If you are not familiar with the person you are dating, you should never meet them in an isolated area where there is no one present. Depending on your age, your parents, friends, or guardians may wish to act as a chaperone. You will never truly get to know a person until you have personally spent time with them. This is especially true for people who use online dating service. While webcams are helpful, they cannot replace a face to face meeting. There are a number of dating safety tips that you will always want to follow.

First, you should always let people know where you are going on your date. If something happens, or you can’t be reached, people will know where to look for you. Take the number and first and last name of the person you’re dating and give it to someone you trust. Make it clear to your date that you’re doing this. If they have a problem with this, you should consider it to be a bad sign, and you may not want to proceed with dating them. For the first date, it is best to meet in a public place. If possible, meet during the day, and avoid dating a person late in the evening. You may want to start off your first date with something nice such as coffee.

When you go on a date, avoid having your partner meet you at your home. Never give them your address under any circumstances. Until you trust them, the two of you should agree to meet in a public place. If you don’t have your own car, you should have a plan to leave quickly if you become uncomfortable with the situation. While you’re on the date, it is important to listen carefully to what they are saying. This way, you can catch them in a lie if they say something later on which contradicts what they said earlier. If you see this pattern, this is a bad sign, and you will want to avoid dating this person.

Once the date is over, you will want to travel home without them taking you there. Never allow them to know where you live until you are absolutely comfortable with them. If you are dating online, safety is even more important than for those who are dating offline. The only thing you will see on most dating websites is a picture and profile of a person. This is not enough information for you to truly learn about a person. Even a webcam is not enough. Follow the guidelines in this article and protect yourself at all costs.

Ron Zvagelsky has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2006. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of PlanJam – where you can find fun date ideas and then plan a date.

So many people are concerned with lowering their TCIR number or simply meeting their safety goals that they loose sight of the issue of actually making the workplace safer. I have even seen this attitude expressed through some safety governing bodies in my years working with safety.

If you want to improve your safety numbers here are some tips:

1. Make employees scared to report accidents by making veiled threats like drug testing, punitive accident investigations, loss of privileges, long reporting forms etc.

2. Make employees scared to report injuries through peer pressure. Establish an incentive plan for the whole group so that the benefit will be lost if any one-person reports and injury.
3. Reduce the number of recordable injuries by working with your attending physician so that he does not write a prescription or otherwise trigger a recordable event.
4. Lower TCIR by inflating the number of hours worked. Since the hours worked is in the denominator, make this number as large as possible. Include all office staff, salespeople, interns, co ops, contractors, anyone who can have any connection with your group that are not likely to report an injury.
5. Include safety performance improvement to each supervisor’s salary review. He will make sure that employees are discouraged from reporting injuries.
6. Assume every employee who reports an injury is faking and plans to sue the company. Treat each case consistently and the word will get around.
7. Spend hours reviewing the OSHA or corporate rules for what constitutes a recordable event. Get to know every loophole for how to avoid listing it on the chart. Document why you did not record them in case of an audit.

To find ways to really make your workplace safer see:

http://mikestrawbridge.com/workplace-safety-training.shtml

Mike Strawbridge is the owner of Straw Solutions Performance Improvement Consulting. He enjoys finding ways to improve any process including how to make more money in your business
http://www.mikestrawbridge.com

Since 2003, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided funding for states and urban areas across the country, under its Homeland Security Grant Program, in an effort to improve emergency preparedness, at the local level, in the event of a terrorist attack. Such funding has been available through two types of programs known as the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). Both types of funds have consisted of myriad formulas and application requirements which have caused disputes between members of the United States Congress as well as between state governors regarding the amount of allocations doled out, both in the past and presently.

In 2006, when it was thought that the program could not get any more confusing and unfair to certain states and urban areas, the DHS has topped itself yet again. Many lawmakers have been left dumbfounded, since they have so little information and criteria available in the decisions that the DHS has made for Fiscal Year 2006, which began October 1, 2005. In addition, the decisions for FY 2006 will have a direct impact on any forthcoming funding beyond FY 2007, for those urban areas which have been deleted from the eligible list for 2006.

