More trends!

Psychology of the trader. Forex article "Reward yourself after a lucrative trade"

2011-11-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

Dot.com craze produced the number of newly minted millionaires, but many of them are lost almost as quickly as it got. Now maybe some of them regret that they did not spend more dollars on the real thing. I remember a classmate who was holding 550.000 shares of the company insider, which he helped found, a manufacturer of Internet components.

The company entered the public with a price of about $ 16 per share, and over the next few months, abruptly soared to a peak of about $ 120. For the price of our friend, was worth approximately $ 66 million. Do you think he retired and plays golf three times a week, but in fact he works 9 to 5, like most of us. Almost all of his shares were restricted for sale within the stellar rise and fall of stocks, so that he could not make a profit, which would enable him to become rich.

The only evidence that remained of his fleeting wealth - a house for 5 million in a suburb of Boston, which he bought for cash. Now he makes enough to keep house and pay taxes on it, but he could not afford to buy it today. The lesson here is that the fantastic profits, you can fuck in the stock market - just a lot of numbers in a computer Statement if we can not spend it. Some traders in Forex apparently believe that their goal - the accumulation of a large number of digits in the account. But they quickly get bored if the electron does not gain continues to accumulate with ever-increasing speed.

If you sell at a profit, it is useful from time to time to spend money on something tangible - whether it's a box of Cuban cigars or a vacation with his wife in Rio de Janeiro, or a new chair for your office. It will remind you that the blood, sweat and tears shed in transactions not in vain.

Why Integrating Social Media With Traditional Media Is Hard?

2011-11-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

Integrating social media into your existing media — advertising and public relations, is challenging. But, without integration across platforms you risk diluting your brand, wasting marketing efforts, and lower sales.
Since integrating social media with your traditional media is so important, let’s take a look at why it’s so hard.

Why Integrating Social Media is so Hard ?

1. The platforms are different.

Traditional media are one-way communications where you talk at your market, while social media is a two-way conversation where you talk with your market.

While this difference may seem obvious, it makes a huge difference in your communications.

With social media you can’t just talk about yourself, you have to share more personal information about the people involved, and you need to create content that’s valuable to your network.
You have to engage your audience in social media so developing tactics to get them involved are critical.
People talk back in social media and sometimes you don’t like what they have to say — this creates a blending of social media and customer service that requires a mechanism for addressing complaints voiced on your social networks.

2. You need to give them something to link with you in social media.

Remember, you’re not paying for programming they’ll enjoy — like a TV program — so you need to “pay” your followers something to get them to listen to you. What kinds of motivation work in social media:

Contests or other tactics that give rewards to folks “Like” you or share your content. For instance, Social Media Examiner was running a contest for folks who Tweeted about their Facebook Summit with the winner getting admission to the event. This ensures your attracting folks who are part of your target audience rather than random followers who just want to win something.
Support a cause your audience supports. This worked for Purina. They gave away a bowl of dog food to animal shelters for every person who “Liked” their Facebook fanpage and gave a bag of dog food for everyone who blogged about the charitable project.
Acknowledge folks, people love being recognized and, if you fail to thank them for their support, they'll stop supporting you. For instance, Guy Kawasaki responds personally to everyone who writes on his Facebook wall — so does Mari Smith, although she has a little help from her staff. I make a habit of responding to every comment on my blog, every +1, every RT, and thank folks for every share of my content (except those who rip off my content).

3. The metrics are different.

In traditional media, you’re trying to sell product so the metrics are sales or return on investment (ROI). In social media, you’re trying to build relationships so metrics are harder to come by. What you’d really like to measure is engagement, but you have to settle for things like # of comments, # of shares (Tweets, +1s, Facebook Likes …), Klout scores (which measure your online influence), and buzz (folks talking about your brand in social media).

Bean counter types don’t like these squishy metrics — they want ROI. But remember, traditional media are great for creating immediate sales increases, but they’re expensive and their value erodes quickly once the campaign is over. Social media is like a slow burn — it smolders forever creating a steady heat over an extended period of time. It’s also harder to link social media efforts directly with sales.

4. Social media and traditional media are often handled by different employees or agencies.

Social media is often handled by young folks with technical expertise (such as computer folks) or with a journalism background. Or by a social media agency or consultant.

Traditional media comes from older folks with broadcast and PR expertise. Or an advertising agency.

These folks don’t speak the same language or understand each other very well. And, they may not work together well — they may even be in different building or cities. This makes collaboration and integration of social media and traditional media difficult.

5. Integrating Social Media and traditional marketing requires specialized skills.

Integrating social media and traditional media requires a detailed understanding of both platforms and a thorough understanding of the marketing and consumer behavior concepts that underpin success in both platforms. And NEITHER of your social media or traditional marketing team may know anything about marketing and consumer behavior. Hiring someone to brand your products who doesn’t KNOW marketing is like hiring an accountant who never took an accounting class. They can do it, but it isn’t RIGHT.

Social Media Tips & Trends

2011-11-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

Social media is all the buzz in small business circles these days. But what exactly do we expect from the medium as small business owners and how do we make it work for us? What follows are a series of articles on tips and trends (what works as well as what doesn’t) that we’re hoping will help small business owners find their way in this perplexing new world.

Tips

Are you a highly effective blogger? Yes, blogging is an important part of your social media campaign, so let’s think way beyond just Facebook and Twitter. Here’s a post on the top habits you’ll need to succeed in the highly competitive blogging world out there. Annemarie Cross

What’s your strategy for reaching out and making connections? Make no mistake, the social part of online marketing is not easy. Whether using Facebook, Twitter or blogging, the best laid plans don’t always work. As a result, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan. Basic Blog Tips

Why social media is about more than just connections. If you think you can connect your way to social media success, think again. It’s very important that what you are building is a community, and one with real people you want to connect with and who want to connect with you. Chris Brogan

Trends

Social media: A security threat? You may hear lots of positives about what social media can do for your business. But how about some of the negatives? Well, it just so happens some IT professionals are convinced the dangers might outweigh the benefits. smallbiz technology

Social media best practices. Social media has become hugely popular as a PR tool, but how small businesses use it can also be important. What is your business’s philosophy when approaching social media? Have you carefully considered the message you’re sending? gaebler.com

Social media gives small business reach. In the old days you might have had to buy plenty of TV and newspaper advertising to get similar results and even then, you couldn’t target your audience that well. Today, a Facebook presence can do the same or better as those old school alternatives, helping small businesses capture interest and generate fans. Los Angeles Times

Tools

Social media for the ecommerce entrepreneur. Social media can be a boon for ecommerce businesses for obvious reasons. With both marketing and sales online, audiences can be moved quickly and easily from marketing message to the opportunity to buy. Here are some tools that make this kind of marketing easier. ecommerce-guide.com

Tools to improve small business social media. You won’t likely be able to ignore the importance of social media to your small business in the coming years, but the key to success in this as in every other aspect of your small business is to work smarter not harder. Here are some tools to give you a hand. The Globe and Mail

How I Uncovered Twitter’s Trending Topics “Secrets”

2011-10-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

Some people asked where I got my information from for the article “Six Secrets About Whether Twitter Censors Trending Topics” at the Buffer Twitter Tools and Twitter Management blog. I have written this post to address that.

