Beauty queen who shaved head wins Miss Alaska

Beauty queen who shaved head wins Miss Alaska — Just three months ago, Debbe Ebben had no hair. On Saturday night, she was crowned Miss Alaska.

Ebben shaved her head in March to raise more than $4,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which donates money for childhood cancer research. She said she did it to let children who lost their hair because of cancer treatments know that it was OK to be bald.

Choosing her words carefully, she said losing one's hair should be special — whether it's voluntary or not.

 

Associated Press/Dan Joling - Newly crowned Miss Alaska Debbe Ebben poses for a photo on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at Elderberry Park in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. In March, Ebben as Miss Chugiak-Eagle River had her head shaved as a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which gives grants for children's cancer research. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

"I wanted to put meaning and emotion behind it, and let them know why I'm doing it — for the kids," she said. "I'm not shaving it to get attention. I'm not shaving it for publicity. I'm not shaving it because it's a really easy hairstyle to go with. I'm shaving it for them."

Ebben's brown hair had grown back to a pixie cut by the time she became the state's top beauty queen over the weekend, but she says she will likely keep her hair short when she represents Alaska at the Miss America pageant in January 2013.

"I'll let it do its thing for a while," she said, laughing. "I'll consult the hair stylist before I go down."

Ebben was the reigning Miss Chugiak-Eagle River when she picked St. Baldrick's for the public service project that is required of all Miss Alaska pageant contestants. Baldrick's gets its name from a combination of the words "bald" and "St. Patrick." The organization was founded by three insurance executives who turned a St. Patrick's Day party into a head-shaving event to help children with cancer.

Ebben said she got a feel of what the children go through.

"Like children who are fighting cancer, losing my hair was a really emotional experience, and something I hope they only have to go through once in their life," she said.

As she approached the Miss Alaska pageant, she had to decide whether to keep the look. Her drastic haircut had been done in honor of a child, and she decided to let grow back her hair, so that the haircut wouldn't be mistaken for a gimmick.

"I don't want to be branded as the 'bald beauty queen,'" she said.

She's had two haircuts since March, and her hair is two inches at its longest.

In the upcoming year, she said, she plans to work with St. Baldrick's and Headbands of Hope, which donates a spandex headband to a sick child and $1 to St. Baldrick's for every headband it sells.

Bonnie Faulk, director of the Miss Alaska Scholarship Foundation, calls Ebben the epitome of the standards and values of the program.

"We are elated to have this young woman serve us," Faulk said. "She has worked harder than many, many, many contestants in many years."

Ebben said her road to Miss Alaska has "been a long journey."

"This was my 16th pageant and it was more of, 'The moment had finally come.' And I was really happy it had come," she said.

In lieu of entry fees, contestants raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, the charity of the Miss America Pageant. Ebben was the pageant's top fundraiser this year, raising nearly $1,500 through a community yard sale in north Anchorage.

Scholarships from the pageant, in turn, paid for Ebben's college education.

"She's out there. She's the real deal," Faulk said, who added that Ebben loves children and charitable events. "She's what our program is about."

Blog : The Sensitivities | Beauty queen who shaved head wins Miss Alaska

READ MORE - Beauty queen who shaved head wins Miss Alaska

Mike Tyson on sex, drugs and Trayvon Martin

Mike Tyson on sex, drugs and Trayvon Martin - Mike Tyson is singing to me—poorly—his version of "Cocaine," the J.J. Cale song popularized by Eric Clapton in 1980.

"It's alright, it's alright, it's alright … cocaine!" Tyson sings, unprompted, in a recent interview from his home in Las Vegas, where he's rehearsing for his new one-man show, "The Undisputed Truth: Live on Stage." It begins April 13 at the MGM Grand. Tales of Tyson's drug use—as well as his numerous sexcapades—are a big part of the performance, which, at 90 minutes, is roughly 88 and a half minutes longer than his first-round knockout of Michael Spinks in 1988.

Tyson bites the ear of Evander Holyfield in 1997; the boxer in a recent portrait. (AP)

At 45, Tyson needs money. But the former heavyweight champion, who admitted in 2010 he was "totally destitute and broke," claims that's not the reason he's doing it.

"I don't think I'm ever not [going to be broke]," Tyson told Yahoo News. "I owe too much money to the IRS. I'm never going to be able to attain a great fortune of wealth. That doesn't float my boat anymore. I just want to enjoy life. To entertain people, move them and be moved by them."

And for a convicted rapist-turned-pigeon handler who once threatened to eat his opponent's children, Mike Tyson still moves—or at least fascinates--a lot of people, as evidenced by the critically-acclaimed 2008 "Tyson" documentary, his scene stealing roles in "The Hangover" movies and, more recently, his comedic turns on FunnyOrDie.com.

Iron Mike isn't worried that doing a show in Las Vegas, where cultural relics like Celine Dion roam, could turn him into a caricature of his former self. "I don't look at it from an egotistical perspective," he said. "I look at it like I want to transcend my entertainment career just like I transcended my boxing career."

Yahoo's in-depth conversation with Tyson--including his incendiary thoughts on the Trayvon Martin case--below:

Have you ever been on stage before, aside from a boxing ring?

