31Jul
iPhone 4 owners love the Talking Tom Cat app

Some things have universal appeal. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like the taste of pizza, for example. Likewise, it’s pretty easy to make someone laugh at a cartoon cat that mimics, in a ridiculous voice, what you say. This is probably the reason why Tom the talking cat has floated in Top 100 free apps list on the iTunes App Store for so long.

This app is best used with the iPhone 4, but the basics of the game are simple: it’s basically to entertain you and your friends. Tom is a lanky, goofy anthropomorphic talking cat who stands in the center of the screen, waiting for your input. If you talk to Tom, he will repeat what you say in a funny voice. You can pat his head and he will purr like a real cat, or you can touch him to make him nervous, again, like a real cat. Grab Tom’s tail to tease him, or give him a glass of milk and he’ll happily drink it. You get the idea.

The controls of the Talking Tom Cat app are simple. There are some buttons on the periphery of the screen, and these will help you adjust settings, but most of the time it’s just you and the cat. This type of game lends itself well to a touch screen device and really stands out like on the iPhone. Unlike the outdated digital pets of the past, you can actually touch Tom to interact with him. You pet it the same way you would pet a real animal, and it’s one of the things that makes this app such a delight.

In addition to all these cyber pet antics, Talking Tom Cat is also great at generating short video clips that you can share with your friends via YouTube, Facebook, or email. Since Tom will repeat what you say, it’s a great way to create fun birthday eCards or personalized messages. While Talking Tom Cat is a free download, some of the features must be unlocked via a one-time $0.99 in-app upgrade. It’s not too much to ask.

The only real downside to the app comes from its limited compatibility. 3D animation will render slowly on a first generation iPhone, which is to be expected. However, animations are a bit slow on the iPhone 3G compared to the iPhone 3GS. Any iPhone running iOS 4 instead of 3.xx will also be a bit slow, but by no means unusable. Finally, iPod Touch owners should make sure they have headphones that come with a built-in microphone, as the iTouch doesn’t come equipped with a hardware microphone like the iPhone does.

Talking Tom Cat is certainly a novelty for anyone, but older users will probably outgrow that novelty quickly. There are so many tricks up Tom’s sleeve. The children, however, will probably laugh at Tom for hours. Talking Tom Cat is very kid-friendly: it’s fun, non-violent, non-competitive, and of course enjoyable and affordable. If you need to keep your kids tame and distracted during long car rides, but want to avoid games that might cause arguments between your kids, you might consider adding Talking Tom Cat to your arsenal.
31Jul
China Fashion Industry Overview

Overview

The Chinese economy continues its dynamic performance, with an average growth of around 10% during the last 5 years. As barriers to entry are lowered, more and more companies are considering entering China. This is in an effort to capture some percentage of the returns generated by China’s 1.3 billion consumers.

This series of reports aims to provide fashion retailers planning to enter China for the first time with an overview of the Chinese fashion industry. In addition, the reports act as a quick update for companies that have already entered China, addressing the industry, trends, available brands, wholesale and retail prices, preferred clothing cut type, consumer behavior and updated regulations. A key challenge when entering China is the different regions of China. Consumer behavior and preferences for food, fashion and lifestyle vary dramatically in these regions. For example, retailers should not assume that fashion products or styles sold in Shanghai will also be popular in Xiamen, which is in southern China.

The series of reports includes:

Report 1 China Fashion Industry Overview

Report 2 Regulations: An Overview of the Regulatory Environment in China

Report 3 Regional Analysis: Analysis of the key regions in China from a retail perspective

Report 4 Women’s Fashion and Consumer Behavior

Report 5 Teen Fashion and Consumer Behavior

Report 6 Children’s Fashion and Consumer Behavior

Report 7 Men’s Fashion and Consumer Behavior

Report 8 Recommendations

Economic Conditions in China

China’s economy grew by 10.2% in 2005 and 10.7% in 2006, making it the fastest growing major economy in the world. Banks forecast (Quarterly Bank reports) that GDP will fall to 8% in China in 2007 (Goldman Sachs), although in our opinion the GDP rate may be higher due to increased production and consumption. In 2006, China’s urban living expenditure increased at a faster rate than GDP, both nationally and provincially. Despite strong growth, inflation remains subdued with average monthly inflation averaging 1.3% year-on-year from January to September 2006. Annual growth in consumer prices is forecast to reach 1.8% in early 2007 This is because higher land prices would affect production costs. . The increase in investment would in turn fuel inflationary pressures.

