who have run away from home because of their own desire or to escape from problem of family but they are forced to leave because of intense alienation with their family. These children are engaged more in antisocial works and criminal acts.

Forsaken children are those who are forced to leave the home because of inability of their family to support them financially and this kind is seen in the family with large number of members. These children have little or no emotional, social and economic support in family. These children feel themselves victimized and poor self-concepts.

Here we will be discussing causes, signs and symptoms related to psychological problems like depression, anxiety, drug addiction, etc. seen in runaway children. As we have already discussed above that children are emotionally immature and so they are sometime sad or depressed but it doesn’t mean that they have depression as disease. If symptoms persist two or more weeks and interfere with social life, school activities and family life, it can be said that a child may have depression. Usually, depression in children is diagnosed when there is evidence of change in behavior like anger or acting out. Depression in children has major symptoms like sadness, feeling of hopelessness and changes in mood. Sometime depression runs in family as genetical problem.

Signs and symptoms of depression can be as following:

Anger or irritability

Withdrawal of social life or activity

Persistent feeling of sadness and hopelessness or guilt

Feeling of rejection

Increased or decreased appetite

Insomnia (sleeplessness) or excessive sleep

Crying and or sudden outburst of inappropriate words

Fatigue or tiredness or low energy

Unable to concentrate in particular thing like study

Thoughts of death or suicide

Different complaints like stomachache, headache and these complaints are irresponsive to medicines.

Most children will manifest different symptoms at different time and mostly suffer from social life withdrawal, less interest in school activities or a change in appearance. Sometimes children suffering from depression may start alcohol, drugs or other things to get relief from stress especially when they are above 12 years. Children who have history of family violence, physical and sexual abuse and also suffer from depression are at risk for suicide. These children have unstable mood that makes them to runaway from home to be free from depressive thoughts and surroundings causing them to be depressed. When children runaway from home, they are not under the burden of certain regulations of the family and they are free to do anything especially drug addiction is the major problem in these children. They start to take drugs to calm their mind as treatment for anxiety and depression. After some period of time it turns into a habit that is drug addiction or abuse. At least half of children, who are drug addict, they are in depression, attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress and other psychological problems.

Signs that may indicate about a child who is drug addict are of following but these are not limited to: change in friends, lying, stealing, long periods of staying away from home, problem with family relationship, confused and unable to understand or unconscious, drastic change in behavior and decreased school performance.

But symptoms of drug addiction are different depending on the drug being abused. However, some common symptoms can be seen like anxiety, depression (on drug withdrawal), instability of mood, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramp or diarrhea, tremor and hallucination. Some of them are seen on withdrawal of drug and some are seen at prolong use of drug.

When you find your child using drugs and alcohol, it is advised to act soon; longer the child abuses, there are high chances of addiction. Individual should be careful while holding child with drug abuse otherwise it may hurt their feelings and may runaway from home. It is better to consult with psychiatrist or to rehabilitation consultant.

There are many other consequences related to runaway as they need to survive and away from home they will do anything to survive from panhandling (begging) to prostitution and some get involve in drug supplying or pornographic movies. Due to these kinds of activities there are high chances of HIV infection, malnutrition, heart infection like infective endocarditis (especially in drug addicts who use injection for drug into veins), other sexually transmitted diseases, robbery and sexual assaults.

Some steps that can prevent or decrease chances of runaway are following:

Though, these steps are not working for all as it depends on the level of trust and they are only suggestions, these measures are preferred than a cure.

Never challenge to a child for runaway.

Never use negative feelings or thoughts toward child that may indicate that you do not respect child.

Never raise your voice when your child is raising voice.

Stay calm and quite, have eye contact and give no response when child is angry or shouting until child is calm.

Never interrupt when your child is saying or expressing something even though you are not ready to agree with them until he or she is done.

Never use negative words like liar, selfish, immature, childish, cruel, stupid etc. as these words will hurt them and make them to think worse about themselves and about you.

Never neglect them or scold when they are wrong but explain them in what way they were wrong and help them to correct their mistakes.

Never use any kind of drugs or alcohol in front of children as it may attract their thoughts toward it and make them to follow you even though you may not have thought.

Give children equal chance to speak and to express their opinion and if you are not agree, simply explain them what can be consequences for that and if you are agree, do not let them do what they want.

Get professional’s advice if your child is demanding and threatening that they should be allowed to do whatever they want.

Help your children to learn to be responsible for their deeds.

Protect your children from feeling of loneliness and isolation.

Make the situation where children are able to learn to take positive decisions.

Encourage your children to try to succeed even they fail to perform some activity or examination or test papers.

Seek counseling or treatment for any instability of emotion or mood (depression, anxiety etc) or change in behavior that may interfere with the social life.

Running away solves nothing and so many teens learn that they are not safer on streets than they were with their parents or guardian .Runaway children usually turn home after one or two days as they felt lack of economic and residential support. When they return home, it advised not to scold them or to be angry on them but receive them with love and have sympathy for them. Returned runaway children already have emotional trauma and feeling of guilt of running away from home. Ask gently what make them to run away, where they went, and so on to find out the mistake and to correct them explaining them difficulties that may come into their lives after running away from home. For such children who return home, the best treatment modality is TLC (tender loving care) and after sometime that trauma will heal and there won’t be any serious consequences.

But when this becomes habitual to runaway from home even in small matter, it is better to consult with mental health professional and help to evaluate the conflict they have. Or if there is any psychological problem like depression, it is advised to start medication with loving care and helps to change the atmosphere that makes them depressed. If it is because of drug addiction, it is advised to join rehabilitation programs.

It is always better to take preventive measures that may help to avoid unpleasant reality of running away from home and then to face the difficulties of this brutal world.

One simple way to help children to prevent runaway is to communicate, listen, help, understand and try to solve the problem.

