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As technology continues to develop, our way of living likewise moved in directions we never even imagined decades ago. The worldwide web has found a way to connect almost every human being in the planet which created possibilities and opportunities like never before. We can do everyday tasks from the comfort of our own home with just a computer and an internet connection. Since data transfer can be implemented from one end of the globe to the other almost instantaneously, communication, banking, and sales have changed face. And there is no turning back.

With the economic recession still hounding almost every progressive country in the world, many have found ways to adapt and survive with the help of technology. Businesses are looking for ways to lower cost and people have discovered a way to battle rising unemployment head on. If there are no jobs available locally, why not find one in other parts of the world? It is exactly this type of scenario that is making online jobs thrive. Though online job opportunities have been around for a while, no one considered it a viable and stable source of income years ago. The risk of getting duped or scammed was high and the opportunities available were mostly limited to those involved in web development or programming.

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Courtesy of www.rollingstone.com

Now that I have gotten over Adam Lambert’s loss in American Idol, I will finally let go of my frustration with this post on his revelations in the most recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. From the cover spread alone, I guess we all know that he finally answered the question many had since the start of the competition. Is Adam Lambert a Friend of Dorothy?
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This season’s American Idol just went weird tonight. Ryan Seacrest first placed Matt Giraud and Kris Allen on one side and Danny Gokey with Allison Iraheta on another. Then he asked Adam Lambert where he felt he belonged based on last night’s performance. Adam chose to be with Danny and Allison, but he made the wrong choice. Apparently, he belonged to Kris and Matt’s side which is the bottom 3. What?!!

Kris and Adam at the bottom 3 was way off. Of the 5 remaining contenders, it was Allison and Matt who were frequently at the bottom. Now, for the first time, Kris and Adam are down there. Simon did say Danny is a strong contender because of the sympathy factor. It would be a big disappointment if he wins over Adam who is the most original and consistent of all contenders — that is an objective opinion considering I really don’t enjoy rock music. Danny, on the other hand, remained stagnant all throughout. I have heard nothing amazing from him for weeks. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember the songs that he sang. The most memorable for me were Adam’s Tracks of My Tears and Mad World. Kris was unforgettable in Ain’t No Sunshine.

Anyway, next week, it’s going to be rock and roll. If Simon is right, it could be Allison who will be packing next. But Kris will have to raise his performance a notch higher, else, the red-head teen can bump him off in this genre.

There was a time when TV shows were considered inferior to movies on all aspects of the showbiz industry. Now, with the popularity of crime and comedy TV series, talent competitions, and reality shows, television may have finally overtaken the movies in terms of viewership and big bucks. At the top of list making millions is Fox’s singing competition, American Idol.  Idol has a combined average audience of 26 million this season, making $7 million in revenues for every thirty minutes.  Whoa!  And guess how much a 30-second ad would cost?  It’s a whopping $623,000.

Here are the rest of the list.

2.  “24″ – Average viewers at 11.7 MM with 30-minute revenues of $3.7 MM and 30-seconds ads costing $366,000.

3.  “Desperate Housewives” – Average viewers at 15.2 MM with 30-minute revenues of $2.9 MM and 30-second ads costing $251,000.

4.  “Grey’s Anatomy” – Average viewers at 13.4 MM with 30-minute revenues of $2.7 MM and 30-second ads costing $224,000.

5.  “Two And A Half Men” – Average viewers at 14.1 MM with 30-minute revenues of $2.6 MM and 30-second ads costing $227,000.

When you think about it, it may pose greater risk creating a movie than a television series.  Movies generally cost more and the possibility that it bombs in the box office would be higher considering the number of films that have flopped lately.

After more than a year of wall climbing in their school gym and several tournaments, my son has now decided to do the real adventure, actual mountain climbing. I am hesitant at first considering the many dangers I felt a 14-year old may not be ready for yet. But with a lot of coercion from his coach and team mates, I had to give in.