The government’s tolerance for higher yuan volatility and higher GDP has raised expectations of further exchange rate reform, which would result in a faster appreciation of the currency. The potential impact would be that foreign clothing brands would find that their prices could be more easily accepted in the Chinese market.

Retail industry in China

Rising incomes in China and government efforts to encourage consumer spending have resulted in increased domestic consumption. Statistics show that the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 12.5% ​​to RMB 6,718 trillion in 2005. However, they dropped slightly to about RMB 6,400 trillion (US$770 trillion) in 2006. One of factors is the import quota imposed by the United States and the European Union in 2006 (O&L). However, with rising revenues and domestic consumption, it is expected that the growth rate of retail sales could remain around 10% in the next 5 years (O&L Forecast and Goldman Sachs Global Investment Report)

China’s clothing market has been growing by 7% and is now a USD40 billion industry. Department stores account for about 40% of the market. This includes stores like Parkson, Shanghai Bailian, and foreign brands like Wal-Mart. The clothing brands sold in these department stores include international brands such as Hugo Boss and local brands such as Li Ning, Borne, Joe One. Franchise chains and local individual clothing outlets in China account for the remaining 60%.

The profit margins of retail chains in China are high. Due to lower manufacturing costs in China, the profit margins of these clothing brands can reach 50.5% for brands such as Giordano (2005) and Ports (70.4% in 2005). The cities of influence of fashion in China are Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. More locals and tourists travel to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen to shop for top fashion brands at cheaper prices. For manufacturing, there are different specialty regions. For example, Ningbo is more famous for bag manufacturing, while Guangdong, especially Guangzhou, is more famous for clothing.

The different regions of China

Due to the geographical vastness of China and the huge variation in economic development between cities, the market potential differs from city to city. The following table shows the disparity in GDP per capita, where the wealth is found in the coastal cities. Cities are tiered based on population and GDP per capita, with Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou being Tier 1 cities. Report 3 explores regional differences in the Chinese fashion industry in detail.

Chinese fashion industry

Market segments

Initially there were two markets for clothing in China:

1. Low-priced basic clothing sold under local brand names and offered in Chinese department stores, foreign hypermarkets, or small family-owned specialty chains.

2. luxury brands that are sold in franchise boutiques or luxury department stores.

Due to the rapid growth of the Chinese middle class, a new category has emerged that includes quality brands, both Chinese and foreign, that are sold in department stores and specialty stores. China’s middle-class consumers are increasingly sophisticated, demanding greater quality, variety and innovation from their retailers. The new category is highly fragmented and is dominated by specialized Hong Kong casual brands such as Esprit (514 outlets), Giordano (644 outlets), Baleno (980 outlets) and Glorious Sun (1076 outlets). . The new segment has significant growth potential as it is affordable for the middle class, but is positioned at a slightly higher price than local brands. Clothing prices have decreased slightly in 2006. This is due to increased competition in the fashion industry in China (O&L, 2006).

In recent years, there is not only an increase in Hong Kong, local Chinese clothing brands and international brands, but also an increase in foreign brands. These brands may be medium-sized chains that are well established in their home countries but not outside of them. Example Singapore chains like Samuel and Kevin. Also, there are brands that are created due to the popularity of other brands. For example, the clothing brand, Fish, in China has spawned other similar brands like 3 Fishes, Fishes, etc.

Expansion to second-tier cities

The retail market is starting to reach maturity in Tier 1 cities like Shanghai. Therefore, the need to precisely target specific consumer groups is much more important in these areas. As a result, retailers are expanding more and more to second and third tier cities like Chengdu, Nanping, Tianjin. Major brands like Jean West have now also gone to secondary and third-tier cities. The attractiveness of these secondary regions is enhanced by migration from the countryside to regional cities, increasing the size of the second- and third-tier urban retail market. This will be developed in subsequent reports.

