Anita Bruzzese: Fury of the Depression returns

MANY OF US ONLY know about the Great Depression through news accounts, history books or stories passed down from our older relatives. While we may understand that there was real hardship during that time, it may be tough for us to imagine the depth of the anger that many also felt.

Unless, of course, you think of what is happening currently. Right now, the level of anger at the economic downturn in this country is mimicking what many Americans experienced more than 70 years ago when homes, businesses and jobs were lost, says a business professor.

And just like the violence and suicides that erupted during that time, we need to be prepared to see similar reactions in the workplace today, says Dave Logan, a professor at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.


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Can the Schoolyard Change Society?

When faced with growing ethnic divisions in society, children can play a significant role in mending the barriers. At least that's the attitude taken by one school in north-east Melbourne.

Joining in the annual Cultural Diversity Day last week, Reservoir East Primary School endeavoured to promote a more open and tolerant attitude towards different cultures, religions and world views.

The school provides education for some 150 students and is already very multicultural, being placed in an area with very many different nationalities where they interact with each other on a daily basis.

The organiser of the day, English and language teacher Panayiota Kai, said it's a great way for children to learn and appreciate each other regardless of differences. This helps them to form a solid basis for their future life in the community.


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Live each day as if it were your last!

"Too many women go around negative and discouraged, allowing their problems and circumstances to weigh them down. They live stressed out, dragging through each day, not really excited about life. What I have recognized over the years is that our problems are real, and at times, life is extremely difficult. After you get through this problem, after you overcome this challenge, there will always be another challenge to overcome. There will be something else to deal with. If you are waiting for all your problems to go away before you decide to get your smile back, you will miss the joy of living".

Additionally, there are also some women who have lost their passion for life and living. They have lost their enthusiasm. At one time, they were excited about their dreams. They got up every day with purpose and with passion.


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Gueco: Black Shadow Power

RRING......rring.........rring... sounded off my cell phone in the middle of the night. My how insistent was my best friend Sophiam in trying to contact me.

"Why are you calling me up?" I sleepily and grouchily asked.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo

Her voice shaking with fury, she replied, "I just blew my top this morning. My assistant Anna simply could not implement my simple instructions... I asked her to encode my article for the We Care magazine, which is printed at Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Imagine when I saw the printed copy, it was full of mistakes and spelling errors."

Shooting up like the heat of the summer sizzle, my temper blasted across the ceiling, I wanted to throw an ashtray at her and my voice quavered in violent tones...



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Martial arts instructor highlights Career Day

Kim's Black Belt Academy of Huntley was one of the many local businesses asked to present at the Algonquin Westfield Middle School Career Day on April 18.

"It is a great opportunity working with the future leaders of our schools and communities. The accomplishments, achievements, and developing the appropriate attitude through the martial arts provides the chance to learn about ourselves," said Rick Bjorkquist, chief instructor at Kim's Black Belt Academy of Huntley.

"Each student creates their own ability to actualize their true potential."

At 9:20 a.m., a classroom full of eighth-graders are all sitting quietly in their chairs listening intently to the person standing in front. Sound like a fairy tale in today's world?

This was the scene at the Algonquin school's Career Day.


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Supercharge Your New Year's Exercise Program

(ARA) - Avid health buffs around the world hit the gym on a daily basis looking to improve their attitude and physique. Most fitness professionals will tell you what you put into your body can definitely affect how you feel physically and mentally. The right supplement can take your workout to the next level and beyond."Stemulite is the most powerful supplement I have ever put into my body, period," says Corey Simpson, a former Mr. Florida and now active fitness professional. "In the first couple of days of using Stemulite, I increased the weight I was lifting by 30 percent and I doubled the amount of repetitions in my workout. It was a little hard to believe. In weeks, my muscle definition changed and I dropped excess water weight. In addition, Stemulite has also given me a great and deeper sleep, which is so important for recuperation.


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Be loving, not legalistic, with divorcing prof

Sigh. It would be so refreshing to pick up the newspaper and see a story about my alma mater on the front page that didn't make me cringe.

There are many great things going on at Wheaton College all the time. For instance, a senior and defensive end on the Thunder football team, Andy Studebaker, on Sunday became the first Wheaton player ever taken in the NFL draft. He's heading to the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the story that made Monday's front page was about Kent Gramm, a professor for 20 years in Wheaton's English department, who has lost his job because his 30-year marriage is ending in divorce.