If the aforementioned has left you confused, you are not alone. It is important to note that the two distinctly separate funding programs, although Homeland Security Grant Programs, are more apt now to become supplements to each other, as the amount of funding has been cut for not only 2006 distributions but projected to be further reduced in 2007 as well. The UASI grants for 2006 allot $765 million to 35 urban or metropolitan areas, comprised of various counties, cities and towns in their immediate vicinities. In 2005 there included 50 urban areas and thus the initial outcries this year.

The 2006 eligible urban areas list has left off some major urban regions which were included in 2005 and since the program’s inception in 2003, leaving lawmakers and law enforcement with lots of questions. Among the big question marks are San Diego, CA, Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ, prompting federal, state and local officials to demand answers from the DHS.

The Homeland Security Appropriations Act, originated in 2002, established the SHSGP, which in the past allocated one-half of its funds to be equally divided between all 50 U.S. states including U.S. territories and possessions, with the remaining funds distributed to states based upon population. The system in place in 2006, however, guarantees a minimum amount to each state, but requires each to apply and qualify the need for additional risk-driven funding. Thus, it is incumbent upon each state to essentially prove its case to the DHS for additional allocations. For FY 2006, each state is guaranteed a baseline minimum distribution of $7.13 million in the SHSGP, reserved to concentrate on law enforcement training and preparedness. And since UASI grants are now pared down from 50 to 35, state grants loom even more important, as each year since 2004 the amount of funding for both programs has de-escalated.

In its effort to temper the criticism of pork-barrel rewards for certain states and urban areas least expected to be hit by a terrorist attack, the DHS has reframed its criteria in order for states and urban areas to either qualify for additional funding or in the case of the UASI, for any funding at all. With respect to San Diego, for example, which was eliminated from eligibility for 2006 UASI grants, when questions were asked by state and local lawmakers and officials, it became clear that the formula will not be disclosed because it is classified information, according the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff. In its zeal to remove all doubt that it is not being unfair in its analysis and that politics has not played a part in its decisions, the DHS states that the formula used for risk assessment was derived scientifically by computer calibrations and algorithms, yet so confusing that the DHS cannot even begin to explain them.

It is primarily the confusing new rules, which remain unexplained by the DHS, which has upset officials from both federal and state levels of government all over the country, with quite vocal protests coming from California and Nevada. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Senator Diane Feinstein of California along with Governor Kenny Guinn and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada have all been outspoken on the issue and have demanded more answers.

San Diego’s federal contingent of representatives, which includes Congressman Duncan Hunter, Congressman Darrell Issa, Congresswoman Susan Davis and Congressman Bob Filner, met in February with Homeland Security officials. But frustration was clearly expressed by Representative Filner. Most objectionable was the perceived disregard by the DHS that the county of 3 million residents, sits on an international border, is an international port, houses the largest marine base in the U.S. along with being a major naval base. As well as being a choice tourist destination, it would seem that these factors would be qualifiers for UASI funding for San Diego.

Filner recalls, “San Diego’s military bases and ships could be sitting ducks for a terrorist and aren’t factored into Chertoff’s “disciplined” analysis. I asked whether anyone has the [same] concentration of nuclear things that are a perfect target for terrorists,” he said. “Does any other city have three nuclear carriers in their harbor, a dozen or more nuclear submarines and a nuclear power plant? They said, “We don’t have those figures, but all of those military assets are “invisible to us,” in the DHS’ risk calculations,” according to Filner.

Rep. Susan Davis’ account was similar to Filner’s. “The DHS have certain principles they use when evaluating communities, such as transportation systems and populations, but that they haven’t really figured in [defense] facilities. What was so darned frustrating was that we expected them to come in with a rationale, but they basically said the [defense] facilities don’t quite factor into their assessment. It did seem very strange to us,” Davis said.

