T-Mobile Student Jobs and Internships

At T-Mobile, we don’t just deliver the best wireless service. We create the best careers in the business. Our jobs come fully loaded with opportunities to make a difference.

We are confident, daring and talented. We work hard, have fun and enjoy the spotlight that comes with success. We’d love to count on you to join our team and set a new standard of service for our customers. Do that and you can count on us to deliver a career experience like no other.

Do you want to build a career in a place where big ideas and hard work are well rewarded? That’s the way things happen at T-Mobile. Our strengths as a company reflect our strengths as individuals, and we are proud to embody our values each and every day. If there’s a better way to do things, we’ll find it. If there’s a way to make the journey fun, we’ll make it more interesting, whether it’s the launch of a new product or the next stage in your career.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
https://tmobile.recruitmax.com/ENG/Candidates/
default.cfm?szCategory=College

Tylenol Scholarship

We know that dedicating yourself to healthcare is no small commitment. Taking years of hard work and sacrifice. That's why the makers of Tylenol are once again proud to offer the Tylenol Scholarship program—now in its 16th year.

This year, up to $350,000 in scholarships will be awarded to our future doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Because we think the people who help us feel better, deserve to feel better, too.

Applicants should be majoring in health or healthcare. 170 winning students will be granted scholarships. Applicants will be judged on leadership qualities and academic performance. Winners selected by the end of July 2008. Funds delivered by the end of August 2008.

Award Amount:
$1,000 - $5,000

Deadline:
May 15, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
http://scholarship.tylenol.com

Which IRA is For You?

By: Leeann Harney
Joboja Staff Writer

If you’re thinking of opening an IRA, you’ve probably either just left one employer for one that does not have a 401k program or you’ve maxed out your 401k (good for you!) When you leave a company, you have many options for your 401k, one of which is rolling it over to an IRA.

Sounds simple enough, right? Not really, at least not until you decide which IRA is best for you. Here’s a brief overview of the two most popular types of IRAs – traditional and Roth, guidelines on which type is for you and suggestions on companies to invest with.

Traditional IRA

The traditional IRA gives you a tax break now. You can contribute your pre-tax dollars to the traditional IRA, which lowers your taxable income for the year. For instance, if you make $30,000 a year and contribute 10% to a traditional IRA, then the IRS treats your taxes as if you only made $27,000. That means you won’t pay as much in taxes.

If you’re in the 25% tax bracket, instead of paying $7500 in taxes on $30,000, you’d only pay $6750. The tax savings of $800 is nothing to sneeze at. That money continues to grow tax free until you take it out when you retire.

If you take it out before you retire, terrible things will happen. Okay, maybe not terrible, but if you take a withdrawal before you’re 59.5 years old, you have to pay taxes (whatever your income tax rate is now) and a 10% penalty fee.

Roth IRA

The Roth IRA gives you a tax break when you’re old and crusty, or, when you retire – whichever comes first. You contribute your after-tax dollars to the Roth IRA. This does nothing for your taxes this year, but when you take it out you owe no taxes.

A good reason to choose this option is if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket when you retire (see below for more on this), or you just like the idea of paying no taxes when you need the money. And who knows what the tax brackets will be like in 20, 30 or 40 years from now, when you’re ready to retire?

They’ll most likely be higher according to financial advisor T.R. Jacks with Edward Jones. Jacks said, “The government has never lowered income taxes. Never lowered income taxes.” (He pushes for the Roth, by the way.)

I pointed out that I’m making more money now than I’ll be withdrawing when I’m retired. Won’t I be in a lower tax bracket when I get older? Not necessarily, according to Jacks. The government could inch up the tax brackets over the next 40 years, and I could be in the same bracket as I’m in now – or higher.

Sigh. Decisions, decisions. And penalties. The good news about the Roth is that you can withdraw any of your contributions without penalty or taxes (you already paid the tax, remember?) at any age, but if you withdraw any earnings you’ve accumulated before age 59.5, those earnings will be subject to taxes and a 10% penalty fee.

So which is for you? It depends. Which one you choose depends on how much you make now, your current tax bracket and your expected tax bracket in retirement.

According to Kiplinger.com, you should invest in the traditional IRA if you think your tax rate will be lower in retirement. You can take deductions on your contributions today, and pay the (hopefully lower) taxes on the money when you withdraw it in retirement.

Tax Brackets

You should invest in the Roth IRA if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $116,000 ($169,000 for couples filing jointly) and you think you could be in a higher tax bracket in retirement. Your contributions aren't deductible now, but remember you'll be able to withdraw your savings tax-free after you’re 59.5. For 2008, the contribution limit for both IRAs is $5,000 ($6,000 if you're 50 or older).

The normal length of time it takes to transfer your money to an IRA depends on how much paperwork needs to be pushed around and how quickly your previous employer or the financial institution that holds your 401k takes to process the paperwork. The process usually takes one to three weeks.

When you do decide how to invest your retirement money, there are plenty of groups out there willing to take your money. Some of the most recommended companies with IRA funds are Vanguard, T. Rowe Price and Fidelity. Kiplinger’s magazine, a well-respected financial magazine, seems to tout these groups most often.

Your hardest decision will be which kind of IRA to choose; the rest of the rollover process will be downhill from there!

Anyone Have the Time?

Written by: Bob Rehak

Edited by: Matthew CK Bradwell

Joboja Staff Writers

How would you (and do you) normally answer the following question (be honest): “Do you have time?”

Even though you may not know what the person asking that question wants or just how much time is involved, more than likely your honest answer (at least to yourself) is, “God, no.”

No one has time anymore, for anything, that goes beyond his routine. When someone asks us a favor or wants us to do something that wasn’t pre-scheduled, pre-arranged, or absolutely required, we tend to freak out. The life train that we’re on starts to jump the tracks. I think that’s why everyone looks back on childhood with such misty-eyed longing: we think about all those days when we complained, “There’s nothing to do today!"

I believe that there is cycle to this busy-ness business. Up until about age 14, we find ourselves with nothing to do. Then the homework gets harder and the extra-curricular activities start to add up, and by the time we hit graduate school, we don’t know where we’ll find enough time to fit everything in. Then adulthood hits like the predicted perfect storm it is: too much to do, too many bills to pay, too many kids to keep alive, etc. I think (and hope) that things start to slow down towards age 60, though most of us start counting down the year to retirement at about age 48. Then, of course, we try to hurry along the years, and start calculating the fiscal possibility of retiring early, at age 62 or younger, all so that we can get off the busy train and happily exclaim, “There’s nothing to do today!”

Even after retirement, there are still those who will go back to work, claiming that they were going stir-crazy with so much free time. In my house, we have a word for those people: insane.

For those of us currently in that 14 to 62 demographic, we need to learn how to handle our busy lives better. And, yes, I do put part of the blame on the proliferation of cell phones. The other part goes to laptops. No one practices being alone anymore, even when there’s no one else around. We all have to be wired in, which leaves us wired in general.

I’ve witnessed quite a few meltdowns recently, and naturally they made me laugh. The funniest meltdown I saw was at a Metra stop this past winter. It was 6:07am and I was on the inbound side of the tracks, waiting for the 6:11 train to Chicago. Normally, the train gets into the station around 6:09 so that it can leave at 6:11 (makes sense to me, but not to the Blackberry crowd, who think that the 6:11 should arrive and leave at 6:11. They crack out the Blackberry every time and proclaim, “it’s early”). Occasionally a freight train will block the walkway, and if you’re on the wrong side of the tracks, you’re out of luck. Especially during rush hour, though, the next train is only a cup of coffee away (about 10 minutes).

