Affordable Chandeliers -- 20 Under $200

Been searching "affordable chandeliers", "inexpensive chandeliers", "bedroom chandeliers"? Well, good luck, because I was once there myself! And I will be the first to tell you that it takes a lot of searching to find a quality-looking chandelier with a small price tag.
I recently moved back home to Dallas after graduating from college in California. Because I'm in no rush to find employment and my parents house has plenty of vacant space, I have moved back home! But before I would allow myself to unpack my 19 boxes from college, I decided out with the old and in with the new! So, my old bedroom was completely gutted in order to give it a more lush, sophisticated mood... now that I'm a mature college grad now and all!
With a modern-romantic motif in mind, I knew a small-yet-fancy chandelier would be the perfect accent over the vanity in the corner of the room. My budget in mind -- $300, but only if it was picture perfect to one envisioned in my head. Ideally, I would like to spend around $100, so with those things in mind, my search began only to result in hours of unavailing Internet searches and antique-shop roaming. I decided that if I ever found decent, affordable chandeliers I would compile all my research in hope of saving someone hours of ceiling fixture browsing!
Many blogs I read mentioned searching for chandeliers at antique and vintage shops. I will testify that most antique shops have chandeliers, but it takes a lot of searching. If you don't have hours to spend (during the day) wandering antique malls, then don't waste your time. Also, the authenticity of the chandelier was not important to me; it was simply a look I desired, so the list I compiled isn't comprised of only real crystal chandeliers. Acrylic and glass components are used in most of these.



1. Black 3-Bulb Mini Chandelier from Serena's Bedding & Accessories, $59.99
2. Gypsy Chandelier Multi Colour from Dutch By Design, $139.00
3. Hand Forged Wrought Iron Wall Sconce from Greatchandeliers.com, $99.00
4. 6-Light Crystal Chandelier from Greatchandeliers.com, $179.00
5. Amber and Clear Draping Chandelier from Lamps Plus, $99.98
6. White Beaded Mini Chandelier from Lamps Plus, $199.99
7. Kathy Ireland Mini Chandelier from Lamps Plus, $169.91
8. Castlewood Crystal Mini-Chandelier from Lumens.com, $103.00
9. Paris Flea Market Chandelier from Wake Up Frankie, $139.00
10. Gypsy Silver Chandelier from Dutch By Design, $139.00
11. Glenna Jean Clear Chandelier from InterStore, $67.85
12. All-Crystal Chandelier from Greatchandeliers.com, $88.00
13. Pink and Citron Chandelier from Lamps Plus, $129.99
14. White 3-Bulb Mini Chandelier from Tot To Teen, $56.99
15. Minka Lavery Chandelier from Lighting By Gregory, $63.75
16. Jet Black Crystal Chandelier from Greatchandeliers.com, $196.00
17. Bronze Wrought Iron Chandelier from Greatchandeliers.com, $79.00
18. White Diamond Mini Chandelier from ToysRUs.com, $27.98
19. Gypsy Mini Chandelier by Dutch By Design, $58.00
20. Murano Venetian Crystal Chandelier from Greatchandelier.com, $126.00

Octo-Mom!

When I first heard the story of the “Octuplet Mom”, whose actual name is Nadya Suleman, I had no inclination to hear her story. I cannot stand to turn on the news and have every channel bombarded with stories of people who want a hand-out and are getting attention from ghastly situations which they put themselves in. However, when the option to do this as the subject of the midterm was introduced, I decided to do a little research and read deeper into the situation and take light of the situation.

Recently, Suleman appeared on the Dr. Phil show, freely informing everyone that “I wasn’t thinking rational”. According to an article in the Boston Herald, the octo-mom admits to being unsure that she would make the same decision if she had it to do all over again. “At the time, I was justifying my actions based on saying ‘Well, these are my children, they are extremely valuable - their lives,’ which is true, but I was not placing that above my others” said the mom of fourteen.

It is absolutely absurd that a single woman who already has six children would even consider the idea of multiple fertility treatments. And the proof that she is already considering a reality show only proves that her mind-set. She is not a caring mother, but rather a money-hungry disgrace.

My thoughts of her initially have no changed in the least bit. I started to think she may be somewhat of a good mother when I heard a report that she had turned down an offer for one free year of child care. I began to think there was hope for this woman, until I found out that she shunned this generous offer from the non-profit group Angels, because there was no reality show attached to the proposed gift.

In my personal opinion, if it’s money she want and babies she’s good at, then why isn’t she considering adoption or being a surrogate? Surrogate mothers can make up to $100,000 a pregnancy, and with her capabilities of carrying multiples, she could easily clear half a million in a year. At least that way, we wouldn’t have to worry about our tax dollars and valuable non-profit donations being wasted on “irrational” decisions. And at least then, these babies might have a chance at a decent life instead of being paraded around like endorsement deals.


http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1158020&srvc=home&position=also

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212211987.shtml

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-octuplets28-2009feb28,0,3442521.story

Africa - Extra Credit

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about the concept of why ‘I need Africa more than Africa needs me.’ Mocha Club [www.mochaclub.org] is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me. And by me, I mean as an American, as someone who needs to send out help, as someone who needs to see someone else who needs that help. I see commercials on television about sending aid to Africa, commercials showing innocent, helpless children in need of clean water and clothes. I watch these global displays of non-development areas and realize how good I have it as an American. I need Africa so I can realize how lucky I am to have not been so unfortunate, to have grown up with a private school education. As a child, I never had concerns where my next meal would come from, if my water was clean enough to drink, or if I would be healthy enough to live past age twelve. It's sad that I cannot appreciate my life without seeing how someone is worse off. I need places like Africa to feel like I'm making a difference in the world, so I can send my two dollars a month to a child who sleeps on a dirt floor while I curl up under my down comforter and complain if the a/c isn't cool enough.