Though runaway has become a serious problem, we as adults are able to control it by understanding the heart of children and giving them loving care. It is possible to change the way of thinking and behavior and emotion status of children while they are growing.

If you are looking more information about Runaway Children then feel free to visit Runaway Child

What? A “Pet trust”? Pets as our “children”? We are supposed to consider including our pet animals – dogs, cats, birds, etc – as “family members” and “loved ones” who should be covered in our testamentary trust or will and our estate planning? Aren’t these just mere “animals”?

Well, not quite so any more these days!

Americans own a huge number of pets, including about 68 million dogs and 73 million cats, according to a 2000 estimate by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. What is even particularly fundamental, however, from the sociological standpoint and the transformation of the American society, is this: That for a great many Americans, and a growing number of them, their home pets are now considered a bona fide “member of the family,” and not just “animals” any more.

An October 1999 survey by the USA Today newspaper, for example, found that more than 66% of American pet owners said they consider their pets “a member of the family.” In a more recent survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, a whopping 84% of American pet owners were reported to think of their animal companions as being their kids.

In deed, a more telling indices of the dramatic evolution of the pet from mere ‘animals’ towards the highly exulted status of a ‘family member’ in the American society, is the general attitude of the pet owners towards their pets and simply the way they treat, regard and relate with their pets. For example, according to surveys, some 79% of pet owners allow their pets to sleep in their beds with them, while 3% of them even count pets in the number of IRS withholdings they claim for tax purposes. The evidence is simply astounding: 50% of American pet owners talk “baby talk” to their pets; 37% of them carry a picture of their pets in their wallets; 27% of them include their pets in their testamentary trusts or wills; while 8% buy health insurance for their pets. There’s more. Nowadays, the “custody fights” over pets among divorcing couples who own pets, are among the most hotly contested issues in divorce proceedings; pet owners now throw lavish wedding and birthday parties for dogs, cats, and other pet animals, more adults today have pets than children, and so on and on.

Summed up simply, just about all those kinds of special rights, privileges and actions that have traditionally been reserved for and directed towards protecting and caring for human children, are, today, now used to protect and care for pets, as well. In other words, gradually but surely, there is now in the American society a new and increasingly significant kind of “family members” and “children.” It’s called the NON-human or pet animal family members and children!

And that brings us to this major question: how has the American law evolved in response to this developing new sociological reality in the American society? In terms of providing our new-found pet animal “infant children” the essential legal rights, care and protections as would be fitting for our human “infant children”? Suffice it simply to say, that a new specialized area of law has developed in the American jurisprudence pertaining to this issue. One significant aspect of it is what is known as the “pet trust” law. In point of fact, the American pet owners have for centuries expressed concerns and interest in establishing an estate plan for their animals in the same manner as people plan for their spouses and children, but that general impulse had for so long been resisted by the State legislatures and the Courts based on one legal rationale or the other. However, beginning in the 1990s, under the guidelines established by the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws, State legislatures (at least 40 of them as of 2006) and the courts have adopted laws which address precisely those concerns and now permit the creation of trusts specifically for the custody and care of designated pets and their offspring in times of the incapacity or death of their owner.

Basically, with a legally valid ‘pet trust,’ you (the pet owner) can make specific provisions as to the care of your pets in the event of your disability or death, and provide for a reliable caretaker and funding arrangement for the pet all of which will be legally enforceable by the courts. Thus, with the “pet trust,” a relatively recent estate planning tool applicable for pet animals, you can assure that in the event of any such emergency, your pets will not likely wind up in the shelter or pound somewhere awaiting euthanasia, but will be taken into a safe home and will be properly cared for by a responsible, caring caretaker.

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A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing. The first American fashion show likely took place in 1903 in the New York City store Ehrlich Brothers. American retailers imported the concept of the fashion show in the early 1900s.

Fashion

Featuring runway garments from the spring and fall/winter collections of ten influential couturiers and designers, the exhibition explores the ideas and inspirations motivating Paris fashion today, and why, in an age of globalization and instantaneous communication, this venerable city remains the fashion capital. The city has been a magnet for stylish men and women since the seventeenth century, but the French fashion industry has evolved considerably over the centuries and never more than in the last few years.

Recent assessments of the current state of Paris fashion have varied widely, with some pundits announcing its death, and others claiming that it is closer to fine art than ever before. By using fashion, a medium which has always been associated with self-expression and personal identity, these designers seek to demonstrate how the use (or misuse) of technology and its modes of production have the power to stimulate, delight, and inspire in ways as yet untapped in the fashion world. In the 1800s, “fashion parades” periodically took place in Paris couture salons.

The first American fashion show likely took place in 1903 in the New York City store Ehrlich Brothers. By 1910, large department stores such as Wanamaker’s in New York City and Philadelphia were also staging fashion shows. By the 1920s, retailers across the United States held fashion shows. In the 1970s and 1980s, American designers began to hold their own fashion shows in private spaces apart from such retailers.

Models

Models in a fashion show have to change their clothes all the time to present new items to the public. Models are supposed to influence us in a positive way. Models strutting catwalks at London Fashion Week should provide a certificate attesting their good health, but there should be no outright ban on wafer-thin women, the British Fashion Council said on Friday. Spain and Italy have recommended banning models with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18. “We favor the alternative approach of promoting good health based on medical assessments of models participating in London Fashion Week,” it said.

The report acknowledged there was a problem with eating disorders among models and recommended a health education and awareness programme should be set up urgently. “During the investigation, evidence of the vulnerability of women in the modeling progression was startling and models are at high risk of eating disorders,” said Denise Kingsmill, chair of the inquiry.

In a typical fashion show, models walk the runway dressed in the clothing created by the designer. Because the topic of fashion shows remains to find its historian, the earliest history of fashion shows remains obscure. Too many adolescent girls decide early on that they need to be “thin” like the models in order to be “pretty” when really they just need to keep themselves healthy.

