How to look better in this year's holiday pictures

By Sarah www.total beauty.com

Holidays are coming and you know what that means -- lots of photos. While we can't help if someone takes a shot of you mid-bite or chugging egg nog, here are a few tips for those slightly more planned photos:


1. Wear foundation that's slightly darker than your skin. It'll keep you from looking pale. Just be sure to blend it onto your neck to avoid that horrible mask look.


2. Don't use powder; it looks cakey and ghost-like on camera. Use oil blotting sheets instead.


3. Stuck at the end of a group shot? Lift your shoulder slightly and roll it forward for a skinnier-looking arm.


4. Totally cheesy, but to look slimmer try the celebrity 3/4 shot. Turn your body so 3/4 of it is facing the camera, put one foot slightly behind the other and hands behind your back or on your hip. Smile naturally to avoid looking like Paris Hilton.


5. Don't let anyone photograph you from below eye level; it gives you shadows under your eyes. Be a diva and insist they stand on a chair; it's worth it.

Six Green Hangover Remedies

By Marissa Moss

Some might say if you have a hangover, you might already be green (not the environmental kind of green, ahem). But if you want to cure that throbbing headache from last night’s Christmas party or holiday get-together, take a few suggestions from Tree Hugger’s list of the top green hangover remedies. Because if you are going to be green in the face, you might as well be green all the way. ‘Tis the season…


1. Yoga
Athletic activity might sound a)exhausting and b)nauseating, but yoga is actually one of the quickest way to rid the toxins from your body. Try a routine of a couple of sun salutations followed by a series or moderate twists – literally “wring” the remaining alcohol from your body. Check out tips from Planet Green on how to make your yoga greener.

2. Wheatgrass
While a thick green juice might seem less than appetizing, take a shot of this curing beverage to balance all the not-so-curing ones you downed last night. Found at your local natural foods shop, wheatgrass’ chlorophyll content and detoxifying effects are a surefire cure.

3. Rescue Remedy
This product (which is made 100% naturally from spring water infused with wild flowers), which celebrities use for its calming effects (red carpet=nerve overload) is also known to help soothe a hungover system. A couple of drops in your water before bed and a pastille in the morning is the natural technique some swear by.

4. Coconut Water
Gatorade or other electrolyte-enhanced beverages are a common antidote. But since you’ve already been taxing the liver, why continue with the artificial colors and flavorings found in these sugary drinks? Young coconut water boasts electrolytes and more potassium than a banana, and is usually not packaged in polluting plastic.

5. Play in the Snow
A cold shower is a time honored remedy. But why waste the water? Lay your sad little head in the snow for the same effects. And make the snow look pretty while you are at it, with a nice imprint of your misbehaved body! If you must shower, read TH's tips on saving water.

6. Hair of the dog
If all else fails, have another cocktail. My favorite? A nice Dubonnet aperitif, which has just enough alcohol (but not too much) to take the edge off. I like to mix a little in a glass with organic orange juice, home squeezed from the farmer’s market for a little vitamin C.

Green your bubbly: From eco-champers to a cork chair competition

by greenlagirl

I'm serious about starting off the new year greenly -- which is why I saved not just one, but two guides to eco-friendly bubblies: Grist's guide to distinctive, affordable, eco-friendly sparkling wines and Low Impact Living's guide to 9 domestic sparkling wines.

I printed those out -- on one-side-used paper, of course -- and headed to Co-opportunity, my neighborhood co-op grocer, then to Whole Foods. Sadly, neither eco-conscious store had any of the bubblies in stock! I did, however, find a Vida Organica sparkling chardonnay (right) at Whole Foods and decided to give it a try. The bottle cost $12.99, but only $12.94 for me because I got my 5 cent refund for taking my own bag --

Theoretically, one should save the bubbly for New Year's Eve -- but for the sake of the blog that'd help everyone else prep for the last day of 2008, I went ahead and popped the cork (hihi!).

This sparkling chardonnay tasted like -- chardonnay with bubbles. I recommend this bottle from Vida Organica if 1) you always thought chardonnay might taste even better carbonated, 2) you generally find champagne and sparkling wine too dry for your taste, or 2) you're not picky. Otherwise, I recommend that you look harder for the sparklers on the Grist or Low Impact Living lists.

Post-drinking, the bottle went in the recycling bin, but the cork, foil and wire cage remained, ready for the DWR Champagne Chair Contest! Yep, those seeking to make their New Year's Eve celebrations zero waste can upcycle their champers detritus into a lilliputian chair. The lucky winner gets a $1,330 eco-friendly Morgans Chair in polished aluminum; two other winners will be awarded less costly but still pricy chairs (Anyone else wonder why DWR stands for Design WITHIN Reach? Anyway...).

You do have to get that chair entry in before Friday, Jan. 9 -- which means you'll want to get to work right away when you wake up on New Year's Day. To help you out, Treehugger's put together a list of the Top Green Hangover Remedies. In my experience, the only cure that actually works reasonably quickly is the hair of the dog, though most might consider that more a delay tactic than an actual cure. Still, if you can delay the hangover for 9 days....

Top photo by Siel
___

BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel sometimes drinks while blogging at greenLAgirl.com.

Top 10 Credit Myths

Lexington Law Firm began its consumer law practice in the early 1990s when it redefined a fledgling credit repair industry by fusing strict regulatory compliance with innovative credit repair solutions. Today, Lexington Law continues to be a driving force helping clients take action on their credit, and remains the trusted leader in credit report repair.


Top Ten Credit Myths

1. When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show "paid" and will no longer be negative.
2. If I succeed in deleting a negative item, it will just come right back on my credit report.
3. There are negative listings, such as bankruptcies and foreclosures, that are impossible to remove from the credit report.
4. Disputing the credit report is easy and any consumer can do it himself for the price of a few postage stamps.
5. If I declare bankruptcy, I can begin my credit report all over with a clean slate.
6. If you are not satisfied with the results of your credit bureau challenge, you may file a "100-word statement" on your credit report explaining your side of the story.
7. By changing numbers in my social security number or by using an EIN tax number, I can fool the credit bureaus into creating a completely clean, new credit file under my name.
8. If I build enough good credit, it will offset my bad credit and make me credit worthy.
9. I can improve my credit score by closing down some credit cards.
10. It is illegal for creditors to take a negative, accurate listing off my credit report.