99% of the “controversy” about Trending Topics that I've seen is of two types:

They think it didn't trend, but it did—they simply missed it when it did;
They don't understand why popular topics don't keep trending. If they did, Trends would be mostly things like “love,” “hate,” “Justin Bieber,” etc. Trending is about more than just simple popularity.
(In other words, most “controversies” are based on misinformation.)
I’ve relied on three sources of information for determining how Trending Topics are calculated/. By combining information from these three sources, I’ve come to certain conclusions. Some conclusions are clearly true; some are only possibly true.

I’ve then taken the conclusions and looked at the information again, to see if it helps gain further insight into the source information.

My three sources for information about Trending topics are:

1. Info from Twitter explaining how trending topics are calculated.

Some of what they say is clear, some of what they say makes certain conclusions likely, and some is unclear.

To Trend or Not to Trend… Key quotes:

1.Sometimes a topic doesn’t break into the Trends list because its popularity isn’t as widespread as people believe.
2.Sometimes, popular terms don’t make the Trends list because the velocity of conversation isn’t increasing quickly enough, relative to the baseline level of conversation happening on an average day.
3.Topics break into the Trends list when the volume of Tweets about that topic at a given moment dramatically increases.
4.Twitter Trends are automatically generated by an algorithm that attempts to identify topics that are being talked about more right now than they were previously.
5.The Trends list captures the hottest emerging topics, not just what’s most popular.

About Trending Topics. Key quotes:

1.The following behaviors and others like them could cause your account to be filtered from search or even suspended…Repeatedly Tweeting the same topic/hashtag without adding value to the conversation in an attempt to get the topic trending/trending higher.
2.The most important thing is to make sure your Tweets are genuine thoughts or impressions and not attempts to insert yourself into a trend. Everyone who clicks on the trending topics should be able to see real people’s ideas and links to further relevant information.

An infographic Twitter recommended about Trending Topics. Key quotes:

1.Twitter Trends favor novelty over popularity.
2.The…algorithm only accounts for interesting peaks: sudden increases that mark an emerging trend.
3.Twitter used to rank popularity by volume, but changed the algorithm.
4.…the Bieber effect; becoming part of the constant background noise like love, hate, Christmas [etc.]

2. Investigating how the volume of tweets affects topics that have trended

Because it’s hard to know what localization data Twitter is using, I’ve only paid much attention to observations about volume vs. trending for topics, that:

…would clearly be popular primarily in the U.S., e.g. use slang primarily popular in the U.S.
…trend worldwide, so location data is irrelevant.

Conclusion

I have seen topics that trended a second time in the same area, so it is not impossible. Of particular note is that this means there is likely something in addition to volume that is not novelty that can cause a second trend. I think that something is new people tweeting about the topic (in addition to sufficient volume).
When the algorithm was first introduced, Justin Bieber fans made an enormous effort to create a volume of tweets higher than anything they had previously achieved when they saw that their usual efforts didn’t cause trending. Despite having a very organized network that was repeatedly successful in creating high tweet volumes of his name before, they were unsuccessful afterwards. It can’t only be “lack of novelty” that caused the topic to trend, since it is possible. It appears to have been “the same people saying the same thing” not being counted highly.
Twitter says, in the same article, “Topics break into the Trends list when the volume of Tweets about that topic at a given moment dramatically increases.” but also says “Sometimes a topic doesn’t break into the Trends list because its popularity isn’t as widespread as people believe.” The first quote indicates that “volume” is required, the second that “widespread” popularity is required. The implication is that “widespread” does not mean the same thing as “volume.” Volume would be a count of tweets, but “widespreadness” would be a count mainly of people, or variations in geographic area with the same trending area. This is admittedly not definitive, but considering in particular point #2 above, this seems to be the case.
Twitter does say that the same person “Repeatedly Tweeting the same topic/hashtag … in an attempt to get the topic trending/trending higher” may be filtered out from counting toward the topic. This indicates there is at least one mechanism for counting volume but eliminating some people.

Fall Trends 2011

2011-10-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

Now that fall has officially settled in our always fashion forward office, it’s time to think about which look we are going to be trending on our face and hair. Beauty and Fashion walk hand by hand! So, onto the Beauty trends for fall-winter!

Androgynous. Is it a girl? Is it a boy? That’s the question with Andrej Pejic (pictured aboved), a model that does both the girls and the boys role. Re-create the look with waxed hair and sculpted cheeks, very garcon.

Metallic eyes. We’ve done it before but the always sexy metallic smokey eyes are here to stay one more season. Tip: change your gold and silver for some copper eye shadow and be ready to captivate all the spotlights.

Wine stains. As you might already know burgundy is the color you’ve to be spotted in next season! And that also applies your beautiful lips, go for a deep red/wine color lipstick.

Drama queen. Go over and over your eye lashes with your mascara to make them look longer and thicker, both on the upper and bottom lashes. Combine them with defined, bold brows. Win-win!

Shiny lids. Forget about the gloss on your lips and move it upwards! Apply a beige eye shadow as a primer and coat it with a fine layer of gloss (especially designed for eyes!).

The Hottest Fashion Jewelry Trends in 2011

2011-10-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, fashion jewelry is the best way to make any hot outfit stand out. Many women spend several hours shopping for the clothes they are going to wear, but they do not think about the jewelry they are going to wear with it. Trendy jewelry should be part of any outfit that you want to wear to create a stunning look, so you will want to take some time to think about the pieces you are going to wear with those outfits. Here are some of the hottest fashion jewelry trends you will find in 2011. One trend in fashion jewelry to take notice of is the contrasting colors that are being used. Women everywhere are putting on layers and layers of necklaces that use contrasting colors to make those outfits pop. Many women are finding that using long silver and gold necklaces wrapped around and layered on top of each other creates a sophisticated look. Also, when necklaces feature bright or bold colored gemstones they are able to get the same type of effect. Of course, if you are looking for a simple look, there are other options such as wearing a single necklace with a small stone in the center. Another trend in fashion jewelry is mismatched bracelets. This trend is for those women who own a lot of different bracelets and can never decide which one to wear. The bracelets that you put on can be a mixture of cuff bracelets, chunky bracelets, or you might decide to pile on some gold and silver bangles to keep up with the latest trends. You will find that this layered trend will mostly be in effect in Fall and Winter when there are a lot of layers of clothing that are being worn. As Summer nears, the trend will change to a “less is more” trend which means back to single bracelets. These are just a few of the hottest fashion jewelry trends that you will find in 2011. Whether you are someone who keeps up with these trends or you just want to avoid making any fashion errors, you will want to make sure to know what the current trend is and stay on top of them as the seasons change. There are several great options available for those who are looking for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings to make their daily outfits stand out among everyone else around them.

