Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14th each year, is probably one of the most romantic holidays in the world. This is a day when couples demonstrate their love and affection by exchanging thoughtful gifts, sharing romantic dinner, and giving Valentines’ cards to each other. Although some people complain that the holiday became too commercialized and lost its charm as a result of it, for many others Valentine’s Day is still a wonderful occasion to show their appreciation to their loved ones. Where did the tradition to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day come from?

There are many legends surrounding the origins of this holiday, but one of the most popular one revolves around the figure of a young Christian priest named Valentine who lived during the third century in Rome. At that time, Rome was ruled by the Emperor Julius Claudius the Second who believed that unmarried soldiers performed better in the battlefields than their married counterparts whose loyalty belonged to their families. Consequently, the Emperor prohibited his soldiers to marry.

However, Valentine disobeyed Claudius’s order and performed marriage ceremonies for those in love. Moreover, he reconciled quarreling lovers, wrote love letters for people who could write well, and presented flowers to marrying couples. When it was discovered that he broke the order of the Emperor, Valentine was jailed and sentenced to death. While in prison, he fell in love with the blind daughter of the prison’s warden and, as the legend alleges, cured her blindness by the power of his love. Before Valentine was led to his death, he sent a farewell card to his beloved which was signed “From Your Valentine.”

We will never learn how much of this legend is true, but one thing is certain- St. Valentine had died in the name of Love. Although his life was cut short, he experienced many kinds of Love- love for God, love for all people, and love for a woman. Eventually, he was canonized by the Church; and around 498 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as a St. Valentine’s Day.

In time, the holiday grew in popularity all over the world. Thus, St. Valentine’s Day was celebrated in Great Britain since 17th century, although one of the earliest Valentine cards was written as early as in 1415 by an imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. In the USA, the holiday became popular around 18th century. Cards, sweets, and flowers, especially red roses, became classic symbols of the holiday. According to the Greek myth, red roses came into existence because Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, stepped on some white roses when she was running to her lover, Adonis, and her blood colored the roses red.

Nowadays, different traditions emerged in different countries in their celebration of Valentine’s Day. For example, in Japan men receive more gifts than women – in essence, Valentine’s Day became a holiday dedicated to men. In Denmark, it is customarily to present dried white flowers as symbol of love; while in France jewelry is the traditional gift. However, no matter where you celebrate Valentine’s Day, the main thing is to remember that Love is the foundation of happiness.

Happy Valentine Day!

The economic situation in the world, including the USA, has been quite difficult for several years. Many people face unemployment as companies lay off workers or declare a hiring freeze. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in December 2011 was 8.5 %, or 13.5 million people in the US were out of work. The numbers were better than those in previous months, which stayed around 9 %. Several analysts attribute the slight drop of the unemployment rate to seasonal hiring during the holiday season.

Some economists believe that the updated unemployment rate, to be released on February 3, 2012, will show a return to higher levels. It is a sad fact but millions of people are still out of work and have been for extended periods of time, while many have given up looking for work altogether.

As such, resume writing is one of the most important things to learn when seeking employment. Your resume needs to stand out and make a right first impression on your potential employer.

Researchers calculate that, on average, HR managers scan most resumes in five to ten seconds. The sheer number of resumes received by most companies’ HR departments necessitates extensive exclusion of applicants and it is usually accomplished by scanning for strong points in submitted resumes.

Consequently, if you are applying for a job, your resume should be spot on. There is a plethora of resume writing help available such as professional resume writing services, job coaches and Internet tools. However, with determination, careful consideration and diligent research, anyone can produce an outstanding resume. Nevertheless, there are some cardinal rules that must be followed when writing your resume:

1. Carefully edit your resume. Resume is not a confession or a biography. Omit all the information that is not relevant for the position you are applying for; HR managers do not fish through your resume to see if you are a good fit. Highlight the achievements and skills essential for the prospective job and disregard any other unrelated information.
2. Research the position and company before submitting the resume and then tailor it accordingly. Companies nowadays scan resumes for “key words” essential for the position they are hiring for. Thus, you need to research the requirements for the job and include these “key words.” This will ensure that, at the least, your resume will not end up in the “reject pile” before even being read by a hiring person. Do not submit standard resume to different openings; although it might seem like a lot of work, you have to tailor your resume for each position you seek. Moreover, your research will certainly pay off if you are called for an interview (and a well-written resume just might make that happen!).
3. Proofread your resume! Any grammatical, spelling, typographical error will automatically exclude your resume from consideration. Better yet, ask a friend or a family member to take a look at your resume with “fresh eyes,” they might catch a mistake you’ve missed.
4. Carefully analyze the layout of your resume. Your resume should appeal visually, use bullet points and action-driven short sentences. Do not cram too much information on a single page, but keep in mind that most employers prefer 1-2 pages long resumes. Make it easy for a reader to scan the resume by using 12 points font and Times or Ariel typographical style. And, unless you are applying for a position in a creative field, avoid embellishing your resume with borders, pictures, and such.

