There after ……….. Elections 2011, Argentina

<div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Feeling the pulse of the people</b></u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">As predicted, CFK won last Sunday’s election by a landslide victory. The fact that 54% of the population voted for her, indicates that not only the “lower social class” favored her, as is widely assumed by those who oppose her, but a vast range of people from different social backgrounds. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some opinions regarding the outcome of the elections: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">(<i>These opinions have been collected from internet forums and are displayed in their original version without editing or corrections</i>) </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, we Argentine s eight years ago we heard about the impending disaster and the dark clouds that lie ahead if we do not follow the advice of 'the markets'. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The truth is that all disasters that told us we were going to happen did not happen in Argentina, but that are happening in USA and Europe. And the election results show just that: Governments who follow the advice of 'the markets' are repudiated by their own people, and those who do not, sweep with wins of 54%.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think it's good that Fernandez is attempting to give her country what they want. It is very important that she does show personality because the people need to feel a connection between themselves and their President. Bringing her family on stage was a perfect way to do that. Argentina has been doing pretty well economically so as long as everything stays the same I don't see why the people wouldn't be happy with Fernandez.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is doing pretty well in the current economic standing and I think that it is a good thing for Fernandez to become president. She will give the people what they want in order to make her country better and more prosperous even with the already high prices of soybeans and rapid growth of Brazil. The country obviously wants her as president and I believe that she will make a good change to the country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is currently in a period of economic stability, which is why it is not surprising Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was reelected. It is important to remember that this stability is not promised to the people of Argentina, and therefore she can celebrate her victory but must continue policies. Improvements must be made and the economy must continue to be monitored in Argentina and Fernandez cannot get too comfortable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fernandez is doing all she can to please her people. I applauded her for trying to get up and closer and personal with her people. I feel like world leaders have forgotten about this important aspect and are too preoccupied with economics and war. I believe her people grew closer when she brought her kids on stage because it showed she was a loving mother and that she is going to care for her country like she cares for her children. Also Argentina is doing well economically under Fernandez and if she doesn't change anything, her people will continue to love and praise her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">If a 25% annual rate of inflation amounts to economic stability then all is well with Argentina's world.<br />If the same 25% means that it is time to print more money, then it's time for the kissing to stop and austerity to kick in - otherwise how can the IMF agree to give more of the world's money to prop up this tottering state? Providers of financial support need some sort of confidence that they will get their money back; defaults do nobody any good. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is great thing for Argentina that Ms Fernández is President. When more than half the country elects and wants the nominee to win Presidency it is a great thing. That means she has really appealed to the people and thats what the people want they want someone who is going to listen to them and do what they want. Even though at some point she lost some of her popularity and support she really showed the people that she was there for them by listening to them and making some changing that would benefit the citizens, the people she is representing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I would do just as well as Argentina economically, if I don't pay what I should and if I abuse of Other People's Money like her government has been doing for the past 8 years. Well, must I add that I'm not happy at all with Fernandez?</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Truth is Argentina did well in spite of this government, but certainly not thanks to her. Sooner than later, everything like eg soybean prices, and Brazilian's monetary policies, won't stay the same and then, I would like to know how much will the voters they elected her yesterday, still like her. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Almost or more than half of the people live thanks to the work of the other half, because of an overwhelming tax structure. The corruption has never been worse. The education and well mannered people had vanished. The crime rate is outrageous. Not even the Argentine people invest, but keep taking their money out of the country. The public administration words and deeds have been embarrassing for too long. Let alone the farm sector. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems unaccountable to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina's Iron Lady wins big again. It should be interesting to see how Cristina Fernandez and her political party act now that they have won power of every branch of government. There seems to be unofficial indication that Argentina's economy is reaching a plateau. It can only run on high priced exports and a bloated Brazilian trade for so long, so it will be interesting to see whether their trend of growth will continue under Fernandez. If it doesn't then they will have to seriously consider tackling their debt issue and closing the hatches on their government spending. Hopefully they open up opportunities for Argentina to diversify its economy to better handle a global economy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">On another note, I hope that Argentina does not switch from a presidential to a parliamentary system just to keep Fernandez in power. That change would have monumental impacts on their government and how their democracy functions. It would also give one body complete power over government and do away with healthy checks and balances in a presidential system. Finally I believe it would be a great loss to do away with the executive branch, which acts as a unified front to other countries diplomatically and militarily. Let them do as they wish though, as long as it is democratic it should prevent an abuse of power.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is amazing that so many comments favour Cristina. 46% of the votes reject her. This 46% is composed of what class of people? Those who cannot accept her attacks on the free press using trade union thugs and on farmers. Or her absurd anti-Americanism. Or her failure to pay the country's debts, even though the economy and balance of payments provides the means. Or the lies told that there are no obstacles to import freely (ask Brazil and Uruguay)! Or the lies told about inflation. Or the vast subsidies paid to keep utility prices down and Aerolineas going. Or her admiration of the absurd Chavez ( which the Argentine foreign service has to deny). Who are the 54%? The "pueblo" who benefits from the above. Populism. The success of the soya farmers. Carlos Lacroze is dead right.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been said that Argentina has been lucky and that, without high commodity prices, their situation would be different. This is - up to a point - true but the great virtue of the Kirchners has been to tackle head on the farming establishment's traditional tax avoidance status. The Kirchner's much maligned export tax has allowed the Argentine state to collect income at source and redistribute within the nation, increasing internal demand which itself stimulates local industry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />As things stand, about 10 billion surplus agricultural dollars are leaving the country every year. That amount would be considerably higher had her government not introduced the controversial export tax. Wealth would have remained in the hands of a tiny minority who would have - as they have done for decades - salted the money abroad. So - had the Kirchners not been in power - the "China bonanza" would have benefited only the few.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />It should be pointed out that while Mrs. Kirchner obtained 54% of the votes, Mr. Lambias (one of the leaders of the "farming revolt" which opposed the tax) came last in the rural, traditional farming district where he stood for a Congressional seat. He obtained a miserly 2.5% of the votes . Mrs Kirchner not only won the election, she has also won - at least amongst the Argentine people - the intellectual argument as to the rights and wrongs of taxing those with excessive wealth concentration.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And I'll add some figures for those who insist on the idea that Argentina's growth depends on fortunate events ('tail wind') that are not under our control: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. The export / GDP ratio in Argentina is barely 22%, so much of our exports are easily sold on the domestic market if things go bad abroad. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Soybean is hardly 5.38% of our GDP, so its influence on the total economy is barely noticeable. Those who speak of the 'tail wind' should explain then how grew the remaining 95% of the economy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bottom line is: Argentina isn't so naked and exposed to external influences as other countries. Be it financial or commercial. It has a relatively large domestic market to soften the spikes it is exposed to.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And most important: People are excited (as the last poll shows) and wants to keep growing as usual. Optimism. An invaluable asset, hard to get abroad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did not vote for Mrs Fernandez on Sunday. Although it is true that economic growth and spillover effect on income has happened over the last 8 years, not all of it is a merit of the Kirchner couple. The high inflation level , the corruption , the blind-eye to extortion and bullying tactics by friendly union leaders and erratic foreign policy , siding with unsavory latinamerican leaders are some of the reasons for me choosing to be on the losing side of last Sunday's election. Time will tell if I was wrong from joining- in in the consumption frenzy as if there was no tomorrow , in a world climate that is getting darker</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

There after ……….. Elections 2011, Argentina

Feeling the pulse of the people As predicted, CFK won last Sunday’s election by a landslide victory. The fact that 54% of the population vot...

