Barack Obama’s Tax Cuts – Fact or Fiction?

The Obama / McCain tax cuts is one of the hottest contested debates on the campaign. Obama says that his taxcuts will benefit 95% of the working families and provide three times the tax relief for middle class families than the McCain / Palin ticket.

One of the biggest commitments that Obama is proposing is to not raise taxes for families making under $250,000 per year or individuals making under $200,000 per year.

If you’d like to vote on this issue before we go on, here is a site that is collecting data:

http://taxproblemshelp.com

 

To prove some of the points, there is a great new site called www.taxcutfacts.org. It leads you to a cool calculator that acutally compares for you how many Americans will benefit from Obama’s tax cut. You essentially fill in pieces of information such as your income, # of dependents, etc. and the calculator will show you the difference between the two proposed plans.

Obama’s plan is geared to lower federal taxes by about 19 percent below what they were under President Reagan. In addition, Obama promises tax cuts for families to help with health care college and to save for retirement. On the contrary a McCain tax cut is estimated to increases by about $3.6 Trillion, which would mean tens of millions of middle class families will end up paying more taxes, not less.

Another cool feature of the taxcut.org site is that it gathers different media sources and provides you information about they’re saying about the Barack Obama and Joe Bidens’ tax cut plan. This is very useful if you really want to see additional details behind the plan.

According to a Washington Post article Obama’s tax cut will benefit more Americans, especially those who make the least, while McCain’s tax cuts will benefit the very wealthiest, top 0.1% in the country.

Obama’s plan also proposes to eliminate capital gains taxes for entrepreneurs and small business investors, as well as cut corporate taxes for those corporations that create jobs in America. These plans appear to stimulate jobs creation in America, which is dearly needed during this economic crisis that we face.

Forbes Magazine recently described Obama’s tax cut calculator as one of the most useful and simple gadget that they’ve seen on any political website in while. www.taxcutfacts.org is great calculator to use for those who want to know the real facts and savings between the Obama and McCain tax cuts.

Amazon Kindle Handheld eBook Reader

A few days ago, I noticed that one of Oprah’s favorite things was the Amazon Kindle handheld ebook reader. EBook readers have been around in different forms for many years. The Amazon Kindle was introduced last year without much notice. But now that Oprah has endorsed the Kindle, sales should really start to take off.

It took me a long time to get used to reading electronic books instead of traditional print versions. I had trouble adjusting to the back-lighting and font size, and often got headaches if I stared at my computer screen for too long. But now that I’m more accustomed to reading off a screen, I’ve grown to appreciate the convenience of ebooks, and I actually prefer them to paper books. In fact, I’m currently in the market for a good handheld ebook reader that will allow me to enjoy my electronic texts even more, now that I’ve written my own ebook on how to write a professional resume.

I’ve been doing some research for the last few days, and I’ve discovered that there are essentially three different kinds of handheld ebook readers on the market today. I’m not exactly sure which one I want yet because they all have their pros and cons.

The first type of handheld ebook reader I can buy is a PDA (or Pocket PC). While PDAs are most commonly used for keeping track of appointments, tasks, and contacts, they’re also capable of displaying electronic texts. I like PDAs because they’re easy to carry around, have relatively large screens, and can store a lot of books.

However, since PDAs come with a bunch of other features such as a web browser, word processing and spreadsheet software, and games, the prices are a bit inflated. I’d essentially be paying for a lot of things I’d probably never use, when all I really want is a handheld ebook reader.

Smartphones represent a second type of handheld ebook readers available today. Smartphones combine the functionality of a cell phone with a PDA, so they can generally do everything that PDAs can do — plus make phone calls. The biggest benefit to using a smartphone is that I would only have to carry one device around instead of two.

But I think most smartphone screens are a bit small for reading books on a regular basis, so I’m not sure that this would be the right device for me. In addition, most smartphones are actually priced out of my budget, which means this isn’t really a viable option for me.

Finally, there are a couple of dedicated handheld ebook readers on the market, too. These devices are only used for reading books, so they typically have special features that smartphones and PDAs don’t have, such as automatic scrolling, a comprehensive dictionary, adjustable backlighting, and a variety of font sizes. The Amazon Kindle is the hottest handheld ebook reader around thanks to Oprah’s endorsement, and looks like the best device for my purposes.

I haven’t completely made up my mind about which handheld ebook reader I’ll purchase, but I’m definitely going to get one soon. I can’t wait to be able to read my favorite electronic texts even when I’m away from my computer.

By the way, the Amazon Kindle sells at Amazon and EBay for $360. That’s still a lot of money to me. But I did come across a website that is giving away free Amazon Kindles if you take a short poll.

Here is their website address:

http://ezsuggestions.com/amazonkindle.

