Readwrotes Blog

Are you worried about losing your job? Follow these 3 tips to recession proof your job and increase your chances of staying employed. Stop Whining No complaining allowed. No one likes a whiner and those who complain are usually the first to go. While you’re at it, do not participate in the office gossip. Stay visible Do you work from home? If you work from home you are not front of mind with your manager and have a higher chance of being let go. Stop working from home and get to the office everyday. Also get to work before your manager does and stay 15 minutes after they leave. Start Networking There is no better time than while you’re employed to be looking for another job and networking. Contact head hunters and old colleagues to let them know what you’re doing these days. It’s always good to be front of mind with people you’ve worked with in the past just in case you find yourself unemployed. If you do find yourself unemployed, start your job search with SnagAJob.com or USA...

In these tough economic times you are lucky just to be offered a job interview. So before you show up for the interview, make sure you are prepared. The list below will help you to be prepared for your next job interview. Please read it before your next job interview. Good luck in your seach for employment. An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer, so it pays to be well prepared. The following information provides some helpful hints. Preparation: Learn about the organization. Have a specific job or jobs in mind. Review your qualifications for the job. Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job. Be ready to answer broad questions, such as “Why should I hire you?” “Why do you want this job?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Practice an interview with a friend or relative. Personal appearance: Be well groomed. Dress appropriately. Do not chew gum or smoke. Go easy on the cologne/perfume. The in...

By Judith Latham Washington 19 June 2009 The controversial outcome of Iran’s presidential election has provoked political commentary around the world. The official results, which handed a landslide victory to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have also prompted daily rallies in support of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Musavi, who finished second in the balloting. Image made from video broadcast by Iran's IRIB television shows Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as he makes his address as part of Friday prayers at Tehran University, 19 June 2009 Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced that the 12-member Council of Guardians will investigate last week’s presidential vote. A partial recount has been ordered, but the final report is not expected for another week. The Council of Guardians has invited Mr. Mousavi and two other defeated presidential candidates to a meeting...

By Lisa Morehouse New Orleans, Louisiana 19 June 2009 Walk into New Orleans' St. Anna's Episcopal Church and you can attend Mass and share a fellowship meal, both with great musical accompaniment. And - if you visit on a Wednesday - you can see folks getting acupuncture treatments or having their blood pressure checked in a hallway near the church's kitchen. A volunteer health worker checks blood pressure at the weekly clinic at St. Anna's This weekly treatment center is run by the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic , in cooperation with its many partners - including the church and some local hospitals. The musicians get a paying gig, a free meal and medical attention. Music-making not always a profitable occupation The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic is the brainchild of a group of doctors and musicians' advocates, like Bethany Bultman. She says they were appalled at the poor health and p...

By Lisa Schlein Geneva 20 June 2009 Newly displaced families wait for registration outside an IDP camp outside Mogadishu, Somalia, 15 May 2009 The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is urging the international community to do more to protect and care for refugees around the world. The appeal comes as the agency commemorates World Refugee Day, which focuses on the plight of tens of millions of refugees and displaced people uprooted by conflict and persecution. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says people flee their homes not because they want to, but because they have to. It reports there were more than 42 million refugees and internally displaced people worldwide by the end of 2008. And, those numbers are continuing to grow. Victims of conflict The UNHCR says so far, this year, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes in conflict-ridden places such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia. An...

By Julie Taboh Washington, D.C. 19 June 2009 One hundred twenty-two films from 58 countries are drawing large audiences to a modern theater complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, where the annual Silverdocs Film Festival is under way [June 15-22]. AFI Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland Now in its seventh year, Silverdocs has managed to attract hundreds of established and up-and-coming documentary filmmakers, industry professionals and movie fans from around the globe. And it's done it again this year. Local resident Jim Hill has been attending the Silverdocs festival for the past four years and says it's one of the best festivals he's been to. "I like the fact that this festival concentrates only on documentary films, which I think brings a level of reality to films that you don't have in feature films." Basketball star LeBron James highlight of opening-night film The film More Than ...

