tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61437284565461835502024-03-05T00:09:58.392-08:00KELE GOLDMIND“The person interested in success has to learn to view failure
as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the
top.”
"A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for
success."
so lets make the Whole Wide World a better place for all and sundry.Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-65164205384352259782013-09-23T10:40:00.001-07:002016-01-19T07:10:08.340-08:00Tycoon plans $8 billion Chinese Hollywood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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China's richest man plans to spend 50 billion yuan ($8.2
billion) to build the country's version of Hollywood in the northeastern
city of Qingdao.</div>
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In a glitzy, star-studded red carpet event
Sunday, Wang Jianlin said his company, Dalian Wanda Group, will build a
state-of-the-art film studio complex in a bid to dominate China's
rapidly growing movie market.<br />
<br />
The Qingdao Oriental Movie
Metropolis's 20 studios will include a permanent underwater studio and a
10,000 square-meter (108,000 square-feet) stage that Wang said would be
the world's biggest. The facility will also include an Imax research
and development center, cinemas and China's biggest film and celebrity
wax museums. The first phase is planned to open in June 2016 and it will
be fully operational by June 2017.<br />
A yacht marina, eight hotels and a theme park will be built to attract tourists.<br />
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The
company has signed a preliminary deal with "a number of global film and
television giants and talent agencies" to shoot about 30 foreign films a
year. It did not name the companies.</div>
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<div id="yui_3_9_1_13_1379952924928_406">
Wang also hopes to attract more
than 50 Chinese production companies to make at least 100 domestic films
and TV shows a year at the studios, where sets will simulate locations
from Europe, the Middle East and China's Ming and Qing dynasties.</div>
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Dalian
Wanda, which operates cinemas, hotels and department stores in China,
last year bought the U.S. cinema chain AMC for $2.6 billion and snapped
up British yacht maker Sunseeker in June this year.<br />
<div id="yui_3_9_1_13_1379952924928_353">
The
tycoon's red carpet event in Qingdao underlined his outsized ambitions
for China's entertainment industry. Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Travolta and Leonardo DiCaprio rubbed elbows
with Chinese stars including <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1379923683273_14">Zhang Ziyi</span>,
Jet Li and Tony Leung at the event in Qingdao, best known for Tsingtao
Brewery founded when Germany colonized the city a century ago.</div>
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Wang's
success in attracting the A-list actors to his launch, held the same
day as the Emmy television awards show in Los Angeles, also highlights
how the center of gravity in the global film industry is shifting to the
East.<br />
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In an interview, Wang
boasted of his plans to expand in China's movie market, which overtook
Japan to become the world's second biggest after ticket sales rose 36
percent last year to $2.7 billion.</div>
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"There's no single company in the
whole world that has a big-scale production base, and at the same time
has screening and distribution channels. <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1379923683273_29">Wanda Group</span> is the first one in the world," said Wang, Wanda's founder and chairman. "As long as we build the <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1379923683273_30">film production</span> park and produce better content, we'll certainly be the most successful company in this industry."</div>
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He
predicted China's film market would become the world's biggest in five
years, and compared it to a big cake that foreign studios would love to
share. Hollywood has been eager to expand distribution in China as
domestic box office revenue stagnates. But the Chinese government
tightly controls the market, allowing in only 34 foreign films per year
for national distribution. At least 14 of them must be made in 3-D or
for the big-screen Imax format.<br />
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Wang
was named China's richest person earlier this month with a fortune of
$22 billion by the Hurun Report, which follows China's wealthy. Forbes
also said Wang rose to the top spot on its China rich list, with his
estimated fortune rising to $14 billion.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_13_1379952924928_405">
Chan reported from Hong Kong.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_13_1379952924928_405">
<span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1379923683273_28">QINGDAO, China</span> (AP). </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-88191857026308784992011-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:002011-04-14T07:43:00.659-07:008 TechnologiesThat Will Change Your Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesczNgMQAYjL0tPD0Vcm0WMIx0uJGYpoxnTg9kWpOI7NGg7H2Poc3oSnXD5o5H0eMYVWrQ7uynUCEBc0msT2PLpGYJHLznIZRVp2L7ozPXU5SE8pQBZOn5nVAU9WG5OZ6Q4pMt7L1Qpk/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesczNgMQAYjL0tPD0Vcm0WMIx0uJGYpoxnTg9kWpOI7NGg7H2Poc3oSnXD5o5H0eMYVWrQ7uynUCEBc0msT2PLpGYJHLznIZRVp2L7ozPXU5SE8pQBZOn5nVAU9WG5OZ6Q4pMt7L1Qpk/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">For 87 years, subscribers have relied on The Kiplinger Letter for insights into emerging technologies that will change the way Americans live and do business. Examples of "you read it first in Kiplinger" include the rise of commercial air routes in 1927, the early development of television in the 1930s, electronic office machines in 1953 and mobile phones in 1983. <br />
<br />
<b>What will be the tech breakthroughs of the next decade?</b> Watch the energy and transportation sectors. Here are eight forecasts pulled from the pages of The Letter in 2009 that look at some promising developments to come -- everything from spray-on solar cells to<br />
new ways of relieving traffic congestion. And please share<br />
your own thoughts and predictions in the reader discussion area. </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish5-rO1E2_0YfoQwELe7t-BEAlQPM5l7YcvVSahqgMi8vCqfKdypuiw6g0blWN65JMspv8zVjAlRNi1kmTYieWhW3lywCMLdA8RLCeinHXrb66PD_8lsf8KZocu2a4qHJkkonwCqiMkg/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish5-rO1E2_0YfoQwELe7t-BEAlQPM5l7YcvVSahqgMi8vCqfKdypuiw6g0blWN65JMspv8zVjAlRNi1kmTYieWhW3lywCMLdA8RLCeinHXrb66PD_8lsf8KZocu2a4qHJkkonwCqiMkg/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"><b> Budget Electric</b></div><div> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">Think an all-electric car is out of your budget range? Maybe not for long. A $25,000 model from U.S. upstart Aptera Motors is close to commercial rollout. You’ll know it when you see it -- a bullet shaped three-wheeler about the size of a Toyota Prius. The range: 140 miles. Buyers have already put down deposits on the first 4,000 to come off the assembly lines. Those orders will be filled by August 2010. It’ll take a year or so longer for General Motors, Nissan and Toyota to produce plug-ins, and they’ll cost more and have shorter ranges. GM’s Chevy Volt, for example, will sell for $40,000 after rebates and will go only 40 miles per charge.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3p4iCYkY7R6DUPm8d9sNiP2W51VAQ0gvWWhAM-GM91nc6SDkdOkjPgau149dWUCtttzxVMHpyVhsdd5ROEeVOobKLijl6YkWZd9PjbqZTp0fdYawIzj9r6IRUBvez3rxJy_NgXgjlaY/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3p4iCYkY7R6DUPm8d9sNiP2W51VAQ0gvWWhAM-GM91nc6SDkdOkjPgau149dWUCtttzxVMHpyVhsdd5ROEeVOobKLijl6YkWZd9PjbqZTp0fdYawIzj9r6IRUBvez3rxJy_NgXgjlaY/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Juice from Joggers</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">Imagine converting motion -- from auto traffic or pedestrians -- to electricity. Tests are already under way to convert to electrical power the repeated pounding of tires on busy roads and tollbooth lanes or of commuters running to catch the subway. It could be used to run simple devices, leaving no carbon footprint. It may even be possible for joggers to use their footsteps to run cell phones and iPods. The technology could be in use in five years or so if the tests are successful.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOdxmhFrJMWkIGJVCImkdAm7Mdk3201EYtmgWH6EEkKMYAq9SuZxfRwLscQpCsKvCiDwS1NXKPxNgtaN0yNt65LBaQ7SFNkA4uU3Oh2oOwWb8i5V_J3vzcPo2-DMdMNEu8FLmTw78u_k/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOdxmhFrJMWkIGJVCImkdAm7Mdk3201EYtmgWH6EEkKMYAq9SuZxfRwLscQpCsKvCiDwS1NXKPxNgtaN0yNt65LBaQ7SFNkA4uU3Oh2oOwWb8i5V_J3vzcPo2-DMdMNEu8FLmTw78u_k/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Unjamming the Roads</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">New technologies to unsnarl traffic are on the horizon: Traffic management systems that combine video devices with computer logic will reduce collisions, reroute motorists and allow real-time adjustments to signals. They’ll be sorely needed to help ease major congestion that not only frustrates motorists but also slows business shipping and delivery.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYYtBS3O-FOwwiU-CwyrFQHdYS5BKXCsx8YzOFO04wDGLNhDSKh6u-jOiPZRYJcq2rvaAH7VjLqwRV4OG-5O9gAE0YEpY-md-6R2NAkl7D8VNKBVwuJAdKVn_kEe8R3au9g_easDUodo/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYYtBS3O-FOwwiU-CwyrFQHdYS5BKXCsx8YzOFO04wDGLNhDSKh6u-jOiPZRYJcq2rvaAH7VjLqwRV4OG-5O9gAE0YEpY-md-6R2NAkl7D8VNKBVwuJAdKVn_kEe8R3au9g_easDUodo/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"><b> Putting Power Aside</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">The energy storage business will grow 10-fold over the next 20 years. A slew of promising technological developments on the horizon will both provide benefit to energy users and benefit from investment.<br />
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Among them: Energy storage systems, such as flow batteries -- in effect, reverse fuel cells -- that can store unused wind and solar energy for use later when it is needed. Conventional lead-acid battery arrays will grow much bigger. And a system that stores compressed air: At night, when demand is typically low, wind-made electricity would run pumps that compress air into underground caverns. In daytime, released air would turn turbines to make electricity.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97LhmPg9et6xXaA5654JM4ddjitRCbpGat4q0V5FUehs-GpzLZdYYyF61qeRBHq0ZFYZIXOECOdkglCZsX6Y8g8J_EUd8yG-JS6OsIkWgWMNJTiEjLv3qeXrD4NY8kquGnbunWrPZNAc/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97LhmPg9et6xXaA5654JM4ddjitRCbpGat4q0V5FUehs-GpzLZdYYyF61qeRBHq0ZFYZIXOECOdkglCZsX6Y8g8J_EUd8yG-JS6OsIkWgWMNJTiEjLv3qeXrD4NY8kquGnbunWrPZNAc/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Powered by Thorium</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">Ever heard of thorium power? You will. Thorium is a naturally occurring element, slightly radioactive, that is far more common in the ground than uranium. The first nuclear reactor fueled by thorium will be built in about five years, with more to come.<br />
<br />
Thorium has a lot of practical advantages over the more commonly used uranium, and it can churn out the same amount of emission-free electricity to power the U.S. Thorium is safer, produces less waste and is abundant here in the U.S. Plus it’s less likely to cause accidents and can’t be used by terrorists for dirty bombs.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cy9R7nLTnf0Vp3A39fcaJAGhwIvzCyjERHlsQz8KdEYvjpB1zn-Ik8JNns5VU7D1vEx9UGvuquUsgaMuA2h4Pie1hZ34CxKzYWwok9W4534rXALEyxKuTbbj2X91DjJ7nXD1Vu7QNlI/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cy9R7nLTnf0Vp3A39fcaJAGhwIvzCyjERHlsQz8KdEYvjpB1zn-Ik8JNns5VU7D1vEx9UGvuquUsgaMuA2h4Pie1hZ34CxKzYWwok9W4534rXALEyxKuTbbj2X91DjJ7nXD1Vu7QNlI/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"><b> There's Oil in that Flat</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">North Dakota as an oil patch state? Yes, probably in a decade or less. The state’s Three Forks-Sanish formation could rival nearby Bakken Play, a vast oil shale field. Together they could provide the equivalent of 30 years’ worth of U.S. oil needs. <br />
<br />
Oil companies are already scurrying to stake claims to the bonanza. New drilling and recovery technologies make the fields ripe for production. They sit a mile beneath the surface and, until recently, were mostly inaccessible. Though drilling has begun, commercial production at Three Forks is five years away.</div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja706zVH1REZ0QJmAq5uRwKlD_76MXjUqn4-qoycB3lD3r7jFIXkJOBSYI3B1uIytCetdrf6bkrBfG4qeCnVd4iB9vo14GwdH1lBqYUWqWom3PXREAELOxZKtb9nUXv8-_BXWnGeWz0M/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja706zVH1REZ0QJmAq5uRwKlD_76MXjUqn4-qoycB3lD3r7jFIXkJOBSYI3B1uIytCetdrf6bkrBfG4qeCnVd4iB9vo14GwdH1lBqYUWqWom3PXREAELOxZKtb9nUXv8-_BXWnGeWz0M/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="header" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Power from Space</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;">Space based power plants are no longer just a science fiction fantasy. Pacific Gas and Electric aims to supply 250,000 customers from one by 2016. The California utility inked a deal with Solaren Corp. for 200 megawatts of electricity -- power to be generated by an orbiting solar cell plant and transmitted as microwaves to Fresno, where it will be converted to electricity. <br />
<br />
Solaren, PowerSat, Space Energy and others working on orbital power are getting a lift from state laws requiring more use of renewable sources. And they figure they’ll have a steady customer in the Defense Department, which wants a means of getting power to troops in remote areas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Source: Kiplinger Internet.</i></div><div id="description" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-74277147359582698602011-04-14T07:07:00.000-07:002011-04-14T07:07:05.508-07:00Nine Technologies That Will Change Your Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> For 88 years, subscribers have relied on <i>The Kiplinger Letter</i> for insights into emerging technologies that will change the way Americans live and do business. Examples of "you read it first in Kiplinger" include the rise of commercial air routes in 1927, the early development of television in the 1930s, electronic office machines in 1953 and mobile phones in 1983. What will be the tech breakthroughs of the next decade? Here are nine we're following. </div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Biometrics on the Move</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Banks are increasingly turning to biometric authentication for mobile and online clients. Fingerprint, voice and face recognition systems will soon become commonplace as banks seek to heighten security for the rising tide of on-the-go transactions.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Customers are accepting such security measures more readily these days. Many smart phones are already outfitted with cameras and only need a face recognition application; in a few, fingerprint scanners are embedded as well. They're already in some laptops, and Microsoft's (NasdaqGS: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MSFT">MSFT</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=MSFT&t">News</a>) Windows 7 operating system contains the needed recognition software. Citibank (NYSEArca: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PCO">PCO</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PCO">News</a>) intends to test the waters first in Australia with voice recognition. Look for the trend to spread quickly to other banks as well as to other countries.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Self-Driving and Folding Cars</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">GM's (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=gm&ql=1">GM</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=GM&t">News</a>) prototype EN-V (Electric Networked Vehicle) is just a third of the length and weight of today's average car, thanks to an all-electric, rechargeable power system. There's no bulky engine, transmission or braking system, plus it has built-in smarts to navigate on its own and avoid hitting other vehicles.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The all-electric CityCar (seen here), developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, can squeeze its eight-foot length into a more compact five feet, allowing it to fit in teeny urban parking spots.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qcou8j7/**http%3A//yhoo.it/bzjR9U">See the Most Stolen Vehicles in the United States</a>]</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Personal Bar Codes</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A digital code on your business card could soon let folks you meet scan contact information directly into smart phones or other mobile devices on the spot, ensuring correct spelling and phone numbers.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There are plenty of marketing uses for bar codes as well: On property listings — to allow prospective buyers to download info. Postings at restaurants let patrons peek at menus and specials or tip off friends to their whereabouts. For retailers of all stripes, bar codes provide a chance to interact with consumers, making a digital connection.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Genetically Modified Critters</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Uncle Sam's OK is expected soon for the first genetically modified food animal — no, not this pig — but for farm-raised salmon with a gene from a wild chinook salmon. The gene-jiggered fish is engineered to grow at twice the pace of its unaltered farm raised progenitors.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Next up: Meet "Enviropig," a porker genetically altered to make the manure it produces less polluting, with phosphorus levels 30%-65% lower than normal. Also in the works: Cattle that are not susceptible to mad cow disease. The animals lack the protein that mutates, so they don't get the disease and can't pass it on.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Farm-Raised Pharma</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A better understanding of genetics is also leading to changes in other sectors. In agriculture, scientists can tweak genes to make disease resistant animals. Plus they're using genetically altered animals — cattle, for one — to make antibodies to fight diseases such as botulism and anthrax.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Eventually, the isolated antibodies may be approved for injection into humans to protect against those diseases. Researchers are also using genetically altered swine to grow pancreatic tissue that can be implanted in human diabetics to restore their ability to produce insulin.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>New Cancer Treatments</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Genetic advances go way beyond a few drugs. Consider Oncotype DX, a test developed by Genomic Health. It can identify whether breast cancer in a specific patient is aggressive and likely to recur. That gives doctors and patients more information when considering whether chemotherapy is a good move.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Similar tests may do the same for colon, renal and prostate cancers. Dako, the global diagnostic company, is developing a test to select patients with metastatic stomach cancer who may benefit from Herceptin, a breast cancer drug. If the test shows chemotherapy won't help, doctors and patients can decide against it, avoiding unnecessary pain, and saving $15,000-$20,000 in medical costs. That scenario could be replicated for scores of other treatments.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>New Drug Therapies</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Genetic testing is revolutionizing medicine, offering doctors and patients more-educated choices. Using personal gene info, doctors can match patients with the therapies most likely to prove successful.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Food & Drug Administration is on the cusp of approving a promising drug for lupus, Benlysta, from Human Genome Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline. Gene mapping will also make drug development faster and cheaper. All this could mean big savings in health costs as well as better results.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Power Up on the Roof</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">On the horizon: A novel solar roofing system with appeal for homeowners. Dow Chemical will soon roll out shingles with embedded solar chips. Other companies, such as Lumeta, SRS Energy and SunPower, offer similar power generating shingles and tiles, but Dow's have a difference: They can be installed by any roofing contractor. An electrician is needed only for the final plug-in. Others require wiring each shingle.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Solar roofing systems offer big advantages over more conventional solar panels: In addition to being less bulky and more attractive, they offer more flexibility and can cover entire roofs, including irregular spaces, to capture more power.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qoteg5q/**http%3A//yhoo.it/eSg2fr">See Energy Steps to Take for a Less Pricey Winter</a>]</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Time for Your Pill</strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Half of all Americans don't get prescriptions filled or take prescription medicines when they should. Such negligence contributes to higher costs as people get sicker instead of better. Pharmacy benefit managers can help. Medco Health Solutions, for example, has pharmacists reach out to patients who don't seem to be heeding doctors' orders.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">One tech solution: A pill bottle cap that lights up when it's time for a dose. The GlowCap, made by Vitality Inc., emits a pulsing orange light, followed by a beep that becomes increasingly insistent until the bottle is opened. No response will prompt an electronic phone call or e-mail.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> <b><i>By Kiplinger</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Source: Internet. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Y5W9NK&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004G600A4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001Y35J5S&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-35380839958302459322011-04-14T06:56:00.000-07:002011-04-14T06:56:44.941-07:00$1 CEOs and What They Make Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Beleaguered by the economic crisis -- and to dodge public scrutiny -- some of the nation's top CEOs pledged to forgo their million-dollar salaries for a mere $1 until their companies returned to profitability. From Citigroup to General Motors to Whole Foods, a handful of the CEOs repudiated the notion of accepting lucrative salaries while at the helm of an underperforming company. Here's who they are and how much these business czars are making in the aftermath.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Vikram Pandit<br />