 

Change Your Perception, Change Your Life

Every day today we’re bombarded by the media to believe that the sky is falling, you’d better run for cover … $700 Billion bailout … subprime market fallout … global recession. It certainly is true that we’re in for one helluva ride, but is there anything that we can do to make this ride a little less bumpy? Can we create for ourselves a sense of space that will keep us from falling into the black hole of media depression?

If you answer “yes”, then you  stand a chance to change your life, get that job that you really want and live up to your own fullest potential. If you answer “no”, you’re destined to follow a prescribed path that is conditioning us for failure.

Lord knows that I am arguably worse off now than i was just a mere six years ago. Remember the dot-com blowup? The media and pundits all told us that Silicon Valley was dead and that we’d better stick our heads in the ground and wait it out. Yes, the Valley had slowed down tremendously, but those who did not follow the masses continued to plug away and ultimately survived and prospered.

I was recently introduced to a book called, Kickback.  It’s about social guidance and our generation. We are influenced tremendously by what others say and do. We generally tend to follow what the masses are wearing, eating, drinking, etc. In other words, we are heavily influenced by peer pressure.

The author, Robert Urbanowski, asserts that we have changed very little since the stone age days. We use whtat he calls “social guidance” to determine how we should act, where we should live, and even how and when we should marry.

Urbanowski illustrates several examples of how social proof guides us in ways that immobilizes some from taking action, even when some tragic event is unfolding. One of the examples that he lays out in his first chapter explains how a group of 38 neighbors in 1964 failed to help a person who was brutally murdered right in front of their eyes. It was not until the victim was dead and silent did they end up calling the police. He goes on to explain the scientific reason behind their inability to react.

Some people might call this phenomenon “herd mentality”. In fact, marketers have been using advanced techniques to get the masses to buy for decades. They know that once the masses accept a certain thing as cool or acceptable, it will be easy to manipulate the rest of the herd.

Urbanowski continues to discuss how the ascpect of our social conscience has gotten us into trouble relative to excess consumption and debt. It is essentially driving us into a downward sprial. The real key to success is not driving toward fame, fortune and get rich quick schemes. But, to drive toward getting happy fast. This is the essence of the book. How can we achieve contentedness through the pursuit of happiness.

What does Kickback have to do with careers? It lays out a foundation for you and me to figure out what is important to us before we decide what job we want, how much money we need to make and what kind of car we want to own.

As Urbanowki points out … we don’t have to be like the American buffalo, heading toward impending disaster with our heads down. We have the ability to stop, look up and re-examine how we are approaching life. Is this the life we want to live or is it what everyone else is promoting around us.

Kickback by Robert Urbanowski.

Executive Job Descriptions And Resources

Maybe you are one who changes careers or jobs every seven years. Maybe you are a student preparing a career portfolio wherein one assignment is to include executive job descriptions. Maybe you are just curious about the kinds of jobs and salaries out there. Or maybe you are in high school contemplating your future or in college about to go into the work force. Whichever the case, you may be interested in executive job descriptions and the databases that offer executive job descriptions.

There are a number of comprehensive and helpful sources to consult on campus or at the Employment Development Department or job clinics in your town, but there are also, of course, fine resources online: for example, such sites as Salary.com is a site that includes a job search engine (updated daily), one which can also be found at numerous other current sites, such as metasearch engines Monster.com, Flipdog.com, Yahoo! Hot Jobs, and Jobs-Matrix.com. At the same time, local jobs can be researched at smaller search engines, like JobStar SF or California Job Bank, for example, for those living in or moving to the California Bay Area, for instance.

Whatever role you hope to fill, you can look through thousands of positions, and study the executive job descriptions on the EUREKA database, which offers information such as projected openings in a particular field. Additionally, Eureka has job boards—calls for executives and assistants around the world!—as well as career planning information and ISPCA and other services.

When you read the executive job descriptions, you will note how in order to provide the best of services once you are in a position, you need special skills and specific qualifications: for example, in one job opening description, the most desirable applicant would bring such character traits to the position as follows:

…dedicated to the concepts of localism.
…responsibility to the communities we serve.
…open to pioneer new concepts and ideas.
…able to build partnerships, use the website to further the XXX brand and increase user base.
…proficient in on-line AP journalistic standards.
…HTML coding and graphics ability preferred.

You will therefore need to know what training or additional training you will need to be able to provide such skill sets. Details on exact training you need for exact skills you should bring, can be found at such comprehensive sites as The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. There you will also find, besides or within specific and thorough executive job descriptions, what the salaries are for each level of a particular job, what health, environmental, and safety hazards exist, and projected estimates on job availability and hourly or annual wage considerations in the future of that job.

