Decisions

The Encarta Encyclopedia defines the word diva as a spoilt brat, attention-seeker, show-off or bragger. Derived from the Italian, the word diva used to mean “goddess” or “exceptional female singer” but over the years the word has become known in popular culture to describe a very difficult, hard to handle woman or man. Wikipedia calls a diva “manipulative, highly strung, privileged and demanding. He or she does not believe the law and accepted rules of courtesy apply to him or her.” Another designation I would add is prima donna.

Just for fun, I decided to see what my computer search engine would come up with when I typed in the word diva. Not surprisingly, the first names to pop up in the MSN Search were Celine Dion, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti!

The people listed are all definitely known for being fussy and perhaps even fiendish. I’ve worked in the entertainment business for a long time, both in front of the footlights and behind them, and encountered my share of divas, to be sure. However, even if you don’t work in the theatre or the diva populated worlds of film, television, or opera, I’m sure you have a diva or two you’ve run across. Sitting at my hairdresser’s one morning, the lady next to me found out that I was writing about divas, and remarked: “I could use some advice about my teenage daughters. They’re both divas and impossible to handle!” People talk to me about their kids, mother-in-laws, ex-wives, and bosses. But are all divas demons?

I think it’s a mistake to lump all the divas of the world into one category. I agree that the great soprano Maria Callas was known to be a very demanding lady, but what a glorious voice she had! I personally knew the lovely opera diva Beverly Sills. Did you know that her nickname was Bubbles? Does that sound like a name for a fiendish diva? She was one of the kindest ladies I’ve ever met.

Divas get a bad rap because many strive for perfection. That’s where the line between nice gal and conceited maniac get blurry. The following story about tenor Luciano Pavarotti is a perfect example: A number of years ago Luciano took a limousine to an opera house where he arrived to sing that night. He instructed the driver to return at a designated spot and time after his performance. The driver complied. Because the singer had to greet his fans after the opera was over, he didn’t reach the limousine until late into the night. When Luciano finally arrived, walking in the crisp, icy evening air to the limousine, he immediately chastised the driver for not having the car warmed up. The driver was shocked at the prima donna’s outrage, but the singer quickly explained: “I expect to ride in a warmed up car as my voice is my career and without it I am nothing.”

What seemed like a tantrum, and indeed, it was a tantrum, was justified.

I’m not saying that those divas we love to read about in the magazines aren’t sometimes over the top with their demands. Jennifer Lopez use to demand that her dressing room only be decorated in all white. That included the walls and any rugs, chairs, and flowers. Rock musicians ask that all brown M&Ms be removed from their candy dishes or they won’t go on stage. The list goes on and on. But I do understand the demands on many divas to perform as close to perfection as possible. We the public have put celebrities on a pedestal, making it almost impossible for them not to eventually fall. No wonder they are picky and grumpy. You would be too if your every move was

I say give the divas of our lives a break. At least until the next tantrum which we will then be psychoanalyzing on national television until the cows come home. I love the freedom of the press!

About the Author:
Shelley G. Anderson is the personal assistant to self-help author Louise L. Hay, and writes the column Dear Miss Know It All. She is the author of Dealing With Divas: A Survivor’s Kit for the Celebrity Personal Assistant (or Anyone with a Pushy Boss). To learn more about her, visit http://www.dealingwithdivas.com.

Keyword tags: divas, celebrities, Madonna, Luciano Pavraotti, Beverly Sills, stars, Mariah Carey

Have you ever really thought about what would happen if you lost your home in a fire? If you live in a fire prone area, you may have thought about it and concluded, “It will never happen to me.” If you have ever evacuated, you might have had a tiny ball of fear in the pit of your stomach, and thought, “Gosh, I hope everything is OK.” If you have ever sat in your car and watched walls of flame and smoke sweep through your neighborhood, you have probably bargained with Fate, thinking, “If we get through this, I’ll be more prepared, I promise.”

In 2007, a fire started by downed power lines and driven by 60-80 miles-per-hour winds, swept through Malibu. The Sheriffs’ Department came to our home at 4:30 AM and told us we had 15 minutes to evacuate.

After the fire, I spoke to my neighbor, whose home was completely destroyed. I asked her how she was doing, and her reply was that she and her husband were busy going through their credit card charges for the last five years trying to identify things they had purchased, and the cost. Can you imagine having to do that?

The first thing you must do is make sure you have adequate insurance coverage. Could you rebuild your home, or buy one of equal quality with your insurance proceeds? Is your home insured for cost, or replacement value? If it is insured for replacement value, does it have a built-in inflation or cost of living adjustment? You owe it to yourself to know the answers to these questions.

