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I don't know what it is about round things in my family's life but my sisters and I went to a round elementary school and my sister Cindy later lived in a round house at the beach.

Then one of my other sisters, Debbie wound up moving into a round dwelling in Alabama.

“Light brings the house alive,” Guillaume Garrigue says of the steel, stone, and concrete-crafted modern marvel of a home he shares with wife Amis and daughter Leilou, in a recent article. “Aesthetics and incredible features aside we quite simply love where we live. It's like being on vacation or on an island.”

“This is all true: a once-around walk-through of the North Dallas house is a mind-boggling adventure tour of curving, intertwining rooms with recurring themes, evoking a circle-of-life sensation,” said writer Nancy Myers. “Known as the Round House, the home was designed by Bruce Goff and reflects the legendary architect's signature style of organic architecture.”

That is required such dedicated focus and attention to detail is easy to understand upon seeing the home's interior, says Myers.

The result is a showcase of incredible features with literally thousands of tiles, according to Myers.

The cozy sunken living room features a pillow-lined conversation pit and Eames walnut stools, she writes.

For the most part furnishings and artwork are kept to a minimum because, Garrigue notes in the house itself is “so strong and so beautiful the way it is you can't put in too many things,” states the article.

“The fact that the home was built in the first place is a testament to architectural ingenuity; that it later captured the attention of creative types who revere its unconventionality can be chalked up to good fortune and fate,” wrote Myers. “A commercial photographer Guillaume is originally from France and has lived in the States half his life.”

As for Leilou the house is a seven-year-old's fantasyland according to the family.

As captured in photos the house is welcoming by nature, lending itself well to the family's frequent entertaining including plenty of sleepovers and kids' poolside parties, said the family.

The house is completely wired for sound and home theater according to research.

The structure is also a model of energy efficiency with its own cooling tower, self-cleaning heating and cooling equipment, and “tons of insulation,” according to literature.

“This house is so much inspiration,” Guillaume told Myers.

2009 Fantasy Football Keeper League Wide Receiver (WR) Rankings are based on a 3-year outlook for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 fantasy football seasons. Rankings are established for a standard fantasy football scoring system, with scoring category stats including: receptions, receiving yards, rushing yards, return yards, touchdowns. Each players age for the 2009 season is listed after their name.
Updated: July 13, 2009

2009 Keeper League Rankings – Wide Receiver (WR)

1. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona (26)
Since establishing himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Fitzgerald enters the 2009 season as the clear-cut choice as the #1 overall fantasy football wide receiver in keeper leagues. With Kurt Warner returning for another season, and Matt Leinart waiting in the wings, Fitzgerald should put up Pro-Bowl caliber numbers over the next five seasons.
2008 Stats: 96 receptions, 1,431 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 100 receptions, 1,500 receiving yards, 10-14 touchdowns

2. Calvin Johnson – Detroit (24)
Essentially a carbon copy of Larry Fitzgerald, Johnson could have snipped the #1 ranking if he had a better QB situation for the 2009 season. So until the Lions can assemble a decent offensive line and get a decent quarterback under center, Johnson will remain a risky fantasy football wide receiver who boasts loads of potential. At just age 24, you seemingly can't go wrong with drafting Johnson in your keeper league draft.
2008 Stats: 78 receptions, 1,331 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 80 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, 8-12 touchdowns

3. Andre Johnson – Houston (28)
Likely a safer 2009 fantasy football option than Calvin Johnson because of his surrounding offensive talent on the Texans team, Andre Johnson is just as much worthy of the #2 ranking behind Fitzgerald as Calvin Johnson is. If you are looking for a fantasy football WR over the next five plus seasons, Calvin is your guy, but if you are looking for the 'right here right now, what have you done for me lately WR' then I would go Andre. Either way, with both Johnson boys, you can't go wrong.
2008 Stats: 115 receptions, 1,575 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 110-120 receptions, 1,400-1,600 receiving yards, 8-12 touchdowns

4. Greg Jennings – Green Bay (26)
With Aaron Rodgers showing he can handle playing at the NFL level last season, Jennings and his new contract should keep him in Green Bay and teaming with Rodgers for the next five seasons. The Rodgers to Jennings combo has the makings of being great.
2008 Stats: 80 receptions, 1,292 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 80-90 receptions, 1,200-1,400 receiving yards, 8-12 touchdowns

5. Roddy White – Atlanta (27)
Coming off of a Pro-Bowl season in 2008, White enters the 2009 season with extremely high expectations from fantasy football owners. With another year of maturity and a more experienced Matt Ryan throwing him the ball, White could easily add to his numbers from last season. At age 27 and entering the prime of his career, to go along with an up and coming quarterback and Pro-Bowl running back to share the load, White could be fantasy football gold over the next three seasons.
2008 Stats: 88 receptions, 1,382 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 90-100 receptions, 1,400-1,500 receiving yards, 8-12 touchdowns