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, believes that military installations are not necessarily immune from terrorist attack. And the Mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, points out the vulnerability of the U.S.- Mexican border, especially with recent discovery of sophisticated underground tunnels, in which drugs, contraband and potential terrorists can be funneled into the U.S.

Nevada officials were allowed access to a classified meeting with Secretary Chertoff on March 9, 2006, including Congressman Jim Gibbons, Congressman Jon Porter, along with two top police administrators one of whom was the Las Vegas Metro Police Homeland Security Deputy Chief, Mike McClary. “When their calculations were done, there were areas where there was no data available,” according to McClary. “It’s a mystery how 10’s of millions of hotel guests were left out of the equation,” he said. According to Frank Siracusa, Nevada Emergency Management Director, “Different officials at Homeland Security often give contradictory recommendations or simply refuse to answer the questions.”

On any given weekend throughout the year, there are upwards of 300,000 hotel occupants on the Las Vegas Strip, many of whom are part of the more than 44 million tourists that arrived at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport in 2005, and growing each year. Why such data was not part of the equation in the assessment for Las Vegas could not be explained by the DHS, but it did offer to provide Las Vegas with another review. Whether or not the security of Hoover Dam was also overlooked in the DHS analysis remains a mystery as well. Las Vegas officials were not given a time frame in which they would get any future official communication from the DHS.

The UASI program is now focused primarily on enhancing the capabilities of local government to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from any number of catastrophic events. But planning for law enforcement training programs and equipment purchases for localities such as San Diego and Las Vegas will now have to rely solely on “Sustainment” risk funds or “Tier 2″ eligible funding, versus “High risk” or “Tier 1″ funding.

This means that localities may receive the balance of funding only for those projects which remain incomplete from 2005. Should the DHS find that its oversight of not including tourists in its eligibility analysis of Las Vegas was not an error, thus finding it only eligible for Tier 2 funding in 2006, Las Vegas will have to reapply from scratch in 2007. And if any urban area has two consecutive years of either denied funding or Tier 2 funding, it then remains permanently ineligible for any future UASI funding. Meanwhile, urban areas newly added to the eligible list for UASI funding in 2006 include Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Columbus, OH.

And finally, given all of their formulas and 37 capabilities requirements of “investment justification” in order for states and urban areas to be considered for funding from the DHS, it has yet to come up with such a measure of accountability, once funding has been dispersed, in order to realize the effectiveness of its funding. For without follow-up analysis, the DHS, the Congress, and state and local governments and law enforcement will have no clear indicators as to whether their law enforcement programs and preparedness purchases has been money well spent through the funding programs.

And without transparency between the federal and state levels of government, requiring necessary input from local government, the DHS will remain hamstrung in its own red tape, thus weakening the original intent of its grant programs. In order to expedite emergency response preparedness to those areas most likely at risk in the event of catastrophe, without such commitment to accountability the DHS spending programs will serve to create a false sense of security, and ultimately put the U.S. at far greater risk.

Diane M. Grassi is a freelance columnist, reporting and writing commentary on current events of the day providing honest and often politically incorrect assessments. From U.S. public policy to Major League Baseball, she is an eclectic thinker, and demanding of her readers to reflect on their own thinking patterns from an alternative perspective. Whether you agree with her or not, Diane M. Grassi will have you coming back to note her opinions, and if at best she wakes you up, then her goal will have been accomplished.

Ms. Grassi is featured with the online publications: New Media Journal.us; American Chronicle; Mich News.com; the Federal Observer; Opinions Editorials; the Conservative Voice; the Las Vegas Penny Press; the Sierra Times as well as many others. She also writes regular columns on Major League Baseball where she is a featured online columnist with The Diamond Angle Baseball Ezine and Sports-Central.org. Ms. Grassi may contacted at: dgrassi@cox.net

One of the many tools that home owners use regularly is a ladder. Whether you need to change the porch light bulb, clean the gutters or put something in the top of the closet. You may need a ladder to get the job done!