Resume writing does not need to be a stressful endeavor. After all, most people have accomplished a lot during their careers and their resumes should duly reflect it. By following these rules, you will be able to emphasize your achievements and skills and, with some luck, land an interview and get the job!

2012 is a Year of Black Water Dragon:
What Does it Mean for Us?

2011 is behind us and undoubtedly, it was an interesting, albeit rather difficult, year for many people around the world. Just a short look back confirms it – revolutions in Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria, Tunis, and Libya which toppled several long-standing regimes, violent protests in London and Greece, “Occupy” movement in the US against corporate greed – those are just few political events that punctuated the year 2011.

In addition, the world saw a series of natural disasters – horrendous tsunami and subsequent earthquake in Japan, widespread flood in Thailand, devastating earthquake in Turkey, EF5 rated tornado in Joplin, MO, USA- thousands of lives were lost during those catastrophes. Most people are hoping that the year 2012 will be better- politically, economically, ecologically, and in their personal lives, of course. As such, many are curious to learn about astrology and horoscopes and what their predictions are for the upcoming year.

One of the world’s oldest astrological systems is a Chinese system based on the combination of lunar and solar calendar. Traditionally, each year in a 12-year cycle is given an animal sign, and it is believed that the characteristics and traits of an assigned animal influence the events which will occur during that specific year. According to ancient Chinese calendar, the year 2012 is a year of Black Water Dragon (which starts officially on January 23, 2012). Moreover, it is a leap year, which makes everything even more potent. According to Chinese beliefs, the Dragon is a majestic, most powerful, and somewhat unpredictable animal who can survive in the sky, on Earth, and in water. Moreover, the Dragon symbolizes strength, dominance and ambition (it is a male sign), and the Water Dragon especially symbolizes purity and wisdom. So, if you want to be lucky this year, you will have to try to act as a real Dragon! There is a Chinese saying that “the Dragon is wise in words, but not always in actions,” thus the good fortune will be on the side of those who can demonstrate firm character, clear mind and enthusiasm, but avoid hasty decisions and rudeness.

The Dragon’s main elements are Water and Earth. Thus, if your sign contains any of these elements (especially Water since it is a Water Dragon this year), you will be quite lucky this coming year. For example, the signs of Water are Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio, and the signs of Earth are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. But of course, if your sign is not one of the above mentioned, you still can secure some good luck for yourself by behaving in a way that pleases a Dragon. You need to be proactive in your work and private life, show cleverness and kindness, and be optimistic. There will be many positive chances coming towards everybody this year given the high energy of the Dragon, and your ability to recognize these opportunities will be duly rewarded. Moreover, the Dragon is an animal who loves big and colorful celebrations and shows, so do not hesitate to honor your achievements in a big way!

Happy New Year!

May your best day in 2011 be your worst day in 2012.

Underage Drinking During Holidays:

Generally, holidays are associated with good feelings, shared happiness, and gift exchanges. However, one of the downfalls of the holiday season is underage drinking (in the US, under the age of 21). As many as 5000 deaths each year are attributed to car crashes, suicides, homicides, falls, burns, and other kinds of accidents due to underage drinking. Most of the drinking occurs during holidays. If anything, it is a sobering statistic, and we as adults must prevent out children from jeopardizing their wellbeing as well as that of their friends.
There are two important aspects to consider.

1.      Why do adolescents drink?
First of all, they are exploring the world. Remember that at this age of abundant information, our children are exposed to much more than we were used to. As such, they are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities and stars partying and leading seemingly no-worry lifestyles. Since their judgment is still in the making, quite often the teens cannot make the right choices and are tempted to behave in a manner similar to people they admire. Second, there is peer pressure. Our children are often pressed to conform to expectations of an in-crowd and adhere to the rules they might not necessarily follow otherwise.
Third, they are not always aware of ill effects the alcohol makes on their developing brains and bodies. Usually, the teens who start drinking early in life fall back in school, become addicted to drugs or alcohol at much larger proportion than their non-drinking friends, and suffer the effects of their addictions throughout their entire lives. Also, they may engage in risky sex behavior which often results in sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.

