tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64310360571531645042024-03-05T05:28:03.880-08:00BestPosting.comFinance - Health - Tecnlogoy - Computer - TrendAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-76740530389933608592010-12-17T19:26:00.000-08:002010-12-17T19:54:29.560-08:00The Real Facts About structured settlement investments<div style="text-align: justify;">Currently we still have a lot of companies, firms, and individuals that are still interested and want to purchase structured settlements as soon as the decisions have been made in your settlement has been finalized. It is obvious that many companies are waiting to purchase anything worth the investment in this world of money and finance. There will always be the guy on top waiting to cash in on any niche market. </div><p style="text-align: justify;">But we must wonder why in the world do these companies strive to purchase a structured settlement? The answer to that question is also very clear, they are always in business to make the fast dollar. But they are not the only ones that will benefit from purchase structured settlements. Usually the seller of the settlement benefits more and the purchaser.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The situation is like so, there is a company that would like to purchase a structured settlement. They as the buyer will be the ones negotiating all of the terms to what benefits them the models since they are the ones with the money.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> They also have some risks to be aware of in some cases, they don’t always get paid back all of their investment. This is just a quick example of some of the issues that a buyer and purchaser need to be aware and we advise that you do some research and find an adviser that can help you purchase structured settlements or sell your structured settlements.<br /><br />What is your opinion about the <a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">structured settlement investment</a> ? If you buy structured settlements, you will buy an investment instrument. Visit: <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">purchase structured settlements</a><br /></div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-89787883435599259422010-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:002010-12-17T19:02:33.643-08:00Many Reasons Why Do You Buy And Sell Structured Settlements<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why Do You Buy And Sell Structured Settlements</span><br /><br />The tragedies suffered by victims of work site accidents or road accidents destroy a person both physically and financially. Coping with such tragedies and major life-altering events become even more stressful with medical bills and future financial uncertainty looming ahead. Compensation to victims today work more on structured settlements principle that divides the compensation into periodic installments that help with lifelong needs.<br /><br />Structured settlement is a legal agreement whereby the defendant agrees to a payment of a fixed and regular amount to the victim as compensation. These installments can be worked to provide tax benefits unlike lump sum settlements, bank deposits or other investment. It is beneficial in cases where the victim needs medical therapies and check-ups that last years after the accident. Structured settlement enables the victim to meet his medical needs. This system allays the general fears of improper and unwise spending which normally occurs when a huge sum is received at one go.<br /><br />While structured settlements have its benefits, many victims may prefer lump sum payments. However in such circumstances he can always trade his annuity. Selling and buying of structured settlements have several legal repercussions to them. Also different are the insurance company terms on these. Also consult with your insurance company before proceeding with sale as they too have their legal guidelines affecting such sale. Checking whether the law in your state permits it is the first step.<br /><br />A structured settlement buyer must be sought only after good analysis of available offers. Most of the investment firms eagerly pursue settlement contracts. The attraction for the buyer is the continuous and legally guaranteed annuities whereas the seller is looking for a huge instant payout in these deals. The buying company’s history should be looked upon for avoiding pitfalls. There are many fraud companies which cheat you once the paper work is done and disappear from the scene. Always ensure a good attorney represents you who will be able to help you handle such transactions.<br /><br />Purchasers of structured settlements also need to look out for invalid deals. It would be best if a court ruling establishes the transfer of rights to the buyer’s favor to prevent any unwanted disputes in the future. Whether you are buying your structured settlement or selling it to an investment company, proper vigilance and precautions are mandatory. </div><br />Are you looking for more information regarding <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">Structured Settlement Investment</a> </span>?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Visit <a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">www.bestposting.com</a> today For Your advice on how to write Settlement Investment Demand Letter and learn more.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-90661595252861901772010-12-17T06:48:00.000-08:002010-12-17T07:00:20.571-08:00How to Get High ROI With The Structured Settlement Investment<b>Have you ever planned to get a high ROI with a structured settlement investment ?</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The structured settlement investment means, that a buyer will buy a program or a plan, which gives him regular periodic income for a certain agreed time. The future profits from the structured settlement investment comes from 3 elements, the purchase price, the difference with the interest rate and the taxation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. The Seller Needs An Acceptance From The Court.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Originally most settlements are the results of the court decisions. They are paid as the compensations of the injuries with an idea to guarantee the financial future of the recipient. When the settlement investment is as a petition the court will investigate the needs of the seller. The court will also check the reputation of the buyer. No hidden costs are accepted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. The Need Of A Seller.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One important element of the profitability is the purchase price. If the seller is in a hurry and he honestly has an urgent need of the money, this can influence a lot on the selling price. A buyer can try to reduce the price by offering a cash payment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. The Phase Of The Economy.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If the <a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Finance">financial situation</a> of the seller has a big influence on the selling price, the general economic situation will also influence strongly on the prices. The settlement investment is a product, which gets the price on the market.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the economy is in a recession, it will dramatically reduce the prices, because the future profit possibilities are lower. The buyer makes it wise, if he can wait for the correct time, because the purchase price is one of the strongest profit builder.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Where Are The Best Deals?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The settlement brokers know the market and the open offers best. The buyer must be active, or his broker, because the new sellers appear the market regularly. The negotiating skills and the experience of the broker can solve the deals. But expertise is needed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Avoid To Buy From The Scam.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The settlement market includes several scam companies, unfortunately. This means, that a buyer has to co-operate with a proven expert, who has the latest information about the reputable companies and the market terms. Only then he is able to recommend something to the buyer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpzKxSKsLtk6HUAQK_iiKSyXMKxGGx1kHN941dPUQJrVeDVRyR6MCsgjlgvjV2H-kjarwI289WLotTvdKZ_TTUfN2JozNs1VyZUBH3u24pSQfeZ7ddBHMSo6MsN-1wMnnRJMLwAE17O4/s1600/roi"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpzKxSKsLtk6HUAQK_iiKSyXMKxGGx1kHN941dPUQJrVeDVRyR6MCsgjlgvjV2H-kjarwI289WLotTvdKZ_TTUfN2JozNs1VyZUBH3u24pSQfeZ7ddBHMSo6MsN-1wMnnRJMLwAE17O4/s320/roi" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551665480435787570" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">settlement</a>, when handled correctly, offers a high ROI. This requires, that the purchase price is low, the deal is done with a secure and reputable company. And then the biggest profit maker, the settlement payments are tax free.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">High ROI from the structured settlement investment? Yes, if you succeed to take a good structured settlement quote. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Visit: <a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Structured%20Settlement">buy structured settlements</a></div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-43395875758062070292010-12-17T06:25:00.000-08:002010-12-17T06:30:08.231-08:00Credit Card Reform For Your Wallet Health<div style="text-align: justify;">President Obama has signed sweeping <b>credit card reforms</b> into law. The reforms are designed to protect cardholders from certain interest rate hikes, unfair fees, issuing, and billing practices, and generally require greater transparency and accountability from card issuers. While most consumer rights groups applaud the reforms as long overdue restrictions on deceptive and predatory practices, some serious points of concern were raised this week in the econo-blogosphere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">First, Odysseas Papadimitriou provides a helpful overview of the bill's main features and how they'll likely impact your wallet, and concludes: "The credit card legislation will significantly change the way credit card companies conduct business... consumers will see smaller credit lines, higher interest rates, higher membership fees, and fewer 0 percent offers. Rewards offers will likely stay the same... While the effects of the legislation... may seem wholly negative, we strongly believe that the long-term effects will result in a net benefit for consumers."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Andrew Martin in the 'New York Times' Monday raised concern among those who pay their credit card balances in full each month and enjoy rewards programs with no annual fees. Martin certainly pleased the American Banker Association by presenting its quasi-threat "to look at reviving annual fees, curtailing cash-back and other rewards programs, and charging interest immediately on a purchase instead of allowing a grace period of weeks."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Francis Cianfrocca falls in line: "The credit card industry will have no choice but to start raising fees on the people who do what your mother always told you to do: pay off your debts on time and avoid high-rate balances."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Bryan Caplan says the ABA's claims that responsible, low-risk card holders will suffer are just 'wrong, wrong, wrong... [Martin's 'NYT'] article is as crazy as a story about the minimum wage claiming that highly skilled workers suffer the most because employers need to 'make up the difference somewhere.' The correct retort, of course, is 'Yea, they make up the difference by buying less of the labor that now costs more.'"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tom Petruno also doesn't buy it: "If [<a href="http://www.bestposting.com/search/label/Finance">card-issuing banks</a>] really want to aggravate their best customers, they may have to factor in the risk that Congress could come back and hit them even harder. Better to count your bailout money and dim the rhetoric, boys."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Former Dallas Fed president Bob McTeer notes this isn't the first time lawmakers have called bankers' bluff on credit card regulation, and acknowledges that "I will probably be one victim of the legislation," since he pays his balance in full each month to obtain frequent flyer miles. "Many of the credit card issuers brought this on themselves by some of their egregious actions and lack of proper communication with their customers... The economics of the situation and my gut are pulling in opposite directions."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42ucewSINmKBwNbvHP5HXYclERJJgJgYnoFOZlWndhmuoJuY09uk7sgJGenXHh1xrZEITRVZeZ5GEywxtx-fYlWEV_gZaN3cwmMbIRdFjyhXQ6bb1_9Ltiawn0HU_KWdvJgn9av-II_8/s1600/cc"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42ucewSINmKBwNbvHP5HXYclERJJgJgYnoFOZlWndhmuoJuY09uk7sgJGenXHh1xrZEITRVZeZ5GEywxtx-fYlWEV_gZaN3cwmMbIRdFjyhXQ6bb1_9Ltiawn0HU_KWdvJgn9av-II_8/s320/cc" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551658197572568978" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barbara Kiviat doesn't accept that banks don't profit from cardholders like her who pay the balance in full each month. Reminding us of exchange fees card issuers charge, Kiviat asks, "Why would credit card companies, in the aggregate, do business with the 42 percent of American households that pay off their balance each month?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Likewise Ryan Avent: "If credit card companies could have been making more money on quality borrowers all along, why didn't they?... What seems more probable is that high-quality borrowers used to have more credit options available to them, and so credit card companies had to work harder to get their business. Now, in the midst of recession with many borrowing options -- including home equity lines -- no longer available, credit card lenders can squeeze more out their customers. They're the only game in town and can price accordingly."