On this particular day, the gates came down at 6:07, preventing about a dozen riders who were cutting it close from crossing to the inbound side of the tracks. An outbound Metra train was running late on that morning and was coming from the other direction.

The reaction of the dirty dozen was priceless. As the outbound train passed in front of them, and the 6:11 rolled in on my side, one of them raised a gloved hand and gave the outbound train the finger. More than half of the others joined in, so that all you could see were all those middle fingers raised in unison, railing against “the man” for forcing them to miss the 6:11 and catch the 6:22 instead. I have never personally given the finger to anyone at any time (you could look it up), so I always find it a silly, amusing and incredibly rude gesture. (For more about the middle finger salute, visit www.therighteousman.com.) As I watched the crowd hold up that salute, I had 2 questions: exactly who were they giving the finger to, the train or the engineer; and what good did they think they were doing, especially those who gave the salute a few pumps for emphasis? I also wondered whether or not they would have made that same gesture if their kids were with them.

If you find yourself pacing every time you make a call and it rings more than 3 times; if you keep looking at your watch at the drive-up when there’s only one car in front of you; if you give the finger to inanimate or animate objects; if you’ve never been alone since you were grounded by your parents in 6^th grade for giving the neighbor the finger; take my advice. Turn off the cell phone, shut down the laptop, go to your room, and take a time out.

Dr Steve Brule Wine Tasting

Continental Airlines says it will not pursue a merger

HOUSTON -- Continental Airlines Inc. said Sunday it would not pursue a combination with another carrier right away, a surprising move after weeks of growing speculation that it would join with United Airlines to create the world's biggest airline.

Continental (CAL, Fortune 500) Chairman and Chief Executive Lawrence Kellner said in a message to employees that the Houston-based airline was better off alone than merging.

Although it reported an $80 million loss in the first quarter, Continental is widely viewed as the second-strongest U.S. carrier in financial terms, behind only Southwest Airlines (LUV, Fortune 500), which has indicated it isn't interested in a merger.

More possibilities
While Kellner ruled out a merger for the time being, Continental appeared to leave the door open to an alliance with another carrier. The airline has reportedly discussed such an arrangement with AMR Corp. (AMR, Fortune 500), the parent of American Airlines, in which the companies would work together in many ways but not merge their operations.

Airlines have been considering consolidation as a way to cut costs as they face the strain of record fuel prices. Delta Air Lines (DAL, Fortune 500) announced earlier this month it has agreed to buy Northwest Airlines (NWA, Fortune 500) in a stock-swap deal that would create the world's largest carrier. A Continental-United combination would have trumped Delta-Northwest in size.

A United (UAL) spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.


Continental expects to spend $1.2 billion more on fuel this year than it did in 2007. To cope with the added cost, the airline plans to take some older, less-fuel-efficient planes out of service over the next 12 months and to reduce its U.S. capacity by 5 percent beginning this fall.

A spokesman for Continental's union pilots said pilots were pleased that the company won't pursue a merger, given the weak condition of other carriers. United Airlines parent UAL Corp., for example, lost $537 million in the first quarter and announced it would cut 1,100 jobs.

Kellner had long said Continental would prefer to remain independent - if the landscape of the airline industry stayed the same. But earlier this month Kellner said that the Delta deal had changed the landscape.

Continental and its regional subsidiaries operate about 3,100 daily flights. Continental has major hubs in Newark, N.J., Houston and Cleveland.

Disney Professional Internships

An internship with Disney Theme Parks and Resorts can offer participants an experience of a lifetime, providing insight and opportunity into your chosen field of study within a respected, world-renowned company.

Professional Internships are available in many disciplines at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Each of these unique areas of our global company offers students the ability to apply classroom studies while networking with Disney professionals, gaining valuable experience, and most of all - Having fun!

Internships are posted at various times of the year and have a range of contract lengths. To begin exploring the vast opportunities The Walt Disney Company has to offer, select the work location that interests you most. You will be able to browse available opportunities and apply online today!

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/internships/home.html

Internships at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the leading organizations in the country working on public policy issues affecting low-income families and individuals.

The Center specializes in research and analysis oriented toward practical policy decisions and produces solid analytic reports on a timely basis that are accessible to public officials at national, state and local levels, to nonprofit organizations and to the media.

The Center seeks highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students (including law), as well as recent graduates, in the following areas for full-and part-time paid internships: Media, Federal Legislation, Health Policy, Housing Policy, International Budget Project, Food Stamps, National Budget and Tax Policy, Outreach Campaigns, State Budget and Tax Policy and Welfare Reform and Income Support Division.

Internships are available for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. However, not all positions are available every semester. The typical length of an internship is one semester (approximately 10-12 weeks). Individuals interested in a second internship may qualify upon a review of Center needs at the end of the first internship.

Location:
Washington, DC

Website/Contact Info:
www.cbpp.org/internship.html

Student Jobs At American Express

American Express is committed to attracting the highest-caliber graduates to lead and grow our business into the future. Not just academics, but individuals with intellectual curiosity, passion, flexibility and drive.

If you are a current undergraduate student, you may be interested in joining American Express in one of the many full-time opportunities that exist for rising seniors.

We offer diverse and exciting careers with the opportunity for early responsibility, international experience, and outstanding personal growth and development. U.S. undergraduate programs include, but are not limited to: Marketing, Finance & Accounting, Technologies, Financial Advisory, Actuary, Project Management.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,22316,00.asp

Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship Program

Pursuing a career in Technology has its built-in challenges. What needn't be a challenge is finding the financial wherewithal that will help you in achieving your goals. To that end, Xerox established the Technical Minority Scholarship Program.

In demonstration of our commitment to the academic success of minority students and to the cultivation and recruitment of qualified minority employees in technical fields, scholarships are available depending on tuition balance, academic excellence and classification.

Applicants must be academic high-achievers (3.0 or better GPA), and must be US citizens or visa-holding Permanent Residents of African American, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, Native Alaskan, or Hispanic descent.

They must be enrolled as a full time undergraduate or graduate student in any of the following technical fields: Chemistry, Information Management, Computing & Software Systems, Material Science, Printing Management Science, Laser Optics, Physics, Material Science, and Engineering (Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Imaging, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Optical, or Software).

Award Amount :
$1,000 - $10,000

Deadline:
September 30, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.cies.org/us_scholars/us_awards

Fulbright Scholar Program

The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) assists in the administration of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and professionals.

Awards are in 45 disciplines and several interdisciplinary fields, including multicultural education, native studies, and human rights, and range from two to twelve months.

Award Amount :
Varies

Deadline:
August 1, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.cies.org/us_scholars/us_awards<

Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest

A continuation of the Olive W. Garvey Fellowship program, the Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest encourages college students and young college professors around the world to study the meaning and significance of economic and personal liberty.

Co-sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation and the Independent Institute, the essay contest honors Sir John M. Templeton and is held annually with a different topic each year.

Created in 1974 by Olive W. Garvey, the Fellowship contest has drawn essay submissions from more than 75 countries on 5 continents. Garvey winners have since become some of the finest of scholars, business and civic leaders, and journalists, applying and advancing public knowledge and appreciation around the world for the ideas of individual liberty and personal responsibility.