Equally important is the insurance on the contents of your home. Chances are that you are under-insured. Take a look at your policy and see what the dollar coverage is. Think about it. Walk through your house and add up the replacement cost of the bigger items, your furniture, television set(s), clothing, and jewelry. You can ask your insurance agent to send someone out to help you determine the adequate amount of coverage. Yes, it may result in a higher premium. No one wants to spend money unnecessarily, but a couple of hundred dollars extra per year in the premium may be money well spent.

Second, you need evidence of what you have inside your house. There are companies who will come to your home and make a videotape of all your belongings. An alternative idea is to take pictures of your most valuable items, but why not have a documented record of everything you own on videotape? If your home burned down, how long would it take just to make a list of its contents? A videotape will insure that you don’t miss anything and that there will be no disputes as to whether you actually had all the items you claim. Your insurance agent can recommend local companies who can do the videotaping.

Third, if you have any receipts or appraisals for your more expensive possessions, set them aside. You may want to make a list of the cost of your more valuable items if you don’t have receipts or appraisals. Your videotape and documentation should be kept in a safe deposit box. It won’t do you any good if it gets burned up with the house.

While on the subject of insurance, you might find out if it covers loss of landscaping. It either does, or it doesn’t. I lost 20 mature trees in the fire. I was amazed, and pleased, to find out that my homeowner’s insurance provided coverage for the lesser of either the actual value lost, or $2,500, per shrub.

Finally, if your house should burn down, there are professional consultants/engineers who will help you negotiate replacement value with your insurance company. If you suffer such a loss, these people will probably find you. In case they don’t, you should know they exist and consider hiring one to assist you. They do it for a living, you would be doing it for the first time.

About the Author:
Kurt Kamm writes novels about fires and firefighters. A resident of Malibu, he has lived through several wildland fires. He is a regular visitor at the fire camps, stations and training academies of L.A. County Fire Department and CalFire. To learn more about his novels, One Foot in the Black, and Red Flag Warning, visit http://www.kurtkamm.com.

Keyword tags: wildfire, fire insurance, home loss, home replacement, home insurance, fire loss

In this article, I would like to recall how I got my manuscript through to the publisher’s desk.

First, of course, I had to write a saleable book, a book that could attract a broad readership. Many of the historical events described in my book, RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: One Family, Three Revolutionaries, and the Birth of Modern China, have been recorded in numerous books and articles. Reading them helped me form the big picture, and through the family history my late husband, Jack, recounted to me, I found each of the Chens’ place in this big picture. My task was to let the readers see them as real people, real human beings, warts and all, whom the readers can identify with. This also applies to the supporting characters in this story, including historical figures such as Chiang Kaishek and Zhou Enlai. Some of them I knew, some of them I got to know through talks with my family and friends who had known them and some of them were described to me by Jack. Throughout the book, I present revealing anecdotes about these supporting characters, so they could spring to life and become three-dimensional.

By blending biography with history in this way, I believed I could make the characters and places come alive, and dramatize the facts, so the book would read like an intriguing history fused with an extraordinary three-generation family saga.

Second, it is important to work with a literary agent who sees something in what I intend to write. My agent, Regina Ryan, is based in New York, a fact I consider important. New York is the center of publishing world. She was the one to guide my manuscript to a publisher whom she thought most suitable for my book. It was not plain-sailing. My manuscript nearly got drowned in a storm when the first publisher who accepted it suddenly went out of business. I could not possibly salvage it since I knew next to nothing about the publishing world. It was Regina who finally negotiated my manuscript out of the first publisher and found a new, good home for it.

At some stage I needed to work with an editor. Again Regina knew which editor might like my type of book and put me in touch with Michael Denneny. Michael started by helping me write the book proposal. A good book proposal is key to a publisher’s door. During the process of writing the book proposal, I discovered Regina had found me an editor with whom, for the most part, I could see eye to eye. Michael helped me articulate my intention and coached me with understanding, imagination and skill.

As soon as the manuscript reached its final destination, Regina advised me to buy a few how-to books about publicity. Publicity is essential to making the book sell, and I take it very seriously. I decide to do my best bit, although my publisher is really pushing for my book. Nowadays, internet campaign is king, and I use it to spread the information about the new book as far and as wide as I can.

About the Author:
Yuan-tsung was born in China, and immigrated to USA in 1972. Her first book, THE DRAGON’S VILLAGE, (was published by Pantheon, and) its Penguin paperback sells an average of 3,000 copies per year since 1981. Her latest book (nonfiction), RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, is now available through the Union Square Press of Sterling Publishing. Visit http://www.yuantsungchen.com.