Myth #1: When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show "paid" and will no longer be negative.

It is quite difficult to restore your credit without somehow satisfying your outstanding debts. However, paying an outstanding, delinquent debt you will change the account status to "paid collection," "paid was late," or "paid was charged off" - which will still stand out as a very negative listing. When you have outstanding debt, it is almost always prudent to seek professional help so that you may settle your debts while creating a reasonable possibility of deletion of the negative listing at the same time.



Myth #2: If I succeed in deleting a negative item, it will just come right back on my credit report.

The credit bureaus have cleverly spread this myth through the news media and government agencies. In truth, the credit bureaus will often temporarily delete a negative listing if they haven't heard from the credit grantor after approximately thirty days. If the credit grantor reports late, say after six weeks, and then verifies the negative listing, the credit bureau will often reinsert the negative listing on the credit report. This is often known as a "soft delete." Usually, though, the creditor simply fails to respond and the negative listing is permanently deleted. If the item is verified by the credit grantor, either before thirty days or after, the account may still be challenged again at some future time.



Myth #3: There are negative listings, such as bankruptcies and foreclosures, that are impossible to remove from the credit report.

There is no type of negative listing that hasn't been removed from a credit report thousands of times by Lexington Law Firm. Negative items, such as bankruptcy or unpaid debts, are certainly more difficult to remove from the credit report, but this has more to do with the operational systems of the credit bureaus than with the severity of the bad credit item. For example, judgments and tax liens are severely negative listings, yet are easier to remove.



Myth #4: Disputing the credit report is easy and any consumer can do it himself for the price of a few postage stamps.

Disputing the credit report is easy. Getting results from the credit bureaus is amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating. Remember, the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits. Investigating your challenge consumes these profits. Short of sparking a mass number of lawsuits, the credit bureaus seem to do everything in their power to discourage consumers from making progress with their credit restoration. Restoring your own credit report is like repairing your own transmission or representing yourself in court; it is possible, but you must decide if your are willing to take the time and assume the risks of doing it yourself.



Myth #5: If I declare bankruptcy, I can begin my credit report all over with a clean slate.

Many bankruptcy attorneys do not adequately understand or explain the effects of bankruptcy to their clients. Stated simply, bankruptcy is to the credit rating what the nuclear bomb is to war. When you file for bankruptcy, every credit account that you decide to include in bankruptcy will become an "included in bankruptcy" account. Additionally, a bankruptcy filing and bankruptcy discharge listing will appear in the court records section of your credit report. Because so many negative items are attached to the bankruptcy, it becomes difficult to remove all trace of the bad credit. If at all possible, you should avoid bankruptcy.



Myth #6: If you are not satisfied with the results of your credit bureau challenge, you may file a "100-word statement" on your credit report explaining your side of the story.

Creditors will read your statement and will take it into consideration. To our knowledge, no known creditor considers information given in a 100-word statement. The statement only serves to verify some of the negative listings on the credit report. Make 100-word statements the first things you delete from your credit file.





Myth #7: By changing numbers in my social security number or by using an EIN tax number, I can fool the credit bureaus into creating a completely clean, new credit file under my name.

This scheme has proven to be complex, difficult, and illegal. Lying about any personal information on a credit application is usually a criminal offense. Using these "file segregation" schemes requires an enormous amount of coordination, not to mention personal risk.





Myth #8: If I build enough good credit, it will offset my bad credit and make me credit worthy.

After all, I was only late a couple of times. Any amount of bad credit is devastating to your chances of being approved by a credit grantor. Most credit grantors never actually look at your credit report. A computer pulls your credit report, rates your credit standing, indebtedness, and stability, then spits out an acceptance or denial. Even one or two slow pays will usually trigger a credit card or personal loan denial. The slightest amount of negative credit will cause the interest on an auto loan to skyrocket. You will probably find that even a little bad credit, regardless of how much good credit you have, is an unacceptable barrier to credit approval.





Myth #9: I can improve my credit score by closing down some credit cards.

For starters, closing down credit cards usually leads to a significant decrease in the credit score. What's more, consumers focus far too much on positive credit while negative credit still appears on the credit report. Negative credit effectively wipes out any amount of positive credit when the score is calculated.





Myth #10: It is illegal for creditors to take a negative, accurate listing off my credit report.

The law requires that these items remain on the credit report for at least seven years. When you speak with credit grantors, collection agencies, or credit bureaus, their typically under-educated staff may tell you all manner of such pseudo-legal nonsense. The law demands that negative listings appear on your credit report for no longer than seven years. The credit grantor or the credit bureau can choose to delete the negative credit listing whenever they see fit.



Entire contents © 2008, Lexington Law Firm

Make More than Just Your New Year's Eve Rock: Six Ways to Take Charge of 2009

As the year comes to a close, it's time to think about what you want next year to look like. Stephen Covey, one of the most prolific leadership authors of our time, says there are six things you can do right now to make 2009 your best year ever:

1. Be proactive.
It's more than just taking initiative. It means being responsible for your own life. Empower yourself to lead and spread your influence no matter what position you hold.

2. Sharpen the saw.
Decide what's truly important. Sharpen your saw early in the day by learning to say no to the unimportant and yes to the highly important.

3. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. It's human nature to want to be understood, but when both parties are trying to be understood, neither party is listening. By making the investment to understand the other party, you can magically transform the course of your conversations.

4. Begin with the end in mind. Start today with an image of the end of your life as the frame of reference by which everything else is examined. With a clear idea of where you are going, examine everything in the context of what matters to you most.

5. Develop a vision mission statement. Get a deep sense of your life's mission, purpose and value system, then establish your goals and a system of accountability that keeps you on track.

6. Think win-win.There is enough success for everyone, so don't view another person's success as success achieved at your expense or exclusion.

More about Stephen Covey on SUCCESS.com.

You Too Can Host An Inaugural Bash!