6. Anquan Boldin – Arizona (29)
While other fantasy football rankings have put Boldin on the cusp of just entering the top 10 overall fantasy football wide receiver keeper league rankings, I have him firmly placed in the #6 spot among wide receivers. My reasoning, Boldin is entering the prime of his career at age 29, he won't get double covered as long as Larry Fitzgerald is on the other side, and he has Kurt Warner throwing him the ball. If Boldin can put up 1,038 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in just 12 games during the 2008 season, he could easily challenge for 1,400 receiving yards and 12-15 touchdowns in 16 games during the 2009 season. And even if Boldin does get traded and plays for a different team, he is just too good not to put up solid fantasy football stats.
2008 stats: 89 receptions, 1,038 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns
2009 projections: 100-110 receptions, 1,300-1,400 receiving yards, 10-15 touchdowns

7. Randy Moss – New England (32)
Even with Tom Brady out for the entire year last season, Moss still managed to put up 1,008 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Now with Brady back, Moss should once again be an easy top 10 overall fantasy football wide receiver by the end of the 2009 season. For now, I am ranking the 32 year old Moss in the #7 spot among WR's for 2009 fantasy football keeper leagues. If Brady shows any ill effects early in training camp or preseason games, Moss' ranking could fall considerably.
2008 stats: 69 receptions, 1,008 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns
2009 projections: 90 receptions, 1,300 receiving yards, 12-16 touchdowns

8. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis (30)
At age 30, Wayne is a proven and reliable WR, who is fortunate enough to catch passes from a future Hall of Fame quarterback. If you ask me, Wayne should be good for another 1,000 plus receiving yards in each of the next three seasons.
2008 Stats: 82 receptions, 1,145 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 90-100 receptions, 1,300 receiving yards, 8-10 touchdowns

9. Steve Smith – Carolina (30)
At age 30 for the 2009 season, Smith is in the prime of his career and will be looking to put up another solid year for fantasy football teams in 2009. With a healthy Jake Delhomme under center, Smith should hook up with his favorite QB for another 1,000 plus receiving yard season. Unfortunately for Smith, his favorite QB (Delhomme) is getting up there in age, and Smith may be forced to play with a new or rookie quarterback in a year or two which could hurt his stats tremendously. So if you are in a long term keeper league, you may be better off to go with Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall, or Dwayne Bowe over Steve Smith.
2008 Stats: 78 receptions, 1,421 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, 8-10 touchdowns

10. Marques Colston – New Orleans (26)
Injuries derailed Colston's third consecutive 1,000 yard receiving season in 2008, however a healthy return in 2009 could lead to a monster statistical year with Drew Brees throwing him the ball in 2009. A career year could be in store for the 26 year old Colston, so be ready to snag him in your draft and reap the rewards over at least the next three seasons.
2008 Stats: 47 receptions, 760 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns
2009 Projections: 80-90 receptions, 1,200-1,400 receiving yards, 8-12 touchdowns

11. Brandon Marshall – Denver (25)
12. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City (25)
13. Wes Welker – New England (28)
14. Vincent Jackson – San Diego (26)
15. TJ Houshmandzadeh – Seattle (32)
16. Roy Williams – Dallas (27)
17. Santonio Holmes – Pittsburgh (25)
18. Braylon Edwards – Cleveland (26)
19. Anthony Gonzalez – Indianapolis (25)
20. Eddie Royal – Denver (23)

21. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia (22)
22. Michael Crabtree – San Francisco (21)
23. Lee Evans – Buffalo (28)
24. Chad Johnson Ochocinco – Cincinnati (31)
25. Bernard Berrian – Minnesota (28)
26. Terrell Owens – Buffalo (35)
27. Antonio Bryant – Tampa Bay (28)
28. Hines Ward – Pittsburgh (33)
29. Kevin Walter – Houston (28)
30. Jerricho Cotchery – New York Jets (27)

31. Santana Moss – Washington (30)
32. Lance Moore – New Orleans (26)
33. Ted Ginn Jr – Miami (24)
34. Chris Chambers – San Diego (31)
35. Donald Driver – Green Bay (34)
36. Torry Holt – Jacksonville (33)
37. Devin Hester – Chicago (26)
38. Steve Breaston – Arizona (26)
39. Domenik Hixon – New York Giants (25)
40. Percy Harvin – Minnesota (21)

