Bunco is a great game that is rapidly taking over in our living
rooms. It’s not your grandmother’s canasta game!

Bunco allows for regular get-togethers with family, friends, and
neighbors as you can meet on a monthly basis, while rotating
hosts. It’s fast paced and gets you mixing with all players
(usually 12) as you rotate from table to table.

Couples can play together in the group, or increasingly popular
is a monthly girls night out. For the girls night out, set up
the TV show Desperate Housewives as you play!

Decorations

*Hanging fuzzy dice and lots of black and red balloons.

*Line the area with casino themed posters and art
*Use
poster board to create large playing cards and dice
*Playing
card piatas
*Hang large playing cards suit cutouts on the
walls.

Invitations

Purchase decks of cards and place an invitation inside. The
decks can be mailed or hand-delivered to each recipient.

You can also create your own theme with Bunco related items such
as dice and playing cards.

Food/Drink

*Have different stations throughout the room with finger foods
and snacks.
*The best drinks include popular mixed drinks
and beer.
*Be sure to have soda on hand for the
non-alcoholic set as well as water for all.

Music

Play the host’ favorite tunes or from his/her era (70s, 80’s,
90’s, etc.). For a girl’s night out, play “chick flick” movies
in the background.

Have a great Bunco party!

Finding just the right decorations is often one of the most
challenging parts of planning any baby shower.

The right decorations can set the mood and the theme of the
celebration, and it is important that the decorations chosen be
a good reflection of the mother to be and her special guests.

== Knowing If The Baby Is A Boy Or A Girl ==

One thing that makes choosing decorations for any baby shower a
lot easier, is knowing, the sex of the expected baby. Naturally
this will not always be the case, but if the sex of the baby is
known, choosing the baby shower decorations will be a much
easier task.

== If You Do Not Know If The Baby Is A Boy Or A Girl ==

If you do not know whether to choose pink or blue decorations
for the baby shower, it may be a good idea to choose a
combination of the two. For instance, try intertwining blue and
pink streamers and placing them around the exterior of the room.

Also try placing some unique and colorful centerpieces on the
various food tables, as well as on the all important baby gift
table. Decorating the gifts and the food can be as important as
decorating the room, so be sure to focus lots of attention here.

== Shopping For Decorations ==

When it comes time to shop for those great decorations for the
baby shower, there are a number of choices for the planner. For
one thing, there are specialty party planning stores in a number
of larger markets around the country, and these stores often
carry an amazing array of decorations for just about every
conceivable occasion.

These stores are a great place to get ideas for the baby shower,
and to buy some great decorations.

== The Internet ==

The internet is another great place to shop for decorations for
many occasions, including baby showers.

There are many different web sites devoted to all aspects of
party planning and baby showers, and these web sites often have
a wide variety of decorations that are suitable for all kinds of
baby showers.

In addition, the prices offered by many of these web sites are
highly competitive, so be sure to shop online to look for the
best bargain.

Q. Can you really tell anything about someone’s intelligence by having them take an IQ quiz?

A. The answer to this question requires a bit of background information, so let me put my professor hat on and tell you a story.

An IQ quiz measures a person’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ). IQ is calculated using this formula: IQ = 100 MA/CA where MA = Mental Age and CA = Chronological Age.

The IQ test was originated back in 1905 by French psychologist Alfred Binet and his physician research partner Dr. Theodore Simon. These two guys came up with the “Binet Simon Test”. This test’s purpose was to measure the intelligence of retarded children.

The test was based upon several observations:

1. Children grow more mentally capable as they grow older

2. Some children perform at higher grade and age levels than their actual grade and age level. While other children are just the opposite.

The mental age (MA) portion of the formula is the age level that the child is found to perform at. For example, a 6-year-old who performed at the level of an 8-year-old, is assigned a MA of 8 and, of course, a CA of 6. Conversely, an 8-year-old, who performed at the level of a 6-year-old, is given a CA of 8 and a MA of 6. With me so far? If you are then you’ve already passed my IQ test because I’m starting to get confused and I’m the one who is writing this article!

3. Binet and Simpson also discovered that these gaps between MA and CA grew wider as the children aged. Our child who had a MA of 8 when he was 6, was found to have a MA of 12 by the time that he reached age 8. Conversely, the child who had a MA of 6 when he was 9, had a MA of 8 when he reached 12.

4. They also noticed that although the MA/CA gap widened as the children grew older, the ratio of MA:CA remained constant. This constant ratio was called the “Intelligence Quotient”.

