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Eyeopening Look at Afghanistan

LABERT02 — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:47:59 +0000

This month has been the deadliest month yet for foreign troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Defense now reports that one hundred coalition troops were killed this month. The death toll for 2010 to date now stands at 320. With soldiers and equipment still arriving in the country, peak troop strength is anticipated to reach 150,000 by August. And, with the removal of General Stanley McChrystal from command of Afghanistan following an embarrassing article in Rolling Stone magazine, a shift in leadership is underway with General David Petraeus attending confirmation hearings now. Efforts are now being made ot both weaken the Taliban and pressure them to reconcile with the Afghan government, but progress is slow, and many earlier gains are becoming unstable once more. Collected here are images of the country and conflict over the past month, part of an ongoing monthly series on Afghanistan.

(42 photos total)

Two-year-old Faith Marie Adams reaches for one of the U.S. flags from her father, Army Spc. Christian M. Adams’ coffin, during military honors ceremonies at the Main Post Chapel on Fort Huachuca, Arizona on Tuesday, June, 22, 2010. Christian Adams, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, died in Afghanistan on June 11. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Kelly Presnell)

Soldiers of A Company from the 1st Battalion of Royal Gurkha Rifles and Afghan National Police patrol in Nahr e Saraj village, in Helmand, on June 24, 2010. Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan and is the second biggest contributor of forces to ISAF after the United States. (BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)

Afghan farmers harvest wheat outside Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)

A member of a US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team stands at the entrance to a container wearing a bomb disposal suit prior to an exercise at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City on June 15, 2010. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

A dead Taliban fighter lies on the ground following clashes with Afghan security forces near the “National Consultive Peace Jirga” tent in Kabul on June 2, 2010. A Taliban suicide squad armed with rockets on June 2 targeted a landmark Afghan peace conference hosted by President Hamid Karzai in a bid to seek a consensus on how to end nearly nine years of war. At least five explosions, believed to be caused by rockets, and gunfire erupted near the giant air-conditioned tent where 1,600 delegates from across the country and Western diplomats attended the opening of the “peace jirga”. (MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Soldiers of A Company 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles make their way through the night as part of Operation Kapcha Door in Nahr e Saraj, in Helmand, early on June 26, 2010. (BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Army soldiers carry a critically wounded American soldier on a stretcher to an awaiting MEDEVAC helicopter from Charlie Co. Sixth Battalion, 101st Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Shadow June 24, 2010 near Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

[Read More and See All at Boston.com]

4th of July – Independence Day Quotes and Sayings

Kellogg Recalls 28 Million Boxes Of Cereal

LABERT02 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:23:40 +0000

(AP) Kellogg Co. is voluntarily recalling about 28 million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks cereals because a “waxy” smell and flavor coming from the package liners could make people sick, the company said Friday.

Kellogg spokeswoman J. Adaire Putnam said about 20 people have complained, including five who reported nausea and vomiting. The company said the potential for serious health problems associated with the cereal is low.

Putnam said the lining of the cereals’ boxes produced the off flavor and odor. Kellogg is trying to identify the substance on the liner that’s causing the problem.

The products were distributed throughout the U.S. and began arriving in stores in late March.

Kellogg’s shares were unchanged in midday trading.

Consumers concerned about the recall – or seeking a refund – can contact the Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 888-801-4163 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. [Credit: ABC News]

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Best Visual Jabs To Come From The Oil Spill (PICTURES)

LABERT02 — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:18:18 +0000

The Gulf oil spill has left people angry and frustrated to say the least, but one good thing that’s come out of it is angry fan art. Those who are boycotting BP or wishing Tony Hayward would fall into the sludge have used their artistic skills to create these funny images. From Spongebob’s demise to an oil-slicked Little Mermaid, these images get the message across with a little humor to cushion the blow.

