Articles by Randy Hough on ArticleSnatch.com

Single Dads And Parenting Advice

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Used to be there were very few single dads, most single parents were mothers. This is changing, however, and there are more and more dads who have custody of the children. In a way, it doesn't really matter much why this is changing, I'm sure there are many theories to explain this social phenomena. What does matter is that being a single dad can be a very challenging task. Not that single motherhood is easy, but society is just much more adapted to single moms. Besides the fact that most women have a natural maternal instinct that enables them to care for children, social agencies and institutions are simply more accustomed to single mothers than fathers. Personally, I have raised 3 children as a single father. It has been a very strange trip, indeed! I have had to learn so many skills that I am not at all naturally inclined to that I am sometimes amazed. It amazes me because I actually have learned to use the phone book, the phone, agendas, calendars, planners, kitchen tools, recipe books, cleaning supplies, keep appointments and much more!** End Summary**

About the Author:
We are a group of parents and professionals who are passionate about helping families manage the stress of modern life. Our site is: http://stress-familyhealth.net We offer advice and resources on some of the more difficult aspects of raising a family. Stress at work, how to get pregnant, parenting advice for single fathers and single mothers are some of our topics.

How To Live With Someone Who Has A Personality Disorder

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A family is like an orange: each segment is unique, but connected to make a whole. When member suffers, the entire family suffers. When a loved one in your family is suffering from one of the personality disorders, the entire family is under stress. There are many excellent therapists, counselors, and medical practitioners who specialize in treating personality disorders, but very often the caregivers are overlooked. Just as Mom and Dad can be taken for granted by the children, they can also be assumed to be doing just fine in such a stressful environment. It doesn't matter much what the personality disorder is when it concerns the well-being of the family. It could be borderline personality disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or manic depression. The caregivers need to be taken care of as well! Be careful for Crazy Making Crazy making is a term to describe a common effect that someone with a personality disorder can have on the one caring for them. It means that the caregiver begins to question his own sanity. It can and does happen that you become so surrounded by the relentless symptoms of a disorder that you lose sight of reality.** End Summary**

Lean Thinking In World Class Manufacturing

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Global competition is forcing world class manufacturing companies to practice lean thinking. As the need for a new manufacturing strategy adds pressure to the decision making process, the results can be very profitable! Because of the incredibly low wages in developing countries, companies are forced to think lean or die. Many long standing companies have gone by the wayside and closed forever because they were unwilling or unable to adapt. Yet some world class manufacturing companies have embraced lean thinking and are more profitable than ever! A good example of this is Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., located in Bolton, Ontario, Canada. My first encounter with Husky was as a plastic injection mold maker. I was an apprentice and my master was a man who had previously worked for Husky. He was certainly the best mold maker I have ever worked with and he told me many stories about Husky and how good they were at mold making. Since that time I have seen and used their products on an almost daily basis and recognize the expertise and quality. So it is no surprise that they have understood and embraced the lean manufacturing culture and mastered it.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. With more than 30 years in the plastic injection mold making industry, he has gained valuable practical experience in the lean manufacturing process. His site http://whatisleanmanufacturing.com, is full of tips and ideas for manuacturing companies.

Hot Runner Systems For Plastic Injection Molding

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The use of hot runner systems is increasing due to the fact that they provide a more efficient method of molding plastic parts. The cost savings can be substantial, and the part quality is very often much better than a cold runner system. With the increasing sophistication of today's plastic injection molds, the use of a hot runner system is becoming an industry standard. Many applications simply are not possible with the old standard sprue and cold runner system, and hot runners offer a great way to maintain uniform wall thickness and eliminate knit lines and flow lines. What are some advantages of hot runner systems? Ability to minimize gate vestige Uniform wall thickness Lower cycle times Less waste Reduction or elimination of knit lines Great for high cavitation molding Often the only method for micro-molding. The center to center distance of the hot runner tips is as little as 17 mm. Standardization of components can mean significant savings in material and manufacturing. Many large molds rely exclusively on hot runners. Cold runners cannot meet the demands. What about the maintenance of hot runner systems?** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. His eight lively children and work experience have taught him more than he ever imagined. He has a site dedicated to helping with family stress and one about plastic injection mold making.