2.      What should you do as an adult to prevent underage drinking?
First of all, get to know your children. Make an effort to meet their friends and, ideally, their parents to discuss some ground rules for the parties (such as having an adult to supervise the kids). Make sure that your children and their friends share common productive interests such as sports, music, or hobbies.
Keep the lines of communication open. Discuss frankly the dangers of underage drinking and be willing to answer some hard questions. Try to stay calm during the discussions and avoid being judgmental or negative. Always remember that although you can not be present during every encounter your child has with alcohol, your actions and words still have the strong influence. Engage your children. Volunteer with them, enroll them into sports or other activities, and underline the positive aspects of healthy and productive lifestyle. Do not be scared to hire a professional therapist if your kids drinking becomes problematic. Although it might seem as an extreme measure at the moment, it goes a long way given the fact that it is easier to prevent the problem at earlier stage.

Last, but not the least, try to be a positive example for your children. You are, after all, the first role model for them, and by behaving responsibly you can demonstrate the right, and sober, way of life.

Editors Note: Names of some sources are listed as their style persona. Real names remain confidential to protect their identities.

The secret world of students working at adult clubs

Secrecy and vagueness are common traits of students working in adult clubs, former stripper and student Ursula adamantly states.

Ursula, a former stripper now attending University of Phoenix, says management at all of the clubs where she has worked regularly reminded all of their dancers and staffs to keep everything that goes on in the clubs and their addresses confidential for security reasons. She goes on to say the reason is to keep anyone from finding out the clubs involvement with illegal drugs and prostitution activities.

Stacci and Shayla, both students and dancers, give similar statements. Both are in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions. Both are concerned about fellow students becoming aware they work as strippers Hot Chocolate, a male dancer, has no qualms about marketing himself as a stripper or disclosing where he works. He says he feels it helps promote his services for private parties. It is a different atmosphere at male strip clubs because male clubs are open to the public whereas female clubs feature restrictions based on fees paid on the customers tab.

The dancers commented that there is a double standard between male clubs and female clubs. Reasons include money paid and services provided. It is all about money, Hot Chocolate says. Tips are bigger at female clubs, where drug and prostitution activities are more prevalent than at male adult clubs.

Stacci, a TSU graduate and current student at UH-Downtown, also dances at the Mens Club. She explains that one of the reasons for high security at clubs is because so many male customers are deviant. Dancers have to take care, even wearing disguises going to and from work.  Like many of the dancers, Stacci explains, I also found myself using drugs, which led me into prostitution, a part of my lifestyle for nearly five years. She has been clean and sober for two years, but it is a day-by-day thing as drugs are so prevalent at work and it is so easy to fall back into old habits.

Stacci has been working as a stripper for almost 10 years. Many dancers work in the field for as long as they remain appealing to customers. Dancers can make much more money stripping than with any other kind of work without a college degree, she says. Staccis reason for returning to college is to provide a more secure career for her future.

Shayla, who attends HCC, says she started dancing when she was 20 while attending college in California to impress a boyfriend. It was always a fantasy of hers to work as a dancer, she says, but she admits there are times it is hard to separate the entertainer persona when attending classes.  She dropped out of college when she was 21 and really did not know at the time what she wanted to do with her life.

At that time she believed that the only reason she was attending college was to please her mother. She dropped out just three months short of receiving her associates degree in business management. In hindsight, she says, it was an easy decision because the money was so good for dancing, and I did not believe I needed a college degree.

Shayla goes on to say that she fell victim to heavy drug use and prostitution until she decided she would join a recovery group. During her recovery she made the decision to return to college and only work weekends as a dancer. She says the money is lucrative and she still enjoys dancing. It helps me work towards what I really want to do, she says, which is writing and acting. She plans to graduate and open her own business.

Ursula is the inspiration for the origin of the story. I began dancing in the late 90s to help pay for college tuition, she says, and help support my two daughters. I was trying to get out of a seven-year abusive marriage to a husband who forced me into the world of adult clubs, drugs, wife-swapping and prostitution. She explains that illegal actives prevail in adult clubs and the only way you can discover what is going on is you have to be an employee. Otherwise, everything is very vague as management will not allow outsiders to discover their secrets.

Ursula is very emotional as she describes this part of her life. Starting in 1997 and for nearly 10 years I smoked crack and drank alcohol and did anything I could to get money to keep me high, she says. She knew she was addicted to cocaine, crystal meth and alcohol and could not stop using either.

In 2002 Ursula was arrested for delivering drugs and for forgery. She spent two years in state jail. I found many others [in jail] like myself in need of counseling, she says. I begin studying to help understand what I went through, which ultimately helped beat my addiction to cocaine, meth and alcohol.