[Credit: HuffingtonPost - Image Credit also on HuffingtonPost.com]

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Gulf Shore Oil Spill – Facts in Images

LABERT02 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:58:42 +0000

The infographic below sheds some perspective on the magnitude of this major economical disaster.

View your location and visualize the Gulf Shore Oil Spill over it HERE.

Please share this with anyone else who is also environmentally conscious. Thank you.

[Credit: TheSkinnyOn]

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The Only Time You’ll Find SUCCESS…

LABERT02 — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:44:30 +0000

“The only time you’ll find SUCCESS before WORK, is in the dictionary.”

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Success is not the key to…

The 100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All-time

LABERT02 — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:37:54 +0000

Nothing spoils a perfectly mediocre movie like a huge helping of cheese. Nope, not a plate full of gouda—a script line delivered with such a thick coating of Velveeta, an audience can’t help but to chuckle.

Prepare for a giggle and a grimace with the 100 cheesiest movie quotes ever uttered on the big screen:

[Credit: Annie Colbert]

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The Most Beautiful Word In the English Language

LABERT02 — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:28:42 +0000

Bruna Martinuzzi is the President of Clarion Enterprises Ltd., a firm that specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership and presentation skills training. Her latest book is The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.

Words have enormous power. They can make us erupt into laughter or bring tears to our eyes. They can influence, inspire, manipulate and shock. They can build and destroy. Some words have different effects on different people. One such word is “humility.” It is one of those words that is seldom in neutral gear. Some love the word and all that it stands for. Some almost fear it and interpret it as being synonymous with timidity or a lack of self-confidence.

The word “humility” first struck me in the context of leadership when Jim Collins mentioned it in his seminal work Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t. In this book, Collins examined companies that went from good to great by sustaining fifteen-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general stock market, and after a transition point, cumulative returns at least three times the market over the next fifteen years.

Among the many characteristics that distinguished these companies from others is that they all had a Level 5 leader. Level 5 leaders direct their ego away from themselves to the larger goal of leading their company to greatness. These leaders are a complex, paradoxical mix of intense professional will and extreme personal humility. They will create superb results but shun public adulation, and are never boastful. They are described as modest.

An example of such a leader who epitomized humility is David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, who, in Jim Collins’ words, defined himself as a HP man first and a CEO second. He was a man of the people, practicing management by walking around. Shunning all manner of publicity, Packard is quoted as saying: “You shouldn’t gloat about anything you’ve done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do.”

An interesting dichotomy is that, often, the higher people have risen and the more they have accomplished, the higher their humility index is. Those who achieve the most brag the least, and the more secure they are with themselves, the more humble they are. “True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.”

Here are a few suggestions on practicing humility so that it can help you as a small business owner:

Allow the other person to be in the limelight. There are times when swallowing one’s pride is particularly difficult, such as when we are engaged in a contest of perfection with each side seeking to look good. If you find yourself in such no-win situations, adopt strategies to ensure that you don’t lose your grace. One such strategy is to just stop talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight.
Say these words, “You are right.” They are magical words that will produce more peace of mind than a week at an expensive retreat.
Stop preaching or coaching without permission. Is a zeal to impose your point of view overtaking discretion? Is your correction of others reflective of your own needs?
Seek input on how you are doing as a leader. Ask others, “How am I doing?” It takes humility to ask such a question, and even more humility to consider the answer.
Encourage the practice of humility in your company through your own example. Every time you share credit for successes with others, you reinforce the ethos for your constituents. Consider mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this key attribute of leadership.

There are many benefits to practicing humility: it improves relationships across all levels, it reduces anxiety, it encourages more openness and paradoxically, and it enhances one’s self-confidence. It opens a window to a higher self.

Many years ago, one of my university professors mentioned that “windowsill” was voted the most beautiful word in the English language. Being an armchair linguist, this factoid naturally stayed with me. For me, “humility” has replaced “windowsill” as the most beautiful word in the English language.

For expanded tips on leadership and humility, read The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.

