Where Sports Meets Politics.

Just before the 2004 elections Don King came to Washington to have dinner at the White House with President Bush. When I ran into him at a TV studio the next day – with the great soul singer Lloyd Price at his side – King still had on a jean jacket blazing with rhinestones and embroidery in the shape of the President's face, along with the American flag, fireworks and the words "United States of America" in diamond-like studs on the sleeve.

When I expressed a Washington political analyst's surprise that a Black boxing promoter was squarely in the President's corner for this fight (he donated $44,500 to the GOP cause) the 74-year-old sultan of the electrified Afro avoided his usual hyperbole and succinctly informed me: "He's a winner…and he's good for business."

King is one of several big names in the world of sports who signed up Bush and the GOP. Today, athletes on the Republican side of the aisle range from Lynn Swann, who is running for governor of Pennsylvania, to Jim Ryun, the legendary distance runner who is a Republican member of Congress. Tom Osborne, the former coach of Nebraska football, is a Republican Congressman. So, too, was Oklahoma football star J.C. Watts. And then there is wrestling coach and current Speaker of the House Denny Hastert. Former members of Congress and great athletes are also overwhelmingly on the right wing side of politics from Michigan football star Gerald Ford, who went on to the White House, to quarterback Jack Kemp and U.S. Judo team captain Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

Of course, the renowned bodybuilder who is the governor of California is also a Republican as are Ivy League athletes who now serve as the governors of Rhode Island and Maryland. The entire golf tour seems to be made up of Republicans.

King's explanation of his support for Bush – "he's a winner and good for business" – is at the heart of the GOP's powerful grip on American athletes. Sports stars want to be known as a strong, intimidating presence – a Goliath – feared for dominance and the steely ability to win and win and win some more.

The idea of a dog-eat-dog world is familiar to ball players who know what it means to make the team or be cut from the team, to be a starter or on the bench, to win or lose. Weakness is death to athletes and the Republicans, and President Bush makes a virtue of displaying strength. A few years ago, the President had to explain to an interviewer that all Texas men walk the way he does, with his arms held a space from his body and his legs wide as if to accommodate big shoulders and muscular thighs. It is not a sign of arrogance, he offered, just Texas manly style.

Have you noticed that when the President walks out to a Rose Garden press conference or to the helicopter, he is always in the lead? The Vice President, Karl Rove and other aides are a big step behind the lead man. This is in keeping with the "Daddy Party" image of the GOP, as compared to the "Mommy Party" image of the Democrats. It is the "Daddy Party" that protects America from terrorists, opposes gay marriage, defends the right to own a gun and promises never to "cut and run" from a fight in Iraq. It is the "Mommy Party," that worries about welfare programs, rising deficits and drilling for oil in a wildlife refuge.

Athletes want to identify with a man and a winner.

A Successful Tool For Business Development

The concept of reality has undergone a revolution in recent decades while techno wizards stretch the boundaries of simulation technology through the development of computers and software. The virtual reality environments of simulation games have become increasingly realistic and may be changing our understanding of what can even be considered 'real'. Gamers immerse themselves in interactive environments and industries turn to technology to more efficiently train a workforce.

While people have always used games as a way to fantasize about realistic situations, never has there been a tool as useful for doing so as the computer has proved to be. The video game industry is only one facet of the exponential technological innovation of the 20th century but this industry has dramatically changed the entertainment habits of millions. Games that focus on reality simulation have been surprisingly successful with early titles such as 'The Sims' selling millions of copies. People seem to enjoy acting out their daily activities in a simulated environment that takes away the pressures of the real world and allows them to explore scenarios that may otherwise be out of reach. With the success of games like 'The Sims' and later interactive simulators such as 'Second Life', it is no surprise that the business world has exploited this model for training purposes.

One of the first simulation games to teach business strategies was the Intopia simulation that was first released in 1963. Since its creation, the program has been used in hundreds of university courses and has spawned countless variations of simulation games designed to accurately emulate the real world for training purposes. Nathan Kracklauer, vice president of product development for Enspire Learning commented "The immersive nature of simulations is what makes them so valuable for business training. When people play them, they forget that they are not in the real world, and they start behaving the way they would on the job. Instructors or supervisors can observe that behavior and provide corrective feedback, framed in the context of the low-stakes, no-risk environment of the learning game."