Consumer attitudes towards brands

Consumers are very brand conscious and the fact that one can afford these products is considered a status symbol. Therefore, luxury brands such as LV, Christian Dior, are often sought after when buying clothes and cosmetics. For many segments, particularly younger consumers, well-known foreign brands are still considered superior and seen as a status symbol. Brands made in the US and Europe are valued higher than those from Australia or other Asian countries like Singapore or Taiwan. Due to high prices, there are also many high-end counterfeit clothing and shoe brands in China.

Attitudes towards national brands have changed as state-owned companies have been privatized and produce better quality products. Brands like Borne, Li Ning, Hong guo are very popular locally. Hong Kong brands such as Giordano are also popular, although market share has declined recently. Pride in the nation’s achievements has resulted in many consumers preferring local brands, all things being equal. These will be elaborated in more detail in subsequent reports.

Consumer attitudes towards price

Although Chinese consumers are price sensitive, a recent survey shows that consumers are increasingly concerned about product quality and customer service, particularly regarding clothing. Consequently, these elements should be emphasized in advertising and promotional material.
31Jul
Banana Yoshimoto’s ‘Kitchen’ – Review

One of the many attractions of Banana Yoshimoto’s novel Kitchen is that it deals with feelings that everyone can relate to. Everyone has been hungry, and images of hunger, food, and meals abound in the novel. Other common feelings also arise, especially sadness and loneliness.

Early in the book, the reader discovers that the protagonist, Mikage Sakurai, was orphaned as a child and that her family had dwindled until she was the only one left. Mikage feels that she really is “all alone”. At one point she says, “We live like the lowliest of worms. Always defeated, defeated we make dinner, we eat, we sleep. Everyone we love is dying.”

However, despite the book’s many sad events, its tone is generally not one of sadness. This is because, despite all the negative turns of events in their lives, the characters know how to deal with unhappiness. Mikage, Eriko and Yuichi know how to be happy.

At first, Yuichi doesn’t seem to have a good way of dealing with the things that concern him. This fact is first mentioned by his mother, Eriko. Eriko tells Mikage that she knows that she has not been the perfect mother for Yuichi, because even though he is “a good boy”, there are some things that she could not teach him, things that “got away”. Eriko knows that she didn’t teach Yuichi an effective way to deal with other people, and as a result, he “is confused about emotional things and strangely aloof around people.”

Yuichi shows this in the way he reacts to Eriko’s death. Avoid calling Mikage to tell him until a month after it happened. Her reasoning was that telling Mikage would make Eriko’s death real to him. Yuichi didn’t want to have to deal with Mikage’s reaction. When he finally calls her and they sit down to talk about it, Yuichi is drunk. In fact, he has been drinking often in the weeks since Eriko’s death.

Yuichi learns to happen when, still feeling terrible about his mother’s death, he goes to see Chika, a close family friend. Chika sends him to an inn where she can be alone to think. Yuichi had been thinking of living with Mikage, but he felt that he needed to “compose himself” first. While at the inn, Yuichi realizes that he really wants to be with her. Yoshimoto ends his novel with Yuichi’s cheery declaration that he will pick up Mikage at the station. Readers get the feeling that he finally recovered and can now be happy with Mikage.

Eriko had also been through a time in her life where she was sad and confused about what to do. Yuichi tells Mikage that his “real” mother was another woman and that Eriko, who is transgender, is Yuichi’s biological father. “After my real mother died,” Yuichi says, “Eriko quit his job, met me, and wondered, ‘What do I want to do now?'” After the death of his wife, the man who would become Eriko felt the same confusion that Yuichi felt after Eriko’s death.

This man then adopted the life that would allow him to be happy. Yuichi explains, “What he decided was, ‘Become a woman.'” It was this decision that allowed Eriko to become the person he truly wanted to be. She wrote in the letter to Yuichi, “But I have joyfully chosen to make my body my fortune. I am beautiful! I am dazzling!… I have loved my life.” The way Eriko lived made her happy.