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INTRODUCTION TO WEIGHT-LOSS APOCALYPSE

<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I first heard about the hCG protocol from my sister, a registered dietitian. She’d already finished her first week on it before she called to tell me about her experience. I’m sure she waited because she expected me to criticize what she was doing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">You could say I was skeptical, considering I’m a personal trainer, and my college degree is in exercise physiology. Obviously eating less than 500 calories in food causes weight loss, but what about muscle loss, too? Destroying your metabolism? And preparing you for what? You can’t eat 500 calories the rest of your life! Yes, I was critical.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">At the time, I thought I was thoroughly informed as to how the body uses fuel, and how the body responds to starvation. Before I read Dr. Simeons’ 1967 manuscript, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pounds & Inches, </i>I assumed it was written by a con man taking advantage of our desperation due to the obesity crises. But to my surprise, the manuscript made some sense. I could relate to his theories because his observations of fat gain and loss paralleled my own during three pregnancies, and what I’d witnessed with many clients over my ten-year career.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I’d observed, measured, and assessed body fat compositions for thousands of people. Some of those clients meticulously exercised and reduced their food intake—without results. I watched as female clients gained abdominal fat during menopause, even though they were eating less and exercising more. I observed clients before, during, and after pregnancy, and witnessed the shape of their bodies change, adding fat in some areas, and losing it in others. I knew through experience that fat gain and loss were linked to hormones. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I was excited when Simeons’ observations validated mine. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dr. Simeons assessed scale weight for decades to deduce the strict guidelines of his protocol. He had theorized, based on his observations, that the pregnancy hormone, human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), somehow prevented symptoms of starvation during a 500-calorie protocol. In 1967, he privately published his findings and hypothesis in a manuscript called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pounds & Inches: A New Approach to Obesity</i>. Dr. Simeons’ believed the brain determines where and when fat is used for fuel. He observed that hCG redirected the brain to use abnormal fat (fat that’s difficult to lose) for energy. He observed that 1) participants felt minimal hunger, 2) their weight loss was rapid, and 3) their losses were specific to areas that regular diet and exercise didn’t influence. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dr. Simeons was convinced that by tricking the brain with hCG, and manipulating fuel demand with the 500-calorie protocol, the brain would “re-set” its fat-burning capacity. Ultimately, this would allow the participant to eat normally without having the same susceptibility for fat gain when the protocol was over. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">After understanding his protocol, and finding a doctor willing to prescribe it, I decided to present the information, as well as the opportunity to do the protocol, to appropriate clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They had to allow me to follow, measure, and record their progress, and in particular, compare their metabolic rate before they started, and after they finished. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Six clients agreed to participate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Before starting the protocol, I did a battery of tests. These included a record of: metabolic testing to find out how many calories they burned in a day, a cardiovascular endurance test done on a treadmill, blood pressure, resting heart rate, flexibility testing, push-up and sit-up tests for muscular endurance, bench press to measure their estimated strength, two different body-fat composition assessments, as well as circumference measurements. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I continued to measure everything weekly during and after the 500-calorie protocol, except for the fitness testing and metabolic rates, which I measured again at the end. I wasn’t surprised by their significant fat and size loss but I was not prepared for the drastic amount of fat lost in the stomach area. Quickly I added three additional circumference measurements to that stomach area to ensure I was accurately assessing their size change. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">All participants agreed they had minimal hunger, and most said their energy level was good. Completely shocking were the fitness and metabolic testing results after the protocol was completely over. Not only did the fitness tests improve, but the amount of calories their body burned in a day significantly increased. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Considering each participant ate less than 500 calories for over a month, these results were astonishing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I knew there had to be a logical explanation. I worked with new clients on the protocol, and continued to perform all of the tests before, during, and after the protocol. After collecting data for over 40 people, a local university statistically analyzed my metabolic testing results. When the results came back they were the same as my own observations. The metabolic rates significantly increased after the protocol. At this point, I was determined to find legitimate reasons for the increase.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">After all, my findings completely conflicted with everything I was taught regarding calories, fat loss, muscles, metabolism, and what’s supposed to weaken during chronic starvation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I compiled the data, and searched for local doctors of endocrinology that specialized in organs and hormones of the body, hoping they would be interested in my findings. I assumed they’d be able to explain how the hCG could influence the body in a way that prevented typical symptoms of starvation during such drastic caloric restrictions. I wanted to know why all my participants had overall improvements, after the fact. Only one doctor was willing to meet with me. After 45 minutes of discussing what I’d been doing, and my hope for some answers, he suggested I create a hypothesis that might make sense of what I observed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I was taken aback that he didn’t have any answers, and that I would have to do my own research to understand what I’d been witnessing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If this endocrinologist, who had a Ph.D., and also owned his own diabetes center, couldn’t help, then I was definitely on my own. That evening I started from square one, searching for scientific explanations for the physiology of hunger, energy, fueling, and how the body regulates fat metabolism, starvation, etc. This was a huge undertaking that required the ability to read scientific journals and reports to understand the cellular physiology. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Fortunately, my degree focusing on physiology came in handy. However, I was not prepared for what I found—thousands of medical journals written since I graduated in 2000— describing new hormones, new mechanisms, and new explanations for how the body regulates metabolism, hunger, and its complex fueling systems. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">For two weeks I spent 12 hours a day, cross-referencing, reading and re-reading material over and over. I created charts and my own dictionary of organs, hormones, and functions, basically teaching myself the new physiology of energy homeostasis/equilibrium. The difficulty was not in finding the answers, but in understanding the new terminology and mechanisms I was not taught in school, or with any of my certifications. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Once I understood the most influential hormones involved in hunger and metabolism during both starvation and feeding, I formed a hypothesis that made the most obvious sense to me. Based on the modern science I studied, hCG must stimulate sufficient leptin in order to prevent all symptoms of starvation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I felt like I was about to answer a million-dollar question, because I was so confident that the link between hCG and leptin had to be the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Within seconds of entering those two key hormones into a search engine, all of my hard work and focus became worth the effort. Immediately I found studies that connected hCG to leptin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some specifically indicated the most powerful relationship between the two hormones occurred at almost the exact amount Dr. Simeons prescribed for the hCG protocol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>My heart was racing, and I literally jumped up and down with excitement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Not only did scientific evidence exist that could easily explain how hCG, through the stimulus of leptin, could prevent symptoms of starvation during a very low-calorie diet, but a huge body of science also explained the reason for significant metabolic increases. Any scientist involved in the new studies of the hormone leptin, as it concerns starvation, fat gain, and fat loss, would find the answer obvious. The only reason a person would have minimal hunger, increased energy, and wouldn’t experience lean tissue loss during a 500-calorie protocol, is if hCG adequately stimulated blood leptin levels.