CEO of Citigroup</strong> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=c">C</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=c">News</a>)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2009, the chief of Citigroup, Vikram Pandit, agreed to a salary of $1 until the one-time world's largest bank rebounded under his direction. Citigroup received a government bailout of $45 billion amid the economic downturn, which the company repaid in full in 2010. In fact, the government's sale of Citigroup shares in December yielded $12 billion for the American taxpayer. Following this positive news, in January of this year, Pandit's salary was raised from $1 to $1.75 million, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Rick Wagoner</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Former CEO of General Motors</strong> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=gm">GM</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=gm">News</a>) </div><div class="sky ad" style="text-align: justify;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="ad_slug_table" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center"><span class="ad_slug"></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><noscript><img width=1 height=1 alt="" src="http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=LA.5nUwNcmDl4g2STWOeYQCNUoA3V01_b8MAAmxy&T=17ud1finn%2fX%3d1300197315%2fE%3d2143567394%2fR%3dfin%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d1571558001%2fH%3dc2VydmVJZD0iTEEuNW5Vd05jbURsNGcyU1RXT2VZUUNOVW9BM1YwMV9iOE1BQW14eSIgc2l0ZUlkPSI0NDUxMDUxIiB0U3RtcD0iMTMwMDE5NzMxNTE4ODY2MSIg%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dD7730D4C&U=13fluhb3a%2fN%3dxChdREwNPPw-%2fC%3d715481.14544739.14366252.13885932%2fD%3dSKY%2fB%3d5759596%2fV%3d1"></noscript> </div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Under pressure from Washington lawmakers, the former CEO of GM, Rick Wagoner, took a $1 salary as the government bailed out the auto industry. About four months later, on March 30, 2009, the Obama administration rejected Wagoner's plans to restructure the company and government officials forced out GM's titan. From 2005 until 2009, it is reported GM accumulated more than $80 billion in losses under Wagoner's management. Nevertheless, his retirement package is valued at more than $10 million. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, this includes $1.64 million in annual benefits for each of the next five years and $74,030 for each year of the rest of his life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>John Mackey<br />
CEO of Whole Foods</strong> (Nasdaq: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=wfmi">WFMI</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=wfmi">News</a>)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the grocery entrepreneur John Mackey warned that food sales would slow amid the recession in 2007, he also announced that he would be reducing his salary to $1. Since then, he's advocated against sky-high executive pay and has stayed true to his own convictions. Not only does he not take a salary, he's also passing up a bonus and stock options. The after-tax remainder of proceeds on future stock options was $379,636 in 2009 and Mackey donated that money to an animal charity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Edward Liddy<br />
Former CEO of American International Group, Inc.</strong> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=aig">AIG</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=aig">News</a>)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After insurance giant AIG secured $85 billion in government loans and rumors emerged about the excessive perks for the company's head honchos, Edward Liddy -- who was tapped by the former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson -- was brought in to do some damage control. Along with slashing corporate bonuses for AIG's top executives, Liddy took a salary of $1 for 2008 and 2009.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Liddy was later under fire by government officials for paying out $165 million in executive bonuses -- by this time, the American taxpayer had invested $182 billion in the company. In the wake of this uproar, Liddy stepped down. Liddy also has extensive experience serving on the Board of Directors of major blue chip companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Boeing and 3M.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Jen-Hsun Huang<br />
CEO of NVIDIA</strong> (Nasdaq: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=nvda">NVDA</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=nvda">News</a>)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fueled by a tough business year, in 2009, Jen-Hsun Huang, the CEO of the graphic processor company, Nvidia, moved to reduce to his salary to $1. But Huang, who ranks No. 10 on the Forbes list of top CEO compensation, still pulled in $31.4 million in stock gains. He also reportedly owns 4.4% of Nvidia shares, which are worth about $300 million.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Bottom Line<br />
</strong>Taking a $1 salary for most CEOs is a symbolic gesture to their shareholders and the public that they are committed to the job -- not just to the dollar figures. Despite dropping their salary to nearly nothing, CEOs also have the advantage of profiting from stock options and other types of compensation. In 2008, the heads of 32 companies in the Russell 3000 took $1, but many still earned millions of dollars, according to data from the research firm, The Corporate Library.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">by Megan Mollmann</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: Internet</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003K15EIY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Y27P3M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000FCKG1G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-9625968518991135032011-04-14T06:49:00.000-07:002011-04-14T06:49:47.429-07:00The 10 Highest-Paid Government Jobs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"> Working for the government is often referred to as public service. The term implies sacrifice or taking less than what could be earned in the private sector or in an entrepreneurial position. Many government workers seem overpaid but are probably underpaid when you consider the scope of their responsibilities. Indeed, many in the private sector would not want to stand up to the scrutiny required of a top public service job or to get elected to public office.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The salary of the President of the United States is actually a token sum considering the responsibilities of the office. Still, officials in other public service jobs seem egregiously overpaid. People who hold these jobs are "set for life" after their public service ends because they are in demand for paid speaking gigs, memoirs and consulting roles in private industry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">24/7 Wall Street has gathered data from many public sources to ferret out how much these top government officials earn. Salaries of some jobs are shielded from public scrutiny because of national security reasons. We did not consider the healthcare and retirement packages, security and transportation benefits and more. In some cases, our public service executives have actually taken considerable pay cuts to serve.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One thing also needs to be considered here. Some government salaries are actually shielded under executive order. Some of the shielded pay grades may be well into the hundreds of thousands or even more. Some information, intelligence, and cloak and dagger positions are shielded and above our pay grade when it comes to identifying how much they are.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>10. Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $186,600<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> Generally 8 Years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Senator From New York</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> The Secretary of State is appointed by the president to serve as chief diplomatic representative of the U.S. Besides overseeing all State Department operations, including the operations of the U.S. embassies and representation in the UN, Secretary of State Clinton is responsible for the foreign operations of the CIA, the Defense Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. Clinton is also fourth in the chain of succession for presidency.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>9. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $191,300<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> Generally 8 years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> Appointed by the President, the Secretary of the Treasury serves as the principal economic advisor for the President. According to the Department of the Treasury: "The Secretary is responsible for formulating and recommending domestic and international financial, economic, and tax policy, participating in the formulation of broad fiscal policies that have general significance for the economy, and managing the public debt." Geithner is a proxy for many other presidential cabinet members, who make the same amount, including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>8. Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $193,400<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> Indefinite, usually 4-8 years, or until Senate changes hands<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Governor of Nevada</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> The Senate Majority Leader did not exist until the beginning of the 20th century. According to the U.S. Senate website: "The leader must keep himself briefed and informed on national and international problems in addition to pending legislative matters. On the floor of the senate he is charged by his party members to deal with all procedural questions in consultation with them and his party's policy-making bodies." Additionally, Reid must be in contact with all of the various committees and maintain a line of communication between them and the senate. This position stands as proxy for the minority and majority leaders in both the Senate and House, who all make the same amount.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. Chairman of the Federal Reserve: Benjamin Bernanke</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $199,700<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> 14-28 years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Professor of Economics at Princeton</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> The Chairman of the Federal Reserve is in charge of the Federal banking system of the U.S. As head of the fed, Bernanke dictates and explains the direction of U.S. fiscal policy and works with the Department of the Treasury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. Chief Justice of Supreme Court John G. Roberts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $217,400<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> Life<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Judge on the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> As the Chief Justice of the nine-member Supreme Court, Roberts is the head of the U.S. Federal court system, and is effectively the Leader of the Judicial branch of the government. The Chief Justice is the spokesperson for the court, deciding who writes its opinions. Roberts is also responsible for setting the court's agenda.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Admiral Michael Mullen</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $220,734.36<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> 8 Years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Chief of Naval Operations</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> While the president is technically the commander of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the combined panel of the Army, Air Force, and Navy — is the functional leader of the military. The Chairman is appointed by the President.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Speaker of the House: John Boehner</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $223,500<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> Potentially Unlimited, Generally 4-8 Years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Member of the U.S. House of Representatives From Ohio</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> The Speaker of the House does not legally need to be a member of the House of Representatives, but there has never been a speaker appointed from outside the legislative branch. The speaker is third in line for the presidency. The speaker's role includes presiding over the house and setting his party's agenda. This position stands as proxy for the House Minority Leader, who makes the same amount.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Vice President: Joseph Biden</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $227,300<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> 8 Years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Senator from Delaware</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> While the Vice President of the United States is the second-in-command of the executive branch, and aids the president in all of his bureaucratic and diplomatic efforts. The VP is also officially the President of the Senate, and presides over all meetings, although his only important role is to serve as the tiebreaker in the event of a voting deadlock. Vice President Biden is also next in line for the presidency should Obama die or become incapacitated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Postmaster General: Patrick R. Donahoe</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $245,000<br />
<b>Maximum Tenure:</b> 8 years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> A number of executive positions in the U.S. Postal Service</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> Donahoe is the leader of the U.S. postal service, a position which is older than the U.S. Constitution. Once a presidential cabinet position, appointments for the position now come from within the service. Donahoe helps set postal rates and services, and oversees all major regulation changes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. President: Barack Obama</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Annual Base Salary:</b> $400,000<br />
<b>Maximum Job Length:</b> 8 Years<br />
<b>Previous Job:</b> Senator from Illinois</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Job Description:</b> The President is the head executive branch, the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, and the nation's leader and figurehead. Obama is responsible for a great number of bureaucratic appointments and nominations, and many of the people on this list are put in place by the president.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>by Michael B. Sauter and Jon C. Ogg</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Source: Internet.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003K15EIY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000FCKG1G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004TS0LBW&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-553776905088032592011-04-14T06:39:00.000-07:002011-04-14T06:39:16.730-07:009 Ways to Build Wealth in 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><cite></cite>Want to build some wealth in 2011? Revisit those New Year's resolutions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You probably haven't thought about your pledges in more than a month. But odds are at least one of them involves getting rid of debt, increasing your income or building some financial security. To help you out, nine experts in the fields of money, debt, real estate and consumer affairs have shared their best wealth-building tips for 2011.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>1. Funnel That FICA Cut Into a Retirement Windfall</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>David Bendix, CPA/PFS, CFP, president of The Bendix Financial Group: </i>Take the money you won't pay in FICA, or Federal Insurance Contributions Act, taxes this year and redirect it to your 401(k). "It's a great concept that you're taking that 2 percent and using it to fund your retirement," he says. "It's one great technique for the coming year."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/rates/query?t=s">[Click here to check savings products and rates in your area.]</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip for success: For the maximum impact, talk with human resources ASAP and change your deductions, Bendix says. One hopes the habit of saving a little more will stick with you through next year, too, he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>2. Look For Low-Cost Mutual Funds and Watch Those Fees</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Jill Gianola, CFP, owner of Gianola Financial Planning, LLC, and author of "The Young Couple's Guide to Growing Rich Together": </i>"One of my favorite ways to build wealth is to pay close attention to the cost of investing and stick to low-cost, no-load mutual funds," she says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One example: "If you invested $10,000 in small-cap, value funds with a commission and higher-than-average operating expenses and earned 7 percent a year for 10 years, your balance would be $16,005 and you would have paid a sales charge of $575 and $1,890 in operating expenses," she says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Compare that to investing the same amount for the same time period earning the same return in a no-load, small-cap, value fund with low operating expenses," she says. "Your balance would be $19,128 and you would have paid $408 in operating expenses." The difference: $3,123.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Tip for success: Calculate cost and differences with Bankrate's mutual fund fees calculator.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qcjomn0/**http%3A//yhoo.it/ibmlkN">How to Ruin a Real Estate Listing</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>3. No Shortcuts: Year After Year of Consistent Savings </strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Ric Edelman, chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services LLC, and author of "The Truth About Money": </i>"The best way to build wealth remains unchanged: Invest as much money as you can (which is usually more than you think you can) into a diversified set of low-cost mutual funds and exchange-traded funds -- and keep doing this for many years, no matter what."