Articles written by Damien Riley

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About me - Damien Riley

I'm a dad, credentialed teacher, and published author in Southern California. I keep an eye on pop culture, the news, and humor all around us. I have an MA in English with an emphasis in language, writing and rhetoric. I also have a personal blog, Postcards

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Money hardships: 2 of 10

Here are 5 things my single income family has done to save us $1025/month (and some months more) since my wife stopped working:1. Dump your land line and just use cell phone (you can get high speed cable internet for about $25/month) - Savings: $40/month2. Refinance your vehicle(s) with lower payments. You'd be surprised how ... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: True lessons learned the hard way during employment: 87 of 127
The other day I read an article by a writer who was ranting on and on about how his boss was "out to get him" and he had to consult the union and he was oppressed and the system was a "scandal" yadda yadda. The article really bored me because I felt like it was just a bunch of useless complaining. If you get a bad evaluation,... More..
Jobs & Careers > Managing Your Career (Other) How to keep your career healthy and growing: 12 of 16
At work we a have a single job to do but everyone knows there is so much more to work than that. For example: 1. Performance evaluations make us anxious, we wonder if we'll "measure up," 2. Co-worker dramas of people getting their feelings hurt can put stress on us and alter the decisions we make, and finally, 3. the job at h... More..
Business > Office Advantages of going paperless: 28 of 33
Lets face it, quality performance at work requires all your wit and candor. When the copy machine takes more than you have, it takes away from your potential. Broken copy machines and printers can really wreck you day at work and worse than that: decrease your effectiveness. Many companies, as well as schools, are going paper... More..
Education > Primary School Issues How to build a good relationship with your child's teacher: 19 of 19

A new teacher brings about a lot of questions. Is this person qualified? Are they patient with children? Will they understand my child's special needs? These are just a few of them. While it seems inevitable to have mystery, the truth is that you can get all your questions answered and form a relationship with your child's te... More..
Health & Fitness > Depression What are the tangible causes of depression?: 8 of 8
Blues music is fun to hear in a bar, but having the blues all time is no party. That's what living with depression has been described as. It can make the simple things of life seem impossible to do. Life in our high stress, fast paced life is tough enough. Going through it with depression can be a nightmare. Depression is oft... More..