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Felix Salmon concurs with Kiviat and Avent that high-quality borrowers were always profitable for card issuers, and adds: "The cost to society of having millions of individuals carrying large credit card balances with very high interest rates is vastly greater than the benefit to [no-balance cardholders] of having a reasonably convenient way of paying for goods in shops."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ezra Klein adds a worthwhile point: "There's a good reason for credit card companies to want lots of users who aren't very profitable. Imagine a world in which 42 percent of households pay their bills and 58 percent miss the occasional payment. Now imagine that the credit card companies lose a bit of money on the 42 percent and make a lot of money on the 58 percent. They still need that 42 percent. The credit industry works best when everyone has a credit card. That only happens when most places take credit cards. And that requires not only huge volume, but also credit card penetration across different segments of society. Credit cards have to be the norm everywhere if everyone is going to have credit cards and that 58 percent is going to contain the maximum number of people."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Michael Hiltzik acknowledges that card companies "have been guilty of genuinely sleazy behavior," but he's compelled to stick up for them on some fundamentals: "Certain purported sins, such as raising rates and cutting credit limits for some borrowers, merely ratchet back the loose standards that helped lead us to economic perdition. For years we cursed the banks for showering Americans with easy credit. Now we curse them for tightening up."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dear John Thain is "worried that legislators have managed to put restrictions and requirements on credit card companies without taking the last step: making them ineligible to be waived in boiler-plate language." Salmon responds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, by the way, Republicans managed to tack a completely unrelated gun rights measure onto the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009. This left Joshua Morgan Brown irate: "How much easier this economic environment would be on us all if only we could walk into National Parks with LOADED weapons. I mean, yeah, I guess it's pretty cool to be able to visit Jellystone Park with an empty gun, but loaded? Now that’s stimulus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Personal finance corner: While you wait for the reforms to kick in, Consumer Reports has some suggestions for how to immediately negotiate better terms if you feel your card issuer has unfairly changed your rate terms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And finally, don't miss Colbert's take on the bill -- his <b>credit card</b> just got pre-approved for its own credit card!</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-49702128634499134932010-12-17T05:38:00.000-08:002010-12-17T05:49:04.908-08:00Selling a structured settlement is not a good investment<div style="text-align: justify;">A <b>structured settlement</b> is a financial or insurance arrangement, defined by Internal Revenue Code as periodic payments; a claimant accepts to resolve a personal injury tort claim or to compromise a statutory periodic payment obligation. Structured settlements were first utilized in Canada after settlement for children affected by Thalidomide. Structured settlement cases became more popular in the United States during the 1970s as an alternative to lump sum settlements. The increased popularity was also due to several rulings by the IRS and an increase in personal injury awards. The IRS rulings changed policies such that if the requirements were met then claimants could have federal income tax waived.</div><br /><b>Is selling a structured settlement a good investment ?</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before one decides to sell his structured settlement for another investment opportunity; it is worthwhile to consider the pros and cons of such an action. The most important advantages of structured settlements include regular payments that are free from income tax and are secured by state and federal laws. This cannot be said of many other investment options. Structured settlements can also be invested in government schemes that may offer low returns but are guaranteed.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qpHnwZqM3GPdB0Rpkf6a0rCAuAQtOuADxveQpDsDw9Ey7CMJDLmph-Tn-f3tvAZixbWhHW9CBBCp9xwmwUJGoDb70blSCi5kdhHqnITOVY94em_5LH-jSrmXmYx39pP9KuT24QKWEdQ/s1600/711.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qpHnwZqM3GPdB0Rpkf6a0rCAuAQtOuADxveQpDsDw9Ey7CMJDLmph-Tn-f3tvAZixbWhHW9CBBCp9xwmwUJGoDb70blSCi5kdhHqnITOVY94em_5LH-jSrmXmYx39pP9KuT24QKWEdQ/s320/711.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551647288020093490" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">The main reason for an individual opting for another investment vehicle is the apparent high returns from that investment option. These options include stocks and real estate. One should compare the pre-tax income from an alternative investment source to that from a structured settlement. Also, the process of selling a structured settlement involves a cost. This is because the amount of settlement payment sold is more than the lump sum obtained. This cost should be factored and compared to the returns from another investment.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Choosing a <b>structured settlement investment</b> as an option for for financial gain can be a viable method of acquiring profit.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-91555964633297516302010-12-08T01:44:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:21:42.074-08:00A Gift of Sight: Visual Perception Treatment for Autistic Children<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.bestposting.com/">Autism</a></b> effects every child differently, so it is difficult to find the exact treatments your child needs to cope with his or her symptoms. One thing that effects some autistic children (though, not all) is problems with visual perception. By using some standardized methods to help improve visual perception, you can give your child the ability to see the world more clearly, making learning and comprehension easier and possibly curbing some behavior problems as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Autistic children mainly have problems with sensory overload and distortion. These are some of the same problems many people not suffering from the disorder develop, and so many treatment options have become available. Individuals with autism often find, however, that the sensory overload of the world due to light, colors, contrast, shapes, and patterns, is too much to handle, causing them to act out or shut down in general. This is sometimes a genetic condition that is simply enhanced by the autism, so if the child's parents have trouble with reading or have been otherwise treated for visual perceptive problems, there is a good chance that the child needs help as well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Irene Method is one effective way to treat visual perception disorders. This method uses color to create a more harmonized world. You may have heard of these methods if anyone has ever suggested using a color filter over the page when reading to be able to read better and more quickly. This method is proven to work, and if your autistic child is at the maturity level of reading, you may want to try these color filters to see if there is a difference in speed and comprehension. However, it is more likely that your autistic child will benefit from color filters during the entire day, not just when reading. Special glasses have been made using colored lenses to conquer this problem. Not every child responds the same way to every color, so it is a process of trial and error to find out which color is the one blocking the harmful light. You can also choose to use colored light bulbs in your home to help autistic individuals with their visual perception problems. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/images/autistic_child.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 330px;" src="http://www.masternewmedia.org/images/autistic_child.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This method mainly helps children in 4 areas: depth perception, social interaction, learning, and physical well being. The colors help the child determine how far he or she is from an object, and the world becomes more three-dimensional, helping depth perception. Social interaction also improves because the child feels as though he or she is in a calmer world and can more clearly see and interpret facial expressions. The colors make it possible to learn, especially when reading, and overall, the child will feel better, because it helps reduce headaches and dizziness. By testing this technique and others to help visual perception problems, you can help your child better cope with the world and his or her autism. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-57101362527123187102010-12-07T14:52:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:04:43.711-08:00The Affordable nokia smartphone 2010 - Nokia C5-03<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.vivanews.com/images/2010/10/15/97737_nokia-c5-03.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://media.vivanews.com/images/2010/10/15/97737_nokia-c5-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">In trying times like these, you can still enjoy owning a Smartphone that is affordable. You do not have to settle with not owning one, or aiming for the high-end mobile phone if you really cannot afford it. Luckily, Nokia came up with its mid-range Symbian Smartphone. And I am talking about the new Nokia C5-03. Now, this article is all about telling you about this latest Nokia Smartphone that will definitely quench your thirst for the best and yet affordable Smartphone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You do not have to own the most expensive Smartphone out there, with the Nokia C5-03, it will feel like you actually own one of the high-end mobile phones even if it is not actually that expensive. The fact is, you with this phone, you will enjoy a full-touch with stylus support and full-QWERTY keyboard. Now, that is having the best of both worlds without paying dearly for it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When it comes to camera, this handset will definitely impress you with its 5 megapixel camera with up to 4x zoom (digital). It also comes with full screen viewfinder. Now, you will enjoy taking pictures, capturing videos, or simply using this handset with its 3.2 inch screen size. Its resolution will impress you as well, with its 640 by 360 (nHD), you will definitely won't ask for more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you are after personalization, then this baby can definitely handle it as well. You can choose to customize your phone's home screen to your heart's content. You also can choose from its pre-installed themes or simply download more if you feel like it. The Nokia Ovi store is always there to help you with your every download needs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You will also fall in love with its full-web browsing capability. You can say goodbye to reading or being directed to basic HTML web pages. With the new Nokia C5-03, you can view the internet, watch videos, or even use your favorite SNS accounts just like the way you use it with your desktop or laptop.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Truly, the makers of the Nokia C5-03 thought of the masses, when they conceptualized this phone. Now, you too have the chance to own a Smartphone without having to pay dearly for it. You too can now enjoy a stylish and mid-range Symbian mobile phone without sacrificing your other personal needs or your hard-earned money.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-8734011260386663102010-12-06T12:16:00.001-08:002010-12-06T12:20:55.939-08:005 Quick-Change Careers for 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sites.isr.umich.edu/DNN/Portals/58/images/CDProgram_Image.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 495px; height: 310px;" src="http://sites.isr.umich.edu/DNN/Portals/58/images/CDProgram_Image.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">If your job is one of the casualties of the recession or you'd just like to make a fast career change, you're in luck: there's a healthy job market out there for people with the right career training. After a short course of study (online or in person), you could be ready for a new job in 2011.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here are five new careers for quick-change artists: careers in fields experiencing healthy demand, careers that require minimal training to get in the door, and careers with room for advancement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Medical-Records and Health-Information Technicians</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Medical-records and health-information technicians maintain patients' health information, using a variety of software and record-management techniques. It's highly important that these records be both accurate and secure (obviously, the docs can't do it with their awful penmanship).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) touts this occupation as one expected to grow much faster than average, and it predicts very good job prospects for credentialed candidates. Credentials can be obtained by taking a course, which may last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, and then passing an exam. Most credentialing programs require regular recertification and continuing education. Some also require work experience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While a short course can get you in the door, people interested in promotion should be prepared to continue their education with an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>HVAC Technicians</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">HVAC technicians install and maintain heating and air-conditioning equipment. They follow blueprints and use a variety of equipment to test and repair systems. The colder the winters are where you live, the hotter your job opportunities may be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This occupation is expected to grow much faster than average, according to the BLS, and job prospects should be excellent. Most employers want to see vocational career training, which takes six months to two years to complete. In addition, accrediting agencies have set academic standards for HVAC programs: HVAC Excellence, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, and the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After completing these programs, you'll need between six months and two years of field experience to be considered a heavy hitter in the profession.