While ladders seem harmless enough and they are useful tools, accidents can still happen if you don’t follow some simple safety tips. You may be shocked to hear that each year; more than 400,000 people are injured from a ladder accident and end up in the emergency room or doctor’s office. Some injuries are as minor as cuts and scrapes while other injuries have resulted in broken bones or worse.

Below we are going to share some safety tips with you to ensure that you are properly using your ladder to get your chores done!

1. Before using the ladder, inspect it and make sure all the screws and side rails are in place. Stepping on to a ladder that isn’t secure, can result in you taking a fall which is exactly what we want to avoid!

2. Check the bottom of the ladder to make sure there isn’t any dirt, paint or liquid that has accumulated and will result in the ladder not being sturdy. For your safety, try to use ladders with non skid spurs – this helps the ladder to stay in place and prevent you from sliding.

3. Make sure to properly set up your ladder before climbing on. The ladder should be on a firm, level surface – never place a ladder on a surface that is uneven. Once you are certain the ladder is secure and level then make sure to lock the side rails to better secure the ladder.

4. Always position your ladder as close to the work area as you can. Do not overreach or stretch to the side, this could result in a fall if you lose your balance. It might take a little longer to finish your task if you keep getting off the ladder to reposition it but its best for your safety.

5. Never move the ladder with anything on top such as a hammer, paint can or the like. It won’t feel too good to have a can of paint end up hitting you in the head – any objects for that matter!

6. Don’t be lazy and pull out the step ladder if you will need the bigger ladder! Stretching and overreaching is one of the most common ways that people get hurt when using a ladder. With a bigger ladder you also have more bracing and you can lean up against it while working.

7. Most importantly always climb and descend the ladder facing it and holding on with both hands whenever possible. Also be sure to take one step at a time, if you miss a step that can end up with you falling from the ladder.

By following these few safety tips you will be able to avoid any unnecessary accidents or trips the emergency room. I know these tips sound like common sense but I see people make these simple mistakes daily for lack of thinking while working on something and trying to hurriedly finish.

Chuck Greene is an electrician with what some would call an odd love of laddders, especially the Little
Giant Ladder brand. He writes an maintains the Ladder Fanatic website in his spare time – which features information about the Little Giant
Ladders and testimonials for happy customers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Security Consultant’s Perspective…

2. The Insider Threat…

3. Threats by the Outsiders

4. The Terrorist Threat…

5. Protective Measures…

1) Security Consultant’s Perspective…

Traditional techniques at combating Workplace Violence pits the disgruntled employee against the system and the potential victims in a waiting game. It seems that the “Inside Threat” is reduced to monitoring the known potential, the “Ticking Bomb”, while the unknown threats go unmonitored. Threats by “Outsiders” are just as common and equally violent. Complicating this challenge, we now must grapple with the threat of terrorism (political and domestic) in our workplaces. I am reminded of a quote by James Baldwin from his book, “The Price of the Ticket”. “No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening, each time, for the first time, for the only time”. Fighting the potential workplace threat requires a change in tactics and training techniques in order to be proactive.

2) The Insider Threat…

The “going postal” employee is as real in many workplaces as was the case of the rash of Postal Service incidents that gave rise to the phrase by the media. The difference between the postal employee and the ConAgra Shooting, Kansas (July 2004), the DaimlerChrysler Shooting, Ohio (January 2005) and the Weequaic High School Shooting, Newark, NJ (July 2005) North Toledo was the lack of sensationalized media coverage. I have found that career employees who “go postal” did not plan to do so over night, nor was he predisposed to kill employees. It was a series of gradual events in the employee’s life brought about by changes in personal relationships, a diagnosed medical condition perceived unjust or a caustic domestic situation
gone awry given rise to violence aggression as a form of retaliation at home and the workplace.