[Credit: Bruna Martinuzzi - OpenForum.com]

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Building Relationships & Trust

100 Ways To A Stress Free Christmas

LABERT02 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:27:23 +0000

100 Ways To A Stress Free Christmas

Christmas is traditionally a time of year when we enjoy ourselves, we let our hair down and are a little more relaxed. At least that’s the way it’s meant to be. For a lot of people however, it’s a stressful time of year. There’s the shopping to do, there’s the list of cards for all the family; god forbid we don’t send Aunt Betty a card, there’s the dinner to buy, there’s work to do, there’s family to contact, there’s a hundred and one things to do.

Well here is a list of things you can do to relax and enjoy yourself a little more:

Set A budget
It’s easy to get carried away buying Christmas presents. Set a budget and stick to it.
Make A List
Make a list of every single person you need to buy a present for. Keep it safe and tick off as you buy.
Write A little A Day
From now until maybe the 14th December, write your cards out, maybe 5 per day. No need to stress about getting all of them done at the same time.
Address labels
Get someone to put all your names and addresses from your address book into a spreadsheet and then print off your labels. You can pay your son, daughter, niece or nephew to do this for you.
Don’t Send Out of Guilt
If you are sending cards or presents out of guilt, don’t. Don’t just send because you feel obliged to, cut out this practice and send who you want to send to.
Wrap Presents The Same Night
As you buy your presents make it a practice to wrap them the same night. This way you will not feel overwhelmed at having to wrap them all at the same time.
Enroll The Kids Into Wrapping
Kids love Christmas so why not get them involved more into helping you do the tedious time consuming part of Christmas like wrapping the presents.
Fill Up Your Freezer Now
There’s always specials on this time of year but beware as the prices will probably go up again just before Christmas.
Get Into The Christmas Spirit
It can be quite stressful but remembering that Christmas is a fun time for everyone, or should be, so get into the spirit and plays Christmas CDs, go to Panto’s, or see the Christmas nativity.
Make Homemade Gifts
Making homemade gifts can be a great way to personalize your presents and save you a bit of money. If you’re at all arty or can cook why not make presents this year.
Shop Online
This is a great way to take the stress out of shopping. If you can buy all the gifts from one online store so much the better.
Look At Comparison Sites Before Purchasing
When you have decided on a present to buy for someone why not check out the comparison sites to see if you can get it cheaper elsewhere online.
Shop Early on in the Day
There’s nothing worse shopping when it is extremely crowded and shoppers are getting irate because it’s too busy.
Don’t lose your head With relatives
Remember the Christmas holidays only last for a few days so don’t risk falling out with the whole family because of 1 person you don’t like.
Buy A Real Tree
You can replant your Christmas tree in your garden or give it away when the holiday season is over.
Take Some Time Out
You don’t have to attend every single Christmas family event. Take a night off to spend alone or just with the family.
Take A deep Breath
Remember what Christmas is all about and take a deep breath in times of stress and let it all out and wash over you.
Get More Sleep
As you will be more busy than usual it’s better to get as much sleep as possible so you will have the energy to do everything.
Allow Mess
Christmas for kids is not a tidy affair it’s all about letting go so don’t worry too much about the mess. People visiting will expect mess if you have kids. Let kids be kids for the day.
Let them know You’re stressed
Don’t take everything on board yourself. Let other members of the family know you are ready to blow a gasket and ask for help.
It’s okay to Say No
You don’t need to say yes to every request made of you at Christmas time, or any other time for that matter. Learn to diplomatically say no; there’s only so many nativities you can go to.
Remember the good times
If Christmas is a sad time for you because loved ones are no longer with you, try and remember the good times and ask yourself how they would celebrate.
Hire a cook
There are lots of places where you can order your Christmas dinner, fully prepared and you pick it up two days before Christmas. Why have all the stress of doing everything yourself.
Stay away from the big shopping malls
You’ll only come home in a bad mood ready to kill someone as you have been elbowed so many times by people rushing to buy presents. Shop when it’s quieter or online.
Switch the TV off
The TV can often be the source of entertainment for the Christmas holidays. Try something different like board games, karaoke, family Xbox or Playstation games.
Avoid too much alcohol
Yes this is a time to let your hair down but overdoing it on the alcohol can lead you to do things you wouldn’t normally do.
No Need to spend the same amount
My mother always spend the exact same amount on each grandchild no matter how much presents there are. there’s no need to do this. It doesn’t mean you love one more than the other.
Don’t overfill your food cupboards
there’s no need to stock up for the Christmas holidays, the shops are only closed for 1 day or two.
Let things go wrong
Christmas doesn’t have to be spot on perfect. things will go wrong, laugh about it and get on with it.
Make it magical