The IQ quiz, or IQ test, was developed as a way of determining the MA:CA ratio of any person at any age.

So, what (if anything) can be deduced about a person based upon the results of an IQ quiz?

According to an article “The General Intelligence Factor”, Scientific American Presents “Exploring Intelligence”, pg. 24, 1999, author Linda Gottfredson writes:

“Adults in the bottom 5% of the IQ distribution (below 75) are very difficult to train and are not competitive for any occupation on the basis of ability. Serious problems in training low-IQ military recruits during World War II led Congress to ban enlistment from the lowest 10% (below 80) of the population, and no civilian occupation in modern economies routinely recruits its workers from that below-80 range.”

“Current military enlistment standards exclude any individual whose IQ is below about 85.” “Persons of average IQ (between 90 and 100) are not competitive for most professional and executive-level work but are easily trained for the bulk of jobs in the American economy. By contrast, individuals in the top 5 percent of the adult population can essentially train themselves, and few occupations are beyond their reach mentally.” “People with IQs between 75 and 90 are 88 times more likely to drop out of high school, seven times more likely to be jailed, and five times more likely as adults to live in poverty than people with IQs between 110 and 125. The 75-to-90 IQ woman is eight times more likely to become a chronic welfare recipient, and four times as likely to bear an illegitimate child than the 110-to-125-IQ woman.”

Wow, those are some pretty dramatic conclusions that are based solely upon IQ as determined by an IQ quiz. If you believe what Ms. Gottfredson writes, then the answer to your question of “Can you really tell anything about someone’s intelligence by having them take an IQ quiz?” is: It would appear so. Like any quiz, however, don’t feel too bad if you “fail” an IQ Quiz. Some people just suck at taking tests!

Brian Fong

http://www.QuizFaq.com

Winter time is depression time for many women. Susun Weed gives Wise Woman wisdom on how to deal when depression strikes!
Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it is harder to look at the bright side when days are short, perhaps the holidays and family demands take their toll on us. Of course, depression can also be triggered by lack of thyroid hormone and by use of steroids, high blood pressure drugs, and ERT/HRT.

But most often the cause of depression is the belief (valid or not) that nothing you do makes any difference. Victimization and poverty lock women into depression. More than one-third of all American women have been victims of sexual or physical abuse; and women make up more than two-thirds of all Americans who live below poverty level. Yet our culture frowns on women who express their anger. No wonder depression is a woman’s issue.

“Look here,” Grandmother Growth motions to you as she spreads her story blanket at your feet. “See how depression is deeply woven with anger and grief. When our need for reliable, joyous intimacy is frustrated, and expression of our frustration would endanger us, depression comes and protects us. When there is no way to deal effectively with situations that enrage us, depression comes and helps us quiet our violent impulses.

“Depression is not an easy companion on your journey, but she knows much about life. In her bundle, she carries the anger you have carefully frozen with frigid blasts of fear and kept nourished with your pain. She carries your wholeness. She carries your ability to go beyond the pain, your ability to allow your rage to move you into health. She carries your wholeness. Will you let her teach you?”

Wise Woman remedies don’t seek to eliminate our feelings, or turn “negative” ones into “positive” ones, but to help us incorporate all of our feelings into our wholeness/health/holiness.

* Welcome the dark. Cherish the deepness. Give yourself over to a day or two of doing nothing. Then, get up, no matter how bad you feel. Set a goal for the day and meet it. Smile - it releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. Smile no matter what. Do it as an exercise. Hate it while you do it. But SMILE!

* Homeopathic remedies include Arum metallicum, for women with frequent thoughts of suicide who feel cut off from love and joy; and Sepia, for women who are disinterested in everything, angry at family and friends, and just want to be left alone.

* It’s more than idle chatter that depression comes with gray skies and happiness with sunny ones. For emotional health (and strong bones) get 15 minutes of sunlight on your uncovered eyelids (outside, no glasses, no contacts) daily. If you can’t get out (or if the sun doesn’t cooperate), wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual. (You can stay in bed, but keep those eyes open.)

* Sing the blues; dance ‘em too. Women have depended on songs and dances to carry them out of depression for centuries. Dance therapy is more effective than talk therapy for reaching and healing traumatic experiences. Even a single session may have a dramatic effect.

* Find your rage and write it down. Get a massage and let the anger move out of the muscles. Volunteer to help change something you are upset about, even a small thing.