I've been going to Europe for 10 years, doing these meet-and-greets [with fans], and I'm on a platform and they call me out and I'm interacting with the crowd. We were watching "A Bronx Tale" with Chazz Palminteri, I said, baby, I can do this. I just won't interact with the crowd and I'll be more refined. I won't curse. In Ireland and England and all these Celtic countries, they're like, "We [expletive] love that bloke Mike!" And they have fights in these auditoriums, in front of, you know, 5,000 people, 10,000 people--it's like gladiators.

"The Undisputed Truth" is described as a live autobiography, and will "peel back layers of your life." But I watched the 2008 "Tyson" documentary recently, and it's pretty raw. How is this different?

This is going to be more vicious. Even though that was an awesome [film] and we won awards and everything, that was some real dark [expletive]. This is going to be pretty light. We're going to have fun. We're going to laugh. We're going to cry. It's going to be a roller coaster of emotion. It's going to be a dynamic collection of stories.

Why not do a book?

The book will come soon, but I want to entertain an audience. That's all I want to do. It's practically like working out. Preparing for the big picture. Maybe I'll do some Broadway. It's not necessarily from a financial perspective. I don't know if I'll ever be as wealthy as I was before, but I was never happy with all that wealth and fame. At this stage in my life, with my wife and my family, we're extremely content with who we are. All we want to do is entertain, and be in the entertainment world.

In 2011, you said in an interview you were destitute and broke, living paycheck to paycheck. Are you doing this for the money?

I don't think I'm ever not [going to be broke]. I owe too much money to the IRS. I'm never going to be able to attain a great fortune of wealth. But I'm focused on making things and making people happy. It's more important to me to make the audience laugh, and people like Conan [O'Brien] laugh, than receiving money.

What about the people who say you're doing this for the money?

They might be right, but it's not much money. It's not enough to make a big dent in my debt. I'll be able to go out and eat in a nice restaurant maybe. Money's not my antidote. I just want to entertain people, and move them and be moved by them.

You've made this public comeback from convict to comedian. And there are a lot of people rooting for you now. Do you feel that? Do you feel like you've been given a second chance?

I've been given many chances. If I look at it from that perspective, I may have been given 10 or 20 chances. And I've never been able to take the chances I've been given. But at this moment, I'm fully committed to this opportunity that I have. That's why I want to be as successful or even more successful now than I was as a boxer. I'm going to apply the same energy, the same determination, the same experience, the same courage and willpower to win. And I don't get discouraged.

Is it weird to you that kids growing up now don't know you as a boxer--they know you as the crazy guy with the tiger in "The Hangover"? Are you concerned you're becoming a caricature?

I'm immune to the feeling. I don't look at it from an egotistical perspective. I look at it like I want to transcend my entertainment career just like I transcended my boxing career. Where I transcend to oblivion to where only God can know my name.

Are you still a vegan?

Yes, I've been a vegan for four years.

And you've never cheated?

No, no, no, no, no. That's not the way I want to live my life. I don't want to cheat.

In an interview I saw, you said one of the reasons you decided to go vegan was to get in shape and lose weight, and that you didn't realize you could be a "fat crackhead." Did you do crack?

No, no I never did crack. Not that I look down on it either, I just never had the opportunity.

Is your drug use going to be a part of the one-man show?

Absolutely. [Sings] "It's alright, it's alright, it's alright … cocaine!"

Did you ever do drugs before a fight?

Um. [Pause] Well … yeah.

Before a boxing match, before you went in the ring, right before you went out there?

Yes, yes, yes.

Which fight?

Andrew Golota.

Which drug?

Remember they fined me $250,000 or something like that? For doing weed before the fight.

Didn't marijuana make you too relaxed? I don't know, that seems like it would be—

A depressant. They should've given me $250,000 for fighting in that condition. [Laughs]

Did you ever do performance-enhancing drugs?

Not for fighting. But listen, if you're fighting and doing [performance enhancing drugs], you can't even compete now. I don't care how people say they can control it. If you're using it, no one will even know your name.

Since your public comeback, what's the craziest offer you've ever turned down?

People still want me to fight. But I want to be an entertainer now. I don't want to fight anymore.

No, not to fight--as an entertainer. Like, have you been asked to host "Saturday Night Live"? Something like that.

No, Funny or Die is my "Saturday Night Live." I don't know if I'm a "Saturday Night Live" kind of guy. I was on it once, but I never hosted. I don't think I'm a "Saturday Night Life" kind of guy. [Laughs]

I want to ask you a little bit about the tattoo, because it's become an iconic symbol for you—a logo almost.

Yes. I just thought it was so awesome that it was on "The Hangover" poster. I'm just so proud of that.

Yeah--it even became part of the movie plot. But what would you say if one of your children came home with a tattoo on his or her face?

I don't know. I'd probably say, "It's stupid." But it's not stupid if that's what they want to do. Like me.

How are you as a father?

I don't know. As a father I think I suck, but I'm trying.

In the show, there's a story you tell about going over to your ex-wife Robin Givens' house after you've broken up to, essentially, have sex with her, only to see her come home with Brad Pitt, leaving you distraught—as any man would be.

Yeah.

Now your wife, Kiki, is the executive producer of the show, and obviously she knows this stuff is going to come up. How does that work at home?

My wife suggested it. Kiki wrote it. I told her the story and she put it in the show.