More specifically, Gramm resigned (rather than be fired) after he declined to discuss the details of his divorce with Wheaton administration. While divorce is not automatic ground for dismissal, school policy requires the divorce to fall within acceptable parameters, based on Scripture, i.e., adultery, abandonment and the like.


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Change of mindset key to Africa`s progress

Making the people of African believe that the continent is prosperous and there is no justification for its people to remain poor is the best instrument towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi has said.

He made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday during an audience with a 25-man delegation from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in Nigeria when they toured the IPP media houses.

Mengi said Africans had to make a breakthrough and shake off the negative attitude that poverty was here to stay.

``For many years Africa was classified as the poorest continent, irrespective of continued exploitation of its resources, and these resources could add to people�s efforts towards mental liberty, economic success and total eradication of poverty,`` Mengi said.


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Ask Amy: Waiting for marriage

I have found the love of my life! He is amazing and wonderful. We are only 21 years old and don't plan on marrying until we graduate from college — and then we have to find jobs and plan for a wedding. It will probably be three or more years until we marry.

The thing is, I'm Catholic and promised myself I wouldn't have sex until marriage, but I really want to share that experience with my boyfriend.

I feel so conflicted. I know my family would be so disappointed if I had sex before marriage. I know I should feel that God wants me to wait and that I should follow this rule without complaint. It is just hard because sex is so prevalent.

My boyfriend has been great and says he can wait, but sometimes we both have a weak moment and have come close. I don't know what to do. — Conflicted Catholic

Dear Confused: You need to be true to your values.


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How Successful Companies Develop Their Sales Teams

Not enough companies have learned how to employ sales training as a strategic tool. Those that have are leaders in their industries, offering their shareholders maximum return on investment. They are able to quickly adapt to changing market conditions, are respected by their customers, and provide consistent sales performance.

The salespeople who work for those companies are motivated, stay in their jobs longer and are proud to help in recruiting their friends who have been successful selling for other companies. That improves the "bloodline" and saves on recruiting fees.

Quite often, sales managers and executives don't have the time and experience to train correctly. Companies with internal training departments often provide guidance, but sales training is quite different from designing and delivering training to other areas within an organization, such as customer care, engineering, or human resources.


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Reed runs on self-confidence

VICTORIA–At his mother's prodding, the little boy looks in the mirror and speaks to the face gazing back at him.

"I'm just as good as anyone else. Don't have to be better. Don't have to be worse. But I'm just as good as anybody else – and I won't ever let anybody tell me I'm not."

It was no idle exercise for Canadian runner Gary Reed. His family was dirt-poor, lived in a trailer park, and relied on food banks to eat. Reed is of mixed race – white mother and black father – which made him something of an oddity in rural B.C. He was raised by his mom after the marriage broke up when he was a baby.

The playground can be a cruel place, but Mary Reed couldn't stand the thought of her son Gary and daughter Nicole thinking they weren't good enough.

"They felt like they were less and it's just from kids bullying or talking like that," recalls Mary Reed.


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Success hasn?t spoiled Wohrley

While it might be disappointing, it certainly wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world to find out that an athlete of Taylor Wohrley's caliber had a bit of an attitude problem.It seems to happen far too often. A kid knows how to run faster and jump higher, which in their mind makes them God's gift to mankind, and Wohrley is certainly in that faster/higher mold from purely an athletic standpoint. A junior at Timberland, Wohrley is simply one of the best swimmers in the state.At the MSHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships in mid-February, Wohrley won a pair of gold medals and was named the Swimmer of the Meet. She took first place in the 100 backstroke for the third straight season, posting a time of 56.43 seconds, and competing at state in the 200 freestyle for the first time, Wohrley set a state record with a championship effort of 1 minute, 50.32 seconds.


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Relationship Maps:

But, as is often the case, it turns out that fighting with your partner wasn't the part that was good for you. What was healthy was "expressing anger constructively." The research showed that feeling anger but not expressing it is bad for you and is even associated with a shortened life span.

So it's not the fighting that's healthy; it's the expression of anger.