Also at the Labor Bureau site, you can pursue by searching detailed executive job descriptions, with information ranging from unemployment trends and statistics, mass layoff statistics, and national trends to business employment dynamics, job openings, and labor turnover survey statistics.
Whatever your reasons for job searching, then, you will be able to approach your new endeavor well informed and equally well prepared.

Part-Time Jobs For Students Not Only During The Holidays

Part-time jobs for students are plentiful but knowing where and how to look is the trick. While many household breadwinners may be struggling to keep the family income at an acceptable level, it’s somewhat surprising to realize that students are now in pretty good shape in the job market. However, when you take a closer look, it makes sense. Employers who may previously have employed full-time workers might now have downsized staff, with an eye to managing more efficient and cost effective operations. This isn’t good news for people who need a full-time income, but it’s a boon to students. Part-time jobs for students are actually plentiful. If you’re a student, let’s see how you can capitalize on this job trend.

Cultivating flexibility is one major key to success in the part-time jobs for student market. Unlike your Mom or Dad, you can adjust your class schedule such that you’re available for odd shifts, sometimes of short duration or even split shifts. For example, you have classes from 8 a.m. until noon, with an afternoon free before your last class at 7 p.m. Including travel time, you have at least five hours you can work each day. You can grab lunch and then work that odd 1-6 p.m. shift. That employer will have a hard time attracting full-timers for such a schedule. For you, it’s easy money, sufficient for your needs.

Major corporations are advertising part-time jobs for students which offer full-time benefits for part-time work, and sometimes, educational assistance amounting to thousands of dollars per year! Flex-time schedules are now a popular incentive to attract you.

Here’s how to conduct an effective search through the part-time jobs for students market. Be sure your resume is smooth as silk and have ready references available. Go online and search out websites which focus on the teen and college part-time jobs. One example is snagajob.com. Look for sites that offer listings for students, employers and have affiliations with colleges. Posting your resume on any of the big name job boards is another good move. These job boards provide articles and tips to help you make a good presentation and land that job.

Here is a guide on how to find flexible jobs that suit your schedule:

http://siliconvalleyresources.com/flexjobs

 

Make an objective assessment of any special skills which might gain you flexibility and/or a better rate of pay. For example, if you’re a math whiz, you may be in great demand as a tutor. Seasonal jobs, as a river rafting guide or ski instructor, are other possibilities.

Don’t neglect leads in your local newspaper. Most have websites where you can peruse the classifieds at any hour of the day.

What leads should you ignore? If a job site requires payment before viewing jobs, pass! Also, don’t waste your time on pie-in-the-sky promises, such as “Make $100 an hour!” There are plenty of legitimate and realistic part-time jobs for students to keep you going all year long. To your success!

http://siliconvalleyresources.com/flexjobs

Is Workplace Safety A Concern?

Workplace safety is a chief concern among many employers, and as such extensive measures have been taken to ensure maximum production in a safe, controlled environment as much as possible.

Most employers aim to prevent workplace injury, accidents, violence in the workplace, and anything else that hinders workplace safety in any way. If an employer refuses to adhere to certain workplace safety rules and regulations, and an accident occurs on the premises, they may find themselves paying varied Government fees and fines.

All employers are legally obligated to provide a safe place of work for their employers. This was deemed necessary under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970. With this law, workplace safety was brought to the forefront of employer’s minds.

The reason this act came about was in response to the large number of accidents and even death that had been occurring in the workplace. There are several general rules under what’s known as the general duty clause, and every single business, without exception, must adhere to these guidelines.

Under these guidelines, an employer can be found in violation if a hazard existed, the hazard was foreseeable, the hazard was able and likely to cause death or other serious damage, the employer had knowledge of the hazard, and/or the workers were exposed to the hazard. This clause helps enforce basic guidelines for workplace safety.

In addition to these general rules, all businesses must also comply with industry-specific guidelines regarding workplace safety. These are also known as OSHA standards. Keep in mind; these are just the federal regulations that govern workplace safety. Each individual state has the right to develop standards as they see fit, provided it’s as effective as the OSHA requirements. Basically, if your business wants to operate in a state governed by their own workplace safety rules, then your business must adhere to those standards. If on the other hand you conduct your business in a state where OSHA’s guidelines rule, you must comply with them.

Workplace safety is a very serious issue that cannot be taken lightly. Thankfully, there are regulations in place that govern workplace safety, and maintain a strict standard of safety among businesses for their employees.

It’s almost frightening to think that without these guidelines, there would be no rules to regulate a business’s requirement to provide a safe environment for their workers. Thankfully, OSHA and the state government developed requirements that all businesses must comply with in order to operate.

As an employee it’s important that you realize that you do have the right to a safe workplace and to bear in mind that your employer must provide that to you.