Diet Soda: Still Dangerous

My wife, currently enrolled in an online nursing program, has spent the past semester working to kick her soda addiction (if you live in the northeast like I do, please feel free to call it "pop").  A typical day usually merits four to five cans, or about 600 empty calories.  So far, between her studies, her clinical work, and her inability to find time to eat more than one meal a day, she's actually burning more calories than she's taking in; but she knows that trend can't continue for much longer.

Nursing classes turn people into overly well-informed individuals, particularly when it comes to illness and nutrition.  At the first hint of a cold she rushes into the room with holistic and medical remedies that are sure to prevent any future sneezes.  She's insisting that baby spinach become a regular item on our daily menu.  My last paper cut required a 10 minute exercise in sterilizing the "wound" and bandaging it.

Then she tried to take away my diet soda.

I told her she had crossed the line.  "What's wrong with diet soda?  No calories, less caffeine than a cup of coffee, no sugar, no fat.  You've taken away burgers, and pasta, and ice cream.  Leave me and my diet soda alone!"

Then she went through the dangers of diet soda.
1. It actually promotes weight gain.  I had no idea.  Evidently there's some research suggesting that drinking artificially sweet beverages either confuses your insulin production, or leads your body to drop its metabolic rate, which will eventually cause more food to be stored as fat.  Another theory is that people who drink diet soda feel that they can binge on less healthy fare with the "extra" calories saved from regular soda.  This last theory makes the most sense to me, or at least it's one I'm definitely guilty of.

2. Your bones go kaput.  The phosphoric acid in any kind of soda pushes calcium out of the body before it can be fully absorbed (or put to use).  Better alternate between soda and milk (note: do not mix together).

3. Your kidneys will hate you.  While diet soda has no significant nutritional drawback, the amount of chemicals necessary to imitate sugar means that your body has a ton of garbage to filter out.

4. Your body isn't evolved.  Think about it.  For tens of thousands of years, humans have subsisted on meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit.  Suddenly, the Egyptians created beer, the English (or Chinese) created tea, and John Pemberton created Coca Cola.  Now there are millions of food items out there that have chemicals, additives, or other synthetic components that can easily confuse your body.  While I already mentioned your kidneys, what, exactly, does your body do with potassium benzoate?  Or phenylalanine?  Or aspartame?  Most of these things have only been around for a few decades, yet we expect our body to treat them as naturally as a filet of salmon.

I haven't completely kicked the diet soda addiction yet, but I do try to limit myself.  In the past, when I was thirsty I would reach for a can of soda, drink it, and then be just as thirsty.  Now I go for a bottle of water, or a glass of home brewed iced tea and lemon.  I'll sneak in my diet soda at restaurants or movies.  Turning it into a "special occasion" treat makes it much easier to manage.

10 Characteristics Employers Appreciate

Whether you get your degree from one of the best online colleges or from one of the top brick-and-mortar schools, you're going to have to develop a certain set of soft skills that all employers hope to find in potential employees. Increasingly, employers are looking to hire people who can not only do their jobs well, but also fit well within  their companies' cultures. Some employers have gone so far as to say that they would take a person with lesser technical skills if he was a good cultural fit. Technical skills, they say, can be taught, but it's difficult to teach someone soft skills.

Graduating summa cum laude is an admirable feat that not many people can achieve. But when it comes time to enter the workforce, that won't amount to a hill of beans if you

  1. can't communicate well -- both written and oral communication
  2. lack honesty and integrity -- employers shouldn't have to worry about you walking off with important
  company files should you be let go or quit.
  3. can't work well as part of a team
  4. can't get along well with others -- this almost goes without saying.
  5. lack motivation and initiative
  6. don't have a strong work ethic
  7. lack analytical skills
  8. aren't flexible or adaptable -- whether you're asked to assist on a major project or just help empty trash
  cans, you should do it with enthusiasm and excellence.
  9. lack computer skills
10. lack self-confidence

The hiring process is time consuming and expensive, so employers want people on their teams who not only have the potential to be with the company for at least five years or longer, but who also afford them the option of promoting from within. Because hiring past interns is growing in popularity among today's employers, college students who can demonstrate at least half of the preferred qualities on the list during their internships could dramatically improve their chances of finding jobs after graduation.

Diagnosis - Helpful or Hurtful?