The Independent Institute will publish the winning essays on this website and seek to have them published elsewhere in major magazines and journals. All winning entries become the property of and are copyrighted by The Independent Institute.

Award Amount :
$2,000

Deadline:
May 1, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.independent.org/students/essay/

Automotive Hall of Fame Scholarships

The Automotive Hall of Fame serves as administrator to over $20,000 in combined college scholarships annually. The applicant must indicate a sincere interest in an automotive related career.

The opportunities include the Larry H. Averill Memorial Scholarship the Harold Dieckmann Draper, Sr. Scholarship, the John E. Echlin Memorial Scholarship, the Carlyle Fraser / Wilton Looney Scholarship, the John Goerlich Memorial Scholarship, the Charles V. Hagler Scholarship, the Zenon C.R. Hansen Memorial Scholarship, the John W. Koons, Sr. Memorial Scholarship, and many more.

Opportunities are available for part-time students and full-time students. GPA requirements and level of financial need varies. All scholarships can be applied to using the same application form.

Award Amount :
Varies

Deadline:
May 30, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.automotivehalloffame.org/scholarships.php

The Sallie Mae Fund Unmet Need Scholarship

Open to families with a combined income of $30,000 or less, this program is intended to supplement financial aid packages that fall more than $1,000 short of students' financial need.

This scholarship is not designed as a substitute for aid provided by an institution. The program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are accepted or enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at approved, accredited institutions.

Students must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible to apply. Recipients will be selected based on financial need.

Award Amount:
$1,000 - $3,800

Deadline:
May 31, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.thesalliemaefund.org/smfnew/scholarship/Unmet_need.html

Red State Update: Hillary Wins Pennsylvania

The True Cost Of Economic Freedom

by: Rob Lawrence

The following story was shared with me recently, it’s been circulating around the net for years and I now share it with you.

In the United States of America lies a large industrial city which is the sight of one of the world's largest slave labor camps.

Located in and around the center of this city are community settlements where the economic slaves live.

Each morning the slaves move in herds like cattle from their small quarters into the slave labor camps. They cram into tiny buses and trains, trend through snow, sleet and inclimate weather. Not because they want to, but because they have to.

Each economic slave is at his or her station by 9:00 AM. Here they report to their master for the day's duties. And here they remain chained until 5:00 PM or even later until they're released to go home.

The slaves have no choice as to how many hours they must labor. Sometimes they are required to work overtime until their master tells them they may leave and go home.

The master can even lie to the economic slave and make up rules and new job duties that weren’t covered before, and the slave has no choice but to adhere to the new rules or risk losing their slave job.

Each year the slaves are told when to take their vacations, for how long, and when they must return. But the master never likes “vacations”, so even though the slave has the time, they rarely use it.

If a family member gets sick and needs help, well the slave can’t be there to help them, they must check-in with the master first. And the master’s answer is never a good one.

Economic slaves have little choice as to how much money they earn as they are paid not what they are worth, but what the job is worth. If they die or can’t do the job anymore, they will quickly be replaced with another slave to fill the position. Soon they will be forgotten and it will be as if they had never even existed in the first place.

If the economic slave’s job becomes obsolete or inefficient, it can easily be replaced with a machine. And machines don’t talk back or need promotions. They do what they’re told.

Slaves are allowed very little time for lunch and coffee breaks during the labor hours. Sometimes they don’t get a break, or are forced to eat lunch at their desk. Sometimes when they are forced to work late, they don’t even get a hot meal, they skip dinner and even go hungry.

The slaves will remain in their chains in great fear because the economic master can punish them with the "firing" or "layoff" whip. And he is not afraid to use it, so the slaves bow to his command. They do whatever he wants.

It is said that even some of the older slaves who have been good and faithful have felt the sting of the whip. They disappear quickly and are never heard from again. Soon, they are forgotten too.

Day by day, year-by-year, the slaves toil and grow older until the master decides it is time to release them to the retirement camps where they're forced to sit idle and wait for death. The master has used them for all he can, and now it is time to move onto another economic slave to fill the position.

It's a well-known fact that the old slaves who try to keep working are sometimes whipped with a "stop-their-pension" whip. They are quickly let-go and without all the benefits they were promised. The slaves waited their whole career for the promise of a pension that never came. The master simply strung them along. He dangled the carrot and the slave bought it.

I know these money slave camps exist for I once was an economic slave. But now I am a free man who lives among the self achievers. I make my own rules. The reason I am free is because I am in business for myself. I am not an economic slave and my only master is myself. I decide my destiny.

Yes, I am truly free. I arise in the morning called for by my schedule.

I decide my own hours. I can even sleep in late while my former economic slave friends are at work.

I can vacation when, where, and for how long I please. If I want to take a day or two off, I can. And no one will complain.

I'm free to take my coffee break and lunch when I decide. I do not have to ask anyone for permission.

And of course, I can decide my own paycheck and how much money I earn, because I am not an economic slave anymore. If I want to earn more, I simply work more.

I can choose to work when, how and where I please. I can even choose the type of clients I work with. And if a customer becomes too unreasonable or demands too much, I can increase my fees or simply “fire” them. I do not have to give my services away. I work for myself.

I'm free to stay in the city for as long as I want, or to move on to greener pastures if I decide to. I choose where I want to live and for how long. I am not trapped by the economic slave master anymore because I do not fear “losing” my job.

I've seen many slaves sadly pack their belongings to leave their city in search of a new master at another company, but it is always the same. The masters tend to lie a lot, but the economic slaves simply believe everything. It isn’t until they’ve been with the master a while that the truth is revealed. But, then it is too late. They are trapped!

There is however, a ray of hope for the lonely economic slave. He or she can “buy” their own freedom.

The cost is not high, yet it seems high to those who do not have the courage to pay the price.

What is the price of true freedom?

ONE MUST BE WILLING TO BE THEIR OWN ECONOMIC MASTER.


About The Author

Rob Lawrence is ranked one of top national trainers in the mortgage industry. He is the currently the CEO of Battlecall.com, coaching, tools and resources to turn mortgage professionals into mortgage warriors. Visit http://www.battlecall.com for his free “Sink Or Swim” weekly newsletter, mortgage training, marketing advice and more! Jumpstart your career in the mortgage business, starting today.

5 EASY WAYS TO SAVE THE PLANET

Police officer sacked for sex on the job

LONDON- A police officer was forced to resign on Wednesday for having sex with a prostitute at a building he had been sent to investigate to see if it was a brothel.

The police sergeant, who was not named, had "engaged in sexual activity with a sex worker" while on duty in east London in December 2005, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said. He was supposed to be finding out if the premises were being used for prostitution.

The sergeant, who had faced four disciplinary charges, was forced to quit after a misconduct hearing.

Woman finds 8-foot alligator in her Florida kitchen

OLDSMAR, Fla. - And some people get jittery about mice in the kitchen.

Authorities say 69-year-old central Florida woman found an 8-foot long alligator prowling in her kitchen late Monday night.

Sandra Frosti says the gator must have pushed through the back porch screen door and then went inside through an open sliding glass door at her home in Oldsmar, just north of Tampa. It then apparently strolled through the living room, down a hall and into the kitchen.

A trapper with Animal Capture of Florida removed the alligator, which was cut by a plate that was knocked to the ground during the chaos. But no one inside the house was injured.

What is Earth Day?

What is Earth Day?

Japanese Crowded Train

Japanese Crowded Train

Minority Access Internship Program

The Minority Access Internship Program is designed to allow talented undergraduate and graduate students experience the diversity and scope of career opportunities available in the federal government and other participating entities.