Ursula says after she finished the prison sentence she returned to her hometown San Antonio and made the mistake of stripping and hanging around the same people and friends. This led her back into her old habits and in and out of prison for the next five years. After her last stint in 2008, she realized she could not continue down that path if she wanted want to live any kind of productive life and be there for her daughters. I made it a point, she says, to avoid all of my old associates and friends that were using drugs and were into prostitution. With God and the help from a very strong support group in my life now — even it is still a day-by-day process — I will beat my addiction.

Ursula says she has been clean and sober for 27 months and is now looking forward to graduating from college next summer. She comments that many women work as dancers and go to school successfully because they learn their lesson — to stay away from drinking and drugging — the hard way. When I first started dancing I did not mind if other students knew I was working at strips clubs, she says. If I was dancing today, I would try and keep it a secret. I see so many self-righteous people that frown upon stripping that I would have to keep it secret in order to stay in school.

Managements and staffs at The Pent House, Treasures, and The Mens Club –all located in Houston — were very vague and sensitive about sharing any information involving employees. Reporters get more from interviews with established source relationships, allows them to get details they are seeking.

Jessica Simmonds has been working as a full-time stripper in England and the United States for many years. She has an income of over $400,000 a year, working just four nights a week. She is one of the top-earning exotic dancers in the world. She still works, but now also teaches girls how to earn the type of money she has earned.

Jessica also agrees that reporter contacts are important but, for her contacts, are for different reasons than those of reporters.
Secrecy and vagueness are common to students and staff working in female adult clubs. The hiding has more to do with the clubs clandestine illegal actives, than with the protection of their employees. In short, club owners want to stay out of view of law.

Holidays are just around the corner and many workplaces will have holiday office parties during the season. It is a perfect, although somewhat stressful, time to impress right people, demonstrate your communication skills and, with any luck, secure some prospects. In our current economy, the last thing anyone wants is to behave in such a manner as to jeopardize their reputation, any chance for promotion or, worst scenario, lose their jobs because of the office parties’ behavior. There are few, but cardinal, rules everybody needs to follow in order to make it through holiday office parties without any casualties.

1.Go easy on alcohol. Everybody knows that alcohol lowers your inhibitions and makes you do or say things you might regret later on. It is never as crucial as during office parties to control your drinking. A friend of mine once related a story which might just convince you. There was a high-level executive who, after imbibing a bit too many cocktails at the office party decided it was a good idea to resurrect his youth- so he jumped on the stage, where the hired band was performing, and slammed some rock-and-roll tunes-not too bad according to some witnesses. Well, it was all peachy and rosy until he decided that the last finishing touch was not to break the guitar, as custom dictates, but to get out his thing and spray unsuspecting and, until the last moment cheering, audience, including his boss. You can picture yourselves how it ended for this particular lover of rock-and-roll. So, the cardinal rule is not to drink. Everybody knows their threshold, so just step three steps (i.e. drinks) back from there and stop.

2.Although it is a party, respect your company’s dress code. As much as you want to show off your new sexy dress, save it for another occasion. Basically, the rule is to dress a bit more festive than you normally do during the workdays, and you will be safe. The last thing you want to do is to outperform your bosses’ wives or provoke some unwanted behavior and comments from your co-workers. Remember, you are not clubbing, you are still, sadly, networking.

3.Watch your mouth. Well, everybody at the parties likes to talk, talk, and talk some more. Here is your golden opportunity to listen to other people. Before you know it, you can learn some new interesting things about your current company, maybe new openings, and whatever else is interesting to you. However, do not lurk around people like a weirdo eavesdropping at other peoples’ conversations. Come up with few several funny/interesting stories before the party to chip in when necessary. To be on a safe side, stick to neutral subjects (kids, pets, weather, sports, etc.). Although, if you want to impress your clients/ boss come up with something novel related to your industry. But, keep it short and entertaining.

4.Do not skip the party without a good excuse. This just does not work in your favor. Unless you have a good excuse (death in the family, accident, etc.), your absence will label you as a non-team player. Unless you are in some creative field where individuality is encouraged, you’d better adhere to general rules such as- arrive, behave, perform to the level of your capacities, and leave in time without any accident. Just do to, team player!

5.Do not bring your kids/relatives/pets to the party. Well, the economy is bad and we are saving any way we can. However, one of the worst things is to try to party at your companies’ expense by bringing your family to the party to enjoy free food and perks! Just skip this notion. Hire the babysitters for youngster, nurses for the elderly, and sitters for your pets. Just common good sense.

Happy Holidays!