You've been hanging out with celebrities like 50 Cent. Who would you say is your best friend?

My wife. That's the only thing that matters at the end of the day. Our family. That's the only thing that's going to be there at the end of time. There will come a time for our friends to be there for us, and they won't pass the test. We don't really know who our friends are.

As a black kid who grew up in Brooklyn, who was beat up, and then moved to the Catskills, and has had to deal with racial issues, what are your thoughts about the Trayvon Martin case?

My personal feeling is that, as a young kid that was beat on by a bully, the guy [Zimmerman] stalked him and didn't follow instructions from a superior officer. But my all-around perspective, I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. Even though this is the best country in the world, certain laws in this country are a disgrace to a nation of savages. It's a majority versus a minority. That's the way God planned it. He didn't want to do something about it, He wanted us to do something about it. We have to continue tweeting, we have to continue marching, we have to continue fighting for Trayvon Martin. If that's not the case, he was killed in vain, and we're just waiting for it to happen to our children. It's a disgrace that man hasn't been dragged out of his house and tied to a car and taken away. Forget about him being arrested—the fact that he hasn't been shot yet is a disgrace. That's how I feel personally about it. [Laughs] ( yahoo )

Blog : The Sensitivities | Mike Tyson on sex, drugs and Trayvon Martin

READ MORE - Mike Tyson on sex, drugs and Trayvon Martin

Your Most Creative Time Of Day Is Not When You Think

Your Most Creative Time Of Day Is Not When You Think - A bus company in China has launched a new “safe driving” campaign by suspending bowls of water over their drivers. To avoid getting wet, drivers must drive gently. In today’s technology-obsessed world, this solution is elegantly primitive. You might imagine that this simple yet ingenious idea was conjured by someone functioning at their very best, that such “aha insights” come when innovators are at their peak.

Not so. A recent study by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks suggests that innovation and creativity are greatest when we are not at our best, at least with respect to our circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms determine whether you are a “morning-type” person or an “evening-type” person, and are often measured with a short paper-and-pencil test called the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Circadian rhythms drive daily fluctuations in many physiological processes like alertness, heart rate and body temperature. Recent research indicates that these rhythms affect our intellectual functioning too.

Numerous studieshave demonstrated that our best performance on challenging, attention-demanding tasks - like studying in the midst of distraction - occurs at our peak time of day. When we operate at our optimal time of day, we filter out the distractions in our world and get down to business.

In a study I conducted, for example, participants were given three related cue words (e.g., SHIP OUTER CRAWL), and were required to find their common link (SPACE). When misleading distractors were presented with the cue words (e.g., SHIP-ocean OUTER-inner CRAWL-baby), those tested at non-optimal times were more likely to be misled by the distractors and showed lower solution rates. Those tested at peak times were not affected by the distraction. In this and related studies, peak-time benefits are most robust when distraction would disrupt our thought processes and cause errors.

But distraction is not all bad, and Wieth and Zacks have demonstrated that we can use our increased susceptibility to distraction at off-peak times to our advantage. In their study, they asked participants to solve analytic problems and insight problems at peak or off-peak times. Analytic problems generally require people to “grind out a solution” by systematically working through the problem utilizing a consistent strategy. Here is a classic analytic problem: “Bob’s father is 3 times as old as Bob. They were both born in October. 4 years ago, he was 4 times older. How old are Bob and his father?” No innovation or creativity necessary to solve this problem; one simply has to work it out mathematically.

Insight problems, on the other hand, often initially mislead the solver. Finding the right answer requires the solver to abandon the original interpretation and seek alternatives. Insight problems often involve an “Aha!” moment where the answer comes all at once, rather than via a systematic, incremental calculation. Here is a classic insight problem: “A dealer in antique coins got an offer to buy a beautiful bronze coin. The coin had an emperor’s head on one side and the date 544 BC stamped on the other. The dealer examined the coin, but instead of buying it, he called the police. Why?”

Insight problems involve thinking outside the box. This is where susceptibility to “distraction” can be of benefit. At off-peak times we are less focused, and may consider a broader range of information. This wider scope gives us access to more alternatives and diverse interpretations, thus fostering innovation and insight. Indeed, Wieth and Zacks found that participants were more successful in solving insight problems when tested at their non-optimal times.

Other studies show similar results. Consider the task of finding the common link among three cue words (SHIP OUTER CRAWL). If the distraction presented alongside those cue words is not misleading (SHIP-ocean OUT-inner CRAWL-baby), but instead is helpful (e.g., SHIP-rocket OUTER-atmosphere CRAWL-attic), participants tested at off-peak times benefit from that distraction and solve more problems. Those tested at peak times do not solve more problems with helpful distraction, presumably because they filter out all distraction, even when it might be beneficial.

Thus, being at your best may be over-rated, at least for people seeking innovative ideas or creative solutions. To be sure, if your task requires strong focus and careful concentration - like balancing spreadsheets or reading a textbook - you are better off scheduling that task for your peak time of day. However, if you need to open your mind to alternative approaches and consider diverse options, it may be wise to do so when your filter is not so functional. You just may be able to see what you’ve been missing.