The program provides students with the opportunity to merge academic theory with practical application in the workplace.

Minority Access interns receive pre-employment training, expert counseling on career choices, financial management and professional development, and recognition for fulfilling the requirements of the program.

The Minority Access Internship Program staff is available at all times to lend assistance to the interns.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
www.minorityaccess.org/intern_student_info_04.htm

Emma L. Bowen Foundation Internships For Minority Journalists

Established by the media industry to increase access to permanent job opportunities for minority students.

The Foundation's program is unlike traditional intern programs in that students work for a partner company during summers and school breaks from the end of their junior year in high school until they graduate from college.

During that five-year period, students learn many aspects of corporate operations and develop company-specific skills. Corporations guide and develop minority students with the option of permanent placement upon completion of their college degree.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
www.emmabowenfoundation.com

Nationwide Insurance/Tom Joyner Foundation Internship Program

Established for the purpose of helping students continue their education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, our partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation allows Nationwide to tap into the talent represented at more than 100 academic institutions.

Students are selected to participate in a 10-week, paid internship program that includes transportation and furnished housing. Students may also be eligible for an academic scholarship.

We’re looking to make a connection with people who have the skills and abilities to help Nationwide meet its goals. Take a close look at your background and experience.

Positions available in marketing, sales, information technology, human resources, accounting, and more.

Location:
Columbus, OH

Website/Contact Info:
www.nationwide.com/nw/careers/university-relations/tom_joyner_foundation/index.htm?WT.svl=3

NASA Internship Programs

NASA Internship Programs

NASA is looking for student interns in the areas of Engineering, Science, Information Technology, and Business Management.

NASA sponsors a variety of work opportunities for students. The pace of their programs and research needs puts newly hired employees rapidly into on-the-job applications of concepts and skills.

As a NASA intern, you will have the unparalleled opportunity to work side-by-side with a cadre of innovative and imaginative NASA professionals.

Come join us in expanding the boundaries of air and space. The program prepares students for their careers in the Federal Government.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
http://education1.nasa.gov/divisions/higher/
programs/high_ed_student.html

Training Your Dog Yourself

by: Nicholas Hunt

A good dog training program is something that all dog owners should look into. Not only will this help your dog be able to obey better but it will also strengthen the bond with your dog. However, this does not have to be done by a professional as there really is nobody better equipped to train your dog than you, yourself.

Whenever you are working with a dog training program, you need to remember that you are the one that is in control. However, you do not want to come across as being too forceful either. The goal here is to be both friendly and assertive at the same time.

So, how do you train your dog to obey you? Of course, you do not want to just start yelling commands at your dog. Instead, you are going to need to have a good game plan. Part of this has to do with ensuring that your dog is in the right mindset before you even get started. As such, you should not try to train your dog right after he has eaten and you may wish to take him for a quick walk before you get started. Another thing that it is good to do before training him is to take a little time to play with him so that he will feel relaxed and comfortable with you. All of this will help to eliminate distractions and help you get down to business.

Whenever you are training your dog and he does something right, make sure that you have a treat available to give to him. This helps your dog to know when he has done something right. On the other hand, do not get upset when he occasionally runs off during a training session - this is normal. Simply call him back and get back on task right away. It is also normal for him to seem absolutely clueless at times. Herein you simply need to find a better way in which to communicate with him, even if this means showing him what you want him to do.

Training your own dog is a rewarding experience that has huge benefits. In the end, you will be happy that you have made this decision.

About The Author

Nicholas Hunt writes for http://www.petinsuranceinfo.co.uk/ where you can find information on arranging insurance cover for your beloved pets.

NBC Universal Internships

NBC Universal's internships give you real world experience and let you become familiar with NBCU's organization and work style. Internships are the perfect way to gain real world experience while learning what a career at NBC Universal might hold in store for you.

Interns have produced tangible results as they begin building their professional networks, and for many, it confirms their professional goals. We offer opportunities throughout all of our divisions including TV, Pictures, Cable Networks, Home Entertainment, and Corporate groups. Positions relate to marketing, publicity, sales, development, finance, production, information technology, media, on-line, consumer products and human resources, just to name a few!

We consider the use of interns as an important recruiting tool. It provides a college student the opportunity to showcase their many talents and allows NBC Universal to identify high potential talent.

Location:
New York and Los Angeles

Website/Contact Info:
http://nbcunicareers.com/internships/la_ny_area/

The HUD Internship

The HUD Intern Program was created with you in mind. HUD is always interested in finding talented people who have the skills needed to meet our future employment needs.

Through a variety of programs, the HUD Intern Program is designed to help recruit and attract exceptional individuals to a broad spectrum of occupations within HUD.

The program offers interns professional experiences and formal training opportunities that are tailored to meet their educational and professional goals and interests.

HUD Intern Programs provide an opportunity to earn money and continue your education, to train with people who manage the day-to-day business of the Federal government, and to combine your academic study with on-the-job experience.

Location:
Washington, DC

Website/Contact Info:
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/jobs/internship.cfm

Internships At Nielsen Media Research

The Nielsen Company is committed to recruiting and developing the next generation of research industry professionals. We offer college students, recent graduates, and graduate students several programs that provide exceptional training and opportunities. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Summer internships provide opportunities for rising seniors to explore career opportunities in Operations and Technology. Internships include 10 – 12 week challenging assignments in select US locations, leadership interactions and opportunities for personal and professional development through training, networking and mentoring relationships.

Interns receive competitive salary and may be eligible for a housing stipend and reimbursement for travel to and from the internship location.

Location:
Varies

Website/Contact Info:
www.nielsen.com/careers/internships.html

Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarship Award

For students attending a 2-year college. Scholarships awarded based on character, personal merit and commitment.

Merit is demonstrated through leadership in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and motivation to serve and succeed.

In order to receive access to this scholarship application, you must be nominated by the accredited two-year degree granting institution where you are enrolled.

Enhances educational opportunities in the United States through scholarship awards and enrichment programs for young people who demonstrate, through academic excellence and leadership in their communities, their capacity for and commitment to making a difference in the world.

Award Amount :
Up to $20,000

Deadline:
May 31, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
https://www.coca-colascholars.org/cokeWeb/ jsp/scholars/TwoYearInstructions.jsp

Scripps Howard Foundation Scholarships

The Scripps Howard Foundation will award scholarships in the fall of 2008 to students in any journalism discipline through our Top Ten Scholarship Program.

An accredited or non-accredited school may request a nomination form. Each school may nominate one student from their undergraduate program to compete for one of these scholarships. The selection process is of the school's choosing.

A nominee should be a full-time student in the 2008-09 school year and must be a U.S. citizen. The $10,000 scholarship will be a one-time award, covering a full academic term. It will be paid in two $5,000 grants, one per semester, as enrollment is verified. Previous Top Ten Scholarship winners are not eligible to compete.

Deadline:
May 15, 2008

Award Amount:
$10,000

Website/Contact Info:
http://foundation.scripps.com/foundation/
programs/scholarships/toptennomination.html

Surety Industry Scholarship Program for Minority Students

Provides scholarship awards to outstanding minority students to support their studies in the areas of insurance/risk management, accounting, or business/finance and to encourage their consideration of the surety industry and surety underwriting as a career choice .

These awards are funded by The Surety Association of America (SAA) from dues and contributions of its member companies.

