Books on Disease - Dr. Paul Offit

As a mom and an avid reader I am always looking for new information on ways to keep my kids healthy. Part of this project is to stay informed about current medical news, which can be quite a project on its own. Dr. Paul Offit is the author of a number of books that specifically address current medical research and how it relates to our general social health.

Paul Offit is the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His books are all relatively recent (one is in its third edition as of 2003) reviews of the roles of antibiotics and vaccines in contemporary health care.

Most interesting to me is Paul Offit's most current text addresses the current controversy surrounding the possibility of a link between vaccines and the development of childhood autism. I have been following the news closely and this is the most current medical text available on the subject (from Columbia Press, 2008). Although there is a lot of information available on the subject, the availability of a published and informative medical text to the general public is a great resource for anyone who has kids.

Happiness is Pets - Got Dogs?

We have four dogs. Yes, four large dogs. Each time we get a new dog there is some degree of worry about the dog's background and health. That's why I was interested to come across Happiness is Pets during a web search.

If you are in the market for a puppy, Happiness is Pets presents a new way to search for pets outside the local classified ads. They have tons of adorable puppy pictures on their site and offer a number of breeds to choose from.

The major benefit to this method of choosing a dog is that there is a guarantee of freedom from major health defects for a year after purchase. Minor health issues are covered for seven days which gives you plenty of time to have the puppy checked by a vet. The other plus is that you can be assured that Happiness is Pets has given the pup all required vaccines and shots. If you need a pet (or four) this is a stress free way to look for a healthy new member for your family.

International Media and Linus Gitahi's National Media Group

With the presidential elections behind us here in the U.S. many of us have a new take on media coverage as it is implemented in this country. With so many international news outlets such as National Media Group, run by Linus Gitahi, we often wonder about the role of our national media perspective in covering important events.

Do our media outlets differ from those that cover other areas or peoples? Perhaps. One can only tell by a quick review of the ways in which events are covered. In East and Central Africa, Linus Gitahi runs the largest media outlet that serves both print and Internet reporting for the area. Their stated purpose is to report without the influence of economic or political entities in the area.

Besides running the National Media Group, Linus Gitahi works as director of a bank as well as with the Federation of Kenya Employers. It is this type of social involvement that is helpful to us as we seek to evaluate those that run the powerful press organizations in our country and abroad. For those active in community affairs it is a positive reflection on the ways in which media can contribute to the positive development of a country.

Hoping to Retire? Ask Andy Barkate

Right now can be a scary time to think about retirement. It can also be the most important time to contact a retirement professional like Andy Barkate to ensure that you are doing everything you can to plan for your financial future.

Working for a family business I know how stressful it can be to consider what will happen the day you are ready to retire. Andy Barkate specializes in small business and individual retirement plans so he can help with both your personal and business planning.

Whether or not you are concerned about retirement in the near future it can't hurt to have a plan. It is important to not only implement an initial process of saving and investing but also to manage that plan if you want to continue toward long term success. Consider not only savings plans but tax deferrals and benefits that arise from long range planning. Andy Barkate has several offices in California that will discuss your current objectives and review the plans you have now to ensure that you are prepared for your future.

Property Manger Tim Arel

Now more than ever it is important to keep a close eye on real estate property ventures. Although the market is now down it can be a great time to invest, if you have the means, and properly managing your investments is essential. Tim Arel is a property manager currently working for North Point Property Management who can help answer questions and manage your property investment.

Tim Arel specializes in property management that works with a wide range of social and economical concerns. He strives to maintain involvement in a number of community groups and local boards and committees.

Consider contacting Tim Arel if you have questions about how to make the most out of your property. With the current real estate market it is essential that you do everything possible to maximize your investments.

Awsome Announcements

I spent the last week or so searching for a place to order some birth announcements for our new baby. I wanted to use photos to customize the announcements but the going rate for many of the printing sites that do this seems to be around $2.00 per card (more than I could budget to spend on the project).

The cheaper sites that allow you to customize your own cards didn't have the style of cards I was looking for - they were cartoony and cute when I wanted a more elegant feel. Finally today I did a search for "affordable photo cards" and came up with exactly what I was looking for.

www.simplytoimpress.com has announcements cards that were perfect. They offer both templates to create your own card or custom editing services for a slightly higher fee. I used one of their templates and easily uploaded my pictures and customized the wording for a quick order.

I would recommend this site to anyone looking for announcements or invitations online.

Fashion Glasses Online!

My local resource for my glasses closed recently so I decided to go online to look for a new place with a large variety to choose from. I wound up at eyeglasses.com where I had a tough time picking out some fashion friendly frames from among all their options.

My first attraction was to the Kate Spade glasses where there were a lot of trendy frames that appealed to me. I almost picked out a pair but decided to keep looking to see if there were any additional designers that I found appealing.

I also took a look at the Dolce and Gabbana glasses because that designer was not available at the previous local store where I shopped. There was a very large selection and luckily the site loaded quickly so that I didn't have to sit and wait for the pictures of each pair. I also perused the Gucci glasses just for fun before settling on a pair of the original Kate Spades.

The website was easy to use and also sells sunglasses so as the weather starts to warm up again I'll be making another visit to eyeglasses.com to pick myself up something for the summer months.