* St. Joan’s/John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) lives in very sunny locations and blooms at summer solstice. I call it bottled sunshine. A dropperful of the bright red tincture taken 1-3 times daily has helped many women relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder), move through grief, ease the physical pain of depression, and walk on the sunny side! CAUTION: Hypericum in capsules is not as effective and can cause unwanted side effects.

* Oatstraw infusion (not tea, tincture, or capsules) has been an ally for depressed women since earliest times. Gentle Avena nourishes the nerves and helps you remember why life is worth living.

To make an infusion: Brew one ounce by weight of dried herb (that’s a cup by volume) in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water. Steep for at least four hours, then strain and refrigerate your infusion. Drink as many cups a day as you wish. Or make an oatstraw bath by adding two quarts of infusion to your bath water.

* Garden sage (Salvia) is an ancient ally for emotionally-distressed women. In some societies, only crones were allowed to drink the brew made from the nubbly leaves (at least partly because it delays menses and dries up breast milk). Make an infusion (see oatstraw); drink by mixing a few spoonfuls of the dense brew into hot water or warm milk; add honey to taste. The undiluted infusion keeps for weeks refrigerated.

* Behavioral and interpersonal therapies are as effective as drugs in relieving depression. Not only that, two-thirds of those who simply read about therapy improve significantly.

* Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, especially soon after awakening, has been shown to help women whose depression is resistant to all treatments, including drugs.

* Sleep less. If you are a woman who overproduces a normal depression-causing substance which accompanies sleep you will feel depressed and often find it difficult to wake up. Sleeping more will only compound the problem. Instead, stay up all night once a week. If you can’t cope with no sleep, even mild sleep deprivation (such as sleeping five hours or less for two nights in a row) dramatically decreases depressive symptoms in some people.

* Low levels of calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are associated with depression. Get more by eating more cheese and yogurt, more garlic and mushrooms, more whole grains and beans.

* Lack of vitamin B12 doubles the risk of severe depression for older women. This critical nutrient, found only in animal products, is destroyed by tofu and soy beverage. Drink real milk, eat real cheese, eat meat at least occasionally and watch your mood improve

* 1600 mg of SAM-e (A-adenosylmethionine) relieved the symptoms of moderate depression as well as imipramine, but no better than Hypericum (St. J’s wort). CAUTION: Of the brands tested by Consumer Reports, only Natrol, Nature Made, TwinLab, and GNC passed all tests.

* Avoid hormone replacement - ERT/HRT - if you’re depressed; it’s strongly associated with an increase in suicide attempts.

* Women who used to take lithium say they have gradually switched over to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). A dose of infusion is one cup/250 ml or more per day; of fresh plant tincture is 5-8 drops twice a day; of the dried plant tincture is a dropperful/1 ml several times a day. CAUTION: Skullcap can make you sleepy.

* For women whose depression resists all other therapies, electro-convulsive treatments (ECT), previously known as shock treatments, have been updated with special care taken to minimize harm. The women I spoke with who were using ECT told me it was incredibly effective, and the side-effects, including severe memory loss, acceptable to them. From doing nothing, to ECT, the range of remedies available to depressed women is enormous. To help you choose wisely, these effective, simple Wise Woman remedies are in order of safety: the safest remedies first, and the most dangerous ones last.

This is a shortened version of the depression section in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, available through www.ashtreepublishing.com or your favorite bookseller.

If you liked this article you will want to visit Susun Weed online at www.susunweed.com

About the Author

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Susun is one of America’s best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women’s health.

Organic skin care products are the safest, most natural way to keep your skin beautiful. The Food and Drug Administration is the group which makes sure that nothing dangerous goes into products such as food and medications. Unfortunately, skin care products and cosmetics are not required to file with the Food and Drug Administration. This is not good for those who really care about what goes into their skin. People do not know it but synthetic dyes, artificial colors, artificial scents, synthetic detergents, and many other unhealthy ingredients go into the products that they put on their face, in their hair, and on their bodies.

The best thing that a person can do is use organic beauty products. These are beauty products which are made from all natural products. Skin lotions, perfumes, make up, and even shampoos can all be made from all natural products. These organic beauty care companies use herbs, fruits, nuts, flowers, and natural oils to make these products that work great and are safe. These products do not contain any toxins or carcinogens because they are all natural. Because no product is required to register with the Food and Drug Administration, we have no idea of what could be in them.

