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 from Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ your favorite online book store! Or, from us, directly! Click here!

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Join DoSomething.org?

 This organization is only for young guys and gals, ages 13 - 25.
 They do some really important stuff! Check them out at: https://www.dosomething.org/about/who-we-are.

How Girls With Bulimia See Themselves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VywJEankDXs

It's OK To Talk About Baby Safe Haven Laws.

By Jean and Mike Morrisey,
Founders of Baby Safe Haven New England

Some young people have heard about Baby Safe Haven laws. That's the option for a woman to give
her newborn baby to a policeman, fireman, or a worker at a hospital if she can't take care of it after birth.
A lot of young people have never heard about these laws and a lot of tragedies have happened because
they didn't know they had that option. If they've denied or hidden a pregnancy right up until they delivered
their babies in secret they could make a terrible decision to abandon or dispose of the baby. That's what the
Baby Safe Haven law is there for. A better option then to do something terrible to their baby.

Baby Safe Haven laws have been around for about ten years, and are in every state. But not enough young
people know about them, and there have been too many young women, and a few guys who helped them
abandon their babies, get into a lot of trouble.

A few groups of advocates, state representatives and state senators got Baby Safe Haven laws passed in
every state. Some of these same people are the ones who do a lot of the work in trying to get the word out
about the laws to young people. But most of these advocates, and legislators, are in their sixties. They're
just not the ones who teens and twenty year olds are going to listen to. For a long time there were only a
couple of young people who were talking about Baby Safe Haven laws in any form of the media.

A few young people who have been talking about Baby Safe Haven laws in New England. A young singer named
Renee Marcou has been on the radio and TV all over New England legislators, are in their sixties. They're just
not the ones who teens and twenty year olds are going to listen to. For a long time there were only a couple of
young people who were talking about Baby Safe Haven laws in any form of the media. A few young people who
have been talking about Baby Safe Haven laws in New England. A young singer named Renee Marcou has been
on the radio and TV all over New England talking about the Baby Safe Haven laws in that area of the country. For
about seven years she has shown that it's OK for both guys and girls to talk about the laws to each other, because
she does it all the time in the media. But you hardly ever heard anyone young talking about Baby Safe Haven laws anywhere else.

So our group, that works with Renee Marcou, decided to help find a lot more young women to follow what Renee
has done. The first to go on radio and TV, both in the same day, was a sixteen year old in Wichita, Kansas. Regan
Self may have said it best on the radio a few weeks ago. "This could be one of my best friends."

Regan Self, at the age of sixteen became a huge role model because she showed that if she could talk about Baby
Safe Haven on two radio stations, and one TV station, in one day and say exactly what any sixteen year old would
think if she was in a hidden pregnancy situation. Regan said, "I think about myself in this position, I have no idea
what I would do. I'd freak out. I can understand where somebody gets into a panic and doesn't know what to do."

Two weeks later eighteen year old Despina Drougas, of Connecticut, went on a top-40 music radio station, and was
in a front page article in a major newspaper and said: "It's important that teens as well as adults know about Baby Safe Haven because, especially with teens, having one of your friends, your peer, tell you about Baby Safe Haven could save you from a lot of trouble and save a life."

Two weeks later another sixteen year old, Sam Hatmaker, was on a country radio station in Tennessee. Sam also summed up what has to be done by young people. "It's pretty sad that this could happen to a friend of mine so we
want to get the info out there. It's OK to talk about this."

About a dozen more young women, and one guy, will be making hundreds of appearances on radio stations, web radio, TV, newspapers, and blogs. Anywhere teens and twenty year olds watch, read and listen to these role models will go to show that it's OK to talk about Baby Safe Haven.

(The web site Renee, Regan, Despina and Sam give out for info is babysafehaven.org -- The National Safe Haven Alliance. The hotline is on every page, and there's a map to get info for every state's Baby Safe Haven law.)

From the top left, to right, Renee Marcou, Regan Self, and Despina Drougas.
Bottom row left to right are Sam Hatmaker, Kiara Rivera and Nicolette Giachino.

Hookahs Are Not Safe!

According to a study in (don't be put off by the name) Pediatrics, many high school students have used a hookah, at least once. And a study in Nursing  Research states that many teens believe that smoking a hookah is safe from a health perspective. After all, it's not a cigarette.

Problem is that a hookah session will still provide you with nicotine, carcinogens, and other nasty chemicals. Contrary to popular belief, the water pipe does not eliminate these harmful chemicals.

So be wise. Find a safer way of having fun with your friends.

Now Is The Time To Grab Those Summer Jobs
Before They All Disappear

Face it! You'd like some cash. whether to buy cloths, technology, pay car expenses, or even help the family out with basics. Well, this summer, as with recent ones, you will be competing against adults who were laid off and in need of work as well as recent college grads who have yet to find employment in their field of choice.
So apply now! And, check into any summer job programs paid for by your city, town, state, and even the U.S. Government. Good luck!

Nothing is worth committing suicide for.

Let me repeat that: Nothing is worth committing suicide for.

Recently, a 15 year young girl, Cora Delille, hung herself.
Her suicide note mentioned bullying, ex-boyfriends, her mother and step-father (of most her life) were getting divorced, her boyfriend broke off their relationship the day before... All terrible things to deal with. Yet, none worth ending your life over.

Why not? Because things will get better. - Life is full of varying levels of ups and downs. And, it is not worth ending.