The environmental, societal factors and contributing events could not have been more apparent to the trained eye. Perpetrators of workplace violence are victims of their environment because they did not plan their rampage the first day hired. It was a gradual process with changes which bought about behaviors, attitudes and methodical planning clearly evident by the employee’s daily interactions, physical appearance, verbal utterances and documented slips in performance and efficiency. Everybody can see the indicators in the aftermath but most do not understand how to collaborate to prevent the “Ticking Bomb” from exploding before it is too late.

The Threat Assessment Process though intrusive in some quarters is an instrumental process worthy of attention. Subtle but contributory changes in an employee’s demeanor can be detected with early warning signs to provide assistance and intervention. This response unlike the threat posed by “The Outsider” is manageable (predictable)and preventable.

3) Threats By Outsider…

Confrontational crimes committed by “Outsiders” though unmanageable can be mitigated and somewhat preventable. Take the following incidents. A nurse who works at a hospital who tells a horrific story of being punched, kicked, scratched, bitten, nose and ribs broken, stabbed with a pen and suffered eye damage all as a nurse at the hospital are true incidents. He also testified that patients have assaulted his co-workers. This account represents one of several hundred such incidents at hospitals in our Nation yearly. A storekeeper who confronted an armed robber was shot because he did not have enough money. You stop your car at a client’s business and exchange what you need between the car’s compartment and the trunk and return to discover the trunk broken into and the goods stolen? How about the lurking perpetrator who finds the pleasure in attacking helpless victims between floors on the stairwell or on the elevator? But nothing is worst than the unsuspecting medical service provider who is confro nted by a client in his home or the office helpless to defend himself without any insight into appropriate protective measures.

These are situational accounts of innocent employees, victims of their unique situations created by their workplace environments and the threats posed by “Outsiders”.

4) The Terrorist Threat…

Though much attention has been given the political terrorist, little is mentioned in the workplace about our homegrown terrorists. The political terrorist who assimilates into the fabric of America to await the “call to arms”, is much different than the “normal” employee who harbors outward
political, social and religious positions but, is protected by freedom of speech that permits the employee to maintain antithetical positions for the safety and security of the workplace. Our workplaces are full of ideologies that spawn terrorism; Para-military and militia groups, white supremacist
groups, black hate groups; those who believe in extreme defense of the unborn, even environmentalist who work on the fringes of the law have spawned eco-terrorists, defenders of animal rights have attacked furriers and researchers and religious sects have spawned “holy warriors” who attack commercial and cultural interest. Similar to both of these groups they choose targets of value and opportunity. Unlike the “Insider” and the “Outsider”, the criminal behaviors of the domestic terrorist advertise their
moves and are predictable because they are known and apparent.

5) Proactive Measures…

In no particular order: Train your leaders in Threat Assessment, Synchronize the security process with other departments, Structure personnel security procedures, Design a unique security policy, Plan and Test your emergency
evacuation plans, implement strategy to prevent and interdict workplace violence by all, Limit & restrict access, Issue a suitable form of identification with photograph, Teach crime prevention and have desktop exercises and scenarios, test your crisis communications plan, run periodic background checks on all employees and establish a repoting policy to encourage early identification of potential perpetrators.

Nater Associates, Ltd is a Security Management Consulting Practice specializing in Workplace Security Issues and dedicated to providing clients superior security services based on Solid Situational Experiences.

The setting for the history of hoodia gordonii is southern Africa. Long before Europeans explored the continent giving Latin names to the strange plants and animals they encountered, the San peoples knew hoodia gordonii by different names; xshoba, ikhoba, xhooba, etc. The question of hoodia safety had long been answered for them. They knew that hoodia gordonii was safe to eat, though not a preferred food source. The history of hoodia gordonii as an appetite suppressant goes back to these people. When traveling or hunting they knew that hoodia gordonii would ease their hunger and thirst. There was no question about hoodia safety. It had been used traditionally to treat abdominal cramps and indigestion. It was even used to treat hypertension and diabetes. Questions of hoodia safety came later in the history of hoodia.