Dear MoveOn member,

Think of Barack Obama giving his inaugural address, surrounded by millions of the people who worked to elect him. Really, stop and imagine it. Does it make you smile? Us too. Does it make you want to celebrate? Good.

Because we're organizing Inaugural Bashes that night in cities across the country and we want you to come—in fact, we want you to host. The Chicago Inaugural Bash could be an informal party in a friendly local bar or restaurant, a smaller get-together at your house, or an elaborate Inaugural Ball—it's up to you.

The important thing is that we come together to kick off this new progressive era. Can you host an Inaugural Bash so the folks in Chicago have a place to celebrate? Click here to register your event:

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?action_id=158&id=15305-14621121-Wt6cTcx&t=3

These parties are being organized with MoveOn.org Civic Action—which means it's fine to hold your party in a bar or restaurant. So if you have a friendly local bar that you think would be a great venue, give them a call to ask if they'd be OK with your throwing a party. (They'll probably appreciate all the extra business on a Tuesday night.)

Having your party in a bar or restaurant means more people can attend, but holding your event in a more private space, or at your home, is great too. And if you're not sure yet where your party will be, that's fine—you can still sign up to host now.

Once you've found a venue, hosting a party is really easy. We'll invite other MoveOn members in your area, provide all the materials you'll need, and offer some ideas for fun things to do at your party.

Millions of people will be gathering in Washington, D.C. on January 20th, but there are millions more around the country who helped make this day possible. Can you sign up to host an Inaugural Bash in Chicago so folks near you have a place to celebrate, too?

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?action_id=158&id=15305-14621121-Wt6cTcx&t=4


Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Adam G., Noah, Marika and the rest of the team

Does Couples Counseling Work?

By Molly Triffin

Are you skeptical about the benefits of couples counseling? Our checklist may be able to help you determine if counseling would work for you.

Rumor has it that after seeing a couples counselor two years ago, Madonna and Guy Ritchie posted a list of relationship guidelines on the wall of their Manhattan apartment. A few of the reported rules: Guy must work to "enrich his wife's emotional and spiritual well-being" Guy must set aside time to read Kabbalah texts with his wife; both parties must "not use sex as a stick to beat one another."

Despite these meticulous measures, Madge and Guy still decided to split. And that begs the question: Does couples counseling really help? "Ultimately, if you really love the person, it's worth it to pull out all the stops," says Debbie Magids, Ph.D., author of All the Good Ones Aren't Taken. "But at some point, if things aren't getting better, you have to reassess."

If you're in a long-term relationship and having serious issues with your guy, you may want to consider going to therapy together (it costs about $150 to $200 a session, on average). Take a look at the checklist on the next page. The more questions you answer yes to, the greater the possibility that counseling could work for you.

Do the good times outweigh the bad?
If you enjoy being with your man the majority of the time, don't call it quits just yet.

Can you forgive him?
When trouble stems from a betrayal, such as cheating, it can be tough to move past that. But in order to have a strong relationship, you must be able to let go of the resentment.

Is the root of your conflict caused by an external force?
If an outside factor (for instance, he lost his job or there's an illness in your family) is putting stress on your relationship, the tough time is likely conditional and temporary.

Do you agree on the fundamentals of life?
You can find a happy medium when it comes certain disagreements, like how tidy you want to keep your pad. But others, such as whether or not you want to have kids in the future, are so fundamental that you need to be on the same page.

Is the relationship worth the work you'll have to put in?
Some couples are naturally more compatible than others, so their bonds are relatively easy to keep strong. Those who aren't as closely matched have to work harder to resolve differences of opinion and lifestyle. That doesn't mean your connection is any less wonderful, it just takes more effort to get to that point, so you need to be up for the challenge.

Source: Joanne Magdoff, Ph.D., psychologist in New York; Debbie Magids, Ph.D.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Shoeture - Bring Back The Glamour To Shoes With Jewelry...

Thrillist Los Angeles
Monday December 22, 2008

Shoeture

Auto enthusiasts pimp cars, yachtsmen pimp boats, and men with golden fedoras pimp themselves before pimping, but as a normal dude, how do you get in on the glamor? With Shoeture.







Thrillist - Shoeture
From an LA-based, Japan-inspired ball-cap designer who wanted to give people a simple way to recapture the joy they felt when their kicks were brand new, Shoeture's a just-launched line of "shoe jewelry" that covers your laces with flashy metal links, for that "fashionable android about town" look. Currently, they offer two styles in three colors (gold, silver, gunmetal): "Hooks", which run horizontal like a ladder, or "Tangs", which ride diagonally atop the laces, and in a pinch can provide many essential nutrients in outer space. The shoe-lery comes in sets of 10 (five per shoe), with instructions on the website abetted with a helpful, particularly un-viral YouTube video.

If you're fashionable but extremely slow, send Shoeture your shoes, and they'll steez them at no additional charge -- and what's more pimp than having someone else do the grunt work?

Big Foot Pimpin' at Shoeture.com

Elemental Wellness Technology Stop: Facebook's Pied Piper and Personal Branding

By Wendy Marx
FastCompany.Com

Thousands of ordinary folks are a little better known and successful today thanks to the extraordinary networking talents of one woman.

Meet the Pied Piper of the online world, Mari Smith [1], a veritable engine of personal branding and a relationship marketing whiz.

Not simply a land-based networker, Smith wields her magic on one of the largest platforms in the world, Facebook, home to 69 million active users and 250,000 new members joining every day. She’s also an active user of Twitter.

An evangelist for the powers of Facebook [2], Smith teaches a free introductory class about using Facebook for professional networking and business building. To date, more than 700 folks have taken her class. She also blogs about Facebook. [3]

And, today is the official launch of her signature course, Facebook for Professionals: How to Use the #1 Social Network to Strategically Grow Your Business [4]- A complete Multimedia System that includes a comprehensive ebook, how-to videos and interviews with some 30 successful Facebook members including popular web strategist and Sr Analyst at Forrester Research, Jeremiah Owyang [5], and creator of the Book Yourself Solid System, Michael Port [6].