At one point in our culture's history, there was a dominant belief that authenticity and a "free spirit" required that you "tell it like it is," with full license to say anything you wanted in any way that made you feel good, the more direct and blunt the better. Courtesy and sensitivity, consideration and empathy were considered marks of inauthenticity. Fortunately, our culture outgrew, for the most part, this rather adolescent and self-indulgent attitude.


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Fresh thinking needed on drink and drugs problems, says community worker

CHANGING attitudes towards drink and drug addiction can only be achieved through shifting cultural norms, executives were told yesterday.

At a meeting of Cardiff Breakfast Club, Western Mail Welsh Woman of the Year Rhoda Emlyn-Jones said tackling legal and illegal drugs misuse needed new direction from the Government.

Ms Emlyn-Jones said all parts of society needed to revise the way they think about drugs if the problems associated with them are to be resolved – and that includes alcohol, as well as stigmatised illegal narcotics.

The model-turned-community activist was crowned 2008 Welsh Woman of the Year and is the service manager of Cardiff and the Vale Alcohol and Drug teams.

She has previously described alcohol as the nation's "favourite drug", calling for a change in the way people are first introduced to drinking.


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(AFX UK Focus) 2008-05-01 06:52 Carrefour stores hit by protests in China - report

BEIJING (Thomson Financial) - Hundreds of protesters demonstrated Thursday outside stores belonging to French supermarket chain Carrefour in three cities in China, state media reported, in a new sign of anti-French sentiment.

Holding Chinese national flags, they shouted slogans against Carrefour and against independence for Tibet, the Xinhua news agency said.

The protesters also expressed support for the Beijing Olympics outside the Carrefour stores in Changsha, capital of the central province of Hunan; Fuzhou in the southeast, and Shenyang in the northeast.

The French retailer last week cancelled an advertising campaign scheduled to launch in China on Thursday following anti-French demonstrations in the country in protest against France's attitude over Tibet and China's hosting of the Olympic Games this year.


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Issue 102 - 5th April - 1st May

Research released today reveals a change in attitude towards networks and networking - as 68% of people expect to be part of more networks in five years time. With this figure rising to 75% in the 25-44 age group, the survey by international leadership development organisation Common Purpose, suggests greater recognition of the value of networks by generations Y and X.

Furthermore, the research suggests that one of the reasons why the trend for networking continues to grow and diversify is that it is seen as more than a social activity. It found widespread confidence in the benefits of networking as a professional boost, with almost two thirds of respondents saying that networks are important to their career success. What makes a network valuable however, and how people decide which to use and with what frequency, could be a question on many busy professionals� minds.


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Special Assignment: Treating health issues with food

We are what we eat. But we also eat bad and eat fast.

"My diet was open a can and eat it or run up to the nearest fast food place," said Mike Belvin, 46, who just like many of us and had become a walking time bomb. "I'm a diabetic. So of course I had elevated blood sugar... had elevated cholesterol... had a minor cardiac event a couple of years ago. Just basically overweight. You name it I had it."

But a chance encounter on the hike and bike trail with dietitian Deirdre Earls would change his life.

"She started giving me some advise on how to take care of the problems without medication," he said.

And instead -- use diet. Mike tried it.

"Well first thing I did was lost 20-30 lbs. within six months. My blood sugar dropped where I am no longer on any medications.


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CAROLYN HAX: Males can be victims of domestic abuse, too

DEAR CAROLYN: Brother has been married for 15 years. Two kids. Sister-in-law has all the control — brother's and kids' schedules, (over)spending, etc. Her often-heinous attitude has all members of her family and his, who support this family however possible, in various levels of exasperation.

He has completely abandoned autonomy because it causes even more grief from her. What can he do to change the situation? He won't consider breaking up the family because of the kids. — Sad but True

Sad but true: From your (admittedly scant) description, the wife sounds like an abuser. If so, then your brother might not be doing his kids any favors.

It also means the families' sideline exasperation, while common, isn't their only recourse; they can get educated.


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Young people earning less than parents did: census

Extra years in school aren't paying off financially for many of Canada's young people, who are better educated but worse paid than people their age a generation ago.

According to census data released Thursday by Statistics Canada, workers between the ages of 25 and 29 make less than their predecessors, especially men.