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I wrote a hypothesis, but unfortunately the doctor who suggested I find the answers never responded. I continued to collect data and be amazed at the protocol’s physical results. Today, I’ve closely monitored over 500 people through protocols, and continue to follow Simeons’ method. However, I use only modern science to explain how it works. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve met with doctor after doctor, but so far <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> of them have been unaware of the new science, and most haven’t a clue as to the function of leptin. The protocol “experts” on TV, or who’ve written books on “new and improved” protocols, have yet to even mention new science, and continue to reference Dr. Simeons’ outdated and insufficient theories. It’s not surprising, considering the amount of time, effort, and extensive research it took for me to educate myself to formulate an answer. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Each person I met with to discuss the protocol, continued to reference what he found on the Internet, which is based on misinformation that inaccurately explains the protocol.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But, with the lack of relevant scientific explanation, and the majority of hCG sold on the Internet by people who aren’t necessarily educated in weight loss or human physiology, it makes sense to repeat the theories found in Simeons’ manuscript. No other explanation is out there. Unfortunately, there are many people attempting the protocol don’t follow it the way Dr. Simeons intended.<u><span style="color: green;"></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Most participants are completely unaware that eating and hCG directly influence the hormonal response from all of the organs in the body, and without strict compliance to the protocol, there could be harmful consequences. It’s approached like a diet, and businesses have started to manipulate and change the protocol to increase their profits and to make it more appealing to the masses. It’s unfortunate, considering the decades of observation and work it took Dr. Simeons to deduce the specificity of protocol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>But Dr. Simeons didn’t really know how the protocol worked either, and even he admitted laboratory explanation and proof was needed. <span style="color: green;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he had known</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> what was going to happen with our culture, as it concerns over-eating and obesity, and the lack of integrity in the hCG diet industry, he would have written and presented the protocol differently Dr. Simeons didn’t foresee his protocol would be used, prostituted, and misdirected as a short-term fix by the consumer. He had no idea we were going to have a massive, cultural, emotional eating disorder, and that we’d continue to blame the consequences of fat gain on everything but ourselves. Just because you have minimal hunger, doesn’t mean you won’t eat. Just because you have significant fat loss, doesn’t mean you will be motivated to change the way you eat forever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My goal in writing this book is to start a new conversation about Dr. Simeons’ protocol that has relevance, not only as a hormonal therapy, but as a means to end our national eating disorder. Instead of continuing to apply the protocol as a short-term diet, I’d rather it be discussed as a real solution, a tool to end irrational eating for emotional fulfillment. We are dealing with a crisis that is an addiction to emotional eating, and the obvious result is the overwhelming increase in obesity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Think about the number of people in our culture who eat without hunger. How many people eat to gratify emotions? How many eat because they’re bored? When you observe our nation’s behavior with food, it’s very clear that fat isn’t what we should be obsessed about, and weight shouldn’t be the target of the problem. We need a genuine desire to eat less, one that isn’t dependent on weight loss as a reward. This requires each of us to be accountable for our own emotions, and find happiness in life not centrally stimulated by food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><u><span style="color: magenta;"></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Can you find a different hobby when you’re bored, instead of eating? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Can you deal with stress without using food as a pacifier or distraction? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Can you create happiness without having to eat? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If you can, then eating less would not be such a big deal, and you wouldn’t have to pay for a diet to help. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For most people, eating is almost entirely an emotional decision and behavior. If we forced the majority of our society to eat functionally, it would be torture for them, especially if you didn’t allow them to monitor their weight.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Even if someone has little hunger, and no symptoms of starvation, his or her emotional distress is far worse than the physical when it comes to eating less on the protocol.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We’ve created a society that is so emotionally connected to eating that any form of restriction feels like punishment. Shouldn’t there be some personal accountability? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at the overall implications that emotional eating has on medical costs, health care, and the occurrence of disease directly linked to obesity. However, the decision to find emotional strength without eating must come from an individual’s internal desire. It can’t be forced; otherwise we’ll end up with even more psychological problems.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As more and more people choose to free themselves from emotional eating, we would see a social movement with a new cultural distaste for excessive eating. Eating minimally would be sanctioned and encouraged by peer pressure<span style="color: #660066;">,</span> and emotional accountability and strength would be the next “big” thing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I believe the protocol provides the ideal atmosphere for participants to rethink the role that eating and food plays in their lives, and to develop emotional strength without needing a crutch. By letting go of food, and eating a minimum amount during the protocol, your emotional strength can be tested, and you can experience a life of eating less. However, for there to be a drastic impact on a participant’s overall relationship with food, he or she has to approach the protocol with that as the ultimate goal, eliminating the need to monitor weight for motivation.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Many people falsely assume that when they lose the weight, they’ll change their relationship with food.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This makes absolutely no sense, considering the role food plays has very little to do with body fat, and everything to do with their lack of emotional security. How many people have lost a substantial amount of fat, just to gain all of the weight back when they return to their “normal” relationship with food? Most.<u><span style="color: magenta;"></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s time to set a new standard for ourselves, fulfilling ourselves emotionally without needing to eat for emotional support. We have to want to limit ourselves, eating less even though we don’t have to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then losing weight wouldn’t matter because you’d want to continue to eat less even without a weight problem. This would require a new approach to reducing our food consumption, an intrinsic desire that no diet could enforce or create. Eating less must be a personal decision— a life-lasting change.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein. </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In the case of our culture, solving the cause of obesity would require us to allow ourselves to feel vulnerable when emotionally tested; the ultimate goal being an awakening to our own emotional strength without needing to eat. This confidence would remove the need to eat as a pacifier, and eventually the physical result would be fat loss or prevented fat gain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The protocol provides the perfect environment to rehabilitate our emotional strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>If the hCG protocol provides a hormonal environment that indeed prevents starvation while drastically reducing the need for food, then each participant has the opportunity to re-establish his or her emotional well-being independent of food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">With the right frame of mind, participants can observe their desires to eat often have nothing to do with hunger. They can redevelop a sense of true physical hunger that would help them control their functional need for food. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The hCG protocol would revolutionize our culture. Not only because of the mass reduction in obesity, but because when people are able to develop emotional strength and well-being without needing to eat, society would be healthier, happier and more productive. </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Eating less—not because we have to, but because we want to.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></div>

INTRODUCTION TO WEIGHT-LOSS APOCALYPSE

I first heard about the hCG protocol from my sister, a registered dietitian. She’d already finished her first week on it before she called t...