If you feel suicidal, please get help. Among sources for help are: The Samaritans, www.Samaritans.org -- National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255, http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ -- http://www.itgetsbetter.org/ --  http://www.suicide.org/teen-suicide-and-youth-suicide.html

NOTE: Any exercise program/regimen should be approved for you by your medical doctor before you begin to use it/follow it's recommendations.

8 Tips To Get You Exercising Today
by Jamie Stedman

Exercise can cause a flurry of different emotions. It can bring feelings of happiness, pain, achievement, frustration all in one session. From my work as a gym instructor I know many people who are a member of a gym but haven’t seen the inside walls for a few months!

The aim for everyone is for exercise to become routine, it will be something you will wake up and do without thinking. It sounds much easier written down but it can be done. At the moment that may seem like a long way away but honestly it can happen.

Today I would like to give you some tips to help exercise become a major part of your weekly activities.

For those of you who fall into the category of haven’t exercised in a while hopefully this will give you a bit of help getting back to exercise.

So here are a few of my top tips to help you out:

Keep Going – The best way of exercising is not to stop, if you know you are going to have a day or two off which can’t be helped ensure you plan a session on your next available day. The longer you leave it between exercise sessions the harder it gets to get back into it.

Plan – Always plan when you are going to exercise and what you are going to do. If you go the same time every week then it will soon become a habit. Aim to exercise in the morning, you will have to think about it a lot less and you will be feeling great in the day.

Don’t Go Alone – Find a like minded friend who also wants to improve their health and fitness and go to them. It is a lot easier to say no to yourself than to say no to yourself and your friend!

Keep Track – Keep track on how many sessions you do. Put a big cross on the calendar for every session you go to, this can give you a great sense of achievement as well as acting as motivation if you see a pretty empty looking month.

Use It As Stress Relief – I do it, and I know many others when stressed will go for a run or lift some weights. It really is a good way of relieving stress on those bad days. I would pick a run over weights when you are stressed.

Record Your Progress – Rather than focusing on your weight and how much you have lost why not record your fitness. You will feel great if you can double the amount of push ups you can do in a month. This can be used for distance, weight etc. When you look back at everything you have achieved you'll get a great sense of achievement.

Evaluate – If you constantly start exercising and then stop find out what causes you to stop. If it is something that can be worked on, do it. If you need advice on this just leave a comment below.

Start Slow – Rome wasn’t built ... we all know. Things take time so don’t go to the gym and try to lift 100 kg or decide you are going to go for a 12 mile run on day one. You should improve gradually if you train right, this is the best way.

I do hope this helps and I’ve got you all fired up and ready to go. Maybe you are all ready out the door on the way to the gym! Remember you are exercising for you and not anyone else, listen to your body and do what is right.

Good Luck
Jamie

Teens And Alzheimer's Disease

None of us welcomes the news that a loved one (grandparent, aunt, uncle, even perhaps a parent) has Alzheimer's Disease. This is a very difficult condition for all involved. Perhaps more so, for teens and those who are even younger.)
The following videos will hopefully provide you with both understanding and some form of 'comfort' from knowing that you are not alone in having to live or otherwise deal with a loved one having this condition.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

What You Already Knew?
More of you are shopping less at brick & mortar retailers

Check out this article. Might be of interest...

Very Expensive Lesson In Social Media & 'Secrets'

We both know that you have heard many, many times that what you post on facebook or other social media can come back to haunt you.
But, does it really?
Well, let's look at a recent example. One that not only had high costs for the teen, but for her family, as well.

Patrick Snay, was the head of the Gulliver Preparatory School, when his contract was not renewed. He filed a successful suit, claiming that it was his age that was the reason behind his job loss. Mr. Snay won an $80,000 judgement, which had a very important condition attached: He was not to discuss it with anyone but his wife.
Well, he appartenly told his daughter of the settlement.
She, in turn, went on Facebook with a message that said, in part: "Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver. Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT."

Well, that admission, found it's way back to someone who informed the school. The father now lost the $80,000 settlement.

Do you believe that what you say on social media is private and will never be spread beyond those whom you trust? And, that they can in fact be trusted with special information?
Well, think again... And, again... And, again, about that idea.

Stand Up! Be Counted!
Let Adults Know That This 'Spoiled Brat's' Actions
Call For 'Real Consequences'!

What am I talking about? Well, Ethan Couch of Texas had a blood alcohol levl approximately 3 times the legal limit.
He had stolen beer from a Walmart and drove a pickup with multiple teens. Then, he smashed into 4 pedestrians, killing them. Some of the teens in his truck were injured, including one who cannot move or talk, anymore.

Ethan admitted his guilt. But his  lawyer said that this situation was not really Ethan's fault because his parents spoiled him, never gave him consequences for bad behavior, and they divorced. The defense said that Ethan suffered from 'affluenza'. (A made-up diagnosis.)

Instead of giving him a 20 year sentence, the judge gave him 10 years probation and he will spend a year at a facility that resembles a country club. Ethan's family will spend approx. half a million dollars to pay for this treatment.
For more details, please check out this article.

If you had lost a family member to Ethan or a brother became paralyzed due to this reckless teen, would you wish that the consequences were more severe than they are? If so, then please contact your local media outlet and let them know that not all teens are so spoiled and that justice should have meted out a different sentence, then it did.

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