Articles written by Liz McGuire - Page 2

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About me - Liz McGuire

I love to write. I majored in English in college, switching to journalism when I didn't believe my Adviser when he said "It's not what you DO with and English major, it's what you ARE." But I hated journalism. So, while I did get my first real job writing

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Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Our society is letting go of its morals: 24 of 96
Is it right to own a person? Is it right to deny women the right to own property? How about beating one with no legal ramifications? Is it right to hang a man who has had no trial? Is it correct to throw people who cannot pay their debts into prison indefinitely?Should we offer medical assistance, financial aid, shelter and f... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Maternity leave in the US: 1 of 4
Twenty-three years ago, I considered myself fortunate to work at a company that had a "pregnancy is treated as any other illness" policy. In the period before the U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act, that was the best you could do at most companies. What that meant was I was entitled to the maximum medical leave my company offe... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should Washington, DC, become the 51st state?: 1 of 4
Most people who do not believe that Washington DC should become the 51st state have never lived or worked there. Those people picture the District as a city of monuments and museums surrounding the White House. But 580,000 call it home. That's about 40,00 less than Vermont; 30,000 more than Wyoming.Residents of Washington DC ... More..
Education > Learning Styles & Skills How to transition young students from invented spelling to literacy: 2 of 6
When my daughter started kindergarten, she brought home a blank composition book. A note explained that it was her diary and she was to make an entry every day. All parents want to believe that their child is above average in intelligence. And my daughter did know her alphabet, could spell a few small words, and could read si... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues How to save on lighting: 7 of 19
Whether you want to save on lighting to boost your budget, or to help the environment, the methods are narrowed down to two common sense ideas: use less of it and use what you do need more efficiently.Using less light around the home takes some planning and, if you really want results, a little remodeling. If you are buying o... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Book reviews: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama: 3 of 8
I liked everything I heard about Barack Obama before I read the book. But I hadn't heard all that much because he's so new to the national scene. Therefore, I never took him seriously as a presidential candidate for 2008.Obama's book, is forcing me to take a second look. This is not your sleep-inducing, Poli Sci text book. Ne... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines How to increase your chances of surviving a plane crash: 2 of 5
The gruesome news photos we see when a plane crashes, instill in us a fatalistic attitude. We view crashes as unsurvivable. The truth is, that the majority of crashes do yield survivors. Although luck plays a large part of it, there are steps you can take to get out of the airplane alive, and minimize your injuries.Statistica... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Sports News & Opinion (Other) How to know when you're too wrapped up in your sports team: 11 of 24
When we sold our last house, the buyer told our agent she loved everything about it. Except that she needed to re-paint most of the interior. It was "so blue" she wondered if we were showing signs of depression. Of course we weren't. We were actually experiencing euphoria. We were buying a new house a mere 2 hours away from P... More..
Jobs & Careers > Layoffs & Firings Fired: How to handle it on your resume: 7 of 14
The purpose of a resume is to provide a synopsis of you skills and work experience, in order to entice the reader to choose you over a multitude of other applicants. For that reason, you must never reference the fact that you were fired or laid off on your resume. You must also avoid bringing it up in the cover letter.If your... More..
Personal Finance > Health Insurance How the insurance company determines your group's premium: 1 of 2
With the growing insurance premiums in most lines of business, it is necessary to come to a basic understanding of how insurance premiums are determined. By the public outcry, one pictures a bunch of insurance executives sitting in a yacht, sipping cognac, and dreaming up ways to gouge the public. While that scenario probably... More..