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Microsoft free tools #5 - Microsoft Photostory

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Microsoft</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Photo Story <span style="float: none;">3</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">is a very popular free</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">application<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">that allows users to create a visual story (</span></span>show and tell<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">presentation) from their digital photos.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">The software allows adding narration, effects, transitions and background music to create a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Windows Media Video<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">movie file with pan and zoom effects. Once a photo story has been made it can be played on a PC using</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Windows Media Player. <span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;">Here is a tutorial for using Photostory 3 from the Partners in Learning UK YouTube channel</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ETP_JuN3zEg" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />Classroom uses for this programme are endless.<br />*It can be used to provide tutorials for the students.<br />*It can be used to reflect on a year in a class.<br />*Outings can be recorded on Photostory 3.<br />*It is very useful to use for students to create projects. </div>

Microsoft tools Photostory3 Web tools Microsoft free tools #5 - Microsoft Photostory

Microsoft   Photo Story  3   is a very popular free   application   that allows users to create a visual story ( show and tell   presentatio...

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Thinkquest training in Ghana

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a guest post submitted by Claire Dean from Stirling Primary. Claire has been a Microsoft Innovative Teacher finalist twice. She has been a world-wide winner of the Thinkquest projects competition along with Brenda Hallowes from Port Elizabeth in 2009. Claire is also a trainer with SchoolNet SA.</span></i> <br /><br />The Ghanaian Ministry of Education requested training on “Getting started with ThinkQuest Projects”. Claire Dean (from East London) and Shirley-Ann Oldnall Jansen (from Irene) facilitated these workshops in Accra, Ghana at the beginning of October 2011. They also had a meeting with Mr Charles Aheto-Tsegah, the Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service. He would like to put ThinkQuest in all Ghanaian schools with internet connectivity. All went very well and it was a great experience.<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Below you can see Claire, Richmond Atta-Williams (of the MoE), Shirley, and Harry Tetteh (former ThinkQuest competition winner as a student in front of the National ICT and Science Resource Centre where the training was held.</div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6qnbGGTVpEBSYtNHC8_M_PAUqADY-Yyu3eys6PoMpU3qYKcJ5NvYAlpQUR0Q37sMhS-meigxhTdRrxmAnfOCE1asIAIwT3oUZy1ZRLOfOFlglOeRIjbgT3qHDnpLlRgOWYucl0U5_jw/s1600/100_3655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6qnbGGTVpEBSYtNHC8_M_PAUqADY-Yyu3eys6PoMpU3qYKcJ5NvYAlpQUR0Q37sMhS-meigxhTdRrxmAnfOCE1asIAIwT3oUZy1ZRLOfOFlglOeRIjbgT3qHDnpLlRgOWYucl0U5_jw/s400/100_3655.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQgGH0HTWTLEckBpSBfjuE2ktK5rJ87RtoUQHK5Jg5RV_Dw-qZGtMi5hBzr17QFBEkiBe2MOFeDoHNDUB7iU-yBCK5qQKz3qSPiIMwCFiPBLGC03j6UWjd63kAZz2XpD52u0TptitASk/s1600/100_3661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQgGH0HTWTLEckBpSBfjuE2ktK5rJ87RtoUQHK5Jg5RV_Dw-qZGtMi5hBzr17QFBEkiBe2MOFeDoHNDUB7iU-yBCK5qQKz3qSPiIMwCFiPBLGC03j6UWjd63kAZz2XpD52u0TptitASk/s400/100_3661.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirley and Claire relaxing on the hotel's private beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>

Guest post profiles Training Thinkquest training in Ghana

This is a guest post submitted by Claire Dean from Stirling Primary. Claire has been a Microsoft Innovative Teacher finalist twice. She has ...

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How to ask touchy interview questions

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/kd/ar5f26v7935x3s9j0vkd.gif?time=6/28/2011%202:56:31%20pm" /></div><div style="color: #333333; font: italic normal normal 16px/normal arial, helvetica;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline2">Bringing up salary, benefits and vacation during the interview</span></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b> </div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Unless you belong to a select group of people, you need a job in order to survive. Oprah Winfrey doesn't need to work another day in her life. The rest of us would have a hard time paying the electric bill without a job.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yet, when we're going through the song and dance of interviewing for a job, we pretend as if money isn't on the top of our list of priorities. Job-search etiquette dictates waiting for the employer to bring up salary, benefits and vacation. Conventional wisdom says that if you bring it up, you appear more focused on the perks than on doing the job, which sends a bad sign to employers. So you interview over the phone and in person, and after days or weeks of conversation about the job, you don't know how much it pays or if you would be able to leave early on occasion to pick up your son from school. These issues can be deal breakers for many job seekers, but they're taboo topics during the interview process.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If time is money, then both the hiring manager and the job seeker should be happy to get the basics out of the way before wasting time with interviews that might not matter if the salary is too low. We decided to find out if there is a way to bring up these touchy subjects in a more timely manner.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Should you do it?</b><br />Before job seekers can even ponder how to bring up these issues, the primary concern is whether they should even broach the subjects or if they would be making a heinous misstep. For many employers, as long as your approach is reasonable and tactful, you don't need to worry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"It's definitely fine to ask about the salary, benefits and perks early in the process," says author and corporate recruiter Vicki Salemi. "Think of it this way: Sometimes recruiters will push candidates to give them a ballpark salary requirement and they'll say they can't proceed without knowing so everyone's on the same page. Shouldn't you also feel entitled to knowing information upfront to not waste anyone's time? You're doing everyone, including yourself, a favor by asking and getting an overall idea of the complete package."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You certainly can ruin your chances of being hired by asking the questions the wrong way, Salemi says, but the topics alone won't overshadow your résumé and experience. Workplace expert Lynn Taylor, CEO of Santa Monica-based Lynn Taylor Consulting, also views these supposedly taboo topics as essential information for job seekers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"You have every right to know what you will and won't get, so don't be afraid to ask before the end of the second interview," Taylor advises. "During the first interview, you'll want to get a general idea, ideally from the human resources department (assuming you were interviewed by HR), as these are more administrative questions."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">That said, Taylor does suggest making this line of questioning one of your last orders of business, but not because it could harm your chances of getting hired. Instead, Taylor says, waiting can help you receive a better salary offer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Often there is room for negotiation on everything. The more valuable you are as a candidate, the more leverage you have. You are best served to determine how well-suited you are for the job before you begin asking about perks," she explains.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>How to do it</b><br />Now that you know that you can safely bring up sensitive topics during an interview on your own timeline, you need to know how to do it. After all, asked in the wrong way, any question can be damaging during a job interview. Here are five guidelines from career experts on how to raise the questions, get the information you need and stay on the interviewer's good side.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Be assertive but reasonable</b><br />"Simply ask in an assertive way," says Salemi, author of "Big Career in the Big City." "You can couch it with a statement such as, 'I don't want to sound presumptuous as if I expect to already get this job, but I would like to know the salary range before proceeding.' Or, 'I am actively interviewing and evaluating offers right now which include evaluating not only the salary but personal time off and benefits, as well as perks. Would you be able to share this information with me at this point in time?'"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Prove why it's in their interest, too</b><br />"[Recruiters] don't want to waste their time, so remind them of that fact," says Alex Buznego, business development and marketing services manager for marketing organization Inktel. "'Mr. Recruiter, I know your time is valuable and that the last thing you'd want to do is waste your time on a candidate who wasn't a perfect fit. With that in mind -- and I acknowledge these questions are difficult to discuss upfront -- would it be OK if we discussed some uncomfortable questions today?'"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You want to know about this information so you don't waste your time, and the interviewer probably feels the same way, too.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Be polite</b><br />When you want to bring up an uncomfortable topic, whether it's benefits or work schedules, you can ease into it by asking for the interviewer's permission to ask the question, Buznego says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"It's a simple gesture and somewhat of a rhetorical one," Buznego asks. "'Do you mind if I ask a couple of uncomfortable questions?' Don't worry, they are going to say yes, and it starts to break down the tension."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Wait for the right moment</b><br />Syndi Seid, founder of Advanced Etiquette, a business and social etiquette consulting organization, suggests job seekers wait for a chance to ask their question rather than force it into the interview. When the interviewer asks if you have any questions at the end of the interview, Seid suggests you take this as your cue.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"You then say, 'Thank you for asking. There is one item I realized we didn't discuss ...'" Seid says. "Always couch and sandwich difficult situations by saying something good and nice to start, hit them with the hard stuff, then end with something uplifting and positive."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ultimately what matters is that you read the cues of the interviewer and ask what makes you feel comfortable and what suits the mood of the moment. As long as you're polite and ask your questions in a reasonable manner, you can walk out of the interview without any regrets.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, </i><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Work Buzz</i></a><i>. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

