Final Year: My Last year at UWI

How To Never Get Into Financial Difficulties

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:26:00 +0000

via: DumbLittleMan

Finance is a huge part of our lives yet it remains something that many people struggle with. Today, more than ever before, people are getting into financial difficulties and debt.

The recession has been going on for a few years now and people's houses are still being repossessed. People are still losing their jobs. Worst of all, they're losing their freedom and independence.

What's saddest about people getting into debt is the ties it causes. It you're in debt you're often forced to stay in a job or an area you don't like in order to repay the debt. There's an incredible freedom that comes from being free of debt. Only when you're debt free can you actually live the life you want and be the master of your own destiny.

So here are my tips on how you can avoid getting into debt, simplified and repackaged in a way that I hope makes you see the true value of living within your means.

Never borrow money to buy unnecessary toys
Living within your means brings happiness and freedom that expensive new gadgets don't. If you can't afford to buy the car or TV of your dreams then don't buy it. Get what you can pay for in cash now and be happy with it. If you really need to buy a car to get from A to B then buy one you can easily afford.

Don't be tricked into finance plans that offer "18 months interest free". If you can't afford to buy the item for cash now you may not be able to in 18 months either. If you buy something on those crazy "free credit" terms, you'll be paying over the odds for it and you won't be free anymore. You'll be tied down to making those repayments until they're paid off. Much better to save up, pay cash and live free.

Maybe you're worried about what people will think about your unfashionable car or clunky TV? Don't be. Anyone who judges you by that isn't worth worrying about anyway.

Non-Essentials
Little things like clothes, skincare, & toiletries add up. Just get what you need. I'm sure that many of us in developed countries have many more clothes than we can actually wear. That's why I've classified clothes as non-essentials here. How many pairs of jeans and t-shirts does one person actually need? I'd be prepared to bet that it's not as many as you've already got, especially if you're female. Sorry girls!

I've just spent a year without buying any new clothes, apart from some new sports socks when my old ones had gone to holes and a pair of shoes for a wedding. It wasn't as if I was going to be naked. I had more than enough clothes to see me through the year and I think I even managed to look quite nice most of the time too.

It was great not to bother going to shops and shopping centers and also good at the end of the year to evaluate what I actually needed clothes-wise and spend a few hours clothes shopping. If you can't cut down your clothes shopping to once a year try shopping for clothes only twice a year, maybe when the sales are on.

Or have a clothes and accessories swap party. Invite about 10 friends of varying sizes and tell them to bring the clothes and accessories they never wear. You'll be laughing over each others' disaster buys and amazed to see how good your unflattering trousers look on someone else. This is a cheap, fun night in and a great way to bond with friends.

When it comes to skincare and toiletries get cheaper brands. The pricier ones aren't worth it, you're just paying for the expensive advertising campaigns and the supermodels who promote them. Now why would you want to do that?

So you really need something?

Do you really need it? Really? Truly? It's amazing how many things I think I need and write on my list but never get round to buying because I don't go to the shops very often. If you go shopping every week, apart from to the grocery store or food market, then you're probably spending more than you need to just by being in the shopping mall. Avoid shopping malls like the plague, especially if you have kids with you.

But let's say you've convinced me there's something you really need, your bike's broken beyond repair and you really need a new one to get to work. Please, never buy anything, new or used, without taking the time to ask these two questions:
What's the best price you can do for me? Can you do a better deal for cash? You'll probably get one discount this way but you might even get two price cuts.

If you can wait until the annual sales, you might get a better deal. Or put a search on Ebay, go to garage sales and tell your friends and colleagues you're in the market for a new bike to see if anything comes up.

Housing
Sometimes renting can be cheaper than buying, especially if house prices aren't increasing. Don't be pressurized into buying a house or buying a more expensive house than you can easily afford the mortgage repayments on. You're not buying a better house, you're buying worry and financial pressure.

Grocery Shopping
Forget silly food coupons, just make sure you bulk buy and buy the supermarkets own brands. With most items (basmati rice, virgin olive oil, canned tomatoes, pasta, etc.) some of the cheaper brands taste just as good as the more expensive brands to me. There are only a few things I'm fussy about - I have to have the more expensive brand of mayonnaise - but for most things you'll probably find the no name brands are just as good. Pick and choose your products carefully.

Be Patient
For example, go to the movies on cheap Tuesdays or wait for the DVD to come out to the $1 RedBox. Most things have promotions at certain times of the year or on certain days, you've just got to wait for them.

Banish takeouts
I love eating out. I don't do it as often as I'd like but it's a real treat for me to go to a cafe or restaurant and eat a meal someone else has cooked and will clear away for me too. I just don't get the idea of takeouts though. Most of them don't taste as good as the food you'd make at home and it's not that hard to wash up a chopping board and a couple of saucepans. Most healthy food is quick to make at home too (things like stir-fry and omelets) or can be prepared in bulk so you can freeze some to reheat on another day (curries and soups.)

I know often you may want to socialize without feeling you need to kill yourself with cooking and shopping. Try having a curry night and asking everyone to bring along one dish. Or just a potluck and see what happens. Or a fun sushi night where everyone knuckles down and learns how to make their own sushi.

Start making these life changes to stay out of debt and save money today. There's no time like the present. Like any addict you'll suffer a bit at first, but when you get used to spending less you'll be glad you did. Leave your credit cards at home and reassess how to cut down your spending and what you'll do when you've controlled your spending and earned your own freedom.

What will you do when you're out of debt and in control of your finances? Keep your prize on the goal and you'll get there in the end.

Written on 2/20/2010 by Annabel Candy. Annabel writes Get In the Hot Spot, a blog to inspire and inform people on how to live their dream, no matter what they're dreaming of.

Photo Credit: xJasonRogersx

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* The Four Laws of Simplicity, and How to Apply Them to Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:47:00 +0000

via: ZenHabits

Photo by The 10 cent designer

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

The problem with many books and guides on simplifying your clutter, your work life, your desk, your life, is that they are usually too darn complicated.

We need a simple method of simplifying.

It’s been nearly a decade since I first started trying to simplify my life, and in those years I’ve struggled with clutter, I’ve had surges and ebbs of complications and simplicity, I’ve tried dozens of methods of simplifying from as many sources. It’s been an interesting journey, although not one that I can recommend to everyone. If you’re looking to simplify a certain aspect of your life, you don’t want to go through that kind of confusion.

So I’ve boiled it down to a simple method of Four Laws of Simplicity (apologies to John Maeda) that you can use on any area of your life, and in fact on your life as a whole:

1. Collect everything in one place.

2. Choose the essential.

3. Eliminate the rest.

4. Organize the remaining stuff neatly and nicely.

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. - Confucius

To illustrate, let’s take a quick look at how to declutter a drawer. Let’s say this is the worst junk drawer in your home — it has take-out menus from restaurants that closed down a dozen years ago, manuals for computers that used DOS as their primary OS, tools that you have no idea how to use, more rubber bands, paper clips and chopsticks than you can ever use, mementos from your unfortunate foray into rubber stamp hobbying, souvenirs from that Mexico City trip you’d rather forget about, not to mention a funky smell that reminds you of gym class.

You could spend all day sorting through such a mess and still have a mess. (Or more likely, you’ll close the drawer and forget about it.) But let’s see how the 4-step method would be applied to our drawer:

1. Collect. Take out everything and put it in a pile. Empty the entire drawer, and pile it all on a counter or a table. Take everything out, down to the last paper clip.

2. Choose. Pick out only the few things you love and use and that are important to you. Just sort through the pile, picking out the really essential stuff. Be very selective. Put the important stuff you pick out into a separate, smaller pile.

3. Eliminate. Toss the rest out. You know you’ll never need those manuals again. Don’t be sentimental with this step. Either throw everything into a big trash bag, or find a new home for some of the items if you think someone might have a use for them — donate them to charity or give them to a friend who would love them. And yes, you have to toss out all the chopsticks.

4. Organize. Put back the essential things, neatly, with space around things. Clean the drawer out first, of course, and put the very small pile of things you chose back in the drawer, grouping like things together and leaving space around the groups. Having space around things makes everything look neater and simpler.

That’s it. You now have a very nice, simplified junk drawer, with (let’s hope) a much less funky smell.

This simple method can be applied to every area of your life. My suggestion is to focus on one area at a time, apply the method, and then move to the next area. So, if you just wanted to simplify a couple areas of your life, you could focus on one per week, but if you wanted to simplify your entire life, I’d do one area every couple of days until you’re done.

Here are some examples of how you could apply the above method to other areas of your life:

Closets. Focus on one area of the closet at a time — a shelf at a time for instance. Take everything off the shelf and put it in a pile on the floor. Pick out only the really important stuff that you love and use. Put the rest in a box to donate. Put the important stuff back on the shelf, grouping like things together and leaving space around the groups. You could use containers for groups of things, using clear containers and labeling them. Or just leave the shelves fairly empty, and get rid of most of your stuff. Move on to the next area. My suggestion is to leave the floor of your closet clear — it makes it look much nicer and simpler.

Your desk. Clear everything off the surface of your desk (excepting, perhaps, you computer and phone). For the surface of the desk, I would suggest only putting your inbox and a nice photo or two, and nothing else. Put supplies in a drawer, and file the papers. Toss out the rest. Then do the drawers of your desk the same way, one at a time, leaving space in each drawer. It’s so much more relaxing to work in a simplified environment. After you’re done with the desk, do your walls.

Your work tasks. Have a long to-do list (or a bunch of long context lists)? Spend a little time adding every task or project you can think of to your lists, until it’s as complete as you can (GTD’s brain dump works for this). Then choose only the tasks that you really want to do, or that will give you the absolute most long-term benefit, and put those on a separate, shorter list. The rest of the stuff? See if you can eliminate them, or delegate them, or at least put them on a someday/maybe list to be considered later. Then only focus on your short list, trying to choose the three most important things on the list to do each day.