Business models can be tested and taught without traveling to a specific location; Information is decentralized and can be easily disseminated. For training purposes, simulations can also save money in the long run by preserving resources. The military for example uses complex flight simulators to train pilots and in doing so does not risk expensive equipment and provides a safer overall platform for training. A business can provide consistent, high quality training without having to rely heavily on outside trainers and consultants.

The usefulness of simulation games has made them incredibly successful tools for business development and the gaming community has weighed in with their wallets. The business of reality is booming and developers will continue to explore new realms of replication. The future of video games may be an uncertain one but if the past few decades are any indicator, ongoing research will continue to lead to new and unexpected technological innovation that will only lead to more accurate reproduction of reality.

What to Eat to Lose Body Fat?

If there is one thing that people who are trying to lose body fat should know, then it is that starvation is definitely NOT the way to losing weight, period. The correct approach to losing body fat when it comes to food is to learn and embrace the principles of "What To Eat To Lose Body Fat" and apply this knowledge to a tee.

I stand amazed by the unsubstantiated glamorous theories and claims cluttering the internet relating to the topic of what to eat to lose body fat, which is no wonder so many people are either lead astray or have no confidence in some of the advice or products being offered in this regard.

Some will entice those seeking to lose body fat to follow ridiculous celebrity diets such as "the cookie diet", "syrup and water diet", "shakes" etc., while others consider cutting calories or even completely eliminating important food groups such as carbohydrates or protein to be the answer.

Anyone who spends a little time researching the topic of what to eat to lose body fat, will smell a rat when reading these claims, and with good reason, as they are absurd. Not only are many of these diets not sustainable, but they are just plain BAD for your health.

Fact is our bodies need food to function. What most fail to understand is that weight is gained by consuming food in incorrect proportions and combinations and this primarily is what needs to be corrected to lose body fat. The much quoted saying, "Everything In Moderation", offers more truth than many is prepared to give it credit for.

In addition, eating correctly only addresses half the problem as some exercise is inevitably also necessary to burn the energy generated from the foods we eat. We cannot simply address the dietary side when it comes to addressing the issue of losing body fat, as a healthy balance between diet and exercise is vital to any successful body fat loss program.

Drinking Water Filters - Do I Really Need One?

Did you know that drinking water filters are not all the same? I'm not just talking about brand names, but the different makes of drinking water filter employ different methods of filtration. Some are more efficient than others and in this article I look at why this is so.

You might think that what costs more is better, but some of the most expensive drinking water filters are the least effective. Some, like those using the reverse osmosis system, include steps that are not necessary in most homes. Others, like certain brands of drinking water filters, do not include enough steps to protect your family’s health.

When a company includes information about water contamination in its advertising you may think that it is just trying to scare you so that you will be persuaded to purchase one of its drinking water filters. But the advertisements are just repeating the warnings issued by official public bodies like the FDA, the EPA and the CDC. Their reports may be written in dry, official langauage that is hard for the layman to understand, but the facts about tap water contamination are clear once you cut through the jargon.

Lead, a toxic metal, has been found in water supplies around the country. The cause is thought to be aging lead-lined copper pipes and lead solder used at joints, but the cause is really unimportant. Lead is not safe for consumption at any level. Children, in particular, should not be drinking tap water that has not been run through a lead-blocking filter.

If the pipe running from the mains supply to your home is the cause of the contamination, then whatever steps are taken by the public water authorities will have no effect on the water that comes out of your faucet. While you could pay to have your water tested by an independent laboratory, the safest course would be to install a drinking water filter.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that lives in water. It is resistant to chlorine disinfection, particularly during the cyst phase of life. Public treatment facilities cannot guarantee that it is not present in your tap water. Government authorities say that it is “unfeasible” to test for it. When ingested, the parasite grows in the intestinal tract and causes symptoms ranging from a stomach ache to death in children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

If you want to make sure that you avoid this parasite, you have only two choices. You could stop drinking tap water altogether or you could install a drinking water filter. To be absolutely safe you need to ensure that the filter is a type that is certified to remove "cysts". Check the product performance data sheet to establish whether this is the case.