Another aspect of Eriko’s happiness was her philosophy of life. She believed that one could be happy even when bad things happened. She tells Mikage, “The ratio of pleasant to unpleasant things around me wouldn’t change. It wasn’t up to me. It was clear that the best thing for me to do was adopt a kind of confused playfulness.” She also expressed this philosophy in her letter to Yuichi. There are “people who do hate things,” she told her son, so there was a chance something could happen to him. Despite that, she wrote, Eriko was going to continue to live her life.

For Mikage, the key to happiness is remembering the good things in life. Often, what Mikage likes has to do with food. She earns her living working for a cooking magazine, but more than that, she really enjoys cooking. Her idea of ​​her paradise is to “live as a housewife”. She enjoys the sight of well-prepared food as much as she enjoys eating it.

Mikage also loves kitchens. Yoshimoto opens his novel with Mikage’s words: “My favorite place in the world is the kitchen.” In the scene where Mikage breaks down and cries on the bus, he takes comfort in seeing a kitchen. She goes from despair to happiness in that scene just by looking at something that gives her pleasure.

Kitchen’s three main characters have figured out how to be happy in a world that doesn’t always make happiness easy. Yoshimoto never allows his characters to get desperate. “If a person hasn’t experienced true despair, he grows old not knowing how to assess where he is in life, not understanding what joy really is,” says Eriko. Yoshimoto lets despair into the kitchen to build dramatic suspense. Will Mikage and Yuichi end up alone or will they stay together? Because Yoshimoto has left his characters well-equipped to deal with life’s quirks and unpleasant surprises, the reader has every reason to be optimistic.
31Jul
Buying a business in Canada: Financing the purchase of a business

Purchasing a business in Canada through proper acquisition financing will often involve looking beyond the numbers when it comes to ensuring that business purchase financing options are available. Business loans to buy an existing business is not just about negotiating the sale price, it is also about the necessary financing solutions that need to be put in place to ensure the survival and profitability of the business. Let’s delve into.

Professionals, of course, call it ‘due diligence’ when it comes to considering a business investment loan and how buying a business as well as financing a business for sale has to do with a pretty basic common sense premise: securing the Sales, inventory, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are reasonable, and projected sales volumes make sense in the long run.

In a nutshell, the right business loan financing solutions bring together your management, manufacturing or servicing, and marketing plans.

The essence of any business, large or small, is cash management. Working capital solutions and trade finance rates should also be considered for effective ongoing operations.

Accounts Receivable Financing/Factoring

Revolving Bank Lines of Credit

Nonbank Asset-Based Lines of Credit

inventory financing

Tax Credit Financing

Government-guaranteed loans for small businesses (maximum $1 million) Small business loans to buy a business can often come from the Government of Canada’s small business loan program

Companies that are not profitable or have ‘challenged’ balance sheets will not qualify for what we call ‘traditional’ financing. These types of companies cannot meet the financial ratios and guarantees required by our Canadian authorized banks. Almost every business that sells on credit, large or small, needs some type of business line of credit.

In fact, there are numerous alternative financing solutions available, but at the same time, new owners/managers need to be able to address and discuss things like gross margins, operational inefficiencies, etc.

At 7 Park Avenue Financial we talk to many clients who want to purchase a franchise business. That can be accomplished through various financing programs and can often include some “seller financing” when it comes to an overall financing strategy. That financial assistance from the seller, in essence, is another alternative capital that can allow the buyer to successfully complete the transaction. We also note that both new and used franchises can be purchased and financed.

Business Acquisition Financing Canada

Buying a business for cash is almost never the option available to buyers. Top experts tell us that not even 1/3 of the companies bought are done through 100% financing. Unfortunately, vendors like/want cash. Most of the time, the final structure of your transaction will be:

Effective Owner

External financing

Vendor Recovery/Seller Financing (not always, but often)

‘ABL’ (Asset Based Loan) is usually a solid solution for a business financing strategy. These types of facilities allow you to take large loans against inventory, accounts receivable, and equipment/fixed assets.