Ditch The Topknot For This Easy Evening 'Do

2011-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

The ever-so-popular topknot has ruled the streets (and obstructed our view at the movie theater) for the past few years, but we think it’s time for a bun migration. Recently, we were captivated by the simple but ever-so-beautiful low chignon at Rachel Comey's spring '12 show. It felt instantly chic, and also happened to work on every single lady, regardless of face shape or hair texture. It's high time for a classic bun resurgence, so we sought out the expertise of makeup artist and hairstylist, Jillian Villafane, to help us help you. The end result: an easy-as-pie guide to perfecting this polished look.

1. To get this look right, you have to begin with dry hair. Run a brush through it to smooth out any tangles, then apply an anti-frizz serum. Jillian recommends Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum.
Josie Maran Argan Oil Serum, $12, available at Sephora; No-Frizz Paddle Brush, $14.99, available at Ricky's.

2. Part hair down the center, and brush it into a low ponytail. Secure it at the nape of your neck.

3. Wrap the ponytail around its base. Tie a second elastic around the bun.

4. Secure the sides of the bun with bobby pins, tucking them into the bun, to pull it closer to your head and conceal any elastic that may be showing.

Trend reports

2011-10-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

Temperatures may be hovering in the 90s from New York to L.A., but in (air-conditioned!) stores across the country, Fall clothes have arrived. And while the minimalist tendency is far from over (see "Man Up," below), there are also plenty of options for those who've secretly missed a bit of excess. Here, a brief recap of the season's top trends.

2012 Paris S/S Fashion Week: Isabel Marant

2011-10-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take much for us to go dizzy over Izzy, but somehow, Isabel Marant's Spring collection has left us more enamoured than ever before. Marant has the Parisian-cool look down pat, as seen in the array of sexy hand-knit dresses, doodle-print jeans, and minidresses she sent down the runway. It was the perfect balance of rock-star-meets-bohemian, as even more evidenced in pastel patchwork pieces paired with cozy knits, and fringed sweaters with snakeskin-print pants. Meanwhile, partywear options were provided via body-hugging minidresses made in tie-dye and metallic prints. Marant also showed off her sporty side with football tees and surprisingly chic track pants. Leave it to Marant to make sweatpants and tees look so good. After all, there's a reason why the designer has such a cult following. Please Isabel, can we have some more?

Trends: Colourful knits, football tees, printed and patchwork jeans, track pants, tie-dye.
Colours: Pastels, blue, yellow, red, black, orange, pink, purple.
Key Look: The sexy knitted dresses and patchwork pieces.
Accessories: Sexy chain-embellished ankle-wrap sandals in metallic hues.
Who Would Wear It: Girls who crave Parisian-cool looks like Kate Bosworth and Sienna Miller.

Women are making progress on Forex

2011-09-22T07:31:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact that in society there is a perception about the dominance of men over women in the field of foreign exchange dealing, women are making headway in the Forex market is not the first year. This can be seen by visiting any courses for foreign exchange dealing in Forex.

If you decide that this is due to the fact that men prefer to learn independently through the Internet, reading books, attending on-line conference, you may be right. But just want to highlight one inconspicuous but very important fact that women are more diligent, sustained and patient. A woman can admit that she does not understand the principles of trade in the Forex market and visit paid courses to gain the knowledge, instruction, create a trading strategy and follow it patiently, waiting for sleep to correct trading signals, clearly show the stop-loss and take-profit. In other words, women can be described as the traders who are less reckless than men who are sensitive about the process of implementing a trading strategy.

If you're reading this article means you have a question related to the correctness of the choice of development path. Of course, you can choose other ways of earning on the Internet, but they all involve hard work, whether it be:
programming,
Partner on-line business,
web-surfing,
participate in market research
create your own shopping site, and more.

In addition, all ways of earning on the Internet has its ceiling of profit. Whatever information is not disseminated the Internet community, and several thousand dollars a month - is the limit. Forex you can earn as much as you want. Of course, it all depends on sales and profitability of the deposit of your strategy. However, even implementing a trading strategy to the profitability of 10-15 percent per month, you can earn a steady unimaginable amounts of money, and for several years to become full-fledged millionaire. To achieve this goal, you can use two methods:
‪ 1. ‬ reinvest their profits (not to withdraw the money earned from the trading account and the growth of capital to increase trading volume).
‪ 2. ‬ attract investors. Of course, in such cases will need to divide the profits, but profits will be more substantial, although profitability in percentage terms would remain the same.

If these two methods are combined, the result can be achieved much earlier. Here, as the saying goes, everything in your hands.

Dear and beautiful women, to earn the foreign exchange market like a Forex, is much easier than dealing with the everyday things that you can easily and successfully solve every day.

What to choose: Forex or the stock market?

2011-09-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Let us consider the main differences between Forex and Stock Market:

- The stock market and forex has a large number of professional companies with excellent recommendations, which have high-quality service;
- The stock market and forex, to reduce the risk associated with losses provides insurance. Diversify your portfolio, you will have an opportunity to purchase a forex - different currency pairs, the stock market - shares of various companies. This will insure you against unexpected losses.
- To work and get the earned money in the stock market, you must have a bank account in the derivation of money you will need to pay taxes. In forex, there are various possible withdrawal, and the taxes will not have to pay.
- The main goal as a Forex, as well as the stock market is to get the most profit during the purchasing and selling currencies or stocks. Many believe that investing money in the stock market is much stronger than in Forex trading, as shares of a stable currency.

Both these markets have many advantages and disadvantages, you need plenty of time to enumerate them. Everyone should take a decision himself, based on their knowledge and experience, where he will be better to trade. But it is worth remembering that the Forex market is more resistant to a variety of swings in the economy. When the world is experiencing any shocks, it will affect particularly the stock market. When the economic crisis in one country, instantly and drags along another. And with the fall of the one currency rises another automatically. As a trader to get the maximum profit you will need to analyze the market's behavior and to control the movement of currency pairs.

What is Forex?