41. Nate Burleson – Seattle (28)
42. Donnie Avery – St. Louis (25)
43. Jeremy Maclin – Philadelphia (21)
44. Mark Bradley – Kansas City (27)
45. Steve Smith – New York Giants (24)
46. Brian Robiski – Cleveland (21)
47. Sidney Rice – Minnesota (23)
48. Michael Jenkins – Atlanta (27)
49. Laveranues Coles – Cincinnati (31)
50. Derrick Mason – Baltimore (35)

51. Patrick Crayton – Dallas (30)
52. Josh Morgan – San Francisco (24)
53. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants (21)
54. Kevin Curtis – Philadelphia (31)
55. Deion Branch – Seattle (30)
56. Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland (22)
57. Justin Gage – Tennessee (28)
58. Davone Bess – Miami (24)
59. Earl Bennett – Chicago (22)
60. Mark Clayton – Baltimore (27)

61. Nate Washington – Tennessee (26)
62. Muhsin Muhammad – Carolina (36)
63. Joey Galloway – New England (37)
64. Isaac Bruce – San Francisco (36)
65. Kenny Britt – Tennessee (20)
66. Devin Thomas – Washington (22)
67. Reggie Brown – Philadelphia (28)
68. Chris Henry – Cincinnati (26)
69. Brandon Lloyd – Chicago (28)
70. Javon Walker – Oakland (31)

71. Dwayne Jarrett – Carolina (23)
72. Limas Sweed – Pittsburgh (24)
73. Mike Walker – Jacksonville (24)
74. Greg Camarillo – Miami (27)
75. Bryant Johnson – Detroit (28)
76. Miles Austin – Dallas (25)
77. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay (24)
78. Early Doucet – Arizona (23)
79. Marvin Harrison – Free Agent (37)
80. Reggie Williams – Jacksonville (26)

81. Juaquin Iglesias – Chicago (22)
82. Robert Meachem – New Orleans (25)
83. James Jones – Green Bay (25)
84. Hank Baskett – Philadelphia (27)
85. Plaxico Burress – Free Agent (32)
86. Ronald Curry – Detroit (30)
87. Jason Hill – San Francisco (24)
88. Harry Douglas – Atlanta (25)
89. Will Franklin – Kansas City (23)
90. Devery Henderson – New Orleans (27)

91. Matt Jones – Free Agent (26)
92. David Clowney – New York Jets (24)
93. Antwaan Randle El – Washington (30)
94. Jabar Gaffney – Denver (28)
95. Chaz Schilens – Oakland (23)
96. Steve Johnson – Buffalo (23)
97. Malcolm Kelly – Washington (22)
98. Johnnie Lee Higgins – Oakland (26)
99. Mario Manningham – New York Giants (23)
100. Bobby Wade – Minnesota (28)

Every woman wants to look her best. Studying fashion magazines and trendy catalogs can give her a great idea of new styles to try out. But, for the plus size woman, looking at these new fashions can give her a sense of loss and frustration.

The overweight population is growing, and thus, more trendy and stylish plus size fashions are being brought to the market. However, following the latest trends may not be the best idea for a plus size woman. Every woman is the best judge of what looks best on her body, but there are some things to be careful of if you are plus sized.

Clothing with many drapes, ruffles, and layers may not be your best bet. These things enlarge a plus size silhouette, something that should be avoided. Plus size clothing should not hang on your body. You should try styles that flatter your body shape. There are many more choices today than tent-like dresses and unflattering stretchy polyester pants. A lot of flounces and ruffles might have the unfortunate effect of making a plus size woman look clownish.

Another thing to avoid is very tight clothing. Plus size woman have bulges and rolls that they do not want to show off to the world. While tight clothing may reduce your silhouette, it will do nothing to smooth it. Stretchy fabrics can be very comfortable and forgiving in plus size fashion. They will reduce sag and bag on pants’ knees, blouses and shirts, and dresses. Skin-tight clothing may look messy and unprofessional.

Plus size fashion has many options these days. You can find something to suit any body type. Most plus size women are either an apple, round in the middle with thinner legs, or a pear, smaller upper body with large hips and thighs. In order to dress in the most flattering fashion, it is important not to accentuate your trouble spot.

Apple shaped plus size women should not wear shirts that gather tightly at the bottom. This plus sized fashion will only accentuate her larger upper half. Pear shaped plus size women should not wear tight tops with overly full skirts. This will accentuate her larger lower half.

Reducing the overall body silhouette is an important consideration, as is disguising a plus size body’s trouble spots. Plus size fashion has come a long way. However, to dress attractively and appropriately, women must understand which fashions are right for her body type and personal style.