Your commitments. Make a list of all your commitments in your life, from work to personal. Include hobbies, clubs, online groups, civic groups, your kids’ activities, sports, home stuff, etc. Anything that regularly takes up your time. Now pick out the few of those that really give you value, enjoyment, long-term benefits. Toss the rest, if possible. It might be difficult to do that, but you can get out of commitments if you just tell people that you don’t have the time anymore. This will leave you with a life that only has the commitments you really enjoy and want to do. Leave space around them, instead of filling up your life.

Your wardrobe. Do you really need 40 T-shirts? Or 40 pairs of shoes? How many jeans do you actually wear? One drawer or section of your closet at a time, put everything on your bed in a pile, choose the clothes you really love and actually wear on a regular basis, donate the rest, and put the ones you love back in your drawers or closet. Leave space around the clothes — don’t stuff your drawers full.

A room. If you’d like to simplify your cluttered rooms, start with the furniture. Which ones do you love and use? Get rid of the rest. Now clear every flat surface in the room, from counters to tables to shelves to desktops. Choose the stuff you love, and get rid of the rest. Leave the flat surfaces as clear as possible, only putting back a few choice objects. Now do the drawers and cabinets the same way. Also do everything on your floor that’s not a piece of furniture, leaving the floor as clear as humanly possible.

Your email inbox. Have an email inbox full of clutter? Dump all your emails in your inbox into a folder. Scan through the folder, choosing only a few to reply to and putting those in a separate folder. Delete or archive the rest.

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. - Henry David Thoreau

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Stay Curious. Amazing Video. Watch & Enjoy

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Featuring Seth Godin, "...a writer, a speaker and an agent of change."

'curiosity' from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

Read Seth Godin's Blog

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Make Your First Million

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:27:00 +0000

via: Entrepreneur.com

By Eve Tahmincioglu

Are you working to get your business to hit the coveted $1 million mark in sales? If so, then heed the following advice from people who have either pulled off the feat or are experts in the field.

Take Randy Horn, who toiled for six years before his board game business hit the $1 million mark--a milestone that came and went without much pomp and circumstance.

"I don't remember throwing a party," said Horn, the owner of Los Angeles-based Zobmondo!! Entertainment and creator of the Would You Rather …? board games. "It felt satisfying to have grown to that size, but I quickly moved on to planning for the next year."

Horn, whose firm now generates $6 million in annual sales, worked out of the bedroom in his apartment for eight years, still has just one employee, and has been all about growing slowly and methodically. "It was always a priority for me to maximize my profit, never a priority to get huge quickly," he stressed. "My goal was simply to create a good business, be my own boss and make a good, solid living."

It's exactly that kind of focused, methodical approach that many entrepreneurial experts say you need if you want to achieve the seven-figure mark.

"What's especially true in this economic environment is, in order to achieve your sales-figure goals, you have to demonstrate a long-term focus and a commitment to real value creation," said Lori Kiyatkin, assistant professor of corporate strategy and entrepreneurship at Towson University in Maryland.

Kiyatkin said she would ask three key questions if an entrepreneur walked into her office and asked, "How do I make my first million?"

What is your company mission?
What is your ability to actually create real value?
What is it you're doing and why?

"After I got good answers to those questions, I would encourage the entrepreneur to focus on that and identify objectives that match that mission," she advised.

Horn's mission was to sell board games, but he didn't come out of the gate in 1998 targeting big boys like Target or Wal-Mart. He called 5,000 independently run toy stores during his first year of business and sold 11,000 games. "My view was I needed to lock in some success to use that to sell to bigger stores and use that success to sell to even bigger stores," he said.

Five years after placing his first board game in a mom-and-pop shop, he landed a deal with Barnes & Noble, and Target called a year later. The rest is million-dollar history.

His advice to entrepreneurs wanting to bring in the big bucks:

Get ready to get to work. "There's no quick and easy shortcut. I worked hard calling stores and selling one game at a time."

Don't shoot for a million. "Hunker down and figure out how to create a sustainable, profitable business."

Horn also wasn't big on going into debt or turning over a large chunk of his business for an equity stake. "I used my profit every year to grow a little bigger and a little bigger," he said.

But taking on credit isn't all bad, advised Terry Mackin, managing director of mergers and acquisitions for Generational Equity. "Don't be afraid to use credit to leverage your growth," he maintained.

Mackin also had these suggestions for entrepreneurs:

Research competition to find out what makes you different and use that as the foundation of the message you communicate to your customers.
Identify a sales target market and dedicate a substantial amount of your financial and professional resources toward building your brand.
Constantly look for new avenues of technology, distribution and cost savings that will allow you to maximize your bottom line.

Boosting your customer base is also critical, and what better way than e-mail, suggested Nell Merlino, CEO of Count Me In and co-founder of American Express OPEN's Make Mine a Million $ Business program. She advised e-mailing customers with value-added promotions, focusing newsletter content on what the core business is, asking for feedback, and closely tracking e-mail statistics.

Anthony Mongeluzo, the owner of Medford, New Jersey-based Pro Computer Service, which employs 17 people and has $2 million in annual revenue, believes it's all about being generous to your prospective clients.

"I took a lot of time--instead of asking for business--to meet other CEOs and learn about their business model, so I can find them business," he said. "The more business I referred, the more came back to me."

Known online as Careerdiva.net, Eve Tahmincioglu is the author of “From the Sandbox to the Corner Office,” an in-depth look at top U.S. CEOs and the lessons they learned on how to succeed in business, as well as a career columnist for MSNBC.com.

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Top 5 Reasons Your Resume SUCKS

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:08:00 +0000

via: Brazen Careerist

You have sent out hundreds and hundreds of resumes with barely a response. You reason that it’s the economy and some other factors that you are simply not aware of. How can this be? No response whatsoever? You have accomplished a lot; you were well liked in your last role and did a number of things for the company that even resulted in a promotion. So what’s going on? I will tell you. It has nothing to do with you. It’s your resume that sucks! What’s wrong with your resume? It may be these top five things:

1. Your Resume Is Not Results Oriented

For reasons completely unknown to me, people like to reference the things they are responsible for rather than the results they obtained! Again, this document is an important marketing and sales tool. The examples of what you have done with the corresponding outcome are paramount to ensure that your resume is considered! If you don’t reference how you drove productivity, revenue, profitability, or added value – some type of value, you will not be successful!

Make sure you provide the reader with the juicy details of how you added value for your employer. Here are a few examples to help you get started:
- Drafted a full business plan, including the financial forecast to open a new profit center for the company, resulting in a 40% revenue increase in year one.
- Conceptualized and implemented a team training concept, which reduced production downtime by 35% and increased employee productivity by 50%.

2. You Don’t Have Core Competencies Called Out

This is a quick snap-shot of what you are offering your next employer. This section is critical; it shows the reader at a quick glance what you bring to the table and what you have accomplished in the past. It will help the reader quickly understand the competencies you possess as they connect with the position for which you are applying.

It can be a bulleted list of key words that when scanned by a person or a system will be easily identified as your key attributes. Don’t be afraid to revise your existing, or add new competencies to meet the position description. I would not suggest adding them verbatim; get a little creative in how you write them.

3. You have Grammar And Spelling Mistakes

Grammar and spelling errors plague resumes! I once had a client who indicated that he put a plane in the ‘hanger’. Really, I thought – that had to be some closet! Spell check will not pick up things like this because hanger is a word, the wrong one, but a word nonetheless. Whatever the reason for the mistake - this is a costly error if detected by a hiring manager.

I would like to say that there is a catchall that will help you identify all errors related to grammar and spelling, but alas, I cannot. Of course use spell check. You should also read your resume backwards, yes, backwards to help you catch errors. I also recommend identifying a friend or family member that is rock solid with English grammar and spelling. Have that person review your resume to ensure that all errors are caught before you submit the resume. You should also consider getting The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, which will definitely put you on the straight and narrow with respect to proper word usage. You will still need to get help with the spelling area though.

4. Your Presentation is Awful

How your resume looks is also important! Do your dates line up? Do lines roll to a second or third page? Consistent and an aesthetically pleasing presentation will help your resume shine. This demonstrates attention to detail – an all-important characteristic. If your resume looks sloppy, what will the hiring manager think? Possibly that you are disorganized and lack focus to ensure the details are reviewed. First impressions are lasting ones, and you want your resume to clearly articulate that you are focused, capable, and able to contribute to positive and lasting change. Choose an updated font like Book Antiqua in 10pts, Cambria in 10pts, or Tahoma in 9.5pts. Times New Roman is an outdated font, so I would encourage you to use something more timely.

Either get your resume professionally done, which will ensure that you are positioned correctly, and all your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed. Alternatively, there are many templates available online where you can populate your information into an existing format. This will help you stay on track and generate a document that is consistent and pleasing to look at.

5. You Still Have An Objective Statement

Aside from being complete outdated, objectives tell the reader what you want, not what you offer. A resume is a marketing and sales tool about YOU. You need to offer up information about what you bring to the company – not what you want them to do for you.

Instead, start your resume off with a compelling summary. This is 6-7 sentences about what you offer. Since you don’t have a lot of time to make an impact, reference things that are unique – things where you made a sustainable impact. You can even show metrics in your summary to quickly demonstrate the value that you offer. Your summary is your overview about your key attributes peppered with an example or two to make a swift impact.

There’s my top five for you with some actionable solutions to help you create a rockin’ results-oriented resume! http://resumesdonewrite.blogspot.com/

Read this author's blog.

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What Does "Aum/Ohm" Mean ??

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

via: sacredfunk

Blogger's Note: "I've always seen this symbol around the place on yoga mats and yoga chicks' various body-parts and wondered, 'what's that 'ohm' thing all about?' Well, I recently Stumledupon an article that gives an answer to that exact question and I'm sharing it with you...That is all!"

Kamal M.

Aum (or OM) is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au, and ma, which, when ombined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is said to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds.

It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?

Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us–that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Aum. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.