Credit for giving the plant a Latin name goes originally to a botanist name Francis Masson, who sailed with James Cook. He called the plant Stapelia gordonii and wrote a book about it and other species of hoodia, which he called carrion flowers, because the blooms smell like rotting meat. Later on the name Stapelia was changed to hoodia, in honor of an ardent succulent grower named Van Hood. This begins the history of hoodia gordonii, by its current name.

In the 1960’s scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) investigated many African plants that were used by native people for medicinal purposes. They were interested in hoodia safety and effectiveness as an appetite suppressant. The scientists identified what they believe to be the active molecule in hoodia gordonii and patented the molecule. The recent history of hoodia gordonii scientific research begins here. The CSIR licensed a British pharmaceutical company to continue investigation of hoodia safety and effectiveness. Phytopharm sublicensed the rights to Pfizer, who returned the rights after closing their branch which dealt with plants and naturally occurring substances. Pfizer stated that they believed another company would be better equipped to continue research into hoodia safety and effectiveness. The history of hoodia and Pfizer ends here, in the late 1990’s, and caused some questions among a very few people about whether or not Pfizer would have returned the developmental rights, if hoodia safety and effectiveness could be proven.

Another opinion about Pfizer’s return of the hoodia license; often drug companies have several years to market their version of a new drug before anyone can market a generic or a similar natural health supplement. Because of Phytopharm’s long delay in bringing hoodia gordonii to the market (they are still involved in clinical research of hoodia safety and effectiveness), many health supplement companies have been able to obtain large supplies of the plant from farmers in South Africa. This actually begins the history of hoodia gordonii as a natural appetite suppressant. News continuously comes in. Just a few weeks ago (May 2006), Phytopharm announced that they and their new partner (Unilever) had just completed the first phase of a five phase clinical research program into hoodia safety and effectiveness. The world awaits the results.

For more information about hoodia safety, visit the Hoodia Info Blog at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com.

Patsy Hamilton is an editor of the Hoodia Info Blog.

Generation Y–The second-largest crop of young people in America’s history, offspring of the Boomers80 million of them, nearly 27 percent of the U.S. populationare in their late teens and 20s, and already a market force to be reckoned with.

The Millennials are here big time! “They’re demanding their own music, defining their own trends and starting to matter to advertisers, to retailers, to politicians,” chirped a recent Chicago Tribune editorial. What’s more, they are (or soon will be) buying cars and homes, getting married, starting families–and are going to matter very much to American business.

Neo-traditionalist in many ways, the Millennials are not cynical about marriage and having families. These young people value such intangibles as personal fulfillment, family well-being, freedom, securitylives on track. As a result, count on the Millennials to step up to the issues and needs most of us have no matter which generational cohort, market segment, or stage of life we’re in. “They don’t want to make the mistakes of either Generation X or the Boomers, to wait until the panic stage to have babies,” writes columnist, Suzanne Fields.

A High Dose of Reality

But no matter how great their marketing potential, Millennials with ground-floor incomes may be struggling to negotiate rent and other living expenses on top of college loans that the Christian Science Monitor estimates average $17,000. Or they may still be living with Mom and Dad!

So all is not a bed of roses, and even the most astute members of this (or any) generation will find the choices marketers ask them to make confusing. Or (worse) they may think they know it all or imagine they can get everything they need online, and don’t need help.

With so much at stake, indecision, inaction or mistakes born of misplaced self-confidence (”It can’t happen to me”) can be expensive–especially in periods of economic uncertainty. Yet this generation, which has known nothing but prosperity, is not used to doing without. Handed the choice of paying health insurance premiums or maintaining their savings and other financial security plans–and forgoing their cell phones or hanging up their social lives, many of these young people make the wrong call.

Setting priorities can be critical and shouldn’t be ignored no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, That’s one reason why realistic expectations should be communicated to consumers in this or any other age group. A difficult pill to swallow, but exactly the advice young families in that difficult position should hear.