Rapid Injection Molding: The Need For Speed

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Rapid injection molding is exactly what the name implies, but multiplied by a factor of 10! It is hard to imagine that anyone could offer a service that can guarantee a fully functioning injection mold in a day or two, but that is actually the case. This is precisely what rapid injection molding is all about. Rapid, as in very rapid! These molds are made of high grade aluminum and can produce anywhere from a few parts to thousands. Personally, I have worked on many aluminum molds that produce high quality parts even after several hundreds of thousands of cycles. At first I was highly skeptical, but after several years of making injection molding prototypes, It became routine. How does rapid injection molding work? It works by automating as much as possible in the mold making procedure. By taking the customer's 3-D model and automating the design and manufacture of the mold, the lead times are cut down to a fraction of the conventional process. One of the central parts of the automation process lies in the design of the plastic part. By working with knowledgeable designers, many features, such as undercuts, can be minimized or eliminated.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. He has been a master plastic injection mold maker for 30 years, a youth pastor for many years and has traveled and studied extensively in Europe. He also has 8 lively children who have taught him more than anything else. He has a site about dealing with family stress and a plastic injection mold making site.

Injection Mold Design: Jobs In Plastic Injection Molding

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In the fast paced world of plastic molding, injection mold design is one of the most interesting and challenging. You will draw upon all of your creative abilities as you develop the design for new products. It might look easy because of the powerful CAD programs, but in reality, they are just tools to help you. In the field of injection mold design you often must develop new and original methods of plastic molding. A day in the life in injection mold design Most injection mold designers follow a schedule similar to the mold makers. Because their mold designs are soon going to be manufactured by the mold makers, there is a very close relationship between these two. A mold designer spends most of his time at his computer, using powerful CAD programs such as Unigraphics, AutoCAd, SolidWorks, MasterCam and many, many others. Nowadays, the programs are incredibly fast and powerful. Very often the mold designer will be required to communicate with the various mold makers, CNC programmers, WEDM operators, etc.. This rapport is critical for a successful career as an injection mold designer. Usually the designer does not work quite as many hours per week as the mold maker.** End Summary**

Should You Stop Beating Your Wife? Relationship Advice For Men

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Deep inside every man is the desire to love, care for and protect his woman. But between this healthy desire and reality of many marriages, there is often a giant canyon of frustration. That is why the best relationship advice for men is to stop beating your wife! Not literally, unless you are one of the miserable men who actually physically abuse your wife. What does it mean to beat your wife, if not literally? It means that you hurt her in other ways, mostly because you just don't know any better. Most of us did not grow up observing a very good example of how a husband should cherish and honor his wife. Many men have little understanding of what a woman wants and needs, and so they bumble along, making occasional attempts at romance and kindness. Usually this leads to relationship problems. The sad thing is that marriage can be so much more fulfilling and happy, if only we knew what to do! Here are some ways men mistreat their wives Are unable to open up and communicate from the heart. This leaves their wives guessing at what the man is really thinking and feeling.** End Summary**

About the Author:
We are a group of parents and professionals who are passionate about helping families manage the stress of modern life. Check out our site: http://stress-familyhealth.net We offer advice and resources on some of the more difficult aspects of raising a family. Stress at work, how to get pregnant, parenting advice for single fathers and single mothers are some of our topics.

Are You Trying To Get Pregnant? Here Are 7 Top Tips

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It might seem a little odd that trying to get pregnant could be stressful, but it certainly can be! You have the many uncertainties, visits to the doctor and specialists, and the well meant advice of friends and family. All of this can add up to a lot of stress, which is couner-productive to your goal: having a baby! When my wife and I were unable to have a baby, a lot of stress was caused when our friends were all having babies and talking to us as if there was something wrong with us. Personally, we were married for 5 years before we succeeded in having a baby. It took numerous visits to the doctor and specialists before the cause was revealed. Apparently the advice worked: we had 8 healthy and very lovely children! Here are some useful tips on how to get pregnant (besides the obvious!): Ignore your well-meaning friends and family. They mean well, but a lot of this advice is just not good. You can be polite and so on, but stick to sound, well-founded advice. After all, it is a human being you are creating!** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough is a parent and professional living in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont. He is part of a group of parents and professionals that are passionate about helping families manage the stress of modern life. Our site is: http://stress-familyhealth.net We offer advice and resources on some of the more difficult aspects of raising a family. Stress at work, how to get pregnant, parenting advice for single fathers and single mothers are some of our topics. We also have a blog, which is updated frequently with very interesting topics. You can visit the blog at http://stress-familyhealth.net/blog "You know Dad, I've been thinkin', one is a lot more than zero!" my son, Thomas, age 5.