Chanting Aum allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves–the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Aum, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.

The Aum symbol design can be seen as a symbolic representation of the various psychological compartments of the psyche; an inner dimensional map of the various compartments of human consciousness and the relationship each has to the divine within.

The long lower curve represents the dreaming state.

The upper curve stands for the waking state.

The curve which emanates from the center represents deep sleep, beyond dreams.

The crescent stands for the veil of material illusion.

The dot is the transcendental self.

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The Death of Multi-tasking

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:37:00 +0000

via: Dumb Little Man

How many times have you heard someone say, "I get so much done because I am able to multitask"? Usually said with a smug little grin. Whilst it has been a popular thing to be able to attempt, multitasking is on its way out of our lives, that is if we really do want to become more efficient and productive.

It has been shown in numerous studies that people who try and multitask actually lose efficiency and productivity levels drop. The guy on the phone, checking his emails whilst telling their work colleague what to do maybe be doing three things at once however he is doing three things at once very badly and not efficiently enough to be doing the job correctly.

Studies by Professor David Meyer at University of Michigan showed that young adults who had to perform two math tasks, back and forth, showed that it took longer doing the tasks this way than it would have if they had done them separately.

Unitasking is the new way
Whilst unitasking has always been advocated in the past, it kind of died out when the birth of multitasking came into popular culture in the last 10 - 15 years. Multitasking was a phrase first used in 1966 to describe a computer performing more than one task at a time. Since then it has come to be synonymous with busy people on the go with a phone stuck to their ear, a baby on one arm, reading email and stirring a pot of pasta. It just doesn't work and it's only recently that scientists are telling us the same thing.

Our brains are wired to focus on one task at time. Professor Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, carried out a study whereby he scanned volunteers’ heads while they performed different tasks. He found that when there was a lot of visual objects in front of volunteers, only one or two objects tended to activate the brain. This means that the volunteers could only focus on one or two objects at any given time.

Stress caused by multitasking
Multitasking can literally cause stress. Due to the amount of time multitaskers take to flit between one job and another, they become less efficient and their brain literally slows down. So now we have a situation when all the tasks have not been completed, due to the brain slowing down, which causes stress levels to rise, which in turn leads to mistakes being made and stress levels rise even more. So it's no wonder that we feel frantic when we try to do too many things at once.

5 Ways to clear your head and start unitasking
Now the science bit is out of the way it's time to concentrate on unitasking.

Clear your space
Tidy desk - tidy mind, that's my motto. It's a strange thing but when our work desks are cleared, our minds seem clearer and become more focused on the task at hand. If your desk is very untidy and has paper, reports, books, magazines, stats lying all over it, your brain momentarily picks this up when you are not working. So when you get to working you could be thinking 'I've got that report to finish, I need to finish those stats, I need to show Steve that article in the magazine'. We still have lots of information to contend with in our minds. Whereas if our desk is completely free from clutter we are much more likely to focus and get the task at hand completed. This is also true at home, tidy house - tidy mind.

Clear your desktop
Another great clearing exercise is to clean up your desktop. Get those pdf files in one folder, get the word documents in one folder or categorize them and put them in a folder. Be sure to give your files good memorable names so you can search for them in the future. Don't name a file '1' as you will never be able to find it again in a year's time, give it a proper name like 'stats for week beginning 24th august 2009' and name all subsequent, similar, files in the same way. Put all your downloads into one folder as well so you don't clutter up your desktop.

Put a calming picture as your background. This is easy, just go onto Google type in a scene you have in mind into the search field, hit enter, click on images, go to advanced image search and choose the dropdown 'large file sizes' and you will get a decent sized photograph to put on your desktop as your background.

Don't open any programs that are not necessary
If you have to finish a report in Word make sure you only have Word open and no other program. The other programs, like your email client or browser, will distract you. Just have your main program open and reward yourself by checking your emails and web browser when you have completed the task at hand.

Turn off the phones and instant messaging
If you can divert your phones to another number or turn them off altogether and make sure you have voicemail on so callers can leave a message. Again, intrusions like the phone can cause you to lose track of what you are doing and it takes time for you to re-focus on the task at hand. Constant interruptions like this will almost guarantee that the report you were trying to complete will not get done until tomorrow and by that time you will feel a lot more stressed.

Tell others your intentions
If you have a lot of work colleagues coming up to your desk, tell them in advance that you need to finish an important task and for them not to interrupt if possible. Make light of it but make sure they know you are serious. Better yet, hide yourself in a room where they won't usually look for you, this way you will get a lot more done.

That's it, no longer will you be the brunt of 'I'm superior to you because I can multitask.' Multitasking is dead, unitasking is reborn!

Written on 10/01/2009 by Steven Aitchison. Steven is the Author of Change Your Thoughts and works as an alcohol and drugs counselor. He has a BSc in Psychology and has a passion for studying belief formation, thought processes and values and principles. His blog focuses on personal development through changing your thoughts but covers the whole personal development field.

Photo Credit: CarbobNYC

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Top 10 Places to Teach English Abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +0000

via: Travellers Notebook
Written by Kelly LaLonde

Blogger's Foreword: "It's been my goal, since I heard about it in 2005, to apply for the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Programme. Hopefully, I'll be in Japan in the Summer of 2010, so I thought it would be helpful to post this article from Matador Network for all those people who are also interested in teaching English in another country. Hai! ^_^"

Kamal M.

So you’ve made the decision to Teach English Abroad. Welcome! The following 10 places are among the best in the world for finding work, making a living, and having a great time doing it!

10. Brazil

Brazil’s effort to internationalize yields many opportunities to teach English, in both business and traditional school settings. However, you must have a lot of patience to legally obtain a work visa. CEL LEP and Alumni School are good places to start looking.

9. Saudi Arabia

The Middle East is where you will find some of the highest paying jobs offered for native English speaking teachers. This is not for the faint of heart; you must be interested in life in the Middle East and well versed in cultural differences to appreciate the experience. Bayt Recruiting is a good job reference.

8. Italy

Cheap travel and fantastically inexpensive gourmet food are just some of the benefits of living in Italy. There is, however, an annoying amount of red tape. It is recommended to go through a TESOL online certification program in which the school you are paying guarantees you job placement.

For a list of recommended programs, visit Transitions Abroad .

7. Thailand

Thailand is as close as you get to paradise. The American University Alumni (AUA) Language Center, the oldest and largest language school in Thailand with almost 400,000 graduates, is a nonprofit school with an excellent reputation in the country. The AUA is always looking for TESOL teachers.

6. Japan

Asian nations are practically begging for English teachers and you can find work via the Internet quickly. Most recruit year round, and provide successful applicants with visa sponsorship, apartment, partially-paid national insurance, etc.

The largest schools in Japan are with AEON. You can also find work with JET or The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

5. Russia

Old stereotypes of an economic system fueled by vodka and general lawlessness have made native English teachers scarce in Russia. The demand for teachers far exceeds the supply, making it easy to gain employment with the benefits of visa support, accommodations and often airfare reimbursement.

The largest schools in the area are BKC International and English First are by far the best places to find employment.

4. China

With great compensation packages including salary, apartment, visa sponsorship and sometimes airfare, China is becoming a popular choice for English teachers. Journey East offers links to internships, paid positions and other information.

3. Mexico

If you’re looking for sun and comfort, Mexico is the place to be. In general, the minimum academic requirement for English teaching positions in Mexico is a university degree and a TESOL certificate.

Jobs are difficult to find pre-entry, but are plentiful upon arrival. One option is to look for work in a University. If you have any teaching experience, this is the way to go. Visit ESL Employment for more details.

2. South Korea

Offering many perks such as airfare, housing, insurance benefits, decent salaries and a low cost of living, South Korea offers the ability to travel and make good money. A good place to start is the job board at Dave’s ESL Cafe. Contracts are usually for 1 year and a bachelor’s degree is required.

1. Czech Republic

Chosen for its idyllic location, amazing scenery, high demand and relative ease of entry, the Czech Republic—specifically Prague—is the traveler’s dream come true. The Prague Post, a weekly English language newspaper, is the best place to look for possibilities from home.

One final note: if you don’t get the salary, housing options and benefits that you are seeking, politely negotiate, or decline.

Leave your comment here.

8 Ways Doing Less Can Transform Your Work & Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:51:00 +0000

via: zenhabits

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint Exupery

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Most productivity blogs and books will teach you how to do more, to get more done, to be more productive.

I want to teach you to do less, to get less done, to be less productive.

And while I’ve written about it before, I think it’s time we take a look at how this can really change your work life, and your life as a whole.

Doing less is not about being lazy (though being lazy is a good start) — it’s about focusing on quality rather than quantity. It’s about getting off the hamster wheel of productivity, so that you can create something great rather than just being busy.

Let’s take a few examples:

A furniture maker can mass-produce a ton of cheap furniture that will fall apart within a year. Another craftsman might produce way fewer pieces of furniture, but make them beautifully and solidly, so that they’ll last for generations. If he makes them well enough, they might even be sought out and remembered for their great design.
A programmer can write tens of thousands of lines of code, and produce a lot of software that works. A less productive coder can write a tenth of the lines, perhaps even editing down what she writes so that there’s less code, but they’re better written. This small program might be the most useful thing on many people’s computers, flawless code that just works.
A writer can churn out lots of words (hundreds of thousands, if not millions), but have his work read by relatively few. Another writer can write a small but powerful blog post or ebook, and have the post be spread by thousands of people.

In each case, the person produced less, but focused on quality. The impact of the smaller work was higher, and thus the time worked was better spent.

I’d argue that by focusing on quality, you could work less and still have a higher impact. I’ve done this in my life — by cutting back on my work hours, I actually get less done but have a higher impact.

I should note: this takes courage, to do less. You have to shed all the old ideas of working harder and working more and being more productive. You have to forget about what others thing about your work habits, and instead think about the impact the work has on the world and your life. You have to change the way you do things, and that’s never easy.

But it’s worth the effort.