Other than chlorine, lead and parasites, there are over 2000 cancer causing chemicals in tap water. The federal government has set maximum "safe" levels for their presence in public water supplies. The problem is that the "safe" levels are based on the assumption that only one chemical is present and that everyone who drinks the water is a 175 pound adult. In other words, the only way to be truly "safe" is to buy the best drinking water filters you can find and install them on every faucet in your home.

Success In Life Means Goal Setting.

Just think of all the dreams you are missing out on. How much better would your life be if you: started that new business, changed careers, went on that diet, started to exercise, read motivational books .......... We control how lucky we are. And it is not luck. It's motivating ourselves to set realistic, achievable goals to eventually attain the desire or dream we have. I don't mean to be too harsh, but you have to take Action! With just wanting or dreaming about your goal, it's not a goal, it still will remain one of your "What If dreams". Let's start with looking at yourself in the mirror. Are we going to be serious about setting a goal and doing what it is going to take to achieve it? Because if you cannot answer this question honestly and without hesitation to yourself, you are not ready. Get fired up about a dream or desire you have been thinking about accomplishing and take ACTION! Success or failure is up to you. Don't feed your subconscious mind with negative thoughts like:

"It's because a particular persons influence on me" "It's because a particular person doesn't believe I can do it" "I don't have the time" "I don't have the money" "I don't have the education" "I'm not smart enough" "If I was a (sex, color, age etc.) "What if I fail" "What will people think" "If I only had.........." "If I only could........." Do you think I have covered enough of your excuses?? I could continue with more excuses.........

If you can dream it, you can achieve it. If you don't have a dream, get one. Have the courage to dream big and don't let anyone tell you it's not achievable. You create your own Happy, Healthy Well-Balanced Lifestyle!

Get to a comfortable, quiet place with a pen and paper. We have heard this time and again, "those that don't put pen to paper and write their goals down, will not achieve them". Let's face it, if you cannot bring yourself to committing to write your goals down, how to you expect to commit to accomplishing your goal. It has been said "if you will not connect to paper, you will not connect to reality." What this means is, your subconscious doesn't know what you want to do. When you do these exercises, it is just another way of forcing your subconscious mind to know what goal you want to achieve next. Your subconscious cannot differentiate your dreams from reality. It just knows you are setting another goal into action for you to achieve.

So let's have fun with dreaming and planning on the goals we want to achieve. Start with realistic small goals you know you can achieve without too much trouble, and then increase the intensity of your goals after you become confidant with your goal setting accomplishments. You may only start with wanting or able to accomplish one goal a day at the beginning, but you are taking Action. It will get easier!

7 Crucial Factors in Preparing for a Job Interview.

In view of the global economic crisis,many businesses are going through very difficult times ahead with no precise indication when the economy will pick up again.It causes major companies and businesses to use many costs cutting measures like job retrenchment,stop hiring new employees etc to stay afloat.

These causes a sharp increase of people that had gone out of jobs,struggling to find jobs again as companies stop hiring or cut down hiring new employees.

Job seekers will face many challenges in order to get back into the workforce again.More time and efforts have to be put in preparing for jobs interviews can be very challenging,tough,tricky and time consuming.

Preparation involves many important factors to look out for in a job interview and how to answer the tough interviewer's questions confidently.

There are a total of seven crucial factors to take note of

1) Familiarise with proven answers to tough interviewer's questions.

2) Jobs behavioral competencies e.g critical thinking,confidence, problem solving etc.

3) Identify interviewer's hidden needs.

4) Package work experience and personal image.

5) Closing power statements.

6) Focus power.

7) Exercises to calm the nerves.

To increase the rate of getting selected in a job interview,it is very important to know how to answer interviewer's questions and strategies.