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>4. Get Rid of High-Interest Card Debt</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>David Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies:</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"For most people, building wealth is not about what to do with excess disposable income," he says, but "how to keep more of the money that they earn."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The best way to do that: Reduce the amount of money spent on interest payments -- especially high-interest payments attached to credit card purchases," Jones says. "If a consumer can work to pay off just one high-interest credit card and not overcharge it again, then the money saved after it is paid off can go to a building-wealth plan. This may not be easy, and it may take time, but it's a realistic goal for just about every consumer."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip for success: Find a certified credit counselor to help you draft your own personal spending plan for free. To find one, visit either the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10rs1k0dm/**http%3A//www.aiccca.org/" target="_blank">AICCCA</a> or the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10pka1n0t/**http%3A//www.nfcc.org/" target="_blank">National Foundation for Credit Counseling</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"If the consumer sticks to that plan, it will be their best chance to begin a systematic process for building wealth," Jones says. "It may be modest at first, but with diligence, everyone can have a chance to improve their financial circumstances."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>5. Buy a Home </strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Ron Phipps, president of the National Association of Realtors and principal broker for Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I.: </i>Want to build wealth in 2011? Buy a home, Phipps says. Mortgage rates are low, selection is great, prices are about one-third lower than five years ago, "and, by the way, you can live in the investment," he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Homeownership remains a long-term vehicle to financial independence and wealth, Phipps says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip for success: Even though it sounds "pretty elementary," it's especially vital to "use common sense when buying and selling," Phipps says. "Price at the market to sell. Buy what you need and can afford."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10q0fbj6b/**http%3A//yhoo.it/e2CQRB">Ways Your Appearance Helps Your Pay</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>6. Balanced, Diversified Portfolio Plus Education</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Karen Altfest, CFP, principal adviser and executive vice president of client relations at Altfest Personal Wealth Management, a fee-only financial planning firm based in New York:</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Have a balanced portfolio," Altfest says. "So many people think that as they get older, money will come from interest. The secret is (keeping) a well-balanced, diversified portfolio and learning what it all means."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Too many times, people take the "set it and forget it" approach with their retirement accounts, she says. But you shouldn't "let it get cobwebs because you can't deal with it," Altfest says. "Get help." Your goal for the year: Get educated about what's in your retirement accounts and why.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip for success: You don't solely want only fixed-rate instruments such as bonds and CDs, she says, because it takes more than compounding interest to build a retirement fund.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>7. If You Have an HSA, Max It Out</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Eric Tyson, author of "Investing for Dummies" and "Personal Finance for Dummies":</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'm a very big fan of (health savings accounts) because they offer better potential tax benefits than a traditional retirement fund," Tyson says. With HSAs, investors receive an upfront tax break, compounding investment earning, and pay no tax on the money that is withdrawn "as long as its use is for health expenses," he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the device might not work for everyone. "Obviously, you have to have a high-deductible health plan," he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before 65, if you pull money from your HSA for nonhealth expenses, you'll pay income tax and a 20 percent penalty on the withdrawal. After 65 (or in cases of death or disability), such withdrawals are taxed as income -- without the 20 percent penalty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The maximum you can put into an HSA in 2011 is $3,050 for an individual account (plus an extra $1,000 if you're 55 or older), and $6,150 for a family account, he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>8. Do Your Due Diligence </strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>John Breyault, director of the National Consumer League's Fraud Center:</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To build wealth that you can rely on, vet the adviser and the investment thoroughly, Breyault recommends. Some red flags:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Guaranteed returns. "There's no such thing as a guaranteed return," he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Pressure. "If it's a good investment opportunity today, it will be a good investment opportunity tomorrow."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Nothing in writing or a reluctance to share information you could present to a third-party. "If it's a significant sum of money, I wouldn't hesitate to run it by an attorney," Breyault says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• A significant upfront sum. "You shouldn't have to invest more than you're comfortable with," he says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also, "you should be able to get your money out easily," Breyault says.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tip for success: Run investments and their representatives past state protection agencies such as the office of consumer protection and the state attorney general's office, he says. Also check with business sources such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Check with regulating authorities such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=120il447n/**http%3A//www.finra.org/Investors/ToolsCalculators/BrokerCheck" target="_blank">BrokerCheck</a>, the Federal Communications Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. And verify any degrees and accreditations directly with the bodies that offer them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And run a Google search on the company name, principals and basics of the investment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>9. Start Your Own Side Business</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Robert Pagliarini, CFP, president of Pacifica Wealth Advisors and author of "The Other 8 Hours: Maximize Your Free Time to Create New Wealth and Purpose":</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Start a business in your free time," he says. "I'm a big proponent of having a side venture, something you are passionate about that you can work on after your 'day job.'</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I think this is the best advice to give someone now -- especially for those who are unemployed," Pagliarini says. "And starting a business doesn't have to cost much, if any, money." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <cite>Credit: Dana Dratch</cite></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-24213552912232037612011-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:002011-03-15T07:16:57.058-07:00Ways to Stop Marriage Money Fights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVefc-__fne6WGGGxX_O7VkH8guJj1IsvnSIa8dRyN8E-r_kQIY9lZviDa8RSgzinw1IzmbhjMR1WF-83PsA381mKmPjJNE3kwDJJNZF8EnOMYaiYRyb85Y9YdgsmYHRCsCJk2B9Jf4SM/s1600/wedding_fight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVefc-__fne6WGGGxX_O7VkH8guJj1IsvnSIa8dRyN8E-r_kQIY9lZviDa8RSgzinw1IzmbhjMR1WF-83PsA381mKmPjJNE3kwDJJNZF8EnOMYaiYRyb85Y9YdgsmYHRCsCJk2B9Jf4SM/s320/wedding_fight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It's no secret divorces in America are a popular trend. According to the National Center for Health, about half of marriages will result in divorce, and with many families struggling to make ends meet and with the unemployment rate hovering around 10% this past year, stress and arguments over money are not uncommon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you and your spouse have been arguing over the finances, how can you prevent these disputes so your marriage doesn't end up in divorce? MainStreet asked relationship and financial experts to share simple tips on how to manage money peacefully in a relationship.</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Set Goals</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">To reduce financial stress, first come up with a clear path toward financial success. If you constantly argue with your spouse about debt, then create a plan of action to crush it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Joshua Duvauchelle, associate editor of Focus on the FamilyCanada, says to "talk about your financial goals, fears and shortcomings. For example, financial conflict sometimes crops up when one person doesn't think that a little credit card debt is a big problem while the other one does. The only way you'll be in mutual agreement is if you talk about it." Be respectful and work together to dig yourselves out of your financial dilemmas; don't have a screaming match.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Get Organized</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Organization is key to fixing your finances. Certified Public Accountant John Faggio recommends that couples "set up a common area for supporting documents where each spouse can easily see where the money has gone. Passwords or security questions should be common knowledge to both spouses."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the bills arrive in the mail, pay them! Don't throw them in a drawer or leave them on the kitchen table where you're likely to forget about them. Keep your financial documents and bills in an easy to access area for each spouse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Create Money-Saving Rituals</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saving money and living frugally is a critical component to achieving most financial goals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Patty Newbold, marriage educator at <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=112rcts8s/**http%3A//enjoybeingmarried.com/" target="_blank">EnjoyBeingMarried.com</a>, tells MainStreet, "There will be times you have to cut back. While you have enough, create your own low-budget traditions: camping, a walk on the beach at sunset, an inexpensive meal you both love, fixing things together or making crafts to sell."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">These activities will spawn continued dialogue between you and your spouse about the importance of saving money and staying committed to your path toward financial success.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Make a Date With Your Finances</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Money isn't typically discussed on a date, but if you're serious about getting your finances on track and preventing financial arguments, consider setting up a "business meeting" between you and your spouse, as suggested by Danielle Marquis, adjunct professor of personal finance at Red Rocks Community College.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Order takeout, get a bottle of wine and then work on some aspect of your finances together (and maybe watch a movie afterwards as a reward)," Marquis says. "In January this might be setting up a budget for the rest of the year, in February it might be tax prep, in March it might be asset allocation for investments."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Consider Joining a Credit Union</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">To help bolster your finances, take advantage of the benefits credit unions offer. Savings accounts at credit unions usually offer higher interest rates than typical banks and credit cards with lower interest rates. Credit unions serve in the best interest of their members.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the Credit Union National Association, in 2009, lending to small businesses from banks <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11stff56p/**http%3A//www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/96700969.html" target="_blank">dropped 18%, but rose 9.9% from credit unions</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Diane Tegarden, author of "Getting Out of Limbo: A Self Help Divorce Book for Women," tells MainStreet that "once you establish a relationship with your credit union, it will be easier to qualify for a loan if you need emergency funds." [<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qf9fvjf/**http%3A//yhoo.it/fTxo5t">What Is the Government's Credit Score?</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Be Honest</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hiding debt from your spouse or lying about how you spend the family's money will only create more tension in the relationship. While a spouse might feel angered and upset if they discover the other spouse was lying about how much debt they had, it is far more beneficial to the relationship to maintain an honest and open dialogue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Keep no secrets. Be honest with each other about what you have spent (and on what) and disclose everything," suggests Ray Lucia, a certified financial planner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Reward Yourself</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you notice that you and your spouse are achieving your financial goals and the arguments over money are virtually nonexistent, treat yourselves to a night out at the movies or a reasonably priced weekend vacation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Spending quality time with your spouse will allow you to take a break from constantly thinking about and dwelling on the household finances. In the end, it's not just about excelling financially, it's also about improving your relationship with your spouse and ensuring that money problems don't destroy a marriage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Learn When to Discuss It</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Timing is everything, so be sure you know the right time to bring up your finances with your spouse.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Duvauchelle also recommends that couples not "wait to communicate about finances when you're angry or when the bills come in. Discuss it when you're both calm. Otherwise, the underlying current of anger or the stress of a looming bill can make it counterproductive to discuss your budgets and financial settings."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Know Your Spouse's Salary</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Be honest with your spouse about exactly how much you earn. Chances are you both don't earn the same amount of money, which can cause further tension when deciding how much each spouse will contribute to bills. Instead of splitting the bills 50/50, use the same ratios, rather than equal sums of money.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qh3pkpn/**http%3A//yhoo.it/hH8umT">Most Miserable Cities in the U.S.</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, if you make $5,000 per month and your spouse makes $12,000 per month, then your joint income is $17,000. But if your monthly expenses amount to $4,000 per month, then divide $4,000 by $17,000, which is about 23.5%. That way both you and your spouse will contribute 23.5% of your monthly incomes to the monthly expenses, which results in different amounts. This is fair because even though you both don't earn the same amount of money, you're still contributing the same percentages to the household expenses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9oRKfEvcUv1TToL3YzgwOEmFVlapp-8ZCvf8Vfl6rWhXF_YbKlz6Rq3B5zTo67wN8bSnGh9eEjhObrByw_ef9sRM1PxAf2ahwgl_4pnPux1qp9v9f0IplnARPDw-M_3r65pZdDW7mg4/s1600/MONEY+FIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9oRKfEvcUv1TToL3YzgwOEmFVlapp-8ZCvf8Vfl6rWhXF_YbKlz6Rq3B5zTo67wN8bSnGh9eEjhObrByw_ef9sRM1PxAf2ahwgl_4pnPux1qp9v9f0IplnARPDw-M_3r65pZdDW7mg4/s1600/MONEY+FIGHT.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Don't Play the Blame Game</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">If the reason for your financial troubles is because one spouse was irresponsible with money and used the family credit cards to rack up thousands of dollars in debt, the other spouse must be supportive and not accuse each other of causing the financial mess.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Teamwork is critical and you won't escape your financial dilemmas unless both you and your spouse work together and commit to acting responsible with money. This will also result in fewer financial arguments.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <noscript><img width=1 height=1 alt="" src="http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=oW7yA0wNcmADadf7TV4h1wD1UoA3kU1eO98ADiqb&T=17usl2oht%2fX%3d1298021343%2fE%3d2142045458%2fR%3dfin%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d1442726702%2fH%3dc2VydmVJZD0ib1c3eUEwd05jbUFEYWRmN1RWNGgxd0QxVW9BM2tVMWVPOThBRGlxYiIgc2l0ZUlkPSI0NDUxMDUxIiB0U3RtcD0iMTI5ODAyMTM0Mzk1MjE2OSIg%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dD2730D4C&U=12cslp32a%2fN%3dGX71AmKImio-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dFSQR%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0"></noscript> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Scott Gamm is the founder of the personal finance website <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1161ess8g/**http%3A//www.HelpSaveMyDollars.com/" target="_blank">HelpSaveMyDollars.com</a>. He has appeared on NBC's TODAY, MSNBC, Fox Business Network, Fox News, ABC News and CBS.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Source: Internet.</i></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-56605227621626280682011-03-15T06:01:00.000-07:002011-03-15T06:01:04.341-07:00Surprising Home-Energy Hogs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><u> <strong>It's the small appliances that can waste the most electricity.</strong></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Digital picture frames are small, so it's hard to think of them as energy hogs. But if each U.S. household had one of these frames running around the clock, it would take five power plants to run them all, says the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an electricity-focused research and development nonprofit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Large home appliances like refrigerators and dryers are typical examples of energy-hungry devices, but energy hogs don't necessarily need to be large in size. Small devices are also collectively sucking a lot of energy from the power grid, and as these devices become commonplace their energy consumption rises exponentially. "It's the subtlety of the effect of large numbers of very small consuming devices," says Tom Reddoch, the executive director of energy utilization at EPRI.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/rates/query?t=h">[Click here to check home equity rates in your area.]</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other small energy hogs include mobile phone chargers and laptop power adapters that are always plugged in to electric outlets. These chargers continue to draw energy even when the devices they charge have been disconnected. And "always-on" appliances like printers or speakers are called "energy vampires" because they also suck up power even when they're turned off or in an idle state.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Worse yet, the number of always-on devices is on the rise. Reddoch estimates that the typical U.S. home 30 years ago had about three always-on devices; today that number has climbed to more than 30.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Slaying energy vampires, however, is worthwhile in the long run. While a refrigerator typically accounts for about 8% of the typical household's total annual energy consumption, Reddoch says, vampire devices account for about 4%.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What's the best way to rein in energy hogs and vampires? The simplest answer is to turn off and unplug devices when they're not in use. If unplugging isn't practical or convenient, use a smart power strip to help stop the flow of electricity to an idle current. For instance, some smart strips allow you to set up a lead device like a computer so that when it is turned off, other supporting devices, like printers and speakers, are also turned off.[<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10q04iogd/**http%3A//yhoo.it/dQrdn3">Technologies That Will Change Your Future</a>]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We don't often bother to change a device's default settings, but we can save energy here too. For example, you can manually lower the default brightness and intensity settings on a TV.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Knowing how much energy we waste keeping devices on all the time should also motivate us to change our habits. Kyle Tanger, chief executive of green consultancy ClearCarbon, recommends using an electricity monitor like the Kill A Watt, a product that measures the energy efficiency of household appliances, to give you a better sense of their usage cost.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We can also buy energy-efficient products, and this year happens to be a great time to do that. Consumers are eligible for a rebate from the government when they buy an Energy Star appliance. Check out the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11l7ef1c5/**http%3A//www.energysavers.gov/financial/70022.html" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Energy</a> website for more information the rebate program.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There isn't a secret to what's hogging the energy," says Tanger. "If people pay attention to the little lights or fans in equipment, there is a lot in energy-efficiency gain that isn't just low-hanging fruit -- it's on the ground."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Surprising Home-Energy Hogs</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzEE6I2YoHv9EAxiqap35CnBr04ENES9Un4HUrSfcrNbit-ItEjbjWnxNnopFawwlhVfAx1GrNyy4aHYUGOcl_TtXWGqz41eXF44LS0MDl97VMQGksVl9n6oWiF-EClZSp-dU9CpZX4Q/s1600/ELECT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzEE6I2YoHv9EAxiqap35CnBr04ENES9Un4HUrSfcrNbit-ItEjbjWnxNnopFawwlhVfAx1GrNyy4aHYUGOcl_TtXWGqz41eXF44LS0MDl97VMQGksVl9n6oWiF-EClZSp-dU9CpZX4Q/s1600/ELECT.jpg" /></a></div><strong>Plasma TVs</strong><br />