2011-09-22T07:21:00.001-07:00

At this time, often offer a lot of money easily and effortlessly in the Forex market. What is it? Forex - the international currency market, the essence of bargaining which is buying and selling currencies and in receipt of these operations, some profit. Participants in this market are banks and various organizations, which have in their back big enough funds. Immediately begs the question, but what are we, ordinary people? The fact that the average person, just like banks, may sell and buy foreign currency, only in smaller scales. To participate in this market should open an account with a certain amount of money. This account will fund and through which trade will be done, and you can make a profit. Typically, brokers the trading on Forex - market are dealing companies that are online.
It seems that this complex? Invested, and sit quietly, wait, when they will be more. But there are many versions about what Forex - is a solid "sell" a fraud. Let's look at it. We have already determined that the operations in this market are held by intermediaries, so it happens that they become subject to "dishonest" people. To avoid such troubles, you need to work with reliable people, and you should alert too great deals, check to see if what the catch. Some people believe that Forex - is a big risk. But let us judge for yourself, every business, sooner or later has some damage - it is the law of business. It often happens that a person can not get started on Forex - market, thinking that this must possess any special knowledge and that this must be for a long time to learn. This view can be easily refuted, it is necessary only to look at the number of participants in Forex - market. It often happens that people with multiple diplomas on the market may earn much less than ordinary plumber. To obtain initial information will be sufficient to go to the site of Forex, look to your questions on the Internet. Sometimes a person can not decide on the Forex, fearing that it would take a long time. I think that it is worth recalling the work around the clock in this market, and everyone can choose the time when it is convenient to work with.
Communicate with Forex or not - you decide, one must rely on their strength and perseverance.

Overview of Google Plus

2011-09-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

In this article we'll show you what is Google Plus.

1. What is Google Plus?

Google Plus - a new giant social networking from Google corporation.

Google has previously tried to unite the entire audience in one service, but unsuccessfully. And now a new attempt - Google Plus. To the naked eye can see that Google Plus coolest past attempts to Google. Cool, minimalist design, excellent performance, innovative idea with the circles in the form of "Friends" and competent relationship with all the services Google.

2. How does Google Plus works?

In fact, Google Plus - the same Facebook, or MySpace. Instead of "Walls" - "Tape", but work with it much more convenient, and navigation is competently implemented. There are hot keys, combined with Google Reader. In the tape is inserted into any media content, with the ability to comment - a standard social feature.

The design is executed in the new minimalist style, looks very neat and beautiful. Still possible to choose a theme, so far, from a list that offers the service itself Google Plus.

3. Tips social networking Google Plus

3.1.Circles.

The main feature of the new network are the Google Plus circles of contacts. With the help of these circles can be very useful to sort all your contacts in different spheres of activity. It's better just to see. The meaning of their work is that for each round you can customize, for example, different privacy. Implemented in a very high technological level.

3.2. Videoconferencing.

Another feature of Google Plus is video conferencing. Corporate segment Facebook angry, and goes to the social networking site from Google. This service is free, minimal, and can be connected at once, with ten people and not only. True, the video function more buggy. The picture quality leaves much to be desired, but generally lags behind the audio so ... But, still, a terrible cross-browser compatibility.

In video conferences themselves built itself a cool feature - insert videos from YouTube in real time!

Insert a YouTube video of Google Plus the social network from Google, ie you can directly go to show the video to a friend, discussing it in parallel, or talking point.

Very tight integration with Google Plus service Picasa. The ability to store photos of great size, though how much, and video up to 15 minutes - for free! All photos are displayed as one large wall.

4. The conclusion about Google Plus


Google Plus

The most important question - whether to compete Google+ with Facebook?
If do - a very bright future in the form of one billion active users, and the subsequent conquest of the market of social networking.
If not - Facebook will kill Google Plus.
That ended our review of Google Plus.

Dead Birds & Fish: What's REALLY Going on in Arkansas

2011-01-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

First it was more than 1,000 dead birds that fell in a 1-mile radius in Beebe, Arkansas that had us freaked. Dead things dropping from the sky on New Year's Day? Is it the sign of the apocalypse? Then things got really creepy. We found out more than 100,000 dead fish were found floating in the Arkansas River just days before.

Together they leave us with two choices: curl up in a corner and start rocking or figure out what the heck is causing it so we can move on with our lives. We're going with the latter. Here's what's really causing all those dead animals in Arkansas.

The government killed them:

What would a new year be without some new wacky "the government is out to get you" theories? Popping up all over the web is the phrase "Some believe that secret undercover government weapons testing is the cause of the rash of wildlife deaths there." Some do seem to believe it, but none offer up anything other than their beliefs. Maybe some facts would make us feel like these people were more than bird brains.

Fireworks killed the birds:

The bodies of the birds showed physical trauma akin to lightning or hail. But considering it was New Year's Day, Keith Stephens of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission told CNN:

If someone was to shoot fireworks in an area where they were roosting, while they were asleep, then that could have been what caused their deaths.

If that's true, why hasn't the pyrotechnician come clean? Arkansas is a state where fireworks are legal, so he shouldn't be in any trouble.

Disease killed the fish:

Only dead drum fish died, which actually makes this easier to figure out than the birds. If there were a pollutant in the water, it should have affected everything in the river. But with only one species of floaters, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (boy those folks have their hands in everything these days) are calling this one for disease. Now for the big question: could the birds have snacked on the fish?

Poison killed them both:

We've already ruled it out for the fish, but what about the birds? Actually, that's a negative too. The birds' stomachs were empty. Although mine would be empty if I ate something that gave me the runs too ...

Weather killed the birds:

When in doubt, blame it on the weather. Birds don't fare so well when their coats get soaked, and there was a storm that blew through Arkansas late last week. So they could have died from exposure or been confused as heck and simply flew into the ground themselves. Only problem? The storm was pretty much gone by the time the birds started dropping like flies.

God did it all:

If it's not the government, it's got to be Him, right? Oh ye of little faith, check out the pile of Biblical quotes concerning dead critters and tell us it's not a wee bit creepy. Particularly of interest: I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea from Zephaniah 1:3. If He's sweeping them away, does that mean He's offering to help with the clean up?

USS Enterprise Video Scandal Navy Commander Mastermind

2011-01-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Navy video scandal brought about by Captain Owen Honors has garnered quite a buzz of controversy, but the Navy hasn't revealed the fate of the carrier officer yet. At this point it is unclear whether Honors, captain of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, will keep his position.

According to the Virginian-Pilot, Honors produced and broadcasted a series of short videos during an "XO Movie Night" meant to entertain the crew that featured "anti-gay remarks, sexual jokes, subordinates parading in drag, and sailors pretending to masturbate and shower together" for the crew.

Since an edited version of the video was released by the newspaper over the weekend, U.S. Fleet Forces Command has launched an investigation into Honor's lewd videos.

"The U.S. Navy has not made any official statements or comments on the status of Capt. Honors," a Monday morning statement said. "The investigation currently being conducted will provide the necessary information to make that decision in an informed manner."
Watch video

Bird government testing: Labs seek clues after 3,000 dead birds fall from the sky in Arkansas

2011-01-03T14:27:00.001-08:00

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Government experts are trying to solve a mystery that evoked images of the apocalypse: Why did more than 3,000 dead red-winged blackbirds tumble from the Arkansas sky shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve?

