Madonna Can't Stop Crying For Michael Jackson

The sudden death of Michael Jackson jolted his friends and family, a second blow to the entertainment world after it lost another icon, Farrah Fawcett, just hours earlier. "I can't stop crying over the sad news," Madonna says. "I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless." Lisa Marie Presley, who was briefly married to Jackson in the mid-1990s, says, "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." "My heart is overcome with sadness for the devastating loss of my true friend Michael," adds Brooke Shields, who raised eyebrows when she briefly dated Jackson. "He was an extraordinary friend, artist and contributor to the world. I join his family and his fans in celebrating his incredible life and mourning his untimely passing." Elizabeth Taylor, one of Jackson's closest and longstanding friends, was "too devastated" to issue a statement, her rep says, while Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson's biggest hits, says, "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words." Cher, calling in to Larry King Live on CNN, shared many memories of Jackson, including dancing together on the Queen Mary and seeing the musical Dreamgirls together. "I am having a million reactions," said Cher. "When I think of him, I think of this young boy, this teenager I first met … He was a great teenager, optimistic and adorable." Whitney Houston, who has battled her own demons and is on the verge of a comeback, just as Jackson was, released a statement saying simply, "I am full of grief."

Actress Jane Fonda used Twitter to express her grief, writing, "I am stunned. My friend, Michael Jackson is dead. He lived with me for a week on the Golden Pond set after 'Thriller.' " In a statement Thursday afternoon Britney Spears said, "I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!" Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which honored Jackson with 13 Grammys, says, "Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson. He was a true musical icon." In a long, heartfelt statement, Usher said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss and paid tribute to Jackson's legacy. "May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family particularly Michael's mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways, transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled. Michael Jackson will never be forgotten." Another star who was clearly influenced by Jackson, Justin Timberlake, also paid tribute to the pop star. "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music," he wrote on his Web site. "He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones." On his Web site, former child actor Corey Feldman, who was once very close friends with Jackson, posted a statement mourning his old pal. "I come to you today with great sadness, acknowledging the loss of the greatest entertainer in the history of mankind. For me he was more than that, he was my idol, he was a role model, he was someone to cry to when my childhood was unbearable, he was a brother, he was a dear friend," Feldman writes. "Unfortunately Michael and I had a falling out on Septenmber 10th 2001 and that broken friendship had never been repaired … I am filled with tremendous sadness and remorse. All I choose to remember from this point is the good times we shared and what an inspiration he was to me and the rest of the world. Nobody will ever be able to do what Michael Jackson has done in this industry, and he was so close to doing it all again. I am truly, and deeply sorry for all of the heartbroken fans and supporters worldwide."

Blogging : Consolidation, Debt and New Information Technology

If you are interested in blogging, consolidation, debt, andother financial topics are sure to appear in many of theblogs that you regularly read. Techniques to make andmanage money are some of the most popular topics forbloggers to explore on the web, so it is little wonder thatso many bloggers turn their attention to dealing withdebt. Falling into debt is all too easy, and getting out ofdebt can be very difficult for people who do not have alot of financial expertise. For people who have a knackfor dealing with finances, blogging about their insightsand knowledge can be a great way to literally andfiguratively share the wealth.

If you are considering getting into blogging,consolidation, debt, savings, and investment topics canprove to be very fruitful things to write about. Manyprofessional bloggers who make a living off of theirblogs spend their days writing about money. If youknow how to court advertisers and build a blog fanbase, you can make money just by talking about money.If you are familiar with loan consolidation, negotiatingsettlements with credit card companies, or any otherfinancial topics, consider using your knowledge tocreate a successful blog. By sharing your expertise, youmay be able to help your readers get out of debt whileyou reap sizable monetary rewards for your time andknowledge.