Keyword tags: publishing, books, authors, getting published, agents, publishers, editors, book proposals

About three or four years ago I worked a contract that required me to drive through a less than desirable part of town. One particular freeway underpass housed the man I would later come to know as Harley.

I think Harley was about my age, maybe even a little younger. He certainly could not have survived these conditions if he were much older than 50. He had lost most of teeth. He couldn’t seem to stand fully erect and when he walked to a car to accept a hand out his movement was restrained as though each step towards the charity caused him physical and emotional pain.

In the 30 seconds or so that one must endure witnessing these daily dramatics, I would think about giving something to the guy. But it always seemed the light would change before this bedraggled weary figure could reach my vehicle. Sometimes I would wave and enunciate a “Catch ya next time” as I drove passed him. But mostly, it saddens me to say, I would just try to put the whole image behind me.

Finally, after about two months, I got up the courage to actually try and interact with Harley. IF the stop light gods would just position me appropriately, I was going to hand him a twenty dollar bill. I approached the underpass and sure enough the light went from green to yellow to red placing me first in the line of potential donors. I rolled down the window and Harley came up to me, smiling a hideous but somehow engaging toothless grin. I extended the twenty but Harley pulled back.

“Oh no brother, that’s too much” he said.

“No, it’s not. Please take it!” I insisted.

“I can’t my friend. I just don’t need that much,” he replied.

“What do you mean? Come on, I want to help,” I retorted.

Just then the light changed and Harley stepped back onto the curb out of reach. “God Bless you brother! You better get going. Five’s my limit,” he said as he held up the five gnarled fingers of his right hand. Cars began to honk at me so I had to drive away. How could this guy turn down twenty bucks? I thought about stopping my car and walking back to talk to him, but there was really no place close enough or safe enough to pull over. Besides, it would have made me late for work. So I resolved that tomorrow, I would just give this guy four fives. Clearly, he was too addled to know it was the same as a twenty.

The next day came and the lights were with me again. I held out the four fives to the approaching Harley, he pulled one of them from my hand and said, “That will get me a meal and night in the shelter. God Bless you brother!”

“Well, take them all so you can have 3 more nights in the shelter!” I replied. Harley stopped smiling, took on a more professorial air and pronounced, “I couldn’t do that. If I die tomorrow then you will have wasted all that money. You just give the rest to somebody who needs it today.”

Over the next few weeks, I managed to get about a half dozen more fives into Harley’s hand then he wasn’t there anymore. I figured he had found a better spot to collect his daily allowance. When the homemade cross appeared at the intersection with the words, “God Bless You Harley,” I knew I was right.

About the Author:
B.L. Lindstrom is a highly paid and sought after systems janitor and author in multiple media. His latest communications can always be found on his Blog Authorian Adventures in the Ether, http://www.SoIWroteThisBook.com. If you want to know more about his work you can visit http://www.BLLindstrom.com.

Keyword tags: books, authors, writing tips, characters, plot, story development, publishing, fiction

The city supplies applicable companies numerous types of life insurance policies for employees receiving an income, not limited to accidental death or dismemberment coverage, basic life insurance, and commuter and motorist life insurance. These programs are entirely funded by the City of Mesa, Arizona. Supplemental life insurance is also offered at a premium cost that the employee is responsible for funding.

Basic Life Insurance

Basic life insurance is provided by standard life insurance to full-time employees at no cost. The benefit is equivalent to the employee’s yearly salary rounded up to the next $1,000. When hired, the employee is asked to designate a beneficiary for the policy. It is highly recommended to verify the beneficiary every few years, particularly if a major life event occurs, such as marriage, divorce, or the birth or death of family members.

Accidental Death or Dismemberment

Similar to the basic life insurance policy, this kind of coverage is granted through standard life insurance to full-time employees. It is entirely funded by the city. The benefit is also equivalent to the employee’s yearly salary rounded up to the next $1,000. The beneficiary for this policy is the same individual that that is designated for the Basic Life Insurance described above.

Commuter Life Insurance

Provided through CIGNA Life Insurance, this type of policy provides a $200,000 death benefit to a beneficiary if the holder of the policy is killed as a result of an accident that happens during the commute to or from work using the normal route. This kind of policy does not cover travel by aircraft, however. If an employee travels by air on a regular basis for work, they may want to look into specialized life insurance that covers travel by air. The beneficiary for this policy is the same individual that is designated for the Basic Life Insurance described above.