For Smith, who is 41, Facebook [7] is a personal branding megaphone, allowing you to broadcast your personal brand around the world by commenting on “friends’” walls, adding photos, sending personal messages, joining groups, pushing out blog feeds and providing frequent status updates.

“Far more than an online resume, Facebook shines a spotlight on you while radiating your work and life to hundreds of others who in turn introduce it to hundreds more -- and suddenly you have all these interwoven connections,” says Smith.

“Facebook provides the opportunity for me to talk to people at a higher level than I did before in such a wide range of industries, including seven-figure internet marketers, copywriters, authors, and speakers. One multi-millionaire internet marketer told me pointblank that if I’d tried to reach him any other way, we would not be having the conversation. All his calls and emails are filtered through several assistants.”

It’s also opened the door for her to connect with some of her favorite actors and musicians. Smith counts the actor Leonardo DiCaprio as a friend, along with Paul B. Allen III, the original lead singer of The Four Tops.

Smith’s Facebook activity has not only paid off in visibility but on the bottom line. Since she began using Facebook last July, she says her hourly consulting rate has increased by 50% and she anticipates that her 2008 revenues will be three times those of last year.

Don’t for a minute, however think that she’s chained to a desk, keyboard and office. An admirer of Tim Ferriss’ Four Hour Workweek [8], she and her husband, Ty, in July 2007 sold their California home, bought an RV and took to the open road. They haven’t looked back. She and Ty blog about their roadie life at befreegomobile.com. Smith dedicates three days a week for work and the rest of the time for travel. A night owl, she also catches up on work in the wee hours. Ty, a real estate investor, carves out a similar work-travel schedule.

“I’m blessed to be living my dream,” says Smith. “A friend says ‘I’m an overnight success 10 years in the making.’ It has taken a lot of work behind the scenes to put me where I am today.”

Smith offers this advice for those of us seeking to build a personal brand online:

• Register for a Facebook account and set up your personal Profile and business Page.
• Populate your Profile and Page with instructive information about you and your business.
• Join and actively participate in Groups that interest you.
• Strategically and regularly renew your Status Update.
• Share useful links related to your industry using the Posted Items application.
• Comment on your friends’ Walls, Notes , Posted Items, Photos and Videos.
• Write informational Notes and tag key Facebook friends.
• Write a blog and import your feed using Notes and/or one of the third party blog applications.
• And, most importantly, seek to build relationships by being your authentic self and by seeking to add value and uplift people’s spirits with no “agenda.” People will remember you and want to connect with you.

Salons want chance to style Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON — Hair salon owner Barry Fletcher sent Michelle Obama a 17-minute DVD about himself. Hairdresser Keith Harley uploaded his resume to President-elect Barack Obama's Web site. And salon owner Nicole Cober-Blake plans to get her name in by sending a welcome basket with bath gels, hair products and a robe.

There are plenty of unanswered questions buzzing around the Obamas' impending arrival, but one has hairdressers on the edge of their styling chairs: Who will be chosen to do Michelle Obama's hair?

Rather than venture out for hair appointments, the first lady typically invites beauticians to the White House. Some of the region's black salon owners hope their experience with ethnic hair could give them an edge over those who coiffed the likes of Laura Bush or Hillary Clinton.

Fletcher, the 52-year-old owner of The Hair Palace Salon in Mitchellville, Maryland, cites his experience in international hairstyling challenges and working with actress Halle Berry and singer Mya, a Washington native.

"I'm going to be doing her hair!" Fletcher said, if he has anything to say about it. "This would pretty much validate all of my hard work and effort to get to a level where I could handle a powerful queen like the first lady."

Not that it's all glamour for the stylist. Bernard Portelli, who briefly styled Hillary Clinton's bob back in 1993, recalled working in a simple room in the White House with a shampoo basin, two chairs and plenty of outlets for blow dryers and flat irons. He's not necessarily eager to go back.

"You have all kind of last-minute phone calls, which is extremely hard for someone who has a large clientele in a salon to drop everything and go," said 57-year-old Portelli, who owns Georgetown's Okyo Salon.

Still, if Obama's tresses dazzle the public, it would be a public relations coup for any salon. Nuri Yurt of Georgetown's Toka Salon attracted attention after he began styling Laura Bush's hair in 2005. Earlier this year, Vogue magazine called him one of the country's best colorists for brunettes.

"It's permanent advertising, if you will, for the salon," Portelli said.

From the stylists' perspective, Obama doesn't need much help — they describe her hair as classic in style, healthy and free-spirited.

For election night, Michael "Rahni" Flowers of Van Cleef Hair Studio in Chicago — Obama's stylist since she was 18 — did her hair. And for the Democratic National Convention, Obama turned to Chicago-native Johnny Wright of Frederic Fekkai's Los Angeles salon.

If an out-of-towner gets the assignment, it would disappoint locals like Cober-Blake, lawyer-turned-owner of D.C.'s Soul Day Spa and Salon. The 37-year-old said she's excited about the possibility of having Obama experience the services at Soul, where she said they "treat everyone like a Michelle Obama."

Harley, of Keith Harley Hair & Scalp Clinic in Arlington, Virginia, submitted his resume a month ago.

"It would be the highlight of my career," said 39-year-old Harley, who styles such high-profile Washington women as Debra Lee, chief executive officer of Black Entertainment Television. "It would be an honor."

And like her fashion, Obama's hairstyles probably will be scrutinized, as has been the case with other first ladies.

"The thing about being the first lady, you're only as fashionable as your last picture," said Dennis Roche, 58, of Washington's Roche Salon, which has ethnic hair experts that he said could style Obama. "This is kind of risky because of the fact that we all have bad hair days." - AP

VOLUNTEERISM...IDEA NUMERO UNO~ORGANIZE A USED CLOTHING DONATION DRIVE

by Katherine Noyes
Clothing Donation

Used clothing donations provide needed warmth for the homeless.

Unfortunately, many would-be donors throw out perfectly good used clothes rather than deliver them to The Salvation Army or Goodwill.

A clothes drive is a fun way to make it easier for would-be donors to make a difference, particularly if you live in a multi-resident building, work at a large office, or belong to a civic club, church, synagogue or mosque.