How to Reach The Millennials

Generation Y is generally more comfortable using the Internet as a research tool to aid in making saving and investment decisions, rather than as a means for on-line banking or trading. “To effectively reach the youngest generation of adult Americans, whose lives are being shaped by digital media, marketers must deliver smarter, more sophisticated messages and build brands with them rather than for them,” a study by advertising firm, Saatchi & Saatchi suggests.

As described by Jane Levere in “Generation Shaped by Digital Media Presents Fresh Marketing Challenges,” in the The New York Times: “Saatchi & Saatchi, a unit of Saatchi & Saatchi PLC, based its study on interviews by child psychologists with 84 people ages 6 to 20 across the United States. They were asked what they thought about digital media like personal computers, the Internet, CD-ROMs, video games and cellular phones and other communication devices, and how these media affected their lives. Cultural anthropologists also observed 10 families at home for 50 hours each.

According to the agency, the digital media have several functions for the 80 million Americans born since 1977, the largest generation in the nation’s history. “The media serve as toys for these young people but also provide developmental challenges. Digital media also function as a virtual hearth at home,” the study said. It found that “most families have their digital media set up in a public room of the house; consequently, a lot of digital activities are shared by the family, making these media a center of family life.

“In addition, the study learned that the new media could function as a ‘cool library’ for the new generation.”Generation Y uses digital media as an extension of self socially, intellectually and emotionally,” the study said. ‘By extending the self in these ways, the new media help young people find their identity.’ It concluded that digital media act as “power tools” for the Millennials, giving them tremendous access to knowledge.

Generation Y is generally more comfortable using the Internet as a research tool to aid in making saving and investment decisions, rather than as a means for on-line banking or trading. “To effectively reach the youngest generation of Americans, whose lives are being shaped by digital media, marketers must deliver smarter, more sophisticated messages and build brands with them rather than for them,” a study by advertising firm, Saatchi & Saatchi suggests.

Social Security Reality Check

Despite Democrat and MSM protestations, many young adults are pushing for a privatized or partially privatized Social Security program, which would maximize their two greatest wealth accumulation assets — time and compounding returns.

Prediction: Petulently refusing any mention of privatizing Social Security won’t cut it for long. Washington must find the stones either to a) call time-out and switch over to a privatized Social Security system for everyone over a certain age, b) permit wage earners to invest x-percentage of their payroll tax into personal accounts, or c) come up with some other fiscally feasible, politically palatable version of Social Security reform.

Failing that, the discontent of Millennials and Generation Xers will become the political time bomb for future presidents and Congresses that Social Security had been until George Bush’s bold 2005 initiative.

Want More? Send questions and comments to w.willard3@knology.net.

Bill Willard has also been writing high-impact marketing and sales training primarily for the financial services industry for 30 years. Through interactive, Web-based “Do-While-Learning

Well, is it! Do you back up your files on a regular basis? Do you have a back up plan in place? What’s important to your business and what isn’t? What happens if you get hurt, who will run your business? Do you have customers come to your business? What if

Job security is a term that is often thrown around in hard economic times. The idea of job security has changed a great deal in the past 3 decades. It used to mean finding a solid position at a successful company. If you showed up on time, and performed your tasks well then advancement and pension were things you did not have had to worry about. Today, there is no job security. It is a career attribute that no longer exists in our volatile economy. There are several reasons that job security has disappeared from our job market. These reasons include downsizing, rightsizing, restructuring, temping, and outplacement. Companies are no longer stoic structures which are left untouched by the global economy. They suffer through buy outs, mergers, and sometimes go belly up. Most employees never consider what will happen if their company goes out of business until it is far to late.