Applicants must submit an official academic transcript which must contain their fall semester grades for the academic year in progress.

Award Amount :
$2,500

Deadline:
April 30, 2008

Website/Contact Info:
www.surety.org/content.cfm?lid=73&catid=3

Mercer’s Diversity Scholarship Program

The purpose of the scholarship is to recognize achievement in scholastics, leadership potential and initiative among minority students. Mercer seeks to make students aware of the potential for a rewarding career in the human resource consulting industry and to encourage the pursuit of such a career .

Mercer intends to award up to $100,000 to assist selected minority students with tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board. The individual award amount depends on financial need.

The full amount of the scholarships will be payable by check to the participating universities for distribution to recipient(s) with the understanding that the award will be used for the payment of educational expenses.

Award Amount :
Up to $5,000

Deadline:
December 18, 2007

Website/Contact Info:
www.mercerhr.com/diversityscholarship

Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate to launch new premium TV channel

NEW YORK -- Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Lionsgate today announced a joint venture to create a premium television channel that will draw on their extensive libraries and on new feature-film and TV production.

The as-yet-unnamed venture, scheduled to launch in September 2009, will take advantage of the fact that the studios all will be contractually free of obligations to other networks or premium-TV distributors, according to Philippe P. Dauman, chairman of Paramount's parent company, Viacom Inc.

The venture will have its own management team, headed by a chief executive who already has been selected but was not announced today.

Viacom's MTV Networks division, the cable-TV powerhouse, will handle marketing and affiliate services and will provide other operational support to the new channel.

The new venture will be a competitor to Time Warner Inc.'s premium cable channel, HBO, but also, more interestingly, to Showtime, which is owned by Viacom's sister company, CBS Inc. Viacom and CBS split two years ago, but both are controlled by their executive chairman, Sumner M. Redstone.

When CBS recently announced the launch of its CBS Films unit, a Paramount competitor, Redstone said that both of his companies should be free to pursue their own strategies, Dauman noted.

The new premium channel was announced by Dauman; Brad Grey, chairman and chief executive of Paramount; Harry E. Sloan, chairman and chief executive of MGM; and Jon Feltheimer, co-chairman and chief executive of Lionsgate. The four men began talking about a possible venture several weeks ago; the plan gelled quickly and was finalized in meetings last week at Viacom's New York headquarters, Dauman said.

The new venture will have access to Paramount and Paramount Vantage titles released theatrically on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate titles released theatrically on or after Jan. 1, 2009. Among the new and soon-to-be-released films that will be available to the channel are "Iron Man," "Star Trek," "Pink Panther 2," "Cloverfield," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Shutter Island," "G.I. Joe," "Love Guru" and "Valkyrie." Also available will be planned new installments of "Robocop" and "Outer Limits."

Did Obama give Hillary the Finger?

Danica Patrick makes IndyCar history by winning Japan 300

MOTEGI, Japan - Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps.

Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval after leader Scott Dixon pitted with five laps left and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan came in a lap later.

The 26-year-old Patrick won in her 50th career IndyCar start, taking the lead from Castroneves on the 198th lap in the 200-lap race.

Patrick, who started from the third row and made her final pit stop on lap 148, stayed close to the leaders throughout the race.

Patrick went from fourth to second place on lap 197 after Wheldon and Kanaan went into the pit on lap 196. She was as low as eighth place on the 189th lap.

Castroneves, awarded the pole position after qualifying was rained out Friday, said Patrick ran a great race.

Patrick finished a career-best seventh in the season standings last year, and was second in the race at Detroit's Belle Isle.

At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race en route to a fourth-place finish. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take rookie of the year honors.

10 Creative Uses for Ecards

by: Chris Robertson

Ecards were once only sent for fun and as special greeting cards, but now online users are finding many creative ways to maximize the benefits of ecards. Ecards are practical, easy to send, and even free or very low priced. So what exactly are ecards? Ecard is another word for "electronic card" and describes any digital postcard or greeting card that is sent by e-mail.

While many e-card services are free, some providers offer custom e-cards for a small fee. Both free e-cards and paid e-cards are created online using sophisticated, interactive graphic software. Let's explore 10 creative ways to use e-cards.

1. E-card Memos for Companies

Companies once delivered memos in print or by fax, but today many are turning to the use of e-mail, especially those with an intranet system in place. Employees each have their own company e-mail. E-cards can be used to send out creative memos to employees. These creative ecard memos can boost morale, remind employees of an event, instruct employees on a daily task, or even give praise for a job well done. The good news is employers can customize the ecards and send them to all employees at once or to only a select few.

2. Birthday E-cards

Birthday e-cards are great for sharing a surprise "Happy Birthday" message to your friend or loved one. You can create a custom e-card for their birthday based on their personality and you can even set the date for the e-card to be sent on their birthday in advance so you won't forget! Birthday e-card messages can be personal, humorous, lovely, or romantic. They can even play music.

3. E-cards for Weddings and Anniversaries

For weddings and anniversaries, there are a number of e-cards to fit your style. These can be sent on the wedding day to the bride or groom as a relaxing gesture. They can be customized with unique themes to reflect the type of relationship enjoyed by the couple. Anniversary ecards can be customized with the date of the wedding and number of years married.

4. E-cards for Holidays

Holiday e-cards can be customized with themes for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, and so forth. You can find musical ecards that play Christmas songs or romantic Valentine's Day themes. For Halloween, send a spooky one! For Thanksgiving Day, send a "thankful" ecard with fall colors, pilgrims, turkeys, or harvest themes.

5. Mother's or Father's Day E-cards

For Mother's and Father's Day, customize e-cards with your own photos. You can also create e-cards with your own special designs. If you sign on for paid e-card services, your recipient will be able to print the card as a keepsake. If you have kids, get them involved in creating these special keepsake ecards.

6. E-cards for Kids

With adult supervision, kids can create e-cards of their own with puzzles, special effects, images, and photos. They can send these to their grandparents or other relatives, or even to their friends. Puzzle ecards are usually included in paid packages, but there are also many special effects and images to choose from with free e-card services.

7. Invitational E-cards

E-cards can also be used in place of mailed invitation cards. You can send printable e-cards to invite friends and loved ones to birthday parties, holiday parties, weddings, company parties, summer grill-outs, and other special functions. They're much cheaper than mailing out invitations, and you can always mail a few to those who don't use e-mail.

8. Friendship E-cards

Send an e-card just to say a quick "hello" to your friends. You can send notes of encouragement, funny ecards, and a variety of themed e-cards to let them know you're thinking of them. Some of the themes to choose from include animals, congratulations, friendship, missing you, love, flowers, cute animations, destinations, landscapes, and many others.

9. Note of Thanks by E-card

E-cards can also be used to send a note of thanks to friends or loved ones. Perhaps you received a gift and want to return thanks. You can also create e-cards as a "thank you" note to clients if you own an Internet business or a business with e-mail contacts.

10. New Baby E-cards

E-cards also come with great themes for new babies. Send a boy or girl themed e-card or unique themes such as animals with their younglings or storks carrying a baby. You can write a message of congratulations to the new mother and customize the card with love.

With e-cards, you can send messages quickly through e-mail for almost any occasion. Best of all, you'll save time and money. You won't have to spend countless hours writing out cards and envelopes. You won't have to pay for postage, and you'll avoid numerous trips to the post office! Free e-cards and paid services are definitely worthwhile for greeting cards, messages, memos, and more!