About Blogging

Blogging 101
Blogging 101 is mostly about the blogging vocabulary. To understand blogs, you need to know the terms blog, platform, domain, and web host. Once you have mastered these key elements of blogging, you can enter any conversation about blogging with confidence. After you know what exactly a blog is, you will be on your way to passing the final exam of blogging 101. Blog is short for weblog, which simply means a series of online posts presented in reverse chronological order. That's all! Most blogs are text, but there are also photo blogs and video blogs. The rest of blogging 101 has to do with the technical side of things. If you are setting up a blog, you will need a platform, a web host, and a domain. A blogging platform is a computer software program that allows you to write posts and to update your blog. Your platform is also what you use to design the look of your blog, from color scheme to font size. The web host is sort of like the virtual file cabinet where your blog is stored. Your computer communicates with the host when you upload or edit a post. The domain is the online address of your blog, and usually ends in ‘dot com'. Now that you know what a blog is, what a platform is, and what domains and hosts are, congratulate yourself! You have passed blogging 101.

North Korea vows to enlarge its atomic arsenal

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea vowed Thursday to enlarge its atomic arsenal and warned of a "fire shower of nuclear retaliation" in the event of a U.S. attack, as the regime marked the 1950 outbreak of the Korean War.
The anniversary came as the U.S. Navy followed a North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons in violation of a U.N. resolution punishing Pyongyang's May 25 nuclear test, and as anticipation mounted that the North might test-fire short- or mid-range missiles in the coming days.
President Barack Obama extended U.S. economic sanctions against North Korea for another year Wednesday, saying the North's possession of "weapons-usable fissile material" and its proliferation risk "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States, according to the White House Web site.
According to the 2008 document outlining the restrictions, "all property and interests in property of North Korea or a North Korean national ... were blocked." The U.S. measures are on top of U.N. sanctions that bar member states from buying weapons from or selling them to North Korea. They also ban the sale of luxury goods to the isolated country and prohibit the provision of weapons-related technical training and financial transactions.
State-run newspapers in Pyongyang ran lengthy editorials accusing the U.S. of invading the country in 1950 and of looking for an opportunity to attack again. The editorials said those actions justified North Korea's development of atomic bombs to defend itself.
The North "will never give up its nuclear deterrent ... and will further strengthen it" as long as Washington remains hostile, Pyongyang's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.
In a separate commentary, the paper blasted a recent U.S. pledge to defend South Korea with its nuclear weapons, saying that amounted to "asking for the calamitous situation of having a fire shower of nuclear retaliation all over South Korea."
Historical evidence shows it was North Korea that started the Korean War by invading the South, but Pyongyang claims the U.S. was to blame. The totalitarian government apparently hopes to infuse North Koreans with fear of a fresh American attack to better control the hunger-stricken population.
The U.S. fought alongside the South, leading U.N. forces, during the war. The conflict ended in 1953 with a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula divided and in a state of war. The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against renewed hostilities.
The U.S. has repeatedly said it has no intention of attacking the North.
The new U.N. resolution seeks to clamp down on North Korea's trading of banned arms and weapons-related material by requiring U.N. member states to request inspections of ships carrying suspicious cargo.
North Korea has said it would consider any interception of its ships a declaration of war.
Adding to the tensions, North Korea has been holding two U.S. journalists since March. The reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegal border crossing and hostile acts earlier this month.
Ling's husband, Iain Clayton, said Wednesday that his wife called him on Sunday night and she sounded scared. He also said Ling's medical condition has deteriorated and Lee has developed a medical problem. Ling reportedly suffers from an ulcer.
The Kang Nam — the ship the U.S. is tracking — is the first North Korean ship to be followed under the resolution. It left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago and is believed bound for Myanmar, South Korean and U.S. officials said.
A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that the ship had already cleared the Taiwan Strait.
He said he didn't know how much range the Kang Nam has — whether or when it may need to stop at a port to refuel — but that the ship has in the past stopped in Hong Kong.
Another U.S. defense official said he tended to doubt reports that the Kang Nam was carrying nuclear-related equipment, saying the information officials had received seemed to indicate the cargo was conventional munitions.
The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing intelligence.
The U.S. and its allies have not decided whether to contact and request an inspection of the ship, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday.
Reports about possible missile launches from the North highlighted the tension on the Korean peninsula.
The North has designated a no-sail zone off its east coast from June 25 to July 10 for military drills.
A senior South Korean government official said the ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
Meanwhile, South Korea is trying to organize talks among North Korea's five negotiating partners in six-nation nuclear talks — the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Russia — in an attempt to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.
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Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Pauline Jelinek, Pamela Hess and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Air France: Flight 447 pilot's body retrieved

PARIS – Air France says the bodies of the chief pilot of Flight 447 and a flight attendant have been retrieved from the Atlantic.