Here are some ways this philosophy can change your life and work:

Less hectic, busy schedule, less stress, more peace. Doing less leaves free to schedule less, leave more space in your schedule, work at a more human pace.
More ability to focus, to find Flow, to work in the moment. When you are doing too much, you are constantly switching from one task to another, constantly interrupted, constantly distracted. Do less, clear away distractions, single-task.
Work has more impact and spreads further and wider. When you do too much, your work is spread thinner, you have lower quality, and people won’t spread your work or give you awards for low-quality work.
More pride in your work, which feels good. Feels awesome, actually, to create something worth putting your name on.
People appreciate higher quality. Customers rave. Readers enthuse. Reviewers glow. Bosses promote.
More time for family and loved ones. Not a small benefit. Be sure that if you do less, you use the saved time for something important. Like quiet time for the ones you love.
More time for other things you enjoy. I use my time for exercise, or reading, and of course my family.
Free yourself up to create amazing things. Creating is hard to do when you’re busy and distracted. By doing less, you can create something great.

How to Do Less

I almost didn’t include this section, as to me it seems obvious: you just … do less. But I realize it’s not obvious to everyone, so I’ll share a few tips (many are familiar to long-time readers):

Slowly cut back on non-essential commitments.
Have fewer meetings.
Say no to requests, as much as possible, so you can focus on doing something great.
Cut out distractions, especially the Internet.
Single-task and focus.
Churn out a shitty first draft, then edit.
Edit some more. Make it beautiful and minimal.
Make it something you will be proud to claim credit for.
When you find yourself doing busy-work, stop, put it off, find ways to cut that out of your life.
Whatever blocks you from doing your great work, kill it.
Set limits on how many things you do each day.
Focus on the most important tasks first, before you get distracted.
Set limits on your work hours.

It won’t happen overnight. Change gradually, but surely.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” - E.F. Schumacker

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Man Has Lived 9 Years Without Money - Social Rebel or Wasteman?

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Written by Gabriela Garcia

via: MatadorChange

Photo: stuartpilbrow

Is Daniel Suelo an enlightened citizen or a skilled moocher?

Daniel Suelo, 48, has been living without money or any barter system, and no food stamps or government help, for the past nine years. While in Ecuador on a Peace Corps mission, he witnessed a rural community acquire increased monetary wealth through farming and shift their traditional lifestyle towards a diet of unhealthy, processed food and a newfound addiction to television.

The experience led Suelo on a spiritual quest that realized itself in India, where he was particularly moved by the Sadhus, wandering monks who renounce all money and possessions. He made the conscious decision to return home, quit his job, and carve out a life without money.

As he put it, “I simply got tired of being unreal. Money is one of those intriguing things that seem real and functional because two or more people believe it is real and functional.”

Photo: platschi

Today, Suelo lives in a cave in Utah and gets around by hopping trains or hitchhiking. For food he relies on dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and, occasionally, hunting. From the public library he authors a blog and a website where he discusses his everyday life and offers up deep philosophical musings on why a society based on the concept of money is harmful and contrary to our true nature.

He says he’s never been happier, living like “ants and deer and slugs and sparrows and bacteria and atoms and galaxies.”

Though Suelo’s story is a particularly riveting one, less radical communities of “freegans” are cropping up in places like San Francisco and New York. These groups have risen out of a desire to boycott what is seen as an unethical corporate system and to minimize the waste of resources. To varying degrees, freegans salvage edible food from dumpsters, squat in abandoned buildings, and encourage a reconsideration of the benefits of leisure and play as opposed to excessive work.

These movements have not flourished without criticism. Freegans are often dismissed as freeloaders. Others assess the lifestyle as a way to deal with extreme liberal guilt while still living within the confines of privilege and comfort. Daniel Suelo frequently receives hate mail expounding him to get a job and stop mooching off society.

It’s a valid discourse. It’s nearly impossible to be completely self sufficient. Suelo frequently relies on hitched rides, a library that’s supported by taxes, and the various cast off excesses of consumer society. He dismisses that this devalues his philosophy, asking “Are swallows nesting in house attics dependent upon money?”

He cites that goods flow from producers (laborers) to bankers, brokers, and landlords who produce nothing. He frequently touts his lifestyle as a return to a way of living more in line with the natural world, a way towards freedom from things that don’t exist towards one of generosity and truth.

However, it can be argued that a system of barter is indeed a part of our nature. Our nearest relatives, the chimpanzee, frequently barter food for grooming and sex. Even Neolithic cavemen bartered. A return to a world without money would be possible only if human beings, like bees and ants, decided to utilize our skills equally so that we may benefit from each other freely.

Knowing the history of humanity, however, it doesn’t seem that we can adhere to such noble principles. Furthermore, even without money or a bartering system, human beings could still find ways to oppress each other.

It’s also important to note that Suelo’s lifestyle would not work if he lived in a less monetarily wealthy country. Many people live with virtually no money, and there are no overabundant dumpsters or gifts from generous neighbors to compensate for a lack of “monetary illusion.” In those places, not being a slave to a piece of paper also results in starvation and death.

Many travelers often walk a thin line between admiring a community and romanticizing poverty. It’s possible to question whether Suelo’s motives lie in some kind of imperialist nostalgia towards the communities he encountered on his travels.

However, philosophically speaking it is true that we tend to live in a real-life matrix. Our society as a whole is comprised of things that exist only in our collective consciousness rather than in reality.

“It is interesting to witness someone who disagrees with conventional society to such a degree that he opts out of it completely.”

Take for instance, the idea of borders. In the 19th century, Native Americans referred to the border between Canada and the United States as the “medicine line” because they were perplexed that the American troops would chase them through the land but suddenly stop when they crossed that invisible line. They thought it was magic; to the Native Americans, all of it was just land.

Just like borders, money is a concept that becomes real only because we believe in it collectively. As Suelo says, “If a dollar bill represented itself, it would no longer be money. It would simply be a piece of paper with pretty art on it.” The fact that people will kill each other and ruin the earth for an abstract concept seems almost ludicrous when analyzed from that angle. It’s downright maddening when multiple psychological studies confirm the old adage that money really does not buy happiness.

Who really understands our complex monetary system, other than the few who benefit tremendously from such knowledge? Henry Ford once said, “It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” Rarely do we ever question our entire financial system until some kind of disaster, like the current economic recession, sparks the discussion.

Regardless of any stance, it is interesting to witness someone who disagrees with conventional society to such a degree that he opts out of it completely.

Do you find Daniel Suelo’s lifestyle commendable or outrageous?

Leave your comments here.

How To Manage Your EGO So You Can Reach Your Full Potential

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:56:00 +0000

via: Dumb Little Man

The ego is one of most self-destructive mechanisms of a person's character and his or her abilities. In fact if you look at some people who've achieved massive success only to lose it all at the end of their lives, it's almost always a function of the ego that results in this. As strange as the following examples might be, drug dealers, and gangsters in the movies are blatant examples of people whose egos have ruined their success. There are two characters that really exemplify this: George Jung (Johnny Depp in the movie Blow) and Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster).

If you have seen the movie Blow, you know that the life of the main character is driven by the desire to never to be poor after growing up in financial dire straits. As a result he chooses a career as a drug dealer. Early in the movie, he becomes quite successful, ending up with a dream home, his dream girl, and almost everything you think would be enough in life. In fact every single time I watch this movie, I think "If he had just quit while he was ahead, then imagine how different his life would have turned out." But, greed, and perhaps the desire to keep proving to himself that he was capable of more, ultimately his ego, led him to 60 years in prison.

The character of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington in American Gangster) is another example of how ego got the best of somebody who could have quit while he was ahead. Although he was off to a bad start from the get go, even more so than George Jung, there comes a turning point in the movie when the ego of Frank Lucas takes over. In the desire to to keep expanding his operation Frank starts to partner with other people and eventually attracts the attention of the police. What's interesting to note however is that there is a point in the movie where he acknowledges the destructive power of ego when he tells his younger brother "The loudest person in the room is the weakest." Yet, he still falls victim to his own ego.

6 signs that you are ego driven

Concern with Approval of others
In his book Manifest Your Destiny, Wayne Dyer mentions that there are three tenets of self actualizing people according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. One of those is that you should be independent of the good opinion of other people. It' s easier said than done, but comes with a sense of freedom and liberation that allows you to truly shine. Who you are independent of the good opinion of other people is the most authentic person you will ever be. This is the most attractive quality in anybody, in a world where people are overly concerned with looking good in front of others. Ironically I learned this in a business school class and of all places, the corporate world may seem like a strange place to not concern yourself with the good opinion of others. But if you come from a place of authenticity and hard work, you will be much more well liked by your corporate peers. Self actualization is at the top of the Maslow hierarchy and most leaders are self actualized.

Fear of asking for help
If you are afraid to ask for help, or you don't want to ask for help because you want all the credit, then your ego is driving you. I made this mistake a few years back when I attempted to launch a job web site for MBA students. In my own bad judgment, I decided to take on the project alone after discussing it with some classmates. The desire to get ahead quickly and launch the site was the work of my ego. Ultimately, it ended up being a failure. If my ego hadn't gotten in the way, and I had worked with the other students, I would have saved a few friendships and the site might have succeeded.

Comparing and Competing
People who are driven by ego often fall victim to what I call the comparative and competitive disadvantage. Comparing yourself to others is the ego in one of its most vicious forms. It's a perpetual losing battle because there will always be somebody better and always somebody worse than you are. Even if you are the best in the world at what you do somebody will always be right on your tail. If you keep seeing your life as a competition with those around you, then you will continually be dissatisfied and the ego will drive your life.

The constant need for more
Greed is also a function of the ego. I think if there's anything our movie characters could teach us, is that there comes a point where you do have everything you could possibly want, and getting more just for the sake of having it is an exercise in futility.