If you're looking for a small shelf type stereo AM/FM radio tuner and compact disc player music system but don't want to pay the price tag of a Bose CD and radio player you may want to consider the self-contained jWIN JX-CD3250 CD player, radio tuner as an alternative. This unit is housed in a nice cherrywood look cabinet with plenty of chrome up front giving it a classic retro or nostalgic type feel. It has a stereo output and two built-in speakers and is operated either with the front panel buttons or an included remote. The speakers have a front opening chrome grill and molded back-openings making for a pleasing sound distribution and acceptable quality. There are three preset equalizer settings, one each for Classic, Rock, and Pop. These work with both the radio tuner as well as the compact disc player.

For those that like numbers the output is 6 watts and the unit has a headset jack for private listening. The CD player has a clear Lucite cover that quietly opens on top allowing the insertion of one disc. To open the compact disc player you must use the button on the front panel. It would be nice to have that function on the remote however since you have to go to the system to insert a disc it's not a major drawback other then having to remember which button to use which is not too convenient for a darkened room. The compact disc player has all the expected functions such as Play/Pause, Repeat One, Repeat All, Random, Skip Search (Forward/Back). You also have the options of entering the Programmed Playback Mode. It plays CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs.

The jWIN JX-CD3250 has a digital AM/FM tuner onboard which, like the compact disc player, functions both from the front panel as well as from the hand held remote. The tuner has 20 presets. Ten can be set to FM stations and ten for AM stations. One drawback is the existence of a FM pigtail antenna as well as a small 3″ by 3″ wire wound AM station antenna. These have no particular mounting brackets in back and the directions say to just locate them for the best reception. It seems somewhat low tech compared to the rest of the system especially from a styling standpoint.

The digital readout has a pleasant blue backlight, which brightens when you turn the power (110-120VAC). When the power is off the time can always be read from a distance since the blue backlighted display is always on. There is a Turn On Timer function that allows you to set the turn on time. This can be used to wake up to the radio or a compact disc. In addition to the turn-on timer there is a Sleep Timer that can be set to automatically turn off the system during a 10 to 90 minute period.

The price point around $60 makes this a viable alternative for a stylish classical look shelf system when compared to the all plastic boom box type units. It does not have a tape deck but that should not be a drawback. The width is 15.1in, depth 8in, height 5.8in and weight 9.6lb. It comes with a 1-year warranty. The jWIN JX-CD3250 can be found at a variety of online dealers.

Living in a city like Montreal, Quebec, one immediately understands what the word “International” means as Montreal flourishes with many ethnic backgrounds. However, I don't want to write about “International Communities” right now. What I do want to write about presently is a small narration about my black friend “Helene”, whom I strongly feel has contributed to the vastness of “Black History”, in her own unique individualistic way, from the perspective of a caucasian female, namely me. The only reason why I'm emphasizing “black” and “white” at this point is because I believe that “black history” can be viewed and shared from an entirely different ethnic observation.
Her story may seem like an iota of information, but for me, “Black History” shouldn't have to be portrayed or illustrated with a dull technical presentation of facts as if one were reading off an encyclopedia or dictionary. I stand firm in my personal beliefs that facts can, as well, be heart warming to the soul.

My black friend Helene, whom I treasure spiritually, may perhaps be a drop in the ocean but that one drop made an incredible impact upon my life and showed me how truly ignorant I had been in my superficial understanding at the time of what “Black History” truly consisted of. Indeed, Helen, changed all that.

Little did I know that in the year 1990 it was destined for our paths to meet. At first impression, when I eyed this woman, she just warmed me with those big round eyes of hers. I couldn't help but spontaneously mention, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Oprah?”. I will never forget that hearty laugh of hers with a beautiful smile spreading across her face. With that special accent of hers, she responded, “Girl…EVERYONE tells me that…”, and we both had a good chuckle, but her eyes definitely left a glowing imprint upon my soul. It was then, the connection ignited between Helen and I as friends. As time trickled throughout the years, I began to understand more about my friend Helen and her family history. Now, I want to write about it.

Helen and her family originally migrated to the United States and Canada from Trinidad. First arriving in New York city in a fast-paced country, let alone the city itself, it wasn't easy for her. I still remember the warm summer nights when we'd sit together on the front hard-concrete porch leading to the building she resides in now, and Helene would make me laugh with stories of her experiences, and could simultaneously change my facial expression with concerns when she'd start recounting her hardships in breaking in as a new citizen to a whole new country. In essence, I learnt a lot from her.

One story I especially remember was when she was looking for a job in downtown New York city. She was just an adolescent at the time. Apparently, she had been searching for months, then finally arrived in front of a music store. The individual who owned the business was an old Jewish gentleman.
The way Helene described it, “Girl…he eyed me…..probably wondering if I could make sales for him”. Then with a determined voice and without skipping a beat she said, “Well, I just eyed him back….and then he said to me 'Come in here' …then I wondered what he had in mind and straight out he said to me, 'I'll hire you right now but I want to see sales coming in'….and then he told me his name was 'Sam'….”.