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bookkeeping</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The large size of this field ensures plentiful job opportunities, according to the BLS. Bookkeepers maintain accounting records--they may calculate expenditures, receipts, accounts payable and receivable, and profits or losses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bookkeepers range in expertise from clerks, who might keep track only of payments to vendors or receipts from customers, to full-charge bookkeepers, to accountants who prepare complex financial statements.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Advancement depends on experience and education, but you can get your foot in the door with a quick training course. Advanced education includes the associate's degree and bachelor's degree in accounting, or you may pass an exam and become a Certified Bookkeeper (CB).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">People with specialized Microsoft knowledge can find work in a wide variety of fields. Certification courses are taught by many education partners both in person and online.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to Microsoft, if you have no previous experience it can take several months to prepare for your exams; otherwise, the process may go faster. You can choose to specialize in Windows configuration, Visual Studio, SQL server, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Exchange.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BLS says that the field is still growing faster than average and that job prospects are good. Microsoft training and certification prove to employers that you have attained a certain level of expertise--they're a good way to get a foot in the door. As you become more experienced, go further with Master Certification or Professional Certification, or by earning a bachelor's degree.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Green Building</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, the construction industry has been hit especially hard by the recession, and there are many very talented folks who are out of work. But recent reports show that new housing starts are up--the Commerce Department reports that home construction rose 10.5 percent in August 2010. With more stimulus projects on the horizon, construction jobs look like they may be coming back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Green building certification can show potential employers that you're committed to your industry and developing your skills, and that you understand the trends and challenges of building today. Green building certification can be earned in a few months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Competition is bound to be tough as the construction field recovers, so anything that can help you stand out is likely a good investment of your time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The recession may have dealt you a hard blow, or you may just be bored silly in your current profession. If so, now may be the perfect time to develop a new skill and start a new career.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-50356781591211458462010-12-06T11:51:00.000-08:002010-12-06T11:54:04.794-08:00Google opens e-book store in challenge to Amazon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/34/43/71.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 218px;" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/34/43/71.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google Inc. is making the leap from digital librarian to merchant in a challenge to Amazon.com Inc. and its Kindle electronic reader.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The long-awaited Internet book store, which opened Monday in the U.S., draws upon a portion of the 15 million printed books that Google has scanned into its computers during the past six years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">About 4,000 publishers, including CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster Inc., Random House Inc. and Pearson PLC's Penguin Group, are also allowing Google to carry many of their recently released books in the new store.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those publishing deals will ensure that most of the current best sellers are among the 3 million e-books initially available in Google's store, said Amanda Edmonds, who oversaw the company's partnerships. Millions more out-of-print titles will appear in Google's store, called eBooks, if the company can gain federal court approval of a proposed class-action settlement with U.S. publishers and authors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The $125 million settlement has been under review for more than two years. It faces stiff opposition from rivals, consumer watchdogs, academic experts, literary agents and even foreign governments, which worry that Google would get too much power to control prices in the still-nascent market for electronic books. Amazon.com, which started its business as a seller of books over the Internet, is among the competitors trying to squelch the settlement. The U.S. Justice Department has advised the judge overseeing the case that the settlement probably would violate antitrust and copyright laws.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Books bought from Google's store can be read on any machine with a Web browser. There are also free applications that can be installed on Apple Inc.'s iPad and iPhone, as well as other devices powered by Google's own mobile operating system, Android.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Google's eBooks can't be loaded on to the Kindle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Electronic books are expected to generate nearly $1 billion in U.S. sales this year and climb to $1.7 billion by 2012 as more people buy electronic readers and computer tablets such as the iPad, according to Forrester Research. The research group expects a total of 15 million e-readers and tablets to have been sold in the U.S. by the end of the year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google believes it's already offering the broadest selection of digital titles in the world, and it plans to keep adding to the inventory if it can gain the necessary copyright clearances. The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., believes it eventually will be able to make electronic copies of the estimated 130 million books in the world. It's also planning to start selling books outside the U.S. next year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google's eBooks store, originally to be called Editions, has been in the works for more than a year. The company already had been showing books no longer protected under copyright in their entirety and displaying snippets of other titles through its widely used search engine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The company is trying to position its new sales outlet as an ally to publishers, merchants and consumers looking for alternatives to Amazon's electronic book store, which feeds Amazon's hot-selling Kindle, but not other e-readers, including Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nook.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google's e-books will work on the Nook, Sony Corp.'s Reader devices and practically every other e-reading device except the Kindle. Google achieves this with the help of Adobe Inc.'s copy-protection system for e-books. That system is already used by public libraries and smaller online bookstores, but hasn't seen much interest from the major players. Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Apple all have their own copy-protection systems.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google plans to offer sharp discounts on many of its e-books but it will still pay publishers 52 percent of the list price for sales made on its site, unless another arrangement has been negotiated with an outside agency. The formula means that even if Google elects to sell a book with a $10 list price for $6, the publisher would still be entitled to $5.20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey described Google's latest effort as a "game expander" rather than a game changer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The growing embrace of digital sales by the publishing industry is expected to result in the closure of hundreds more book stores during the next few years, adding to a media mortuary of music and video merchants killed by electronic distribution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google's announcement comes on the same day that activist investor William Ackman, who owns a 37 percent stake in Borders Group Inc., offered to finance a Borders-led takeover bid for rival bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. If successful, it could ultimately lead to closures of overlapping stores.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a move that could delay closures of other retailers, Google is allowing independent book stores to sell its inventory through their own sites. More than 100 book retailers in 36 states already have agreed to team up with Google. They include Powell's in the Portland, Ore., area and online-only merchant Alibris.com.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Opening the door to book merchants who can't afford to invest heavily in technology could help some of them survive the digital transition, McQuivey said. "At least this gives them a fighting chance."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although Google expects the lion's share of its eBooks revenue to be funneled to its partners, its portion of the sales could help the company develop another way to make money besides the Internet ads that bring most of its income. The availability of eBooks also could help boost advertising sales by giving people another reason to come to Google's website.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Google shares edged up $4.72 to $577.72 in Monday's early afternoon trading.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To allay concerns that it will exploit the dominance of its Internet search engine to spur e-book sales on its own site, Google plans to include links to several other places where people can buy a book mentioned in a search request. And when visitors come to the book section on Google's website, they will be asked if they are interested in buying or just doing general research.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-68730523320924128342010-12-05T18:34:00.000-08:002010-12-05T18:36:43.695-08:00Fill-in-the-Blanks With Comedian Kevin Hart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rollingout.com/images/stories/dec-10/kevinhart_large.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 625px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.rollingout.com/images/stories/dec-10/kevinhart_large.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Make no mistake; Kevin Hart is one of the funniest comedians currently in the biz. Hands down. With his rapid-fire delivery, and his ability to tell stories about his life that rival past comedic greats, Hart has established himself as one of the nation’s most in-demand comedians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But what happens when he’s forced to go off script? Is he still the same hilarious guy who’s currently selling out venues on his whirlwind comedy tour?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, we sought the answer to the question, and our findings were … well, just see for yourself. Here is Kevin Hart unplugged — one of the many upcoming video features from our recent cover shoot with the comedian.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-59516673875808145132010-12-05T15:24:00.000-08:002010-12-05T15:26:27.166-08:00Sierra Leoneans must learn to thank God every day for his goodness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cocorioko.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/manpraisingGod-538-x-6001-269x300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.cocorioko.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/manpraisingGod-538-x-6001-269x300.