Plasma TVs are hot items -- literally. While they are popular, they also consume a lot energy, giving off lots of heat in the process. A typical 27-inch CRT TV uses about 110 to 120 watts and a 42-inch LCD TV uses around 200 watts. Plasmas easily gobble the most: a 42-inch plasma TV uses up to 325 watts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPKyWApIZpU45yyGmJJIm66mkTGwzX4ByzghsJyTq5PAhYWbVUJK59CwTBfoxcgktB9G6wAyLmOFvjovr9YLZ_TLIpc5S1JQ4N4O3QVExqZ073BV0KhRRAmw0dc5wr1yKMtwAjwub-lg/s1600/ELECT+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPKyWApIZpU45yyGmJJIm66mkTGwzX4ByzghsJyTq5PAhYWbVUJK59CwTBfoxcgktB9G6wAyLmOFvjovr9YLZ_TLIpc5S1JQ4N4O3QVExqZ073BV0KhRRAmw0dc5wr1yKMtwAjwub-lg/s1600/ELECT+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Digital Picture Frames</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once a high-end item, digital frames are quickly becoming more affordable, with prices as low as $20 to $30. If every home in the U.S. had one of these frames displaying around the clock, though, it would take five power plants alone to power them all, the Electric Power Research Institute estimates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Videogame Consoles</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The high-level graphics processing that creates the visually stunning games on these devices also requires a lot of energy. And a lack of energy-efficiency standards for consoles, like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, doesn't help. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that consoles in the U.S. collectively consume around 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year, roughly the same energy usage as the city of San Diego.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdixHC3KOi_2KtNdqEY_IgW7fWQsIW_N1Z6JiGO_VUId2DZmr4ABD-e-LOk2C3Ts2Nee9g8TbCoIcnQYplyuq3SvvVthpqtqVyebuySFwHlzrQbByNJ1AMJGsDPpfFyj4pZLtdebnsRk/s1600/ELECT+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdixHC3KOi_2KtNdqEY_IgW7fWQsIW_N1Z6JiGO_VUId2DZmr4ABD-e-LOk2C3Ts2Nee9g8TbCoIcnQYplyuq3SvvVthpqtqVyebuySFwHlzrQbByNJ1AMJGsDPpfFyj4pZLtdebnsRk/s1600/ELECT+3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>Set-Top Boxes</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Set-top boxes like cable and converter boxes seem like relatively innocent appliances: They typically only draw about 30 watts of energy. But because these boxes are always on, one box over the course of a year can use up to 265 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a 28-inch CRT television.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Battery Chargers</strong></div>Individually chargers for mobile devices like cellphones and PDAs are small energy consumers, only using 7 to 10 watts. But if they are left plugged in to electric outlets even when the charged device is not connected, they continue to draw power. Today most U.S. homes use more than one charger. Add them all up across the country, and they could consume the energy output of several power plants. <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong></strong>by Oliver J. Chiang</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: Internet.</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-12768170236298841102011-03-15T05:06:00.000-07:002011-03-15T05:06:34.755-07:00Real Madrid Becomes Highest Earning Sports Team Ever!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLy6XeTyaPBIbXl7wLSWVU-9Y6yWcgqYOlETZlRLHWUNsdyxiaIlhChRdMRuKnRHGPJWKRcvPluRQvZrI7XESjjSj-3duXSY5eUOowaLJu9yHYe-CDy07F5nb-m1W6b6Rq-cXnH56xx-c/s1600/real+madrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLy6XeTyaPBIbXl7wLSWVU-9Y6yWcgqYOlETZlRLHWUNsdyxiaIlhChRdMRuKnRHGPJWKRcvPluRQvZrI7XESjjSj-3duXSY5eUOowaLJu9yHYe-CDy07F5nb-m1W6b6Rq-cXnH56xx-c/s320/real+madrid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_3_0_2_129793341482715" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div id="yui_3_3_0_2_129793341482715" style="text-align: justify;">For the sixth consecutive year, Real Madrid tops the <a href="http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/5596840c99e9d210VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm" target="_blank">Deloitte Football Money League</a>, and in doing so, became the highest earning sports team ever, reports <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/real-madrid-highest-earning-sports-team-2011-2" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>. Despite not winning any trophies, the club's earnings jumped from $541 million for the 2008/09 season to $592 million for the 2009/10 season, enabling them to continue funding Cristiano Ronaldo's most extravagant purchases. Like <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2011/01/09/cristiano-ronaldo-s-10m-baby-deal-is-worthless-115875-22835497/" target="_blank">exclusive yet unenforcable baby rights</a>. </div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barcelona came in right behind Real for the second straight year (even though the standings were the other way around in La Liga) and the first time ever, the combined earnings of Deloitte's 20-club Money League topped $5.4 billion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">By comparison, the top earning NFL team, the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/dal/">Dallas Cowboys</a>, made $420 million <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-26/dallas-cowboys-top-forbes-list-as-nfl-team-values-have-first-decline.html" target="_blank">according to Forbes</a> and the top earning MLB team, the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/nyy/">New York Yankees</a>, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/33/baseball-valuations-10_The-Business-Of-Baseball_Rank.html" target="_blank">made $441 million</a>. That would only put them fifth and fourth, respectively, in Deloitte's list of football clubs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The biggest chunk of Real Madrid's revenue came from their ongoing <a href="http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20061121/sport/real-sign-huge-new-television-rights-deal-with-mediapro" target="_blank">$1.4 billion TV rights deal</a>, but they also make nearly as much from numerous sponsorships and matchday earnings. And if there's one thing Real like more than making money, it's spending it. Over the last decade, they've spent <a href="http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3277/la-liga/2010/08/09/2062346/real-madrid-top-spenders-over-the-last-decade-with-over-800m" target="_blank">more than $1 billion</a> on player transfers as they keep breaking their own transfer records for individual players to fill out club president Florentino Perez's live-action fantasy team. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's the full Football Money League top 20...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="" name="remaining-content"></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. Real Madrid -- $592 million<br />
2. Barcelona -- $537 million<br />
3. Manchester United -- $472 million<br />
4. Bayern Munich -- $436 million<br />
5. Arsenal -- $370 million<br />
6. Chelsea -- $345 million<br />
7. AC Milan -- $318 million<br />
8. Liverpool -- $308 million<br />
9. Inter Milan -- $303 million<br />
10. Juventus -- $277 million<br />
11. Manchester City -- $206 million<br />
12. Tottenham Hotspur -- $198 million<br />
13. Hamburger SV -- $197 million<br />
14. Lyon -- $197 million<br />
15. Marseille -- $190 million<br />
16. Schalke 04 -- $189 million<br />
17. Atletico Madrid -- $168 million<br />
18. Roma -- $166 million<br />
19. Stuttgart -- $155 million<br />
20. Aston Villa -- $148 million </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fun, right? Well, it's not so much when you look at how quickly those earnings disappear. As the Andersred Blog points out,<a href="http://andersred.blogspot.com/2011/02/deloitte-football-money-league-vanity.html" target="_blank"> just one of the seven English clubs on Deloitte's list turned a profit</a> (Arsenal). Barcelona had to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-06/barcelona-world-cup-top-scorer-s-club-seeks-loan-to-pay-players-wages.html" target="_blank">take out a loan</a> to pay player wages last summer and Real's debt is in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/mar/28/barcelona-real-madrid-spain" target="_blank">hundreds of millions</a>. So keep that in mind when imagining club executives diving into warehouse-sized safes full of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">By Brooks Peck </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: Internet. </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-24211574725861452412011-03-15T04:39:00.000-07:002011-03-15T04:39:04.915-07:00Google accuses Microsoft of cheating on search - Tensions flare as the two giants get closer to one another's business cores<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyNjQyeL488l1DDTE7PvShPVDx4BjDlOS-hQBimE85NBT3KPUmtQ9C0sKcwYOn2U9V0OyCIh4UU3WVghACCjW0RZPBtE4dCAgQ7LRrp2-HzGgSx9jLreTKMkKYREQK3zYW4orVh_-qrs/s1600/google_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyNjQyeL488l1DDTE7PvShPVDx4BjDlOS-hQBimE85NBT3KPUmtQ9C0sKcwYOn2U9V0OyCIh4UU3WVghACCjW0RZPBtE4dCAgQ7LRrp2-HzGgSx9jLreTKMkKYREQK3zYW4orVh_-qrs/s320/google_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="i1" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span class="dateline">SEATTLE — </span>Google is accusing Microsoft Corp. of cheating as the two duel for Internet search supremacy, but Microsoft denies the charge, saying it's just using all available weapons to lessen its rival's dominance. </div><div> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">The dust-up between the two companies that process virtually all of North America's search requests grabbed the spotlight Tuesday at an event sponsored by Microsoft about the future of Internet searches. Microsoft's practices have even wider implications now that its technology powers Yahoo Inc. searches in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Brazil as part of a 10-year partnership that grew out of the companies' inability to mount a serious challenge to Google on their own. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Google's attempt to embarrass Microsoft at an event devoted to innovation served as the latest reminder of the tensions between the technology heavyweights. While Microsoft has been pecking at Google in search, Google has been chipping away at Microsoft's advantage in computer software with its own suite of competing products.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">"We just want everyone to know the truth about how Microsoft operates as a search engine, which is by taking the hard work of others and presenting it as their own," said Amit Singhal, a Google fellow who oversees the company's closely guarded search formulas. He made his comments in a phone interview.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Microsoft did nothing more than adjust its results after monitoring Internet Explorer users' search requests and clicking activity on Google as well as its own site, Bing, according to Harry Shum, a corporate vice president for Bing. In a blog post, Blum derided Google for engaging in a "a spy-novelesque stunt."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Google Inc. set out to expose Microsoft's tactics last year, said Matt Cutts, the head of Google's Web spam team. That's when it appeared Bing was showing search results that seemed a little too close to Google's own — especially for obscure, misspelled queries.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">The similarities raised suspicions that Microsoft's IE Web browser and various other tools were feeding information back that helped Microsoft's engineers make Bing's results more Google-like.Google laid a trap to prove it. The company made a list of gibberish or obscure search terms and manually linked them to unrelated websites. Then, 20 Google engineers took home laptops loaded with Internet Explorer, searched Google.com for those terms and clicked on the artificial results. Soon after, searching for the same odd terms on Bing would call up the same odd results.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Cutts likened the trap to a mapmaker drawing a fake street or the Yellow Pages adding a fake name to its directory to flush out copycats.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">The "Bing Sting" was first reported on the Search Engine Land blog before emerging as a hot topic during a panel discussion that included Cutts and Shum. The San Francisco event was streamed over the Internet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">"It's not like we actually copy anything," Shum said. "We learn from customers who are willing to share data with us, just like Google does."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Those data include not only the searches people type into Bing, but also into Google, and what links they click on. The information can be used to fine-tune Bing's own search results. And that sort of "collective intelligence," Shum said, is how the Web is supposed to work. Google doesn't use people's behavior on Bing the same way, Cutts said during Tuesday's event.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">In an interview, Singhal argued it's unfair for Bing to piggyback on Google 's technology.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">"It's like a student cheating on his test and saying, 'Yeah, I could see my classmates' test, so I wrote it down,'" Singhal said. "If that's not cheating, what is?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Cutts and Shum traded jabs about whether people read the fine print when installing the Chrome or IE browser software that explains what Web surfing information is fed back to the company.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">When the discussion moved on to the problem of increasing spam pages and low-quality content online, Shum blamed Google for rewarding the owners of such pages with advertising dollars.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Cutts said Google manually blocks spam pages regardless of whether they carry Google ads but wants to find a technology solution for the problem instead of picking off useless sites one by one.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> <span class="attribution">By <span class="fn" itemprop="name">Jessica Mintz and Michael Liedtke</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span class="attribution"><span class="fn" itemprop="name">Source: Internet. </span> </span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-58296742716330721942010-12-16T11:51:00.000-08:002010-12-16T11:51:39.588-08:00Financial Habits That Will Make You Happy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="articleabstract" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We all know money doesn't mean happiness – but taking care of your money the right way does.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I, for one, wasn't surprised with the new happiness finding from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. It basically confirmed what I found in a Roper study conducted five years ago, for my book <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Ten Commandments of Financial Happiness</span></em>. The study reports that happiness rises as household income does up to about $75,000 (my number was a somewhat lower $60,000) but beyond that more money won't make you happier - at least not day to day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What will make you happy? Having more control over whatever money you have. That was one of the important findings out of my study. And since it didn't seem to be repeated in last week's headlines, I thought I'd do so here. You see, there are some very specific financial habits that - if you can adopt them - will make a significant difference in how happy you feel about your overall financial life. You don't have to take on every single one - just one or two can make a significant difference.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1. Get pretty organized.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Don't raise your eyebrows at me. I am not saying that you have to hire a professional organizer. Or spend a mint at The Container Store. You just have to come up with some sort of filing system that you understand so that if you have to put your fingers on an important piece of paper, you can do it quickly and without hassle. That's the key. People who say they are "pretty organized and can find what they need quickly" are happier than those who aren't - and those who can't. Why? Saves you time, saves you money, saves you headaches.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2. Pay your bills as they come in rather than all at once.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> The research shows - very strongly - that people who do this are happier. Why? Sitting down to pay the a dozen or so bills all at once is pure drudgery. Even if you do it online, it eats up a chunk of time that you'd rather spend doing just about anything else. Moreover, watching that large sum of money fly out of your account and into the accounts of your creditors can be an emotional drain. Do it in bits and pieces, however, and it's far less overwhelming in terms of time - and your bottom line. The other benefit to paying bills as they come in is that it allows you to adjust through the month - if you get a cell phone bill that's higher than anticipated, you'll compensate by charging a little less on your credit card.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3. Save five percent.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> There is a strong link between saving anything and financial happiness - but if you can save five percent, your happiness jumps. So how do you best save five percent? By removing it from your spending (i.e., checking) account before you spend it. Automatically have it pulled out of your paycheck and into a 401(k) or transferred out of checking and into savings and then tell yourself "Hands off!" Oh, and once you save five percent with ease - try to get yourself, eventually, to save ten.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">4. Set and work toward a goal.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Attaining happiness is not a matter of having achieved your goals - it's a matter of making progress. I'm of the camp that enjoys the process more than the achievement. I get an endorphin rush from getting closer and closer to the finish line and feel a little let down when I actually get there. So I try to make sure I have one or two financial benchmarks to hit at all times. But the bottom line of our research is encouraging: You don't have to hit your marks to be happy, you just have to see results.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">5. Give back.