About The Author

Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://www.majon.com

To learn more about subjects like ecards please visit the web site at: http://www.createe-cards.com

For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Gifts and Collectibles directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Gifts_and_Collectibles

Continental, Southwest will cut growth to handle fuel spike

DALLAS - High fuel costs that helped drive some marginal airlines into bankruptcy this spring are also taking a toll on two of the nation's healthiest carriers.

Continental Airlines Inc. slid to a first-quarter loss as fuel spending soared 53 percent, and Southwest Airlines Co. — which hasn't lost money since 1991 — saw its profit fall by two-thirds.

Both airlines say they will respond by slowing their once-ambitious growth plans, and they are raising fares.

Stubbornly high fuel prices are likely to mean billions in losses this year at the nation's airlines. Already this year, five smaller carriers have shut down or announced plans to do so, and analysts are tossing around the B-word — bankruptcy — even in talking about the major airlines.

Southwest reported Thursday that its earnings tumbled to $34 million, or 5 cents per share, in the January-March period, from $93 million, or 12 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding some one-time items, the profit would have been 6 cents per share, which beat the penny-per-share profit forecast by analysts, according to Thomson Financial.

Revenue rose 15 percent, to $2.53 billion, and Southwest planes were more full than a year ago.

Southwest is better insulated from high fuel costs than other carriers because several years ago it agreed to pay for the right to buy fuel in future years at set prices, which turned out to be a bargain.

Still, Southwest spent $753 million on fuel, an increase of $189 million or 33.5 percent in just a year. And the Dallas-based airline warned that even with its price-hedging deals it will pay $2.35 per gallon in the April-June period, up from $1.98 per gallon in the first quarter.

At Continental, fuel costs rose by $364 million from last year, pushing the Houston-based carrier to a loss of $80 million, or 81 cents per share. A year ago, the company earned $22 million, or 21 cents per share.

Excluding a gain on airplane sales, Continental said it would have lost 86 cents per share in the first three months of this year. Thomson said analysts expected a loss of 93 cents per share.

Continental also posted a healthy increase in revenue — up 12.3 percent to $3.57 billion. But costs rose even faster, by 16.7 percent.

Both Southwest and Continental plan to limit growth to cope with high fuel costs and a slowing economy.

Southwest said it would go ahead with plans to add 29 new Boeing jets to its fleet this year but only 14 — half its original plan — in 2009.

Continental will take 14 older jets out of service beginning in September and reduce domestic capacity 5 percent after the peak summer travel season.

Continental also said it would stop flights by its Continental Express subsidiary in and out of Chicago's Midway International Airport on May 31.

Slower growth, or even contraction, could help the airlines control costs and boost fares. The same result might be achieved through consolidation, such as Monday's announcement that Delta Air Lines Inc. has agreed to take over Northwest Airlines Corp.

Since Monday, speculation has increased about a combination of Continental and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines. Continental took a small but public step in that direction Thursday by buying out Northwest's right to veto a deal involving Continental.

All the airlines have been raising fares and fuel surcharges. Continental and other so-called network carriers such as United, Delta and AMR Corp.'s American have enacted about a dozen increases this year, including a hike this week of $10 to $20 per round trip. The latest Southwest increase was $6 to $20 per round trip.

Vacationers and business fliers should brace for more of the same between now and summer, said Tom Parsons, chief executive of travel Web site Bestfares.com.

Shares of Southwest rose 11 cents to $12.61 Thursday, while shares of Continental gained 27 cents to $21.11.

Kung Fu Monkey

RushmoreDrive.com to make search culturally relevant to blacks online

(April 14, 2008) Cheap computers and Internet connections have helped people get online in greater numbers in recent years. Now Barry Diller's IAC/InteractiveCorp wants to make money by helping minority groups connect more easily to specific sites.

IAC last week introduced a new search engine, Rushmore Drive, meant to give the black audience a quick way to find information that other search engines -- including IAC's own Ask.com -- might bury beneath pages of less relevant results. The strategy will eventually extend to other ethnic groups, in what analysts said is the latest stab at diminishing Google's dominance in the search market.


Rushmore Drive, which gets its name from the location of the building in Charlotte, N.C., where the Web site was originated, offers search results that, at first glance, border on stereotypes. A search query for "Thanksgiving recipes," for instance, yields sites featuring recipes for sweet potato pie and collard greens. But according to Johnny Taylor, the chief executive of Rushmore Drive, the results are based on years of search data from IAC's Ask division.

Rushmore Drive analyzed search results for 3,000 of the most popular search terms in areas with large black populations and found that when people in those areas searched for recipes, they were much more likely to click on pages with soul food. Those searching for hair products, dance, cars, fraternities and sororities also ended up on vastly different Web sites than people who lived in areas with smaller black populations.

Rushmore Drive moves the Web sites preferred by black people near the top of the search results. The top four results are ads that Rushmore Drive distributes on behalf of Google and Ask.

Mr. Taylor said the company has already bolstered its paid search advertising revenue with banner advertisements from Buick and Coca-Cola, among others. Those sites run ads in Rushmore Drive's news section, where about 10 contributing writers offer their perspective on current events.

Rushmore Drive is the first of what will most likely be more ethnically focused search sites, Mr. Taylor said.

The big question, of course, is whether audiences will go through the trouble of visiting a new search engine, rather than typing in "African-American hair care products," or "soul food Thanksgiving recipes" on Google and other sites.

Ask.com met with critical success when it unveiled search refinements two years ago, and despite a big marketing campaign that included television ads, its market share increased by just half of a percentage point in the last year, to 2.5 percent, according to Nielsen Online. Meanwhile, Google's share increased from 55.8 percent to 58.7 percent.

A Google spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the company's policy, said that Google welcomed competition "that stimulates innovation and provides people with more choice."

Mr. Taylor said that IAC would also put an undisclosed, but significant amount of money, into promoting Rushmore Drive, in an effort to reach the roughly 12.4 million blacks now online in the United States, according to Nielson Online.

In addition to buying ads on radio, magazine and Internet properties frequented by blacks, the company will soon embark on a "gospel brunch tour" with performances by the singer Regina Bell at black churches in eight cities. Organizations like the National Urban League, the National Alliance of Black School Educators and others have also agreed to promote the service among members.

Mr. Goodman of the Yankee Group said that IAC may not find huge success with Rushmore Drive. "But I think its future is pretty bright," he said. "Diller has been fairly clear with his Johnny Appleseed strategy, where he's putting a whole lot of microconcepts into the market so you don't have to have a billion dollars invested in one idea or one company."

Other IAC initiatives under development, Mr. Goodman said, included a children's site aimed at environmentally conscious families and a site for news aficionados.

Editorial Web sites aimed at African-Americans were, before last week, wary of the Rushmore Drive project, thinking it might be a competitor. But Calvin Wong, senior vice president for advertising sales for Community Connect, publisher of BlackPlanet.com, among others, said that editorial sites could benefit.

Company receives hundred of 'smelly' gas calls

ERIE, Pa. - National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp. crews have been busy with a smelly problem in about 850 Erie-area homes. The gas company says too much mercaptan was added to natural gas, prompting hundreds of calls from residents concerned about gas leaks.

Mercaptan is a substance added so people can "smell" natural gas, which is actually odorless and colorless in its natural state.

The utility started getting calls Monday night and through Tuesday had logged some 850 complaints. By law, the company had to send crews to each home to make sure the problem was just too much mercaptan and not an actual gas leak.

