As U.S. unemployment is showing signs of recovering from a 25-year high, a new trend study from the University of California San Diego Extension reveals some of the hottest career options for college graduates in this recession. Go to: http://extension.ucsd.edu/about/images/careerReport.pdf
Browsing Posts published in June, 2010
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It’s a conjugator, brainstorming and domain finder, all in one. Nicely done.
If you are trying to reach your weight loss goals, there are many foods that you might think are healthy but can actually hinder your efforts.
Nuts
A lot of people think nuts, specifically almonds, are healthy. They are; however, they have about 200 calories per ¼ cup. If you don’t measure them out, it is easy to consume close to 600 calories, sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.
Meal Replacement Bars and Snack Bars
Not only can bars have hidden trans fat in them, but they can be extremely high in calories. Some bars are close to 300 calories! If used as a meal replacement, the bars don’t provide the volume of food that makes you feel full. If used as a snack, they tend to be too high in calories. Aim for snacks that are 150 calories or less.
Reduced-Fat Foods
Many studies show that when people eat reduced-fat foods they end up eating more calories than if they choose the full-fat version. Some examples include reduced-fat ice cream, reduced-fat Cheez-Its or reduced-fat cookies. Reduced-fat means 25 percent less calories than the original version. When looking at the reduced-fat label, people tend to eat a much larger portion because they assume it’s low-calorie. Reduced-fat will often mean that the company added more sugar to make up for the fat.
Salads
Not all salads are bad, but at a restaurant they can be some of the highest calorie dishes on the menu. Salad dressings alone are around 75 calories per tablespoon. That can easily add up to 500 or 600 calories of dressing in just one salad. Nuts, cheese, croutons or any other crunchy fried toppings add on more fat and calories.
Specialty Coffee Drinks
Although hot beverages can aid in weight-loss, they can also sabotage your efforts if you aren’t careful. Adding cream and sugar to your coffee can add up to 200 more calories. Adding flavored sugars and whipped cream to your morning coffee can be more calories than your breakfast itself. Beware of iced coffees from convenience stores; they are loaded with cream and sugar. To avoid the excess calories, stick with non-fat lattes or drip coffee with measured non-fat creamer and sugar substitutes.
WSJ:Personal Finance
Trading down to a smaller home is a retirement-planning staple. According to an April study by the Society of Actuaries, 20% of not-yet retirees say they plan to downsize after the last child leaves the nest. But it is getting a lot harder to do, even for wealthier people.
Trading down to a smaller home is a retirement-planning staple. According to an April study by the Society of Actuaries, 20% of not-yet retirees say they plan to downsize after the last child leaves the nest. But it is getting a lot harder to do, even for wealthier people.
A study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, scheduled to be released on Monday, shows that while mobility has slowed across all age groups during the real estate bust, “mobility rates among seniors have posted the sharpest drop.” Trade-downs in March comprised about 8% of total home sales, down from 12% in October 2008, the first year for which there are historical comparisons, according to the National Association of Realtors. MORE AT… http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703890904575297181180921488.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LeftTopNews
CreateSpace.com is the self-publishing arm of Amazon, providing a service that makes it easy for an individual to self-publish books, CDs, and DVDs. I’ve used CreatSpace for books and highly recommend it.
In the past when I had a book project ready for press, I’d submit the specs to a free bidding service run by the Printing Industry of America that would distribute my project specifications to all its participating members. I’d soon receive quotes from all over the world, even for small print jobs. While I felt confident this enabled me to select the printer with the best price, it meant I needed to develop new relationships with every new project. I also encountered some hard-to-resolve quality issues with long-distance vendors.
CreateSpace produces good quality at good price, backed by decent service, but so do other self-publishing sites like the previously reviewed Lulu and Blurb. What CreateSpace has that the others can’t touch, however, is the direct link with Amazon. Products published through CreateSpace are automatically, and instantly, given displays on Amazon. More importantly, orders through Amazon are fulfilled directly, without my ever having to handle inventory. They simply pay me a royalty.
It’s the logistics of small-scale publishing that are killers. If you order a book from Blurb and sell it on Amazon, you can kiss any profits goodbye. Amazon doesn’t discount books published by or through CreateSpace. They do help themselves to a generous 55% of the retail sale, but the 45% remaining for the publisher (me) is unencumbered by shipping or other deductions. It’s pure gross profit.
I’m an author and a conventional publisher, and recently started by own micro-publishing venture called The Public Press. I’ve gone down many nano-publishing paths, making many mistakes along the way, and CreateSpace is the best option I’ve found for making small-scale book publishing profitable. Moreover, this is one aspect of Amazon’s business that does not come at the expense of independent booksellers and actually creates an environment that makes it possible for the self-publisher and booksellers to work together compatibly and profitably.