</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> There's nothing like making someone else's life a little better to boost your own financial happiness. People who give are not only happier, they're healthier. They sleep more and exercise more and that puts them in a better frame of mind. People who know how to give are also able to remind themselves that wanting more doesn't breed contentment. It just breeds more wanting. Why? Because your happiness doesn't hinge on how much you have. Your happiness hinges on how you handle it.</span></div><div class="author" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><cite><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Credit: Jean Chatzky</span></cite><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-35057537913823490342010-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:002010-12-16T11:30:30.518-08:00SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: THE ONLY WEAPON TO FIGHT HUNGER?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QvOr5lYAuuZML98NtIMcXt2jXG7lMCYyHeixcms0u4H5XxirDabrKTEEGmRocxIgRHNORAb88SeYzdxW9QtwvCt7ZkJsC90r3ohQ2hZG1Oqmg1n5o8bXtbdCnhK4w_AKhJDXcTfmXW4/s1600/sustainable-agriculture_6499_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QvOr5lYAuuZML98NtIMcXt2jXG7lMCYyHeixcms0u4H5XxirDabrKTEEGmRocxIgRHNORAb88SeYzdxW9QtwvCt7ZkJsC90r3ohQ2hZG1Oqmg1n5o8bXtbdCnhK4w_AKhJDXcTfmXW4/s400/sustainable-agriculture_6499_600x450.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during the 20th century.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">This system, with its reliance on monoculture, mechanization, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, biotechnology, and government subsidies, has made food abundant and affordable. However, the ecological and social price has been steep: erosion; depleted and contaminated soil and water resources; loss of biodiversity; deforestation; labor abuses; and the decline of the family farm.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The common thread among these methods is an embrace of farming practices that mimic natural ecological processes. Farmers minimize tilling and water use; encourage healthy soil by planting fields with different crops year after year and integrating croplands with livestock grazing; and avoid pesticide use by nurturing the presence of organisms that control crop-destroying pests.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beyond growing food, the philosophy of sustainability also espouses broader principles that support the just treatment of farm workers and food pricing that provides the farmer with a livable income.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFwms7yDW1mD59qoAdL0mxRm_xXlaYczcrYxoq4u_bWseRW35zutZB_b5uKLvNHmKIBONCPofupnqHYX0QdjxTWq6Ullqbsqf2coG_7GQzHH1giTX78jbiH7Y7GXirfVjcAE9SHyOLNw/s1600/AGRC+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFwms7yDW1mD59qoAdL0mxRm_xXlaYczcrYxoq4u_bWseRW35zutZB_b5uKLvNHmKIBONCPofupnqHYX0QdjxTWq6Ullqbsqf2coG_7GQzHH1giTX78jbiH7Y7GXirfVjcAE9SHyOLNw/s200/AGRC+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Critics of sustainable agriculture claim, among other things, that its methods result in lower crop yields and higher land use. They add that a wholesale commitment to its practices will mean inevitable food shortages for a world population expected to exceed 8 billion by the year 2030. There's recent evidence, though, suggesting that over time, sustainably farmed lands can be as productive as conventional industrial farms.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Source: Internet. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span> </span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-15147224628758998512010-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:002010-12-16T11:14:53.551-08:00A Dad's Guide To Anger Management<div class="subtitle" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To your kids, you are a giant. Here's how to be a gentle one.</div><div class="subtitle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As a father of two boys, I’m an unrepentant kisser and cuddler, I hug. Copiously. Extravagantly. Engulfingly. <span> </span>Eugene Levy in American Pie has nothing on me. You know the withholding dads who can never say "I love you"? If they're the North Pole, I'm the equator. At 4, my eldest son sometimes responds to my expressions of affection with a smile and two words: "I know."<br />
<br />
So it shook me to my core when, after receiving a tongue-lashing for some fleeting transgression, Mason peered up at me from femur level with the saucer eyes he got from his mother and said, "Dad, you're really big and scary when you yell."<br />
<br />
Me? Intimidating? I ferry ants from kitchen to front door aboard junk mail rather than crush them. MasterCard's "Priceless" commercials make me tear up. One little ack-ack of nastiness from a coworker can down my plane for days. Shouldn't my progeny realize this by osmosis? <br />
<br />
He doesn't understand that when I was just a few years older than he is now, I was that kid--the one you didn't want to be. My glasses were way too thick for a fifth-grade nose to support. My knee-reinforced Tough-skins came from Sears. My tucked-in plaid shirt sported snaps. Did I mention the Star Trek fetish? I'm certain the 1979 edition of The Bully's Field Guide to Menacing listed me as an afternoon snack. At recess, Jimmie Rutten-berg chased me around the playground for one reason: I ran away. <br />
<br />
Today, peering over 40's precipice, I am 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds with close-cropped hair, a goatee, a glare, and a decidedly non-shrinking-violet demeanor that has gotten me into run-ins with military police in China and Kalashnikov-toting sentinels in Afghanistan. My son sees that guy.<br />
<br />
For days after his comment, I didn't feel big and scary. I felt small and useless. As I processed the notion that I could be not only hero but also monster-in-the-closet to my own child, a pair of questions kept dancing at the edges of my consciousness:<br />
<br />
Am I a scary dad? And, more salient: Should I be?<br />
<br />
Absolutely freakin' not, instinct insists. History is overstuffed with Great Santinis and Darth Vaders, and I'm damn well not going to join their ranks. The last thing I want is to be in the hospital suffering through my final decrepitude while my boys fight in the hall over who has to go in and make small talk today.<br />
<br />
But there's a dark part of me--hidden behind the hugs--that relishes the ability to intimidate. In an era governed by the beige interactions of cubicle diplomacy, it's kind of nice for a guy to have his word be law every once in a while. Management gurus can preach about consensus building, but the truth is that in our go-West-young-man society, patience has long been dismissed as wimpy. Anger is a shortcut to results, collateral damage be damned. Occasionally, I'd like to yell "Jump!" and see everyone else's feet leave the ground. And the allure of being formidable runs deeper than that for me: I want to reclaim a much-misused parental tool, albeit one that is valuable only if meted out with extreme precision, like saffron or threesomes or seersucker suits.<br />
<br />
Gen X dads are still sorting out the dueling role models our culture has served up. In one corner are the Greatest Generation fathers who taciturnly got the job done, assumed their affection was implied, and weren't above the occasional belt to the ass. In the other are the touchy-feely boomer parents who say the fear factor has no place in the paternal palette. Thanks, Thirtysomething. It's left to us to find the middle ground.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">My college-professor dad was not scary and, he tells me, never thought about being so. He is elegantly formidable, and his words carry so much weight that his very occasional disapproval is still enough to rock my world. He spurns outbursts as if they were Amway salesmen. It was my mother's more visible emotions that taught me to appreciate passion and anger. My wife was one of three sisters and the daughter of a father who never offered a window into his demons, so she's flying blind too. <br />
<br />
We're certain of only one thing: This "boy energy"--whatever alchemy it represents--must be understood, nurtured, and channeled so that we don't end up rearing the next exurban Slobodan Milosevic.<br />
<br />
I've had four years of trial and error--lots of the former, too much of the latter. But I've learned a handful of techniques to help a guy control his inner Hulk while making sure Bruce Banner never takes a long vacation. <br />
<br />
Use anger as a tool, not an outlet. Controlled thunderousness in the service of something, whether it be preventing filial roadkill or punishing callous behavior, is an entirely different beast from personal anger, which usually has nothing to do with your child and everything to do with your bad day. Your stuff is yours; deal with it among adults. Don't ensure that the sins of the father are visited upon the sons.<br />
<br />
Be consistent and predictable. My wife grew up scared of her father's temper because she never knew what might set it off. She could never develop a game plan to avoid it. When parents are consistent, it becomes easier for children to adapt. Witness Mason's strategizing: A few weeks ago, he said to me, "Dad, I won't jump on your pillow anymore because I know it makes you angry when I put my feet where you put your face." Predictability begets communication begets less contentiousness.<br />
<br />
Apologize to your kid. And not in the hyperpermissive, children-and-parents-are-equal way that encourages self-centeredness. When I lose my cool unfairly, I let my child know, as soon as possible, that I was wrong. I explain that I behaved badly and regret it, and the dividends are visible almost immediately. Talking about anger can defang many situations.<br />
<br />
Find temperament role models for yourself. Even if they're in unlikely places, they'll tell you when you stray too far into self-indulgence. Mine happens to be Captain James T. Kirk (see Star Trek geek reference above), who uses anger like a surgical scalpel. Whether yours is John McCain or John McClane, Fred Rogers or Fred Flintstone, find a model of appropriate anger expression, then benchmark yourself.<br />
<br />
Be a color commentator for televised anger. John Madden, name notwithstanding, is a useful model here. With pause button in hand, I've tried to be bullish with incisive on-the-spot analysis of bad tempers. Why is Wile E. Coyote dropping that anvil? Is Cyborg's epic battle designed to protect the rest of the Teen Titans, or is he just pissed? Okay, perhaps this can be taken too far. But as long as I'm holding the remote, I'm in a position to help my boy figure out different kinds of anger. And guess what? It's gotten me thinking about my own expressions of anger and whether they're productive or destructive. Sneaky.<br />
<br />
The other day, I learned that my 4-year-old was picking on a nursery-school classmate. My head spun. Was I, perennial playground chasee, raising a bully? "Aren't you someone who cares about how others feel?" I asked. "I do care, Dad," he said with the sincerity only a preschooler can muster, "but sometimes I get angry."<br />
<br />
Managing our own male anger is complicated. Managing it through to the next generation is downright terrifying. It's a complicated skill set that sends you wandering through all different corners of the culture for wisdom. You'll need a little Art of War, a little Law & Order, a dash of Leave It to Beaver, and a healthy dose of Dr. Melfi. And it's forever a balancing act. Remember, Grass-hopper: While a diplomat without a warrior is toothless, a warrior without a diplomat is doomed. That may sound like Sun Tzu, but I just made it up as I went along. Sort of like fatherhood itself.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Ted Anthony's first book, Chasing the Rising Sun: The Journey of an American Song, was published last year by Simon & Schuster.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><cite><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Credit: Ted Anthony, Men's Health.</span></b></cite></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><cite><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000JQU1VS&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400064163&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002ZG981E&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> </span></b></cite><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div><div class="subtitle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-56059178277125490252010-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:002010-12-15T11:26:43.485-08:00TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR 2010 - Mark Zuckerberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55G2p4nFVDceAW4bM1tWp2tiwg2ectejvMydiIb56PyJRxOWFlWZCv7BE4q39a2eaWtLpQkFIUDvOxUPhqVSmGNm0SW9mt3wfI2QanjKBiURx6hNqbfKjsh6ADueY4bAene8kE6IyVxM/s1600/zuckerbarg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55G2p4nFVDceAW4bM1tWp2tiwg2ectejvMydiIb56PyJRxOWFlWZCv7BE4q39a2eaWtLpQkFIUDvOxUPhqVSmGNm0SW9mt3wfI2QanjKBiURx6hNqbfKjsh6ADueY4bAene8kE6IyVxM/s400/zuckerbarg.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mark Zuckerberg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="caption" style="text-align: justify;">The Facebook CEO and Co-fouunder has been named by Time Magazine as "The Person of the Year" for connecting more than half a billion people and mapping the social relations among them; for creating a new system of exchanging information; and for changing how we all live our lives, </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">“He’s our second-youngest Person of the Year,” Stengel added; only Charles Lindbergh, named the magazine’s very first Man of the Year back in 1927 when he was 25, was younger. “He’s deeply affected by it.”</div><div class="caption">...Congratulations Mark!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-44648773169915047552010-12-15T09:36:00.000-08:002010-12-15T09:36:02.614-08:00PHOTO OF THE DAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqrD5GP6-L4V60DxqZXDGdesAUh0YOZL9zqg0W3Wzmi3s4lAYlPAQxGxxpp50org2mq4RINNILjBfjXAHBvpZsg-oYD24qKdzmsQ9Si_Px5q-rFazh8EFuYFkZ6bWnyMNtPfWn_j6E2k/s1600/believe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqrD5GP6-L4V60DxqZXDGdesAUh0YOZL9zqg0W3Wzmi3s4lAYlPAQxGxxpp50org2mq4RINNILjBfjXAHBvpZsg-oYD24qKdzmsQ9Si_Px5q-rFazh8EFuYFkZ6bWnyMNtPfWn_j6E2k/s400/believe.jpg" width="397" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">hmmmmmm! ..you've heard it all, ... do what your conscience tells you to do, ...remember! ..."the best life well-lived is to live your life for others, ....cheers!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400064163&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001UV4XFG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001FA1O18&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-7418299821920944482010-12-14T10:25:00.000-08:002010-12-14T10:25:02.587-08:00Discover The Best Careers of 2011...Plan Ahead!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xisfiSQ5wX0XXjOpMyTf8XiUj0qHrLgk5XeR00GBROAxwhtwMuIzpBO73L6-eTrmbjSDOSMdYSCRsaEdLtLbZdUMPSMGii6HvgS_Mri4GCbJv1GEAOIUKP_W-6Cg4gUIjKefNt18zk8/s1600/50+carrer+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xisfiSQ5wX0XXjOpMyTf8XiUj0qHrLgk5XeR00GBROAxwhtwMuIzpBO73L6-eTrmbjSDOSMdYSCRsaEdLtLbZdUMPSMGii6HvgS_Mri4GCbJv1GEAOIUKP_W-6Cg4gUIjKefNt18zk8/s1600/50+carrer+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></div><div> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It pays to be smart when choosing your career, particularly now that the job market is (slowly) improving. With the recession officially over, anyone who's out of work or eager to change jobs is on the lookout for opportunities. But where, exactly, are the jobs? Which occupations offer decent salaries, quality of life--and are likely to stick around for the next decade?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Our list of 50 Best Careers answers those questions. We've highlighted dozens of high-opportunity professions--careers you may want to consider as you decide where to look for your next paycheck. Based on job-growth projections, salary data, and other factors like job satisfaction, these occupations span a variety of industries, so you can find the right position for you no matter what your interests.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What's new on the list this year? Several of our picks reflect the recent uptick in the economy, while others are long-time contenders that finally muscled their way onto the roster. With an aging baby boomer generation, healthcare continues to make a strong showing. All of the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=133ar7bod/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-healthcare-jobs.html">healthcare jobs</a> on last year's list have made the cut again this year, plus two new positions: massage therapist and athletic trainer. While the field of athletic training doesn't offer the sheer number of positions as nursing or dental hygiene, it outranks nearly all other healthcare occupations for expected job growth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[See <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13710l9fh/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/best-careers-2011-tips-for-landing-jobs-on-our-list">Tips for Landing Jobs on Our List</a>.]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=133itma9p/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-technology-jobs.html">Technology positions</a> also account for a good chunk of our top-choice careers. Computer support specialist joins the ranks this year with upward trending employment numbers. Education administrator, which ranked particularly high for job satisfaction, made it onto our lineup of <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1373lqi0q/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-social-service-jobs.html">social service jobs</a>. In the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=131lghj8r/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-business-jobs.html">business category</a>, we added sales manager, an occupation that's making a comeback along with the economy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">/On our <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13dmen2np/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-creative-and-service-jobs.html">creative and service jobs</a> list, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration technician is new this year, largely because of its high expected job growth. Interpreter/translator, an occupation that's increasingly in demand as a result of globalization, also made the cut.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">To come up with this year's list, <i>U.S. News</i> considered job-growth projections from the Labor Department, estimates for 2008 to 2018, the most recent data available. We narrowed it down to occupations that are expected to add jobs at an above-average rate over the next decade, as well as those that provide an above-average median income. Sales manager makes the highest median annual salary on our list, nearly $97,000. Computer software engineer, physician assistant, meteorologist and education administrator all bring in median average salaries in the mid-$80,000 range.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We also considered, where possible, data on job satisfaction, turnover, and impending retirements, which crank up openings in jobs that may have only slightly above-average employment growth. We talked with labor and industry experts as well, gathering anecdotal evidence about employment prospects and job satisfaction. We excluded careers that lack a statistically significant number of positions and therefore provide opportunity for only a small number of workers. When necessary, we favored jobs that would help diversify our list in terms of category and educational requirements, since not everyone wants to work in healthcare or go to school for six years.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[See <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13856pip5/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/10-smart-ways-to-use-social-media-in-your-job-search">10 Smart Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search</a>.]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Most of the jobs that were cut from the list this year showed a higher-than-average unemployment rate or shrinking employment numbers during the last few quarters. From the creative and service jobs category, funeral director, plumber, security system installer, and landscape architect got the boot. In business, we cut market research analyst, loan officer, and cost estimator.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Of course, no one job is best for everyone, and everyone has their own ideas about what makes a job great. "You have to like what you're doing or you're not going to be successful at it," says Emily Bennington, who helps college graduates transition into careers through her company, Professional Studio 365. At the same time, "if you're not getting paid to do it, you're not going to love it for very long."