At this point, Helen stopped for a bit, with obvious intent to keep me in suspense. She just roved her eyes down every direction of the road that was in front of us, while I kept staring at her waiting for her next response. Finally, my curiosity buckled and I exclaimed, “So? What happened??”. She looked at me deep and said, “You really want to hear the rest of this?”….
I said, “No…that's why I'm sitting here…what do you think?”. We both laughed, she beamed another smile and continued. Little did I know that this was just the tip of the iceberg to this woman's background history.

So Helen continued and I kept listening to her account of days which obviously mattered to her.

“On my first day in the music store, there were other girls working for him….and they looked at me ….and I knew right away…RIGHT AWAY…. they didn't want me there….but he wanted me to follow him and then he started showing me the store but the more the other women kept looking at me the more I wanted to walk out….but I STAYED…because I knew, girl, that I could sell those records”.

I enjoyed Helen's emphatic declarations. I enjoyed the tenacity she was referencing to. Still, this was just the start.

“So what happened after that?”, I asked her. She went on to explain, “Now I was very shy you know….but I needed the job to help the family…my sisters and brothers… medical bills were expensive…we all needed to work…”. Helen remained quiet for a bit, roaming her eyes around the environment again. It wasn't hard to notice a type of seriousness which had slowly crept on her face. Then she softly said, “Girl…..it's not easy for black people….you can't begin to imagine…”. No sooner said, I could see Helen beginning to spread another smile, and I knew something good was coming. Like a triumphant victory that she had to share with someone. And I was all ears.

She continued, “The next day I caught up to Sam who was just beginning to open the store…and he looked at me and said, 'What are you doing here so early?'….and I told him, '…You want me to work so I'm here…'…..then he told me a new shipment of records had come in so I started placing them all nice and neat where they were suppose to be….and girl, I KNEW he was watching me…but I just kept on working….and then the other girls came in and were surprised to see me there….I think they actually thought that I wouldn't have bothered to show up….”.

At that moment, Helen paused and smiled even more. Judging by that smile, I could see that more was yet to come. “Well”, she said, “…as I continued working there, I noticed that new customers would start to enter….and I thought they were only coming because they thought that 'black people and music go hand-in-hand'….but then one day one customer came in and actually asked me what in the world I was doing there”.

Helen eyed me with a sigh at this point. I asked, “What happened?”. The inevitable triumph came through when she said, almost in a whisper but in a wise and heart-felt voice, “What do you think I said…I said that black people and music do go together…and that's part of what we are….and I told him that if he didn't like it, he could go shop elsewhere”. And she continued further to say, “Would you believe that he just stood there frozen but he stayed and from that point on he would always come at Sam's store and I would just continue my work not expecting more than anybody else working there”.

At this point Helen beamed a smile indicating a small victory. Then she started doing it again…roving her eyes around the street, always with this smile on her face. I said, “Ok, there's more right?”. She said, “Girl….there's plenty more”. So I just sat back and waited. It was coming to the point where she had me glancing around the street also.
Finally, she broke the silence and continued, “One day, one of the girls working there started to get jealous but I didn't pay no heed….I just kept doing my work. Sam began to notice what was going on and, girl, I was scared because I couldn't afford to lose my job…we all had to keep working because everything was so expensive….and I knew that trouble was much easier to land on us even when we didn't ask for it because it was hard in those days…so I knew that I could lose my job easy because this other girl just didn't like me because I was black….and we needed food, we needed clothes, we needed good shoes and we needed to keep the rent paid ….and I prayed, girl…I prayed because I knew that other woman had more influence…”. Helen stopped and rested, then continued, “The next day Sam came in and I was certain I didn't have my job no more…but you know what he did?”. I said, “What..”. Helen continued, “He walked right up to me and put some keys in my hand and said to me 'Tomorrow, open up the store as I usually do' …. oh girl!, you can't begin to imagine how happy I was!”.
I chimed in her joy as she expressed another small victory, but she didn't stop the narration as she went swiftly into fast mode recounting how Sam had eventually left the store business in her name, how she was able to find her future husband in this way and came to have beautiful children, some of whom are still residing in New York city and have acquired prestigious careers for themselves. She went further to explain how one positive event led to another, despite the hounding echoes of racial tumult surrounding her.

Somehow, I began to realize that these were not just small victories for her. These were huge milestones which had all added up. I had not seen this yet. Maybe, it was because I took so much for granted. I had not seen that “Black History” was in the making, not by violence, but by tenacity and determination to succeed in every small endeavor. Indeed, Helen was teaching me when I cared to listen.