How to ask touchy interview questions

Bringing up salary, benefits and vacation during the interview Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer   Unless you belong to a select grou...

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five dollar investment

Last fall, while on a rare solo trip to Lowe's, I found myself wondering outside playing "if I had a million dollars I would do X with my yard" when I saw a man working to move a small group of sad little trees. "These trees have just been marked down to $5 for anyone who wants them. I don't want to have to move them!" Uhh, me please! I right away laid claim to the least 'on the verge of dying' one I could pick out and left with a smile on my face. Luke helped me plant the poor sucker, and for a while, I wasn't sure if it would last. But this little sucker has shot up out of no where this spring/summer and is now producing the most beautiful foliage in my yard. In a neighborhood full of Oaks (beautiful trees but not known for their fall color) the little $5-tree-that-could provides some nice cheery fall color. Best five dollars I could have spent.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodSM4f4vBHEp7v5yDxay8gjMVOO8XWer9cX2pTMstTPZsi7lysM26HKsdR_g_adN7e9EGTjIRdYSUGT1JmbaKbN0HXNVI5XW11BxQltl-0rhlSV0v26HeqX6hRJOrs2RwPP36D3Eh0Ur2/s1600/PA259918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodSM4f4vBHEp7v5yDxay8gjMVOO8XWer9cX2pTMstTPZsi7lysM26HKsdR_g_adN7e9EGTjIRdYSUGT1JmbaKbN0HXNVI5XW11BxQltl-0rhlSV0v26HeqX6hRJOrs2RwPP36D3Eh0Ur2/s320/PA259918.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy $5 tree</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />

five dollar investment

Last fall, while on a rare solo trip to Lowe's, I found myself wondering outside playing "if I had a million dollars I would do X w...

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Being a Weight Watcher While Camping

I am definitely one of those people who struggle with the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to weight loss.  I'm trying to get better at it, but I still get discouraged at times.  If I don't get my "week" started off on the right foot (my WW week starts on Friday), it just ends up cascading into weight loss doom for the remainder of the week.  I'm never quite able to fully get myself back on track.  I find it especially difficult when my weekend is spent away from home and my eating habits are not great as a result.  This is exactly where I'm sitting right now - a day and a half left in my "week" and I haven't been able to get it together since we left for camping last Friday.  Ugh!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1QBVcyKAi8MW6UFQReG0AnJMUe0bUhvSTRT8uafi6FEg7_t8EvcyaAG8hbOLM94LD5Mq6iIUj8BzPI2643lD_E_y81-WLIl3kKwOT-klOh_LC-WQjOThDYJAbzmPPlT6hyphenhyphenN22c0i2SI/s1600/Point+Lookout+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1QBVcyKAi8MW6UFQReG0AnJMUe0bUhvSTRT8uafi6FEg7_t8EvcyaAG8hbOLM94LD5Mq6iIUj8BzPI2643lD_E_y81-WLIl3kKwOT-klOh_LC-WQjOThDYJAbzmPPlT6hyphenhyphenN22c0i2SI/s400/Point+Lookout+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's me in the middle with the PSU gear :)</td></tr></tbody></table>I love spending time outdoors, away from technology and televisions and the temptation to just go shopping when I'm bored.  However, it is kind of complicated to be a Weight Watcher and go camping.  It involves a lot of food planning.  I learned the methodology for Joel's group when they go camping is that everyone is responsible for making a meal.   This immediately throws red flags for me because I know none of those people are doing Weight Watchers.  I knew they would bring full-fat hot dogs, chips, other unhealthy snacks, pork sausage for breakfast, etc etc (my suspicions were correct btw).  And so, I brought a lot of WW friendly snacks, with 1 meal being completely WW friendly because it was our assigned meal - lunch - which was Hebrew National 97% fat free hot dogs with pretzel crisps.  Still, veggies that I actually liked were cooked, and I was able to pull off the skin from the chicken that was roasted over the fire.  I did the best I could with what I had.<br /><br />Still, that doesn't stop the food pushers from taking aim at me.  Food pushing, a term from Beck, means that people will not accept no for an answer when it comes to serving food.  They persistently try pushing food on you, even though you decline multiple times with valid excuses ("I'm not hungry." "I don't like it". etc) <br /><br />For instance, the guys caught some fish from the bay this past weekend, and were absolutely insisting that I eat it.  I love fish and seafood.  However, I don't like to find bones in my fish while eating it (it gags me), and even Joel's brother admitted that he definitely did not filet the fish as best as he could.  But still, one of the other guys kept on me about eating it and was giving me a hard time because I wasn't eating like everyone else was.  In fact, I wasn't eating at all because I wasn't hungry <i>(most likely because I had 2 smores and about 5 marshmallows well before the men came back from fishing.  Of course, this is because I was hungry at that time - I had already eaten 2 of my hotdogs that day and could not choke down another for dinner.  Not a great choice at all for dinner - the smores - but it curbed the hunger none the less)</i>.  I, at first, try to be kind and politely refuse it.  But it makes me angry after awhile.  How do <i>you </i>really benefit from me eating something?  It makes no sense.<br /><br />I'm always looking forward to my Friday to start fresh, but this weekend we are traveling to my sister's house where eating out is a standard.<br /><br />How do you guys deal with situations like this?  Do you do a full out meal plan for yourself for those 3 days (Fri-Sun) or do you try to wing it?  Please help!