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Qualities that make a job desirable also change with the times and circumstances. Tom Smith, director of the General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, expects his next set of job-satisfaction data to show that workers value stability more than they did before the recession. "Occupations that have greater job stability perhaps have improved in the public's evaluation," he says.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">[For more career advice, visit <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11a3kd0d5/**http%3A/money.usnews.com/money/careers"><i>U.S. News</i> Careers</a>, or find us on <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11afldpj3/**http%3A/www.facebook.com/USNewsCareers">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=115pe3emo/**http%3A/twitter.com/USNewsCareers">Twitter</a>.]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Even as hiring picks up, the odds can seem daunting to job seekers. In a struggling economy with a 9.6 percent unemployment rate, competition is stiff even for some jobs that made our list. For every job opening in September, there were about five unemployed people, according to the Labor Department. While that's an improvement from 6.2 people for every job opening in November 2009, the most recent peak, "it's still a very tough job market," says Steve Hipple, an economist at the Labor Department. During the three years before the recession, the rate averaged 1.7 unemployed people for every job opening.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Others like John Challenger, CEO of outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, are more optimistic. "The whole environment has changed," says Challenger, who talks daily with companies that are hiring, as well as job seekers. "(It's) certainly not gang-busters by any means ... but it feels like springtime compared to last year's winter in the job market."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Whether you're out of work or your job has simply fallen out of favor, you'll likely find an occupation on our list that suits you. For each profession, we've offered a summary of what you can expect on the job, as well as advice from hiring managers and people who work in that industry about how to land one.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfoAoCtFtETEqLUi23rfUQJIUYTh7qO5jE-tIbgm_QwOpc04EMUb6BhgC5MAPY4JyA3BffVmuEemybAS9ep5NOHRB3WpZxKsoHPvXnt3i2ItkGdAgfI8CgIdhscfrmtjns94z6BhctIA/s1600/WORKPLACE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfoAoCtFtETEqLUi23rfUQJIUYTh7qO5jE-tIbgm_QwOpc04EMUb6BhgC5MAPY4JyA3BffVmuEemybAS9ep5NOHRB3WpZxKsoHPvXnt3i2ItkGdAgfI8CgIdhscfrmtjns94z6BhctIA/s1600/WORKPLACE.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> Here's our list of the 50 Best Careers of 2011--click each job to learn more:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Business Jobs:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12u87tjf8/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-accountant.html">Accountant</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12rpjgeij/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-actuary.html">Actuary</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=135fs6kss/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-financial-adviser.html">Financial adviser</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=135vgfn2r/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-financial-analyst.html">Financial analyst</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12vrj5msu/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-logistician.html">Logistician</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1332t8ubp/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-meeting-planner.html">Meeting planner</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13fr8sm6j/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-public-relations-specialist.html">Public relations specialist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1319k6p8v/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-sales-manager.html">Sales manager</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=136ebggf2/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-career-2011-training-specialist.html">Training specialist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Creative and Service Jobs:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=134bj6sso/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-commercial-pilot.html">Commercial pilot</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12r69r3nt/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-curator.html">Curator</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=139rutk62/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-film-and-video-editor.html">Film and video editor</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=132gvek47/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-gaming-manager.html">Gaming manager</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=149sbq1ah/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-technician.html">Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technician</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1394hu0o3/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-interpretertranslator.html">Interpreter/Translator</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=135k1741l/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-multimedia-artist.html">Multimedia artist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1343h05uf/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-technical-writer.html">Technical writer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Healthcare Jobs:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=134mpqbqe/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-athletic-trainer.html">Athletic trainer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1345if7tg/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-dental-hygienist.html">Dental hygienist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=139d6qnto/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-laboratory-technician.html">Lab technician</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=135rqtvdv/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-massage-therapist.html">Massage therapist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13a2dmivp/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-occupational-therapist.html">Occupational therapist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12vsbn28p/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-optometrist.html">Optometrist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=137r88bv7/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-physician-assistant.html">Physician assistant</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=136vq0cl2/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-physical-therapist.html">Physical therapist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13ga2r1q4/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-physical-therapist-assistant.html">Physical therapist assistant</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13bvp9bm6/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-radiologic-technologist.html">Radiologic technologist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=134u06a94/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-registered-nurse.html">Registered nurse</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=137knp4pv/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-school-psychologist.html">School psychologist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=130m3mstv/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-veterinarian.html">Veterinarian</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Social Service Jobs:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12qvjj384/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-clergy.html">Clergy</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=132ulen7k/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-court-reporter.html">Court reporter</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13bdcs5bl/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-education-administrator.html">Education administrator</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13gg2ek1e/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-jobs-2011-emergency-management-specialist.html">Emergency management specialist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12vpnvm4m/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-firefighter.html">Firefighter</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13h7a04gm/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-marriage-and-family-therapist.html">Marriage and family therapist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12shv3gn7/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-mediator.html">Mediator</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13rqffs8l/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-medical-and-public-health-social-worker.html">Medical and public health social worker</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13doanpa5/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-special-education-teacher.html">Special-education teacher</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=131caib8r/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-urban-planner.html">Urban planner</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Technology Jobs:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=137504a8b/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-biomedical-engineer.html">Biomedical engineer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1327jeijn/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-civil-engineer.html">Civil engineer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13eugbh2e/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-computer-software-engineer.html">Computer software engineer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AndEE0C1ww0v9o_in2lezW0Ebq9_;_ylu=X3oDMTE3a2tjY2VrBHBvcwM1NARzZWMDbmV3c2FydGJvZHkEc2xrA2NvbXB1dGVyc3VwcA--/SIG=13fuba5gf/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-computer-support-specialist.html">Computer support specialist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13cg051ae/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-computer-systems-analyst.html">Computer systems analyst</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13oskme9r/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-environmental-engineering-technician.html">Environmental engineering technician</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13kemg299/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-environmental-science-technician.html">Environmental science technician</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12vv8jenj/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-hydrologist.html">Hydrologist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=131vet0it/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-meteorologist.html">Meteorologist</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">--<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1352aks7g/**http%3A/www.usnews.com/articles/money/careers/2010/12/06/best-careers-2011-network-architect.html">Network architect</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="byline" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Credit: <span style="line-height: 115%;">Alexis Grant</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-66384013262922500052010-12-14T09:45:00.000-08:002010-12-14T09:45:53.798-08:00PHOTO OF THE DAY!<div style="text-align: center;">HAPPY PEOPLE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcyyuW1JgG2O10pdOiLLkqdgavv16jKXYCGPCwZNi7VDWlh_92lIFP4LLpasZb_mUKnkm9zs7OIRC4SFmBhjbOXOCcjyt53envnhKl65dmQg1vcBC7Fzot2j2ZBgBpnwt8Q1fnTWsKrU/s1600/happy+people%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcyyuW1JgG2O10pdOiLLkqdgavv16jKXYCGPCwZNi7VDWlh_92lIFP4LLpasZb_mUKnkm9zs7OIRC4SFmBhjbOXOCcjyt53envnhKl65dmQg1vcBC7Fzot2j2ZBgBpnwt8Q1fnTWsKrU/s400/happy+people%2521.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Happiness can come in several ways depending on the issue or occasion involved, but to the family of the Chilean Miners, It was that of a mixed feeling as tears of joy flowed freely! ... What a Divine Reunion!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003GAMPWM&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Y27P3M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=K0c86-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0307590615&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-91861701862283595432010-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:002010-12-14T09:07:20.222-08:00No Jobs? Young Graduates Make Their Own ...Very Inspiring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeXqW72lMO1oYPD_CiHGc3Ln7-lAtFpwN7uaI3w-KMRsZXQ0mJ1xzgnsa9YIIfTXrcwdW0ftgNyalIUszrpp0OEud9fnj-TzXuMoHUXj4GOQ-gHXXHqS1ckw3V1K5IrLm3PM9_LDq9Do/s1600/PLACE+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeXqW72lMO1oYPD_CiHGc3Ln7-lAtFpwN7uaI3w-KMRsZXQ0mJ1xzgnsa9YIIfTXrcwdW0ftgNyalIUszrpp0OEud9fnj-TzXuMoHUXj4GOQ-gHXXHqS1ckw3V1K5IrLm3PM9_LDq9Do/s1600/PLACE+2.jpg" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <h1 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></h1><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> FIVE years ago, after graduating from New York University with a film degree and thousands of dollars in student loans, Scott Gerber moved back in with his parents on Staten Island. He then took out more loans to start a new-media and technology company, but he didn’t have a clear market in mind; the company went belly up in 2006.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">“It made me feel demoralized and humiliated,” he says. “I wondered if this was really what post-collegiate life was supposed to be like. Did I do something wrong? The answers weren’t apparent to me.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Still in debt, Mr. Gerber considered his career options. His mother kept encouraging him to get a “real” job, the kind that comes with an office and a boss. But, using the last $700 in his bank account, he decided to start another company instead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">With the new company, called <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10t1gipoc/**http%3A/www.sizzleit.com/">Sizzle It</a>, Mr. Gerber vowed to find a niche, reduce overhead and generally be more frugal. The company, which specializes in short promotional videos, was profitable the first year, he says.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Mr. Gerber, now 27, isn’t a millionaire, but he’s paid off his loans and doesn’t have to live with his parents (he rents an apartment in Hoboken, N.J.). And he thinks his experience can help other young people who face a daunting unemployment rate.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">In October, Mr. Gerber started <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11dqsqqp9/**http%3A/www.nevergetarealjob.com/council/">the Young Entrepreneur Council</a> “to create a shift from a résumé-driven society to one where people create their own jobs,” he says. “The jobs are going to come from the entrepreneurial level.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The council consists of 80-plus business owners across the country, ages 17 to 33. Members include Scott Becker, 23, co-founder of Invite Media, an advertising technology firm recently acquired by a Google unit; Lauren Berger, 26, founder of the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=110rqlph1/**http%3A/www.internqueen.com/">Intern Queen</a>, a site that connects college students with internships; <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=1290qifr8/**http%3A/www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/business/smallbusiness/03mint.html">Aaron Patzer</a>, the 30-year-old who sold Mint.com to Intuit for $170 million; and Josh Weinstein, 24, who started <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10so2k1h3/**http%3A/CollegeOnly.com/">CollegeOnly.com</a>, a social networking site that is backed by a PayPal founder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The council, which has applied for nonprofit status, serves as a help desk and mentoring hotline for individual entrepreneurs. People can also submit questions on subjects like marketing, publicity and technology, and each month a group of council members will answer 30 to 40 of them in business publications like The Wall Street Journal and American Express Open Forum, and on dozens of small business Web sites.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Council members assert that young people can start businesses even if they have little or no money or experience. But whether those start-ups last is another matter. Roughly half of all new businesses fail within the first five years, according to federal data. And the entrepreneurial life is notoriously filled with risks, stresses and sacrifices.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">But then again, unemployment is 9.8 percent; Mr. Gerber’s in-box is flooded with e-mails from young people who have sent out hundreds of résumés for corporate jobs and come up empty. According to the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=14hvsaabd/**http%3A/ww.naceweb.org/Press/Releases/One-Quarter_of_College_Class_of_2010_Have_Jobs_Waiting_%285-6-2010%29.aspx%3Freferal=pressroom%26menuid=104">National Association of Colleges and Employers</a>, only 24.4 percent of 2010 graduates who applied for a job had one waiting for them after graduation (up from 19.7 percent in 2009). What do some people have to lose?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">THE lesson may be that entrepreneurship can be a viable career path, not a renegade choice — especially since the promise of “Go to college, get good grades and then get a job,” isn’t working the way it once did. The new reality has forced a whole generation to redefine what a stable job is.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">“I’ve seen all these people go to Wall Street, and those were supposed to be the good jobs. Now they are out of work,” says <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=12errbirv/**http%3A/www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/12/11/hanger-business-kelsey-miss/">Windsor Hanger</a>, 22, who turned down a marketing position at Bloomingdale’s to work on <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10qkie1qf/**http%3A/HerCampus.com/">HerCampus.com</a>, an online magazine. “It’s not a pure dichotomy anymore that entrepreneurship is risky and other jobs are safe, so why not do what I love?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Mr. Gerber argues that the tools to become an entrepreneur are more accessible than they’ve ever been. Thanks to the Internet, there are fewer upfront costs. A business owner can build a Web site, host conference calls, create slide presentations online through a browser, and host live meetings and Web seminars — all on a shoestring.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Can’t afford a Madison Avenue address? Try borrowing one instead. That is what Mr. Gerber did, for $300 a year, from <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11743inpk/**http%3A/ManhattanVirtualOffice.com/">ManhattanVirtualOffice.com</a>, which forwards mail from a recognizable address. He says it saved him $100,000 in rent and gave Sizzle It the credibility it needed to start attracting clients that now include Procter & Gamble and the Gap. He does most of his actual work at home and in coffee shops and shared work spaces.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">“If this were the 1980s, I’d need a corner office,” says Shama Kabani, 25, a Y.E.C. member and founder of <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=111ur7240/**http%3A/www.marketingzen.com/">Marketing Zen</a>, a digital marketing firm in Dallas, with yearly revenue in the seven figures. “All you need today is a laptop, patience and willingness,” she says. Ms. Kabani hired all of her 24 employees virtually; 15 are in the Philippines. “I’ve never met any of them,” she says.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Open-source software can reduce or eliminate the need for consultants and tech support. When Annie Wang, 21, co-founder of HerCampus.com, wanted the articles on the site to rotate in a slide show, she didn’t hire a Web designer. She found a free online resource and spent a day teaching herself how to create the slide show.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Being a young entrepreneur means coming up with creative ways to fill your knowledge gaps, says Eric Bahn, 29, a council member and founder of <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10s5hkvmi/**http%3A/BeatTheGMAT.com/">BeatTheGMAT.com</a>, an M.B.A. applicant community that generates close to seven figures in revenue. Mr. Bahn, who does not have a technical background, found a free resource on the Web and taught himself HTML to build his site.