Put the fun back into Christmas for the kids and for yourself. It’s tradition in our house that the biggest present is always turned into a treasure hunt. Make games up, sing, be silly just let go and be yourself for a full day and enjoy it.
Use post it notes
If you have a board in your kitchen write post it notes of things to do and you as you do them transfer them to another ‘done’ board.
Clean out the freezer
Unless you have a frost free freezer it’s a good idea to clean out the freezer to make as much room as possible for food.
Clear the cupboards
It’s also a good idea to clean out the cupboards of all food you have used including: tinned foods, packet foods, and sauces.
Give the house a good cleaning before Christmas
This way there won’t be so much work to do after all the festivities are over and you can relax more.
Clean sheets and duvets
If you are having guests over make sure you have enough bed linen and make sure it all cleaned befoehand.
Buy in bulk
If you buy for teachers, colleagues, group members etc buy in bulk to avoid having to shop around.
Ignore the ones who’ve done it all
When you feel particularly stressed, don’t tell the super-organized person as they will make you feel worse. These are the people who have all their presents, cards, food etc in at the end of August and you feel a smack in the mouth might wipe the smug grin off their face.
Sing loudly
I love singing at the best of times but at Christmas it’s a must to sing loudly and more annoying, there’s nothing better than annoying the family with loud singing.
Be unique
Buying gifts for loved ones is often a dull affair. Try and listen throughout the year for what he or she would really like and put some thought into present buying for your spouse.
Have a rest day
Once you have everything prepared, presents bought and wrapped, cards written and sent, invitations written and sent etc have a complete day of rest, you deserve it.
Clear the air
If you’ve had a disagreement with someone and they are coming round for Christmas, try and clear the air before they come round.
Let everyone be themselves
Yes it’s annoying to have Uncle Bert dribbling in the corner, drunk and half asleep. Let it be and don’t stress yourself, it’s only for the day.
Invite someone who is alone
If you are having a big Christmas dinner with family members, why not invite someone you know will be on their own.
Make sure you have a camera
It’s important to capture every Christmas with photos or a camcorder. You may not think it is important just now but in years to come it will bring back so many happy memories for you to enjoy.
Be mindful of pets
Your pet can get very confused with all the toing and froing of Christmas planning so be mindful to pay them some more attention than usual.
Stock up on medication
If you have a health condition make sure you have enough medication to last you through the holidays as your doctor may be vacationing for a prolonged period.
Make sure you have a good online protection software
With many people turning to the net for Christmas shopping, it’s extremely important to have online protection software installed on your computer.
Wear sensible shoes
When you’re visiting people at Christmas and it’s bad weather,? wear sensible shoes in order to minimize the risk of slipping or falling.
Mind your back
Christmas shopping can be a nightmare for your back. Try and shop more online or make more trips so you are not carrying a mountain full of bags in one go.
Check the weather when hanging lights
If you decorate your home outside check the weather forecast for the days to avoid any dangers.
Never mind the Jones’
Christmas is all about joy, fun and happiness it’s not about who has the best house lights, or the biggest garden tree or best garden decorations.
Keep receipts
Always keep your Christmas receipts in a special box. This will mean you can take duplicate gifts back or faulty gifts back and get them exchanged.
Celebrate the real meaning
Christmas is a time for giving and celebrating and being grateful. Why not visit a hostel with the family to give some of your time before Christmas day.
Encourage children to get involved
When you explain the importance of Christmas through your actions the children will want to get involved as well. Always make it a fun time if you have kids.
Get your pets used to your decorations
If you have a pet who has never celebrated Christmas with you, introduce the tree a week early to let them get used to it.
Leave your light hooks up
If you know you will be decorating the outside of the house every year why not leave the light hooks up so you don’t have to do it year after year in the freezing cold.
Find out the return policies
A lot of gifts cannot be returned after a certain number of days; find this out before purchasing if you are afraid the person might not like it or it will not fit them.
Use coupon sites
This is a growth area online and there are thousands of coupon sites offering printable coupons to get discounts off from your favorite stores.
Turn out the lights
Remember to turn all your Christmas lights out at night before going to bed.
Shop on eBay
There are some fantastic bargains to be had from eBay. If you are stuck for an idea, have a browse and see what there is.
Buy cards straight after Christmas
If you want to save some money on cards, buy them straight after Christmas as the card shops are looking to get rid of their stock. You will often get great deals for next year.
Tire out the pets
To stop your pet from getting overexcited, spend a little more time playing around with them and tiring them out so they can relax more.
Leave the kids at home