Trishia Lopez is a successful Webmaster and publisher of www.TheFashionGurus.com. She provides more information about Fashion and fashion issues that you can research in your pajamas on her website.

Anyone who has seen the Lamborghini Reventón or the Aston Martin DBS knows that unmistakable feeling. It’s the thrill & the allure of the exotic sports car, overhauled & updated for the 21st century. Since their inception, sports cars have continually pushed the boundaries of both engineering & art. These are the cars that exemplify speed, power and beauty.

Alfa Romeo: The Grandfather of Exotic Sports Cars

Alfa Romeo first began producing racecars in Milan, Italy in 1910. Their first endeavor, the HP 24, turned some heads with its superior speed and handling. Chief Designer Giuseppe Merosi worked on all Alfa Romeo models from 1910 to 1923. When Merosi retired, racecar driver Enzo Ferrari persuaded Vittorio Jano to leave Fiat and take over Merosi’s work.

In 1925, Alfa Romeo unveiled the P2 Grand Prix Car, Jano’s first car with Romeo and widely considered the first “supercar.” The P2 was powered by a straight-8 cylinder supercharged engine, and placed first in 14 Grand Pix races between 1924 and 1930. Today, the P2 Grand Prix is considered one of the most rarified of the collectible antique cars, with less than a dozen still intact.

This year marks the return of Alfa Romeo to the United States. Their current sports car, the 8C Competizione, is stunning with its sleek lines, 4.7L 6-cylinder engine & a top speed of 181 mph. This car is destined to send ripples throughout the US market.

Ferrari: High Performance, Luxury Cars

After racing Alfa Romeos in the 1920′s & 30′s, Enzo Ferrari decided that he wanted to build his own racecars. He prototyped a few models in the 1940′s, but it wasn’t until after World War II that he found success. Notably, Ferrari’s exotic sports cars took first place in the Formula 1 World Championships, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Sportscar Championships throughout the 1950′s.

Ferrari’s Gran Turismo series remains its most successful lines, with the 2007 599 GTB Fiorano bringing even more luxury and innovation to the table. Patrons of the Ferrari Club of America cite performance as the primary reason for purchasing a Ferrari over other collectible cars.

Lamborghini : Exotic Sports Cars for a New Generation

Ferruccio Lamborghini had a successful business building tractors in Italy before his eyes turned to the exotic sports car. And it wasn’t a love for performance that stirred his fire, but a disdain for Enzo Ferrari.

According to Lamborghini’s family, Ferruccio purchased a Ferrari 250 GT in the early 1960′s and was unhappy with the handling & response of the clutch. He brought it into Ferrari’s factory and met with Enzo Ferrari to voice his concerns. Ferrari was immediately upset with Lamborghini’s complaints so he mocked Lamborghini and sent him away. Lamborghini went home, dismantled the car and discovered that the clutches installed in Ferraris were from the same manufacturers he used for his tractors. He installed a new clutch and vowed to create a higher-quality, luxury sports car than Ferrari.

While Lamborghini has countless models that produce awe and wonder in car enthusiasts, it’s the 1974 Countach that remains their most iconic. Designer Marcello Gandini, then just beginning his career, placed his focus on style over aerodynamics. With its scissor doors, sharp lines and low, wide frame, the Countach raised the bar for Lamborghini. The Diablo, the Murciélago, and even the 2008 Reventón follow in its wake.

Aston Martin: Unforgettable Collectible Cars

Britain’s Aston Martin was founded by Lionel Martin & Robert Bamford in 1914. They designed exotic sports cars and drove in competitions, but it wasn’t until David Brown became managing director of the company in 1947 that they were able to establish themselves as a maker of high-quality, high-performance sports cars. They introduced the DB line (DB standing for David Brown) in 1950, and many of their models have become synonymous with antique and collectible cars.

Newer DB models include the luxurious DB-7, which was designed by Ian Callum and produced from 1994 to 2001. This model won the Jim Clark Award in 1995, and remains Aston Martin’s most successful car to-date.

Where to Find Collectible Cars for Sale

Buying and selling exotic sports cars is a specialized process that requires a credible and secure collector car trader. Some of the best experts are other exotic sports car owners. To find out more about buying and selling antique cars or classic collectible cars the first place to look are exotic sports car clubs such as http://www.lamborghiniclub.com or [http://www.exoticcarrental.com/FerrariClubs.com]

Interested in online car dealers that specialize in buying and selling exotic sports cars? Check out http://www.chooseyouritem.com/exotics/dealerpage.html, ebay classic cars and a new website called [http://www.HighEndCrazy.com] These sites will get you started on the road to driving the exotic sports car of your dreams.

John Green is an Electrical Engineer who has worked for prestigious companies, such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Union Switch and Signal Corporation where he oversaw completion of large commercial projects. John was frustrated with hard to use websites while selling some luxury merchandise online. So he teamed with his brother, Richard, to develop a website for buyers and sellers of luxury merchandise. Visit: [http://www.HighEndCrazy.com] or email highendcrazy@bellsouth.net for more information.

