Sarah Palin Attack Dog or Barracuda?

Image by bobster1985 via Flickr Another week, another political convention. This week kicks off the Republican National Convention that will see the nomination of John McCain for President and Sarah Palin for Vice-President, though the schedule is in flux with Hurricane Gustav that has landed in Louisiana.
McCain named Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his running mate on August 29th. She was more or less a surprise pick. She is not well known on the national scene, at least from a media perspective.

The first day of the convention was greatly abbreviated. The only real speakers were Laura Bush and Cindy McCain putting out a call for help for the areas affected by Gustav. They also made announcements of some projects that the Republicans will be undertaking to help victims of Gustav. This fit with the theme for the day: Service.

The theme for Tuesday was Reform. The main speakers of the evening were Laura Bush, George Bush, Fred Thompson, and Joe Lieberman. President Bush gave a very short speech about McCain and didn’t really say too much. Fred Thompson followed and defended the choice of Sarah Palin for vice-president and helped define McCain a bit more. He was followed by Joe Lieberman, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee 8 years ago. Lieberman went between praising McCain, defending Palin, and hitting out at Barack Obama. The keynote speech to be given by Rudy Guiliani was moved to Wednesday.

Wednesday the theme is Prosperity. Palin gave her acceptance speech tonight and America got their first real chance to know her. Palin filled the vice-presidential role of attack dog. And she did a good job of attacking Barack Obama and Joe Biden. McCain is going to have a tough time topping her speech. Also speaking were Mitt Romney, Meg Whitman, Mike Huckabee, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. The speeches once again seem to focus on John McCain, but not on any policy stances for the candidates.

Thursday will be John McCain’s day. The theme for the final day of the convention is Peace. The day is supposed to showcase McCain’s idea of American goodwill and our pursuit of peace in the world. McCain tops off the evening with his acceptance speech. Then the campaign can begin with 60 days until Election Day.

The convention schedule will be very flexible and may change on any day in response to the events of Gustav. One of the places you can keep up with the ever changing world is 104inc.com.

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How in the world does oil spike up so quickly?

The beauty of the market, whether it’s commodities, mutual funds, or just plain ‘ol stocks, is that they never fail to surprise me. Only a month ago, I wrote an article about oil and why (based on analyst’s opinions) the price has increased so much, going up to $147 per barrel back in July. Well, just four short weeks later, oil has come down to under $108 per barrel. How in the world does oil spike up so quickly? More importantly, how does it plummet so drastically? Oil prices have decreased over 25% in the last four weeks, which makes me laugh when I think about all of those big shots from Goldman Sachs and such who predicted that oil will hit $200 by the end of summer.

Of course, there are a number of reasons (based on analyst’s opinions) as to why the price of oil has decreased so much. The economy of “powerful” countries, such as China, is weak and in jeopardy of a recession. Demand for products has decreased due to these countries having weak economies. Furthermore, specifically with China, the currency there has increased in value, which obviously makes exports less desirable, hence, causing a decrease in the output of goods. Yet, the average person would conclude that if a county’s currency appreciates in value, why would it be having economical problems? For that, stay tuned for another article…we’re talking about oil here.

The demand for gasoline is weak, which makes oil less appealing to investors. This further drives prices down, considering consumers of gasoline are finding other means of transportation, a phenomenon that is not all that phenomenal. It was only a matter of time for people to start getting sick of paying over $4.50 at the pump for a gallon of gas. Another reason why the price of oil has decreased is because of a stronger dollar in the last few weeks. Our currency is on the rise (yippie!), and this is causing investors to pull out of commodities (such as oil). Investors usually purchase commodities in order to hedge against inflation, and if the dollar is increasing in value, well, there isn’t as much hedging necessary.

There are many other factors involved, including hurricane Gustav not having the impact investors had anticipated for it to have. Also, refineries are starting to slowly come back online after being shut down for various reasons. So then, is it safe to say that the oil bubble has finally burst? Or is it just leaking for now but getting ready to grow larger again? Some analysts believe that prices can spike again due to unforeseen geopolitical events (could they be any more vague?) or OPEC deciding to cut back production (basically them saying,” We need to drive demand up, so we should decrease supply and drive prices up because this year I want to make $2 Billion instead of only $1 Billion”).

Whatever the reason is for oil prices decreasing, I really don’t care. As long as gas prices are decreasing, which they have gone down in the past month from a national average of $4.11 to $3.67 according to AAA, and then I’m a happy camper. Might I add that just because prices have gone down about $0.45 doesn’t mean I’m satisfied? It wasn’t too long ago that I could fill up the gas tank of a gas guzzling Camaro for no more than $35.00. I’d like to see those times again, very soon, so I can drive more like Jeff Gordon rather than Ms. Daisy.