By Sandra Block, USA TODAY
If your air conditioner sputtered and died last August, forcing you to buy a new one, you probably didn’t clap your sweaty hands and shout, “Hooray! We’ll qualify for an energy-efficient tax credit!”But if your new air conditioner uses less energy than the one it replaced, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to recoup some of your costs when you file your tax return. MORE AT…http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/block/2010-04-06-yourmoney06_ST_N.htm?csp=obinsite
Cal State’s oldest grad (and MiraCosta’s oldest also) receives master’s degree in history
By DEBORAH SULLIVAN BRENNAN
With age comes wisdom, and, for Wally Taibleson, advanced degrees. Taibleson, 87, graduates from Cal State San Marcos on Saturday with a master’s degree in history, breaking his own record as the university’s eldest graduate. Taibleson set the record when he completed his bachelor’s degree in history in 2002 at age 79. He went on to earn his first master’s degree, in literature and writing studies, in 2006, finished his graduate degree in history and has applied to enter a third master’s program —- in education —- this fall.
With age comes wisdom, and, for Wally Taibleson, advanced degrees. Taibleson, 87, graduates from Cal State San Marcos on Saturday with a master’s degree in history, breaking his own record as the university’s eldest graduate. Taibleson set the record when he completed his bachelor’s degree in history in 2002 at age 79. He went on to earn his first master’s degree, in literature and writing studies, in 2006, finished his graduate degree in history and has applied to enter a third master’s program —- in education —- this fall.
“The reason I’m going to school at all is because I want to improve my mind,” Taibleson said this week. “There’s nothing like education. It’s limitless. Things that never meant anything to you become important.” Although higher education often serves as the prelude to a career, for Taibleson it was the sequel. He moved to Carlsbad from Illinois in 1986 after retiring as vice chairman of the board of a packaging company —- a post he attained with no higher education beyond an accounting certificate. Two years later, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He said that as he recuperated from a series of surgeries that sapped his energy and restricted his speech, his “level of involvement in things was low.” MORE AT… http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/article_89680686-d4ed-5bff-ac46-0e2f0dc90aa3.html
From Winston Churchill, Ellen DeGeneres, Mister Rogers, John Legend, Randy Pausch, J.K. Rowling, Will Ferrell, and others:
By Marissa Lippert, RD from Women’s Day
It’s obvious when a snack isn’t nutritious (hello, king-size candy bar!), but if you want to make the best choice, consider not just what you’re eating but why you’re eating it. We broke the best bites into categories to help you meet your specific snacking needs. Each one is 100-250 calories-just enough to satisfy without ruining your next meal.
1. Just Craving Something…
Salty
- 10 medium black olives or
- 1.3-oz bag Glenny’s Salt & Pepper Soy Crisps
Sweet
- 1 small wholegrain wrap (like Ezekiel 4:9) with 1 Tbsp Nutella spread and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries or
- A homemade smoothie made with 6 oz skim milk, 1/2 cup frozen mango and 1/2 banana
Savory
- 1 cup red and yellow bell pepper strips with 1 Tbsp pesto dip or 1/2 cup low-fat onion dip or
- 1 slice wholewheat toast with 1/4 avocado, drizzled with 1 tsp olive oil and lemon juice
2. Need an Energy Boost
Salty
- 10 honeywheat pretzels (like Rold Gold) dipped in 2 tsp peanut butter or
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sprinkled with 1 oz feta cheese
Sweet
- 6 oz lowfat vanilla yogurt with 2 Tbsp raisin-nut granola (such as Bear Naked) or
- 3 whole-grain crackers (like Wasa) with 1 Tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese and 2 tsp fruit preserves
Savory
- 1/2 turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with honey-Dijon mustard, lettuce and tomato or
- 4 melba toast rounds with 1 Tbsp light cream cheese and 1 oz smoked salmon
3. When in Doubt…
Salty
- 4 cups 94% fat-free popcorn (such as Pop Secret or Newman’s Own) or
- 20 spicy salted pecans
Sweet
- 2 wholewheat fig bars (such as Whole Grain Fig Newtons) or
- 1/2 cup chocolate sorbet with 1/2 cup fresh berries
Savory
- 1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge with 1/2 cup grapes or
- 4″ pita with 1 oz shredded mozzarella, 3 Tbsp tomato sauce and 3 basil leaves
Avoid These Snacking Snafus
1. Eating All Carbs
A handful of pretzels or low-cal crackers may seem healthy, but if you don’t combine it with a little protein and fat (e.g., a small slice of cheese or a dab of peanut butter), you’ll be starving soon after. Try this with fruit or vegetables, too: an apple with peanut butter, baby carrots with a little yogurt dip.
2. Mindless Munching
If you’re eating while reading or watching TV, you’re not paying attention to what’s going in your mouth and are more likely to eat too much. Tune in to your snack to turn off autopilot eating.
3. Not Planning Ahead
It never hurts to have an emergency granola bar in your purse! If you do, you’ll be less apt to pick up something not so healthy.
Government launches effort to help homeowners in short sales
The government launched a new effort to speed up the time-consuming often-frustrating process of selling your home if you owe more than it’s worth. To read the full story, please log onto: http://www.mercurynews.com/real-estate-news/ci_14823039 …more
