Drew Brees of the Saints Celebrates SuperBowl Win w/ Wife and Son
Perseverance – Drew Brees, the Saints and You
Top 10 Places to Get Ahead
Forbes Magazine did some interesting research on what areas of the US are best positioned for growth. They compiled a list of the top 10 locations for jobs, income growth and quality of life. With so many major cities taking a beating in this near-depression, the landscape has changed dramatically in terms of where the best prospects are for job seekers. Cities that used to be known for excellent prospects like San Francisco, San Jose, Atlanta and others are no longer at the top of the list. Many of the cities and towns on Forbes’ new list are not even places you may have heard of. If you’re about to finish studies and are looking for a great place to live and work, check this list out here. Time Management Strategies Essential to Work/Study Balance
Developing time management skills, like any other worthwhile endeavor, requires planning and then lots of practice. But the benefits of mastering your own schedule can be felt in all areas of your life; personal and professional.
The overall point of focusing on time management is to become more aware of how you use your time and break your days up between work, study, family, social activities, and sleep.
Follow me past the jump for some ideas on how to begin the process and practice better time management.
Continue reading…
Follow me past the jump for some ideas on how to begin the process and practice better time management.
Continue reading… Monday Funnies
Is it Monday again? Ugh. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by school, work, life, etc. take a second out for a quick chuckle. Life cannot be so overwhelming when you consider that someone spent a considerable amount of time teaching this elephant to play basketball.
Take Advantage of New Tax Deductions This Year
Ahh, a new year has begun and that means the new tax season is upon us. Like many, you may wait until the April 15th IRS deadline for filing. But this year, there are a range of new tax deductions and credits available to students, drivers, homeowners and home buyers. With so much of your money at stake, it may be a good year to start a little early on your taxes so you can spend some time investigating if you’re eligible for any of the new credits or deductions available to taxpayers this year.
Did you buy a new car? Are you a full time student? Did you replace appliances, windows or other energy saving items in your home? Do you have children? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is new information available that can help you make your return fatter.
Click here for a good list of all the new credits and deductions. Wii Fit. For Real?
Well, I am a little late to the blog this morning because I have sore shoulders and elbows. I owe this soreness to the time I spent at the Wii Sports Resort over the weekend. We purchased Wii for our son this Christmas and it tripped my video game circuit which, while hardwired into every little boy, often switches off after about age 16 (right around the same time the driver’s license/girls circuit switches on). Particularly, I found it viscerally gratifying to beat my video opponent mercilessly in Wii Boxing. After about 12 fights of three rounds each, I collapsed with heavy arms and a good sweat worked up, back onto the couch. Today, I am suuuuper sore. But is it really exercise? Follow over the jump for a report that answers the question.
Continue reading… 15 Ways to Blow Your Job Interview
This is an exceptionally funny look at some of the really stupid things people do or say at job interviews. Culled from professional recruiters, these are all things that actually happened and that should be avoided at all costs if you’re lucky enough to land an interview in this tough employment environment.
President’s Proclamation for MLK Day
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press SecretaryMARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., FEDERAL HOLIDAY, 2010
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., challenged our Nation to recognize that our individual liberty relies upon our common equality. In communities marred by division and injustice, the movement he built from the ground up forced open doors to negotiation. The strength of his leadership was matched only by the power of his words, which still call on us to perfect those sacred ideals enshrined in our founding documents.
“We have an opportunity to make America a better Nation,” Dr. King said on the eve of his death. “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.” Though we have made great strides since the turbulent era of Dr. King’s movement, his work and our journey remain unfinished. Only when our children are free to pursue their full measure of success — unhindered by the color of their skin, their gender, the faith in their heart, the people they love, or the fortune of their birth — will we have reached our destination.
Today, we are closer to fulfilling America’s promise of economic and social justice because we stand on the shoulders of giants like Dr. King, yet our future progress will depend on how we prepare our next generation of leaders. We must fortify their ladders of opportunity by correcting social injustice, breaking the cycle of poverty in struggling communities, and reinvesting in our schools. Education can unlock a child’s potential and remains our strongest weapon against injustice and inequality.
Recognizing that our Nation has yet to reach Dr. King’s promised land is not an admission of defeat, but a call to action. In these challenging times, too many Americans face limited opportunities, but our capacity to support each other remains limitless. Today, let us ask ourselves what Dr. King believed to be life’s most urgent and persistent question: “What are you doing for others?” Visit www.MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service projects across our country.
Dr. King devoted his life to serving others, and his message transcends national borders. The devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the urgent need for humanitarian support, reminds us that our service and generosity of spirit must also extend beyond our immediate communities. As our Government continues to bring our resources to bear on the international emergency in Haiti, I ask all Americans who want to contribute to this effort to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake.
By lifting up our brothers and sisters through dedication and service — both at home and around the world — we honor Dr. King’s memory and reaffirm our common humanity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2010, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service programs in honor of Dr. King’s life and lasting legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
How to Help Haitian Earthquake Victims
In the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake in the impoverished island nation of Haiti, some of the world’s poorest citizens are dealt an ever more challenging hand than they had been faced with previously. With so little by way of resources in the best of times, folks in Haiti are now faced with having to rebuild whatever semblance of normalcy they might be able to regain with even less than the zero resources they had pre-quake. Follow me over the jump to a list of links to relief organizations where your help (either monetarily or voluntarily) is needed desperately. Continue reading… Jobs Disappearing (But Not in Healthcare)
An interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal discusses the likely permanent loss of jobs during the Great Recession of 2009. Obviously, fields closely related to the credit and housing bubbles at the root of the current recession – mortgage brokerages, financial industry, home building etc. – have shed jobs which may never return. Also, jobs in industries that can be automated by ongoing developments in IT – secretarial, mailroom, etc. – are also probably gone for good. Add to this mix, the increasing practice of offshoring tech-enabled jobs to emerging, low-cost labor markets like China and India and it becomes apparent that it may take years for the US to return to employment levels seen pre-recession in 2006.
What was the one bright spot according to the US Labor Department? Jobs in the healthcare field. Training for service in the healthcare field puts you at the forefront of the career market for the next decade. Congratulations!