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Am I The Only One Who Is Ready To See Some FootBall?

Image via WikipediaFootball. There aren't too many words in the English dictionary (or any dictionary for that matter) that make a man's heart pound harder than standing at the altar, wondering if the woman about to walk down the aisle is...ohh, never mind. See what happens when the word 'football' is mentioned? Well, it's back ladies and gentleman. The 2008-2009 National Football League season is upon us, set to kick-off Thursday evening with the reigning Super Bowl Champions New York Giants (still in pain over that) versus the Washington Redskins.

So, what does this mean? Well, that's a simple and easy question. It means attendance at church will be cut in half, vacations postponed, and every man's credit card purchases growing exponentially as the wives escape the steady diet of testosterone, beer, pizza, and man-grunts while watching some smash-mouth football. Watching all this football usually leads to one thing at halftime and after the game: flinging the old pigskin around the backyard, mimicking every juke, bump, and touchdown celebration. At least, that's what I do. And, inevitably, as you go into your garage, searching for that football, you'll find you've either lost it, left it at a buddy's pad, or it's flatter than your team's offensive line. So, what to do? Log on to 104football.com for all your football needs - it's simple and easy. With it's state-of-the-art technology, 104football.com will already know where you're located, and will not only give you a list of everything football around your home, but they will tell you the distance in miles, and even give a link to map directions, plus much, much more. It's awesome.

So, who's your team? Actually, it doesn't even matter. The standings as of today are all 0-0. We're all even. Time to separate the men from the boys. Will your team hoist the trophy next February, or will they be sipping mai-tais in Maui, watching the Super Bowl like the rest of us? Only the players will decide. All we can do is watch and enjoy the ride, and log on to 104football.com to get all we need!

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Republicans Say Country First & Change Second!

Image by sloomis08 via FlickrAnother week, another political "country first" convention. This week kicks off the Republican National Convention that will see the nomination of John McCain for President and Sarah Palin for Vice-President, though the schedule is in flux with Hurricane Gustav that has landed in Louisiana.

McCain named Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his running mate on August 29th. She was more or less a surprise pick. She is not well known on the national scene, at least from a media perspective.

The first day of the convention was greatly abbreviated. The only real speakers were Laura Bush and Cindy McCain putting out a call for help for the areas affected by Gustav. They also made announcements of some projects that the Republicans will be undertaking to help victims of Gustav. This fit with the theme for the day: Service.

The theme for Tuesday is Reform. The main speakers of the evening were Laura Bush, George Bush, Fred Thompson, and Joe Lieberman. President Bush gave a very short speech about McCain and didn’t really say too much. Fred Thompson followed and defended the choice of Sarah Palin for vice-president and helped define McCain a bit more. He was followed by Joe Lieberman, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee 8 years ago. Lieberman went between praising McCain, defending Palin, and hitting out at Barack Obama. The keynote speech to be given by Rudy Guiliani was moved to Wednesday.

Wednesday the theme will be Prosperity. Palin will be speaking that night and it will give her a chance to let America know her. Also speaking will be Mitt Romney, Meg Whitman, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and possibly Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. It is kind of odd though that the Republican website for the convention hasn’t been updated with Palin’s name.

Thursday will be John McCain’s day. The theme for the final day of the convention is Peace. The day is supposed to showcase McCain’s idea of American goodwill and our pursuit of peace in the world. McCain tops off the evening with his acceptance speech. Then the campaign can begin with 60 days until Election Day.

The convention schedule will be very flexible and may change on any day in response to the events of Gustav. One of the places you can keep up with the ever changing world is 104inc.com.

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The Job Market Sucks So What Does A College Student Do?

I have been in the professional field for 15 years now. I am in an industry that is dying day by day. The sad thing is that it does not matter that I have a BA or an MBA because I have been in the same field for so long I am typecast as an individual that has not other skills.

A general degree in Management or Business is no longer the path to success or wealth. You need to be more specialized. Right now what employers need are scientists, engineers, programmers, medical personnel, law and CPAs.

These fields will yield the best results for future income and job security. With the globalization of our economic markets these fields will continue to grow because leaders are needed to continue to solve problems that we are facing as a country and as a world.

Financial opportunities are limited right now and you must be able to adapt to the changing world. I would suggest that you get on community chat rooms and start gaining for the experience of those who have been in this market for sometime. Learn from the mistakes of others so that you do not fall into the same trap.