Scientists are investigating whether bad weather, fireworks or poison might have forced the birds out of the sky, or if a disoriented bird simply led the flock into the ground.

"We have a lot more questions," said Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. She said there are documented cases of birds becoming confused and plunging to earth.

Residents of the small town of Beebe, northeast of Little Rock, awoke Saturday to find thousands of dead blackbirds littering a 1.5-square-mile area. The birds inexplicably dropped dead, landing on homes, cars and lawns. Cleanup crews wore protective suits, gas masks and rubber gloves as they spent the holiday weekend gathering the carcasses.

The director of Cornell University's ornithology lab in Ithaca, N.Y., said the most likely suspect is violent weather. It's probable that thousands of birds were asleep, roosting in a single tree, when a "washing machine-type thunderstorm" sucked them up into the air, disoriented them, and even fatally soaked and chilled them.

"Bad weather can occasionally catch flocks off guard, blow them off a roost, and they get hurled up suddenly into this thundercloud," lab director John Fitzpatrick said.

Rough weather had hit the state earlier Friday, but the worst of it was already well east of Beebe by the time the birds started falling, said Chris Buonanno, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.

If weather was the cause, the birds could have died in several ways, Fitzpatrick said. They could easily become disoriented - with no lights to tell them up and down - and smack into the ground. Or they could have died from exposure.

The birds' feathers keep them at a toasty 103 degrees, but "once that coat gets unnaturally wet, it's only a matter of minutes before they're done for," Fitzpatrick said.

Regardless of how they died, the birds will not be missed. Large blackbird roosts like one at Beebe can have thousands of birds that leave ankle- to knee-deep piles of droppings in places.

Nearly a decade ago, state wildlife officials fired blanks from shotguns and cannons to move a roost of thousands of blackbirds from Beebe. In recent years, many of the migratory birds returned.

Red-winged blackbirds are the among North America's most abundant birds, with somewhere between 100 million and 200 million nationwide, Fitzpatrick said. Rowe put the number of dead in Beebe at "easily 3,000."

Bird carcasses were shipped to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis. Researchers in Georgia also asked for a set of the dead birds. Test results could be back in a week.

Rowe said many of the birds suffered injuries from striking the ground, but it was not clear whether they were alive when they hit.

A few grackles and a couple of starlings were also among the dead.

Those species roost with blackbirds, particularly in winter. Tens of thousands of blackbirds can roost in a single tree. And they do not see well at night, when they usually sleep, Fitzpatrick said.

Earlier Friday, a tornado killed three people in Cincinnati, Ark., about 150 miles away. Then a couple hours before the birds died, thunderstorms also passed through parts of central Arkansas.

Lightning could have killed the birds directly or startled them to the point that they became confused. Hail also has been known to knock birds from the sky.

In 2001, lightning killed about 20 mallards at Hot Springs, and a flock of dead pelicans was found in the woods about 10 years ago, Rowe said. Lab tests showed that they, too, had been hit by lighting.

Back in 1973, hail knocked birds from the sky at Stuttgart, Ark., on the day before hunting season. Some of the birds were caught in a violent storm's updrafts and became encased in ice before falling from the sky.

Rowe and Fitzpatrick said poisoning was possible but unlikely. Rowe said birds of prey and other animals, including dogs and cats, ate several of the dead birds and suffered no ill effects.

"Every dog and cat in the neighborhood that night was able to get a fresh snack that night," Rowe said.

---

AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report

from Washington.

Dead Birds Fall from Sky

2011-01-03T06:17:00.000-08:00

(Beebe, AR--) Dead Birds Fall From Arkansas Skies

Wildlife officials in Beebe, Arkansas are looking into what could have caused more than one-thousand blackbirds to fall from the sky and die.

Many witnessed an uncanny resemblance to the Hitchcock movie "The Birds."
Dozens of U.S. Environmental services crews walked between homes, climbing on people roofs with protective hazmat suits and breathing masks, picking up the birds.

The birds showed physical trauma and may have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.
Wildlife officials say New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.

The Game and Fish Commission says poisoning does not appear to be the case and strange events similar to this have occurred across the globe -- a number of times.

Gorgon Stare Broadens UAV Surveillance

2011-01-03T06:08:00.001-08:00

The Increment II pods will differ from Increment I, offering twice the area coverage and double the resolution by using separate EO and IR sensor balls—one of each on individual pods—being built, respectively, by BAE Systems and ITT Defense, says Mike Meermans, vice president of strategic planning at Sierra Nevada. Increment II will produce increased coverage and better resolution by packing a large number of small cameras—perhaps hundreds—into each sensor ball, he notes. Images from the Increment II EO cameras will be in color rather than black-and-white as in Increment I. Sierra Nevada is also designing Increment II with an open architecture to permit additional sensors—perhaps a synthetic aperture radar, for example—to be added to the pods, with the data they gather integrated into the Gorgon Stare video image by the onboard computer processors.

A Gorgon Stare pod set weighs substantially less than a Reaper’s 3,000-lb. payload capacity, but an MQ-9 carrying Gorgon Stare will fly unarmed because of electrical power limitations and stay aloft at 20,000-25,000 ft. for only 14-15 hr., several hours less than an armed MQ-9. Endurance is affected by drag from the pods, Marlin says.

Deptula says Gorgon Stare “changes the dynamic in terms of measuring ISR sufficiency” and is one reason he and other Air Force leaders pushed for the service to stop buying Predators, which can’t carry Gorgon Stare, as of Fiscal 2009. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. makes the Predator and Reaper. USAF’s goal has been to increase the number of daily combat air patrols (CAPS) flown by Predators and Reapers to 50 by the end of Fiscal 2011, Deptula says, and to 65 by Fiscal 2013, which would provide a maximum of 65 full-motion video images streaming at any one time from the UAVs. Fifty Reapers equipped with Gorgon Stare’s Increment II version, however, could provide hundreds of streaming images simultaneously and five times that many after stored images are processed, Deptula says. That calculation calls for rethinking the practice of measuring ISR sufficiency by counting CAPS, he argues.

“We have to get people to stop thinking about input measures—the number of platforms that are flown—and start thinking about output measures, that is, the received output from the entire system,” Deptula says. Ground troops “don’t care how many CAPS are being flown. What they care about is, are they getting increased situational awareness by what’s being flown?”

The Air Force has 53 Reapers and plans to buy 329 in all. There is no official connection between the programs, but Gorgon Stare also could be carried on a future unmanned aircraft known as Magic, an acronym for Medium-Altitude Global ISR and Communications, being designed to fly for five days at 20,000 ft. with a 1,000-lb. payload. Magic is being developed by Aurora Flight Sciences under a $4.7-million contract awarded Sept. 15 by the Air Force Research Laboratory. Aurora will use its Orion Unmanned Aerial System as the airframe for Magic.