The airline says in on its Web site that the two are among those identified in the international search operation for remains of the 228 victims and wreckage of the May 31 crash. The airline hasn't identified crew members by name, but a pilots' union named the captain as Marc Dubois.
Earlier this week the international police agency Interpol said 11 of the 50 bodies retrieved have been identified. It says they are eight Brazilians, one with joint Brazilian-German citizenship, one Brazilian-Swiss and a British national.

Mousavi claims pressure to drop election challenge

By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer Karin Laub, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO – Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says on his official Web site that his access to people is being restricted and that he is being pressured to withdraw his election challenge.
Mousavi has alleged massive fraud in Iran's June 12 presidential election and insists he is the rightful winner.
According to his Web site Kalemeh, Mousavi said there were "recent pressures on me aimed at withdrawing" the challenge."
He also said that his "access to people is completely restricted," the site said.
Iran's supreme leader has declared hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner, and said the election will not be reversed.

Wage for the New Grad

Fresh out of college, most people are excited about landing that first job. Given that most grads do not have work experience or only had a part time job while studying, it is not easy to secure an executive position right away.

Starting from scratch, one has no choice but to start from the bottom in an entry-level position then in time move to the top. The challenge most grads face in applying for a job is the competition. Aside from those who just graduated, there are also those who have left the previous job and are looking for a new one.

According to hiring and compensation experts, there is not that much room to negotiate when one is just a fresh grad. This is because that person does not have substantial work experience as basis to negotiate for a higher wage compared to those who have already worked before.
The range of the salary fresh grads get are based on the course one has finished in college. To those who volunteered to be surveyed, it was found that people who graduated from the sciences were able to get a higher salary compared to those who graduated from the liberal arts.
A tip that may help a little in the negotiation process is knowing your potential and not easily giving in or selling yourself short. In the course of an interview, it will boil down to the how much you will be getting. Most fresh grads accept what is given immediately and reply “ok” ending it there.

It is best to only talk about the salary when an offer has been made. If the interviewer is good, it can wait. During that time, one can try asking how much the company will give for someone in that position then be able to negotiate about that further later on regardless of the figure that was given.

The applicant can then ask questions such as job responsibilities and mention that the contribution one can give to the company is more important than the salary you will be receiving showing the recruiter you are a team player.

Applicants can negotiate more by doing research on how much other companies are offering for the same job before giving an immediate answer. By knowing that information, it is possible for you to negotiate the salary offered for a little more.

Getting a job is not only about a salary. This includes other things that the company offers to its employees and by thoroughly checking out the other benefits and perks, it can also help in deciding whether the applicant should accept the job or not.

Matching Your Skills to Find Appropriate Jobs

Skills refer to the things you do well. The key to finding the most appropriate jobs in the industry is recognizing your own skills and communicating the significance written and verbally to a probable employer.

Majority of the most viable skills are those that are used in a variety of work settings. What are these skills? Would matching your skills to find the right job be successful?

* Determine your skills. This would help you in becoming the lead candidate of landing the job. A skill does not necessarily mean it was adapted in a work environment. If this would be your first job hunt and you have no job experience to date, you still have a chance in the industry.

Majority of skills, including knowledge-based and transferable, could be absorbed and developed as a volunteer, a student, a homemaker, or in your other personal activities. The skills you have used for these activities can still be applied to your desired jobs.

Organizing and listing your personal skills could help you easily fill out job applications, provide useful information for job interviews, and prepare quality resumes.

First, you should categorize the skills by separating your interests and aptitudes from your work experience.

1) Aptitudes and interest. These include all of your hobbies, activities you have been involved in the past, and all the things that interest you. By listing all of these down, you could examine the skills it takes to achieve each item.