Homeless people and low income families need all types of gently used clothing, particularly warm clothes and coats for cold weather, formal clothes (to attend job interviews), and shoes (which frequently wear out). It's helpful if donated clothing is clean, reasonably wrinkle-free, and on hangers.

A few signs and prizes can encourage 20, 50, 100 or even more families around you to donate their used clothing and shoes. To motivate maximum donations, you could create excitement by offering:

* a prize for the heaviest contribution, to encourage "spring-cleaners" to donate as much as possible
* a prize awarded at random for any contribution, no matter how small, to encourage used clothing donations from as many participants as possible

Remember that every little bit helps. Then again, once you've got people inspired, you'll be amazed at the difference your used clothing donation drive can make.

Friendship Used Clothing Collection offers suggestions for organizing a used clothing donation drive, as does this guide to campus clothing drives and this guide on organizing a clothing drive in your office. Alternatively, you can follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Obtain permission to use the space where you plan to locate your collection boxes or event.

Step 2: Contact a charitable agency, such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill, to arrange a suitable date and time for the pickup of your collected donation.

Step 3: Secure prizes — such as toys, frequent flyer miles, or an extra vacation day — that would motivate clothing and shoe donations from your potential audience. Check with your employer and local merchants, who would get positive publicity for their participation.

Step 4: Publicize a donation valuation guide for tax deduction purposes.

Step 5: Have fun advertising your collection drive with signs and unique displays! The more appealing your advertisement, the more your community can make a difference for those in need.

The Best Job Advice on the Web Today

December 17, 2008 02:44 PM ET | Liz Wolgemuth

If you've recently been laid off, or your hours have been cut, or your workload has tripled--you may be tempted to badmouth your company to friends, family, and new acquaintances with whom you're sharing your current plight. The Boston Herald says it's a bad idea to even show visible anger. If this upsets you further, take comfort that the reason is satisfyingly self-serving--the fact is that "the organization you are leaving may be your best source for new employment through referrals and references.

The two keys to success are people skills and self-management, says Tom Hoobyar. It's his first law of life. He has a dozen. "If you learn to manage yourself you can accomplish anything you can dream up," he writes. It's an empowerment boost for those losing sleep over the state of the job market. Other laws are also useful, particularly no. 9: "There is no 'happily ever after' in the real world." Instead, after every crisis, the sun rises again--that's the good news.

Anxiety is running high among the still-employed. Employees feel stressed when they don't feel in control--and who feels in control right now? Even executives are answering to Congress. The Work Buzz blog suggests three moves you can take to help with the anxiety. First, make sure you have copies of all the documents, contacts and whatnot you'd wish you'd made copies of if you were laid off. Second, take advantage of your healthcare coverage while you still have it. Third, start networking sooner rather than later.

Essential recession reading: 5 new articles for young job hunters

BY Lindsey Pollack

Yesterday I was a guest on NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the topic of “Where to Look for Jobs in the Recession.” Laurence Shatkin, author of 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs, and I shared our tips, and host Neal Conan took calls from listeners.

Many listeners shared upsetting stories of layoffs and difficulty landing new jobs, and many also offered suggestions on what companies and industries are still hiring. We discussed opportunities in healthcare, education, accounting, trucking, energy, defense and more.

We also talked about the fact that job hunters today have to cast a very wide net in their jobs searches. To that end, here are several recent articles that offer an abundance of suggestions, resources and opportunities:

1. General career and job hunting advice for young professionals, from U.S. News and World Report: 5 Things Every Young Worker Needs to Know

2. Tips to follow if you’ve just lost your job, from career coach Maggie Mistal:
What to Do When You’re Out of a Job

3. Tips for international job searches, from Entry-Level Careers Examiner:
Finding an Internship or Entry-Level Job Abroad

4. Advice on finding a job with a small business (this article provides recruiting advice to small business owners, so just flip it around to see where to position yourself to be recruited), from BusinessWeek:
Where to Find Top Talent

5. Suggestions for advertising industry job seekers, from Advertising Age:
Getting Ready to Graduate? Five Tips for Weathering the Ad Industry Storm

Interested in more articles like these? Join the “Getting from College to Career” Facebook fan page, where new articles, videos and resources are posted every day!

Hey, baby, how's your credit?

'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here . . . to exchange credit scores.' OK, you might not want to go that far, but sharing financial data before marriage can help a relationship. If money and relationships are an uncomfortable mix, then credit and romance are downright strange bedfellows.

"You may say you know everything about a person, but you probably don't know anything about his credit record," says Adam Levin, the founder of Credit.com.

A recent TV commercial features a forlorn young husband forced to live with his in-laws because he was clueless about his bride's abysmal credit; it's aiming to spur young lovers to share credit scores. Of course, the commercial's sponsor, the web site Freecreditreport.com, hopes to rev up its credit information sales, too. Romantic partners are a big untapped market. Despite its name, that site enrolls people in a credit monitoring service costing $14.95 a month.

The only Web site where consumers can obtain free credit reports is AnnualReports.com, a site set up by the federal government. "We have found that people often aren't interested in reviewing their credit report until there is a life event which makes them aware of how important it is," says Heather McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for Experian Americas, the parent of Freecreditreport.com.

"The commercial about the couple living in the basement addresses one of those life events where knowing each others credit prior to getting into a financial obligation together would have been helpful." But according to relationship experts, it will take much more than a commercial to get someone to present his partner with a report detailing his sinking debt.

Don't Mention It

In a recent study of 50,000 couples who went through its marriage preparation course, Life Innovations found that "a large percentage of partners don't talk about money or credit issues in any detail at all," says Peter Larson, a clinical psychologist and the vice president of the Minneapolis firm. They may prefer to remain mum about finances and credit, but these issues could become major irritants to the 50,000 couples, Larson adds.

"Seventy-two percent of the 100,000 individual respondents said they wished their partner would be more careful about spending," Larson says. "And 56% say major debts are a problem."

As long as you don't have an account held jointly in both names, you're not responsible for a romantic partner's debts. And debts that someone brings into a marriage under her own name are not legally the responsibility of the spouse, notes Alton Abramowitz, a vice president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

But even when you're not legally liable for someone else's debts, if you're living together, you'll suffer the irritating calls from creditors coming into your home, Levin says.