A legal/technical issue often becomes a critical point in acquisition financing. That is the issue of ‘asset sales’ vs. ‘sale of shares’. From a buyer’s perspective, asset sales tend to make more sense: Sellers focus on stock and tax strategies to sell their businesses. This can often complicate financing.

We have seen that there are some critical issues that can make or break the success of financing a business purchase. Those problems include:

Appropriate Valuation Price

debt burden

Working capital and cash flow financing challenges

If you’re focused on a winning deal and properly financing a business purchase, find and speak with a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business finance advisor who can help you with your financing needs.
31Jul
A prayer for potty training

Potty training can be a frustrating time for parents. Potty training issues can cause lasting strain on parent-child relationships and relationships with others who may not understand the frustrations you face.

Prayer provides a powerful way to connect with your spirit guide and, if applied correctly, provides great relief and reduces stress from potty training, just like any other emotional issue.

Here is a suggested potty training affirmation sentence that you can use as you begin each day of your potty training weekend. The prayer can be repeated often throughout the day for an extra boost.

There is a version for mom (or dad) and a version to repeat with your child.

Feel free to change the wording to suit your situation, but remember to only use positive terms and gratitude for achieving your goal.

Mom’s version:

Thank you God for my beautiful, wonderful and perfect son whom I love and cherish.

Thank you for giving me the strength, patience, and knowledge to care for my son and teach him the things he needs to know to live a full and abundant life.

Thank you for giving me the power to speak words of affection and affirmation to my son at all times.

Thank you for giving me motherly understanding, wisdom, and insight to know exactly what is right and good for my son.

As we enter this period of specific focus on potty training and teaching my son to control his elimination functions, I thank you that I have the will and determination to stay focused on potty training and continue to have patience through this. learning process. Thank you because I know that there are no mistakes, but only opportunities to learn.

In my imagination, I see my son wearing only clean, dry clothes and letting me know when he needs to go to the bathroom. Diapers are a thing of the distant past. We are both proud of his achievement in learning this life changing elimination control skill.

Thank you so much for the life you have entrusted to my care and training.

Bless this training session and keep us both in your care forever.

Child version:

Thank you God for my great body. I am enjoying learning how to use it.

Thank you for my mom and dad who love me and take care of me.

Thank you for helping me learn to use the toilet so mom doesn’t have to mess with gross, stinky diapers anymore. And thank you because I don’t have to wear them anymore, but I can wear this cool big boy underwear that I picked out myself.

Thank you for learning how to use the potty and keep me clean and healthy.
31Jul
Plumas Eureka State Park: A Beautiful, Family-Oriented Nature Destination

Plumas Eureka State Park is one of the hidden gems of the California state park system. Few people seem to know about this beautiful family destination, but it has a lot to offer children and adults alike. It is situated in a forested valley at the foot of Eureka Peak, site of the famous Plumas Eureka gold mine. Wildlife and nature trails run through the park, exploring the town’s history, and fishing is available in the streams and lakes. About a mile above the Eureka mine and park offices is a beautiful campground called Upper Jamison Creek. It has 67 camping spots available, most of which are shady and beautiful. It’s a fantastic place to experience the history of the California Gold Rush and a great base camp for exploring the Plumas County area in general. There is an excellent upscale restaurant located in the adjoining town of Johnsville and several golf courses in the area.

The California Department of Parks has rebuilt many of the old buildings at the Eureka mine. The old miners’ pension has been converted into a museum and park offices. Both the natural history of the area and past mining operations are on display in a small museum housed in the old boarding house. The blacksmith shop and the old assayer’s office have also been restored. The old Eureka mill is in the process of being restored and brought back to the condition it was in when the mine closed. It is a very educational place to visit. The park allows gold mining on Jamison Creek, although larger operations such as dredging, channeling, or high benching are not permitted. I’ve panned there myself and found some small gold flakes in the Jamison Creek gravels, but nothing of great size or richness.