Lack of presence
Ego driven people continually live in the past and always plan for the future. They never live in the moment. They are always thinking of the next great phase of their life, even when this one is perfect. By forgetting to enjoy the present, we set ourselves up to live in an ego-driven limbo.

The need to always be right
This is another one of the ego's most destructive functions. People who have a need to continually be right are headed for the ultimate downfall. These kinds of people will often get far in life because of their persistence and aggressiveness. But, these are also the people that will fail when they are on the brink of MASSIVE success. Their need to be right will be their downfall and years of hard work can be destroyed in minutes when this portion of the ego takes over. Leaders with this attitude ultimately alienate all those work for them, and eventually stop receiving the kind of input that can propel them forward because they are so adamant about being right.

When you can learn to let go of the ego, the level of success and fulfillment you will achieve will be dramatic.

Only with your ego in check will you have the ability to reach your full potential.

Written on 9/14/2009 by Srinivas Rao. Srinivas is a volunteer for the Quality of Life Project. The website shares best practices on getting the most out of life from well known types like Richard Branson and Tom Skerritt to lesser known but equally interesting individuals. The mission of the organization is to help people live more enjoyable, purposeful and contented lives. Srinivas also writes at www.theskooloflife.com.

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10 Tips for the First-Time Business Owner, By Scott Gerber: Young Entrepreneur

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:33:00 +0000

via: Entrepreneur.com

I write Entrepeneur.com ‘s Young Entrepeneur column because I believe there are far too few resources directly addressing the nonacademic trials and tribulations young entrepreneurs face along their journey. Whenever possible, I encourage up-and-comers and established entrepreneurs to mentor the next generation of dream-seekers; for it is this insight and insider education that will provide the foundation for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. With that, here are 10 pieces of advice that I wish someone had given to me before I launched my first venture.

Focus. Focus. Focus.
Many first-time entrepreneurs feel the need to jump at every “opportunity” they come across. Opportunities are often wolves in sheep’s clothing. Avoid getting side-tracked. Juggling multiple ventures will spread you thin and limit both your effectiveness and productivity. Do one thing perfectly, not 10 things poorly. If you feel the need to jump onto another project, that might mean something about your original concept.
Know what you do. Do what you know.
Don’t start a business simply because it seems sexy or boasts large hypothetical profit margins and returns. Do what you love. Businesses built around your strengths and talents will have a greater chance of success. It’s not only important to create a profitable business, it’s also important that you’re happy managing and growing it day in and day out. If your heart isn’t in it, you will not be successful.
Say it in 30 seconds or don’t say it at all.
From a chance encounter with an investor to a curious customer, always be ready to pitch your business. State your mission, service and goals in a clear and concise manner. Fit the pitch to the person. Less is always more.
Know what you know, what you don’t know and who knows what you don’t.
No one knows everything, so don’t come off as a know-it-all. Surround yourself with advisors and mentors who will nurture you to become a better leader and businessman. Find successful, knowledgeable individuals with whom you share common interests and mutual business goals that see value in working with you for the long-term.
Act like a startup.
Forget about fancy offices, fast cars and fat expense accounts. Your wallet is your company’s life-blood. Practice and perfect the art of being frugal. Watch every dollar and triple-check every expense. Maintain a low overhead and manage your cash flow effectively.
Learn under fire.
No business book or business plan can predict the future or fully prepare you to become a successful entrepreneur. There is no such thing as the perfect plan. There is no perfect road or one less traveled. Never jump right into a new business without any thought or planning, but don’t spend months or years waiting to execute. You will become a well-rounded entrepreneur when tested under fire. The most important thing you can do is learn from your mistakes--and never make the same mistake twice.
No one will give you money.
There, I said it. No one will invest in you. If you need large sums of capital to launch your venture, go back to the drawing board. Find a starting point instead of an end point. Scale down pricey plans and grandiose expenditures. Simplify the idea until it's manageable as an early stage venture. Find ways to prove your business model on a shoestring budget. Demonstrate your worth before seeking investment. If your concept is successful, your chances of raising capital from investors will dramatically improve.
Be healthy.
No, I'm not your mother. However, I promise that you will be much more productive when you take better care of yourself. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5 profession. Working to the point of exhaustion will burn you out and make you less productive. Don't make excuses. Eat right, exercise and find time for yourself.
Don’t fall victim to your own B.S.
Don’t talk the talk unless you can walk the walk. Impress with action not conversation. Endorse your business enthusiastically, yet tastefully. Avoid exaggerating truths and touting far reaching goals as certainties. In short, put up or shut up.
Know when to call it quits.
Contrary to popular belief, a smart captain does not go down with the ship. Don’t go on a fool’s errand for the sake of ego. Know when it’s time to walk away. If your idea doesn’t pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made. Assess what you would have done differently. Determine how you will utilize these hard-learned lessons to better yourself and your future entrepreneurial endeavors. Failure is inevitable, but a true entrepreneur will prevail over adversity.

Are you a young entrepreneur with a unique venture? Email us about it at youngentrepreneurcolumn@gmail.com

Scott D. Gerber is Entrepreneur.com's Young Entrepreneur columnist and CEO of Gerber Entertainment, a brand development and venture management company that specializes in the entertainment, Internet, media and marketing industries. For information on speaking engagements, media appearances or Gerber Entertainment's portfolio of businesses visit www.GerberEntertainment.com. Follow Scott Gerber on Twitter @yngentrepreneur.

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A Zero Waste Society?

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:01:00 +0000

via: ecosalon

Image: law_kevin

Scotland Dreams of a "Zero Waste" Society

Is it possible to create a zero-waste society?

The Scottish government certainly think so. But with only 34.3% of rubbish collected around Scotland currently being recycled or composted, they have their work cut out for them.

The just-released Zero Waste Plan by Scottish government offers numerous proposals as to how to reach this goal, ranging from maintaining an already implemented ban on sending hazardous waste to landfill to improvements in recycling facilities and an increased focus on product re-use.

In order for the plan to work, however, Scottish environmental secretary Richard Lochhead says that people and businesses will have change their mindset regarding waste and start thinking of it more as a resource rather than a problem.

The government sees the zero waste plan as having not only environmental benefits but also major economic benefits by creating thousands of new jobs and new business opportunities.

Currently undergoing a 12-week consultation process aimed at obtaining comments and suggestions, officials hope the final Zero Waste Plan document will be drafted by early 2010.

Blogger's Note: "For a place that usually uses its pristine landscape as a marketing tool, you'd think that Jamaica would be more 'earth-conscious'. Apart from a minority of people practicing natural lifestyles and committee's put in place to protect the environment, what's really being done to move towards a 'greener' Jamaica? And could we be a zero waste society one day?"

6 Things To Do When Your Motivation Tank Hits Empty

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:56:00 +0000

Via: A Boundless World

By BUD on September 4, 2009

Motivation. Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don’t. Inspiration isn’t known for being predictable.

One moment you’re sitting on top of the world, the next you’re struggling to simply exist.

Regardless of how positive you may be, everyone needs to refill their motivation tank sooner or later.

Luckily, filling up your inspiration tank is less difficult than it seems.

Filling up your tank has never been so easy, and many times filling up is free.

Refilling Your Motivation Tank

Breathe: When was the last time you consciously chose to breathe? Purposeful breathing is by far the best thing you can ever do for yourself. Take some time and just breathe. Really, that’s it.

Breathe in… out.. in.. out.. Try taking 30 breathes and as you do so , feel your awareness forming in the present moment. Feels good doesn’t it?

Find Your Fuel: With the internet it’s easier than ever to find inspiration. Search for some motivational quotes. Watch some inspiring videos. Read a powerful book. Surround yourself with uplifting stimuli and watch your motivational tank fill up.

Connect: Humans are indeed social creatures, and many times that’s all we need. Surround yourself with people you love and genuinely care about.It’s remarkable how quickly your well-being changes when you surround yourself with tons of positive energy.

Disconnect: The fact that we live in a world of constant stimuli can be tremendously overwhelming.Every now and then make a deliberate effort to disconnect. Go on a walk outside. Find a quiet place and just be. Don’t talk just listen. The sounds of the universe the cure.

Be Lazy: Who says you have to be productive everyday? Take sometime and enjoy not doing anything. Watch some T.V take a nap or two. Sit on your butt and do nothing. Recharge, you deserve it.

Laugh: If you’re not laughing you’re not living. Watch a funny movie. Surround yourself with people that make you laugh. Better yet go to a comedy club. There’s an abundance of humor in everyday life as long as you’re open to receive.

The Road Is Waiting

Feeling unmotivated? Worthless?

Don’t let lack of motivation hinder your ability to live fully. Your purpose has yet to manifest.

Fill up your tank, get back on the road. Bliss boulevard is straight ahead.

__________________________________________________________

Blogger's Note: "What do you do when your "get-up-and-go" is all gone? What are some of the things you do to get motivated and stay motivated in your life?"

You can leave a comment here.

It's Official! UWI Gets Over Swine Flu

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:14:00 +0000

via: Jamaica Gleaner News

Published: Thursday | September 17, 2009

Normal operations are scheduled to resume at the University of the West Indies today, following the lifting of the restriction on social activities which had been imposed in the wake of an outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) virus on the campus.

"The University Health Centre has indicated that the situation continues to improve with a significant decline in the number of persons presenting with flu-like symptoms, and the majority have had a full recovery within 36 hours," the UWI said in a release yesterday.

"Members of staff, students and the wider community are reminded that, while the threat has abated, they still have a personal responsibility to help slow the spread of the flu virus through regular washing of hands with soap and water, the use of hand sanitisers, and the proper disposal of tissue with respiratory mucus."

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Hello (Again) World!

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Whew...It's been a good while since I made any kinda update to FinalYear blog. I was thinking about just letting it collect dust as my "first blog". And whether you loved it, hated it, or couldn't care less...I've decided gonna start making posts again.