While the both of us were still sitting on the steps enjoying the warm summer night, I asked, “So? How did you find your way to Canada?”. She looked at me, and said, “Girl? You ask too many questions”.
I laughed, got up and then Helen and I hugged each other before she retired to sleep for that night. I walked home totally rejuvenated.

If you want to know about “Black History”, you have to ask, but ask with your soul because that's the only way you'll ever truly understand.

There are thirty-six U.S. states which currently have laws allowing some citizens to carry concealed weapons. The laws the govern carrying a concealed weapon vary by state, and are usually drawn from federal law. Regardless, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon in the United States without a CCW permit, and the penalties for carrying a concealed weapon without authorization can be quite large.

Gun laws are constantly the center of heated debate in the United States, and carrying concealed is one of the top priorities. Fatal shootings encompass a large portion of the mortality rate among U.S. citizens, and it is a priority of federal and state law enforcement agencies to prevent such shootings wherever possible. For that reason, in order to obtain a permit for carrying a concealed weapon, most states require that citizens complete a training course and pass a test. They must also pass a background check; if you have been convicted of a violent crime, you will not be approved.

In order to obtain a permit for carrying a concealed weapon in most states, you must be at least eighteen years of age and have a registered weapon in your possession. You must also pay a licensing fee and have your fingerprints taken. Some states require that you have no criminal convictions on your record, while others require that you have no violent crime convictions.

Having a permit for carrying a concealed weapon allows you to carry your handgun with you when you leave the house, and to keep it concealed in a holster or bag. Even so, there are certain places where it is illegal for a non-law-enforcement individual to carry a concealed weapon at all, even with a permit. Those places include school zones, airports, universities, national forests and courtrooms. It is also illegal in most states to carry a concealed weapon in any establishment that sells liquor.

Before you obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon, be sure that you understand all of the laws in your state. There are significant penalties for carrying a concealed weapon in a place where they are prohibited, and ignorance of the law is no defense.

Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the statutes in your state.

The penalties are even harsher for people who are carrying a concealed weapon during the commission of a felony crime. For example, someone who is found in a stolen vehicle with a concealed weapon will face several more years of prison time than if he or she had not been armed. These laws are in effect to reduce shooting-related deaths and injuries, and are taken seriously by both state and federal courts.

Also, just because you have a permit for carrying a concealed weapon in Texas does not mean that the permit protects you in New York or Arizona. In fact, many states (such as New York) carry heavy penalties for people who live in other states and bring a concealed weapon in their own. It is imperative that you research weapon and gun laws in other states before visiting or vacationing there.

I am fortunate enough to come from a long line of very strong women. There is a picture of me when I was little, with my mother, my grandmother, my great grandmother, and my great-great grandmother. Unlike most children, my great, great grandmother lived until I was in the seventh grade and my great grandmother until I was in college. These women are fighters and they have made me who I am. 

My great-great grandmother Sadie moved her family from Italy to America and raised a family in the midst of adversity and change in a strange new world. She was faced with a new language, no money, and with only the clothes on her back. She knew she wanted a better life for her family, and she had to pay the price for it. Lucky for me she did move here and one of her nine children had my great grandmother Anna. 

My great grandmother lost her husband when they were in their thirties, had to carry on the family butcher shop and raise five children from fourteen years of age down to six months old. All of this was happening in New York City in the 1940’s; not the picture perfect white picket fence America people were flocking through Ellis Island to get too. 

Her oldest, a daughter named Marie, is my grandmother. Being the oldest of five children who were fatherless this woman helped raise the other four children and hold the family together while my great grandmother dealt with the death of her husband. Ultimately my great grandmother moved the family to Connecticut where my grandmother met the boy next door. 

She married the boy next door and when they were married only a few years, my grandfather was given six months to live. That was almost fifty years ago. He still drives my grandmother up the wall. My grandmother went to school, became a nurse, and raised two children. She took care of my great grandparents until they passed away in their 90’s. The matriarchal leader of our family, she’s the glue that holds us together during marriages, deaths, births, and all the crazy family stuff in-between. 

Her oldest daughter is my mother Jo Ann. She married my father and had me and my sister. When I was nine and my sister six, my father left us and my mother had to leave Pennsylvania to go to Connecticut with two kids, no car, no education, and forty dollars in her wallet. We managed. There were days when you wouldn’t think we could, but we did. 

Then there is me. I had four women ahead of me paving the way to my success. I am the first one to go college and I am a few semesters from graduation making myself the first college graduate. I am happily married and own my own home (well, my husband and I along with the bank) and two vehicles. I work as a paralegal in a prestigious law firm, full time during the day. I successfully raised a yellow Labrador retriever who sometimes listens to me. I have half a book written. Maybe someone will publish it, but it should come as no surprise that it is a book about a strong Italian-American family and the women who hold it together. We write about what we know, and I know a long line of strong women.