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, Thanksgiving Day , brings to the fore a topic much discussed in Sierra Leonean circles –That is our lack of cheer and a thankful spirit. We always seem to be complaining all the time .Why do we as a people love to grumble and complain a lot when we should be thanking God for his goodness and his tender mercies ? The reason is that we do not like to acknowledge how much God is doing for us and as a nation we have not learnt to count our blessings. Merely going to bed at night and waking up in the morning hale and hearty is something to thank God for everyday. We do not need a special day for thanking God for his goodness . Everyday should be a thanksgiving day in our lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the psalms of thanksgiving in the Bible, Psalm 107 , begins by enjoining man : “O give thanks unto the Lord ,for he is good” and it continues the admonition in Verse 8 : “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness ,and for his wonderful works to the children of men. ” As I said earlier, this spirit of thankfulness is missing in the Sierra Leonean psyche. When one listens to some Sierra Leoneans, it is as if there is nothing to be thankful for in our country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the war years when all one saw around him were death, merciless slaughters , pitiless amputation of limbs of innocent people ,wholesale looting, vandalism and destruction of property and indescribable suffering, one could have found reason to justify the grumbling and complaining .But the war has ended in Sierra Leone and there has been peacebuilding and peace consolidation .The country is now in complete peace and indeed Sierra Leone has been declared by the World Bank the most peaceful and the safest place to do business . We have a very good government in power today led by a reform-minded and progressive President in the person of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and as a result noticeable and magnificent infrastructural developments are taking place all over the country . The economy is improving ; businesses are being set up and commerce is flourishing. Lots of foreign investments are being made and mining activities have resumed all over the country. Best of all, oil has been discovered off the shores of Sierra Leone . You refuse to understand therefore why all you hear from opposition members in Sierra Leone is whinning and grinning, complaining and grumbling. It is because they are not thankful to God. We have spectacular problems and challenges in Sierra Leone . Nobody can deny that. But at the same time God is doing wonderful things for us and we need to praise him for them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God is infinitely good and he blesses his creation but we have chosen to think only about the bad things .That should not be the case . That is probably the reason that the hymn-writer Johnson Oatman jr admonishes in one of the most immortal of hymns :</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your many blessings, name them one by one,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If we examine our lives, we will find that inspite of our many problems there are things that we must thank God for. The philosophizing writer said that he was complaining that he did not have a pair of shoes and was walking bare-footed until he saw somebody who did not even have feet to walk with, let alone wear shoes. Let us cultivate the habit of positively seeing the good and blessed things in our lives and praise God for them. One day, I was in the bus heading for New York and grumbling in my heart about a headache that was not making any attempt to go even after I had taken aspirin. When we came upon an accident on the turnpike where a man’s head was literally sheared off his car by a tractor-trailer, I did not know how my headache went.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am therefore using this Thanksgiving holiday to appeal to my people to cultivate the spirit of thankfulness to God. I don’t care what problems you are confronted with today ; have faith in God and start counting the blessings in your life and you will see wonderful things beginning to happen in your life . Life is not as very bad as some people often make it seem. God is so good that there is nobody who cannot count at least one good thing that God has done for him./her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is at times very difficult to praise the Lord when upon life’s billows you are being tempest-tossed and the devil makes it seem like there is no way. But God is good and I admonish you today to keep trusting in him and one day you will come back and testify to your pastor or church about his goodness. Please enjoy the hymn below and may the words of this immortal song minister to you as you listen to the instrumental.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/countyou.htm</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your many blessings, name them one by one,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.RefrainCount your blessings, name them one by one,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your blessings, see what God hath done!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your blessings, name them one by one,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.Are you ever burdened with a load of care?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And you will keep singing as the days go by.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Refrain</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you look at others with their lands and gold,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Refrain</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, amid the conflict whether great or small,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Do not be disheartened, God is over all;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Count your many blessings, angels will attend,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-1387667493229898752010-12-05T14:36:00.000-08:002010-12-05T14:39:03.677-08:00Men: 5 lessons for meeting more women<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.match.com/match/matchscene/articles/main9137.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 183px;" src="http://images.match.com/match/matchscene/articles/main9137.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">To the men who are reading this article: There are a lot of women who are very unhappy with you. Really. I know, because as a dating coach, I hear women tell me all the time in the most exasperated tone: “How come I never meet a nice, normal guy? Why do I only get approached by creeps?” You’ve probably heard women say this yourself. So how would you respond to them? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m guessing it’s something like: “Nice guys are afraid of rejection, don’t want to bother you when you’re out, and are generally more concerned with the consequences of being embarrassed than with actually meeting you.” It may be true, but, as truth goes, it’s a pretty sad state of affairs. What’s easy to forget is that most women want to be approached by you. By not approaching them, you’re letting them down and allowing the creeps to take their shot. Follow these lessons and the next time you’re out, maybe you’ll prove that nice guys don’t finish last. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lesson #1: Assume the answer is yes</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever been sold a product before? Hair tonic, a car, bathroom tile? I can guarantee you that the salesperson didn’t pitch you by saying, “Um, excuse me… I hate to bother you… would you be interested in… I mean, probably not, but—” No! Any salesman worth his commission is not just selling confidence in his product, but confidence in himself. “Confidence says I’m bright, I’m likeable, women have liked me in the past, I’m comfortable in my own skin,” says Victor, 38, a real estate broker. “Since she has to make a decision on the spot, confidence through nonverbal communication makes the best impression.” You can even “fake it ’til you make it” through these two very simple means: Smile and maintain eye contact. And remember: If you don’t know that you’re worth talking to, how would she know?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lesson #2: It’s not about you</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m out at a big Hollywood scene with beautiful people. It’s getting late, towards the end of the night, and I ask my buddy Terrance which woman he’s got his eye on. He points to an attractive brunette talking to a cute blonde across the courtyard. Slightly bemused, I tell him that I will make the introduction. As I stride over, I rationalize that if my approach doesn’t go well, she’s not really rejecting me, but rather, Terrance. I know this isn’t true, but it gets me going. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I arrive while the women are in mid-conversation. I say nothing for a few seconds and when they both look at me, I chime in: “You guys just keep talking. I’ll interrupt when I’ve got something interesting to contribute.” And that was it. It wasn’t a line. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. After three minutes, Terrance came over, I made the introductions, and we both got phone numbers. The moral of the story? Playing my little conversational trick in all pick-up situations can be really helpful. Just ask any married friend how easy it is to talk with women when you know that there are no stakes involved. If it’s not about you, you can’t possibly fail. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lesson #3: There’s power in numbers</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Believe it or not, three is better than one. When you approach a woman who is by herself, she knows that you’re hitting on her based solely on your attraction to her. This increases the pressure in a way that doesn’t always make for a comfortable situation. That’s why the safest way to meet a woman is to approach her in a crowd of her friends. Now there’s no pressure, because nobody knows who you’re hitting on, and you can just be the friendly guy who’s chatting with everybody. “If you’re charming, funny or bright,” says Charles, 36, “she might find herself interested in you before you’ve expressed interest in her.” This tilts things in your favor, even to the point where you might be in control. “By charming her friends and getting their approval, the one you like will be that much more open when you ask her out,” adds Charles. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lesson #4: It’s just that easy</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you ever doubt how simple it can be to meet a woman, this story should inspire you: I was at a party with some close friends and saw an acquaintance across the room. Late 30s, attractive, friendly, likeable. We’d met probably four times before through a mutual friend who was also at the party. When our eyes met, I smiled at her. She smiled back. Because it was a large and crowded room, I put out my index finger and beckoned her to come over to me. She sort of did a double take, smiled even more broadly and came right over. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Hi,” I said, warmly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Hi,” she said, blankly. Then it hit me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“You have no idea who I am,” I said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“None whatsoever,” she replied.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It’s Evan. Evan Katz.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Oh, yes — we’ve met! You cut your hair. I didn’t even recognize you.” She gave me a hug. But I had one more important question to ask her before we continued talking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Is it really that easy to get a woman to talk to you… just by calling her over with your finger?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She took a second to consider the evidence and replied, “Apparently, it is.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So there you have it. We men have more power than we even realized. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lesson #5: The outcome doesn’t matter</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maybe you’re not her type. Maybe she’s just out of a relationship. Maybe she’s having troubles at work. Maybe she’s not perceptive enough to recognize your worth. You never know why someone may not be interested in you. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter. It’s more diminishing to your self-esteem to let fear run your life than it is to get rejected. Here’s one story below that showcases this in a big way. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I was in the checkout line at the grocery store, and I was waiting for a woman with 400 coupons. In the meantime, I was talking to the tall, raven-haired cutie behind me. We were making jokes, laughing, passing the time. All in all, a very pleasant five minutes of my life. The coupon lady finished up. I paid for my stuff, said goodbye to my new friend and rolled my cart out the door. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The second I hit the fresh air, I was kicking myself: Dummy! Why didn’t you ask for her phone number? Because I got all embarrassed what with the other people in line and the woman swiping my bar codes. Because of all the other reasons that nice guys wimp out. I decided that this would not do. I was going to wait until she came out of the supermarket and ask her out. And that’s what I did. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Hey, it was a lot of fun meeting you in there,” I said to her as she emerged with her bags. “I was wondering if you’d like to grab lunch sometime.” </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A big smile came across her face. “You are so cute and I couldn’t be more flattered, but I have a serious, live-in boyfriend. But I really want to thank you for asking. You totally made my day.” After she said goodbye, I went home, walking on air, so happy that I did it, instead of wishing I did it, like so many times before. It didn’t matter if she had a boyfriend or if she was lying or being polite or whatever — all that mattered was that I took a big swing at the plate and even didn’t hurt myself in the process. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Evan Marc Katz is a dating coach, the founder of e-Cyrano.com and coauthor of Why You're Still Single: Things Your Friends Would Tell You If You Promised Not To Get Mad.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-4138571915237514182010-12-05T04:49:00.000-08:002010-12-05T04:53:46.649-08:00Muse Concert; Awesome Concert Experience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.covershut.com/cd_covers/Jonas-Brothers---The-3D-Concert-Experience-2009-Cd-Cover-895.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.covershut.com/cd_covers/Jonas-Brothers---The-3D-Concert-Experience-2009-Cd-Cover-895.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever had an experience that changed your life? Well going to a Muse concert was just that for me. October 8, 2010 in Oklahoma City at the Ford Theater I witnessed the greatest concert I've ever seen. (Being about 25 feet away from the stage was a plus).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The concert is hard to describe in words, but I'll give it my best shot.