A review of the literature reveals that the area of forensic questioning of young children in relation to child abuse is fraught with differing opinions and controversy. The clear need for courts to have accurate information concerning perpetration of abuse on children by adults will continue to exist as long as child abuse does. In the guidelines for the evaluation of allegedly abused children, the American Psychological Association Committee on Professional Practice and Standards (1998) indicates that forensic data and expert witnessing may help the court in understanding, gaining perspective, and increasing the fairness of determinations. Professionals in psychological treatment may be asked to determine if abuse has been perpetrated, and may use the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress as a proof that it has. (Regan, Johnson, Alderson, 2002). In the case of People v Stritzinger (1983), the Supreme Court ruled that unavailability due to a “mental infirmity” must be determined either by the witness refusing to testify, or on the recommendation of an expert witness. While the expert may recommend the child not testify due to PTSD, the expert would be on shaky grounds to state that the PTSD is proof of the abuse. While Fisher and Whiting (2001) agree that some aspects of PTSD symptoms are consistent with a child’s behavioral reactions to abuse, an unreliable pattern of abused children with PTSD make using the diagnosis as a proof a very flawed reasoning. They do add though, that if abuse has been founded, the diagnosis becomes a framework to determine level of impact on the child and as a treatment springboard. This would also then seem to be recursive, with the diagnosis of PTSD following a founded case to suggest the question: should the child be returned to the custody of, say, a parent offender, or a non offending parent who failed to protect the child, and the child is highly reactive to as a reminder of the abuse? Since the persistence of PTSD symptoms are likely closely related to the intensity, volume of critical incidents, and duration of abuse, it would appear that there is no current predictive tool to ascertain how long treatment will take. This situation serves to complicate custody issues, not to mention issues of the child having visitation contact with a person who could be a perpetrator. Further, if the child’s symptoms worsen following contact with their biological parent(s), is it ethical to desensitize a child to contact with their perpetrator in order for the child to return the perpetrator’s care? If there is no “return home” goal, and the child will be adopted, what is the therapeutic point of continuing exposure?

There is of course, no current, valid, and reliable tool to predict if an individual will develop PTSD following a trauma. (Walters, Bisson, Shepherd, 2006) Perry and Azad (1999), in a study on the incidence of PTSD, found that 34% of a sample of children who had been identified as being sexually abused, and 58% of children identified and being both sexually and physically abused met the criteria for PTSD. In addition, the study found that all of the children, while not fully PTSD, had clinically significant symptoms. The children in the study that had only partial symptoms may very well continue development on to full PTSD status. Thus, children diagnosed with PTSD as a result of abuse become a special concern outside of the population of children who have experienced abuse, but have not been diagnosed with PTSD.

Though common sense informs that special care needs to be given to children who have experienced traumatic events, the issues of their post-trauma care can become quite complex. Lieberman and Van Horn state that:

Responses to early trauma need to be understood as the initial manifestation of long-term risks to the child’s unfolding development. (p. 112)

Briere and Spinazzola (2005) assert that in the case of a lengthy history of family interpersonal trauma, a complexity of traumatic stress develops that negatively effects the child’s attachment with the parent. Such complexity of this population of child victims gives rise to the need for specialized attention, study, and formulations of forensic and treatment approaches. In a study concerning the “pathways” to PTSD in abused children, Kaplow, Dodge, Jackson, and Saxe (2005) found that behavioral signs noted immediately after disclosure of abuse might constitute discrete reactions that include avoidance, anxiety, and dissociation. In turn, these then become foundations for further and longer-term symptom development. Briere (2006) notes that the connection between trauma and dissociation may not be as simple as it first appears; there may be multiple components that produce the dissociation effects, including early attachment issues, emotional neglect, and neurobiological disturbances. Briere also states the possibility that dissociation may exist before trauma and be a risk factor for victimization. Again, this points to possible ethical questions: is any forensic questioner trained adequately to assess what may be very subtle and internalized symptoms presenting? One might assume, due to the nature and purpose of forensic examination, the child may reveal critical incident material that was not formerly revealed. Is there any data to show that forensic questioning does no further harm? If the long term research answer to that question is eventually found to be true, professionals may be trapped by the terrible dichotomous question: catch the perpetrator, or heal the child?

In addition to these complexities, the age of the child when victimization occurs becomes a factor in forensic examination and treatment, along with the traditional problem in most witnessing, memory. Nader (2001) states that at issue in younger children are their very age: they may have “literal interpretations, animistic thinking, faulty hypotheses, and inaccurate associations.” (p 281) Nader also asserts that age not only plays a role in perception, but also what details the child attends to, and how the child’s state of mind at the time of the trauma affects encoding of the memory for later recall. And of course, memory of the child victim is key to child protection assessments, police investigations, courtroom proceedings, and to a lesser degree, subsequent treatment.

Leiberman and Van Horn (2001) address the problem of the traumatized child’s behaviors in relation to memory:

Traumatized reminders tend to remain unidentified when they operate outside of the child’s conscious awareness or when the child cannot use language to describe what is happening. The child’s behavior may be strongly influenced by stimuli that act as triggers for memories of traumatic experience. (p118)

This assessment also seems to point to the problem of preverbal memories that do not readily find verbal expression or discernment by the child or the forensic investigator. Ceci and Bruck (1995) expands on the memory issue by asserting that due to the overwhelming amount of simulation during abuse there are likely some parts of the trauma experience that were never encoded in memory, so were never ‘stored’. Furthermore, they cite studies that demonstrate that errors in children’s accounts are most often omission rather than commission errors. Such studies reinforce the oversimplified truth that just as in adult female rape victims, child victims do not generally lie about sexual abuse.

With such complexity, subtle nuance, and discrete aspects, how victim witness information is gained and used in child abuse cases becomes likewise a complex and delicate matter. Public opinion, media enthusiasm, multiple court opinions and those falsely accused of maltreatment of children all attest to the struggle to get the process accurate, fair, and unbiased. Many of the criticisms of particular cases, usually targeting child protection agencies and workers, while made by individuals not educated in the nature of trauma or PTSD in children, have validity and serve to press the field into doing a better job. (Wexler, 1995)

 In 1990, Congress enacted the Victims of Child Abuse Act that contains a detailed Article (IV) to guide investigations, prosecutions, and corrections of the Justice Department. These guidelines are an obvious improvement over a system that appears to have had a public reputation for at least some inconsistent and even unethical forensic and clinical approaches. But a simple review of these guidelines reveals that a body that does not nearly understand the nuances and complexities of the problems has created them that child (PTSD) victims suffer. There appears to be no such required guidelines for most county level child protection services. Also in the mix of complications in achieving the truth and attaining justice is the difference in training and philosophical foundations between law enforcement, courts, and the field of psychology. (Wrightsman, 2005) Even a cursory review of questioning tactics between the disciplines yields a wide difference in styles, approaches, and objectives. Not all of these approaches may be sensitive to the victim’s emotional, developmental or mental state. In fact, a very real question is exactly how many police departments have a specially trained staff member to question a child victim. Clinicians may cringe at the image of a rough and tumble officer who has never questioned a child abuse victim doing their best to pick their way through a child’s critical incident account.