Swine Flu Symptoms Similar to Those of Human Flu

2009-09-16T14:45:00.001-07:00

Swine flu has corresponding symptoms to the more popular, human being seasonal form of flu.

It is 1 of a number of viruses that cause illness among people and animals, causing respiratory troubles, fever and tiredness.

Avian grippe - which has previously been the subject of pandemic concerns after human beings started catching it - is another deadly form.

Corresponding to the Health Protection Agency, outbreaks of swine influenza - a disease stimulated by type A grippe - on a regular basis strike pigs.

Individuals who are around pigs likely have the H1N1 virus but it is also possible for the virus to spread from individual to person.

Suggesting memories of the cares associated with bird grippe, the current detected threat of a pandemic was brought to public attention after cases of human swine influenza were reported in Mexico and regions of California and Texas in the US.

On That Point no cases were discovered in the UK for at least 10 yrs.

Specialists discovered that this virus is transmissible and circulating from human being to human being although they do not know how easily the virus circulates between individuals, the Health Protection Agency said.

The symptoms of swine flu in individuals are synonymous to the symptoms of regular human being seasonal grippe and include fever, tiredness, miss of appetite, coughing and sore throat. Numerous people have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.

Tests has presented that the human being swine grippe H1N1 can be treated with the antivirals oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).

Seasonal flu is caused by viruses that are adapted to spread in human beings, who have some natural resistance to popular forms and can boost it by immunisation with a vaccine.

Avian grippe is induced by flu viruses adapted for transmission in birds while swine grippe is induced by grippe viruses adapted for infection in pigs.

Potentially major problems can develop when human being and animal grippe viruses combine and lead to the development of different viruses which are resistant to immunity and can extended through the population, triggering a pandemic.

The Health Protection Agency stated it was too early to say whether the events in Mexico and the US would lead to a larger eruption or could represent the appearance of a possible pandemic form of flu virus.

Is currently low evidence to realize the extent to which the events are firmly linked.

Experts from all over the world are working in immediate collaboration with the World Health Organisation to find what risk this situation poses to world wellness.

Protect Against Swine Flu Virus Infection

2009-09-16T14:44:00.001-07:00

The swine flu scare has created panic with the rising number of people tested with the H1N1 virus and rising casualties. The need for public health awareness for safety measures against the H1N1 virus is absolutely essential. Lets explore some protection measures each individual can follow to keep oneself as safe as possible?

Face masks and surgical masks will surely help cough or sneeze droplets from spreading. If you are around any infected loved one, it is a good idea to wear a face mask constantly. But wearing face masks does not mean that you are foolproof from contracting swine flu infection.

You may also contract the H1N1 virus if this happens. An infected person sneezes or coughs in their hand. Then their hand touches a doorknob or a switch button. After sometime you happen to touch the same button or doorknob and then touch your eyes, face, mouth or nose; you get infected with the swine flu H1N1 virus.

Wearing face masks is not the most effective strategy to prevent swine flu because sneezing or coughing is not the only way for you to contract respiratory viruses from people.

You need to exercise greatest caution when you are in public places such as public transport, offices, movie theatres or just about any place where there are crowds. Take care not to touch anything when you are outside. Make doubly sure you aren't touching your face in public. Preferably use a tissue and discard it immediately if you have to use it.

The most effective way to prevent getting respiratory viruses like swine flu is washing your hands with soap and water for a good half minute. Wipe off with a paper towel and discard it immediately. Most of us do not do this often enough or correctly.

Remember to wash your hands after you sneeze or cough into your hands. If you do not have a soap and water handy, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective to kill the flu viruses.

If you have any of the swine flu symptoms, contact your health provider immediately. It is a good idea to keep yourself isolated from people until you feel better. This prevents just only for the H1N1 swine flu virus but for all flu viruses.

Swine Flu Symptoms and Treatment

2009-09-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Swine flu is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by a virus called H1N1. The new strain of H1N1 is a fatal mixture of viruses from pigs, birds and humans. They symptoms are sudden fever, coughing, extreme fatigue and muscle aches. There is also diarrhea and vomiting more than normal flu.

The strains of the disease is such that it rarely transmit from humans to humans. In rare cases, the virus mutates into a form that can move from human to human. The strain responsible for the flu outbreak is understood to have undergone such a mutation and is expected to stay like that for a longer period of time.

Can Swine flu be prevented or cured? There is no vaccine which can prevent this disease. Medicines like Tamiflu and Relenza are effective, if taken initially.

Is it safe to eat pork? Swine Flu is not spread by eating pork or its products including salami, ham and sausages. However, it is a good practice to cook pork over 70 degrees C, which kills the virus. Risk factors: According to medical experts, people who are exposed to areas which has proliferation of pigs, or where they have to work with pigs are at risk of contracting swine flu.

The virus is called swine flu because one of its surface proteins is similar to viruses that usually infect pigs. Pork industry in the US are putting pressure on the officials to change the name of the disease, because no pig as such have been found infected with this particular disease, which has spread among humans.

Swine Flu - Symptoms and Signs

2009-09-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Swine flu this is one of the most common news these days. The reason is that, the swine flu virus has started to spread over the world and it is identified as and deadly virus. However the doctors believe that this virus is originated with the swine. Also they are also wondering why it is spreading in to the humans as it was previously not affected to the humans. So they are always trying to get some additional information and stop the spreading of this critical virus.

Headache, vomiting, diarrhea, cough runny nose, body ache , sore trough, High fever with chill, are the normal symptoms of the swine flu and generally there is no different symptoms than the normal flue. Also the spreading methods also same as the normal flu and it can be spread by sneezing, cough or whatever the normal methods. So it is always necessary to take various precautions to avoid the spreading of this virus as the doctors are still looking for some cure for it.

Covering your mouth and nose while you sneezing or coughing is a good way to prevent the spread of this virus and it is a must if you are dealing with a large number of people. The reason is if you not take these precautions, then you are in a risk of being infected.

Also washing your hands and the face often will be a good thing to avoid being infecting. The reason is that, when you wash those places more often, the viruses cannot stay sufficient time to make you infected. Also it is always better to use some hand wash product to wash the hands as they can clearly destroy the germs.

And the most important thing, if you feel you are sick, then you must go for medical treatment immediately as if it is not that virus can be spread further with your family members and friends. Also, since it is the beginning, the doctors might able to control the situation with some medicines.

However as at now, there are couple of people have died because if this swine flu and most of them are elder people. So in general terms their immunization ability is lower than the others. Anyway, since now this has been started to spread all over the world, it is always necessary to take the above precautions to avoid unwanted circumstances.