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The concert was opened by the band “Passion Pit.” They were a good warm-up band for Muse; they were quite techno, and I enjoyed it. After Passion Pit left the stage, the stage was empty. There were no instruments, amps, or any sign of a band coming out anytime soon. There were just three pillars standing tall on the stage, covered completely by a cloth. After a good 20 minutes of waiting, a light came on behind the cloth; this caused an illusion of people walking up the stairs continuously until it reached the top of the pillar. After a short wait, the people fell from the top of the stairs and the curtains dropped. When the curtains dropped, Muse was standing in the middle of the pillars.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The concert experience had begun.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I cannot put into words the atmosphere and energy this concert had; it was amazing. Muse sounded even better live than on their album, Their show was fantastic. Matthew Bellamy (the lead singer/guitarist/pianist) switched guitars almost every song, as did the bassist; the drummer also switched to a special drum set for one song. They put on an indescribably great show, and I'd for sure go to another one. If you're interested on what a Muse concert is like, they have clips on Youtube or you can just buy their live CD/DVD “HAARP.” 5 out of 5 stars!</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-72408571853575262452010-12-04T16:33:00.000-08:002010-12-04T16:38:52.248-08:00Suspect Arrested In Lexington Waffle House Robbery; May Be Connected To More Robberies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flakmag.com/misc/images/wafflehouse.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 380px; height: 285px;" src="http://www.flakmag.com/misc/images/wafflehouse.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Police say a man arrested Friday in connection with the robbery at a Lexington Waffle House late Thursday night may be connected to a series of robberies that have occurred in the area in recent weeks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police say they arrested Charles W. Davidson, 22, after a tip was called in to them. They say Davidson is the man who robbed the Waffle House on Athens-Boonesboro Road just before 11:30 p.m.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police say the suspect matches the description of the robber in other recent robberies around Lexington. Police say Davidson was wearing a black ski mask and carrying a silver handgun, came in to the Waffle House and demanded cash. Employees complied with his demands, and no injuries were reported.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police say Davidson may be suspected in up to 20 other robberies, but would not specify which ones. However, the description of Davidson given by police in the Waffle House robbery matches that of the suspect in several other recent robberies, including Lexington tanning salons and pizza restaurants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">LEX 18 will have more on this developing story as details become available.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-22874376312747019662010-12-04T05:49:00.000-08:002010-12-04T05:51:15.216-08:00Ron Santo. "When Your Hero Dies."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://open.salon.com/files/ronkid1291400513.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 179px;" src="http://open.salon.com/files/ronkid1291400513.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>When your hero dies, it’s as if the very shape of the earth has now changed. Ripples of heavy heart pain stab your soul, you walk down the street and you stumble for no reason, and the timing of the seasons goes awry. Spring could be a little late this year.<br /><br /><br /><br />My hero, a man named Ron Santo, died in Phoenix Arizona last night. Complications of bladder cancer. He made it to 70. But it’s what he made it through that’s the story. He was a baseball player and a broadcaster. But to define him by baseball is like defining a human being by their blood. It’s narrowing the focus of why they are your hero. When your hero dies, it’s about so much more than what they do for a living.<br /><br /><br /><br />We are floating in the green grass late summer roar of 40,000 of our closest friends as the man wearing “Number 10” walks out unto the baseball field sunshine . . .. with no legs.<br /><br /><br /><br />Two prosthetic legs kept Ron Santo walking. Just one of the physical battles this professional athlete had faced down and conquered since discovering at age 18 that he had diabetes. A disease, which, the 18-year-old Santo went to the library and found out, predicted a life expectancy of 25.<br /><br /><br /><br />The outpouring of love roaring in the sounds of all those voices on Ron Santo Day washed across the park, circled the ball field in the billowing of ivy along the outfield walls, leapt to the scoreboard, fueled the wind in the flags around the top of the, park and soared like a home run slammed up beyond all sight and time. This was about so much more than baseball. This was about inspiring hope. If Ronnie could do it---whatever “it” was---than so could you.<br /><br /><br /><br />One day the 18 year old Ron had no idea what juvenile diabetes was. The next day, after the routine physical, he was in the library reading that the 25-year life expectancy also included blindness, kidney failure and hardening of the arteries.<br /><br /><br /><br />So, and the words sound so simple, such paltry representations of his decision, he decided he was going to fight the disease and beat it.<br /><br /><br /><br />In addition to the amputation of his legs, he fought through numerous heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, bladder surgery and vision problems. And that just the list that’s reported.<br /><br /><br /><br />Along the way raising millions of dollars to combat the disease and always, always, having time for those individuals who fought the battles with him.<br /><br /><br /><br />The roar subsiding on that September day, Ron Santo stepped up to the microphone and told us all, “This couldn’t have been any better. With all the adversity I have been through if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Santo was famous for being the player most deserving to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame who never received that honor. But on that September day he told us: “This means more to me. This is my Hall of Fame.”<br /><br /><br /><br />And the toughest, grittiest, street smart hardest cadre of Chicagoans---those who had seen it all, shrugged, and then went to work the next day, wiped away tears,<br /><br /><br /><br />Memories of your hero never really stop. Especially when your hero dies.<br /><br /><br /><br />It’s a pristine autumn day in the golden wonder of upstate New York. Cooperstown. The National Baseball Hall of fame. Six of us. Souring the souvenir shops looking for the perfect Ron Santo baseball card. His rookie year. That night, tiptoeing out to the ball field next to the Hall of Fame in the dead of a cool autumn night, we all climb the fence to jump down to the grandstands that ring the ball field. (Not realizing till it’s time to leave that the gate was unlocked and we could have simply walked in.) We trot out to our positions on the field. Heads down. Cool guy baseball player style. No real ball or bat but it doesn’t matter. We run the bases and slide roaring out SAFE! We scramble back fast to catch the pop up not being winded because we’re not old men, we are baseball players. We hurl a change up over the plate. Smack it hard up into the stars of a cool country night.<br /><br /><br /><br />And exhausted we troop out to find a bar. Leaving traces of our youth in the very same dust where once Babe Ruth rounded third and headed home.<br /><br /><br /><br />The next day was our ceremony. Ron Santo’s induction into the hall of fame. If the political powers behind the hall wouldn’t do it---then we would.<br /><br /><br /><br />The 6 of us. Drenched in serious business and a mission stood on a step. Everyone said something. Along the likes of “Go Ronnie!” And then we did it.<br /><br />We went into the hall and while 5 of us provided cover, one of us scotch taped that baseball card of Santo’s rookie year up next to Ernie Banks.<br /><br /><br /><br />Where it stayed for at least 10 minutes. When a security guard took it down.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ron Santo was a guy who made a character out of his hairpiece. Often he’d wear, as he called it, his “Gamer.” But sometimes, he’d switch off to other pieces. All of it chronicled in conversation with his masterful rock of a partner Pat Hughes. There was the time the hairpiece caught on fire from the space heater in the booth at a Mets game. The Ron Santo stories flowing like the very rhythm of the game itself and the way it gave the larger games of our lives order or a solace or escape or even sometimes pure simple joy.<br /><br /><br /><br />That’s what happens when your hero dies. The stories spin in to memories; an autumn sadness settles in, you think about how nothing will ever be the same.<br /><br /><br /><br />This morning when I walked outside, helicopters were circling Wrigley Field. Grabbing pictures for news shots. This is a big story here in Chicago.<br /><br /><br /><br />But there is a bigger story that this touches, applicable to all of us. What is it that happens when your hero dies?<br /><br /><br /><br />Ron Santo thought he had tops seven years to live. But he wanted to be a big league ballplayer so bad that he battled. And he won.<br /><br /><br /><br />So what happens when your hero dies?<br /><br /><br /><br />You remember.<br /><br /><br /><br />You trudge through snow on a day so cold it burns. You look up at a flagpole, empty now, where you know that in the eternal spring there will be green grass again. And whatever it is you, just you, no one else, whatever it is you battle: unemployment, hunger, illness, family, loneliness, depressions, crying at the winds of our sad and troubled world, you keep walking.<br /><br /><br /><br />Even if you have no legs, you keep walking.<br /><br /><br /><br />Just like your hero would have done it. You know that because you have stories.<br /><br /><br /><br />Like the stories of Ron Santo.<br /><br /><br /><br />My hero.Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-19241204695622492882010-12-04T04:24:00.000-08:002010-12-04T04:25:53.687-08:00Polar Express Movie will be chugging out of Kingston on Dec. 11<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.econolodgeloon.com/Package/polarexpress.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 590px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.econolodgeloon.com/Package/polarexpress.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Those hoping to catch a train into Boston on the Old Colony rail line on Saturday, Dec. 11, may find themselves making an unexpected stop at the North Pole.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There will be four train rides from the commuter train station in Kingston to the Halifax station, which will be transformed for the day into the North Pole. The set will include bright lights, gingerbread men, reindeer and even Santa’s workshop.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the third consecutive year, the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield will be bringing the classic holiday story “The Polar Express” to life to raise money for its programs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The whole experience follows the book very closely, said Shawn Costa, the club’s executive director.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That means children can expect lively conductors, hot chocolate, elves and, of course, Santa Claus. To be true to the book, children are encouraged to wear pajamas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the four hour-long train rides is already sold out. Tickets cost $20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Children from the Magical Moon Foundation, a Marshfield group that provides support for children with cancer, will be experiencing the Polar Express ride for the first time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Magical Moon founder Donna Green received 25 free tickets and 25 more at a discounted price from the Boys and Girls Club.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The club was more than happy to provide the tickets, said Bill Bowers, a Boys and Girls Club board member.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Magical Moon provides a fairytale retreat setting where children with cancer can get together, cook, sing and dance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bowers helps transform the Halifax station into the North Pole every year. He said he loves seeing the wonder in children’s eyes when train passengers disembark.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The magic of it is just tremendous,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The magic wouldn’t exist without volunteers, and this year’s crew will include the girls soccer teams from Wentworth Institute and Lasell College and the girls basketball team from Marshfield High School.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Similar Polar Express rides are being offered on the MBTA’s Haverhill, Newbury/Rockport, Greenbush and Needham lines.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trains to Boston will still be running on all of those lines, but the schedules will vary. Check the MBTA’s website for updates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the proceeds from the Polar Express runs on the Old Colony line will support programs at the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club. The club, which serves children from multiple towns on the South Shore, will be moving to new quarters next year.