Here goes the hard part again, shopping for Mountain Climbing Gear for my son. I had to read up and search the internet on all the necessities my son would bring. Of course, the first advise was to travel light. I don’t want my son lagging behind during their hikes and getting left behind because I almost threw in the kitchen sink inside his packs.

I already got him the Petzl harness months ago and it proved to be really durable. I’m certain it will still hold well — a really worthwhile purchase considering the price. His coach told him, it was essential to get him a pack that was big enough but sturdy enough to hold the essentials. I didn’t have to search long because I knew I had to get the best and bought him a North Face pack bigger than the one he uses for school. After getting him decent clothes to protect him from the weather, his coach told me he would take care of the heavier things.

My son is set to go on his first adventure in a few weeks, this nagging fear in my stomach keeps increasing daily. He tells me stories about experiences of his friends who have made the climb, but I still don’t feel reassured. Well, they say a mother has to learn to let go at a certain point. I am learning.

The unemployed has now reached over 5 million and there seems to be no signs of let up. Even those who did not feel endangered because of their skills are part of the list. While welfare provides temporary relief, the need to find a replacement is necessary. But with so few jobs out there, people are scrambling to get any type of job to survive.

With the difficulty in finding jobs, many have resorted to unorthodox ways of landing one. Active pursuit includes attending networking events, blogging, and making television ads. Yes, many are now selling themselves through advertisements like commercial products. Many believe it is the only way to stand out among the millions currently in search of new employment.

Now, there are television shows that allow job seekers to record 30-second commercials to market themselves to prospective employers. The show likewise includes tips on landing that elusive job. The advantage of these ads is that employers need not actively seek out their prospects, they see it directly while watching the show.

Nevertheless, it does not guarantee that the right employer will luckily be watching the ad. As such, it is only another measure that many have included along with the traditional job search.

While the economic crisis seems to have brought out the ingenuity in so many people, the big question still remains. How much longer can we weather the storm?

Many are asking how it is possible that AIG will be giving out $165 million in bonuses to executives when they reported $61 billion in loss for 2008.  AIG’s loss is considered the biggest corporate loss in American history and yet it is deemed necessary to give their executives bonuses?  Where I come from, bonuses are premised on good income — an incentive to top management for a job well done. Considering that AIG has been given the biggest bail out money from American taxpayers, I find it indecent that a portion of the recent $170 billion bail out will be used to give bonuses. As a matter of fact, the earlier billions in bail out given to them did not produce results. What did they do with the previous bail out money? Oh I remember, they were supposed to send their executives out on a vacation as incentives for exemplary performance. Of course, it had to be rescinded because the public got word of it.

I can understand the outrage of the American people. Millions have lost their jobs, not because they did not perform well, but because of this economic catastrophe perpetrated by the financial sector. Economic analysts have been warning them for years that this day would come. Maybe they don’t care, they are at the top of the food chain. If all hell breaks loose, they will not lose their jobs — they will even get their bonuses. It’s the ordinary tom, dick, and jane who will be affected, not them.

For whatever its worth, it is good that this was revealed to the public and not hushed up like most inappropriate activities. While AIG attempts to rebuild its financial status, this type of activities will further ruin people’s trust and confidence in the company. Raising themselves from the ashes will now prove to be a more daunting task.

With millions losing their job the past year and a replacement job unavailable, many believe the answer may be starting your own small business.  A business doesn’t have to involve big capital.  You can start a franchise business that can be your family’s life support even wihou employment.

Buying Franchise businesses is actually easier than setting up your own independent business.  With a franchise, the brand has already been established, marketing is usually covered by royalty fees, and business procedures are already established.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to educate yourself and determine if franchising is the right business for you.  Establish you budget and find out the industry you are most knowledgeable and comfortable with.  MatchPoinNetwork.com is the best resource in franchising business on the net.  Unemployment may not be the end of the line for you — it may be the opportunity you have been waiting for all these years.