Also the government of the states has identified the seriousness of this issue and they have started various programs in order to guide the citizens regarding the situation. Also they are always providing full support to the scientists who are still looking for some kind of solution for this swine flu. Along with that number of volunteers also doing various things to prevent this virus is being spread and many environment cleaning campaigns are still continuing.

Though there is no vaccines were introduced for this swine flu conditions, the scientist hope to provide a solution very soon and they have given their top priority for the work.

10 Symptoms of Swine Flu & How a Thermometer is a Good Start

2009-09-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

This summer they said that because the kids were off school, we would experience a great reduction in the number of cases of Swine Flu in the UK. However, as the kids across the country go back to school, there's a high chance that it will once again sweep across the nation.

So that you know what to look for and don't confuse Swine Flu with some other ailment, we've created a handy list of the 10 symptoms that you should look out for, if you want to greatly reduce the affect that Swine Flu has on you and your family.

These Key Symptoms:

Symptom 1: TEMPERATURE
According to the NHS, a sudden but consistently high body temperature of 38°C/100°F or higher is one of the core typical symptoms of swine flu. If you feel feverish, use a medical thermometer
to check your temperature regularly. For this reason, it's common sense to have a good thermometer in your home.

Symptom 2: SUDDEN COUGH
A bad cough that appears as if from nowhere is one of the typical symptoms of the H1N1 Swine Flu. Always try to cough into a handkerchief and dispose of it appropriately afterward.

Plus Some of These Other Symptoms:

Symptom 3: HEADACHE
The kind of headache you get when you have a bad cold or the flu. The type that makes you want to stay in bed.

Symptom 4: TIREDNESS
Being unusually tired or fatigued is also a symptom of common flu, but combined with the key symptoms, this is an indication that you may have swine flu and it's time to take your temperature.

Symptom 5: CHILLS & FEVER
Shivering one minute and roasting hot the next? That's another accompanying symptom of this type of flu and you should consider calling the doctor.

Symptom 6: LIMB AND JOINT PAINS
Just like when you have the regular flu, your arms and legs and all your joints seem to be heavy and ache when you move them. It could be swine flu, check your temperature with a medical thermometer

Symptom 7: UPSET STOMACH
A tender stomach with diarrhea is another sign that you may need to think about calling the Swine Flu Hotline.

Symptom 8: SORE THROAT/RUNNY NOSE
Whilst a runny nose can be caused by allergic rhinitis and the common cold, when it's accompanied by a painful sore throat, it's time to get the thermometer and check your temperature.

Symptom 9: SNEEZING
As we emerge from the hay fever period, this symptom will be easier to spot. However, remember sneezing is commonly caused by dust allergies and the common cold too.

Symptom 10: LOSS OF APPETITE
You should notice this one almost immediately. If you go off your food, it's very important that you keep your fluids up, especially if you're experiencing an upset stomach with watery stool.

Remember, it's easier to deal with Swine Flu when it's caught early on and one of the best ways to spot the symptoms is to look out for consistently high temperatures. Get a good working medical thermometer for your home or school before the Swine Flu bug really takes a bite out of you.

How to Ask Out your Work Colleague?

2009-09-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

Imagine the picture: Joining your new office, you have been infatuated with the pretty woman sitting across your desk. For quite some while, you have started dreaming of her! You are constantly thinking, ‘How can I initiate the whole thing?’ or ‘How can I ask her out’?

These days, most of us are made to spend at least 8 hours at our workplace. So, there’s nothing unnatural about falling for a colleague. But, there are, of course, certain rules that you need to follow. So, we have come up with a few suggestions. They can surely guide you in your way.

If you haven’t spoken to her before, you can greet her with a smile and introduce yourself. When she smiles back, you may ask her whereabouts or start discussing on some general topic. But, don’t go on talking for long. That may irritate her. The next day, you have to create an opportunity for talking to her. Suppose, you are facing some problems in your work. Here, you get the chance of seeking her help. Once she lends her helping hands to you, you can be sure that she is quite willing to bail you out of your trouble. You must not forget to express gratitude to her for her effective support.

Just the once both of you start exchanging verbal notes regularly; the scope of building a close friendship opens up. After being in affable terms with each other for at least a couple of weeks or more, now you can ask her out. But, before going for a ‘formal’ date, you can ask her to watch a movie or game of baseball with you. By the way, you should know her likes and dislikes before approaching her. Let’s suppose that she is a die-hard tennis fan or a lover of romantic-comedies. But, you are forcing her to accompany you to a basketball match or a science-fiction movie. These sorts of behaviors will certainly make her miffed. So, know her preferences first and then act accordingly. After you spend a gala time together at the movie-hall or sports stadium, you are free to invite her for a dinner at a posh restaurant. Here, you can get into a more intimate tête-à-tête with your colleague. Getting over with your dinner, you may escort her to home.

But, dating your colleague may not be that easy always. She may have her work pending and needs to stay back at office. In this situation, forcing her to join you for dinner won’t be a very good idea. It may also happen that she is contemplating a serious and long-term relationship and office romance is against the company policy. Here too, she won’t be interested to go out with you. So, you better consider these factors before giving away your heart to her. If you pester her too much, she will have reasons to get angry and she may bring the issue to the HR department’s notice. As a result, your job can be at stake. So, look before you leap. Instead asking her repeatedly for a romantic evening together, try to help her as much as possible in her work. Working together for long hours, sometimes well beyond the office hours, helps in building mutual trust. After winning her reliance as a co-worker, try to be her best friend. Friendship is so precious to a woman that she cannot refuse you once you ask her out. She will indeed go out with you for the sake of true friendship. So, once you win a special place in her heart as a colleague and friend, going for a romantic date won’t be a distant dream.

You can also inform her about some events and happenings in office that she was unaware of. Presenting her a surprise birthday gift will make her day and she won’t find any excuse of refusing you. Again, rather than waiting for her birthday to come, you can offer her a present on any special occasion. Just give her a friendship band and ask her out in the evening. Try to know about her family, pets and other near and dear ones. Once she gets to know your concern regarding her family matters, she will indeed come closer to you. If she wants to discuss details of her kin with you, you can grab the opportunity of inviting her over a cup of coffee.

With increasing working hours, seldom a woman gets a chance of meeting new people and go out for a date. Here, comes your chance to put forward your proposal. Don’t rush for things. Just wait for the right time and opportunity to come and your moment of enjoyment will arrive soon. Running after an unwilling person is not desirable. So, instead of zeroing on a single colleague, keep your options open and make the most out of a situation.

What to Get For Your Most Outstanding Colleague

2009-09-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Business gifts can also make a perfect present to a good colleague who did a well-done job. There are so many business gifts to choose from, however, choosing the best one can be very tricky sometimes. To make shopping easy for you, you need to consider some factors about your recipient. It really make sense if you know what he likes.