NFG officials say crews did find small leaks at a few homes but, in most cases, the extra mercaptan was to blame for the smell.

Slaves to the Grind

Black Magic

Tips to Help Balance Career and Family

by: Megan Hazel

Whether you are male or female, a mom or a dad, balancing career and family can be really difficult. When you're a woman, though, the choices you have to make seem especially difficult and the responsibilities all the more great. For some reason, women are guilt-ridden with their career decisions and the choices they make about working while trying to raise their children, providing nutritious meals for their family, keeping a respectable house and keeping their husbands happy. Last on the list, of course, is finding some time for themselves. So how does a woman find time to actually feel happy with her daily activities while keeping up with all of the responsibility?

First, take time to smell the roses! Literally, you can take time to smell the roses but you can actually do this with no flowers in sight. Every day, try to look around and appreciate what you have, taking in the sounds of your child's laughter, the wag of your dog's tail, the special glance of your husband as you tell a funny joke. Sometimes, the knowledge of what you have on your plate for the day will feel overwhelming, but a little perspective goes a long way. It may be a cliché and a very tired phrase, but it truly does work. People tend to get lost in the mundane, day-to-day "functioning" instead of really living their lives. For example, next time you are worried about fitting in your exercise with your child's play date at Little Gym, forego the Little Gym and head out with your son or daughter for a run. Strap the little one in the jog stroller or if he or she is old enough, ask them to put on the running shoes with Mommy and head outside! Once outside, you can literally stop to smell the roses. Just a few minutes of gratitude a day will work wonders for your soul and automatically make your life feel more balanced.

Along these same lines, try and give yourself some "me" time once a week. Once a week may not seem like much, but if you really allow yourself to soak it in and enjoy the time spent, it will make the stress of all of the rest of the hectic days melt away. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday - 2 hours, maybe - and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. For this special time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping at your favorites stores, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a matinee with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even book a girls' night out once in a while and truly let loose! Even if your budget doesn't allow for these activities once a week, you can lock yourself in the bathroom with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and feel good about your time alone - you deserve some!

Probably the most obvious way to balance career and family is to incorporate your family into what would otherwise be "work time". If you have a short commute to work, for example, perhaps you can drive your kids to school each morning instead of having them take the bus. In the alternative, you could have your morning cup of coffee at the bus stop with them and spend a few minutes chatting about their day and what they plan to learn in school as you sip your cup of Joe and breathe in the morning air to mentally prepare for your own day ahead. If you normally exercise in the morning and leave the house very early, switch your workout time to lunch and leave the office to go to the gym, eating at your desk when you get back. You will have more time with your family each day and get a healthy break from your pile of papers to boot.

You may need to get a little creative with your schedule, but there are definitely ways to help balance career and family. Sometimes an extra few minutes each day or a once-weekly good block of time can go a long way in helping restore your peace of mind and help you feel less harried.


About The Author

Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about women's health and career topics, similar to what consumers read in http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?mid=7765

Five Key Elements for a Healthy Body

by: Marie Watson

With so many different obstacles in our way today it’s essential to do the things that are necessary to keep our bodies in top condition. Between diseases and pollution in our air and water, we must stay tuned into the needs of our bodies in order to assure a long and healthy life. Making the right choices in these areas will allow us to remain happy and productive many years past retirement.

1. Get plenty of sleep

Being well-rested is one of the most important elements in maintaining a healthy body. Sleep deprivation whether purposely or the result of insomnia can cause your body to become tired, fatigued, and run down. This lends its way to an invasion of many infections because of a compromised immune system. Sleep is the body’s best defence, so you need to make sure you obtain what your body needs. Each person requires on average between six and eight hours of sleep nightly, although some may function on as little as five hours while others need up to ten hours.

2. Exercise regularly

Besides having the ability to boost the metabolism, exercise also helps the body sleep most restfully. Whether you do a complete workout or just take a walk several times during the day, you will feel much better by participating in some kind of exercise. That doesn’t mean you have to do something boring—you can swim, bicycle, play tennis, ski, water ski, or do any other type of activity that you enjoy. The important thing is to make sure you do it regularly.

3. Eat healthy foods

In order to maintain a body that is healthy and active all of your life, you need to learn how to eat foods that are good for you. Certainly that high fat, high calorie burger from the local fast food place tastes good, but it is not good for you. You need to develop the habit of eating lean protein, steamed or raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and carbohydrates containing a low glycemic index such as whole grain cereals, brown rice, and wheat bread and pasta. That doesn’t mean you have to give up sweet desserts and snacks for good, but you need to learn to eat them in moderation.

4. Maintain a normal weight

Having excess weight puts a strain on both the heart and the back. In order to assure that you can stay active and do the things you enjoy, you need to make sure your weight is within normal range. If you are overweight but think you are still healthy, you need to review the things you are able to do compared to some of the things you used to be able to do. Certainly you are older which causes some difference, but your weight definitely has a detrimental effect on the level of activities in which you are able to participate.

5. Make sure you have an adequate supply of essential nutrients

No matter how many healthy foods we eat, it is likely we are not getting all of the nutrients we need. This is especially true of the Omega-3 Fatty Acids that help us maintain the health of our hearts. Although this nutrient is found in fish, few of us can eat enough fish to compensate, so we need to supplement this deficiency with fish oil supplements. The same holds true of many other nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid, and the B vitamins just to name a few.

A healthy lifestyle will help us keep our bodies healthy into our golden years, and following these tips will certainly help you in that process. You don’t need to give up your favourite foods to be healthy, but you do need to make sure you eat unhealthy foods in moderation. You also want to make sure to get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and supplement your diet with important vitamins and minerals.

About The Author

Marie Watson writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Slim Eazy website at http://www.slimeazy.com

Def Jam launches label in partnership with P&G's TAG Body Sprays

Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ) and Procter & Gamble's TAG brand announce the formation of a new hip-hop record label, TAG Records. The new label will be led by hip-hop mogul Jermaine Dupri, who will act as president of the New York-based venture. As president, Dupri will set the creative vision for the label and play an integral part in identifying and developing its musical talent.

This is a milestone for the music industry as TAG Record's artists will be supported with a multi-million dollar marketing effort that is unprecedented for any new artist, including television, print, radio, digital and event marketing.

"Today, we make history in the music industry with TAG Records," said Jermaine Dupri, president of TAG Records. "This label is going to provide new artists with a chance of a lifetime. New artists will receive ten times the typical marketing support - a first in the industry. I'm hand selecting and molding these artists to make history in hip hop."

The launch of TAG Records is part of the TAG brand's initiative to cultivate relationships with the urban community through the development of programs that provide opportunities for aspiring hip-hop talent.

"We're very excited about our partnership with IDJ and the broad platform it provides for creating artistic opportunities within the urban community, said Alex Keith, general manager P&G Deodorants. "We're confident the partnership will make a positive impact and bring opportunities to undiscovered urban creativity and vision."

"This partnership marks an industry first. This is a breakthrough model that will set the stage for innovative collaborations at Island Def Jam Music Group," said Jeff Straughn, vice president of strategic marketing for Island Def Jam Music Group. "This is a non-traditional approach that blends our most valuable assets: the artist and their music, with the power of brand marketing."

TAG Record's first artist will be officially announced in May. The artist will be given a unique opportunity to merge their music with personal brand marketing.