This past year I competed on the debate team at CBU, and the topic of debate for the year was "sending aid to africa". Students, like myself, would argue whether or not we should send aid to africa. We would argue against Africa's corrupt government as an excuse not to send aid, or battle out where we should send aid and what forms. I look back now and see that all that debating, all those great arguments that were presented by other students did no good but to win a round or a single trophe. We would debate so enthusiaticly about a topic that Africa needed help in only to leave it at that, a simple argument. For whatever reason the topic that was picked for the debate year had to be so pointless. Students, even myself, would even argue why we should not send aid, how Africa should help themselves, how we should just stick to our problems with our own countries. It is almost disguisting to look bad and think of some of the arguments college students, even myself, would make reguarding Africa's future and need of aid.

I need Africa more than it needs me, so I will not become such an egotistical American, so I can see the things I take forgranted and overlook as real problems somewhere else, so I can stay humble.

spanking children...yes or no?

How to raise kids is such a controversial topic—from when you should start potty training to when you should allow them to date. But the one topic, I notice parents taking strong sides either for or against is spanking a child. Personally, I believe it is okay. Now, I don’t mean beating a child or slapping them in the face, but if they do step out of line and do something really wrong, spanking is okay. It has been argued that spanking a child when they are young can cause abusive behaviors later on. I highly doubt that! I was spanked and I am not an abusive person.
However, there are guidelines to spanking, like: What age is okay to start spanking? How you should spank your child? Should you use a paddle or your hand? When should you stop spanking your child? This is my personal opinion, and keep in mind that I do not have kids of my own, so perhaps my opinion will change when I cross that bridge. My opinion is based off of my own personal experiences growing up with how I was raised, and also, after being with a guy for over a year who had a child.
First of all, I do not think it is okay to spank a child under the age of 2. While a kid is in diapers, they should not be reprimanded physically in a such a way. After the age of 2, tapping their hand when they do something wrong can go a lot further than spanking them on the bottom. Kids at this age seem to be sensitive to right and wrong.
Spanking really only seems appropriate up until the child in is 4th or 5th grade, basically elementary school. At my elementary school, which is a private Christian school, if a child continued to be a “problem”, they were allowed to be spanked if the parent said it was okay. The parent would be called first to be notified of their child’s actions, and then told that a spanking seemed appropriate. If the parents agreed to that, then the child would be taken into the office and “swatted” on the behind three times. The parent was also given the opportunity to come to the school and take care of the issue themselves. I do not agree with anyone but parental figures spanking a child. I believe the school should not be allowed to spank. Also, when a child is spanked by parents, it should only be on the behind or on the hand, and never when the parent is angry. Also, if a child does something wrong in public, the parent should not reprimand the child in such a way in public. Spanking along with vocal reprimanding should be private matters. My parents, for instance, never got on to my brother or me in front of other people, but we would get in trouble when we home or in a private area. The words I always hated to hear when I was younger was, “do you want to go to the bathroom?”. Of course I didn’t and it had nothing to do with whether or not I actually need to use the restroom, but it was my parents way of letting my know I had gone too far. Those trips to the restroom usually resorted in a spanking.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/12/free-range-kids-blog.html
http://wordpress.com/tag/spanking-children/
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1219230,CST-NWS-spank14.article

song...

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, youll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
Youll see the sun come shining through for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
Thats the time you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
Youll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile
Thats the time you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
Youll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

CO2 Emissions

Damages done to our land and atmosphere so far are a large result of the carbon dioxide given off from coal and petroleum fueled plants. Coal-fired power plants for instance give off 8 billion tons of CO2. We know where this problem is, we know what it takes to solve it—trap the carbon dioxide being emitted into our ozone. However, finding an adequate way to trap or alter these CO2 emissions takes time and money. Two proposed ideas of doing this are to either create some sort of sponge-like substance to soak up these emissions or to build coal-plants differently so that less CO2 is emitted into the air. I greatly encourage the idea of this plan.
Finding our high concentrated CO2 areas is not the problem; finding where to put our problem once it is collected is a difficult task. The first area of dumping discussed, and that I find more tolerable, is injecting the gathered carbon dioxide into saline aquifers surrounded by basalt. The basalt reacts with the CO2 infused salt-water and hardened it into various minerals including calcium carbonate. Research shows that this reaction would occur before the CO2 had time to escape the ground. The second area of dumping, which I completely disagree with, is putting a carbon dioxide-blended mixture into the ocean. Since injecting the ocean floor with CO2 can cause high levels of acidity in the surrounding waters, blending the carbon dioxide with a salt water and limestone creates a more ocean-friendly effect when dropped into the seas. Since the CO2 would mostly break down the limestone as opposed to creating high levels of acidity, the effect would not be as drastic. Also, the substance formed from the mixture would be small amounts instead of one lump. The effect from dropping each CO2 globule would be adequate to dropping a tiny Tum into the ocean. This sounds fine when you consider dropping one “Tum” into the water, however how many of these these tiny Tum-bombs would have to be placed out to sea to take care of our CO2 issue at home?