In case you are reading this article at your peak time and are struggling with your “aha moment,” coins were never dated BC because no one knew when (or if) Christ was coming. ( scientificamerican.com )

READ MORE - Your Most Creative Time Of Day Is Not When You Think

Acrobat, mom reenact fatal Puerto Rico wire walk

Acrobat, mom reenact fatal Puerto Rico wire walk – Two members of a famed acrobatic family commemorated patriarch Karl Wallenda on Saturday by completing the stunt that killed him, walking between two towers of a seaside hotel on a wire 100 feet (31 meters) above the ground, without a net.

Nik Wallenda said he had planned to walk by himself across a 300-foot-long (91-meter-long) wire, but his mother convinced him to let her join him on the reconstruction of the fatal 1978 stunt.

"I've been mentally prepared my entire life for this," he said. "I've seen the video of my great-grandfather falling hundreds of times. It's something I've been wanting to do for all of us, for our family."

Nik Wallenda - Nik Wallenda, a circus high-wire daredevil and the seventh generation of the Flying Wallendas circus family, wipes the sweat from his forehead as he walks across a 300-foot-long wire suspended 100 feet in the air between two towers of the Conrad Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saturday June 4, 2011. Nik's great-grandfather, the German-born Karl Wallenda, tried to perform the same feat in 1978 but fell to his death at age 73. Nik and his mother Delilah Wallenda commemorated the famous family patriarch by successfully completing the same stunt simultaneously Saturday

He said he initially rejected a request by his mother, Delilah Wallenda, to join him.

"Just because of safety," he said. "We've obviously lost several family members doing this."

But Delilah Wallenda, who is in her late 50s, eventually won him over, he said.

The mother-and-son team walked slowly toward each other on a damp morning, balancing on a wire as wide as a nickle. Nik Wallenda was wearing moccasin-style shoes that his mother had made. He carried a 45-pound (20-kilogram) balancing pole, while Delilah Wallenda carried a 25-pound (11-kilogram) pole.

They met at the middle. Delilah Wallenda sat on the wire while her son stepped over her in slow motion. She then struggled slightly to get up before both continued toward the towers of the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza Hotel.

"Normally, I'm in a zone," he said. "At this point, I was in no zone. I was still focused on my great-grandfather."

Dozens of onlookers on balconies and the street below gasped as he knelt and steadied himself just feet (meters) before he completed the walk.

The Wallendas obtained permission to do the stunt about two months ago so they could commemorate German-born Karl Wallenda, who was 73 when he fell to his death after a lifetime of spectacular acrobatics. He was the founder of the "The Flying Wallendas" high-wire act.

In 2001, another relative, Tino Wallenda, crossed a 300-foot (91-meter) cable at a prison in Puerto Rico and did a headstand in honor of Karl Wallenda.

Nik Wallenda said Saturday's walk was an emotional experience.

"It was to show the world that the Wallendas are still here, we're still going strong," he said. "My great-grandfath er always said, 'Never give up,' and that's something we'll never do." ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - Acrobat, mom reenact fatal Puerto Rico wire walk

How to Find ET: Look for Signs of Asteroid Mining

How to Find ET: Look for Signs of Asteroid Mining - The preferred method to locate extra terrestrial civilizations is to attempt to pick up the signatures of their radio and/or television signals with radio telescope arrays. But that search has been fruitless since Project Ozma in 1960.

An article in Technology Review points to a paper presented by Duncan Forgan at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Martin Elvis at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., that suggests a different approach to finding ET. Forgan and Elvis suggest looking for evidence of asteroid mining in other solar systems.

The idea is that as a civilization begins to run out of resources necessary to maintain its technology, it will inevitable look off world for those resources. Futurists on our planet have suggested mining the moon and/or the asteroid belt. Thus if signs of such mining can be detected remotely, there is where ET can be found.

"First, moving certain substances from one part of a system to another should produce a chemical signature in the debris ring around a star. We know that debris discs should have certain ratios of elements, which we can measure using spectroscopy. Mining activities would distort these ratios.

"Second, mining ought to change the size distribution of objects in the debris disc. There are various advantages to mining large bodies rather than smaller ones, so the numbers of these should drop artificially in a mined system. At the same time, mining activity can produce large amounts of dust, so this ought to increase.

"What's more, mining is likely to be done close to the home planet so this dust is likely to form in rings nearby. (Imagine our night sky, if this ever happens near Earth.)

"Finally, Forgan and Elvis say there should be a significant thermal signature from mining activities, since dust is likely to absorb and emit thermal energy from the star. So these dust rings should be easily visible."

Of course, both scientists point out that such signatures can also occur naturally. But the detection of such signs would point to the solar system where it is occurring as a candidate for closer study.

Obviously this method would not detect extraterrestrial civilizations that are still bound to its planet, like ours by and large is. Nor would it detect such a civilization that has a readily available Moon, as ours does, to exploit for resources. But it does suggest that there are other ways to detect ET than by the television he watches or the radio he listens to. ( news.yahoo.com )

READ MORE - How to Find ET: Look for Signs of Asteroid Mining

Changing Behavior for Even Just a Few Minutes Makes All the Difference

Changing Behavior for Even Just a Few Minutes Makes All the Difference - Unfortunately, child abuse rates are statistically higher among single parent families than among their two-parent counterparts1. For the most part, this is attributed to increased stress, financial difficulties, and - for many single parents - the absence of a meaningful support system.