104Jobz.com is a great recourse that may help you find professionals who can help guide you down a prosperous path. Keep in mind that you need to do a lot of research, do something that you love and are passionate about and you cannot go wrong. 104jobs.com can help you find the right opportunities for your future.

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Did Hillary Clinton Sucker Punch Barack Obama At The Democratic National Convention?

We are going from hyped event (Summer Olympics) to another: the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Denver on Monday. The biggest unknown part of the convention is if the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama camps can come together.

Monday night will focus on the story of Barack Obama. In a relatively new tradition, the nominee’s wife, Michelle Obama will be the feature speaker. Tuesday night’s theme will be Renewing America’s Promise and Hillary Clinton will be the feature speaker.

Wednesday night is an attempt at trying to be non-partisan in terms of foreign policy, using the theme “Securing America’s Future”. The night will focus on Obama as commander in chief. The two main speakers on Wednesday are ex-President Bill Clinton and vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden. Though it seems President Clinton was upset about his speech subject for the evening - he would rather have been talking about the economy. Now it looks like the Obama campaign will let President Clinton talk about whatever he wants to talk about.

Joe Biden, Delaware, was named the Democratic vice-presidential candidate by Barack Obama on August 23rd. The original plan by the Obama campaign was to inform his supporters who the vice-presidential candidate would be by text message. That plan didn’t work out as planned. News of the vice-presidential candidate was first reported by the television reporters on the 22nd, though the Obama campaign sent their text message announcement out at 3:00 AM on the 23rd.

Obama and Biden made their initial appearance together in Springfield, Illinois at the Illinois State Capital. This is the same place Obama made the announcement he was running for president in 2006.

Thursday is the final night of the convention and the Democrats will be moving from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field to allow a larger audience to participate in the final night. After the roll call vote, Obama will give his acceptance speech. Though there is contention between Hillary Clinton’s supporters and the Obama campaign about how long the roll call vote should continue until Obama is officially declared the candidate.
104inc.com is a website that a site that will give you the facts or if you want a little opinion you can check out http://www.104politics.com/

How a Charismatic Leader Could Arouse Trust, Faith and Belief in Their Leadership Ability

Today I want to focus everyone on one of the many different types of leadership concepts and leadership theories. With so many different approaches and styles of leadership, I started to think about all the different managers I’ve had throughout my eight years at Bank of America. Then I look inward at my pervious customer service team manager position. What is my leadership style?

I’ve always tried to have an inspirational approach to leadership and the most common style is “charismatic leadership”. Maybe because I employ this style I also respond very well to managers who have always tried to motivate me in this way. Charismatic leaders always develop good communication with their associates. All of them work with the team so that they actively contribute and develop the vision; the vision then becomes a part of not only the leader but of their team. I’ve always been given buy-in from my teams with a charismatic approach to leadership; my teammates are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to achieve the vision. I feel like the most important part of a charismatic leader is the ability to inspire extraordinary performance from the team. With this style I always have the opportunity to turn members of my team who normally aren’t involved into active participants.

So when you’re applying it to your everyday work life, remember that a charismatic leader should arouse trust, faith and belief in their leadership ability. If we move forward and grow as leaders, we should also move our associates to become leaders in their own right. But most of all, charismatic leaders inspire a deep devotion in their team. The effect these types of leaders have on their associates seems to be their greatest achievement. This is of course the most important way to be effective and achieve your own personal and corporate goals.

Do You Have The Need for Metabo-speed?

OK, so you need to lose weight, but where do you start? Well, the key isn't simple. It isn't easy. But it is extremely effective! The solution: eat more...often that is. Let me put it to you like this. If you didn't eat breakfast this morning, you're not losing any weight today, plain and simple. Your body is a machine, and it’s time to put the pedal to the metal! You could put the cheapest gas in your car, and it will run, but it won't nearly as smoothly as a higher-end, premium gasoline designed to clean your system, right? Same concept here. You need to modify your lifestyle and train your body.

Here's what you do. Instead of eating 1-2 (or 3) big meals a day, break them down into 5-6 small meals, eating approximately every 2-3 hours. I know this sounds like a lot, and at first it may be difficult, but after no time you'll be loving it! Look at the simple mechanics of it all. When you eat, your body digests the food, breaking it down. The speed in which it digests is dependent on how fast your metabolism is. The faster your metabolism, the quicker you digest, the less fat can sit and build up. So when you eat a big breakfast, your body begins breaking the food down, slowly building your metabolism for the day.