For free scrapbooking ideas the Internet is a great place to
look. There are some excellent sites full of creative tips and
suggestions to help you make your own unique scrapbooks. If
you’re looking for an original way to organize your favorite
photos, arranging them in special scrapbook albums could be the
solution. Scrapping is a very popular hobby, and offers a
wonderful way to preserve your treasured memories for posterity.
It’s an enjoyable and addictive pastime that allows you to use
your imagination and add your personal touches to your pages.

Ready made scrapbook kits can be really good, particularly if
you are making a themed scrapbook, such as for a wedding, a
vacation or the birth of a baby. Pre-packaged kits come in a
huge range of themes, and contain a selection of coordinated
materials such as cardstock, stencils, frames or stickers. One
advantage of using a kit to create your scrapbooking layouts is
that it saves you the time of having to choose your supplies
separately, making it quicker and simpler to design your pages.
If you’ve got a digital camera, then there are some good digital
scrapbooking software packages that enable you to use your
computer to try out different looks. You can play around with
all kinds of things, from templates to font styles.

There are many other free scrapbook ideas online, and loads of
artistic ways of adding embellishments to your pages. In
addition to using stickers, there are all sorts of paper piecing
patterns; die cuts and other accessories that can help add color
and style to your page. As well as using photographs and other
visual images, many scrappers like to use words to enhance the
meaning of the pictures. Journaling is a great way to record
your memories and feelings related to the events in the photos.
You may want to add scrapbooking quotes or poems, where
appropriate, to help bring the stories to life. This can work
well in both chronological or heritage scrapbooks, as well as in
other types of albums.

If you’re looking for new ways to display your photos and
memorabilia in scrapbooks, the Internet can be an excellent
source of inspiration!

So, you’re looking for an apartment to rent or share with a
roommate. Whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced
apartment-hunter, it’s worth taking the time to decide what’s
most important to you in where you live and to plan your search
strategy accordingly. With that in mind, here are eight tips to
consider:

1. Make a list of your top housing priorities.

Do you need extra parking spaces? A place that welcomes pets? A
large kitchen or linen closet? A ground-floor entrance to your
home? Or what? Thinking through your needs ahead of time can
help you find an apartment that meets those needs, instead of
one that just strikes your fancy at first glance.

2. Check out the property.

In addition to examining the condition of the for-rent unit,
walk through the property to see whether it appears to be
well-maintained. Is the landscaping healthy or dying? Nicely
trimmed or growing wild? Are any windows, steps or railings
broken or dangerous? Do the access doors open easily and shut
tightly? Walk through at night, too. Are the parking areas and
pathways well lit? What about the stairwells and hallways?

3. Talk to the neighbors.

If you’re serious about a particular apartment, knock on a few
doors and ask your potential neighbors whether they’re satisfied
with the building’s amenities, management’s responsiveness to
repair needs and other issues of concern to you. Ask: Would you
tell a friend to move into this building?

4. Examine the lease.

A lease is a legal obligation to pay rent for a specified length
of time, and every lease has variations on the terms and
conditions of tenancy. How much notice must you give before
moving at the end of the lease term? Can the rent be increased?
Are pets allowed? What provisions cover your security deposit
and end-of-lease cleaning costs? If the terms of the lease
agreement don’t suit your needs, negotiate or reconsider renting
the apartment.

5. Consider security.

Does the building have controlled access? If so, are the
exterior security gates and doors closed? Are the locks in
working order? Does your individual unit have secure door locks
and window latches? (Some states have specific laws regarding
minimum security devices for apartment units.) Does the building
have a security service? If so, is a guard on duty 24 hours or
does he or she just drive by periodically?

6. Ask about shared facilities.

Does the building have a swimming pool? A recreation or fitness
room? Tennis courts? Laundry facilities? Who is allowed to use
those facilities and during what hours? Is there an extra fee
charged for use of the facilities? Where are the facilities
located in relation to your prospective apartment? Do you really
want to live poolside or near the laundry room?

7. Ask about utility costs.

Is the water bill paid by the owner or separately by the
tenants? Are electrical or gas utilities included in the rent?
Is there a single thermostat for the entire building? If so, who
controls it?

8. Take notes.

Before you move in, document the condition of your unit and make
note of any nonfunctioning doors or windows, leaking plumbing,
missing fixtures, stained carpets and so on. Ask your landlord
to initial a copy of your documentation to prevent disputes when
you eventually move out. Better yet, take pictures or make a
video of the premises before you bring in any of your furniture
or belongings.