Real Parenting Advice For Single Fathers and Single Mothers

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The best single parenting advice I know of is this: It takes a village to raise a child. Single mothers, or single fathers, have extra demands and stress placed on them. It just takes more than two hands to raise a family-it takes a village. Sometimes other people just have no idea what it is like to be alone, raising your kids. The list is almost as endless, as it is relentless. The demands of work, house cleaning, laundry, meals, endless rides, school visits and functions, athletics, programs, doctors, dentists, friends, and on and on it goes. Add the attempt single parents make at having a social life and you might just tip the balance over. But, we all need love and affection and friendship! Ask any single father or single mother about their social life and you are likely to get some pretty funny reactions! So, how does this village work? As any single father or single will quickly agree, the stresses and strains of going it alone can be monumental. At times you can feel so incredibly alone. Yet there are many things that can be done to make you job more fruitful and enjoyable.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough and other parents have worked together to create a family stress website and a menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Natural Progesterone Cream and Menopause Relief

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What can you do when the symptoms of menopause last for years and nothing seems to work? Everywhere women are looking for a safe way to get menopause relief. There are many safe ways to get natural menopause relief, and one of the most effective is natural progesterone cream. It is safe, easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and, for most women, has no harmful side effects. Many women have tried powerful drugs, such as HRT and anti-depressants, with some success, but the side effects were as bad as or worse than the menopause symptom! Any woman suffering from the unpleasant symptoms, including anxiety and tension, would do well to ask her physician for advice on using natural progesterone cream. Often over-the-counter creams contain wild yam, which is great. However, if the wild yam is not converted into progesterone, the body simply cannot metabolize it into progesterone. It is important for the cream to contain USP progesterone in order to get the desired help. The cream is topically applied, just rub it in according to the directions. The dosage is not really critical, a little experimentation will show you how much you need.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Safe Menopause Relief and Family Stress and Health are two of the projects that Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd, have worked together on to help families. They live and work in the Upper Valley of Vermont.

How To Use The Emotional Freedom Techniqe For Menopause Relief

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Recently, I was told about a natural way to find menopause relief that uses acupuncture pressure points, but no needles. Many women have tried the herbal remedies, supplements and medicines, yet still have the same menopause symptoms. This newly developed method is known as The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, and it is highly effective. This relatively new adaptation of the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture was developed by Gary Craig in the 1990's while he was working with Dr. Roger Callahan, a cognitive psychologist. It offers similar benefits to acupuncture, but without the needles. It can also be done by anyone, and at home. What isThe Emotional Freedom Technique? EFT was somewhat accidentally discovered when Dr. Callahan was helping a patient with a phobia of water. By drawing on his background is energy psychology and physical energy flow, the doctor was able to cure the man of his severe phobia. Gary Craig has taken the concept a huge step further by developing the practice of EFT. He has successfully treated over 100,000 people, all with zero side effects and virtually no complaints. It is safe, very easy to use, and quite inexpensive. What makes EFT work?** End Summary**

Menopause Relief--How Long Should Hot Flashes Last?

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There is no clear, straightforward answer to the question of how long your hot flashes last, and how you can get some menopause relief. This is because every woman is different, and has different circumstances. Hot flashes are directly related to physical and mental health. Stress is also a common trigger that sets of a hot flash. Just as your body is completely unique, so are your menopause symptoms. A healthy lifestyle, together with overall physical fitness and a good mental attitude will surely help reduce the symptoms. Very often hot flashes are more frequent during times of stress, and obviously everyone's level of stress can vary greatly. Many women notice that their hot flashes occur more often when they are stressed. This can become a big problem if your lifestyle is hectic and in overdrive nearly all the time. Will the hot flashes stop in a few months, a few years, or what? It could be six months, it could be six years, or it could be sixteen years! Some women have them for just a short while, and others are still having them while in the nineties.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd,have worked together to create a family stress blog and a menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Is This The Best Solution For Menopause Insomnia--Sleeping Pills?

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you watch much TV, you see the ads all the time: Sleeping pills can bring you menopause relief and they are touted as one of the solutions for menopause insomnia. But are they really the answer? During menopause and perimenopause, many, if not most, women suffer to some degree from insomnia. Either you wake up and cannot get back to sleep, or you simply cannot fall asleep as you once could. You wake up tired and go to bed tired, but still you cannot get a good night's sleep. Many factors enter into the insomnia picture: stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, temperature changes, changes in routine, and just minor noises can disturb your slumber. When you look at the overall picture, you can see that there are many things you can do to help with menopause insomnia. The factors mentioned above are all manageable by using natural methods. Is there a natural way? Stress can be managed by using numerous techniques. Our fast-paced lifestyle is mostly to blame, so with some consideration, you can certainly find ways to reduce the stress levels in your life.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd,have worked together to create a family stress blog and a safe menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Get Rid Of The Silent Killer- 5S Implementation In The Office