If you are going shopping for presents there’s nothing worse for a child than having to trail round the shops. Try and organize a baby sitter for a day to let you get your shopping done.
Free events before Christmas
Lots of children are off on holiday and it can be a strain to keep them entertained. Take them to free events such as the turning on of Christmas lights, the events in the local square, get the kids to write a letter to Santa, go a walk in the local big park.
Place your order now
If you know what you Christmas menu will be i.e. Turkey, go to your local butcher, or food shop and place your order just now and pick it up nearer the time.
Get plenty of batteries in
A lot of presents need batteries and it’s something we often forget. Make sure you have lots of batteries in stock.
Cash in your rewards
If you get rewards from your various stores cash them in at Christmas and use them up. It may not be much but every little helps.
Buy your crackers after Christmas
Buy luxury crackers after Christmas and get a really good price, then store them away for next year.
Make your own gift tags
Old Christmas cards are a great way to do this. Get your pinking shears out and make your own tags.
Fill the tank up
If you are going visiting at Christmas make sure you have enough fuel as a lot of gas stations will be closed.
Stocking fillers
You can stock up on these throughout the year and they soon add up to a sizeable amount of gifts.
Remember overseas relatives
Remember to get all your overseas parcels sent well before Christmas for them to get there in plenty of time.
Post overseas cards
Post all your overseas cards in plenty of time for them to arrive by Christmas.
Tiring the kids out
We have a tradition of going for a meal and then to see a movie on Christmas Eve. This keeps them occupied and tires them out so they get a good sleep and are not too excited on Christmas Eve.
Watch Christmas movies
Have a Christmas movie day to get the whole family in the spirit of Christmas.
Remember the table decoration
If you are having guests over remember to get in your Christmas table decorations well in advance.
Buy for the less fortunate
All year round should a time for thinking about those less fortunate but at this time of year it seems to be more important. Buy a gift for those less fortunate.
Cue the DJ
Make sure you have a stock of CDs and music for Christmas so you’re not hunting around on the day for them.
Pay all your bills before Christmas
If you can do this it will save you the stress of worrying about the money situation.
Prepare your thank you cards in advance
Write out all your thank you cards before Christmas so there’s no need to worry about them after Christmas and you can relax a little more.
Do some more walking
Christmas is a time for overindulging in everything including food and drink. Get a little more exercise by going out for a long walk.
Pack the camera
If you’re going visiting remember to take the camera; it’s often easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of getting packed.
Time the present opening
Kids get so many presents at Christmas that they don’t know who is buying for them. Don’t let them rip all the paper off every single one, let them read the label first, open them, and give them time to enjoy them.
Give your guest a job
If things get a little out of control and you are having trouble with a family member give them a job to do to get them out of the way.
Get some oxygen
Even if it’s freezing cold, get everyone out of the house for 5 or 10 minutes. A Christmas house can become overheated and overcrowded and getting everyone out for the house for 5 minutes in the cold will wake everybody up and re-ignite the party.
Emergency gifts
Wrap up a few boxes of chocolates to give as gifts for unexpected visitors.
Declutter the house
Decluttering helps to de-clutter the mind and if you do it a few weeks before Christmas you will feel a lot more relaxed.
If you are alone
I’ve spent a few Christmases alone and it’s not a good feeling. However, don’t allow others to feel sorry for you. Create a Christmas atmosphere, watch movies all day, and relax and treat yourself to a few goodies.
Use smaller plates
If you want to cut down on the amount you eat, trick the brain and use a smaller plate.
Use taller glasses
This is another trick to help fool the brain into thinking you are drinking more than you are and it helps reduce the amount of alcohol your drink.
Don’t wrap it, bag it
Instead of spending hours wrapping all your Christmas gifts why not bag the from the great bags you get from the dollar store.
Pick a party theme
If you have a Christmas party every year pick a theme and send out invitations in that theme.
Don’t overload extension cords
Think about safety at Christmas and don’t overload your extension cords.
Clean out the cooker
Make sure you cooker it cleaned before Christmas. It will be getting used a lot and cleaning it before hand will help with the cleaning afterwards.
Recycle the leftovers
You can use the leftover turkey for making sandwiches for boxing day.
Buy rechargeable batteries
Although they might cost a little more it will save you money in the long run.
Go green and ditch the plastic
Everyone’s going green these days. You can do your bit buy buying a bag for shopping and not use the stores plastic bags.
Keep your pets away from the noise
If you can help it keep your pets away from the main party as the bangers, crackers and other noises can scare them.
Take a step back
I might be a little sad but I always take a step back when I see everyone enjoying themselves and remind myself of how lucky I am, and get a little tearful (yes, I’m a man but real men cry too!)
Enjoy yourself
It’s what it’s all about.