Look For Clues

Not only is credit an unpopular topic of conversation, it's only human nature to keep a bad record to yourself. "It's hard to bring up because of the shame factor," Levin says.

Often, you don't have to actually talk about credit or pull a report to know that your partner is on shaky ground.

Nancy Michaels, the founder of the Web site MatchGoneWrong.com, believes there can be plenty of warning signs:

• Someone has his or her credit card denied on more than one occasion.

• An older adult has a "temporary" living situation that seems inappropriate, such as living with multiple roommates or with parents.

• Someone pays for everything in cash.

• Spending habits are either unusually frugal or exceptionally extravagant, indicating the person has money management issues.

Trust Me?

For most couples, simply talking about credit is all that's needed, not actually pulling each other's scores or credit records, Larson says. He likens pulling a credit report to a prenuptial agreement.

"It implies a lack of trust," he says. "It means you need an underlying confirmation."

Still, just as there can be good reasons for a prenup, there can be reasons why couples need to exchange credit information.

"Many more couples are choosing to keep their finances separate, but the tradition is still to combine finances," Larson says. "If I had any reason to believe my partner had a checkered financial past, I may want to sit down with a financial adviser and look at credit scores before I made the decision to combine finances. For some couples, this is an important move to being able to buy a house or finance a car. They need the credit of the individual most worthy of that type of financing."

Federal law prohibits anyone from seeking credit information about another individual for personal reasons without that person's consent. So you don't have to worry that your significant other is digging up your credit sins behind your back.

But, if it's true love, credit-scarred individuals may have nothing to fear about baring their scores. The Internet dating service True.com conducted a survey earlier this year of about 2,200 online respondents. In response to a question about whether they would stay in a relationship where their partner had substantial credit card debt or had filed for bankruptcy, 87% of men and 80% of women said they would.

This article was reported and written by Marilyn Kennedy Melia for Bankrate.com.

AIDS: D.C.'s Silent Stalker of Women

By Courtland Milloy
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; B01

Washington Post

Can we talk frankly about HIV/AIDS and black women?

No? I didn't think so.

After all, who cares to tell sassy little Keisha that if she doesn't stop mistaking sex for love, her next mistake could be her last. Of course, that wouldn't be "age appropriate," now, would it?

What about the Widow Jones? Since her husband passed, she has been dating again. Will somebody please tell her that her new dude is on the down low -- surreptitiously having sex with men -- then bringing it to bed with her?

Can't do that, either. Why meddle in her business? After all, AIDS is only the fourth-leading cause of death for black women ages 45 to 54. Let the good sister have her fun -- while it lasts.

You might have noticed that I'm focusing on women and AIDS. Speaking frankly, that's because it's up to women to save their own lives. When it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, too many men are not trying to protect you. Most of the time, they are just trying to have sex.

Quite frankly, you would have thought more women would have caught on by now.

In the District, the number of women living with AIDS increased by more than 76 percent in six years -- nine out of 10 of them black women. The primary modes of transmission: heterosexual men who turned out to be IV drug users, ex-convicts who'd been having sex with men in prison, bisexual men posing as heterosexuals and outright dogs who make a sport of sexual conquest.

Here's another reason I'm talking to women: The District accounts for 9 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases in the United States. Blame the man all you want, but it's the mother and child who suffer most.

Despite two decades of advancement in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, "we're still struggling with how to teach people not to get infected," Don Blanchon, chief executive of the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, said Monday at a candlelight vigil marking the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.

But how can we teach if we can't talk frankly?

There's certainly no shortage of public service announcements aimed at reducing infection rates among African Americans. But most consist of preachy platitudes, politically correct and "culturally sensitive" pablum: "Stay healthy." "AIDS is preventable."

The results should not be surprising.

"People know how to espouse what they heard, but for some reason it does not stick with them," Barbara Chinn, director of Whitman Walker Clinic's Max Robinson Center in Southeast Washington, told me recently. "They still look at prospective sex partners and say, 'They don't look infected.' "

Failure to tell it like it is -- that's what's really killing us.

"When assessing the HIV risk factors associated with African Americans, one particularly difficult area of debate is that of sexual behavior," said a recent report by Avert, an international AIDS charity. "For example, could the epidemic among African Americans be because, on average, they have more sex partners than Caucasians? Or because they have different, more risky, types of sex? Such questions may seem obvious, but trying to establish answers can be hard, especially when there is a danger that they could be interpreted as racist, or used in racist propaganda."

So let's just forget about the 2005 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that black teenagers were more likely to have had four or more sex partners than whites and Hispanics by the time they graduated from high school (or should have graduated), and that African American girls were more likely to have had partners who were significantly older than them. African Americans are also more likely to have concurrent partners -- that is, more than one partner at a time, which can make HIV transmission more likely to be passed on to more than one person, the study found.

If ever there was a case for unvarnished sex education in public schools, the ongoing AIDS epidemic in black America ought to be it. Instead of education, what we get more often than not is homophobic nonsense from the pulpits of our black churches.

The District has the highest rate of new reports of AIDS in the country, and the highest mortality rates to go along with it. But the horror of it all barely seeps into our collective conscience.

"While Africa is the global epicenter of HIV/AIDS infection," Chinn told me, "the District is the epicenter in this country, with infection rates in some neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River rivaling those in sub-Saharan Africa."

During a World AIDS Day interview with ABC News, President Bush called his international program to combat AIDS "one of the most important initiatives of my administration" and praised it as a success. More than 2 million people worldwide have received life-saving antiretroviral treatments since the initiative began in 2003, he said.

He made no mention of the AIDS epidemic raging in his own back yard.

Once again, mum's the word. Perhaps in the absence of frank talk, we could at least help young girls such as Keisha by getting them to serve a few weeks at an AIDS hospice. Careless sex would likely lose its sheen once they realize that their lovers could be the Grim Reaper in disguise.

12 Reasons You're So Tired—and How to Get Back on Top

By Coeli Carr for MSN Health & Fitness

When people ask you how you are, how do you respond? Do you say you're fine—or tired?