Being a Weight Watcher While Camping

I am definitely one of those people who struggle with the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to weight loss.  I'm trying...

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Microsoft free tools #4 – Microsoft Songsmith

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Microsoft Songsmith is an amazing programme to use in the classroom for creating songs. The students absolutely love it.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What is Songsmith?</b></span><br />Songsmith is a pretty smart programme that creates musical accompaniment to match the voice of whoever is singing. All you have to do is choose a musical style, sing into your PC or laptop microphone, and Songsmith will come up with the backing track for your music. After that you can share your songs with your friends and family, post your songs online, or create your own music videos.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Songsmith is free for teachers</b></span><br />The great news is that Songsmith is free for teachers to use in their classrooms.  <br />Let’s look at this great infomercial from Microsoft Research.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3oGFogwcx-E" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Classroom ideas</b></span><br />• Use it as a reward period for your students<br />• Make up songs about the curriculum (Maths, Grammar, Poems, Facts from particular subjects)<br />• Create backings for class movies<br />• Use in music lessons<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tutorials</b></span><br />Here is a tutorial from the UK Partners in Learning site.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LuoHejVm9hU" width="420"></iframe> </div>

Microsoft tools SomgSmith Web tools Microsoft free tools #4 – Microsoft Songsmith

Microsoft Songsmith is an amazing programme to use in the classroom for creating songs. The students absolutely love it. What is Songsmith? ...

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Microsoft free tools #3 – Windows Movie Maker

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If you think that creating a video with your photos is too complicated then you haven’t tried Windows Movie Maker! The only downside of this amazing programme is that it is too simple for advanced users!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What can you do with Movie Maker? </b></span><br />It really is very simple to use like most of the Microsoft tools. Not only can you include your best photo shots and some of your clips, but you can also add some really nice video and transition effects. Your movie will look quite professional at the end I can assure you!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhyphenhyphenTOVyKU0DpJe1H9rmFNGydmD3b26cIgvr6RT0Q376GuNl3-k8qAwUWolmO1V799yAK5eytnsqU-VlCWrabpwEjxD-KPPKdLnWQGeAZSzCOqpfjwBZFB9KEeb_nldsK6dDDKpwSrgPI/s1600-h/image%25255B21%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUdoXT91XMkOjroKfINRf1G1_ojNCNrL-VpDazYtEq-BdKEu1tsLCf-f3pWBMGLRpc4pQi_DMEL7B4s6WnhGYJGRqnJ3TwYCjykqMG77U-tnxNI7ergy739Tw7aqPOXvn6kuZlyiay34/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to get started</b></span><br />If you look at the image above you’ll see that there is a place that says ‘Add videos and photos’. After you do this the media clips appear on the timeline at the side. Then you add as many effects as you like. You can even add titles and credits to your movie.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to use Movie Maker in the classroom</b></span><br />1. It really is fun when you include Movie Maker in your theme as the students love working with it.  These two Grade 4 teachers from St Cyprians in Cape Town based their theme on their Grade 4 novel, ‘Tolbooth’ and used Movie Maker extensively. They won the Innovative Teacher competition in South Africa as well as in the Pan Africa and the Middle East finals in Jordan and will be taking their Movie Maker project to Washington DC for the World Finals in early November.<br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Fwz2GJ-KCak/TqbzWdH7zsI/AAAAAAAAAYM/i3I_dJhYsT0/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgl2UOeTdRCGLQPgbootUFZGQE8cNruW53qIQhyL9TxgPh7RRxoVOd8-ezPyRT8GAZ2s6i7JCRu9l7s9B2VIivunEB9TDxKVuRSRjUsFutx7SZa0srcTOu7A1ltoOR6K4jznvzRSyKIQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a><br /><br />2. High School Life Science students in Cape Town used Windows Movie Maker to create an infomercial about HIV Aids. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlWJGaFrZOEatFaHw8RG9uz1IIwqF7lrnZTxnO-2oUpvtd4O-Dfz_-UZ0gvJUh4KM0UyRv_i-nvr7qsJjkdGhk5sWO0l99XF5ZDU56MM8xQ53WdR79Udc1Pgyj4Oq_zmmsFUZy0WySQw/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YisvTSgm7AjsEpevKvuN7K1Mt4tHZ5lstcPbG4F7TqSISZEYv4N3F6RHmnKCn6BYHuHUD_Dj9_T-fcKRlISAQ7KsiI9al1MYkbvfeJ_SSWk95eZCbKQeRSXWnvvqkiMXk_XBtHJEgdI/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a><br /><br />3. These high School History learners from Durban created movies about Apartheid using Windows Movie Maker.<br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_drFgtfr3BM/TqbzfqhG90I/AAAAAAAAAYs/YkqrOEBnHtA/s1600-h/image%25255B18%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xhO0oQiEFA33XUITsqj4xoxyswuD3dH5SL0iqtYiOhxzVHErxDJBrbbUcpeXQnU3nIAnVx9wpThrOVFI46j_dTohIqrTtYpisfRd1bV36RanpUCetFVrdVBQgKcFyE-rSGV4xdq7JDM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>More classroom ideas</b></span><br />•A very quick movie about something that has just happened – an outing or an event<br />• Expression of an assignment instead of writing it out. This definitely reduces the  riskof plagiarism<br />• Make book trailers instead of book reports<br />• Make movies about their book as was done by the Grade 4s<br />• Movies about Maths or other concepts<br />• Movies about the year at school<br />• Movies of their future dreamsin the job market<br />• Combine Movie Maker with Songsmith to create a music backing<br />• The learners can write instructions for something they are making i.e. a recipe, how to knit, how to make a card. etc. <br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What about starting a movie channel for your class? </b></span><br />You can create your own movie channel in YouTube or in School Tube to store all your class’s movies.<br /><br />If you need more detailed instructions on creating a movie with Windows Movie Maker just go to YouTube and ask for a tutorial on how to use Movie Maker.  You will find a huge selection.<br /><br />Here is an infomercial from Microsoft showing how to use the software.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-74114758ada0031b-18408" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwli1xmDDeH0umjlgQRHR_kMBSQwTahn8OKwWyR8S8FFp-YKsfPLpZ936pyA7t0nMxhU3hsCc7d45gqArnluv7Gb5qmpcq_QkAyraqwn5U_nGgCD7FXvpCqHsLeecEt6CXnFOcX" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why not give Movie Maker a try tomorrow?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Microsoft tools Windows Movie Maker Microsoft free tools #3 – Windows Movie Maker

If you think that creating a video with your photos is too complicated then you haven’t tried Windows Movie Maker! The only downside of this...