[Credit: DumbLittleMan]

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Crib Recall – Largest in U.S. History Announced

LABERT02 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:54:59 +0000

Largest crib recall in U.S. history announced – Suffocation danger tied to 2.1 million drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft

NBC, msnbc.com and news services - updated 7:08 p.m. ET, Mon., Nov . 23, 2009

Government safety regulators say more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S. history.The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based.

The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, or with assembly mistakes by the crib owner.

Nearly 150,000 of the cribs on recall carry the Fisher-Price logo. The agency is aware of four deaths of young children who suffocated in the cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily. The danger is that a child’s head can get caught between the mattress and the side railing, if it separates from the crib.

This is not the first time cribs have been recalled due to such fears. Nearly 5 million cribs by several manufacturers have been recalled over the past two years, including half a million from Stork Craft earlier this year, and the CPSC has considered banning drop-down sides altogether.

“Drop-side cribs, because of the amount of hardware that’s involved, because it weakens the structure of the crib itself have been involved in numerous deaths and injuries, crib failures where the side may come loose or come off,” said Nancy Cowles, of the advocacy group Kids in Danger.

Stork Craft is one of the most widely purchased brand names in baby cribs, with products sold at some of the biggest retailers in the country, including Target, WalMart, Sears and Kmart.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit and avoid attempting to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

The cribs, which were manufactured and distributed between January 1993 and October 2009, sold for between $100 and $400, and were made in Canada, China and Indonesia.

The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.

Government safety regulators say more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S. history.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based. Nearly 150,000 of the cribs on recall carry the Fisher-Price logo. The agency is aware of four deaths of young children who suffocated in the cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily.The danger is that a child’s head can get caught between the mattress and the side railing, if it separates from the crib.