So I'll be getting content from all over the web, and posting it on my blog for the world ( all 3 of my followers. ^_^). What to expect? Articles about entrepreneurship, photography, personal finance, and job tips, all with a focus on all the people who've either just left university or is on their way out. Also, you'll probably still get photographs and videos of my antics and other cool random $*&t that I think is funny or weird or think you need* to see.

What about me? Well...let's say you won't be seeing me on the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus too much in 2010.

*probably not

That's All For Now,
PEACE!

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KINGSTON ON THE EDGE (KOTE) IS BACK

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Via: YardEdge

Kingston On The Edge Urban Art Festival (KOTE) is a nine day celebration of creativity that has quickly become a much anticipated fixture on the Jamaican art calendar.

By providing a forum outside of traditional exhibition spaces, KOTE encourages artists to express themselves while pushing the boundaries and definitions of their art. KOTE offers an opportunity for artists, venues and the general public to interact creatively, with the view to showcase, develop and harness the incredible artistic potential of Jamaica.

The Festival allows for opportunities to discover not only Kingston’s vibrant art, but also the city itself, as more than twenty- two individual events are held in disparate locations from the surrounding city hills to the downtown harbourfront.

KOTE is a non-profit group, and relies heavily on sponsorship, donations and goodwill to finance its activities.

KOTE 2009 SCHEDULE

FRIDAY 19TH JUNE

OPENING NIGHT SHOW

8pm - till, @ REDBONES BLUES CAFÉ, 21 Braemar Avenue
Live Music, Film, Sculpture, Painting and more.

Admission: $1000, $500 (students with ID)

World Premiere Documentary
“WHY DO JAMAICANS RUN SO FAST”
Directed by Miquel Galofré
Produced by Fernando García-Guereta
Finalist in the 2009 American Black Film Festival

Concert: Gas Money, Michael Sean Harris & DeVices

Art on the lawn: Christopher Irons, Toby Grant, Dirk Koolmees, Warren Buckle, Inansi, Juanita Nunes, Lester Springer, Janelle Brown, Natalia Collister & Marcel Messem

SATURDAY 20TH JUNE

RED RUBBERBAND MURAL
10am - noon, @ 29 Heroes Circle (next to Wolmers Boys’)
Art as community, Art as rebirth, Art as Metamorphosis. Join us in bringing some beauty to our city. Some brushes, acrylic, oil, spray paints & reducer will be provided. However if you would like to contribute supplies to the whole, it would be greatly appreciated.

SPONTANEOUS THEATRE
1pm - 4pm, @ ASHANTI / Hope Gardens
Extemporaneous communication on a theatrical tip. Led by Aditi, this is a participatory workshop that explores the subconscious.

FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE (music celebration day)
4pm-midnight, @ GROSVENOR GALLERY/ 1 Grosvenor Terrace
(Presentation by Alliance Française and The French Embassy in association with KOTE)
A midsummer night’s jam. Amateur & professional musicians are encouraged to participate in this annual world-wide celebration of music which began in France.

4-7pm, Open Mic Session: Everybody is welcome to perform.
8pm-11:30pm, Concert: Jacques Schwartz-Bart and his band and Maurice Gordon Trio
Artists: Marek Johnston, Petrus Chang, Adom Burke, Garfield Morgan, Anji Worton, Makeida Beckford & Noella Althea Costabile

SUNDAY 21ST JUNE

BLUE, BLUES AND JAZZ
11am -1pm, @ STUDIO 174 / 174 Harbour Street (Harbour & West St.)
Old meets new. Come check out this hip artist colony. Artists: Cecil Cooper, Omari Ra ‘African’, Brian McFarlane, graduates from Edna Manley & students from the Studio.

NATIONAL GALLERY OPEN HOUSE
1pm - 3pm, @ THE NATIONAL GALLERY / 12 Ocean Blvd.
NGJ gives free entry & guided tours of their collections.

Music: Philip Supersad & Mackeehan Solomon
MUSIC IS SACRED (Entrance on Johns Lane)
4pm - 6pm, @ SHAARE SHALOM SYNAGOGUE / 92 Duke St
The Pimento Players String Quartet present a pot-pourri of diverse musical genres arranged by Peter Ashbourn.

Music: Archangelo Corelli, Clyde Hoyt, Duke Ellington, Justin Hinds, Peter Ashbourn.
Players: Peter Ashbourn, Beatriz Pozueta, Ann McNamee, Emily Elliott, Rosina Moder & Norman McCallum

ARTIST OPEN HOUSE
7pm - 10pm, @ NAKAZZI / Skyline Drive
Perspective is key. Come share the solstice sunset from above as city lights illuminate brilliant art. Dj: Lucus Corthesy

SEH SUP’M
9:30pm till, @ VILLAGE CAFÉ / Orchid Patch Barbican
Admission: $500
poetry, music, vibes

MONDAY 22ND JUNE

FINAL YEAR SHOW
5pm - 7:30pm, @ EDNA MANLEY COLLEGE OF ART /
1 Arthur Wint Drive
As the city, the country and the world face a new and altered present, come and see, hear and feel what the bright young students of this venerable institution have to say about it.

Final Year student Visual Art & Drama Exhibition

Directing Projects:
“RIP” Written by Jose Martinez Querolo
Directed by Final Year Student Shelly Ann Sibbles
“Hairdresser” Written by Griselda Gambaro,
Directed by Final Year Student Melissa Giddings

DANCE ON THE EDGE

8pm - 10pm, @ PHILIP SHERLOCK CENTRE / UWI
Admission: Contributions welcomed the art of the body, the science of movement and the spirit of Jamaica.

Performances by: Neila Ebanks, Stephanie Belnavis,
Kerry-Ann Henry, Maria Hitchins Dancers of Jamaica, Keisha Patterson, Michael Holgate, Sodanne Professional Moves & Shady Squad

TUESDAY 23RD JUNE

GALLERY HOP
Hop, skip and jump across town as three distinguished galleries host very different shows in this Festival favourite.

6pm - 8pm, @ REVOLUTION GALLERY / 44 Lady Musgrave Road
PLAYING WITH LIFE
Artists: Tukula N’Tama & A-dZiko Simba
Reading: excerpt from “The Damp in Things” by Milicent Graham

7pm - 9pm, @ MUTUAL LIFE GALLERY / 2 Oxford Road,
Ceramics by Phillip Supersad and David Dunn.
Music: Katherine

8PM - 10PM, @ BOLIVAR GALLERY / 1D Grove Road,
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
A 40 year retrospective of the Gallery’s openings, along with a special artist exhibition.

Artists: Charl Baker, Susan Dougall, Tracy Jackson & Claudette Powell

WEDNESSDAY 24TH JUNE

THEATRE ON THE EDGE
6pm - 9pm, @ PHILIP SHERLOCK CENTRE / UWI
Admission: Contributions welcomed
6pm - 7pm, Poetry: Sajoya, Chandis, Gina Rey Forest & Sabriya Simon
7pm - 9pm, 8 X Ten: 8 Ten minute plays directed by Brian Heap, Pierre Lemaire, Nadean Rawlins, Richard Nevers, Fabian Thomas, Randy McLaren, Carolyn Allen, Jean Small, Michael Daley, Christopher Daley

VIBRATIONS
9pm - till, @ FINNIGANS WINE & CHEESE / 5 Cranbourne Avenue (Near Constant Spring Road)

Artists: Andy Jefferson, Lady Jacquelyne, Maxine Gibson and Jason Kitching Poetry: Clement Hamilton
Music: Lady Jacquelyne, Andy Jefferson, Sheldon Bernard,
Ouieda, Kieran Murray, Zandrianne Maye, Jahzan McClurken and others

THE EXHIBITIONIST (BRAND NEW MACHINE)
10pm till, @ FICTION NIGHT CLUB / Market Place
Fiction becomes real as the artists invade.
Admission: $500 women $1000 men
DJ: Larissa Man
Artists: Stefan Clarke, Philip Clayton, Kori Solomon, Marcel Messam,
Poetry: Sajoya
Dance: Morekeia Isaacs

THURSDAY 25TH JUNE

THE CORE INSIGHT
6pm - 8pm, @ OLYMPIA ART CENTRE / 202 Old Hope Road
A journey to the centre of the mind. Open the artistic 3rd eye to the Olympian possibilities of life.

Artists: John Campbell, Audrey Lynch, Khalil Deane, Christopher Clare & Chandis

KOTE FILM NIGHT
9pm till, @ REDBONES BLUES CAFÉ / 21 Braemar Avenue
Our country has a proud film history, as well as a strong and diverse present. Now, especially for KOTE, local movie aficionado David Morrison hosts and curates a night of Jamaican short films, all less than ten minutes in duration.
Come be part of the groundswell lifting local moviemaking upward into the future!

FRIDAY 26TH JUNE

CHILL OUT
5pm - 8pm, @ CHILITOS / 92 hope road (Parking on Hillcrest Ave)
Y Tu Musica Tambien. Visual art, music, poetry and most important BURRITOS!

Music: Random Chaos, Brina & Introducing Angela Latti, a soulful reggae singer from California promoting her album
Artists: Akindele Hickling, Elisabeth Mondon
Poetry & Short Stories: Rebecca Tulloch

THE ESSENCE OF KOOL
9pm till, @ REDBONES BLUES CAFÉ / 21 Braemar Avenue
When Della met Jubba and Stone, the nooks and crannies of Jamaican music were explored. See some of the modern greats in concert.

Admission: $1000, $500 (students with ID)
Concert: Dubtonic Kru & Della Manley
DJs: Luna & Nora

SATURDAY 27TH JUNE

RED RUBBERBAND MURAL
10am - noon,
Art as community, Art as rebirth, Art as Metamorphosis. Join us in bringing some beauty to the city. Some brushes, acrylic, oil, spray paints & reducer will be provided. However if you would like to contribute supplies to the whole, it would be greatly appreciated.