If you were too exhausted even to answer the question, you're not alone: Fatigue is endemic these days. Here are a dozen potential reasons behind that run-down feeling and how you can re-energize yourself.

1. You're bored.

Boredom happens when parts of your life have created a rut of routine, says clinical psychologist Judith Sills, Ph.D. "There's not enough zap in your brain," she says. Sills, author of The Comfort Trap (Viking, 2004), concedes that humans are creatures of habit, so routines are essential for life. But comforting routines and habits can become deadening. That's when lack of zing can translate into fatigue. There's a loss of energy when you have nothing to stimulate you, she says.

The fix: Do something new, Sills suggests. Even small changes, such as a two-day getaway, can be life-affirming. "There's a clear link between our emotions and the anticipation of satisfaction and physical energy," she says. Changing your routine also helps. Try driving down a different road or eating food you haven't tried before. "When you take in new information, your spirit feels a sense of possibility," says Sills. "It's mind food."

2. You have allergies.

Think of allergies as the body's way of fighting unwanted guests. The trouble starts when allergens, such as pollen, certain foods, or animal dander invade the mucous membranes of the eyes and throat, says Lily Pien, M.D., an allergist at The Cleveland Clinic. This triggers the body's antibodies to fight the invaders, causing a release of histamines. The body's reaction to the allergens is often excessive, leading to sneezing, shortness of breath or itching. "It's these reactions that wear you down, especially when they keep you from sleeping." she says.

The fix: "Don't misdiagnose yourself," says Pien, "Most people are allergic to more than one substance." She advises seeing an allergist and getting a skin test to determine the allergens that may be affecting you. Antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays are both typical treatments, she says, and adds that 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from allergies.

3. You're over-caffeinated.

It seems like a contradiction, but caffeine, a stimulant to the central nervous system, can actually make you tired, says Cheryl Forberg, a registered dietician and the author of Positively Ageless: a 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You (Rodale Books, 2008). A once-a-day dose in the morning in tea or coffee is fine, she says. But people can create a vicious cycle when they keep ingesting more caffeine to counteract the exhaustion they feel after the previous dose wears off. And, she adds, the cumulative effects of the day's caffeine—such as increased heart rate and a rise in blood pressure—can also keep you from getting a good night's sleep.

The fix: Consider antioxidant-rich green tea, says Forberg. A cup of green tea contains 50 mg of caffeine, compared to coffee's 137 mg and black tea's 65 mg. Not eating or drinking high-caffeine foods and drink—including dark chocolate and certain soft drinks—from late afternoon on is also a step towards restful sleep. Keeping caffeine to a minimum is the best way to go, she says.

4. You're multi-tasking.

Doing one thing at a time is a luxury for most people. But multi-tasking has its downside. "When you multi-task, you need to switch back and forth from one project to another and monitor all the projects simultaneously," says Neal Roese, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Multi-tasking is a big drain on glucose, which fuels everything the brain does, he says. Not surprisingly, studies show that too much flitting from one task to another ultimately leads to errors and fatigue. Ingesting sugar may keep you going temporarily, but eventually you crash.

The fix: The trick, says Roese, is to keep your projects down to a minimum; he suggests no more than three at a time. Prioritizing your projects and taking the short frequent breaks that allow glucose levels to be restored are also useful strategies.

5. You're anemic.

People with anemia typically don't have enough red blood cells in their body. And, because these blood cells are the body's transportation system for oxygen, fewer of these cells mean less oxygen makes its way to the cells—including that of the brain. "People whose cells get less oxygen may be less able to concentrate and they may feel less energetic, says Alan Greene, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University and the author of Raising Baby Green (Jossey-Bass, 2007). The most typical type is iron-deficiency anemia, but loss of blood cells through internal bleeding can also be a cause. He says anemia is especially harmful to children, who need the oxygen to fuel their developing bodies and brains.

The fix: Greene advises taking a blood test. On a complete blood count (CBC) test, a low hematocrit indicates anemia (hematocrit measures what proportion of blood volume is made up of red blood cells). Testing serum ferritin, a measure of the body's iron stores, can detect iron deficiency, which can cause symptoms even before full-blown anemia develops. Eating iron-rich foods like lean meat, poultry and beans can help increase the supply, especially when accompanied by foods high in vitamin C. Greene also suggests women and children take supplements that contain iron. Men should speak with their physicians first before taking iron supplements, as their bodies don't easily excrete any excess, and too much of the mineral can also be a cause of fatigue.

6. You have poor posture.

Standing up straight looks impressive and, it turns out, has health benefits. If you hunch your shoulders forward, don't equally distribute your weight on both feet, or create an inward curve in your lower back, you're setting yourself up for fatigue, says Kathleen Koch, an exercise physiologist at The Cleveland Clinic. That's because it's harder for blood to nourish muscles that are being held in inefficient positions typical of bad posture. "Reduced blood flow means your heart and lungs have to work harder, and this makes you tired," she says. Sitting improperly and even running with poor form has the same effect.

The fix: Koch suggests strength and core training to address poor posture. For example, she says to correct slouched shoulders—a sign that the chest muscles are disproportionately stronger—you need to strengthen the muscles in the upper back. Because poor posture is a good indicator of muscle imbalance, it's important to train all muscle groups equally, she says.

7. You have an underactive thyroid.

8. You have undiagnosed heart disease.

A heart that's unable to pump blood efficiently has to work harder to transport oxygen throughout the body. Fatigue is the result, says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., cardiologist and author of Dr. Nieca Goldberg's Complete Guide to Women's Health (Ballantine Books, 2008). Several conditions can cause the heart to overexert itself, including clogged arteries, high blood pressure and heart-valve problems. Typically, fatigue due to undiagnosed cardiovascular condition manifests after exertion.

The fix: If you've ruled out anemia, hypothyroidism and infection, and you still feel tired, it's important to get diagnosed for potential heart problems, says Goldberg. Tests typically include an echocardiogram to see how the blood is pumped through the heart, and a stress test to reveal arterial blockages. Not pinpointing heart disease as early as possible can mean more severe symptoms over time, such as shortness of breath and fluid build-up.