Fortunately, though, you can minimize the impact of these risk factors by taking care of yourself and having a plan in place for how you're going to deal with emotions like anger and frustration. The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by intense emotions, try one of these strategies for calming down:


1. Take a walk.


Stop what you're doing and take a quick family walk. The combination of physical release, a change of scenery, and fresh air will help to clear your mind and give you time to put your frustrations back into perspective.


2. Take a deep breath.


Breathe in as deeply as you can, very slowly. Do this several times until you feel yourself beginning to calm down.


3. Leave the room.


Separate yourself from your children for a few minutes. If your child is an infant, place him or her in the crib and walk away until you can feel yourself calming down. Your child may be crying, and that's okay. He or she will be safer in the crib than in your arms during those moments when you feel intensely frustrated or angry.


4. Talk with a friend.


Develop some friendships with other parents whom you can lean on when you have a rough day. At first, you might be worried about letting someone else know that you're "not perfect," but the truth is that every parent has bad days. In fact, sharing your experiences will not only help you to feel better and cope more effectively, but your effort to be real with one another will also result in a deeper, closer friendship.


5. Visit the Single Parents Forum.


This is a great place to share your frustrations, ask questions, and get support.


6. Call a hotline.


There is absolutely no shame in calling for help. The person on the other end of the phone is most likely there because he or she has been through exactly what you're going through, and wants to help. For immediate, live assistance, 24 hours a day, dial 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).


7. Write.


Take a moment to sit down and write about what you're feeling in a journal. Or, if you can't think of anything, just write out the words to a favorite song. Focusing on this task will give you a chance to calm down and reorganize your thoughts.


8. Do something productive.


Many parents find that they become extra sensitive to tantrums when they're already stressed out about other things. One way to gain control over your emotions when this happens is to take a break from the interaction with your child and do something productive, such as cleaning up the kitchen or straightening up the living room. Spending just a few minutes doing something productive that makes you feel more in control can help you approach the situation with your child with a different attitude and intensity.


9. Create a plan.


Many times heightened frustration results from feeling like there are no alternatives. When you find that you're angry over something that your child has done, sit down and think about what needs to change in order to prevent the same thing from happening again. This may include changing your house rules, employing different discipline strategies, or communicating with your child on a different level.


10. Be forgiving.


Be just as willing to forgive yourself as you are willing to forgive your children. And when it is appropriate, take the time to apologize to your child. This creates a clean slate, but it is also humbling enough as a parent to make you think twice before reacting the same way next time. ( about.com )

READ MORE - Changing Behavior for Even Just a Few Minutes Makes All the Difference

The success of your year may depend on these critical relationships

The success of your year may depend on these critical relationships - The school year has begun anew, and as you're getting to know the children on your caseload, it's essential to build relationships with their parents and their general education teachers.

Parents Should Be your Friends

The beginning of the school year is a great time to contact the parents of the children on your caseload. You might consider this as "creating a baseline" for your relationship. Some helpful guidelines:

• Check your attitude at the door. Parents are not the enemy. They are anxious about their children, they may be stressed by first hearing about their child's diagnosis, and if they share their child's disability (ADD, perhaps, or SLD) their own memories of school and authorities might be pretty bad. Still, they are their own child's best advocate.

• Let parents share their insights about their child. Be sure to find out what their child likes, as his or her favorite things will provide you with powerful motivators. If the child loves the local NFL football team, stickers or wristbands with their logo will get them fired up.

• Find out what the parents want to know about you.

• Find out what the parents need to know about the IEP process and their rights.

• Let them know how you prefer to be contacted, by phone or email, and find out how they prefer to be contacted.

• Tell them something you like about their child. If you can't think of anything stretch the truth: perhaps "I look forward to seeing Johnny tomorrow."

Teachers Are Your Partners

Even though inclusion is supposed to be the "default" setting for children with IEPs, a lot of schools are slow in moving in that direction. Still, when the child goes back to their classroom, their general education classroom teacher may not be prepared to deal with the challenges that child presents. Suggestions for building successful partnerships:

• In pull out programs, the first challenge is to schedule when the children will come to you. Try to accommodate the general ed teacher's needs, and listen to his or her concerns.

• Be sure to get a copy of the IEP to the teacher early, and be sure to go over the Specially Designed Instruction with the teacher, so he or she knows what is legally required of them. Try to be pleasant but direct. Let them know that "But I don't do that" may cause them problems in the future.

• Check in frequently, in person or by email, to offer help with any challenges they are meeting with the child.

• Say thank you. A lot.

( about.com )

Hopefully your new partners will help you and their children have a great year.

READ MORE - The success of your year may depend on these critical relationships

Do You Really Want to Work There?

Do You Really Want to Work There?. Evaluating a potential employer. One lesson many people have learned in recent months is that it's not unusual for an organization to be doing well one month and on the brink of crisis the next.

After all, haven't we all heard from at least one person we know who was shocked to be laid off or to discover that her employer was suddenly struggling? News headlines alone are testament to the fact that thousands of people lost their jobs before having any idea they were in jeopardy.

As a result, it has become more important than ever for job seekers to ask themselves an essential question before accepting a job offer: "How secure will my future be with this employer?" Although this is an issue people should consider in good and bad economic situations, it's particularly critical for people thinking about leaving their current employer for another.