Why do professionals feel it is necessary to dictate the competencies of people with disabilities?  Too often children are diagnosed with a disability by a medical professional and their competence and abilities are already predicted for their future.  This does not offer much help the parents and it surely does not set the child up for success.  Instead, the child is recognized by a diagnosis and characteristics of the condition.  

I am saddened for children who enter the school system with a special needs diagnosis.  Unfortunately their education is almost always decided for them as a result of what is written on paper.  Students with disabilities are often put directly into special education and segregated from their peers in one form or another.

A former student of mine, Amy, was diagnosed at birth with Turner Syndrome in 1990.  Amy’s mother was informed that her daughter would never be able to perform at the same academic level as her peers.  She would be unable to proficiently comprehend material and would be limited in what type of work she could do as an adult.  Upon entering school, Amy was put directly into the special education classroom.  She received language arts and math instruction in a separate classroom and never had the opportunity to learn in the regular classroom.  After all, she had a disability.  Doctors already informed her family what she was capable of.  By the time Amy came to my classroom in 8^th grade, her academic skills had fallen far behind most of her class.  Amy has since received a certificate of completion from high school, did not seek higher education, and remains unemployed.

Tanya and I grew up together and graduated high school the same year.  We are still close friends today.  Tanya was 16 when she was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome.  Clearly this was not something that was diagnosed at birth in 1979.  Tanya had some difficulties with learning and received few special education services throughout her elementary school years.  However, she was not labeled with a diagnosis until high school.  Tanya received her education with her peers from the regular classroom teacher.  Medical and educational professionals never had the opportunity to determine her capabilities.  Gasp!  In the end, Tanya attended college, graduated, and currently works as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.

It is clear just by comparing Amy and Tanya how much power a diagnosis has and how much damage it can do to individuals with disabilities.

Confessions of An Expert College Dormer

Once you have graduated from high school, the most immediate problem which you will need to face is your choice of college. However, your dilemma does not end there - you will also have to choose your college accommodation with it.

Most likely, you will be required to move into a college dorm as a matter of school policy. And while a dorm is quite compact and comfortable to live in, you can help make the experience more comfortable by making it into a nice haven that is truly a home away from home. However, maximizing your modest space can indeed be challenge

College freshmen are mostly required by school policy to live in a dormitory. These dormitories are living structures which can be seen mostly inside campus. A year's stay would then enable the college students to choose accommodations of their choice. Hence, you will have to decide if you want to stay inside campus or to move off it.

Dormitory life can become your first taste of real freedom away from the watching and prying eyes of your parents. And while these structures are mostly small generic rooms with only your bed and desk as your furniture, you will come to love them in time. Not all of them are created equal, so you better choose a great dorm upfront if this liberty is ever given to you. A good tactic would be to visit your college website and gather the information about your dorms through pictures, and facts.

A good way to liven up your college dorm is to purchase a colorful bean bag that will contrast with your traditional furniture. Not only are these bean bags comfortable, but they are functional as well, and can be positioned in many ways in order to maximize your dorm space. The most essential ingredient in fixing your dorm involves how you would utilize space through the selection of proper furniture.

However, aesthetics should only be secondary to your safety when choosing a college dorm. It may take a while for you to master the layout of your college if you had just moved in – it is therefore really important to choose a safe location for your college dormitory. You may also want to consider getting a roommate in order to have a better sense of security as you begin your college life.

Best Online Schools

Online Degrees

Getting An Online College Degree Without Fear

College is a magical place where people mix fun and study, professionalism with chilling out, and increasing personality with stacked assignments and tedious homework. It is a dynamic time where our personalities are shaped by academic and none academic activities. Since a lot of things can occupy and distract your mind at this stage of your life, you will be able to learn a lot of things about yourself. Time management will be decreed as a good survival tip but more than this, your ability to cope will be your most important asset.

Nowadays, the college landscape has changed, and even more and more people are enrolling and even re-enrolling in school because of how competitive the job market has become. Statistics have shown that at least 30% of people take advantage of online colleges which produce equivalent bachelor's degrees even if it is accomplished over the internet. Online education or distance learning happens when the learning and training of a student for his particular degree of choice happens online through a progressive online classroom. It certainly redefined our perception of education since this method has no national or geographic limitations. More than this, a student can stay right within the comfort and luxury of his own house, minus the attendance and travel problems associated with an actual physical school.