In 1980, median earnings for full-time male workers in that age group were equal to $43,767 in today's wages. In 2000, they had dropped to $38,110 and by 2005 they were at $37,680.

While women have statistically always earned less than men, their drop in wages was notably less drastic. In 1980, women aged 25 to 29 made $32,813 in inflation-adjusted dollars. In 2005 they earned just slightly less, $32,104, according to the report, titled "Earnings and Incomes of Canadians over the Past Quarter Century, 2006 Census."

The trend toward reducing wages for young men began in developed countries around the world in the early 1980s, according to StatsCan analyst Rene Morissette.


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Brenda Martin overjoyed to be home

EDMONTON - The anger and bitterness that consumed Brenda Martin during more than two years in a Mexican prison disappeared the moment she landed on Canadian soil today.

"She said that was the most exciting feeling in the world to land on Canadian soil," said Deb Tieleman, Martin's childhood friend and leader of the public campaign to free Martin. "The minute that plane landed in Canada the bitterness just evaporated.

"She is overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone who has helped her and it is seriously genuine," said Tieleman after speaking with Martin by telephone from the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener-Waterloo. "Her attitude, her whole demeanour has changed."

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Letters published in the Times

Having the ability to keep paying to fight in order to satisfy his I-am-always-right attitude (Cook) and that of his followers -- priceless -- since the taxpayers are picking up the tab.

When will the taxpayers of El Paso see that this is not about Asarco, this is about individuals who want change based on what they want and how they view their city (not ours).

You don't penalize a business for following the rules, all the while saying you want to draw new business here.

Asarco now, Western Refinery next, maybe Helen of Troy É followed by whatever other industry the mayor and his cohorts choose as their target.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Embrace your critics for they point out your faults."

We are not perfect, Mr. Mayor, but just because you were elected mayor by a small margin of voters does not make you perfect.

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Hamlin climbs to 4th in points - roanoke.com

The hottest driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series the last five races? It's not Kyle Busch, winner at Talladega last weekend. It's not points leader Jeff Burton. It's Denny Hamlin.

He enters this weekend's race at Richmond International Raceway with five consecutive finishes of sixth or better, including a victory at Martinsville. Hamlin has climbed from 19th to fourth in points during that run.

While Hamlin makes his move, many of the questions he hears are about teammates: Kyle Busch's early-season success or Tony Stewart's contract saga.

Consider the Chesterfield, Va., native, the forgotten driver at Joe Gibbs Racing.

"It's just motivation when we don't get the press that I feel like we deserve,'' Hamlin says.

Hamlin and his team are noted for using unfavorable preseason predictions as motivation.


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Fans quick to acquit Anthony

The road to forgiveness started early.

Long before tipoff, as a matter of fact.

Sitting about five rows up in Section 126, longtime season-ticket holders Jan and Jerry Selinfreund expected Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets to redeem themselves in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off," Jan said. "It's a whole new ballgame."

When the capacity crowd gradually filed into the arena, Nuggets fans echoed that sentiment in unison, cheering Anthony wholeheartedly during pregame introductions.

Apparently, there ain't no quit among the die-hard fans.

"I don't want to blame a player," Jerry Selinfreund said. "Even when I'm down on a player, it's usually for a very short time. I bounce back because we're fans. This is our city."

About 48 hours after proclaiming he, his coaches and his teammates "quit" in Game 3 against the Lakers, Anthony was not treated as a hostile witness in his own house.


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Nigeria: Woman Stabs Husband to Death

The biblical saying that he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from God, became the opposite in the case of Salisu Lawal, who, three years ago, took one Kuburat Lowole as wife.

Crime Guard gathered that trouble reared it's ugly head in their home few months later, following heated argument between the couple which most times degenerated into fighting. The situation became tensed when, according to a neighbor, Salisu lost his job and consequently his relevance as the head of the home as he could no longer meet some of his obligations. The couple's face-me- I -face-you one -room apartment at Number 80, Kadara street in Ebute-Metta area of Lagos was therefore known for unnecessary noise and destruction of property at every given time.

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Never too late to get started; fitness program aimed at women over age 45

Frances Stewart has decided it is time for her to get in shape.