"If your new employer is on shaky ground because of poor finances or leadership, chances of your long-term success with the organization are already slim. A fast failure at a new job can kick off a series of frustrating, downward-spiral career experiences," says career coach Katy Piotrowski, author of "The Career Coward's Guide to Job Searching."

Without a crystal ball, there is no guarantee how much security you will have with a new employer. Fortunately, there are several indications that can help you assess the amount of security you'll have with an employer. Piotrowski says to be aware of the following clues that a company is or is not doing well:

Signs a company or organization is not doing well

It has a poor reputation in the marketplace. Conduct a quick check-in with a few people you trust in your industry, and ask what they've heard about the potential employer. If multiple accounts of poor product or service quality pop up, beware.

It has a dicey credit history. All businesses go through ups and downs, but in general, the better-run operations will maintain a healthy credit rating. A number of business credit-reporting services exist on the Internet. For less than $100, you can obtain some telling details about a company's financial status.

There is frequent turnover of team members. If there's been a revolving door of employees coming and going, find out why. Request the opportunity to speak with the person who last held the position for which you're being considered. If the hiring manager refuses your request, it's a red flag that something may be awry.

You get a gut sense that something's just not right. Most of us can recall times when we didn't trust our intuition about saying "yes" to an opportunity, and it backfired. If something about the potential employer seems off-kilter, take the time to learn more before accepting.

Signs an employer may offer some promising, long-lasting rewards

There's evidence that leaders at the company are invested in the success of the business. Ask your interviewer to describe the significant managers in the company and how they're involved in the day-to-day success of the operation. If you hear, "Bob is constantly looking for new ways to improve our position in the market," or "Sarah checks in with her team nearly every day to make sure they have what they need to succeed," chances are good that the business is in capable leadership hands.

It has a solid standing in the market. Within any given industry, it's no secret which companies are most respected and successful. While you don't need to work for the "No. 1" business, your career will benefit from alignment with a company solidly positioned in the top five. If you're not sure which companies these are, ask a few movers and shakers in your industry which companies they most respect.

Its products and services are in strong demand in the market. Because the economy is in such flux right now, it can be a challenge to sort out which industries hold the most promise. But a quick review of fast-growth and high-employment industries at a source such as www.careeronestop.org can help with some career decisions.

It has sound fiscal footing. The credit report you check to determine if a company is on shaky financial ground will also help you identify the smarter money managers.

You're passionate about company's offerings and culture. As a new employee, you will be a key part of the future results of the business. Knowing this, ask yourself how committed you'll be to its success. If you're not motivated to give the company your best, keep searching. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Do You Really Want to Work There?

Keeping Your Online Job Search Safe

Keeping Your Online Job Search Safe. With all the scams and identity theft being reported these days, it's no wonder you might be cautious of job searching online. Luckily there are several ways to locate a job online safely and securely and keep your bank account intact.

First, make yourself aware of the most common scams surrounding the online job industry. Second, be aware of indications that a job might be fraudulent. Last but not least, know who to reference when you need help determining a job or employer's legitimacy.

Beware: Fraudulent Jobs

The most common scams involving online job searching are obvious to most people. Check-cashing scams involve requests to "process payments," usually for international companies that claim they can't process their client's payments themselves. These are often accompanied by legitimate looking contracts, false documents bearing company letterhead and even false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts.

Once the fraudulent employer has obtained the trust of their "employee," it will mail checks, certified checks or money orders to the victim's home address, requesting them to cash them and forward the money back (usually via Western Union). At this point the scam is complete and the victim will later find out from their bank that the check, certified check or money order was fraudulent. The victims are then made liable for the lost money and can even be charged with forgery, presenting a false document or money laundering.

Re-shipping scams are similar to popular check-cashing scams, but they involve receiving and reshipping packages for the fraudulent employer. Victims receive packages and are asked to repackage and reship the goods to another address. The packages usually contain stolen or unpaid goods that are then tracked to the victim's address. This scam often results in the innocent victim being arrested for receiving stolen property and can take years to sort out in the courts.

Signs of a Scam

When searching for a job online there are several things you should look out for. Here are just a few:

As a job seeker the best prevention is to avoid being temped by offers that appear to be "too good to be true."

Be cautious of any employer offering employment without an interview, either by phone or in person. No legitimate employer will hire you without first conducting an interview.

Thoroughly investigate any employer who requires a fee before you can start working for them. Rarely will you find a legitimate employer requesting a fee... they should be paying you!

Do not provide your Social Security number or any other sensitive information unless you are confident that the employer requesting the information is legitimate.

Avoid vague offers, as these are often scams. If the employer is not willing to specifically describe the position, you probably don't want it. What You Can Do

Even armed with this knowledge, you may still find yourself questioning a job you found online. Luckily there are still options available to you. If the job was found on CareerBuilder.com you can contact the Site Integrity and Compliance department for assistance in verifying the employer's legitimacy. This can be done by e-mailing CSI@CareerBuilder.com or by calling the customer service number listed on the Web site. Our dedicated Site Integrity team is committed to fraud detection and prevention to protect users from any type of deceitful job postings.