9. You're not exercising enough.

It seems counterintuitive that doing nothing can make you fatigued, but it's true. "If you move, you'll feel less tired," says Dr. Koch of The Cleveland Clinic. When you're sedentary, she says, your metabolic rate decreases and you burn fewer calories, so you feel exhausted. Exercise gets that metabolic rate up, which means more energy, and not only the physical kind. People who say they're tired are often depressed, says Koch. Exercise increases the production of dopamine, a hormone that's a mood enhancer.

The fix: Literally, start with small steps. Koch says that research confirms that even a 10- to 15- minute daily walk provides cardiovascular health benefits But, she advises, don't forget to include strength training in the mix, which helps build lean muscle mass. Overall, increasing your amount of weekly exercise means you'll be able to burn even more calories, she says. And that means even more energy at your disposal.

10. You're dehydrated.

At least half of our bodies and 92 percent of our blood consist of water. "Water serves as a medium for the body to perform its life-sustaining functions, such as regulating body temperature and eliminating waste," says Toby Amidor, a registered dietician in New York City. "If you don't ingest enough water to help these metabolic reactions occur, you'll become tired or lightheaded."

The fix: At the first sign of thirst or dizziness, all you need is a small amount of liquid, as little as half a cup or water or fruit juice, says Amidor. Although many people drink huge quantities of water daily as a matter of course, she says many experts now suggest that people simply heed the body's signals for hydration. The water in fruits and vegetables also count as part of your intake, says Amidor. The caveat, though, is that older people often lose their sense of thirst and need to be reminded to hydrate on a more regular basis. For the rest of us, making sure we have access to water as needed—in portable non-plastic containers—is a good option.

11. You're pre-diabetic.

Glucose supplies energy to the body and brain. It's not surprising that not enough glucose will make you extremely tired. But the same is true when you ingest too much, says Dr. Greene. Normally, the act of eating signals the body to produce insulin which, in turn, fuels the cells with energy. But, says Greene, when you're pre-diabetic, your body can become insulin-resistant—overeating or ingesting too many simple carbs is often a factor. The result is all that excess glucose doesn't get into the cells, but rather it gets stored as fat or spills into the urine, and you grow tired.

The fix: A fasting blood sugar test will determine if you're pre-diabetic, says Greene. If you fall into that category, consider it a wake-up call to change your eating and exercise habits. Greene recommends a Mediterranean-type diet, consisting of whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of healthy fats.

12. You have sleep apnea.

Many people with sleep apnea don't even know they have it, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in private practice whose specialty is sleep disorders. Sleep apnea, which is typically caused by anatomical problems, impels the sleeper to stop breathing, sometimes as many as 150 times an hour. When breathing shuts down, even for only a couple of seconds, there's less oxygen supplied to the brain. The body senses the danger and wakes you to breathe. "In severe cases, this constant waking is comparable to total sleep deprivation," says Breus, who's author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight and Feel Great through Better Sleep (Plume, 2007).

The fix: See a medical professional who's certified in sleep medicine or clinical sleep disorders, says Breus. You'll be referred to a sleep center for diagnosis. The most popular form of treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), which shoots air through the nasal passages and throat while you're asleep. Other solutions include using nose filters, dental appliances to help correct jaw displacement, or surgery to remove excess throat tissue which tends to accumulate in overweight people. Weight loss may eliminate the condition entirely in some cases, says Breus.

New First Lady ~ Michelle Obama to be Featured in Comic Book

BELLINGHAM, WASH. (November 11, 2008) -- The life of America’s future first lady, Michelle Obama, will be the subject of the latest chapter of Bluewater Productions' ongoing "Female Force" comic series. The book will follow Obama, a Princeton- and Harvard-educated lawyer, from her youth on the South Side of Chicago to her community, civic service and private-sector career successes through the 2008 presidential campaign and election day. The book is scheduled for release in April 2009..

"Mrs. Obama is a dynamic force and one of the most influential women in the world,” said Bluewater Productions President Darren G. Davis. "Her potential influence on future policy decisions makes her a fascinating figure to feature.”

"In creating an image of our new first lady, Michelle Obama, it was my goal to represent her class, beauty and intelligence," said artist Vinnie Tartamella. "I hope I reflected these qualities and characteristics in this historical piece. I'm truly honored to have been asked to create this."

The latest addition to the "Female Force" series follows the biographies of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, announced earlier this year. “Female Force” comic books showcase influential women who are making and shaping modern history. The “Hillary Clinton: Female Force” comic book is available for order through Diamond Distributors, order code NOV083848 F.

http://tinyurl.com/6xb6ua

More help than ever to find the best online deals

http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/

If you're doing your holiday shopping online, time's a-wasting. But this year you'll find more help than ever to get the best online deals.

Lots of Web sites exist to point you to the deepest discounts and best products, plus coupon codes, free shipping, rebates and quirky deals. Lifehacker, which provides a handy compilation of such sites, even found one that specializes in snarky T-shirts.

If you're not exploring these sites, you're wasting money. Here are some posts that identify and explain how to use online shopping sites:

• As we noted above, Gina Trapani presents "The savvy shopper's guide to this year's online deal finders" at Lifehacker. Here you'll find links to sites like BeatMyPrice (from the RetailMeNot people), which will look for prices that are lower than the ones you type in. Before you agree to pay for shipping, check out FreeShipping.org. Also, Gina lists five sites that will let you know when the price of stuff you want drops.

• CompareRewards offers news and tips about online shopping, including an analysis of online cash-back rewards sites.

• Need a coupon (and who doesn't)? The Budget Fashionista lists its top 10 coupon Web sites.

• Which price-comparison site should you use? DiscountMore.com says it compiles the results of all of the price-comparison search engines in one place.

• Everyone has their favorite online shopping tools. For instance, The Digerati Life offers "Best coupon sites for online shoppers." "Bectemp" lists her seven favorite online shopping sites at Girl Woman Beauty Brains Blog.

• Do it safely. This article at MSN Money has tips to protect yourself from identity theft when you shop online.