Online distance learning has now become so prominent that it may become the norm someday as opposed to standard conventional teaching. It also helps that this movement has gained traction in its promotions, and people have responded well to the concept. After all, a virtual learning institution is no disadvantage if students are just as industrious in their discipline. If we can get online jobs, then online learning follows as a natural concept. Because of this, many traditional universities have branched out to online learning.

So how will you ensure that you would get a good and profitable job in the future? Better enroll in college now. But do you have to consider online courses as an option? The answer to this is a resounding yes and in today's global and internet based world, this could even be a source of competitive advantage. The keyword here is efficiency, and if you are disciplined enough to earn your degree from home and utilize the advantages of remote learning, then you will be a smiling and happy college graduate in the future. When all is said and done, having attained a college degree online is a definite advantage for you.

Top 10 Online Colleges

Online Colleges

The Best Kept Secrets On How To Find The Right College Course For You

Fresh out of high school, we will all have certain aspirations regarding the path which would lie ahead of us. In particular, we may immediately have on our plate a wide range of college courses to choose from for our future. Such a decision can sometimes be overwhelming – especially if you are aware of the consequences of your choice. Arguably, your career choice is the second most important lifetime decision you will make (next to the person whom you are going to marry!)

The general rule of thumb is if a field of interest engages you fervently but requires only a little effort or time on your part to master, then such an activity can be considered as your niche. Having a natural inclination on the subject matter, you should choose a college course which will enable you to take your talents to the next level.

However, in the pursuit of what was just mentioned above, you should not straight jacket yourself with only the traditional means of honing your skill. Take note that career paths are not set in stone and nowadays, there are plenty of options to go about in terms of building your career. It is indeed possible for you to craft your professional goals alongside your personal interests if you strategize the selection of your college course carefully.

You will encounter thousands of available courses out there for the taking by millions of students. For some, an identified and persisting natural talent from their childhood days will make their course selection a pre destined one. For the majority however, there will be a lot of self-doubt as to one's choice. This uncertainty may persist before, during, and even after the choice of college was made.

For your impending college life, you may have already have positioned yourself in order to get a better chance at those institutions which would progress your career faster in job placements. You may also possibly hinge your choice depending on how a certain college aids in your aspiration to get a masters degree. The important thing is that you know your definite goals so that you would be able to pick the best college which matches your purpose.

Realize that in today's competitive job market, employers are most inclined to get the graduates which have high grades from good colleges. Never ever waste your time by slacking off with your decision. With this, try to get a college which has a program in your field of interest which is obviously geared for success.

Best Online College

Online Colleges

Start your freelance career online

http://www.flickr.com/photos/josefgrunig/

Hi there.....

Looking for tips and ideas on how to start your freelance career?

Here’s a few suggestions to help you make your transition into the freelance lifestyle a lot more easier than you think.

First, think about your career path.

Do you have a degree on the field you love, or significant working experience on it?

That’s the first and most important place to start.

Experience in your field is equally important, nowadays most hiring companies will pay close attention to contractors who have a good balance education and experience. 

Let’s say you are looking to become a project manager, working on your own time form wherever is convenient from you (home, perhaps)?

If you have a degree from a respected college or an online degree, then you have the qualifications necessary to start and now it’s time to create a successful portfolio and a client book.

Sometimes, in oder to increase your reputation you will have to work on very low-budget projects and maybe even some for free. But bear in mind, this is just a temporary measure and you should definitely place yourself in a more higher and respected place after you have enough feedback and recommendations under your wing.

You have to remember, you are your own company and your own boss, so you need to take the necessary steps to register your company: a business name, business cards, officially register your business with a tax number, and be ready to keep records of all your purchases and investments, as they are tax deductible (oh, really? can I deduct my apartments electric bill? you bet!) .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_foz/

Other ways to increase your exposure to potential clients will be to create and identity, you can start by opening up a blog on Wordpress or Blogger to establish credibility: write about topics concerning or related project management ideas, techniques and remember to include you list of clients in another section.

Remember the power of Social Media an register your business’ Facebook Page, Twitter and even Youtube account to generate connections with other like you and for potential clients. Remember to “plug-in” everything together to automate it.

Freelancing ToolBox: 

JOBS:  Guru, oDesk, Freelancer, Zaarly, Skillshare.

Blogs: Freelance Switch, oDesk’s Top 100 Freelance Blogs

Recommended Reading: The 4-hour work week, Freakonomics, The Success Principles, Mashable.