This is not the first time cribs have been recalled due to such fears. Nearly 5 million cribs by several manufacturers have been recalled over the past two years, including half a million from Stork Craft earlier this year, and the CPSC has considered banning drop-down sides altogether.

“Drop-side cribs, because of the amount of hardware that’s involved, because it weakens the structure of the crib itself have been involved in numerous deaths and injuries, crib failures where the side may come loose or come off,” said Nancy Cowles, of the advocacy group Kids in Danger.

Stork Craft is one of the most widely purchased brand names in baby cribs, with products sold at some of the biggest retailers in the country, including Target, WalMart, Sears and Kmart.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit and avoid attempting to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

The cribs, which were manufactured and distributed between January 1993 and October 2009, sold for between $100 and $400, and were made in Canada, China and Indonesia.

The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.

The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, or with assembly mistakes by the crib owner.

The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break or deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space, which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides also can lead to falls from the crib.

CPSC, Health Canada and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments, 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y. Another 20 babies have fallen from their cribs.

Meanwhile, safety experts caution that cribs often stay in homes for generations. If you have one of the cribs in your basement that’s been recalled in recent years, fix it or get rid of it. The full list of crib recalls is on the CPSC Web site.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kellogg Recalls 28 Million Boxes Of Cereal

Bruce Lee’s Top 7 Fundamentals for Getting Your Life in Shape

LABERT02 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:26:47 +0000

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 30 years I’m pretty sure you know who Bruce Lee was.

If you have, then you may be interested to know that Lee was a very famous martial artist and actor who sparked the first big interest of Chinese martial arts in the West in the 60’s and 70’s.

But besides being an awesome fighter and iconic figure Lee also had some very useful things to say about life.

Here are 7 of my favourite fundamentals from Bruce Lee.

1. What are you really thinking about today?

“As you think, so shall you become.”

Perhaps the most basic statement of how we work. Think about what you are thinking today. What do those thoughts say about you? About your life? And how well do they really match your plans for your life and your image of yourself?

It’s easy to forget about this simple statement in everyday life. It’s easy to be quite incongruent with what you think on an ordinary day compared to how you view yourself and your goals. A simple external reminder such as a post-it with this quote can be helpful to keep you and your thoughts on the right track. An brilliant and beautiful expansion on this thought can be found in James Allen’s As a man thinketh (that can be downloaded for free here).

2. Simplify.

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

If you want to improve your life then it’s tempting to want to add more. One problem with this may be that you don’t really have the time or energy to do more though. And so your efforts to improve become short-lived.

Adding more and more just creates more stress and anxiety. Removing clutter and activities, tasks and thoughts that are not so important frees up time and energy for you to do more of what you really want to do. And as the clutter in your outer world decreases the clutter in your inner world also has a tendency to decrease. This has the added benefit of making it easier to actually enjoy whatever you are doing even more while you are doing it.

Adding more thoughts and thinking things over for the 111:th time may create a sense of security. It’s also a good way to procrastinate and to avoid taking that leap you know you should take. And the more you think, the harder it gets to act. Perhaps because you want to keep that comforting sense of security and avoid the risk of wrecking that feeling.

Thinking has its place. It can help you plan a somewhat realistic route to your goal and help you avoid future pitfalls. Overthinking is however just a habit that will help you waste a lot of time. It’s more useful to replace that habit with the habit of just doing it.

3. Learn about yourself in interactions.

“To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”

The one person that is the hardest to get to really know may be yourself. Studying yourself while you are alone may result in some insights. But it’s also likely to produce a lot of made up thought loops and doubts in your mind. A good way to really learn more about yourself is study yourself in interactions with other people. How people react and act in these interaction can over time teach you a lot. And what you think and how you react can perhaps teach you even more.