I was able to lose about 30 lbs. with the Rosemary Conley GI Jeans diet in 2007. I started out gung ho and followed the diet pretty closely and the weight came off easily. It was based on simple principles of low calories, low fat and mild exercise. I got a bit complacent after a few months though and if I deviated from the plan at all, I lost nothing, which discouraged me further and led to many months of not losing at all (my own fault).

January 2008 has introduced the latest in Rosemary's diet “revolutions”. The GI Hip & Thigh Diet is pretty much the same as the GI Jeans diet as far as controlled calories, low fat and gentle exercise. The new packaging and some new recipes and the great new feature of “portion pots” gave me the much needed “psyche up” to get going again and lose more weight.

The first two weeks of the program are a “fat attack fortnight”. You are on a tough 1200 calorie a day diet with no “treats” or alcohol. I followed the meal plans and lost 6 ½ pounds easily. Now I'm on the regular diet and for my weight I am allowed 1700 calories a day. This is pretty easy as long as you stick to your timeline. I have found that if I have all the meals and snacks on time, I'm okay, but if I have breakfast and have to wait a long while for lunch, I am all thrown off and can't stop snacking the rest of the day. As for exercise, I think that this diet is for seriously unfit people. Gentle walking and a few trips up and down stairs don't cut it for me. I may be overweight, but I ride horses nearly every day and do aerobics and take long walks by the sea front regularly. I have noticed that since losing the two stone last year that these things are considerably easier to do as well.

This diet is so practical that anyone wanting to go on it can't go wrong. I highly recommend taking the classes though so you will have the support of a group of people that are like minded. I was a bit discouraged when I stopped losing last year and the other people kept losing, but it was my own fault. I should have gotten my books back out and followed the diet to the letter. I think I needed some time to wrap my head around everything. My advice to those with lots of weight to shed starting this plan is to give yourself time to get used to it and keep your books handy and keep looking at the menus and things every day. I also have to write down what I eat to remember not to over do it. Also, keep the calorie counts per meal and snacks close by and every time you eat, keep to that meal's calorie limit. The premise of the diet is that you consume just enough calories to keep your body alive so that any activity you do besides lying still, you are burning fat calories and losing weight. Read that as, you've got to be much more active in order for this diet to work.

The portion pots are amazing. They are like a set of American measuring cups, and they are colour coded, and include a list of food items and which pot is used to measure it with. I have a “Green Pot” of Special K cereal and a “Yellow Pot” of juice every morning for breakfast. I was surprised that I wasn't eating enough cereal and I was drinking way too much juice. These pots will help you keep your portions under control. Most people fail on diets due to the fact that they are misjudging their portion sizes. Weighing food can be time consuming and people will get bored of doing that regularly, so the portion pots make this easy by just using them to measure your food when you are dishing it up.

The GI Hip & Thigh Diet book is chock full of advice on eating the low GI way. The most important thing that I've gathered about eating low GI is that it keeps you fuller longer and it stabilizes your blood sugar levels. The book also is very helpful when choosing what to eat for your meals, offering meal plans for different types of breakfasts such as cereal breakfasts, hot breakfasts, fruit breakfasts, etc. It does the same for lunch and dinner making it easy to choose something you want to eat instead of having to stick to a rigid meal plan with options that may not be appetising to you. There are also tons of recipes that are so good that you have no idea that they are low fat and good for you. Rounding out the book is exercise advice and a plan to follow and more portion pot measuring information for different foods. The book is well worth the price you pay for it, as long as you remember to use it.