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-31659536813624206132010-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:49:29.478-08:00Mick Hucknall Hidden Biography<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/mick-hucknall/mainPhoto/MickHucknall225.jpg.html"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/mick-hucknall/mainPhoto/MickHucknall225.jpg.html" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Michael James Hucknall</b>, commonly known as Mick 'Red' Hucknall, is the lead singer of the British soul-pop band 'Simply Red'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick was born in St Mary's Hospital, Manchester and, after living very briefly in Bredbury, his family settled in Denton, a working class area to the east of Manchester city centre. Mick attended Audenshaw School and has always been a staunch Manchester United supporter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick was raised single-handedly by his father Reg, who was barber by profession. His mother, Maureen, left when Mick was only three years old. Mick’s incredibly close to his father and still stays with him whenever he is in Manchester.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick has said that being abandoned by his mother and being bullied at school left him with huge insecurities. He has tried to remedy this by recreating a sense of self-worth, partly through being on stage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He met his mum only once, when she asked to see him before she died. Mick didn't want a relationship with her, as he was concerned for his father’s feelings. He thought it would be a kick in the teeth to his father if he did form a relationship with her, after all his father’s hard work over the years as a single parent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mick’s dad wasn't a fan of his music and apparently told him to become a marine biologist, but luckily he followed his heart and a legend was created.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He began his music career in the late 1970s by forming the punk-inspired 'Frantic Elevators'. The band released four singles, including a version of ‘Holding Back The Years’, which he later recorded with 'Simply Red'. Mick’s fondest memory of his time with the 'Frantic Elevators' was being ‘severely gobbed on in Middlesborough’ which apparently was a mark respect!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following the split of 'Frantic Elevators', Mick formed 'Simply Red', in 1984, with 3 ex-members of ‘Durutti Column’. The group signed to Elektra Records in 1985 and released 'Picture Book' in October that year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The single ‘Holding Back The Years’ caused the 'Picture Book' album to go platinum, and made the group one of the major successes of 1986.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The album ‘A New Flame’ (1989) went gold due to the cover of the 1972 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes hit 'If You Don't Know Me By Now', which hit number one and became a gold single.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Simply Red’s line up has changed dramatically over the years. By the 90’s 'Simply Red' effectively became Mick Hucknall accompanied by various musicians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘Stars’ was the best-selling album of 1991 topping the charts for 19 weeks, and spawned the Top Ten hits 'Stars' and 'For Your Babies' and the Top 40 hits ‘Something Got Me Started,’ ‘Thrill Me,’ and ‘Your Mirror.’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Worldwide, ‘Stars’ sold eight-and-a-half million copies by the second quarter of 1993 and outsold much-hyped efforts by Michael Jackson, U2, Dire Straits and Guns N'Roses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Life (1995) proved more of a success at home than in America. The band returned to the charts in 1996 and 1997 with cover versions of Aretha Franklin's 'Angel' and Gregory Isaacs' 'Night Nurse'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Album released in 1999, 'Love And The Russian Winter', was branded a failure in the press and broke the band's run of UK chart-toppers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick broke away from mainstream record labels and set up his own simplyred.com where he released the album ‘Home’ in 2003.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He had previously set up reggae label ‘Blood and Fire’ in 1993 with Steve Barrow, Bob Harding, Elliot Rashman and Andy Dodd. They wanted to bring the standard of reggae reissues up to the level of the best in jazz, blues, R&B and to ensure that both artists and producers were paid for their work.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick is as famous for his personal life as he is his music. He is renowned for his ability to attract beautiful women, despite once being voted Sky One’s No. 1 British celebrity minger!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He has slept with hundreds of women but has only had three proper relationships, one of which, most famously, was with Catherine Zeta-Jones.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I might come from a broken home, but I don't want to create another one!"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the split, they stayed friends and Mick went to Catherine’s wedding to Michael Douglas and performed an impromptu "super group" on stage with Art Garfunkel, Gladys Knight and Bonnie Tyler.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick loves being a bachelor and stories of threesomes and other shenanigans are commonplace in the media. Mick isn’t bothered by kiss-and-tell stories; however he was once at the centre of a rape allegation where he was found to be completely innocent. He feels that he will always be guilty by implication and that he’ll never see an end to it being written about.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mick attributes his mother's desertion to be the root of his reluctance to marry - "I might come from a broken home, but I don't want to create another one!". In June 2007 Mick and his partner Gabriella Wesberry had a daughter, Romy True Hucknall and in May 2010 the couple married in Scotland.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Simply Red announced they were to quit in 2010 after a farewell tour.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-51256525148989465842010-12-03T14:31:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:34:30.758-08:00Julian Assange Hacker : Why you should listen to him<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.ted.com/images/ted/184223_254x191.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 191px;" src="http://images.ted.com/images/ted/184223_254x191.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">You could say Australian-born Julian Assange has swapped his long-time interest in network security flaws for the far-more-suspect flaws of even bigger targets: governments and corporations. Since his early 20s, he has been using network technology to prod and probe the vulnerable edges of administrative systems, but though he was a computing hobbyist first (in 1991 he was the target of hacking charges after he accessed the computers of an Australian telecom), he's now taken off his "white hat" and launched a career as one of the world's most visible human-rights activists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">He calls himself "editor in chief." He travels the globe as its spokesperson. Yet Assange's part in WikiLeaks is clearly dicier than that: he's become the face of creature that, simply, many powerful organizations would rather see the world rid of. His Wikipedia entry says he is "constantly on the move," and some speculate that his role in publishing decrypted US military video has put him in personal danger. A controversial figure, pundits debate whether his work is reckless and does more harm than good. Amnesty International recognized him with an International Media Award in 2009.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Assange studied physics and mathematics at the University of Melbourne. He wrote Strobe, the first free and open-source port scanner, and contributed to the book Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"WikiLeaks has had more scoops in three years than the Washington Post has had in 30."</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-78464763777329419122010-12-03T14:05:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:13:27.952-08:00Gay TV presenter Graham Norton given official warning after 'homophobic' joke about lesbians<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/29/article-1216940-06A17B5E000005DC-718_468x396.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 468px; height: 396px;" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/29/article-1216940-06A17B5E000005DC-718_468x396.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Graham Norton has been reprimanded by BBC chiefs after a ‘homophobic’ joke about the haircuts of lesbians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The gay presenter has been warned about ‘ reinforcing a potentially offensive stereotype’ after his comments were investigated by the corporation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Norton, 46, and his team have now been told to ‘avoid endorsing’ such sexual stereotypes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Scroll down to watch the video...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Graham Norton has been reprimanded by the BBC chiefs after a 'homophobic' joke about the haircuts of lesbians</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">It comes after a viewer complained about the remarks made on The Graham Norton Show about an illustration of a jump suit invention, which showed a large woman with short hair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Norton described this picture as showing a 'strange lesbian'</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The comic described the picture as showing a ‘strange lesbian’ and when asked what a lesbian looks like, he pointed at the picture and said ‘That!’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BBC said while the initial comments ‘might’ have been inoffensive on their own, it was repeating them after he was challenged by guest Ruth Jones which was wrong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has upheld the complaint against the show, just as it is about to be launched on BBC1 after it was promoted from its BBC2 slot.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The TV host had been discussing a website about some of the less successful inventions that have been given patents on the March edition of the show.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Norton singled out the design for a jump- suit for women which was meant to make it easier for them to use the toilet than the traditional outfits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was accompanied by a black and white drawing of a women modelling the invention in a variety of poses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">He told viewers: ‘Now I don’t know why they have got some strange lesbian to be the model for this, but they have.’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The TV presenter added that ‘obviously the lesbian p*****g in a jump suit was a big market’ as he continued to joke about the drawings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Moments later he added: ‘So, Lesbian full bladder here, what am I going to do?’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Guest Ruth Jones challenged Norton on the comment during the segment</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Actress Ruth Jones who was one of his guests then challenged the Irish comedian, saying: ‘She may not be a lesbian, come on now.’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Norton then replied: ‘You’re right, she could have gone to a very bad hairdresser.’</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then when Norton tried to play down the comments by saying there was nothing wrong with being a lesbian, Gavin and Stacey comedy star Jones said: ‘I know I am just saying what does a lesbian look like?’ Then Norton fired back : ‘That!’</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">A BBC statement said: ‘Although the initial references might have been inoffensive if considered on their own, they prompted an exchange with one of the programme’s guests which gave the references the appearance of perpetuating or reinforcing a potentially offensive stereotype.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘The programme team were reminded of the need to avoid any possibility of being seen to endorse offensive sexual stereotypes.’ It upheld the complaint.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite the controversy Norton is set to sign a new deal and stay with the BBC ending months of speculation about his future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He will be forced to take a pay cut to his £2.5million a year deal, which could drop by about </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">£500,000 when he signs up again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since his switch to the BBC in 2005 the presenter has had mixed success, particularly with the Saturday night shows he has been given.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Watch the offending clip here...<br /></div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-11922468136379573612010-12-03T13:48:00.000-08:002010-12-03T13:51:37.237-08:00Rodarte dances onto film with 'Black Swan'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mila-kunis.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 535px; height: 294px;" src="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mila-kunis.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Film critics are abuzz over actress Natalie Portman's work in the new big-screen "Black Swan," but fashionistas are flipping over something else: the film's forward-thinking ballet costumes by Rodarte, the insider-favorite label by sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky said he and the costume designer Amy Westcott wanted to use a contemporary fashion designer "to take it to a new level."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We wanted to reinvent the whole sense of 'Swan Lake,'" he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Portman, who has been spotted in the front row of Rodarte runway shows during New York Fashion Week, had a relationship with the designers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I remember seeing a dress of theirs at a photo shoot, and just going, `What is that?'" recalled Portman. "I don't have that reaction to clothes very often. It is not something that I really pay attention to that much. But it was just so beautiful. When we were doing this film, I just knew how balletic their clothes were."