The history of the discovery of the mines in the area is interesting. During any major gold rush, stories of fantastic finds abound, some real and some not. In the mother country of California, in the fall of 1850, there were many fantastic finds, but probably the wildest story of that time was the story of a lake surrounded by gold nuggets: the “Golden Lake”. A prospector named Tom Stoddart reportedly discovered a lake paved with gold nuggets in the High Sierra country between Sierra Valley and Downieville. These lake gravels were supposed to yield an ounce for each full container. He and his partner were lost at that time and the partner died in the struggle to get back to civilization. His story spread like wildfire. It was late in the year when he first came to town, so all the winter folk throughout the area waited and prepared to begin a springtime search for this great new discovery. When the winter snows melted, hundreds of prospectors went on the hunt. A lake of gold was never found, but many important new discoveries were made by explorers who went deep into the interior of the high Sierra in search of that legendary lake of gold. In that fateful spring of 1851, some prospectors found some gold in a small creek now known as Jamison Creek. The placers were not particularly rich, but they still paid wages, and prospectors kept looking for better deposits. They decided to send some of their group up a steep hillside they called Gold Mountain to see if they could learn the lay of the land and discover the best places for gold deposits.

As they climbed the mountain, they found a huge vein of quartz exposed on its slopes. The vein averaged 20 feet wide and protruded over 400 feet along its length. It consisted of rose-colored quartz with many decomposed sulfide pockets and was rich in gold. It was called the Eureka Lode by the original nine discoverers. Other prospectors also bet on several nearby gold veins. Early miners in the 1850s had a hard time mining hard rock, even with those rich bonanza minerals, they were so inexperienced that it was difficult for them to make operations pay off. In 1855, the company that owned the rich Eureka vein decided to invest some money and erected a mill of 12 stamps, each weighing 800 pounds. The mill was powered by hydraulic power. For several years the mines provided good minerals and the small towns that grew up around the mines prospered. Between 1851 and 1865, local mines produced nearly $2 million in gold ($67 million at today’s prices). During this time, the Eureka mine paid its shareholders more than $250,000 in dividends. Although a rich new ore chimney was discovered in 1868, by 1871, rich ores had become scarce and the mines were not paying as well as before. Although the mines continued to produce into the 1890s, the town and area slowly declined as residents left the area. After World War II, the region and all of its mines were purchased by the state of California, who made it a state park. –
31Jul
Resistance band workout that anyone can be ripped from

Tired of bad joints? Do you want something different? Do you want to start or continue building muscle? Well this could be the solution for you.

Resistance bands are a great way to keep your joints healthy while building and maintaining muscle.

How do I build muscle? The key to building muscle with these is to take it slow. Whatever the workout, keep the movement almost slow. Flex during workouts and hold for a second before releasing the contraction.

What muscles can you build with these? Here you have…

training

Chest: Push-outs

Place the resistance band handles in your hands while the center of the bands is in a door crack or around a post. Place the handles on your chest, just inside your shoulders, and push away from your body. Push out until your elbows are fully extended, then bring them toward your chest.

Biceps: Curl ups

Put the handles in your hands while half of the bands are under your feet. The handles should be below your waist to start and then bring them up towards your shoulders while keeping your elbows in the same place. The elbows should never move and are used as a pivot point.

Triceps: pull/push down

Place the handles in your hands while the center of the bands is in front and above you at the top of a door. Use your elbows as a pivot point for the movement, keeping them in the same place throughout the workout. Pull or push down until your elbows are locked, then slowly bring the bands back and repeat.

Shoulders: Deltoid Raise

Put the handles in your hands while half of the bands are under your feet. Begin by relaxing your arms and hands, resting them at your sides. Slowly push your arms up while keeping your elbows locked.

Rotator Cuff: Place one of the bands in your hand while wrapping the center of the bands around a post or at shoulder height on a door. Start with your elbow bent at 90 degrees and your body sideways to the post/center of the band. Slowly move your hand from the side of your body to your chest and back. Keep your elbow at a 90-degree angle throughout the exercise.