The 53-year-old Chatham resident was among the 120 women over the age of 45 that attended the 'My Turn . . . My Time' workshop at the Wheels Inn on Saturday.

Stewart said she has developed several health problems over the years as result of being overweight. Even walking to an office near her home "is an achievement on its own," she said.

By adding some exercise into her daily routine, Stewart said her health would probably improve.

"You have to have a goal," she said.

Stewart admits that it can be overwhelming to start a fitness regiment at her age, however the top deterrent for her so far has been a lack of motivation.

"It's important to have a different attitude," she said.


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Botswana: Empowerment : Batswana Businesses Should be Efficient

We are committed to the development of our country and especially in supporting her citizens who run businesses.

But this gesture almost always leaves us exasperated and irate, chucking out all we have learned in yoga and other success motivation exercises due to poor service delivery. When we heard of a glass cutting business in Mochudi, we were over the moon to support them by buying window panes from them. After cutting the window panes, we were told that they had run out of wrapping paper.

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Family can lessen brother's isolation

Dear Carolyn: Brother has been married for 15 years. Two kids. Sister-in-law has all control -- brother's and kids' schedules, (over)spending, etc. Her often-heinous attitude has all members of her family and his, who support this family however possible, in various levels of exasperation. He has completely abandoned autonomy because it causes even more grief from her. What can he do to change the situation? He won't consider breaking the family because of the kids. -- Sad but TrueSad but true: From your (admittedly scant) description, the wife sounds like an abuser. If so, then your brother might not be doing his kids any favors.It also means the families' sideline exasperation, while common, isn't their only recourse; they can get educated. The nonprofit Peace at Home is now defunct, but no one yet has improved on its handbook (particularly for male victims), still available at www.peaceathome.org/fact--book.html.


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Carolyn Hax: Brother's controlling wife sounds like abuser

Dear Carolyn: Brother has been married for 15 years. Two kids. Sister-in-law has all control -- brother's and kids' schedules, (over)spending, etc. Her often-heinous attitude has all members of her family and his exasperated. He has abandoned autonomy because it causes more grief from her. What can he do to change the situation? He won't break up the family because of the kids.

SAD BUT TRUE

Carolyn says: Sad but true: From your (admittedly scant) description, the wife sounds like an abuser. If so, then your brother might not be doing his kids any favors.

It also means the families' sideline exasperation isn't their only recourse; they can get educated. The nonprofit Peace at Home is now defunct, but no one yet has improved on its handbook (particularly for male victims), still available at www.peaceathome.org/fact_book.html.



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Top Headlines

ATTLEBORO - Agatha Kolodziejczak was getting a little too plump eating gwumpkie and pierogi. There was a fear within her, because her father once tipped the scales at a nearly fatal 400 pounds.After spending a year abroad in her native Poland, Kolodziejczak had come home to face admonitions from her mother, imploring her to lose weight. But it wasn't until she met her boyfriend Reda Ahlouche - an Albanian native with a sensible, dynamic plan and regime to get people fit - did she reshape her body, mind and attitude into something wondrous to behold.Known as AggiK to clients, the Dedham High and UMass grad is now a champion female bodybuilder. She recently won 1st place in both the 2007 NPC Rhode Island and New Hampshire Championships in the novice division as well as finishing in the Top 5 of the 2007 Miss Hawaiian Tropics Nationals event in Florida and the Top 10 in the 2007 Fitness Atlantic for Sports and Bikini Models.


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Nigeria: Yar'Adua's Health And the Rotten Entrails of Politics

"How many decisions - including ones of great historical significance that impact millions of people-are made by men and women who are driven by personal motives rather than by a desire to do the right thing?

How many of our top government officials are driven by personal greed instead of national loyalty?"-John Perkins in "Confessions of an economic hit man"

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Scepticism over load shedding about-turn

Eskom's suspension of load shedding has been welcomed, but the electricity supply problems had already done damage, analysts say. Many said it was too late to go back for consumers and businesses that lost millions of rands because of the power company's policy. And there was some cynicism about the utility's claims that the reason for the suspension was a reduction in demand. Eskom this week announced the suspension of all planned load shedding, although there could be emergency cuts. The reason given for Eskom's change in attitude is that the country's top 10 municipalities had together reduced demand by up to 8 percent. .


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