Children usually reveal issues of abuse by either deliberately or spontaneously telling someone, or they make an unintentional reference to the abuse. (Ceci, et al., p.75) While these could be done for the first time in the presence of a child protection worker or police officer, they more likely are done first in the presence of a trusted adult. The time lapse between the first telling and the second forensic telling is a time frame that bears study as to the emotional impact and time impact on the child’s memory. This becomes especially concerning in child protective services that have extraordinarily large caseloads in ratio to workers, where time between report and questioning may be days, or even weeks.

 In addition, such aspects as linguistic problems associated with the child’s developmental level and cultural environment add to the challenge of accuracy. (Ceci, et al. p. 76) One also needs to consider the variable of culture, ethnicity, and quite possibly religious background. Should the forensic investigator be less than sensitive, or just perhaps ignorant of a particular culture, response of the child would quite conceivably be altered.

 In cases of sexual abuse, London, Bruck, Ceci, and Shuman (2005) conducted research that found child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome (CSAAS) to be quite valid. The effects of CSAAS are generally accepted as impacting the pattern of disclosure in a particular case, with gradual disclosures, not to mention recantations quite common. A very simple and unpublished experiment in a county in Pennsylvania asking five child protection workers if they had ever heard of CSAAS yielded a negative response in all five. If those so closely associated with child protection are not aware of valid supportive research that has been around for approximately twenty years that so articulates child victim’s experience, there indeed is much training to do.

Multiple cases presented sensationally in the media attest to the importance of questioning techniques. The use of leading questions, questions that are posed in a manner assuming a specific answer, or questions that are too complex for the child’s age are common examples of problematic methods that can cause the child to offer often elaborate confabulated material. (Wrightsman, 2005) Such inadequate methods that ignore the child’s developmental level can produce dramatic, hysterical reactivity in the community, as in the case of People v Raymond Buckey. A number of collected studies indicate that children do make commission errors about things they have never experienced, and can create fantastic, well-constructed, believable accounts of abuses that have never occurred to them. Especially when faced with an adult questioner who is using repeated suggestive methods and has a confirmatory bias, children’s witness accuracy suffers. (Ceci, et al., 1995)

Compounding simply bad questioning and investigative techniques, is the issue of how the symptoms of PTSD interact with forensic questioning. The DSM groups symptoms into three basic categories of re-experience, psychobiological alterations, with avoidance, numbing and detachment comprising the last category. Wilson, Friedman, and Lindy (2001) contend that there may be a need to add three more categories to fully articulate PTSD, including problems in interpersonal relationships, disturbance of ego structure, and alterations to the victim’s psychological makeup. Schuder and Lyons-Ruth (2004) articulate the list further by describing a variety of attachment behaviors that can be seen in traumatized infants. There is some evidence that there are child specific behavioral signs of PTSD, such as precocious development and behavioral regressions. (Nader, p284)

In light of what has been demonstrated thus far in the research on the effects of PTSD in abused children, a diagnosed child pressed into courtroom testimony appears to be contraindicated as to future treatment concerns. It would stand to reason that due to the nature of forensic evidence and information gathering, either by a forensic mental health professional, child protection worker or a police detective, all of whom are focused less on treatment than on the goal of successful litigation, future treatment is a secondary concern. It would seem that the very approach of an investigator and the nature of the questions would have the clear potential to trigger re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, detachment, and physical agitation. If unenlightened questioners, or questioners not taking into account the child’s developmental level are added to this mix, it would seem likely that triggering may occur with some reliability. This would appear to be a ripe subject for research and testing. Even a child who has experienced abuse and is not diagnosed with PTSD may find the courtroom experience daunting. Wrightsman (2005) explains:

“It can be argued that for any victim of sexual abuse or rape, whether an adult or child, the experience of facing your alleged attacker in court is particularly stressful. The trauma is compounded if opposing attorneys view the children as especially susceptible to intimidation during cross examination, and judges remain oblivious to efforts to “break down the child on the witness stand.” (p 285)

Though one might hope that the aforementioned Article VI of the Victims of Child Abuse Act guidelines would directly address questioning tactics by attorneys, examination of the Article reveals no such measures. It should be noted, though, that the Article does provide for measures that make an attempt to be sensitive to the child’s emotional state such as video taped or closed circuit video testimony with an adult supportive attendant in close proximity to the child. But even these may not be enough to mitigate all of the possible cues and triggers to (post traumatic) stress reactivity. One wonders why these same supportive measures (perhaps with the foster parent or therapist of the child attending) are often not provided routinely, and as mandatory in cases of repeated forensic exam per CSAAS.