If you don't eat for 8-10 hours, your metabolism has become stagnant, at a stand still, and will need time to rebuild speed; but if you eat every 2-3 hours, you don't give your metabolism the chance to slow down, methodically building its speed.
Stay tuned for next week’s installment, when I discuss combining this metabo-speed technique with a low-carb diet. Until then, eat well, live well, and log on to 104Diet.com for all your diet needs!

Why I Think Michael Phelps Isn't The Greatest American Olympian Ever

Seems like a pretty easy question. He just set the record for the most gold medals and most medals won by an individual in one Olympics. He also has the most gold medals won by an athlete in multiple Olympics. However, Larissa Latynina has won the most individual medals in the Olympics with 18 to Phelps 16. (Latynina of Russia won her medals in gymnastics between 1956 and 1964.) Phelps was part of seven world records in his events this year. That ties Mark Spitz’s record of 7 world records in the 1972 Olympics. Phelps won 5 of his gold medals in individual events (Spitz’s won 4 in 1972) and the remaining 3 gold medals in the relays.

But what about Eric Heiden? He won five individual gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 winter Olympics. He won the medals in distances from 500 meters to 10,000 meters, which might be more impressive than Phelps’ medals. Phelps’ medals were all in shorter distances, while Heiden’s medals were in short and long distances. In addition, Heiden later crossed over into the world of professional bike racing, even competing in the 1986 Tour de France.

Carl Lewis was another impressive Olympian. He won 10 gold medals in the Olympics between 1984 and 1996. That included winning the long jump title in four straight Olympics. Lewis also qualified for the 1980 Olympics team that boycotted the Olympics held in Moscow.
Though for all of their greatness, these Olympians’ impact is probably less profound than that of Jesse Owens. Owens won four medals in the 1936 Medals held in Berlin. It wasn’t the numbers of medals that he won, but where and when. 104inc.com is a website that is trying to make a difference in the where and when of the Internet.

Who do you think is the best Olympian ever? Please leave your comments below and vote!

Facts About High Level of Drugs in Your Drinking Water

You've probably heard a hundred times about the high level of water contamination caused by industrial pollutants over the last several decades. But now environmental scientists are telling us that prescription drugs in drinking water are becoming a new threat to our health. By the time you finish reading this you are going to have four, eye-opening facts about drugs in the drinking water you must not ignore.

Fact #1 - The EPA and the National Geological Survey have verified the presence of prescription drugs in drinking water.
Samples from numerous water supplies from around the country have turned up trace amounts of drugs such as anti-depressants, antibiotics, contraceptives and caffeine. Since everything that passes through our bodies eventually ends up in our water supplies, it only stands to reason that all the medications that are taken on a daily basis in this country will make their way into our drinking water.
Since we have a finite supply of water on this planet, it has to be continually recycled and reused. As such, there is a high probability of exposure to these waterborne pharmaceuticals.

Fact #2 - At the present time, the long term health effects of drugs in the drinking water are unknown.
Despite the lack of information about how we can expect these drugs to effect us, medical science is mainly concerned about the creation of "super bugs" from prolonged exposure to even low levels of antibiotics. The experts studying this issue are worried that these super microorganisms could become resistant to antibiotic treatment. If doctors can't fight the sickness caused by these super bugs, many people could suffer and perhaps, die.

Fact #3 - Most of our municipal water treatment facilities are not presently equipped to remove prescription drugs in drinking water.
A vast majority of city water systems still use chlorine as their main method for treating water. Chlorine is a chemical disinfectant and not a filter, so it can do nothing to remove drugs in the drinking water. This means that our home water resources are at risk.

Fact #4 - It is possible to do something, right now, to protect you and your family from the potentially harmful effects of prescription drugs in drinking water.
You should know that there are plenty of efficient, home water purification systems available that are quite capable of removing drugs in the water. The most effective are those that use a multi-stage filtration system. Multi-stage filters are specifically developed to remove SOCs (synthetic organic chemicals). Prescription drugs are made up of SOCs.
In addition to removing drugs in drinking water, home water purification systems are effective at removing all other contaminants that are commonly found in our water supplies. They are also great at producing pleasant-tasting, mineral balanced water.

You may be surprised to find a wide selection of purification products that range from drinking water filter dispensers, to shower filters, to whole house filter systems. The specific purification needs of any household can easily be met, affordably and conveniently.
Make no mistake about it. We can't sit around, waiting to find out how these drugs are going to impact our health. These four facts about prescription drugs in drinking water must not be ignored.