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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