The legal and therapeutic aspects of child abuse cases are inextricably entwined. Without accurate information and proofs of abuse, the child may be returned to a perpetrator. The process of gaining that accurate information and proof may negatively impact the child’s symptoms and progression of treatment. Crouch, Smith, and Ezzell (August 1999) cite the fact that research in developing valid and reliable tools to measure relevant variables of outcomes is lacking. One of those variables that bear study is the determination of abuse process and the subsequent legal forensics process to ascertain if there are long lasting effects of the child moving through such a gauntlet. While psychologists may use a collected battery of standardized tests and measures in the determination of a PTSD diagnosis, these may not be sensitive enough to pick up discrete impacts and effects of the abuse on the child. The tools may even misidentify the impacts and effects as an entirely other diagnosis. (Briere, Elliott, 1997) It stands to reason that the same measures may be inadequate to determine if the protective process itself is causing further harm to the child. There are tailored checklists and inventories available, such as the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (Biere, Spinazzola, 2005), but these appear to have inherent limitations. The TSCC is a self report for children ages eight to sixteen, and the CSBI, while evaluating children between the ages of two to twelve, only evaluates sexual behaviors. Given the complexity of ‘complex PTSD’, there may be no adequate tool to ascertain the full, unique impact of the critical incidents on a specific child. Schuder, et al. (2004) speaks about ‘hidden trauma’ that is an integral part of the child’s relational experience and may include behavior sets and interaction qualities that are not noticed as problematic by even a trained observer. Even with the current state of the art questioning environments and protocols, expectations of adults for children to readily speak with a relative stranger following what may be a traumatic and embarassing abuse episode, and that challenges the child’s family loyalty is a tall order.

It is well established that the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was developed out of the middle of the last century’s experience with combat in various wars. The diagnosis was not designed with abused children in mind. Marshal, Spitzer, and Liebowitz (1999) conducted longitudinal studies that used Acute Stress Disorder criteria that suggest that there is a need to reevaluate the DSM approach to stress syndromes. This clearly is the case when considering the expansion of understanding of the experiences and behaviors, and special needs of abused children with PTSD diagnoses. Briere and Spinazola (2005) opine that clinicians often may need to make decisions on what part of the stress complex is most relevant, and that ever more precise tools are needed to fully understand the unique dimensionality of a survivor of trauma. Such understanding should lead to improvements in the forensic questioning of child victim witnesses and legal interventions, as well as treatment. A valid and reliable progress measurement tool for use at the commencement and duration of treatment would bring a wealth of information to the process and outcome of treatment efforts.

There are several efforts attempting to design best practices training programs in forensic interviews of abused children, among them the American Prosecutors Research Institute’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center. (Siegal, 2004) The National Children’s advocacy Center states on their website that their training has an efficacy of gaining enough credible factual witness information to prosecute in 64% of their cases (www.nationalcac.org) The National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse program strives to get training to half of the nation by 2010. There was no current information on the website concerning how many States have thus far been sufficiently trained.

It would appear that Daubert case may point to more than just the ‘junk science’ worry; it may in fact point to the need for some vehicle to educate judges as well as front line workers in the care of abused and PTSD diagnosed children. In May of 1996 in the Supreme Court of Tennessee, a dissenting opinion from Judge Leon Burns typifies the this particular difficulty:

The social worker’s testimony discounted all the familiar facets of impeachment. First, she told the jury that recollection and memory, often and first-line attack in credibility skirmishes, was not important with child victims and should not be considered. Secondly, she discounted the importance of detail, another fertile basis for cross-examination and impeachment. Finally, and more subtly, she explained away the importance of inconsistencies in children’s testimony.

Clearly, Judge Burns was not afforded adequate educational forensic information on disclosure patterns and the many biological effects of PTSD on a child. Had Judge Burn’s opinion been in the majority, the child in question (and perhaps many children to come) may have had a very different outcome.

As stated thus far, there are likely many variables of outcomes from forensic examination of a child who is traumatized by abuse. It perhaps goes without saying that ill managed or outright botched forensic efforts leave behind children who have been further damaged by the ordeal. One might expect that if some kind of ‘psychological first aid’ were to be provided very soon after the child revealing, this might mitigate development of PTSD symptoms, and thus make for a more accurate forensic exam, but Bryant (2007) found that there was no solid validity to the claim that critical incident debriefing was effective in preventing subsequent PTSD. Regardless of the preventive hope for CID, the practice does provide the victim with a here-and-now supportive care. A review of the Field Operations Guide of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2006) shows a highly supportive approach that might be typified as quite gentle, un-pressured, and decidedly ‘un-questioning’. Without such debriefing support at the time of forensic questioning (and one might reasonably contend that a goodly number of children do not receive such debriefing), the initial forensic effort with its primary focus and objective on fact finding, has the great potential to add unnecessarily to the child’s stress load..

Court examination is of course, forensic in nature, and due to the basic philosophy of adversarial face-to-face confrontation of one’s accuser, drastically in counterpoint to PTSD treatment in children. Wilson, et al. state that a “core treatment approach removes obstacles so that the organism can heal on it’s own.” (p40). Most reasonable adults would agree that placing a child on a witness stand, either in front of a jury or just a judge would qualify as an intimidating ‘obstacle’ to the child’s best interest of healing from PTSD. Walters, Bineman, and Wright argue that hearsay testimony by professionals who have worked with the child, though clearly not the norm in a court hearing, is a clearly reasonable alternative to risking further damage to the child. While protecting the child, this may place the clinician in a gray area where the dual role as the therapist and expert witness may come up. Strasburger, Gutheil and Brodsky (1997) note that this can be come very ambiguous, but also may be somewhat unavoidable when clinicians identifying themselves as expert witnesses are unavailable due to locality and economic reasons. In addition, clinicians serving a case may be routinely asked to provide clarification in the form of education concerning PTSD in children to help judges more fully understand the issues.

As time marches on, it becomes ever more clear that specificity in treatment needs to be developed to address the particular idiosyncratic presentations of abused children diagnosed with PTSD. The literature is rife with calls for even more research to study the efficacy of existing treatments and to develop new ones. (Lombardo and Gray, 2005) This wheel turns exceedingly slow. Nader (2004) advises that the practitioner who is going to work with PTSD children who are victims of abuse needs to have a good working knowledge of psychotherapeutic principles as well as a specific, experienced trauma background.