By Kent Klein Washington 20 June 2009 President Barack Obama U.S. President Barack Obama is again promoting his plan for a new agency to protect consumers in the American financial industry. President Obama says his proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency would protect investors and borrowers from the abuses that led to the current U.S. economic problems. "An epidemic of irresponsibility took hold, from Wall Street to Washington to Main Street. And the consequences have been disastrous," he said. In his weekly Saturday address, Mr. Obama says the proposed agency would set tough new rules to force companies to treat financial customers fairly. "We are going to promote markets that work for those who play by the rules," he said. "We are going to stand up for a system in which fair dealing and honest competition are the only way to win. We are going to level the playing field fo...

By Katie Hamann Jakarta 03 June 2009 Indonesia's presidential election race has begun. Although many voters and political analysts in the country expect the popular President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to win re-election, there are concerns about the running mates of his main rivals. There was little ceremony as Indonesia's presidential campaign officially began this week. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was in South Korea for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting. So his chief campaign rivals, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and current Vice-President Jusef Kalla, have been content to meet with party members and plot their next moves. Controversial running mates Democratic Party of Struggle chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri (l) with her running mate Prabowo Subianto during a draw at General Election Commission office in Jakarta, 30 May 2009 Both challengers have selected controversial...

Xavi has been named Budweiser Man of the Match by the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) after producing another trademark performance of class and composure in his side's 2-0 win over South Africa in Mangaung/Bloemfontein."Xavi handled this match very well," stated TSG member Abedi Pele of Ghana, who observed the match at Free State Stadium. "He controlled the midfield, was always available to help his back four and produced some really excellent passes. He was very influential throughout and also had a key role in Spain's second goal." FIFA's TSG (Technical Study Group) carries out in-depth analysis of the latest trends in the game and keeps FIFA's member associations fully informed of all the latest tactical innovations. To find out more about the members of the TSG analysing the tournament click on the link on the right hand side. source: http://www.fifa.com

President and rival trade blame in using Hitler-like propaganda tactics updated 7:28 p.m. ET June 10, 2009 TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's hard-line president took a final shot at his rivals Wednesday during his last public pre-election rally, accusing them of resorting to a smear campaign against him similar to the one used by Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is locked in a neck-and-neck race against reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi. Both have launched intense political attacks against each other and have turned the presidential election into a display of Iran's deep political divides. Heightening the tension before the race, a top official of Iran's hard-line elite Revolutionary Guards accused Ahmadinejad's reformist opponents of seeking to launch a "velvet revolution" — alluding to the 1989 ouster of the Communist government of then-Czechoslovakia — and vowing to crush any such attempts. Yadollah Javani said, in remarks published Wednesday on ...

As the Super Series tour moves on to Indonesia, the tournament has suffered a similar fate to that of its sister event, the Singapore Open Super Series, with multiple withdrawals. The men’s event has been worst affected with the withdrawal of Singapore winner Lee Chong Wei, Andrew Smith, Jin Chen and the home favourite and Olympic Champion Taufik Hidayat. There were complete redraws in the men’s singles qualification tournament as all the seeds were promoted to the main draw and, likewise, the women’s doubles event was redrawn as the competition was without its 8 compulsory seeds. However, there are sure to be some intense battles as the tournament kicks off with every player attempting to find form and send out signals ahead of the Olympics. By Mark Phelan, Badzine Correspondent . Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives) As Lee Chong Wei heads home after his Singapore triumph, the mantle of tournament favourite in the men’s singles event is handed to Bao Chunlai (photo) of China. In a r...

An Indonesian mother who complained about her hospital treatment in an email to friends has been charged with defamation and could face a jail term. Prita Mulyasari has already been found guilty and fined in a civil case. She faces six years in jail and a hefty fine if convicted on criminal charges. Omni International Hospital took action after her comments about her treatment were widely circulated on the internet. The case is big news in Indonesia with many thousands calling for her release. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - in the middle of an election campaign - has urged the courts to be lenient, while his predecessor and election rival, Megawati Sukarnoputri, has visited Prita Mulyasari in jail. 'Dangerous precedent' The case centres on emails Prita Mulyasari, a 32-year-old mother of two, sent detailing her experience as a patient at Omni hospital to 10 friends. According to the Jakarta Globe, she said staff initially diagnosed her with dengue fever, but later said she...