There are several situations where business gifts can be given. They can be given as employee recognition gifts to promote positive changes into the work place. Or, gifts to loyal clients and customers that are very vital to any kind of business. There are a variety of ways to use business gifts, among which is to build better good relationship towards other people.

Going back to the very topic of this article, business gifts for a good colleague come in different choices, from simple, elegant to unique gifts. However, again, your choice should depend on his taste and personality. Recognizing the achievement and contribution of a colleague foster a positive relationship not only with you, but also with the entire work environment. A good choice of business gift for him can inspire a high performer to continue doing a good job. Before you start to hunt business gift for a colleague, you need to consider first some things which will make your gift presentable and appropriate.

Before you pick out business gift for your colleague, ask yourself what your purpose is. And since you want to honor an achiever, a personalized gift would work in this case. Try to come up with a proper presentation as well. You want to make it personal but keep it professional. A personalized gift is always well appreciated. Keep it personal to a point that he'll actually like it and use it. But always keep in mind that there also some gifts that can be too personal.

Of course, you have to plan a budget for your gift. The gift must be able to tell that you truly value him.

Don't be stingy with the budget. Remember, it would take time and hard work to meet the criteria of a well-designed gift for someone who seem to have almost everything. Also, make your selection as diverse as possible. Search for a wide variety of items to choose from. Family gifts, gifts for the home, gifts for kids, entertainment gifts, gifts for the office and hi-tech gifts are some example of categories you can have.

Visit online stores. Unlike local shopping malls, online stores can offer you wide variety to choose from. In addition to that, their prices are often cheaper than of local retail stores.

Choices of gifts for an excellent colleague include office desk accessories, such as business card holders, personalized pens, personalized desk clocks, desk personalized picture frames and many others. You can also give personalized cufflinks, money clips and pocket watches - sophisticated and classy gifts that suits his professional look. Personalize your business gift whenever possible for maximum impact. Use imagination, creativity and customization to make your gift stand out.

What Makes a Good Work Colleague?

2009-09-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Would you consider yourself to be a good colleague to the people that you work with? What constitutes a good work colleague? I would like to think that I am a person that other people would like to work with, I suppose that I will never know in reality whether I am or not. In this article I will be writing about what I believe makes a good work colleague.

I have worked with many people over the years, some good, some bad. These are the types of people that I like to work with and have what I would consider to be the types of character that would enable them to be classed as good colleague:

1. A good work colleague will listen to their fellow workers and will offer advice where necessary. When they are trusted with confidential information they keep it to themselves, unlike other not so trustworthy colleagues who tend to enjoy spreading gossip.

2. A good work colleague will be very helpful by assisting their fellow workers in any way that they can.

3. A good work colleague will try and make the atmosphere at their place of work as happy and fun as possible. They will try to do this by sharing jokes and stories as well as being bright and bubbly.

4. A good work colleague will go the extra mile by showing additional thought compared to the majority of colleagues. For example they will offer other people a lift home or will volunteer to collect sandwiches for their fellow workers at lunch time.

5. A good work colleague will not stab their fellow workers in the back, so to speak, and will not be a constant suck up to the boss.

Looking at the short list above I would have to say that I would be a good colleague to work with. So how about yourself, are you a good work colleague?

Labor Day Travel Tips

2009-09-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that we're already in August! That means the summer is winding down and Labor Day, which lands on Monday, September 7 this year, is right around the corner. Over the past few weeks, we've highlighted properties in four stunning destinations - San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas and Chicago - where you can snag great Labor Day deals and make the most of your vacation with friends and family. In fact, feel free to visit our Labor Day Hotel Deals page, where you can choose great Labor Day deals in these cities and many more.

I'll be heading to Chicago this year. My kids have been dying to check out Six Flags Great America and Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze. Whether you're planning to hit the Big Apple with your partner, ride bikes with your kids along the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, or head to Las Vegas to try your hand at roulette in one of its famed casinos, Labor Day weekend is a great time to squeeze in one last summer getaway.

Everyone knows, though, that last-minute planning, traffic and other factors can make things pretty hectic. This week, we feature several tips on how to keep Labor Day fun, safe and stress-free.

Planning Makes Perfect

Make sure to plan ahead and book your travel plans as far in advance as possible. Print out several copies of maps, driving directions and hotel reservations should something get misplaced. If driving, it's best to set out for your destination early in the morning so as to avoid heavy traffic. While it's good to pack days ahead, a last minute check of all essentials (airline tickets, money, kids' supplies, etc.) before heading off never hurts. You'll also want to pack smart and check the latest baggage fees for your airline, as well as ensure that your bags are under the weight limit.

Stay Safe

Make sure to lock all car doors and enable your alarm after getting out of your vehicle, even if only for a quick restroom stop or bite to eat. If you happen to be traveling at night, make sure to park in well-lit, concentrated areas. Try to leave showy valuables such as jewelry at home. Drive with extra caution and be mindful of reckless drivers who have had too much to drink!

Eating Tips

It's always a good idea to bring chips, sandwiches and other snacks with you for the road. Not only will it keep the kids happy, but your pocketbook will thank you for it later! If you'd rather eat out, be sure to research which dining options each area has to offer. And if you're planning to stay at a relative's house, why not consider a family barbecue? Just make sure to wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling raw foods; once the food is set on the table and ready to eat, have all bowls and dishes covered to keep the pesky bugs away.

Have Fun!

Labor Day 2009 - Top Destinations For Kids and the Parents That Love Them

2009-09-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Planning a weekend with the kids can be a daunting task or, at the very least, mildly overwhelming. Whether you are looking to barbeque in your backyard or jet-set across the country, there are a ton of options to choose from for Labor Day this year. So, break out the lawn chairs and pack up the cooler. Here are some of the top family-friendly destinations to celebrate Labor Day.

New York City:

You can't have a list of top destinations without mentioning the great city of New York. There is always something going on in the Big Apple, and Labor Day weekend is no exception. At Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, you can see an impressive lineup of high school band players, politicians, trade union members, and police and fire departments marching their way down the city streets. As with all other special events, expect New York to do it up big; no disappointment is anticipated!

Washington, DC:

Kick off the performing arts season at the US Capitol on the Sunday directly preceding Labor Day. Hang out on the West Lawn and enjoy free performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Emil de Cou. This year commemorates the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth, so look forward to a full program, including Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait."

Copper Country Festival, CO:

This western-themed party is great for the little ones, and it includes a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, rodeo activities and a lineup of musicians ranging from country to zydeco, rock, pop and blues and everything in between.

Los Angeles:

There is a host of activities going on in the LA metropolitan area for Labor Day weekend, so there is sure to be something for everyone. This year's activities include the Long Beach Greek Festival, Fiesta Hermosa, Art Deco Festival on the Queen Mary, and Orange International Street Fair.