In addition to an album release, the TAG Brand will showcase TAG Record's artist and Jermaine Dupri across various TAG brand advertising and marketing initiatives throughout 2008.

The TAG and Island Def Jam Music Group partnership was forged and managed by New York - based ACME Brand Content Company, TAG's branded entertainment agency of record.

For more information on TAG Records and the announcement of its first artist, visit www.tagrecords.com.

Kanye West launches online leisure and business travel program

West Brands, LLC, a holding company owned and controlled by multi-Grammy Award winning artist and business entrepreneur Kanye West, is set to launch Kanye Travel Ventures (KTV), a travel program specifically geared to serve the business and leisure travel demands of Kanye's world-wide fan base.

As opposed to past celebrity brand-based travel programs, West Brands has brought together travel experts and consultants to create and manage a platform of best-in-class processes and systems, in order to assure the highest quality and most cost effective travel experience for Kanye's loyal fans.

As the program continues to evolve, Kanye fans will be able to customize their trips on the KTV site, www.KanyeTravel.comincluding purchasing Kanye concert tickets and other performance-related merchandise and events, at the same time as they are booking their travel reservations.

According to Neil Abrams, president of Abrams Consulting Group, Inc., a leading travel industry consultancy for over 25 years, "While celebrity brand-driven travel programs have been attempted in the past, none have demonstrated long-term viability due to the lack of resources, commitment, and expertise deployed by the management company and the endorsing celebrity.

KTV, however, has been designed with Kanye and his executive team, and his energy and resources have been devoted to this innovative product offering. By securing industry expertise, partnering with global reservations systems, and negotiating high-volume discounts with air, lodging and ground transportation suppliers at varied price points, West Brands has assured that the KTV travel experience will reflect Kanye's style and approach to living."

Kanye Travel Ventures, once successfully launched, will serve as a prototype for other such celebrity-brand driven travel programs, targeting the unique demographic profile and tastes of each artist's respective fan base.

Kanye Travel Ventures was formed in July 2007, as an independent subsidiary of Kanye West's West Brands LLC dba Super Good, to develop and manage a unique celebrity-brand driven travel program, beginning with KTV. Kanye West, the multi-Grammy Award winner recording artist and producer, established West Brands as a holding company to oversee his many business interests. KTV and West Brands' executive offices are located in West Hollywood, California

Gas Prices Song (Kink in the Hose-Live)

Fighting Off Viruses: Advancements In Antivirus Software Suites

by: Nial Robbins

Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.

Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.

The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.

Protecting Your Computer

Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.

A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.

With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.

2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.

Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.

3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.

4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.

5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Recommended Antivirus Software

There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.

Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.

The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.

BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.

PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-

About The Author

Nial Robbins owns the work at home directory website located at:http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com Come by and visit us today! Also, be sure to check out our "top pick" work at home opportunity at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com/pips.html

Bangladeshi workers riot over prices

Some 20,000 Bangladeshi textile workers from over a dozen factories riot over high food prices and low wages, near the capital, Dhaka.

The workers went on the rampage in Fatullah, 20 kilometers south of Dhaka, demanding better pay amid soaring rice prices, police chief Bhuiyan Mahbub Hasan said.

They wrecked cars and buses, vandalized factories and hurled bricks and stones at police, he said.

Police fired tear gas and used batons to break up the protests and at least 50 people were injured, most of them police officers.

Hasan noted representatives of the manufacturers, labor and the military would meet in an attempt to defuse the unrest.

The riots came after the government said food prices, notably rice, which is a staple in Bangladesh, had doubled in the past year due to a massive production shortfall after devastating floods and a cyclone.

Last month, many associations urged the government to distribute subsidized rice to 2.5 million workers, fearing the food price hike could cause unrest among them.

I love my job!

A photo of Vice President Dick Cheney is sparking a lot of questions among Internet readers as to what's being reflected in his

sunglasses. Is it really a naked woman? The picture, posted on the White House Web site, shows Cheney fly fishing in Idaho.

A White House photo of Vice President Dick Cheney has caused people to wonder what's in the reflection of his sunglasses.

But Internet ramblers are buzzing about whether there appears to be a naked woman appearing in the reflection of his

sunglasses. A spokeswoman for the veep says the picture shows nothing more than a hand casting a rod.

There Are No Stupid Questions: Don’t Believe It

Written By: Bob Rehak
Edited By: Matthew C.K. Bradwell

Joboja Staff Writers

It’s no mystery that life is full of mysteries. There are things that happen that Plato, Einstein and even Alex Trebek could never explain. The mysteries we encounter make life interesting, unless they keep you awake at night. Then they’re annoying.

There are those among us who don’t pay any mind to the unexplainable. Those people are blissfully unaware. They don’t have any questions to ask, like a person who doesn’t understand a lick of Spanish sitting in an advanced Spanish class. Those people don’t have any trouble sleeping. You know that guy who sleeps on the train on the way to and from work every day? He’s got no questions.

The deep thinkers, like Plato and Einstein, sought answers to the big questions—questions about life, the cosmos, why and how we are here and why my electric bill is so high. But the majority of us only ask the questions we can answer in a spirited game of Trivial Pursuit. Most of us are in the same brain realm as Cliff Claven. We ask simple questions. When we don’t know the answer, we ask the guy next to us. If he doesn’t know, either he’ll make something up, in which case we’ll take his word for it and we will label him an intelligent man. If he admits to not knowing the answer, we’ll walk away thinking that man was an idiot.

Then we’ll just make something up so we don’t look like the idiots.

I have found that you can fake the answers until about age 30. Then, if you’re lucky, you’ll have some offspring nipping at your knees looking for real answers to some of life’s questions. Suddenly you can’t make up the answers as easily as you once did, lest your offspring repeat the answers in public and be labeled little idiots.

I may not know much, but I do know this: women are much deeper thinkers than men. They wonder about much more profound subjects than men do. A woman will wonder what love is and where it comes from. A woman will ask where rainbows and sunsets come from, and they will appreciate them 900 times more than a man. A woman will not involve herself in triviality; if it doesn’t have deep meaning to her or impact the world, she will not bother (which is why 92% of women change the channel while watching the news when the sports comes on).

Men aren’t that deep. If you’re like me, you wonder about much simpler mysteries, like why a dog barks wildly at a squirrel yet only wags its tail when it’s approached by another dog. How does it know the difference? How does it differentiate between the species in the animal kingdom so easily?

If you’re like me, you wonder how people on the east coast go to bed after the 11 o’clock news and still get to work by 8 or 9AM, yet aren’t more tired than those of us who live in the Central Time Zone who go to bed after the 10 o’clock news. And when there’s a major sporting event on TV the night before, like the NCAA championship last Monday, and the game goes into overtime, those east coasters are hitting the sack near midnight, yet they still get up for work on time the next day. (The flip side is the west coasters, who have their Super Bowls and World Series games end by 8 or 9PM, leaving them plenty of time to get to bed. Although they eat dinner at 8PM on the west coast, so you see how that stuff makes me wonder?)

Like me, you may also have other burning questions, like why hasn’t the world run out of rice yet, or where do robins hang out in the winter, or why does your beard grow back, every single day, yet your hair loss is forever?

I also stay awake at night asking myself how the Shuttle can be so big and its wheels can be so small. Stuff like that. Luckily for me, I’m a man, so I only stay awake about 4 minutes with my questions, and even then I forget I ever asked them in the morning. I’m good to go the next day, until I think of another stupid question as I watch the man sleep on the train on my way to work.