Most models of treatment for PTSD in children are simply derived from adult models, mirroring the earlier criticism of more specific diagnosis criteria for children with the disorder. Most current approaches include multiple recounting of the critical incidents, re-attribution of erroneous responsibility, regaining a sense of safety, and helping the child regain a sense of control in their lives. (Nader, 2004) Other well-known approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, with a focus on trauma seem to be consistently cited as providing significant improvement over other forms of treatment such as child-centered therapy. (Cohen, Deblinger, Mannarino, and Steer, 2004). Other therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have considerable continuing debate over efficacy and validity with adults, let alone children.

Lieberman and Van Horn (2004) begin to refine a more child sensitive approach by noting that two very important focus areas for children with PTSD as a result of interpersonal violence are re-establishing care giving routines and positive reciprocity between the child and care giver. Gaensbauer (2004) refines this child sensitive approach further, stating that clinicians intervening in the child’s life must take care not overwhelm and allow the child’s emotions to get out of control due to history material. He also comments on “spontaneous play”, but is not clear if this is in opposition to structured play therapy (p. 199) Gaensbaur goes on to note that: “probably the most important contribution we can make as therapists to the child’s recovery is to help parents to deal with the child’s symptoms in the home environment.” (p.199) This certainly would apply equally to foster parents when a child has been removed from an abusive parent(s). Gaensbaur addresses the behavioral acting out related to PTSD by suggesting a two pronged approach that includes firm limit setting and demonstration of empathy for the child’s expressed emotions as attached to the critical incidents. (p. 200)

This author’s anecdotal experiences in the field treating abused children with PTSD for some ten years is that there are many front line clinicians that while having adequate training and experience in psychotherapy and other multi modal techniques, have but a rudimentary understanding of PTSD. In addition, they generally and largely rely on behavioral approaches and techniques to address an abused child’s behavioral expressions of the disorder. Admittedly anecdotal study of the efficacy of such singularly behavioral techniques has demonstrated that the application appears to reliably escalate the child’s symptoms and move them towards ultimate life and developmental altering decompensation. The problem appears to be that children with PTSD often present strong oppositional symptoms that are likely attached to their allosatatic reactivity. This may be in addition to co morbid diagnoses. Many adults, even trained clinicians, reflexively react to a child’s opposition with an increase of pressure by way of behavioral techniques. Such a shift to a behavioral pressure stance can be quite subtle, and even unconscious on the part of the adult, but no less real in effect on the child. Adults, who serve as child protection workers, police officers, attorneys, therapists, and judges, to a child, may begin the cuing and triggering of the child’s stress just by their titles.

Conclusions and Directions

There appears to be enough evidence to show how children who have been abused experience and demonstrate PTSD is qualitatively different from adults. Specific research into these qualities and even possible child-specific symptoms and discrete behavioral episodes need to be explored. Ascertaining if current formats of forensic questioning contribute to driving PTSD symptoms deeper, contribute to their escalation and intensity, or are supportive of healing appears to be a fair area of concern. The development of ever more specific and specialized forensic and treatment approaches, as informed by valid scientific research on child victim’s expressions of PTSD is needed. Accurate tools to guide the process of treatment and measure outcomes are needed. High quality comprehensive education of all professionals involved with child victims about the nature and peculiarities of PTSD in children would allow for more accurate and effective litigation and movement of the child towards and through treatment. There is no specialized, specific, and individualized treatment modality for treating PTSD in children who have been victims of interpersonal abuse. Though all of the mentioned therapy alternatives certainly implicitly contain empathy and gentleness, none articulate gentleness as a key aspect of treating abused children. Perhaps after all of the research and articulation of therapeutic and legal approaches and modalities, simple gentleness may be the healing salve that is needed. Certainly pressing a child through a legal process does not qualify as ‘gentle.’ It is time for the clinical healers to move forward out of repetitions of ’the need for more research’ on the development of more effective forensic and therapy approaches, and do the developing right now, in the field.

William Krill is a clinician working in central Pennsylvania with children who are survivors of interpersonal abuse. He has over twenty five years of experience in the human services and ministry fields. A book about this fresh and innovative approach, entitled “Gentling: A Clinician’s Guide to Treating PTSD in Abused Children” is currently going to press. You can read more of his helpful articles at: http://www.freewebs.com/krillco

Public speaking presents such a challenge for many people. In the Book of Lists, public speaking anxiety and making a presentation constitute the number one fear; the fear of dying is number two. Like the old saying goes, “People would rather be in the grave than make a presentation.” You see people sweat, shake, and quiver while they are speaking. Sometimes, employees bypass promotions, and business owners bypass business opportunities rather than give a presentation. I saw a manager who was on the corporate fast track quickly become derailed because she couldn’t complete her presentation in front of senior management.

So what do great speakers do to prepare themselves to be great presenters? They prepare their minds to give a great presentation. That’s right; it all starts in your mind. How can you develop a great speaker’s mindset and start giving outstanding presentations? The following are five secrets for powerful public speaking:

1. Believe It So That You Can Achieve It

I am approached by people who say, “I can’t speak in public,” “I am a bad speaker,” or “I could never speak in public.” Without hearing them speak, I say, “You’re right.” Because once you make those negative statements, they become self-fulfilling prophesies. When you say, “I am a bad speaker,” your subconscious mind is thinking, “Well, he or she said it, so it must be true; so I will act like a bad speaker.” Positive speaking attitude (PSA) is one of the first things I work on during my presentation coachings. Replace the negative speaking attitude with a PSA to master your self talk and improve your presentation skills. Instead of saying, “I am a bad speaker,” say the following:

* “I am improving my public speaking abilities everyday in everyway.”

* “Every opportunity to make a presentation is an opportunity for success.”

* “I am a good public speaker today; and, with continued practice, I will be a better public speaker tomorrow.”

* “I am mastering my presentation skills everyday!”

When you make these positive affirmations, your subconscious mind hears it and says, “Yeah, I am improving,” or “Let me speak because it is an opportunity for success,” or “I am mastering my speaking skills.”

Manage your self talk for a PSA. You will feel a new confident attitude concerning public speaking.