Skills from aptitude and interest may be homemaking, playing basketball, fixing cars and many more. All of these items could determine if you are capable of working with a team, able to handle multiple tasks, have viable knowledge of human development, knowledge of electronics and ability to diagnose mechanical and numerical problems. The list goes on, but make sure to consider the skills that would be beneficial for a working environment.

2) Work history. This includes volunteer, part-time, freelance, summer and full time jobs. Once you have listed all your past employment, examine the skills you do work each work duty.

* Ask for help. As soon as you have your list ready, you could now go to job services that could help you acquire your desired job. You could also search job yourself. However, always remember to match your skills and abilities in your list to the needed skills and abilities of various jobs.

In most cases, people who seek jobs are threatened with job titles. This should not be the case. As long as your skills and abilities could meet the requirements of the workload and job title, your possibility of acquiring your desired job increases.

Must-know Tips on Executive Job Search

It is normal for every person to strive for career advancement and growth. It makes them feel that all of their hard work has paid off and that a promotion is, indeed, the best reward they can get.

However, for some whose luck seems to be so illusive, they have to find their own growth somewhere else. That is why most of them opted for executive job searches, where they hope that someday they would be lucky enough to find the executive job that they have long been dreaming for.

But is it really just luck? Or are there some factors that need to be considered when searching for that executive job of their dreams?

Landing a good executive job is not dependent on luck. For people who wish to learn some tips regarding executive job searches, here are some pointers on how to get that dream job:

1. Killer looks
The saying, “Looks could kill” is not an understatement. Though the word kill is only used literally and the word look is sometimes associated with stares. But what is being pointed out here is that looks can definitely kill a person’s chances on landing his or her executive job if the applicant had missed one great factor: appearance.

As the saying goes, first impressions last, so it would be better to make that first impression by looking just right for the job. After all, if a person wants to have an executive job, then, he should dress appropriately for the position. In this way, the executive job he had been searching for might just become a reality.

2. Show some mastery
For an executive position, most employers would want to hire those who are already an expert in their own field. This means that the applicants should be adept in the areas concerning their chosen careers. This will show that the applicant has already started a coherent career track and is already knowledgeable in the field.

It will do no good to an applicant who claims to be a “jack of all trades but a master of none.” Six out of 10 applicants are hired because of their expertise on a certain field. This only means that employers are more concerned with people who have already mastered their career and have established continuous career growth.

Finding an available executive job could be one thing but actually getting that dream executive job is another thing. Looking and acting the part is a must to landing that dream job!

Take Charge Of Your Finances : Tips On Budgeting

With prices of commodities increasing day by day it is proper to make your very own strategic plan on maximizing your financial resources and making sure that every penny earned is well spent.

Make your move on coordinating your finances and list of expenditures that may affect the way you use your income and empower you on your economic stability as a working individual.

Your source of income, lifestyle, spending habits, current job and house location, cost of living, payables and loans determines your level of budgeting needs. Starting to take charge of your finances is one sure way of becoming successful in a field of self-fulfillment and success.

The following tips and recommendations will provide you details on how you can help yourself manage your finances and assume a new outlook to become responsible in your spending.

Ø Treat Math As Your Lifetime Partner – Do the entire math in your purchasing needs. Try to compare prices across your current location for the price of a range of grocery and household items you need in a day-to-day basis.

Save as much as you can in an item you are trying to buy. Chinese businessmen exercise effective buying techniques. They save as much as they can and usually purchase in bulk to increase their revenue index on the item they plan on selling as well.

Ø Gambling – Gambling tops the chart in making your life as chaotic as it could get. Gambling strips you off your finances and keeps you vulnerable from the threats of bankruptcy.
Ø Know Your Wants and Needs – Limit your spending on something which you are not in dire need of. According to a recent study, luxuries are second to gambling in terms of the degree of money-stripping capability.

Ø “Do Not Spend More Than you Earn” – Rags-To-Riches stories do not fail to mention this famous cliché. There is always truth to this phrase for you cannot live in a world where you consume more than what you can produce.