What you see, feel and hear in other people may be a reflection of you. The things you learn by thinking this way may not always be pleasant, but they can be enlightening. They help you to see yourself and also how you may be fooling yourself. And these powerful insights can be very valuable for your personal growth. So, in interactions with others, try asking yourself: what is reflected?

4. Do not divide.

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

This is a very useful and powerful thought. It is also one that obviously is hard to live by. Why? I believe it’s because the ego loves to divide and find ways to “add more” to itself. It want’s to feel better than someone else. Or more clever. Or prettier. Or cooler. Or wiser.

How can you overcome this way of thinking and feeling?

To me it seems to boil down to not identifying so much with your thoughts or feelings. That doesn’t mean that you stop thinking or feeling. It just means that you realize – and remember in your everyday life – that the thoughts and emotions are just things flowing through you.

You are not them though.

You are the consciousness observing them.

When you realize and remember this it enables you to control the thoughts and feelings instead of the other way around. It also enables you to not take your thoughts too seriously and actually laugh at them or ignore them when you feel that your ego is acting out. When you are not being so identified these things you become more inclined to include things, thoughts and people instead of excluding them. This creates a lot of inner and outer freedom and stillness. Instead of fear, a need to divide your world and a search for conflicts.

To learn more about this I would recommend Eckhart Tolle’s books and signing up for the 10 free and excellent webcasts – available both in video and audio form – that he’s doing with Oprah right now.

5. Avoid a dependency on validation from others.

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”

The ego wants to add because it thinks it’s not enough. One way of doing that is by craving validation from others. We want to feel smart, pretty, successful and so on. And the validation makes you feel good for a while. But soon you need a new fix.

And the problem with being dependent on validation from other people is that you let other people control how you feel. This creates a rollercoaster of emotion in your life.

To find more emotional stability and to take control of how you feel you need to get your validation from to a more consistent source. Yourself. You can replace the expectations and validation of others by setting your own expectations and by validating yourself.

And so you validate yourself by thinking about how awesome you are. You don’t sell yourself short. You appreciate how far you have come and the positive things you have done. You appreciate your own value in the world. You set goals and you achieve those goals. This builds confidence in yourself and in your abilities. These things will help you to build a habit of inner validation.

Now, showing off. Why do we do that? To get validation from others. However, this need for validation often shines through and that is why a thing like bragging seldom works. Instead of seeing the cool and successful person you are trying to project people just see the insecure and needy person looking for validation. And your bragging falls flat.

6. Be proactive.

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”

It’s easy to get locked into a reactive mindset. You just follow along with whatever is happening. You do what the people around you do. You react to whatever is going on.

And so you get lost in your circumstances. This way of thinking doesn’t feel too good. You tend to feel powerless and like you are just drifting along.

A more useful and pleasurable way of living is to be proactive. As Bruce says: to create opportunities despite the circumstances around you. This feels better and provides better results. But on the other hand it’s also more difficult. It’s easier to just drift along in the reactive stream of life. And if you want to be proactive then you may have to take the lead quite often. And that can be scary.

Still, living proactively is so much more rewarding and exciting.

7. Be you.

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

Just being yourself is a hard thing to do. You may do it sometimes. And other times you may forget or fall back into old thought patterns. Or you may imitate someone else.

And that comes through too. And it may work.

But I believe that being the real you will work better. Because there the genuine you is shining through. Without incongruency, mixed messages or perhaps a sort of phoniness. It’s you to 100%. It’s you with not only your words but you with your voice tonality and body language – which some say is over 90% of communication – on the same wavelength as your words. It’s you coming through on all channels of communication.

So I’m not saying: “yeah man, you should just be yourself because it’s the right thing to do etc.” I’m saying that I think being your authentic self – the one where you do little dividing, the one that needs little validation from others, the one where your ego is not running the show and trying to get something from someone – will give you better results and more satisfaction in your day to day life because you are in alignment with yourself. And because people really like genuine and people really like authenticity. [Credit: Positivity Blog]

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