2. Think About What You Want to Accomplish

I will ask the question, “What do you want to accomplish with your presentation?” Many times I will be on the receiving end of a blank stare or the student might say, “I just want them to listen to me.”

Take time to think about what you want to accomplish by giving your presentation. Is it that you want to entertain the audience, do you want to persuade them on an important issue, or maybe you want the audience to take action after hearing your presentation. Going into your presentation knowing what you want to accomplish creates focus and is a big confidence builder.

3. Visualize Success

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at an association conference with over five thousand people in the audience. Joy, my wife, was sitting in the audience with our friend Jim who came to hear me speak for the first time. As I was about to speak, Jim leaned over and asked Joy if I was nervous speaking in front of such a large group of people. Without blinking an eye, Joy said, “He was born for this day. He saw this day coming when he first started speaking.”

I visualized that day long before it happened. Whenever I give a presentation, I take time to visualize a successful presentation and positive outcome. The more details I include in my visualizations, the more vivid and real it becomes for me. The night before the presentation I will find a quiet place at home or, if I am on the road, a hotel room, and meditate to start the visualization process. I will visualize my drive to the event, greeting the host and audience, and how my powerful presentation will sound and look on that day. I will also visualize the audience’s positive response to the presentation.

Take time to visualize the details of giving a great presentation. Like the old saying goes, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” If you visualize you are a great speaker, you will take the steps and create opportunities for yourself to become a great speaker.

Visualize that the audience wants to hear your message and they want you to do well. Remember, it’s their time also and they want to receive value out of your speech.

4. Own the Room

Whenever I speak, I “own the room.” I mentally tell myself that for the next thirty minutes, hour, etc., I own the room. The corporation, association, or government may own the building or venue I am speaking in, but during the time I am speaking, I am the owner of the room and the audience will be my guests, my friends. That way I am always in control to give an outstanding presentation.

Think of your speaking area as your house, your home, your castle. When you invite friends into your home, aren’t you in control and want to provide a safe, entertaining environment for your guests? The same is true for your speaking audience; you want to provide a safe, entertaining, and enriching experience for them.

I always say, “Giving presentations is not about me, it’s about you (the audience).” What I mean is that if I am constantly thinking about how I sound, look, and feel while I speak, I am not thinking about what I can share with my audience. Concentrate on the value you will give to your audience members and you will never go wrong.

5. Eat the Elephant

Many times I hear the following:

“I could never speak in front of a group of people, but one-on-one I am fine.”

Well, I ask, “How do you eat the elephant?” Break the elephant into smaller pieces. It is the same when you “digest” the audience. Don’t think of the audience as a whole, think of the audience as individuals ready to hear your message. Concentrate on thinking of your audience as individuals, and your message will come across that way to the individual audience members.

Follow these five secrets for creating a positive mindset for confident public speaking. Overcoming your public speaking anxiety will improve your presentation skills and create new opportunities for you through public speaking.

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and coach in the areas of presentation skills, leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, “Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional.”

Transmissions and engines play a major role in automobiles but a lot of drivers are not aware of this fact. Transmissions and engines will serve as a power plant and propels the wheels of automobiles. In addition, transmissions and engines will help drivers and the passengers get from point A to point B. Since they play such important tasks, they must be built well and there must not be any room for error during the process of manufacturing. Car manufacturers must guarantee the quality of the final product or these parts before they are going to install them to the automobiles.

On the other hand, thousands of people drive with broken automobiles every year due to repairs they did not get on their automobiles. Sadly, a lot of people do not realize the risks and problems a simple problem or leak on their transmission and engine can cause. It must not take car mechanics long to get the point across that the transmissions and engines should have been serviced in order to get your attention on your vehicles bill. When it comes to the repair of auto transmissions and engines, it is very essential to take the right measures and make good decisions.

Many times, a repair is good enough but if the failure is very serious, then, simple repair is out of question. In such cases, transmission and engine replacement may be the best solution. Whether you admit it or not, transmission and engine replacement is necessary if there is an extreme failure or situation with overheating. At times, these failures begin as little leaks which can be cause mechanical stress, high temperature deterioration and mechanical failure. But regardless of the situations behind the leak or failure, it is very important to take care of engine and transmission replacements before it will cost too much. As mentioned earlier, engines and transmissions are there to create mechanical power to propel or drive you around the city or country. Therefore, waiting for too long to replace faulty engines and transmissions might actually be a troublesome for the automobile. More than 100′s of people every year make bad decisions which can come from individuals who are not taking care of their cars. It doesn’t help when the auto repair shop guides you wrong with helping you decide what road to take with your auto repairs.

In order to try to minimize such failures caused by broken engines and transmissions, replacement or the engine or transmission consideration is needed. Take plenty of time in order to shop around to locate reputable service and know the engine or transmission replacement cost. Make certain that the manufacturer has good replacement standards and can deliver the quality service that is worth the costs. Make sure that the parts quality is good enough to prevent you from any form of re-occurrence of problems of your car. It may also be helpful if you are going to contact a technician or mechanic to find out what kind of maintenance services that is recommended for your car.

Many shops might prefer you to drop off without hesitation and they may offer higher price if they can get away with it, but ask yourself is it worth it? If you are thinking of the price tag, doing your research for a quality job, you must consider also if the engine or transmission replacement insurance is something you can take advantage of. You just have to know what are the requirements are for the insurance and where to purchase it locality. Having engine and transmission replacement insurance may not only help you financially but should ensure that you get standard quality of service at a time of need.

Engine and transmission replacement can cost people a lot. You need to always find a way on how you can prevent the engine and transmission replacement costs effectively and keep up with your cars maintenance.

by Guy Skiver
@ Guy’s Automotive

http://transmissionrepairtampa.com
3049 W. Hillsborough Ave
Tampa, FL 33614
813-353-1537

14611 N Nebraska Ave
Tampa, FL 33613 813-975-9307