Teen safety when driving is a big issue that many teens don’t want to hear about from their parents. There’s a game called “Road Ready Streetwise.” The game consists of choosing a Chrysler model such as : Neon SXT, PT Cruiser Turbo or Jeep Liberty Renegade. You even get to choose the color of the vehicle. The object of the game is to help inexperienced drivers learn safety driving awareness. While driving through the neighborhood, you need to avoid obstacles and distractions. At the beginning of each mission you get extra points for how fast you click the correct arrow for your seatbelt and mirror. While the game is loading, there is a Question and Answer section. If you lose a mission, you can continue playing it to see the rest of it. If you win the mission, you can post your high score with others on the Internet. In mission one you drive with the mom. You avoid water puddles, trucks backing up, construction workers and even toilets that come out of no where. The distraction is drinking a soda while driving. Along with the younger sister talking about her day while you drive. In the second mission two friends are in the car with you. Your best bud and his girlfriend. This becomes tricky because the more in the car, the harder it is to avoid being distracted. Then next you pick up another friend. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself stepping on the brakes quickly or a red car driving on the wrong side of the road. If you end up crashing, you lose. Mission 3- You take the car out by yourself around the neighborhood. You’ll pick up your dad to take him to the bank. You pick up a friend to drop him off. While driving you may encounter children playing with remote control cars, flying saucers and even animals. Be careful of the deer and turtles. Mission 4- Many teens want to go out regards how dark it is out. This mission teaches you all the dangers of driving at night. Obstacles include beach balls and even cows coming out of no where.  And yes they moo at you if you accidently hit them.Mission 5- Bad weather is unfortunately unavoidable at times when you need to be somewhere. This mission shows teens just how dangerous it can be to travel when it’s bad out. Electrical beams fall down in front of your car with a hair raising sound. Even a piano comes out of no where in this level. Mission 6- This is the last mission. You have to look out for the same obstacles from the levels before but now you’ve got the added addition of watching out for drunk drivers. And if you make it far enough, there's a MADD obstacle course.Overall this is a pretty cool game. Many items are realistic, like tree branches and trash cans, but cows and turtles are a little bit odd. You can decide to shut off the sounds of others chatting or the car engine.This game isn’t only for teens. Parents might want to try their skill at the game against their children. There’s no additional equipment needed such as a steering wheel. The game can also be played via AOL/AIM IM with a friend or by yourself. The game is available in England or Espanol. You can find more information about this cool game @ http://www.roadreadyteens.org/

Do you know what a “Cricket” is? No, not the grasshopper thing that makes noise at night. I’m talking about a Cricket phone, one of those cell phones whose basic monthly service costs next to nothing, but you can only call locally, within the few surrounding counties of where you live?

I’ve got something like that, but MetroPCS actually services some major cities across the U.S. Where I live (and in many other cities serviced by this phone company, so I’ve heard), my Metro phone is referred to as a “Ghett-tro.” But I could care less. This phone is the best thing EVER!

So, like a lot of people these days, my credit is super raggedy, right? And I can’t get a Cingular, Verizon, Sun Com, T-Mobile and you can forget about Sprint (who I don’ like anyway! Cos those suckers will cut your phone service off for a measly 3¢). Well, I probably could get one of those phones, but who has $500 for a deposit? Uh, not me – that’s money well spent on other things – like a rent! So, when I first moved to Atlanta, I was told about Metro PCS (that was 1 ½ years ago, and I’m still going strong). I paid $89.99 and got a Nokia phone and one month of phone service included! Each month my bill is $56, due by the 9th (because that’s when I signed up). I have UNLIMTED talk time (I can talk til my ears fall off and it’s all free!), texting, voice mail, 3-way calling, photo sharing (if you have a camera phone), call forwarding and some other stuff I really don’t use.

Now, of course I got the basic phone that came with setting up the service, but you can get any Metro phone you want, camera, speaker, etc. I can pay my bill at the Metro store, over the phone, or, my favorite, online at www.mymetropcs.com (if you pay online, there’s no $3.00 ‘service fee’ like the other payment options charge – just click the ‘My Account’ tab and then choose to pay your bill without seeing your statement).

So, then I found out that my boyfriend, who was in the Bay Area at the time, had also switched to MetroPCS. “They service the Bay Area?” I thought to myself. So I jumped online and did some research. MetroPCS extends farther than I originally thought. MetroPCS does have ‘limited’ free talk areas (unless you pay for roaming at something like 49¢ a minute), but they do cover these areas: California: San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Sacramento; Florida: Southern Florida, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Port Charlotte, Ft. Myers, Naples, The Keys, most of Central Florida; Georgia: Atlanta, Athens; Michigan: Downtown Detroit, Clinton Township, Taylor, Southfield; Texas: Dallas, Ft. Worth, Denton, Sherman/Dennison.

Now, earlier I mentioned ‘call forwarding.’ My best friend got a traveling job and is somewhere in Virginia. Metro doesn’t service Virginia, but she got one of those Cingular prepaid phones, and transferred her MetroPCS calls to her Cingular phone. How cool is that? Now I don’t have to program another telephone number, I just call her original Metro number and it rings to her Cingular in Virginia. Bad thing about Cingular though, she only has free nights after 9pm and weekends. Ha! Even the other companies’ prepaid phones don’t measure up to my so-called “Ghett-tro!”

You can check out all their services, cool phones, plans, etc. at www.metropcs.com. Cricket, Ghett-tro, whatever you wanna call it, I could care less. I have the best of all phone services rolled into one low monthly cost… and if you live in one of the service areas, PARENTS! This is the phone to get your kids – they can talk til the cows come home and will never run up their cell phone bills again! So, if you’re on a limited budget, don’t do tons of traveling, and don’t have the willpower to stick to some crazy time restraints of after 7pm or 9pm, then give MetroPCS a peek. You’ll be glad you did!