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Government will be forming an action plan to tackle the impact of climate change and global warming in the state, the Chief Minister, Mr Ashok Chavan said on Friday. “The state action plan is in concurrence with the National Action Plan and we have sanctioned Rs one crore for the programme,'' Chavan said. The Energy Research Institute, headed by eminent scientist R K Pachauri, will carry out studies and advise the state government regarding the implementation of policy in various sectors to ensure their impact on the environment, he said. The state government will also form a committee consisting of ministers and senior officials from across various ministries to ensure the recommendations are followed. Mr Pachauri lauded the efforts of the Maharashtra government and said it was the first state in the country to come up with a plan which seeks to reduce the impact of various sectors on the environment. “Maharashtra is very vulnerable to the effects...

By ANNA JOHNSON and BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writers Anna Johnson And Brian Murphy, Associated Press Writers – Sat Jun 13, 6:34 pm ET TEHRAN, Iran – Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran's capital Saturday, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade. They accused the hard-line president of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival. The brazen and angry confrontations — including stunning scenes of masked rioters tangling with black-clad police — pushed the self-styled reformist movement closer to a possible moment of truth: Whether to continue defying Iran 's powerful security forces or, as they often have before, retreat into quiet dismay and frustration over losing more ground to the Islamic establishment. But for at least one day, the tone and tactics were more comba...

1. Be on time! Practise getting to the venue to see how long it will take. Public transport may be useless, the traffic may have been heavy, but however reasonable it won't affect the fact that your chances are reduced if you are late. Always remember - You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Aim to be early - you can always find a nearby cafe/shop/pub to wait in. And if worst comes to worst and you are going to be late, then definitely ring in and let them know. 2. Be Prepared! Look at the employers' website and learn something about the company before you attend your interview. Feed them the opportunity to talk proudly about something positive you have found. ...

Yuli Tri Suwarni , The Jakarta Post , Bandung | Thu, 06/04/2009 12:51 PM Students from poor families will likely find it increasingly difficult to enter state-owned universities in the coming years, as the number of seats offered through special entrance schemes, which require higher admission fees, are steadily increasing. The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), for example, will offer 1,140 of its total 2,985 seats (or 38 percent) to students who pass a special entrance test this academic year. As of 2004, just 13-20 percent of seats were made available through this scheme. Padjadjaran University (Unpad), also in Bandung, offers 3,795 of its 10,000 seats (also roughly 38 percent) through a special scheme. Previously, less than 30 percent of total seats were made available through the scheme. The Bandung based Indonesian Education University (UPI) even makes some 80 percent, or 3,500 of its total 4,205 seats, available through special entra...

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 06/20/2009 1:08 PM | Headlines Scores of visitors enjoy the dragon dance (liong) performance Friday at the opening of the Passer Baroe Festival in the Pasar Baru shopping complex, one of the oldest markets in Jakarta. The event is held as part of a series of cultural programs to mark the 482nd anniversary of Jakarta’s founding. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

JAKARTA, Fri: Indonesia may temporarily stop sending domestic helpers to Malaysia after an Indonesian maid was recently reported to have been tortured, Indonesia's Antara news agency reported. "We will likely stop it (dispatch of domestic helpers) temporarily. But we will first invite relevant ministers and parties to a meeting on June 23 to make a preliminary evaluation," Antara quoted Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno as saying here on Thursday. Among those to be invited to the meeting were the state minister for women's empowerment, the foreign minister, the law and human rights minister, the home affairs minister, the national police chief and the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia as well as Malaysian representatives, he said. As the decision to be taken at the meeting would have a systemic impact, his ministry could not decide on the dispatch of domestic helpers on its own without the input from other parties, he said. "But I w...

6. Get in, get out, and pay a whole lot less Physicians jam so many appointments into a day that it can be hard to squeeze in on short notice. And if you have to take your kid to an emergency room for a weekend illness, it could cost you a co-pay of $100 or more, especially if the insurer deems it a nonemergency. But there are easier, cheaper ways to get treatment for minor ailments. First, workplace clinics are making a comeback. Most common at large companies, they are generally staffed with nurse practitioners, RNs with additional training and the ability to prescribe. You can swing by at lunch. The price: gratis. Walk-in retail clinics in chain stores also rely on nurse practitioners. They're a good choice if you know what's wrong and it's simple. (If you aren't sure if you should go to a doctor instead, go to a doctor.) Prices for treating earaches, sore throats, and the like are posted on the wall. If your insurance pays, the co-pay is usually the same as a doctor...