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Does Persistence Really Pay?

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/87/ar5l55061trc9ftv8z87.gif" /></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b> </div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While we can all recite quotes about how persistence is the key to success --"If at first you don't succeed ...", "Nothing good comes easy" -- they're easier said than acted upon when we feel instead like we're "banging our head against a wall" or "beating a dead horse."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The fact is many workers and job seekers struggle with persistence nowadays. It can be hard to keep going when your job search proves fruitless after months of hard work, you still haven't gotten that promotion you were hoping for or it seems like your "big break" is always just out of arms' reach.  With so much time and energy put it our efforts to persist, doing so to no avail can cause us to wonder if our persistence will ever pay off.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">According to Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-founder of SixFigureStart, persistence does pay off, so long as we remember one thing about our path to achieving our goals: There is a difference between smart persistence and blind persistence.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Persistence to a goal pays off as long as you can be flexible on how you get there," Ceniza-Levine says. "If your job search isn't yielding offers, then whatever you are doing is not working. You may have the right role and companies in mind but your <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/marketing/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">marketing</a>, your interview technique, your networking approach, or something else about how you are presenting yourself to these prospects is off. Or the prospects themselves may be wrong for you."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">With that in mind, here are a few strategies for successful, smart persistence.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Pursue your goal from all angles</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">According to Tyler Tervooren, <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/author/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">author</a> of the blog "Advanced Riskology," persistence works best when there's a method to your madness. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Persistence does pay, but only if it's persistence with a real strategy" he says. "If, in the worst economy of our time, your strategy is to send out a résumé and say 'Here, hire me please,' you're never going to get anywhere no matter how many times you do that. On the other hand, if your goal is to make enough money to support yourself and you're willing to try a bunch of different things like submitting an online résumé or portfolio, going to networking events, meeting influential people in different industries or even starting your own <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/business/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">business</a>, then yes, persistence pays off," he says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">To elaborate on Tervooren's example: As a job seeker your overall goal may be to find a well-paying job in your industry. You decide that you will send out 10 résumés per week until you get a job -- but after months of searching, you have yet to land a position. While your ultimate goal may be a realistic one that's well within your reach, your way of going about getting the job is unrealistic.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Instead of just sending out résumés:</div><ul><br /><li>Seek out new networking opportunities by joining a professional organization or volunteering in your community AND</li><br /><li>Engage the companies you'd like to work for on Twitter and LinkedIn AND</li><br /><li>Take a class online or at a local community college to freshen up your skill set and enhance your résumé AND</li><br /><li>Consult a <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Resumes/SR_Start.aspx?cblid=scpsrnjstk1&sc_cmp1=JS_toolkit_newstellar" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">professional résumé writer </a>to make sure you résumé is fine-tuned and captivating</li></ul><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"You need be willing to try any crazy idea you get to make [your goal] happen; give up on the tactics that aren't working and pour more into the ones that look more promising. Do that over and over again and you'll get what you want," Tervooren says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Take off your blinders</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While it's important to have goals, it's also important to make sure you don't get so set on one particular path that you miss out on other opportunities that may prove equally rewarding.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"You cannot get so stuck or focused on that one goal that you forget to see other opportunities that might be even better than your original goal," says Jason O'Neill, teen <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/entrepreneur/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">entrepreneur</a> and author of "Bitten By the Business Bug." "While goals are good in theory, if someone doesn't reach their goal, they often feel like they failed. However, if they take off their blinders, keep their eyes open, they just may see some other direction they never even thought of."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Accept that waiting is part of the process</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It's important to remember that your goals won't happen overnight, and that you need to maintain a positive attitude in order to persist successfully. Believing that your goals will happen in your ideal time-frame will only lead to discouragement, so be willing to wait for your reward.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"The ability to delay gratification is vital," says Dr. Sylvia Gearing, a clinical <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/psychologist/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">psychologist</a> in <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/texas/dallas/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Dallas</a>and owner of Gearing Up Counseling Centers. "Sacrificing short-term pleasure for a long-term goal is key here. Success has everything to do with tenacity. The world is full of intelligent, talented people who never achieved anything -- simply because they gave up."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Essentially, while persistence is necessary in achieving any goal, blind persistence isn't. Pouring your time and energy into a method of achieving you goal -- when that method isn't working -- is a waste of time. Trying every avenue you can think of in order to achieve a goal, on the other hand, is when persistence really does pay.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, </i><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Work Buzz</i></a><i>. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @CBForJobSeekers on Twitter.</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Does Persistence Really Pay?

Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder Writer   While we can all recite quotes about how persistence is the key to success --"If at first you do...

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Quoteable Quotes

A few weeks ago I read a reader's comment on <a href="http://nothankstocake.blogspot.com/2011/10/emotional-eating.html">No Thanks to Cake</a> that I found very inspiring. <br /><br />Mel was talking about her struggle with emotional eating, and she shared her mantra in the comments section:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the answer."</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/401%20-%20425/402-food-choices-cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/401%20-%20425/402-food-choices-cartoon.gif" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/401%20-%20425/402-food-choices-cartoon.gif">Source</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>I should print that quote out and hang it on the fridge.  And in the food pantry while I'm at it!<br /><br />I've talked before about emotional eating and how it is really my main struggle when it comes to food.  I find myself eating for these emotions: sadness, frustration, loneliness, and boredom.  I know this concept is not new to anyone - many of us struggle with this!  But the key, as with everything else in life, is how you handle it.  Through reading the <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Beck%20Diet%20Solution">Beck Diet Solution</a> (which by the way, I have yet to finish), I realized that I can deal with these emotions without using food as the vehicle.  I can busy myself with other things - surfing the internet, reading a book, reaching for water instead of food, etc - and just generally repeating to myself that "Hilary, you're <i>not </i>hungry.  You don't <i>need </i>to eat away your emotions just because you're feeling sad.  Go do something else that you won't regret later!".  I learned this through one exercise in the book, even if I do feel those pangs of hunger, I will be able to eat soon enough - it's not like I'm going to starve if I don't eat within a few minutes of feeling those pangs.<br /><br />Another quote I wanted to share is from <a href="http://ronisweigh.com/2011/10/weight-loss-diet-podcast-video.html">Roni @ Roni's Weigh</a>.  It was from her video post last week.  In no uncertain terms, she basically stated this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"Live the life you want to live in the body you have NOW."</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/439-difficulties-meditating-cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/439-difficulties-meditating-cartoon.gif" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoon-topic/body-and-mind/439/Meditation_Cartoon">Source</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>How many of you are putting off things you want to do for yourself "when you get skinny" - Show of hands?  Me too.  I'll use the simplest example that applies to me.  Let's take clothing.  On one hand I tell myself that I'm not buying new clothes because I've spent a lot of money on clothes in the past that I grew out of - both because I lost weight <i>and </i>because I gained it.  So I end up wearing a lot of the same stuff over and over again.  And eventually, it makes me feel bad about myself.  I can only style a sweater or a top so many different ways (with my limited fashion knowledge).  And I also find that the best clothes I do own are mainly work clothes. So when it comes time for the weekend and Joel and I go out and do things, I have about 3 shirts in rotation, and 2 of them are several years old.  But I have refused to buy new clothes because I don't want to waste money dressing this body.  It's almost as though I feel like my body doesn't deserve to look nice in clothes because I'm not a thinner version of myself.  Also, how "nice" can a fat person really look?  Does that make sense?  Well, you might say it doesn't make sense because it's a whack sense of logic, but really, do you see what I'm trying to say? <br /><br />But recently, even prior to watching this video today, I realized exactly what <a href="http://ronisweigh.com/2011/10/weight-loss-diet-podcast-video.html">Roni</a> was saying.  There is no telling how long my weight loss journey is going to be.  Or, let's really be honest here - there is no telling how long we have on this Earth!  And while I'm on this journey, I still deserve to feel good about myself as much as I can, even if I'm not close to where I want to be.  I still deserve to buy nice clothes for myself and try to feel pretty, even if they aren't the size I am working toward.  I still deserve to make friends and go to social gatherings even if I'm not of a size where I feel like I will "fit in". <br /><br />I still deserve happiness, no matter what size I might be.