Other Web sites, like the Better Business Bureau, help by allowing you to search their database of customer inquiries and complaints about a certain company. Not surprisingly, searches on the popular search engines also offer pertinent information when trying to determine the legitimacy of an offer. For additional information on these scams ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Keeping Your Online Job Search Safe

Four New Ways to Get a Job-Search Edge

Four New Ways to Get a Job-Search Edge. When a professional chef steps into a kitchen, he knows he'll need more than a knife or spoon to create elaborate, savory dishes. He'll need an entire collection of gadgets and utensils to assist him throughout the cooking process.

When searching for a job, you too should make use of a variety of tools to accelerate and enhance your results. Sure, you can still land interviews armed with just a résumé and cover letter, but think of how much more effective your job search would be with the help of additional tools specifically crafted to aid you throughout every step of the job hunt.

Tools such as next-generation job-search letters can give you the edge you'll need to stand out from others in today's competitive job market. Different from standard cover letters, next-generation letters are tailored to communicate strong, specific messages and are intended for everyone from contacts in your network and referrals to recruiters and hiring managers at companies that may have interested you in the past.

"Because they are somewhat out of the ordinary, next-generation job-search letters can put you on a person's radar screen so that when an opportunity does arise, your name and qualifications immediately come to mind," say Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, co-authors of "Cover Letter Magic, Third Edition."

In their book, Enelow and Kursmark outline the following four types of next-generation letters and explain how each can accelerate your job search success:

High-impact networking letters

• Leverage your personal relationships with business colleagues, mentors, managers, peers and professional contacts.
• Quietly market the strength of your experience, qualifications and achievements.
• Encourage your contacts to get in touch with you, share information about potential leads and opportunities, and refer you to others in their network to further expand your own network.

Personal branding letters

• Communicate your own personal brand.
• Reinforce the value your brand brings to an organization.

Reconnecting letters

• Contact prospective employers, network contacts, recruiters, sponsors and others in your job-search community whom you've been out of touch with for six or more months.
• Alert individuals to your current employment situation and either ask for information about prospective opportunities or let them know about opportunities you may be offering.

Career-update letters

• Notify personal and professional contacts, recruiters and companies that you've accepted a new position and provide them with new contact information.
• Encourage recipients to do business with you at your new company.
• Remind recipients that you are available for future opportunities that might include permanent positions, consulting engagements or special project assignments.

Enelow and Kursmark advise, "Including these next-generation letters in your job-search tool kit will better equip you to compete in today's job-search market and help position you for new career opportunities." ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Four New Ways to Get a Job-Search Edge

The Right Way to do a Long-Distance Job Search

The Right Way to do a Long-Distance Job Search. With more people searching for work and fewer jobs available, you may choose to expand your job search, not only in terms of the types of positions you consider but also the locations where you look.

If the job market in your area has been hit especially hard, searching for employment in another city, state or even country could be a smart move. But looking for work outside of your immediate area presents many unique challenges. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Focus your search

The Internet makes it possible to explore job opportunities virtually anywhere in the world, so your first step should be to narrow your list of locations. How do you pare down the many possibilities? Look at a number of factors, including the cost of living in other areas, places you might like to live and locations where you have friends or family.

Keep in mind professional considerations, too. Which cities have the best job prospects? What is the state of your industry in other locations? Where is there demand for the type of work you do? Use the Internet to research places of interest as your list takes shape. You may even consider visiting a city that appeals to you to get a better sense of it or to set up informational interviews with potential employers.

2. Consult your network

Being hundreds or thousands of miles away from the job opportunities you seek can put you at a significant disadvantage relative to local candidates. Having a strong professional network can help level the playing field. Not only might your contacts be able to uncover additional job opportunities, but they could also provide valuable referrals to hiring managers contemplating whether to invest the extra time and effort in considering a long-distance applicant.

3. Be upfront

Explain in your cover letter why you are searching for a job outside your immediate area to address the first question every hiring manager will have. You might note, for instance, that you have long wished to work for a particular firm and are willing to relocate in order to do so. Or you may say that you will soon move to the city where you are seeking employment (if so, include a move date, so employers know you are serious).

4. Prepare for a phone interview

Chances are a hiring manager will conduct a phone interview before asking you to come for a face-to-face meeting to ensure a possible fit exists. When participating in a phone interview, choose a quiet place free of distractions, and have a copy of your résumé, cover letter and job posting on hand for reference. Don't conduct the interview using a cell phone unless absolutely necessary. And when speaking, try to smile. It sounds somewhat silly, but putting a grin on your face will help you come across as friendly and enthusiastic.

5. Be flexible

Unless you seek an executive-level position or possess skills in extremely high demand, you can't expect companies to go out of their way to recruit you. Therefore, you need to be flexible with the hiring managers who contact you. When possible, work around their schedules when arranging phone calls. Keep in mind that you may have to pay for your own travel arrangements if asked to an in-person interview. You also have to be willing to pay for your own move and relocation expenses if you receive a job offer.

6. Register with a large staffing firm

Working with a staffing firm can be valuable when conducting a long-distance job search because these firms often have offices in other cities. When registering with your local branch, mention that you are open to relocation. Your representative can share your résumé with colleagues in other places, and you'll be able to tap their knowledge of the ins and outs of the employment markets in their local areas.