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Most of the business owners who belong to the council did not need much physical space to start their companies. For the person who wants to start a restaurant, a bakery, an exercise studio — or any other business that requires renting or owning property — the barriers and expenses are still high. Mr. Gerber warns that anyone starting a brick-and-mortar business still faces the same cost barriers they always have — including high rent. He advises young people to start a business that does not require expensive space.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">BUT start-ups do need some financing. So Mr. Gerber is also starting <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11jdpdrf4/**http%3A/binaryallure.com/construction/genyfund/">the Gen Y Fund</a>, from which young entrepreneurs can seek funding. Council members will have the option of investing in the fund starting next year.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Could it be that the council and separate fund are mainly a way for Mr. Gerber to identify new investing opportunities? He emphatically says no, adding that helping young people succeed as entrepreneurs through the council is his passion.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">As far as the fund is concerned, “We are looking to spearhead a major shift in how resources are allocated to our generation, because no one from above is going to do it,” he says.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The goal of the fund is not to find the next Facebook or sexy Web start-up, Mr. Gerber says; instead, it will look for practicable and marketable business ideas. In fact, a favorite phrase of his is “boring is better.” He’ll be looking for businesses that are incubated outside of Silicon Valley.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The council and fund do add visibility to Mr. Gerber’s entrepreneurial empire. In addition to running Sizzle It, Mr. Gerber writes a widely syndicated column for young entrepreneurs, and he recently published a book called “<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=115prbv74/**http%3A/www.nevergetarealjob.com/">Never Get a ‘Real’ Job</a>: How to Dump Your Boss, Build a Business, and Not Go Broke.” He also runs Gerber Enterprises, his personal investing fund, and is an investor in a restaurant group.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Mr. Gerber has never taken a business or economics class; he says he took a lot of people out to lunch to learn about the nuts and bolts of the business world. “I didn’t go to my third-tier upper-management boss,” he says. “I e-mailed people in my circle and figured who knew what I needed to know.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Lack of experience can actually be an asset to young business owners. When Ms. Kabani first started Marketing Zen, she tried to hide her age through a combination of wardrobe choices and trying to sound “older.” “I thought I was fooling all these people, but then one of my clients told me he hired me because I was 23. He wanted someone who spoke digital as a first language, not a second. It was a mind-blowing moment for me.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ms. Hanger, co-founder of HerCampus.com along with Ms. Wang and Stephanie Kaplan, 22, says being young helps attract advertisers like New Balance and Juicy Couture to the site. “They like that I am my readership. I was in college six months ago,” she says. The site recently started turning a profit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">MANY of the council members aren’t bankrolled by their parents. Only a third of them received outside funding to start their businesses. In fact, Mr. Gerber’s message to young entrepreneurs is “No one will give you money” and “Start on a shoestring budget,” something many of them did.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">For many of these entrepreneurs, success didn’t happen overnight. Mr. Bahn started BeatTheGMAT.com in 2005 as a blog that developed a following over the course of a few years. It was three years before he quit his day job in a general management program at Intuit to work on the site full time.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Even if these 20-somethings pulled it off, the reality is a vast majority of entrepreneurs, of any age, don’t succeed. “The first business is probably going to fail,” says Arel Moodie, 27, a Y.E.C. member and co-owner of the <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=110g2jd38/**http%3A/www.extremetour.org/">Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour</a>, which educates college students on starting a business. Mr. Moodie’s first two businesses — a calendar company and a protein drink company — flopped and put him $30,000 in debt. (He has paid it off.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ben Brinckerhoff, 28, who is not a member of the council, started <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=10nh09cjh/**http%3A/Devver.net/">Devver.net</a>, an online tool to test computer software in 2008. The company folded last spring.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Mr. Brinckerhoff was formerly a software developer at Microsoft. “There are very real cons to starting a company. It can hurt your ego, and financially it’s a big hit. If I had stayed at my old job at Microsoft, I would have been better off financially,” he says.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The silver lining, however, was that Mr. Brinckerhoff got inquiries from 10 companies about working for them after they read on the Web or heard through word of mouth that his company had failed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">“Employers like the entrepreneurial skill set,” he says. “They want to hire people who are risk-takers and can make quick decisions.” He is now working as a freelance Web and technology consultant in Boulder, Colo., and hopes to start another company.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">When deciding whether to start a business, “You have to really want to do it,” says Maia Josebachvili, 27, a council member and founder of <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11dkkf202/**http%3A/www.urbanescapesnyc.com/index.php">Urban Escapes</a>, which organizes outdoor trips. She quit her job as a derivatives trader on Wall Street to start her company, which grew to 45 employees and was recently acquired by LivingSocial, a consumer site.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">“It takes a lot of discipline. I didn’t eat out for the first six months, and I lived on my friend’s couch,” Ms. Josebachvili says. “Unless you are independently wealthy, it’s a lifestyle adjustment.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Credit:The New York Times <span class="MsoHyperlink">- </span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">HANNAH SELIGSON</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-62022808993144250902010-11-23T08:23:00.000-08:002010-11-23T08:23:38.103-08:00Numerous Ways to Make Extra Money in Retirement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WLhNXH3Tb-CeLFW1O6f5g9EYnKeRzx5Letlv-IwY_MPzMaTwiJxMSFWFSIltnW7u8SmJSWADUcZDdRedgvfyxZjamkhw2KzxMuJPKAl6kkOvMknEh5E8pYaiHLjkm2V5YgCCdKysmIM/s1600/retire+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WLhNXH3Tb-CeLFW1O6f5g9EYnKeRzx5Letlv-IwY_MPzMaTwiJxMSFWFSIltnW7u8SmJSWADUcZDdRedgvfyxZjamkhw2KzxMuJPKAl6kkOvMknEh5E8pYaiHLjkm2V5YgCCdKysmIM/s1600/retire+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WLhNXH3Tb-CeLFW1O6f5g9EYnKeRzx5Letlv-IwY_MPzMaTwiJxMSFWFSIltnW7u8SmJSWADUcZDdRedgvfyxZjamkhw2KzxMuJPKAl6kkOvMknEh5E8pYaiHLjkm2V5YgCCdKysmIM/s1600/retire+a.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Retirees need to budget carefully to stay within their fixed income. If the value of their investments sinks after retirement, seniors often have little choice but to spend less or return to the workforce. But there are plenty of ways to make a little of extra cash without having to deal with an alarm clock and a commute. Here are a few creative ways to boost your retirement income.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sell your stuff</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Retirees have a lifetime's worth of accumulated clothes, books, and furniture. Make some quick cash by holding a garage sale or selling your stuff on eBay or Craigslist. Take clothes to a consignment shop and a box of books to your nearest used book store. Downsizing from two cars to one can also give your monthly budget a significant one-time boost. Savvy sellers can purchase underpriced used goods and resell them at a higher rate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Market your skills</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Whether you know how to hem and alter clothing, research family genealogy, or troubleshoot computers, someone in your neighborhood is likely to pay for your skills. Put an ad in your local newspaper, hang a flier on a community bulletin board, or offer your services online.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> [See <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/slideshows/21-ways-to-reduce-your-retirement-expenses">21 Ways to Reduce Your Retirement Expenses</a>.]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Get a higher interest rate</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. As you age, you'll want to keep a significant amount of your savings outside of the stock market. Shop around for the best interest rate on certificates of deposit, bonds, and savings accounts. Consider an online saving account, which will likely offer a higher interest rate than the brick-and-mortar variety.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Prune your investments</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Review your investment portfolio and get rid of funds that consistently perform poorly. Also, "identify investments that have high expenses and transfer that money into a comparable investment that has lower management fees and expenses," says Eric Tyson, a financial planner and coauthor of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Finance-Seniors-Dummies-Tyson/dp/0470548762">Personal Finance For Seniors For Dummies</a></i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maximize Social Security</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The age you sign up for Social Security can make a big difference in the size of your checks. For Americans born in 1943 or later, Social Security payments increase by 8 percent for each year you delay claiming between ages 62 and 70. "If you have good health, you will generally be better not taking the benefits early," says Tyson. "If you have a health problem or have some reason to believe you won't have a long life expectancy, that might be a reason to take Social Security a little bit earlier." Retirees who have already claimed their benefits still have an opportunity to boost their checks. Seniors who pay back the entire amount received without interest can then reclaim at the higher rate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Utilize Medicare benefits</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Sign up for Medicare Part B at age 65 to avoid a 10 percent premium increase for each year of delayed enrollment. Shop around annually for the most economical Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that meets your medication needs. And take advantage of the new services Medicare will soon begin covering. Beneficiaries will no longer have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for most preventive care, including an annual wellness visit beginning in January 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Get a rewards credit card</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. You're going to continue to spend on food, clothing, and gas. You might as well get a credit card that pays you 1 to 2 percent cash back on your everyday purchases. "If you look around, you can find a no fee card that gives you some benefit," says Tyson. But he cautions: "A lot of the rewards card sock you with annual fees and get you some other way." Of course, if you carry a credit card balance, the extra cash will be lost.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Consult</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Put your lifetime of accumulated experience to work by taking on consulting work. "By the time you are in your 50s, you probably know people from a variety of companies based on where you've been," says Mark Miller, publisher of <a href="http://retirementrevised.com/">RetirementRevised.com</a> and author of <i><a href="http://hardtimesretirement.com/buy-the-book/">The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work, and Living</a></i>. "You can go out and do project-based stuff. It is a way to gain flexibility and set you own schedule and work from a home office."</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Tutor</strong>. Consider offering to help teach children algebra, a foreign language, test preparation, or even drilling younger students on their multiplication tables. "People continue to spend on their kids," says Tyson. "If there is a service you can provide to parents to help them with their kids, such as tutoring kids, your skills will be in demand." Sports fans may be able to land a gig coaching or refereeing youth games or giving golf lessons. And those with teaching credentials may substitute teach or instruct a class at a local community college.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">[See <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/slideshows/10-affordable-mountain-towns-for-retirees">10 Affordable Mountain Towns for Retirees</a>.]</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Babysit</strong>. Help harried working parents by offering babysitting services. Or better yet, work out an arrangement to get paid to spend time with your own grandchildren. "When I was working and had young children, I paid my mother to babysit," says Jan Cullinane, coauthor of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Retirement-Ultimate-Guide-Rest/dp/1579547966">The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life</a></em>. "The kids couldn't have had a better caregiver and she did the laundry for me as well."</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Eldercare</strong>. At the other end of the aging spectrum, you can provide nonmedical eldercare services for an older retiree. "You go to someone's house and you help them out with lunch, light housekeeping, and take them to appointments," says Cullinane. "Basically you help keep someone's elderly parent company."</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Hobbies and crafts</strong>. Turn your hobby or craft into a stream of income. Offer to frame pictures, make scrapbooks, or sell your hand-crocheted doilies online. "If you love making jewelry and can sell it to little boutiques, you can make a little business out of it," says Cullinane.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Rent out your space</strong>. Retirees who live in big cities or vacation destinations can rent out rooms to travelers. When you leave town, you can lease out the entire house. If you don't want to share your space, consider renting out your garage or basement as storage space.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Blog</strong>. Pick a topic that interests you and start researching and writing posts online. The more hits you generate, the more money you will make if you have advertising on the site. Strive to make enough to pay for your Internet connection.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Temp</strong>. Employers reluctant to hire new full-time workers with benefits may increasingly rely on short-term help. Temporary jobs and project assignments can be ideal for seniors who want to bring in some income but also enjoy a significant amount of leisure time. Contact a temp agency about short-term projects, seasonal work, or a job filling in for employees who are on vacation or maternity leave.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Garden</strong>. Avid gardeners can sell their excess fruits, vegetables, and flowers to farmer's markets, local garden centers, or even neighbors. Alternatively, you could help others learn to prune their rose bushes or select the ideal plants for a sunny spot. Outdoor lovers who don't mind mowing lawns and weeding are sure to find eager customers.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Errands</strong>. Retirees who are handy around the house will never be without extra cash. Other easy errands you could provide include grocery shopping, rides to the airport, and picking up dry cleaning.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Cook</strong>. Bake sales aren't just for children's fund raisers. Try selling freshly bakes pies, bread, or cookies at local events. If you're more of a cook than a baker, jams, sauces, and even prepared meals could be easy to sell to busy workers.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Pet sit</strong>. Animal lovers should have no problem making a few <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2010/07/19/21-ways-to-make-extra-money-in-retirement.html?PageNr=3" id="KonaLink0" target="undefined"><span class="klink"><span style="color: #005497; font-size: 11pt;">extra dollars</span></span></a> dog walking or grooming. Also consider pet sitting when owners go on vacation or travel for work.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Tour guide</strong>. History buffs should look into a post-retirement job as a guide at a local museum or historical monument. A part-time tour guide position will allow you to share your knowledge with others and interact with tourists from throughout the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><strong>Ask for discounts</strong>. Some senior discounts are well publicized, but others are only available to those who ask. One of the best perks of getting older is getting a discount simply because you're willing to admit your age.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">By <a href="http://money.usnews.com/topics/author/emily_brandon">Emily Brandon</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Source: Internet.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-37864056252270907662010-11-23T06:54:00.000-08:002010-11-23T06:54:55.817-08:005 Ways to Retire Before Age 40<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvd3R0JZnNDux5P7dVDL0_Y202uCTETeID_ieS8I-V8BC3EGNcXPDe6B2EWkBjhODHHXeeBSkj77A_xbRXStecDLCHCqNTiQ9Rq3NW0J4sanraaamucWD3iWjvxydJ_4sQJqkIpBouak/s1600/retire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvd3R0JZnNDux5P7dVDL0_Y202uCTETeID_ieS8I-V8BC3EGNcXPDe6B2EWkBjhODHHXeeBSkj77A_xbRXStecDLCHCqNTiQ9Rq3NW0J4sanraaamucWD3iWjvxydJ_4sQJqkIpBouak/s1600/retire.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Voluntary early retirement before the age of forty is not typical. Leaving work behind as early as possible to focus on other aspects of life is a popular goal, but most people will not achieve it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In order to retire in your forties and still have the funds you need to finance all that you'd like to do, you need to create the right environment to foster extraordinary results with your money. Don't count on winning the lottery or selling the company you built in your basement to Google.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those who leave the workforce before age forty compose a small percentage of the working population, just as Olympic-level swimmers are a small percentage of everyone who competes in the sport. To achieve in the Olympic Games you need to take several extreme actions. To retire early, you will have to do the same. These tips may help you generate enough money to retire before age forty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5aBtLIFnkHQ15j6ObZiKhjXUalPyLwvXhHoNXBWuusOO7rhOxpU9wMQ4Z1dnC3qnZT-Uy6FFyKRlSyo4Fc6Ss6rbDsbw-KBRepPpfQO2G9ensu-xABPhwnrBntdJPqge_xCTU4us29s/s1600/retire+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5aBtLIFnkHQ15j6ObZiKhjXUalPyLwvXhHoNXBWuusOO7rhOxpU9wMQ4Z1dnC3qnZT-Uy6FFyKRlSyo4Fc6Ss6rbDsbw-KBRepPpfQO2G9ensu-xABPhwnrBntdJPqge_xCTU4us29s/s1600/retire+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ignore what other people think.</strong> You'll need the right mindset. As you make choices that could lead you to extreme early retirement, you may face resistance from family and friends. The decisions you will need to make are often directly opposed with others' expectations. Find like-minded individuals whose advice and encouragement will help move you in the right direction.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Save as much as possible as soon as possible.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> This is the first of your unpopular decisions. You will need to sacrifice your spending at the beginning of your career in order to have a better chance of living the way you want when you want, with financial freedom, for a longer amount of time. To you, frugality should be elevated to an art form. Your friends may call you cheap, but you won't care because you are focused on your goal without distraction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Earn as much as possible as quickly as possible.