ARTIST OPEN HOUSE
2pm - 6pm, @ Old Stony Hill Road
An idyllic setting, thought provoking art. Heather Sutherland-Wade opens her home to showcase her work along with artist Rachael Sutherland-Wade, Jacqueline Hussey, Dwayne Boyle & Anji Worton

Music: Jason Worton & the PapiUmba Big Band

KOTE CLOSING PARTY

40+ Alternative Income Ideas and Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Via: Moolanomy

When I wrote Building, Diversifying, and Shifting Your Income Streams, there was an important element that I left out. That element was some practical real life ideas about how you can start building alternative income streams today. It is worth noting that not all of these are passive income ideas, so you will actually have to actively work for these income streams to grow.

Photo by ErRbBbiiIE via Flickr

In compiling this list, I did my best to avoid any sort of scams, and stay with practical ideas that work. I have not used all of these ideas, but I have used, or am using, many in this list.

Also, it’s important to note that some ideas may be worthwhile for you, some may not, depending on your financial situation.

Alternative Income Ideas:

In addition to basic ideas such as starting a business, getting a second job, and learning how to invest here are money making ideas you can try:

Build a CD Ladder using high yield certificates of deposit.
Switch to higher interest savings account.
Peer to peer lending on various social lending networks.
Sell used books and textbooks
Use cash back reward credit cards strategically
Freelancing — e.g., GoFreelance.com, Elance, Guru, RentACoder, Amazon Mechanical Turk, etc.
Get cash rebates when shopping online using Ebates, and refer your friends for $5 each.
Manage virtual portfolios and earn real money with UpDown.com and Wall Street Survivor.
Make money blogging. You can learn more about blogging and start one. Here are some more good articles to start you off:
- How to Start a Blog for Fun or Profit - Introduction to a Series at Cash Money Life
- 28 Ways to Make Money with Your Website at Daily Blog Tips
Write for money — e.g., Squidoo, Associated Content, Triond, etc.
Becomes a landlord, or a real estate investor — e.g., rent out parking spaces, rooms, investment properties, etc.
Offer basic services — e.g., babysitting, housekeeping, gardening, painting, etc.
Offer skilled services — e.g., tutoring, resume writing, business consulting, blog development, logo design, etc.
Turn your hobbies into income streams — e.g., photography, videography, quilting, etc.
Perform your searches with Swagbucks.com and earn prizes.
Sell handmade products on Etsy
Write and sell eBooks
Ghostwriting
Enter contests and giveaways (use Google Alerts) and sell the prizes
Search for freebies and sign-up bonuses.
Earn money with online surveys
Turn your everyday spending into college savings with Upromise
Play the credit card arbitrage game (note: this is too risky for my tastes)
Becomes an Amazon Associate, and ask your friends to use your affiliate link to buy things
Sell unused items on eBay or Craigslist; or buy bulk items and resell them individually
Sell your collectibles
Start a bulk candy vending machine business
Mystery shopping
Find missing money — MissingMoney, Where’s My Refund, TreasuryHunt, PBGC database, and GovBenefits.gov
Create and sell CafePress T-shirts, and check out this creative idea from I Wear Your Shirt.
Set up niche online store — i.e., Amazon.com aStore or eBay Niche Store.
Participate in paid focus group studies.
Sell your body parts and fluids.
Collect cans and bottles for recycling.
Dog walking.

Alternative Income Resources:

52 Ways to Make Extra Money at Prime Time Money
My Sources Of Alternative Income And How I Make Them Work For Me at My Two Dollars
Multiple Income Streams: 10 Ways to Earn Extra Income at The Dough Roller
Everyman’s Guide to $30 / Month in Passive Income at Four Pillars
How to Make Your Income More Passive at Frugal Dad
5 Ways To Make Some Extra Money at Bible Money Matters
Spend less than you earn - the wrong way to think at Brip Blap
A Guide to Making Passive Income at Freelance Switch
20+ Free Passive Income Resources at Life Optimizer
Passive Income: How to Earn More and Work Less at About.com
8 Ways To Earn Passive Income Online at iSiteBuild.com
Five Ways to Create Passive Income With Little or No Money at Genius Types
Automate Your Income to Simplify Your Life at Zen Habits
Passive Income is the Key to Freedom and Retirement at All Financial Matters
11 Great Ways to Earn More Money at Free Money Finance
Defining Alternative Income at Lazy Man and Money
Ten Ways to Translate Your Passion Into Additional Income at The Simple Dollar
50+ Resources to Legitimately Raise Your Income at My Super-Charged Life
40 Ways to Make Money on the Internet at Dumb Little Man
102 Ways To Generate Extra Cash at Savings Advice

Be Sure To Leave A Comment.

Cool Travel Story - Homeless in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Losing My Travel Virginity: Homeless in Paris

from Matador Network

Photo by the author

Joel Runyon wakes up freezing one morning in front of the Eiffel Tower. Here’s what happened.

It had to be 30 degrees. Fog everywhere. A runner passed by on the sidewalk next to me. Lying there wearing all the clothes I had with me; a couple t-shirts, a waffle neck, a button-down collared shirt, and a hoodie, I looked ridiculous.

I was freezing. I was full out shaking. Trying to get my composure as I stood and I looked up, there it was: The Eiffel Tower.

I don’t think it had hit me yet. I was in Paris. Sleeping. Outside. In front of the Eiffel Tower. Who does that?

We were studying Spanish in Salamanca, Spain and had a free weekend. My buddy Landon had found 60€ tickets to Paris and convinced me to go for the weekend. Why not?

At this point in my 21 years of life experience, I had traveled a bit, but there had always been a specific reason (build a house, take Spanish classes, go the beach). I had never just traveled for the sake of traveling. There was always a plan, a purpose, a mission. Something about that morning changed that.

Too cheap for a hotel or even a hostel, we slept in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. We didn’t have a cell phone, a guide book, or a map and neither of us knew anything in French beyond “bonjour.”

There was always a plan, a purpose, a mission. Something about that morning changed that.

We’d wake up early, try to warm up by walk the Seine until a shop opened up where we could sit down and warm up with a cup of coffee. We spent the next few days simply walking around the city. Taking it all in. There was no schedule. No obligations. No worries.

We ate when we were hungry. We slept when we were tired. We’d go visit the Louvre if we were bored. We saw the sights and sounds of Paris in a unique way. In our way.

There was this new world. It was open. It was vague. It was liberating.

As we packed up our things that morning and placed them in our backpacks, I knew something would never be the same. As the fog began to disperse and the sun came out, I knew there was more. I knew this was just the beginning.

Community Connection

This piece is the latest in our new series Losing Your Travel Virginity. Please see our original submissions call at Matador if you’re interested in submitting your story.

For those wanting to follow in Joel’s footsteps, here’s a guide on How to Move to Paris with No Money.

Jamaica Employers' Federation VP Says University Grads are "Dumb"

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:57:00 +0000

'Many university grads lack critical employability skills'

Published: Sunday | May 24, 2009

Via: The Jamaica Gleaner

Carolyn Smith, director of career and employment services at Northern Caribbean University.

SOME UNIVERSITY graduates are not being employed, or are not landing their preferred jobs because they lack critical employability skills, says an executive of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF).

According to Rickert Allen, JEF vice-president, many university graduates are just simply unprepared for the jobs they are seeking. He bemoans that job seekers often come to interviews without the requisite knowledge of the sectors in which they seek employment, or even an understanding of how they can add value to the organisation with which they want to work.

"A lot of the times we sit with persons coming for interviews and you ask them: 'What knowledge do you have of the particular industry where you want to work?' They have zero knowledge. No research was done," says Allen, who is a human resource specialist.

Problem-solving skills

Rickert Allen, vice-president -Jamaica Employers' Federation.

Adds Allen: "You ask them what is happening in the economy that would influence me to determine that you can add value to me? They can't answer that question, they are dumb. I'm not going to ask them about the principles of sociology and so on. That's not my role!"

He points to the findings of a study of job interviews attended by university graduates at a corporate institution, which show that, of 14 unsuccessful applicants, 50 per cent lacked basic problem-solving skills; 28 per cent lacked initiative and creativity, and 35 per cent lacked customer service skills.

Allen argues that many graduates, though possessing a high-quality degree, are nevertheless deficient because they do not demonstrate the capacity to think critically or to analyse problems - an important quality that most organisations seek.

"(Their responses) might be illogical, but it tells me that individual has the profile to think, and when you can think we then can provide you with the development strategies," he says.

Allen recommends that employers should seek to build more partnerships with universities in an effort to help shape the curriculum to include more work experience.

"We need to get it going so we can develop maturity," he says.

Carolyn Smith, director of career and employment services at the Northern Caribbean University, points out that the qualifications the labour force demands have changed over time, requiring graduates to be more than mere holders of a degree or other levels of qualification. They must be able to add value to the workforce.

New curriculum

Allison Pearson, Northern Caribbean University student.

"My bandwagon is now to train young people to go to school, so you can create your own job," Smith states, adding that entrepreneurship skills must be fused into the curriculum from as early as the high-school level.

Tracy Dolcy, a student at the University of the West Indies, goes a step further, suggesting that training for the workforce should start from the primary school or even the home.

"You can't bend the tomato tree when it is old. So you cannot expect three years of university to change a student from being a dunce to some kind of genius because anybody can swot CXC's, cram and get some excellent grades," she argues.

gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com

The 33 Healthiest Food On The Planet (According to Dole Food Company)

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Excerpt from The Huffington Post
By David H. Murdock

David H. Murdock is Chairman and owner of Dole Food Company, Inc., the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, packaged and frozen foods. He is also Chairman, CEO and owner of Castle & Cooke, Inc., a leader in real estate development.

The Healthiest Foods on Earth (all sold by Dole Food Co.)