In view of the current economic crisis, the world’s top billionaires lost billions, but some still stayed on top of their game. Bill Bates lost $18 billion of his net worth but regains the top spot from Warren Buffet whose fortune fell by $25 billion as Berkshire Hathaway’s shares fell almost 50% the past year. There are now 793 in the list from 1,125 last year. The financial catastrophe the past year took 355 off the list while 18 died. The collective networth of this elite group also fell by $2 trillion and now only stands at $2.4 trillion from over $4 trillion last year.

The biggest loser this year is Indian billionaire Anil Ambani, last year’s biggest gainer, who lost $32 billion following the Indian stock market’s downfall by 44% and the Rupee’s depreciation by 18% against the dollar. India now cedes the top spot in Asia for billionaires to China who now has 28.

As the top 13 in American Idol 2009 performed the other night, only a handful seemed to show promise in making it through the next few weeks. Among those who received bad reviews from the judges were Megan, Jorge, and Anoop. And as expected, the top performers were Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey.

Today’s show had voters eliminating Jasmine and Jorge who received the least number of votes. Although Jasmine did not disappoint the judges as much as Jorge, her lack of personality probably made viewers oblivious to her presence.

The judges likewise announced a new format during the elimination round. They now have the power to save a contestant who gets the least number of votes if they believe he/she deserves another chance. Should this happen, there will be 2 competitors eliminated for the succeeding performance to make up for the save. In today’s elimination, the judges decided not to use this option, believing that both Jasmine and Jorge did deserve to go packing home.

How would coffee connoisseurs distinguish the best in the world? Which would fare better? Price or taste? While coffee enthusiasts have various criteria when it comes to taste, price would be an easier measure since the most expensive coffee cost about US$300-US$600 per pound. If you watched the 2007 film “The Bucket List,” you know what coffee beans I am talking about – it’s the coffee beans that Jack Nicholson’s character was munching on.

Kopi Luwak is not only considered the most expensive coffee in the world, but also the strangest. These are coffee berries defecated by the Asian Palm Civet, a jungle cat native to countries such as Indonesia (known as Luwak), the Philippines (known as Alamid or Musang), and East Timor (known as Laku). The luwak’s normal diet consists of insects, small mammals and reptiles, nestling of birds, fruits, and coffee berries. However, the luwak only ingests the ripe coffee berries in the forest. This is the premise that surrounds the reputation of Kopi Luwak. The luwak only chooses superior beans which cannot be surpassed by the normal harvest of coffee where some are not quite ripe or some are overripe. The outer flesh is digested while the inner bean remains intact and defecated. These are collected and washed before being roasted lightly. According to experts, the enzymes in the luwak’s digestive tract somehow penetrate the beans and add flavor as it breaks down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

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The news on Chris Brown beating an unidentified woman still remains clouded in mystery a few days after Grammy night. Nevertheless, rumors seem to be trickling now and again. By now, the rumor that the woman Chris Brown allegedly mauled was girlfriend Rihanna seems almost 80% certain. Rihanna’s reps and relatives refuse to confirm, merely stating that the pop star is well and that she appreciates all the concern.

Since most of the details have yet been confirmed, these tidbits are still considered rumor and gossip. Sources say that Rihanna’s injuries were grave — forehead contusions, cut lips, and bite marks on the arms and fingers. Though initial reports say that the case against Brown is assault with a deadly weapon, it seems no specific weapon was used other than Brown’s skill in martial arts (though I’ve read jokes pertaining to an “Umbrella” being used).
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Last Friday, reports released show that 600,000 jobs were shed in January, a month with more layoffs than any other since 1974. While the Congress and the Senate continue to tackle President Obama’s stimulus plan, everything seems to be getting dimmer.

Businesses are closing, unemployment is rising, and those companies that have managed to survive aren’t hiring. Considering that jobs are few and so many are desperately needing them, many have found creative ways to increase their chances of landing a new job.
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After the pomp and the celebration, the world is no longer interested in Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown or Barack Obama’s inaugural speech.  Today the 44th President of the US will start the hard work of raising the nation back on its feet.  The road ahead for the first African-American US president is a difficult one.  Yet, many believe that no man is better equipped for the job at hand.

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