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rodarte had, coincidentally, already tapped into horror films and ballet -- the same elements that are the foundation of "Black Swan" -- as inspiration for past collections.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We had an affinity for the subject matter," noted Kate Mulleavy. "We had never done a film. ... This would be a dream job in terms of just getting to make tutus. But, then we had, I think, something that allowed us to add to access the psychology of the film in a different way, which was understanding the darker nature and more of the twisted kind of underbelly of that world."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nevertheless, producing fashion-forward ballet costumes proved a challenge. "Well, I think that the big question was, `How do you make something look realistic as a tutu and function?'" explained Laura Mulleavy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes style took precedence over function. "You would never go and do `Swan Lake' and wear a full-on swan outfit without having a strap" to hold the outfit up, said actress Mila Kunis. "Given that it is in a movie and it is a certain form of disbelief. They had no straps. So, the busts kept constantly falling, you know. And so you make it work. You figure it out. But they were beautiful."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Portman remains a fan and friend of the designers. "They are really kind," Portman said. "They are really curious about every sort of area of the world. They know everything about ecology and art and modern science. You are like, `I don't understand how they have so much room in their brains.' It's amazing."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Black Swan" opens in the U.S. this weekend.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-84626278547653517022010-12-01T05:37:00.000-08:002010-12-01T05:39:48.390-08:00Disappearing Jobs: High-Paying Careers With No Future<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; ">It may come as no surprise that the job of newspaper reporter is going the way of the buggy whip maker — but the forces of modernity have placed some unexpected occupations on the endangered species list as well. Using statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' <i style="line-height: 1.22em; ">Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011</i>, we identified 10 of the most surprising job categories whose numbers are projected to shrink in the coming years, plus a few that will grow so slowly that you might as well be sending your resume to Irish banks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Judge</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><table align="left" width="200" style="font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 3px; "><tbody style="line-height: 1.22em; "><tr style="line-height: 1.22em; "><td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2010/11/ipt/1290449250.jpg" height="150" width="200" alt="" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; line-height: 1.22em; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; " /><br /><small style="line-height: 1.22em; ">Associated Press</small></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Politicians can argue whether the best quality for a judge is empathy or an ability to call balls and strikes, but here's a different perspective: What you really need is patience. By 2018, the BLS predicts that there will be 700 fewer jobs for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates, than there were in 2008, thanks mainly to budget cuts. And since the average tenure for a judge is 14 years, turnover is glacial. "Years ago, some left to become general counsel in the private sector, where they could triple their salary, but since the economic downturn, they're staying longer on the bench," says Tamara Dillon, who researches the occupation for the BLS.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Fashion Designer</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Call it Project Turnaway. By 2018, only 200 more designers will find work in a field that employed 22,700 people as of 2008. That's about 2 percent of the number who applied to become Project Runway contestants in 2009, estimates Carol-Hannah Whitfield, who was a finalist on the show that year. "The world doesn't need another designer," Whitfield says.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Insurance Underwriter</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Blame it on the software. New programs allow underwriters to take on three times as much work as in the past, collapsing the need for more hires. As a result, the BLS projects that the number of people employed in the field will decline by 4 percent, or 4,300 jobs, by 2018. "[The underwriter] just punches in data, and it spits out, say, whether a potential homebuyer is approved or not," says Henry Kasper, supervisory economist at the BLS. Growth in the insurance industry isn't exactly exploding either, further undermining the career outlook for underwriters.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Travel Agent</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Call it the Attack of the Roaming Gnome: Online sites such as Travelocity, Priceline.com, Expedia, and Orbitz have decimated the ranks of travel agents as consumers increasingly book their own trips. The BLS expects 1,200 fewer travel agents to be employed in 2018 than in 2008. And the number of traditional travel agencies has been sliced in half — from a peak of 44,000 in 1997 to about 20,000 today, according to Douglas Quinby of PhoCusWright, a travel industry research company based in Sherman, Connecticut.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Newspaper Reporter</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Read it and weep: According to the BLS, a whopping 4,400 jobs will disappear by 2018 (out of 69,400 total in 2008). That's more than three times the number of newsroom employees at <i style="line-height: 1.22em; ">The New York Times</i>. The bad news for print can be summed up in one word: Internet. "Some of the print people are finding jobs online," says Lauren Csorny, an economist at the BLS. "But there aren't enough to make up for the losses." No wonder that newspaper reporters ranked No. 184 out of 200 jobs, one slot above stevedore, in CareerCast.com's annual JobsRated survey.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Broadcast Announcer</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><table align="left" width="200" style="font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 3px; "><tbody style="line-height: 1.22em; "><tr style="line-height: 1.22em; "><td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2010/11/ipt/1290449853.jpg" height="150" width="200" alt="" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; line-height: 1.22em; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; " /><br /><small style="line-height: 1.22em; ">Associated Press</small></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">The play-by-play for this occupation isn't pretty. Consolidation has eliminated many jobs already, and technology is hijacking off-air tasks, such as editing, once performed by announcers (and future announcers paying their dues). Add the increased use of syndication and the growth of satellite radio and the picture is even bleaker. By 2018, broadcasting is expected to lose 2,400 radio and TV announcer jobs.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Plant Manager</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><table align="left" width="200" style="font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 3px; "><tbody style="line-height: 1.22em; "><tr style="line-height: 1.22em; "><td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2010/11/ipt/1290450263.jpg" height="150" width="200" alt="" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; line-height: 1.22em; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; " /><br /><small style="line-height: 1.22em; ">Associated Press</small></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Automation and offshoring will decimate the ranks of production managers by 2018. According to the BLS, employment will drop by 11,900 jobs from a 2008 total of 156,100. With faster machines and better productivity, one plant can do the work of two, squeezing managers out. Increased imports of manufactured goods will do additional damage. With 50 percent of the textile industry moving off-shore, for example, half the plant managers in that sector are at risk of losing their jobs. The outlook is equally bleak for managers in the computer, electronics, and auto parts industries.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Chemist</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">Nearly half of all chemists are employed in manufacturing firms — plastics, pesticides, and paint, to name a few. And that's a bummer for them, because manufacturing companies are continuing to outsource their R&D and testing to small, specialized firms, cutting job opportunities for in-house chemists. The profession lost 42,000 jobs from 2008 to 2009, according to Chemical and Engineering News, and the BLS projects only a 2 percent rise in the total number of chemists employed by 2018.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">Economist</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">The Federal government is the largest employer of economists in the country. More than half — 53 percent — of all economists in the U.S. work for declining government sectors, so Uncle Sam's not hiring a lot of economists just now. "Econ" is a hot college major, but most of those newly-minted grads won't find work as traditional economists. Instead, they'll end up in niche sectors in business, finance, insurance, and education. Those set on working as conventional economists better have a Plan B, or a Plan Ph.D, because they'll need one. The economists at BLS do tell us that by 2018, an additional 900 economists will be employed — so the outlook is not as dismal for dismal scientists as it is for, say, travel agents. But if current trends continue, the future isn't promising. "You look at the last 10 to15 years and it has been flat," says Henry Kasper of the BLS. "There's little reason to think it's going to get better."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.22em; ">CEO</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><table align="left" width="200" style="font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 3px; "><tbody style="line-height: 1.22em; "><tr style="line-height: 1.22em; "><td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2010/11/ipt/1290451163.jpg" height="150" width="200" alt="" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; line-height: 1.22em; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; " /><br /><small style="line-height: 1.22em; ">Associated Press</small></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; ">OK, it's not a profession, but it's worth keeping in mind if you aspire to the corner office: Mergers and streamlining will make the climb to the top harder than K2, as companies combine and jobs are eliminated. The BLS projects that there will be 5,500 fewer CEOs by 2018. To boost your odds, consider Rosetta Stone; CEO candidates should be fluent in at least two languages, says Patricia Tate of the BLS. So if you speak Spanish, Arabic, or Chinese, félicitations.</p></span></div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-36420870192348421692010-12-01T05:16:00.000-08:002010-12-01T05:17:50.600-08:00World AIDS Day: IAS President Says Much Has Been Done, Still Much to Do.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Dr. Elly Katabira, head of the International AIDS Society (IAS), says despite recent successes against the epidemic, much remains to be done.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Wednesday is World AIDS Day. The theme is “Universal Access and Human Rights.” It’s estimated there are 33 million people living with HIV around the world - most in sub-Saharan Africa.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><span class="margin-bottom-small display-block container field-note" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "></span></p><div class="boxout photo300px" style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: -5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; float: left; width: 300px; "><img src="http://media.voanews.com/images/300*300/AIDS_conference_Elly+Katabira_eng23jul10.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="IAS President Dr. Elly Katabira " title="IAS President Dr. Elly Katabira " border="0" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; " /><h6 class="credit" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.125; font-weight: normal; text-align: right; color: rgb(144, 144, 144); ">©IAS/Marcus Rose/Workers' Photos</h6><span class="caption" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">IAS President Dr. Elly Katabira</span></div><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Katabira took over the reins of the IAS in July and became its first African president. He had been professor of medicine at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Don’t take success for granted</strong></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">On World AIDS Day, he says, “I think the message I would like everybody to have…is that, yes, the United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) has announced some successes in reduction in numbers, but we are far, far from where we need to be comfortable.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; "></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">He says much more needs to be done, including promoting prevention, care and universal access to antiretroviral treatment” in areas where “the epidemic is still rampant.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Katabira says it’s important “to keep other people aware of what is going on, so that they can play their part until we can get over this epidemic,” he says.