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> With more income, you can keep more money in high-yield savings accounts and investments. Those funds will be ready for your early retirement. While it's the amount you save that matters, you can significantly extend those savings by earning more. Work more hours or take an additional job or two. Olympic athletes train and practice constantly and this is the same intensity you need to achieve an early retirement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Avoid fees while investing.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> While this concept is one part of saving as much as possible, it deserves its own mention. Most investments underperform index funds and you'll pay higher fees for those lackluster results. While some investments do beat the market, you won't know which investments will skyrocket until it's too late. Invest in index funds and make sure you have a sensible mix of asset classes that present a good chance of protecting you from down markets when you need the money you've invested.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Consider a new definition of retirement.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> You may still want to work in retirement to earn additional money, particularly if you can do work you enjoy. Consider a part-time job or even a full-time job with a non-profit organization aligned with your interests and values. Leaving the corporate world to work for an organization you care about can be exhilarating and you will enjoy the work. Extreme early retirement is an achievement most people will not accomplish, even if you put forth a good effort. Leaving the workforce behind before the age of forty is an extraordinary accomplishment and it requires dedication, intensity, and a willingness to live differently.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Luke Landes</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;"> <i>writes for Consumerism Commentary, where he encourages discussions about money and consumer issues. Consumerism Commentary regularly tracks and reviews the best online savings accounts and other financial products and other financial products.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-68107037783425260162010-11-23T05:29:00.000-08:002010-11-23T05:29:53.655-08:00Prudent Ways to Save at Least $100 a Month<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><!--[if !mso]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Imagine spending just $20 a year -- or less -- for yearly telephone service. Or, perhaps you'd be interested in shaving 15 percent off your monthly utility bills. Two frugal experts say you can do it.</span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyone looks for simple ways to save, especially in today's tumultuous economy. Bankrate asked two frugal bloggers to share their thoughts on some nearly effortless ways to hang on to your hard-earned green. If you take their advice to heart, you'll likely save at least $100 a month around the house.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://amazon.com/"><br />
</a></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rethink Your Phone Service</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fed up with expensive telephone bills? Jonni McCoy, author of the <a href="http://www.miserlymoms.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Miserly Moms</span></a> website, recommends switching to an alternative phone service like magicJack or Skype.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Such services allow you to make local and long-distance calls for a fraction of the price of traditional phone service. For instance, magicJack customers can get phone service for as little as $19.95 a year, while Skype calls are free to other Skype users.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"These are good alternatives to (traditional) phone service, and they include long distance, so no extra card is needed," McCoy says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.25pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left; width: 190px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt 0.75pt 2.5pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Customers nervous about dropping their traditional phone carrier have other options for saving money.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For example, consider canceling long-distance service from your phone carrier and using calling cards instead, says Susan Palmquist, creator of <a href="http://budgetsmartgirl.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">money blog The Budget Smart Girl's Guide to the Universe</span></a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Need a second phone line? In this case, a service like magicJack works well, because it's "much cheaper than adding a second line to your existing phone account," Palmquist says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">When it comes to your monthly cell phone bill, save money by cutting down on your minutes and switching to a more basic plan. Palmquist recommends switching to a pay-as-you-go cell phone.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cut Down on Electricity</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each month, utility bills silently drain a little more cash from your wallet, preventing you from building a sizable emergency fund or retirement nest egg.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are several ways to trim these bills. Three quick and painless ways to save include: switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs (which are more energy-efficient than standard light bulbs) lowering the temperature on your hot water heater (130 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to kill germs) and drying your clothing on a clothesline or rack whenever possible.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">McCoy and Palmquist also recommend signing up for any incentive or rebate programs offered by the local utility company.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">With these programs, you typically agree to allow the power company to briefly shut off certain appliances when energy demand is particularly high. In return, you get a credit on your monthly bill.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For example, customers who participate in Florida Power & Light's On Call Savings Program allow FPL to install a small device on their water heater and air conditioner compressor. This allows the utility company to periodically borrow electricity for 15 minutes or so.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Palmquist -- who lives in Minneapolis and gets her power from Xcel Energy -- does this and gets a 15 percent discount on her bills.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Conserve Water</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are you drowning in monthly water bills? Palmquist and McCoy recommend money-saving options such as washing all clothing in cold water.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I use cold water to wash clothes, and recently read that using the delicate cycle also saves water, too," Palmquist says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In some cases, saving cash actually goes hand in hand with superior performance, Palmquist says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We installed a low-flow shower head in the main bathroom and find it not only saves water, but the flow is better than the old one," she says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, another "no-brainer" way to save is simply to use appliances less frequently. Wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't overlook water-saving tips for outside the home. Palmquist plans to invest in a rain barrel for outside watering next year. Meanwhile, McCoy recommends making changes to landscaping "so there is less lawn to water."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bundle or Drop Cable and Internet</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">McCoy suggests saving money by bundling cable and Internet services. Palmquist agrees, and recently switched to an "economy package" for her TV service.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, Palmquist says it's important to look before you leap into bundling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sometimes it's more expensive and they can lock you into a two-year contract, so check out everything first," she says.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're really gung-ho about saving, simply drop cable altogether. Perhaps you can watch your favorite TV shows for free on an Internet site such as Hulu.com.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Or, maybe it's time to simply give up those expensive TV habits and think about the priorities that really matter to you.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"My main advice is to think about wants and needs," Palmquist says. "Many of us think something's a necessity when really it's just a want."</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Melissa Neiman</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Internet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">http://tinyurl.com/2vvjd3m.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-66555498255774518212010-11-20T11:07:00.000-08:002010-11-20T11:34:24.909-08:00Best Car for Your Teen<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt;"></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We pick our favorite new car for young drivers</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One question we are often asked at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance is, Which car should I buy for my teen? In our December-issue Best List, we pick our favorite new car for young drivers: the <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/2011_kia_soul/">Kia Soul</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Your teen may try to persuade you to buy a sporty, speedy model (the <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/2010_porsche_boxster/">Porsche Boxster</a> comes to mind). But the best car for a teen, some car experts say, is on the other end of the spectrum -- an older, larger, uncool <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/sedans">sedan</a> (think the <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/ford">Ford</a> Crown Victoria or an aging <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/volvo/">Volvo</a> station wagon).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkDcuUncRhAho7m4nQmjH7R0yrwSUQhGx2YEAa5qrEXPkaV8sK9md6KJ5Z8PkRuCK8zQ_PaZ4SlGyLv4R76Ank4FAQlLRFVbgeaq1cd9Bajpp1ffJTWdhRcZ0P1l0H7Z3vR2WdA7HHs/s1600/obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkDcuUncRhAho7m4nQmjH7R0yrwSUQhGx2YEAa5qrEXPkaV8sK9md6KJ5Z8PkRuCK8zQ_PaZ4SlGyLv4R76Ank4FAQlLRFVbgeaq1cd9Bajpp1ffJTWdhRcZ0P1l0H7Z3vR2WdA7HHs/s320/obama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We think an even better idea is to buy a small sedan -- after all, many state laws limit the number of passengers teens can carry -- that’s also maneuverable, safe and doesn’t go zero to 60 in 5 seconds. In fact, we have a checklist of attributes to evaluate when choosing a suitable car for young, less-experienced drivers, and the Soul scores highly on all of them:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Top safety pick.</b> The Kia Soul is a Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means it gets the highest score on the Institute’s front, side and rear crash tests. The Soul also has a long list of standard safety features: stability control -- to prevent skids -- four-wheel anti-lock brakes, front side airbags and head curtain airbags. <a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/kia/">Kia</a> also provides 24-hour roadside assistance for five years or 60,000 miles.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Low ownership costs. </b>The sticker price for the 2010 manual-transmission Soul + is an easy-to-take $15,890. This is our favorite model because it provides a good mix of standard equipment and value. With fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 24 mpg in the city, it’s relatively cheap to gas up, too.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Low insurance and repair costs.</b> These are important for any family with a teen driver. The cost for a typical family to insure the Soul is $920 a year -- on the low end of the scale for all vehicles. Repair costs are held to a minimum because of Kia’s warranty, also five-years or 60,000-miles.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>High resale value.</b> We put a lot of stock in how well a car holds its value. And with a resale value of 56% of sticker price after three years, the Soul is solidly above average.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Moderate speed. </b>When it comes to power, the Soul’s horsepower is an adequate -- but not excessive -- 142. This is not a street racer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Coolness.</b> Even though the Soul isn’t going to win Le Mans, it has cachet. The hatchback design is funky-cool, and its fold-down second seats provide more than 53 cubic feet of cargo room, making it easy to haul stuff -- bikes, camping gear, dorm-room supplies. Rear legroom is a roomy 39 inches.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inside it has a USB connection for an MP3 player, a three-month free subscription to Sirius satellite radio and a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Put it all together and, if you’re shopping for a young driver, the Kia Soul should be at the top of your list of cars to consider. If you want to expand your search to other cars, use our checklist to make sure you get a good, safe car.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We used the checklist to find <b>a great used car for teens as well: the 2008 </b><a href="http://autos.yahoo.com/2011_scion_xb/"><b>Scion xB</b></a>. It’s a better value now than when it was new -- and we named it a Best New Car back then. It was a Top Safety Pick of the IIHS and comes standard with six airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control and traction control. Priced at about $12,413 (with 24,000 miles), it rings up nearly $4,000 under the original sticker price. Insurance and repairs costs are low, and horsepower, at 158, isn’t outrageous. The xB is another boxy ride with plenty of style and space, and it is sure to appeal to teen sensibilities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: Internet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-905204104027181352010-11-20T10:24:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:24:18.262-08:00Buzzwords You Shouldn't Use on Your Resume<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">You've written your resume. You poured a lot of effort into the page that will represent you, and you can't wait to distribute it far and wide.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Not so fast. Before you send that puppy out, check it for buzzwords. Like "team player." Or "detail-oriented." Or "accustomed to fast-paced environments."</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Here's why you should avoid them: They're vague. They make your resume look like everyone else's. They're probably not among the keywords employers search for. They take up space on your resume that could be used for strong, concrete, specific examples of what you've accomplished, the work you've produced, and how hiring you would benefit your potential employer. Buzzwords are tired and overused, cliches that have lost their meaning over time.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Most importantly, every buzzword is a lost opportunity.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">You want your resume to stand out. The best way to sell yourself is to show, don't tell. Explain your accomplishments rather than spouting them off in trite ways.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">So check your resume for these boilerplate words and phrases. If you find them, replace them--or at the very least, elaborate upon them--with real-life, specific examples.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">1. Team player</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">2. Detailed-oriented</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">[See 21 Secrets to Getting the Job.]</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">3. Proven track record of success</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">4. Experienced</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">5. Excellent communication skills</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">6. Leadership skills</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">7. Go-to person</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">8. Managed cross-functional teams</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">9. Exceptional organizational skills</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">10. Self-starter</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">11. Results-oriented professional</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">12. Bottom-line orientated</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">13. Works well with customers</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">14. Strong negotiation skills</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">15. Goal-oriented</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">16. People-person</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">17. Dynamic</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">[See How to Use a Job Rejection to Your Advantage.]</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">18. Innovative</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">19. Proven ability</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">20. Top-flight</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">21. Motivated</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">22. Bottom-line focused</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">23. Responsible for</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">24. Assisted with</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">25. Skilled problem solver</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">26. Accustomed to fast-paced environments</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">27. Strong work ethic</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">28. Works well with all levels of staff</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">29. Met (or exceeded) expectations</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">30. Savvy business professional</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">31. Strong presentation skills</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">32. Looking for a challenging opportunity</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">33. Cutting-edge</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">34. Multi-tasker</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">35. Proactive</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">36. Seasoned professional</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">37. Perfectionist</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">38. Highly skilled</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">39. Functioned as</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">40. Duties included</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">41. Actions encompassed</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">42. Best-in-class</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">43. Strategic thinker</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">44. Trustworthy</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">[For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers.]</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">45. Flexible</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">46. Works well under pressure</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">47. Quick learner</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">48. Partnered with others</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">49. Results-focused</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">50. Out-of-the-box thinker</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Finally, here's one more phrase you don't need to include on your resume: "References furnished upon request." It's assumed that you'll offer references if the employer asks, so don't clutter your resume with those unnecessary words.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143728456546183550.post-38379979587292621852010-11-20T08:43:00.001-08:002010-11-20T08:43:38.157-08:00google-site-verification: googlec8b43c7a34f2ede9.html<div class="blogger-post-footer">"There can be no Happiness if the things you believe in are different from the things You Do"</div>Rowland Kelechi Nwogbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10263604166468325070noreply@blogger.com0