Although a long-distance job search can be challenging, it also can open the door to opportunities that aren't available where you live, helping you move your career in a new and exciting direction. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - The Right Way to do a Long-Distance Job Search

What Says to Employers, "Hire Me!"

What Says to Employers, "Hire Me!". After several long months of unsuccessfully posting his résumé and applying to jobs online, Alex Ballin, 24, decided to take his job search into his own hands. The 2008 graduate from Radford University planted himself at a busy intersection in downtown Roanoke, Va., sporting a white sign that read, "Talented B.A. Needs Career" along with his business suit.

He wanted to get employers' attention and it wasn't happening from simply submitting applications online. One employer thought Ballin's efforts showed drive and ambition and tossed a business card out of his car to Ballin. He got an interview a week later.

While Ballin's tactic was a more extreme -- and literal -- way to grab an employer's attention, with such uncertainty surrounding the economy, these intense and creative approaches are a must for today's job seeker.

"In today's competitive job market, freelancers and applicants need as much leverage as they can muster to land their next gig," says Cindy Caldwell, a creative recruiter with RandstadRandstad Work Solutions. "The résumé needs to stand out above all the rest, without being unprofessional. The samples need to be presented in such a way that is easily accessible to the employer -- waiting around for a slow Web page to load or using a MySpace page as the portfolio site is not going to make the cut." Creative, a specialty division of

When Linda Jay Geldens, a freelance copyeditor, went to a computer conference and received the internal newsletter for Apple, she saw that it was "riddled with errors."

"I wanted to be the freelance copyeditor of the Apple Computer internal newsletter," she says. "I circled all the mistakes in red pen, made an appointment with the newsletter's editor, walked into his office, threw the newsletter on his desk and said with a smile, 'You need me!' He hired me instantly."

Do you want to be hired instantly, too? Here are some standard and creative tactics that will say, "Hire me!" to employers during your next job search.

Throughout the job search

- Apply at companies that aren't seeking candidates.

"Read the business pages to find out what businesses are growing," says Laura George, author of "Excuse Me, Your Job is Waiting." "Send such companies a résumé and a letter explaining what you can bring to the organization. If they have a need and see talent, you may be saving them the time and trouble involved in a talent search."

- Pick up the phone

"What gets my attention is a phone call and real live voice. Most communication is done via e-mail and you don't get the total picture of a person without that verbal communication," says Barbara Zaccone, president of BZA LLC, a strategic design company. "A perfect example would be a follow-up phone call after the interview. No one ever does that. And I mean no one."

On your résumé

- It's never one-size-fits-all.

"Don't try to sell what you are selling; sell what the employer is buying. Make sure your résumé fits the position and the organization where you are seeking employment," George says. "Hiring managers look at skill set, education, experience and where you got that experience. They want to make sure you are going to be able to do the job and fit into the corporate culture."

- Make it easy on the eyes.

"Envision a hiring manager looking at a résumé like a driver going by a billboard. Try to make it absorbable at high speeds," says Gwen Martin, managing partner of NumberWorks, a Minneapolis-based staffing firm. "Use bullet points and leave white space so it's easy on the eyes to read. Give the bird's eye view -- you can give the story behind the résumé in the interview."

Wendy Enelow, author, trainer and career consultant, strongly suggests using a typestyle other than Times New Roman. Stay conservative and use fonts like Georgia, Tahoma, Bookman or Verdana.

- Include success stories.

Write down several career achievements of which you are most proud, suggests Joanne Meehl, author of "The Résumé Queen's Job Search Thesaurus and Career Guide." "Choose one or two of these career success stories to go on the résumé, in very brief form, near the top of page one," she says. "These examples of what the candidate has done and can do, grab the employer's attention."

- Analyze keywords.

Analyze several job postings in the field for which you are looking for a job, says Cheryl Palmer, certified executive career coach and résumé writer. "Develop a list of keywords from those postings that you incorporate into the résumé under a subheading entitled 'core competencies.' Employers search their database of résumés by keyword, so having these terms on your résumé increases your chances of your résumé being selected for further review."

In the cover letter

- Lose the "To Whom It May Concern."

That went the way of the 20^th century, says Lynda McDaniel, a business writing coach. "Try to get the person's name. If not, simply say 'Greetings' or 'Hello.'"

- Forget the "This letter is in regards to your ad..."

"People reading these letters are already bored with the reams of pabulum they have to read. Do you really want to make them comatose?" McDaniel asks.

- Show, don't tell.

"Share a good story about what you've accomplished. Stories show why you're the best candidate. They also show you've got a head on your shoulders," McDaniel says.

During the interview

- Identify why you are a good fit.

"Often people peruse a job for no other reason than it is available," says Danielle Weinstock, author of "Can This Elephant Curtsy on Cue? Life Lessons Learned On A Film Set For Women In Business." "Until you can determine why you and the company are a good match, you can't sell yourself."

- Keep your responses job-related.

Many job seekers start off the interview on the wrong note when they respond to the statement, "Tell me about yourself," Palmer says. "Job seekers give a personal response instead of a professional response. Your response will say, 'Hire me,' if you tailor your responses to the position you are applying for. Review that job announcement the night before the interview and write out some bullet points for yourself to speak to the employer's needs." ( msn.com )

READ MORE - What Says to Employers, "Hire Me!"