Traps: shrugs

The bands must be snug on this one because the range of motion is so small. Hold the handles at your sides, in a relaxed position of your arms and hands. Half of the resistance bands are under your feet. Keep your elbows locked throughout the exercise and keep your arms at your sides. Slowly shrug your shoulders up and then down. Go as high as you can.

Lower back: deadlift

Step onto the bands with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your hands on the handles shoulder-width apart as well. Straight back (don’t slouch back!). The knees are bent to start the movement with the butt sticking out. Start by using your legs (not your back) to push up until your knees are locked. The last movement should be to arch your back. Go down the same way you came up, small movement with your back at first, unlock your knees, bend your knees down, stick your butt out, BACK STRAIGHT.

Quadriceps: Leg Press

Place the bands in your hands at your sides as you lie down with your back on the floor and feet up with your knees bent. Half of the bands on the bottom of the feet (better with shoes). Push your legs out while keeping the handles in the same place. Your upper body should not move at all during this exercise.

Calves: calf up

Place the bands on your hands at your sides. Have half of the bands under your feet. The bands must be very tight because the movement is small. Keeping your toes on the ground, push the heels of your feet up as high as you can. Hold at the top for a second before letting them go down.

Quads/Hamstrings: Wall Squat

Place the center of the bands at the bottom of the door slot. Place the handles in your hands just above your shoulders. Feet should be 10 to 20 inches from the door. Use your knees as your point of rotation. Keep your back straight throughout the exercise. Start with your knees bent and push up until your knees are almost locked, then slowly lower back down.

Hamstrings: Hamstring Curl

Lie face down. Place the center of the bands under a crack in the door. The handles of the bands should measure about a foot. Use the knee as a point of rotation. Pull your legs below your knees up and in toward the rest of your body, then release back.
31Jul
Salary Negotiation: What People Forget to Mention

Although I have a keen eye for a good number of negotiation tactics, I find that negotiation, in most circumstances, is simply an obstacle to the normal flow of business.

For a moment, consider the opportunity cost you’ve seen wasted by others who want to trade arbitrary and pointless things like the cost of pens at Staples. I would probably have a good chunk of change if I summed up all the wasted time and energy.

Among many professionals, salary negotiation is a topic of inflated importance and is often written about in a very reckless and inaccurate way by people who are off the mark to the point that I am extremely curious, both personally and as a group. sales recruiter. .

It took me years to come up with these salary negotiation “rules” that I recommend most job seekers follow. They are broad, but since starting KAS, I find them most reliable, in the widest variety of job posting situations.

-Unless you need the money, don’t trade for a few thousand dollars.

With a smile, I once saw a vice president go back and forth with a 20-year-old for $3,000. How this vice president is still gainfully employed, I don’t know. When two people who don’t know how to negotiate get together, they have the perception that they both know. Both sides of the table seem to pretend that the boardroom table is a stall in some country bazaar.

So before you start your job search, set some ground rules for yourself. Don’t get caught up in situations like the ones mentioned above. At best, you’ll waste time or leave a bad taste in the hiring manager’s mouth. At worst, you will lose what should have been a sure thing or a job you really wanted.

Tell yourself what you’re going to gracefully walk away from, what you’re going to sit on, and what you’re going to sign the next day. Keep in mind that this number should change along with how much you like the job and your perceived strengths in terms of moving forward in your career progression.

If you love the job, remember that you only live once and weigh what luxuries you have to give up and do your best to make a decision.

– You do not know the job market well enough to negotiate

There are too many complicated variables that go into compensation.

When trying to gauge their value in the marketplace, job seekers tend to refer to friends and old colleagues. What they don’t understand is that their friend could have been in the right place at the right time.

For example, maybe the business owner who hired your friend needed to hire someone and was very desperate to get a body in the organization. In this circumstance, around 20% or more of the clearing leverage went to the friend.

This is just one of 20 different variables that baffle people when applying for a certain compensation package.

In any salary discussion, whether for a new job or a raise, citing an acquaintance or colleague’s compensation package is a weak argument. It’s the equivalent of saying, “Bobby has chocolate milk, so there shouldn’t be regular.”

When it comes to numbers, the employer doesn’t know Bobby; all they know is your budget and your company’s goals.