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“Particularly, I’m concerned that some people are beginning to take it light(ly). For example, thinking that since drugs are available, therefore the disease is treatable. This shouldn’t be the case. And also I know, particularly in countries where the epidemic is a major issue, the contribution for funding for access to care is not as what we would want it to be,” he says.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Tight economic times</strong></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Since the global economic crisis, many say donor funding has “flat-lined.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“Still,” Katabira says, “the problem is a big one. The need for more funding for HIV care is still crucial. For example, if I look at the big countries like the G8 and the G20…it is in their own interest, as well as in our interest, the beneficiaries, that more funds are put on the table to ensure that we can deliver (on) the promises we’ve made over the years.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">However, he says it’s not just the donors who should do more, despite the economic slowdown. The beneficiary countries also must to more.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“We, ourselves, need to invest more in the care of our people. I strongly believe that if we do so, it will also encourage the others to give us more, particularly at this crucial moment when finances are tight,” he says.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">As a result of the poor economy, other priorities, he says, may replace HIV/AIDS.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“Global warming has come up and people think it is more relevant. Other people believe that AIDS has received already enough money and therefore they don’t need any more. We need to change that and keep reminding them that, yes, the battle is not yet over,” he says.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">Many still need treatment.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">The recent UNAIDS report says more than five-million people are now receiving antiretroviral treatment in developing countries. “But don’t forget,” Katabira says, “ten million still need the treatment. So we are far away from what is ideal.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">He warns if treatment is not expanded, “then we are going back to square one where we started off with fewer people on treatment and more deaths, which nobody wants to happen again.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hopes for 2011</strong></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“I hope first of all for 2011that there will be more commitment for accelerated access to HIV care,” he says, “And secondly, of course, changes in the legislation across the countries where it is still illegal to address issues like homosexuality and drug use. So that it opens the way for these people to (be given)…equal access to interventions, which are available to others today.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">2012</strong></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">The International AIDS Conference, the world’s largest, will be held in Washington, D.C. in mid 2012. It’s been many years since the U.S. hosted the event. Katabira and the IAS will play a major role in organizing the conference. He expects the 19<sup style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(112, 152, 182); ">th</sup> International AIDS conference to be different from previous meetings.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“To start with, when we got Washington, D.C. in 2012, we would have had 22 years without being in the U.S. as a result of course of the restrictions on people traveling to the U.S. who are HIV infected, which was lifted,” he says.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">The travel ban was officially lifted in January 2010. The process to remove the ban had started in 2008 under the Bush administration and finalized by President Obama. It had been imposed in 1987, in the early years of the epidemic, amid misunderstanding about the disease.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">“More importantly,” he says, “(the) U.S. has made a lot of contributions, not only through the current PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), but also in the support of training and research across the world. It should be an opportunity for them to show what they have done for the rest of the world.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4; ">He adds, “This time it’s going to be in their own backyard. So there should be an opportunity to…demonstrate these collaborations and benefits, which have come out as a result.”</p></span><p></p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-47473427197820190842010-12-01T05:04:00.000-08:002010-12-01T05:09:53.436-08:00Shocking advent calendar revealing domestic abuse is unveiled<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/edithbowman/advent_calendar_07.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 420px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/edithbowman/advent_calendar_07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">AN advent calendar highlighting domestic abuse in Scotland will be unveiled today as part of a Christmas anti-violence campaign.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">Domestic abuse intensifies over Christmas and the online calendar highlights the scale of the problem.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">The project has been developed by Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit and every day until December 25, the calendar will reveal a shocking statistic or fact relating to the horrors of domestic abuse in Scotland.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">Chief Inspector Graham Goulden, who is leading the campaign, said: "Sadly, Christmas and New Year are peak periods for domestic abuse.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">"We wanted to highlight this and raise awareness of the fact that, for many victims, domestic abuse isn't just a one-off event, it's something that happens day in, day out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">"We know there will be people out there for whom Christmas will not be a happy time. Often it will not just be the victim that suffers - children living in households where there is domestic abuse are at risk too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">"This kind of behaviour devastates families, and will not be tolerated in 21st-century Scotland." Police no longer need a statement to make an arrest but can act on the basis of any evidence of violence or threatening behaviour.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">Forces across Scotland will take part in the clampdown, which runs from December 2010 - January 2011.</p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 7px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.3em; display: block; ">Past campaigns have been a huge success. Last year, Strathclyde Police said incidents fell by 42 per cent.</p></span>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-78027955850016836282010-12-01T01:59:00.000-08:002010-12-01T02:10:38.336-08:00For Jews, Hanukkah a time of 'rededication'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://teenymanolo.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/hanukkah_dancing_sevivons_16.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 454px; height: 400px;" src="http://teenymanolo.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/hanukkah_dancing_sevivons_16.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">REHOBOTH BEACH -- Although its one of the lesser holidays on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah has increased in prominence both from within and outside the Jewish faith.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The holiday, which begins at sundown Dec. 1 and lasts through Dec. 9, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was taken back from the Syrians and purified by lamplight over the course of eight days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Beth Cohen, of the Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth Beach, said the holiday has been elevated primarily because of its proximity to Christmas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Perhaps it gives us an opportunity to think about what it means to rededicate yourself to something; to think about things not otherwise (thought) about," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said the religious school holds a Hanukkah service each year with a play, songs and some form of a retelling of the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The practice in homes is usually for the family to light the candles, one for each of the eight nights," she said. "That's tradition, but it's also become a gift-giving holiday, which is obviously not part of the history."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rabbi Arnold Bienstock, of the Beth Israel Congregation in Salisbury, said it was almost inevitable that Hanukkah would embrace some of the trappings of consumer culture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The menorahs that hold the nine Hanukkah candles -- one is used to light the others -- can be found in various colors, shapes and styles, he said. They come shaped like cats, dogs and even footballs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There have always been issues as to what extent Jews should have to culturally absorb or not absorb from the background of the world," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That issue speaks directly to the very origins of the holiday, which celebrates the Jews' cultural and religious liberation from the Greeks during the 2nd century B.C. Maccabean Revolt, Beinstock said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, just as then, he said Jews represent a religious minority.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Jews are a drop of a drop of a drop in the Delmarva region," he said, noting that much of the population is concentrated in urban centers, such as Washington, D.C.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Consumerism and materialism has affected the Jewish holidays, as they have everything else, said Beinstock, who himself exchanges gifts, such as a giraffe-shaped menorah, with his four daughters.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6431036057153164504.post-37039920975103494472010-11-30T23:44:00.000-08:002010-11-30T23:49:40.311-08:00Derek Anderson May Be an Awful Quarterback, but Jon Gruden Is a A-Hole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/079/125/102902388_crop_340x234.jpg?1291131979"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 234px;" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/079/125/102902388_crop_340x234.jpg?1291131979" alt="" border="0" /></a>During last night’s embarrassingly bad Monday Night Football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers, our favorite trio of "bottle is half full" commentators needed something to fill the airwaves.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The game was very bad and not even remotely entertaining. I can’t remember the last time I had almost no interest in a football game, even though I was betting on it.<br /><br />So Jon Gruden, he of the “this is the greatest [insert something] you’ll ever see" Grudens, found something appalling on the sidelines.<br /><br />Derek Anderson was laughing. Not knee-slapping, fall-over laughing, but chuckling. Gruden couldn’t believe it. To paraphrase, he alerted Jaws (Ron Jaworski) of said infraction and felt that if you were getting your butt kicked, it should bother you. It should matter to you.<br /><br />My biggest problem with this is that we don’t know the context. For all we know, Deuce Lutui made a joke about how bad they were playing and Derek Anderson chuckled. Like the way you chuckle when your politically incorrect family member mockingly jokes about our President, and everyone just kindly laughs it off instead of getting into a heated political debate when all you want to do is eat and get the hell out of there.<br /><br />Derek Anderson probably wanted to get the hell out of there.<br /><br />And is laughing during a bad game really that bad? I imagine some infantrymen while storming the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 might have commented on how the weather was kind of chilly for a June morning or how they should’ve joined the Air Corps, or the Navy. What I’m getting at here is: Joking during something horrendous doesn’t mean you don’t take it seriously, it means you need to think about something other than how horrible said event is.<br /><br />Which leads me back to Jon Gruden.<br /><br />On November 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers were hosted by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Pittsburgh is led by resident dirtbag and serial alleged groper Ben Roethlisberger. Jon Gruden commented on how Ben Roethlisberger has overcome so much adversity and how he’s managed to come out of it and still play so well.<br /><br />Adversity is taking the baseball field as the first black man to do so and perform while racial epithets are slung at you from the stands. Adversity is becoming a major league pitcher with only one hand. Adversity is being down 3-0 in a best of seven series and coming back to win it. It is not asking for your six game suspension to be reduced to four because no one has accused you of raping them recently.<br /><br />Perhaps if Jon Gruden had a daughter, or a niece or a soul—he might see things differently. Perhaps he misspoke and realized how stupid he sounded while speaking of Ben overcoming said obstacles—obstacles Ben willingly threw in front of himself and now claims redemption by not throwing more obstacles in his way.<br /><br />Let’s just be glad that Jon didn’t spot Ben laughing on the sidelines during a bad game, or when an accusation was leveled, because that’s just unacceptable.</div>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254891129808458637noreply@blogger.com0