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

All over the world business is seeking ways to become more profitable, and the lean manufacturing process is an important part of the process. Understandably, they look to the production floor or hospital floor for applying methods such as 5S, but maybe a big part of the underlying problem is that you need 5S implementation in the office! For many businesses, the front office consumes as much as 50% of the total budget, yet it is very often overlooked and is a sort of blind spot for management. So much of the focus is on the shop floor, yet many of the underlying causes for production waste is in the office. The silent killers A 5S implementation in the office will quickly reveal many areas of waste. Some of these silent killers are: People waste Process waste Information waste Asset waste Surface waste So many programs, so little to show A common experience in companies that are trying their best to implement lean manufacturing is that they have experts all over the building, people flying in and out, charts and posters in all the right places, program after program running, but where's the beef?** End Summary**

Electrical Discharge Machining and How To Prevent Pitting

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The scene is all too familiar to anyone connected with EDM machining, or EDM. The scenario goes something like this: You spend hours designing an injection mold core or cavity, days CNC milling and grinding to get the size and shape required. The only thing remaining is the EDM machining of the details. You have the graphite electrodes made up,which takes a couple more days, and finally everything is set up in your CNC EDM machine. Typically, you might make 4 cavities, which will produce 4 exactly identical plastics parts when everything is finally finished. Thing are going well, you have run the first 6 different shaped electrodes through the process, now there is just one more. Only another 16 hours and you will be done and onto the next project. So, you get it all set up to run all night, and you feel confident that everything is as it should be, you can sleep peacefully without waking up in a start, wondering if you did this or that before going home.** End Summary**

Integrating Six Sigma and The Lean Manufacturing Process

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The lean manufacturing process and six sigma should be used together in order to have the most effect in the bottom line of a business. By combining resources and integrating programs, more can be accomplished with less expenditure of time and money. What is the conflict? Six sigma consultants sometimes tend to have an elitist strain, with black belt experts poring over numbers and engaging in long term projects that can be quite far removed from the shop floor. Many lean manufacturing programs, such as those centered on Kaizen events, place an emphasis on teamwork. A recent book, The Perfect Engine, by Anand Sharma and Patricia E. Moody, highlights the benefits of joining forces in a sort of Lean-Six Sigma approach. When most companies begin their lean manufacturing process, they begin with programs such as 5S, and Kaizen blitzes in order to reduce waste. Once these wastes were eliminated, a need is revealed to address the underlying problem. The need to some kind of measurable, statistical method soon becomes apparent and this is where the marriage of lean and six sigma can make such a difference. How does it help to join together?** End Summary**

EDM Machining and How To Prevent Pitting

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

How To Succeed With Corporate Blogging

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

One of the best ways to help your business is to create a blog for corporate blogging. You want more exposure, look for free to cheap advertising, want to increase taffic to your main site, and want to have genuine interaction with your customer base, don't you? A corporate blog can do all of that for you, if you do it right. You can also spin your wheels and experience a big puff of disappointment, if you just go by the seat of your pants. So, the problem is: you want a corporate blog, but just don't know how to go about it. You also don't want to spend extra time or money in the process. Corporate blogging is actually fun Unlike a regular, static web site, a blog is informal, intuitive, short by nature, and even humorous. There is more than enough stuffy, boring monologue already in all the technologically oriented websites. You can reach your business goals by using a blog, and enjoy it at the same time. Corporate blogging is effective A huge advantage of blogging is that you can interact with your customers in an informal manner.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives in the Upper Valley of Vermont with his family where he works as a master plastic injection mold maker. He is also dedicated to helping families deal with stress and succeed in corporate blogging.

Learn About A Testosterone Deficiency In Women?

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What About ATestosterone Deficiency In Women? Testosterone deficiency in women? A lot of people think only teenage boys have testosterone! In reality, both men and women have and need testosterone. Is it very important for women? It certainly is! It affects your sex-drive, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm. The problem often arises during menopause that the desire for sex just dwindles down to near zero. It is hard to become aroused, the vaginal lubrication just isn't there and orgasm seems a distant memory. What you need is some natural menopause relief! What can you do about a testosterone deficiency in women? The first line of defense is good nutrition and a healthy life-style. Some women must make the decision whether or not they should take testosterone therapy as a solution. For some, this might be the correct choice, however, there is a natural way to solve this problem. In women, testosterone comes primarily from the ovaries. During menopause, the ovaries begin slowing down in their production of hormones. Normally, the adrenal glands help out and make up whatever is lacking in order to produce testosterone, but stress of any type can cause this process to be disrupted.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough and Laura Simon,MSW,MEd, are professionals living in the Upper Valley of Vermont. Together they have sites dedicated to helping families dealing with stress and women seeking safe menopause relief.