– Don’t fall into the profit trap

I always tell my corporate friends that if they get hit by a tank, they’re lucky they don’t have to pay the ambulance bill. If you’re younger, you most likely won’t need extensive health insurance coverage, beyond annual checkups and some prescription drug coverage. For most job seekers, especially those who don’t yet have families to secure, keep benefits out of the wage bargaining equation, all things being equal.

If you want to cut negotiations and get a higher salary…

Be upfront about the fact that you do not negotiate wages. Now the employer can catch you and ask for a specific number, but be vague and give a range. Come with the offer. If they are too low, walk away: underestimating yourself is unprofessional on the part of the employer.

Remember the emotions involved in the negotiation

Before you get into heated salary negotiations over $12,000 for weeks, remember that you will have to work with these people. The last thing you want to do is walk into a new office with strange faces and feel uncomfortable.

People make snap judgments about others, mostly within four to seven seconds. Strangers know when you’re upset or unhappy more than your own family, often because they haven’t gotten used to your behavioral tics. Not to mention that 80% of all communication is non-verbal. First impressions don’t last a lifetime, but they do last and are hard to change.

The last first impression you want in your new job is a reputation as the new person who stretched the budget unnecessarily.
31Jul
Is human nature being used against you?

Many books and essays have been written on the control of human populations, so what I am about to say is not some secret or silly “Illuminati Conspiracy Theory” – that’s just the way it is, so no one You should be too surprised. Some might say that humans are naturally lazy, or perhaps like every other species on this planet, their genes are hardwired to conserve energy, so the entire organism works to maximize efficiency. So of course this is what humans do. Okay, so let’s talk, okay?

Human nature dictates that humans will do the least and try to get the most, we know that. Unless there’s a fear factor or a fire burning beneath them, they generally won’t be overly motivated to do much of anything. Does this mean that humans are lazy, or smart, or both, or perhaps they are simply exercising their natural instincts in their highly modified habitat: our modern society? Therefore, we should not expect humans to be productive except for their own benefits without ample motivation, inspiration, incentive, or reward.

Now, what we get as a society is what we reward. If we want people to think more, then we must reward them for it, or they will stop thinking, bad for them, good for those who wish to control and dominate them. Okay, if we punish, attack or marginalize those who think, then we will have fewer of them.

Right now, we pretend to reward those in college who answer all the questions to the required dictation, and we reward them with corporate jobs, as if they are the ultimate goal and the epitome of success, but they are not. These people are just being used as “work units” to make the system work, by those who understand how it really works and make the system work in that vicious circle.

Think of military personnel, they risk their lives, almost die, and get what; in medal? But according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, they also get “respect from their peers,” just like in college, respect for going through the process and doing it well.

I would tell you that the smartest of them all don’t give a damn about all that, they do it for themselves, and when college professors can’t answer their question, they do one of two things; they study on their own to supplement their instruction when time permits, or they go away and see the system for what it is. In fact, I hope you will please think about all this, not seriously; Think of humans!
31Jul
How to prepare for the return home of your Coton De Tulear puppies

Safety – Your dog’s safety is paramount and it’s important to put a few finishing touches on your home before picking up your pup. The first thing to buy is a dog bed or cage. Your pup will be unfamiliar with your home and it can be a bit daunting for a few days while your pup adjusts. A dog bed can help your pup adjust and can act as a safe place that he will soon recognize as his own. You can’t be with your pet 24 hours a day and a crate can ensure your pup is safe and give you peace of mind. A gate is also a good idea if you want to put up a barrier against places that may not be suitable for your dog to roam.

Toys and Treats: Your pup may be too young to play with toys when you first bring him home, but as your pup gets older, toys can help keep him busy when you can’t be there. Some treats can promote healthy gums and teeth and are a great source of fun for your pup.

Collar and Leash – This is one of the first things you should invest in. Although you may not be able to take your puppy outside for the first few weeks, you don’t want to be caught off guard when the time comes. Not only will a collar keep your dog safe on walks, but if your dog gets lost, it’s always handy to have his phone number on the collar.