Supplemental Life Insurance

Supplemental, also knows as voluntary, Life Insurance offers the opportunity to enroll in added life insurance coverage for the policy holder, their spouse, and/or any dependent children. Coverage for the policy holder and their spouse is available in $10,000 increments up to the total sum of the amount of life insurance that the City supplies in addition to what the employee obtains for supplemental life, but cannot exceed a total of $300,000. As an example, if an employee makes $30,000 annually, the City will provide a $30,000 policy at zero cost to the employee. If the employee chooses to then purchase $100,000 in supplemental or voluntary life insurance, the employee’s spouse can procure up to $130,000 ($30,000 granted by the City in addition to the $100,000 supplemental/voluntary purchased by the employee). Premiums for this type of coverage are the policy holder’s responsibility and will be withheld by payroll. The City does not monetarily contribute to this coverage.

To add or increase coverage and for more company life insurance basics the employee will need to complete an application form, which can be found at http://www.mesachip.org (click on “Benefit Forms”). If the employee does not wish to make any changes at this time, they do not need to re-enroll.

If previous enrollment in Supplemental Life Insurance has not already been completed, or if an employee wishes to increase coverage for them self or their spouse, they are forewarned that their application will be subject to underwriting and authorization by the carrier administering the plan.

This coverage may be transferable should the employee terminate employment with and/or retire from the City of Mesa. However, the coverage must be active at the time employment ends. If the employee does not meet the eligibility requirements to transfer coverage, the employee may choose to convert their policy instead. Please refer to the Life Insurance Certificate of Coverage.

About the Author:
Leslie Adams is a freelance marketing writer specializing in finance, travel and leisure, life insurance, and home improvment. For more information or for a free quote, please visit http://www.equote.com.

Keyword tags: types of life insurance,life insurance,life insurance basics

Getting Started

As you begin to prepare to purchase a life insurance policy, it is essential to evaluate your ongoing and potential future financial necessities and review the available policies accordingly. First and foremost, make sure you are fully informed on the basics of life insurance.

Why do I need life insurance?

If another individual financially depends on you, the likelihood that you need life insurance is very high. Life insurance provides cash to your family members in the event of your death. The funds your beneficiary will receive (the death benefit) can obviously be a valuable financial resource. It can help to cover everyday living expenses, pay the mortgage, loans, or tuition, and will help to ensure that your family is not burdened with the heavy load of debt. Obtaining a life insurance policy could means your spouse or dependent children may not be forced to sell assets to pay bills. Any money that beneficiaries receive does not carry a federal income tax either.

How much life insurance do I need?

Everyone’s life insurance needs depends on their personal financial situation. It is highly recommended to contact a life insurance agent or financial advisor to aid in determining what the appropriate level of protection is you and your family based on your income and financial responsibilities, both present and future. Online calculators can prove to be helpful, however consulting an insurance professional to review particular financial needs will give you a more accurate description of your life insurance options and needs.

Typically, determining how much life insurance you need requires deducting the total income that would be subtracted from the family’s total income and financial needs in the event of your death. It is crucial to keep ongoing expenses in mind, such as day care, tuition, mortgage, and/or retirement as well as immediate expenses. Immediate expenses could include funeral services or funds needed for relocation.

Some experts in the field suggest that a life insurance policy should pay a benefit that equals seven to ten times your yearly income. However, your personal need may be higher or lower depending on your particular situation.

How to Purchase: Choosing a Company or Agent

Life insurance can be purchased at a multitude of locations: insurance agencies, brokerage firms, banks, or directly from a life insurance company by mail, phone, or the Internet. Generally insurance companies have webs sites detailing their various products and services. These sites will most likely be able to help direct you to an agent in your area.

How do I choose a company?

Begin by contacting your state insurance department for a full listing of insurance companies licensed in your state. It is also a good idea to ask friends and relatives for some recommendations based on their own experiences. Make sure to consult an insurance agent or broker and do some research on your own, either on the Internet or at a public library.

It is very important to verify an insurance company’s financial strength. Although life insurer companies are generally in excellent financial standing since they are required by law to keep reserve funds to guarantee that they can meet financial obligations to their policyholders, it is still a good idea to do everything you can to ensure this.

Checking a company’s financial condition is relatively simply. Assess their rating by contacting a rating agency. This information is available online or in business publications at the local public library.

How do I choose an agent?

Collect a selection of names of several agents through research and/or personal recommendations. You can find out if a particular agent is licensed in your state by consulting your state’s insurance department. Insurance agents who offer variable products have to be registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and possess an additional state license as well.

Do not hesitate to express concerns or to ask what company/companies the agent currently or previously represents or to see/check professional accreditations.

About the Author:
Leslie Adams is a freelance marketing writer specializing in finance, travel and leisure, life insurance, and home improvement. For more information or for a free quote, please visit http://www.equote.com.

Keyword tags: life insurance,life insurance company,Financial Industry Regulatory Authority