What About Irregular Periods And Menopause

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The connection between an irregular period and menopause can be rather confusing. This is because a woman's body does not always send a completely clear signal; it just isn't black and white. One thing for sure: you just want your periods to be regular and . Irregular periods are often accompanied by some unpleasant symptoms of menopause such as irritability, sleeplessness, hot flashes, night sweats, and weight gain or loss. Certainly life is better without all that! Are yours regular? Having an irregular menstrual period is quite common, and often increases during perimenopause. Some women have periods like clockwork for years and suddenly miss a month . Others have irregular menstrual periods and suddenly have periods like clockwork During this time of transition you can expect the unexpected. Some periods might be heavy, some very light, and other a combination of both. For many women it often resembles their adolescent periods. An irregular period means that it is a change from the norm for you. The menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, but your own cycle is what is regular for you.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. His 8 lively children have taught him more than he ever imagined possible. Together with Laura Simon,MSW,MEd, they have a Family Stress site and a Safe Menopause Relief site.

The Lean Manufacturing And Kaizen Event

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Kaizen BlitzKaizen Event is a powerful tool in the lean manufacturing process. The blitz enables quick results to occur and often is one of the first things companies do to begin their process. The Kaizen Blitz is a decisive, quick attack on a particular area or process in order to improve it. Kaizen means, in general terms, continuous improvement, and the blitz is a great way to get people's attention and make something happen quickly. It also means that there is little time for resistance to form, or opposition to a new program to develop. The advantages of a Kaizen Blitz Immediate results. This is very helpful so that workers can see something positive happening. Since there is no time for them to object, their potential resistance is overcome by the nature of the blitz. Good tool to use in the beginning. The dramatic and quick results help to shift the company paradigm. When the company has put up posters, or informed the workforce of the coming program, the blitz is a good way to positively reinforce the good aspects of the new program. Shows that this is a well thought out, integrated program that gets results.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. He has been a master plastic injection mold maker for 30 years, a youth pastor for many years and has traveled and studied extensively in Europe. He also has 8 lively children who have taught him more than anything else. He has a Family Stress site and a Plastic Injection molding site

Custom Injection Moliding And The Lean Manufacturing Process

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Custom injection molding has always been a fast moving, chaotic, and challenging business. It also has a high potential for profit, even today, despite the international competition and tight margins. You want to succeed, you see the possibilities, but the global pricing and high expenses make it very difficult. Plastic injection molders are in the almost ideal business to benefit from the lean manufacturing process. If you embrace the entire concept and do not cherry pick the parts that are quick and easy, you will most certainly experience improvements in your operation. The lean manufacturing process is an integrated approach to reducing waste. It could be time or material or anything else; waste is waste and waste equals money in business. It requires a shift in thinking to approach efficiency from this vantage point, rather than always striving to do more, do it faster, do it better. Six Sigma Implementing six sigma requires that management is dedicated to making it work in the long run. Employees are often cynical toward new programs because, in the past, many programs amounted to little more than slogans and banners.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. He has been a master plastic injection mold maker for 30 years, a youth pastor for many years and has traveled and studied extensively in Europe. He also has 8 lively children who have taught him more than anything else. He has a Family Health site and a Mold Making site. http://stress-familyhealth.net/blog http://global-plastic-injection-molding.com/

Family Stress, Changing The Course Of A River

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Can you change the course of a river? The easy answer is, of course, yes! If only it was that easy though. Why would anyone want to take the trouble to change the course of a river anyway? Because such an undertaking is so difficult, there had better be a very good reason for doing it. A reason such as: to prevent flooding, to grow crops, or maybe to gain some land for housing. Nature is not easily changed. Think about the river; it has developed it's present course over many centuries and has altered the earth around it by erosion and silt deposits. It really has a life of its own. How does this relate to families and stress? Well, all of us are born into circumstances that are beyond our control. As we mature, we often wish we could change our family, or change the traits we inherited. My own family has many wonderful traits, and many not-so-wonderful traits. For example: my maternal grandparents were very hospitable and generous. They were quite tolerant of other people and patient. On the other hand, my paternal grandparents were nearly polar opposite.** End Summary**

About the Author:
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. He has been a master plastic injection mold maker for 30 years, a youth pastor for many years and has traveled and studied extensively in Europe. He also has 8 lively children who have taught him more than anything else. He has a Family Health site and a Mold Making site. http://stress-familyhealth.net/blog http://global-plastic-injection-molding.com/