Random Weight Loss Thoughts Quoteable Quotes

A few weeks ago I read a reader's comment on No Thanks to Cake that I found very inspiring. Mel was talking about her struggle with emo...

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Editing videos in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just recently I have started using Office 2010 and I am delighted to find that PowerPoint has a video editing feature. This YouTube video from Office shows how it is done.<br /><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LWo4hIU_J2A" width="420"></iframe></div>

PowerPoint Tutorials Editing videos in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

Just recently I have started using Office 2010 and I am delighted to find that PowerPoint has a video editing feature. This YouTube video fr...

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ANGLO SAXON QUEST

<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ANGLO SAXON MONETARY QUEST</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Monitoring current developments regarding the financial crisis in Europe and how the US is influencing European decision making one cannot blend out the notion some conspiracy theorists have regarding the “New World Order” whose main aim seems to reestablish the old Anglo-Saxon global financial powerhouse. Obviously they can’t call it by name for then the Europeans would not jump onto the bandwagon to apply austerity for the cause of the Anglo Saxon eco – financial empire. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>'EU's actions could lead to revolutions in Greece and Portugal' </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>US PROXY PROVOKING CIVIL UNREST ON CONTINENTAL EUROPE? </b></span><br /><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">With rigorous austerity measures applied in Europe the threat of civil unrest or even revolution would bring the US – UK closer to their objectives. It seems however that France is starting to realize the true intentions of the USA and its proxy, the UK, for Sarkozy and Cameron clashed over the strategy on how to rescue the Euro zone. “You have missed your chance to shut up”, Sarkozy told the British Prime minister at the EU summit. France rejected British interference.” We are fed up of your criticism and telling us what to do. You said that you hate the EURO, thus you did not join the Euro Zone but now you want to interfere in our summit” Sarkozy allegedly told Cameron. Cameron reiterated US criticism on lack of initiative by the EU in order to solve the Euro crisis. “You have to apply a bazooka”, Cameron said. In other words apply decisive austerity, as envisioned by US “CORPORATOCRACY” to save the banks. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RATING AGENCIES, MERCENARIES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT? </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moody’s move of downgrading two of Frances biggest banks increased pressure on governments across Europe to impose austerity on the working class. This is precisely what the US and UK  set as their objective, for French and German banks, have large holdings in Greek bonds and thus the fear of dept default and subsequent collapse in confidence in the two countries would be imminent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Germany, France and the USA demonstratively reassured financial markets that Greece was not on the verge of bankruptcy but blamed the social democratic PASOK government of escalating its assault on jobs and living standards of Greeks working class. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>QUEST OF WAR </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that Geithner made it clear however that the US considers the steps taken by Europe thus far to be inadequate and calling upon European governments to use “<b>overwhelming force</b>” to deal with the continents financial crisis showcases the true intentions behind the current financial crises triggered most likely deliberately by US entities. The fact that Geithner took the unprecedented step of attending a meeting of the European Union’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council ECOFIN, (one has to seriously question as to why the Europeans accepted US interference) in which he pressed to lay down the law to Greece and <u>extract a pledge of further layoffs and budget cuts</u>, only reiterates the true objective of the US - UK agenda. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In order to obtain IMF funds, Greece will have to apply even more drastic measures and reduce its public sector workers by more than 40,000. This is the usual IMF strategy which has brought many countries to the ruins. New cuts will only deepen the crisis, but the international bourgeoisie is determined to exploit the financial crisis to dismantle all of social gains of the past century and reduce the middle and working class to poverty.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BANK RESCUES AT ALL COST </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Privatization is the key tool used by “CORPORATOCRACY” to take control and gain power, thus it comes as no surprise that Italia’s parliament approved a 54 billion Euro austerity budget that aims to eliminate the nation’s deficit by 2013. This however is only the first step. There is talk of large scale sale of state assets to raise as much as 400 billion Euros. Among the targets for privatization are government holdings in the power utility ENEL and the oil and gas group ENI.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BANK RESCUES AS AN EXCUSE TO APPLY FURTHER AUSTERITY </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">France, on the other hand is moving for a massive bailout of its banking system, which will inevitably imply severe austerity measures against the French working class. <b>This is being pushed particularly by the US and the IMF, which fear the international consequences of a collapse of one or more big French banks.</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The USA and the IMF once again are waging a hidden war against Europe which unfortunately the Europeans don’t realize, for their economy and industries are too entangled with US corporations.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The IMF warned of a financial meltdown if European banks are not quickly recapitalized, i.e., bailed out with public funds. US Treasury Secretary Geithner pressured European finance ministers to expand the 440 billion Euro “European Financial Stability Facility” in order to <b>bail out failing banks</b>!!!!!! </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where are we heading with all this, back to the middle ages, where none what so ever democratic values existed? It all seems to head towards that direction.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Notwithstanding the differences that exist within the international bourgeoisie over how to deal with the debt and banking crisis, there is a universal consensus that the cost of the breakdown of the capitalist system must be borne by the working class.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The question is if the 1% ruling class have made the mistake of underestimating 99% of the population and tightened the thumb screw an inch too much? For now it seems that the 99% had enough and thus are waging their own resistance against austerity and diminishing democratic values.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Parts of above article have been adapted from Barry Grays’ article in Global Research</i></span></div>

ANGLO SAXON QUEST

ANGLO SAXON MONETARY QUEST Monitoring current developments regarding the financial crisis in Europe and how the US is influencing European ...

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