While companies can no longer offer job security, you as an individual can create your own version of it in three easy steps – learn how to survive restructuring, make yourself more ‘employable’, and plan for an emergency. The key to keeping your job while your company under goes restructuring is to be open and positive to change. When new management is brought in, embrace and help them adjust to their new work place. Yes, losing coworkers and friends is hard but losing your job is worse. You must constantly be working develop yourself professionally. Take full advantage of corporate funded training, and tuition reimbursement programs. Make sure you stay current with financial trends in your particular career and company – read the literature, understand the research, and be willing to share your new knowledge.

Believe it or not you can make yourself more employable. Make sure you maintain professional contacts and network as much as possible. Build strong professional and personal bridges with as many people as possible – managers, clients, coworkers, and vendors. Staying in touch with the people who are well versed in the field, you work in, can offer you endless opportunities to advance or change jobs easily. These people are more than willing to help you find a new position. Even if the company you work for is doing well you should keep your resume updated. In addition keep a list of accomplishments and performance evaluations, and keep your interview skills sharp.

True security comes with being prepared if you do lose your job. Make sure you create and continue to build an emergency fund. Most financial professionals suggest you set aside 6 months worth of income in a money market fund. Make sure you have the ability to draw checks or use a debit card when you need to access this money. Looking for a new job can be emotionally and physically draining. Having an emergency fund reduces the stress, allowing you to have more time and energy to find your perfect position. The economic climate of corporate America is unpredictable in today’s new millenium. Job security may have disappeared but there is no reason that you can create your own.

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Halloween is quite possibly one of the most interesting, fun, and magical holidays we celebrate. There are so many things about the holiday that are still very mysterious and enchanting. Among those mysteries, sadly, is why there are people out there who would want to do something dangerous to ruin the fun of Halloween for others. There are many crimes reported each year during the Halloween holiday. Among the most common are vandalism, robbery, and assault. Others occur as well, including some cases of drunk driving and other such preventable hazards. However, it is very easy to prevent most of the hazards of Halloween from affecting you and your family as you celebrate.

To begin with, one of the most important things you could do is educate yourself and your children. The more you know about the risks to your safety, and where they are, the better able you will be to prevent something bad from happening. Countless resources exist to help you make safe plans for Halloween. A search on the internet will help you to find safety guidelines for trick-or-treating and other Halloween events. Also, schools usually give some pointers to children to ensure their safety. Local law enforcement agencies will be able to provide information as well. They will typically have the most updated information.

Candy has gained a reputation as the most dangerous part of the holiday. This may or may not be true. However, what is true is that it never hurts to play it safe. So, to be safe, make sure that your child is not accepting candy that does not appear to be in its original wrapper. Also, make sure that the wrapper has not been tampered with in any way. You can observe some of this while out trick-or-treating, but you will have to spend some time at home checking the candy further to make sure it is safe. Make sure your child knows not to eat any of the candy before bringing it home. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Never let your children go out unsupervised. It’s best to take your children only to the areas you know well.

One of the most effective ways to ensure your child’s safety is simply to avoid the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating that once was the staple event of the holiday. Now it is much more common to find trick-or-treating events at local malls and at other centralized locations. This can be a great benefit, as more effort can go into making a much smaller area fun to visit. You avoid the potential hazards of traffic and strangers, the risk of bad weather, and just about all of the other things that could ruin Halloween. Consider either going to a centralized Halloween event this year, or hosting your own Halloween party to bring the fun where you are.

No matter where you go, you should think about the visibility of your child. The more showy the costume, the more memorable it will be. This is important because, no matter how careful you are, a child can easily become lost. The more obvious they are, the better. One very good costume idea for girls is to dress your child in a fairy costume. These attractive costumes are available in many bright colors and will guarantee that you child is noticeable. Fun and functional, you can find an excellent selection of these costumes. Remember, this is potentially one of the most dangerous holidays for strictly preventable reasons. Have fun and be safe on this Halloween!

Copyright (c) 2006 MagicFairyRealm.com

Magic Fairy Realm imports beautiful hand painted Fairy Wings and hand stitched Fairy Dresses from an artist community in Bali. See more articles like this one on their website at: www.magicfairyrealm.com