Pineapple	Speeds post-surgery	Promotes joint health	Reduces asthma inflammation
Blueberries	Restore antioxidant levels	Reverse age-related brain decline	Prevent urinary tract infection
Spinach	Helps maintain mental sharpness	Reduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate	Top nutrient density
Red Bell Peppers	Reduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer	Protects against sunburn	Promotes heart health
Broccoli	Reduces diabetic damage	Lowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer	Protects the brain in event of injury
Tomato	Reduces inflammation	Lowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer	Reduces cardiovascular disease risk
Apple	Supports immunity	Fights lung and prostate cancer	Lowers Alzheimer’s risk
Artichoke	Helps blood clotting	Antioxidant Superfood	Lowers “bad” cholesterol
Arugula	Lowers birth defect risk	Reduces fracture risk	Protects eye health
Asparagus	Nourishes good gut bacteria	Protects against birth defects	Promotes heart health
Avocado	Limits liver damage	Reduces oral cancer risk	Lowers cholesterol levels
Blackberries	Build bone density	Suppress appetite	Enhance fat burning
Butternut Squash	Supports night vision	Combats wrinkles	Promotes heart health
Cantaloupe	Bolsters immunity	Protects skin against sunburn	Reduces inflammation
Carrot	Antioxidants defend DNA	Fights cataracts	Protects against some cancers
Cauliflower	Stimulates detoxification	Suppresses breast cancer cell growth	Defends against prostate cancer
Cherries	Alleviate arthritic pain and gout	Lower “bad” cholesterol	Reduce inflammation
Cranberries	Alleviate prostate pain	Fight lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells	Prevent urinary tract infection
Green Cabbage	Promotes healthy blood clotting	Reduces risk of prostate, colon, breast and ovarian cancers	Activates the body’s natural detoxification systems
Kale	Counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer	Protects eyes against sun damage and cataracts	Increases bone density
Kiwi	Combats wrinkles	Lowers blood clot risk and reduces blood lipids	Counters constipation
Mango	Supports immunity	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Regulates homocysteine to protect arteries
Mushrooms	Promote natural detoxification	Reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancer	Lower blood pressure
Orange	Reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol	Lowers risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, breast and stomach, and childhood leukemia	Pectin suppresses appetite
Papaya	Enzymes aid digestion	Reduces risk of lung cancer	Enhances fat burning
Plums & Prunes	Counter constipation	Antioxidants defend against DNA damage	Protects against post-menopausal bone loss
Pomegranate	Enhances sunscreen protection	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Fights prostate cancer
Pumpkin	Protects joints against polyarthritis	Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk	Reduces inflammation
Raspberries	Inhibit growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers	Antioxidant DNA defense	Lower “bad” cholesterol levels
Strawberries	Protect against Alzheimer’s	Reduce “bad” cholesterol	Suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancer
Sweet Potato	Reduces stroke risk	Lowers cancer risk	Protect against blindness
Watermelon	Supports male fertility	Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal	Protects skin against sunburn
Banana	Increases Fat Burning	Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, leukemia	Reduces asthmas symptoms in children

My View:

Okay, we're not going to argue that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is better than junk food and fast food, but let's not get carried away, Murdock. Firstly, you might as well have started the article with "Buy Dole Foods". Furthermore, "your" "research" is either in its early stages or inconclusive for the most part. All that being said, these foods are good for you, but Mr Dole left out too many other "super" foods to mention...It might have been more about Dole's health than mine or yours.

Leave A Comment Here.

Gen Y Does Not Lead The Same Life You Do

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:20:00 +0000

By Tyler Hayes

via: Brazen Careerist

Generation Y (and possibly Generation Z) might be in big trouble. We’re stepping into the world as if what our parents told us still holds true. One problem: much of what we were told about how to live our lives has completely changed. Parenting, education, even beliefs, have all been challenged. Both by technology’s increasing rate of advancement and especially the Internet.

Our parents led lives based on what their parents told them. We don’t get that luxury. Much of what our parents told us will not hold true as we get older. “Find a job that pays money, even if you’re miserable, and stick to it.” “Go to college, and you’re guaranteed a good job.” ”

A few examples, though there are plenty more:

Job security - Most people think of Gen Y as job-hoppers; but, as it turns out, it’s not our fault. It’s because the Top 10 jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38. (I’ve already had 7 and I’m 23.)
Job competition - Gen Y is already the largest workforce. Three billion people lived on this planet when the Baby Boomers (our parents) were born. Now, there are seven billion people. Fortunately, the global population growth rate has slowed a bit. Still, that’s a lot more competition.
Education system - Our education system isn’t broken, it’s obsolete, argues Alex Krupp. I agree. Sadly, the Internet has made us worse at concentration. We have trouble memorizing large amounts of facts; though, I would contend that saliency is more important than the broad, sweeping strokes of rote memorization our education system has used for the past 100 years. On the bright side, the Internet has also made Millenials much better at speed (we learn more quickly) & creativity.
Methods of learning - For students starting a 4-year mechanical degree, 50% of what they learn in their first year will be outdated by their third year. Gen Y does just as much research & rating for jobs, products, people, and travel as older generations. This, multiplied with their incessant communication with each other and other unfamiliars, leads to unprecedented amounts of information intake. In fall 2001, 99 percent of public schools in the United States had access to the Internet. When I was in college, 100% of my classes used the Internet (not just e-mail, either) in some fashion, most used all fashions: teaching, delivering assignments, grading assignments, class communication.
Growing up - Generation Y leads Internet usage numbers-wise according to Pew/Internet, though they define Gen Y as born between 1977-1990, whereas the standard is typically 1981-1990. This could potentially lead to over-attribution of Gen Xers to Gen Y, lowering the overall Gen Y percentages (vice versa for Gen X). Millenials use the Internet mostly (and more than any other generation) for entertainment & social interaction. They are writing, reading, watching, and listening to things that previous generations didn’t have access to until they were much older. As such, they are growing up faster and learning more about the world around them even faster.
Cost of learning - Having just spent (through grants, loans, scholarships, and wonderful parents) $40,000/year at St. Olaf, I can’t imagine what my children might have to pay. My grandpa talks about how, since he paid his way through college, I should have been able to do the same. I’ll do that the next time he can find me a $60,000/year job straight out of high school.
Human interaction - Our parents had face-to-face contact, and eventually even telephones. It was pretty easy to decide how you could appropriately get a hold of someone, right? We have cell phones, email, text, IMing, chat rooms, VoIP, video chat, Internet forums, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. Where to start…

However, there is some good news. Gen Y can at least look forward to retaining/losing the following parenting skills (depending on your perspective):

Getting fed up - “Because I said so!” Can’t beat that.
Motherisms - ”Reading in the dark hurts your eyes. Go to bed.” It’s not the point, it’s the tone…
Fatherisms - “When I was your age…” Just try and contest me!

Read this author's blog.

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Failing Before You Start: 5 Marketing Tips For Start Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:41:00 +0000

By Stuart Foster
via:Brazen Careerist

Start-up fever is in full swing. Everyone wants to be the next Larry and Sergei or Mark Zuckerberg? Hell, they may even want to be Ron Popeil. The reason? Tight credit conditions and clear needs being created in the market by retrenching companies are making small, agile privateers the company of choice. Add in a lot of additional brainpower amongst the laid off and you can see why the idea has so much appeal.

Guess what though? There is a reason 90% of all new businesses fail. So here are five tips (all marketing/PR related) to keep you from crashing out of the gate:

1. Do your Homework. Is a clear need present? Do you have a business plan? Have you identified your competition, potential allies and done a thorough study of the industry you are launching yourself into? Have you done a SWOT analysis even? Don’t jump in head first. You will cost yourself a lot of money and/or heartache.

2. Bootstrap your marketing campaign and go low tech. Product/platform development should be the primary concern. However, lay the groundwork for a multi-channel launch and subsequent tiered marketing campaign. Lay out all your plans initially but give yourself enough room to deviate. It’s far easier to have a plan and deviate from it then fly by the seat of your pants.

3. Attack from the Periphery. Slow steady buzz is always better then enormous buzz and then a let down. Promote your product/site within it’s capabilities and don’t overstretch. A balanced steady stream of information, promotion and buzz can build into a massively successful launch and prolonged stretch of goodwill/interest. You’ve built a solid foundation. How high you build your company is now is dependent on your effort there after and your will to succeed.

4. Build a vocal active community. Vital for prolonged success and your sanity. Having a great community can provide a lot of solutions to a variety of different areas in your business. Creation of a free-flowing dialogue will save you countless headaches and keep you honest about the actual validity of your ideas. They can be used as a sounding board, quality control, and your most effective evangelists/promoters.

5. Hire a HUNGRY Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). This should always be your second or third hire. The only person possibly more vital to your success as a business will be your CFO (who ensures you have enough money to run your business and the rate at which you can expand). This person can direct initial campaigns, create the ground work for a PR program, and eventually oversee a dynamic marketing department. Effectively building marketing campaigns from scratch is damn hard and time consuming. So leave it with the guy who will shoot for the moon (and hit it dead on).

It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and throw stones at failed start-ups. However, remember how much balls it takes to go for it. You have no safety net, back up plan or escape route. You will live and die with the success of your company. So I salute anyone willing to go out there and take the plunge. Have more tips? Leave them below.

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UWI Feature Shown on CNN and The Discovery Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:45:00 +0000

5 minute feature about the University of the West Indies

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10 Soul-Searching Career Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Kamal M.) — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:37:00 +0000

By Jake Greene
via: Brazen Careerist

Be honest…

1. Would you rather be wealthy or memorable?

2. Do you want a job that you think about after work?

3. Would you like to be the smartest person at your office?

4. At what age would you like your “Most Exciting Career Moment” to take place?

5. Could you fire your closest colleague at work?

6. If you had to quit your career and start over in a different industry, what would it be?

7. Would you rather be in demand for the depth of your expertise or the breadth of your versatility?

8. If your dream job required you to work from 5pm to 5am (60 hours a week) for 4 years, would you do it?

9. If you could sign a 12-year, $20 million contract to pick up dog poop around your neighborhood for 60 hours a week, would you do it?

10. Would you rather be revered as a subordinate or feared as the boss?

Feel free to comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these.

Are there any other questions that could be added to the list?

Read this author's blog.