Ø Keeping A List – Making your own budget list is vital to your success to becoming prudent. A wise buyer needs to consider the amount of a certain commodity and how will it impact his life as an individual.

An unconscientious consumer would not care about what is being purchased as long as he or she has money to buy for them. Unless you are someone who has a considerable amount of wealth and income resources, you can not afford to disregard this recommendation and go ahead with your practice.

A Frugal Lifestyle

The word “frugality” has left a more negative connotation for most people than simply being a saver, a cheapskate or tightwad. There is a thin line difference to saving and too much frugality to the point of being awkward and ridiculous. This is where the negative connotation comes from.
But if you are guided with the right principles and reasons in deciding to live a frugal life, you would never go wrong.

If you have decided to live frugally, no need to be worried of insults. Keep your head up high. And keep your focus through these tips.

1. Eating Out - Having gimmicks with friends on a Friday night is fine if you do it once in a while. But this can be expensive if you add them up at the end of the month.
2. Clothing - Naturally, if you are the kind of person who adores signature and designer clothes, do not expect that there will be something left of your take home pay. Instead of being trendy, wear clothes that can easily be matched with your other clothes.
3. Own Home - If you are planning to move out and find a place to settle, do not be overwhelmed by the excitement, instead be practical. As a start, buy a smaller house or try other ways like rent-to-own, do-it-yourself arrangements, and owner financing.
4. Buying Your Own Car - Shy away from sports cars or SUVs. Just stick to your purpose of buying a car which is to transport you anywhere you need to go. Check out also program cars like a new car warranty. Maybe this is not just the best time to replace your car with a new one.
5. Shopping for Groceries - As much as possible do not go with items that are branded. Choose non-brands and try looking for items on the highest or lowest shelves for best prices. Grab the opportunity and shop during sales or use coupons.
6. Family Out - There are inexpensive ways to bond with your family and be entertained like going to libraries, local parks, malling, picnics, visit friends and local church.
7. Buying School Supplies - Stock school supplies at home and do not buy anything fancy.
8. Be contented with what you have and try to live within what you earn.
9. Plan your Child’s College Education - Teach them the ways to be independent and self-supporting by encouraging them to apply for scholarships and “on campus jobs”.
10. Be Aware of your Financial Limitations
11. Anticipate your Failures by Planning - Have always a budget plan so you would avoid impulsive buying.

Credit card Shavings

Having a credit card is very convenient since carrying a lot of cash becomes unneccesary and you might even have a hard time leaving your credit card at home. But with its advantages comes also its disadvantages. Since you can always buy things without carrying cash around, you are always tempted to buy something that you come across. If you have excellent control on your finances then good for you. If you have a hard time managing your credit card, then these pointers can help you.

Get organized
First thing's first, obtain your credit card records to have a better idea of your spendings. Be sure to double check the records for errors and ensure its accuracy. A good example would be to find out if you have outstanding debts that should not be there as well as the accuracy of the listing of your former and present address.
Evaluate your credit card

Go over your recent credit card records and look at the interest rates. Some credit card companies have promos wherein they offer lower interest rates for a period of time and this promo may already be over yet you have no idea and are already paying at a higher interest rate. Also take note of the membership fee which they charge annually since some have very high membership fees. Consider cancelling this if you are not using it frequently.
Pay on time

It is important to pay your bills on time since it can have a negative effect on your credit record or rating. You will also be able to avoid getting charged because of not paying on time. Try asking the credit card company to remove the overdue charge if you have forgotten to pay it on time for the first time.

Manage your debts
If you see that you have more debt than what is comfortable, think ahead and plan out how you will repay it or at least reduce your debt. Devise a way to pay more than what is required of you so that you will have a reduced payment schedule. Prioritize the card that has the highest interest rate. Do not bring your credit card always when you go around since temptations abound.

Don't bite more than you can chew
As the saying "don't bite more than you can chew" goes, do not spend more than you can afford. True, a beautiful gold bracelet may be enjoyable to wear but its price tag may mean paying a lot for the next months. If you are bent to save money when using your credit card, unnecessary items like jewelry and the like should be at the bottom of your considerations.