New York

New york aka The BIG Apple aka the city that never sleeps aka the capital of the world


New York is always full of life and excitement. more than 170 different cultures mixed into this city makes it the one stop place to try many different cuisines


its a great place to live on any budget. Whether you want to live like the rich and famous or an average man, you got to know New york is the place to go :)

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New York

New York City aka "The BIG Apple" aka "The City That Never Sleeps" aka "The Capital of the World" aka "The CITY" aka "Gotham."

New York is always full of life and excitement. More than 170 different cultures mixed into this city makes it the one stop place to try many different cuisines. 

Did you say shopping? You can spend 1 whole year visiting a different store a day and never visit the same one twice? Now thats a BIGGGG shopping list. Apartments are great, streets always lively, mixed cultures, lots and lots of fun. Something happening every day I mean every MINUTE. Never a dull moment in NY.

Its a great place to live on any budget. Whether you want to live like the rich and famous or an average Joe, you got to know, New York is the place to go :-)
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Three Management Lessons From the Financial Crisis on Wall Street

In a series of unprecedented moves, the Federal Reserve stepped in as "lender of last resort" to save a financial system on the brink of disaster. Reuters news agency (September 19, 2008) called it an "extraordinary" rescue plan. First it was Bear Stearns, next were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and AIG. Then, the Fed converted two investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, into conventional banks, a move that will significantly increase oversight and regulation of these institutions.

In a matter of months, with most of the damage occurring in a matter of days, the very foundation of the world's financial system had been shaken.

While there were many interesting details that chronicled the steps and missteps leading to this crisis, and while this saga will very likely change the face of banking (certainly investment banking) in the United States and probably the world, one interesting question that needs to be asked is how we got ourselves into this mess. Where we victims of "a pattern of dishonesty on the part of financial institutions, and incompetence on the part of policymakers" as suggested by George Stiglitz, Nobel prize-winning economist and Professor at Columbia University writing in the Guardian on September 16, 2008?

There is another interesting question that also needs to be asked. Are there lessons that all managers can take away from this extraordinary crisis?

Three lessons seem to be worth considering.

Managing in an Age of Complexity

The first lesson is that we manage in an age of complexity. Software applications (ERP), as one example, can be very complex when independent modules function as an integrated system. Drug discovery (Vioxx), another example, can be complex when the easier breakthroughs have already been made. Even public works projects (Boston's Big Dig) can be complex when constrained by existing infrastructure and social issues.

Certainly, the crisis on Wall Street has taught us that the way in which our financial system has evolved over the last decade has added an unprecedented layer of complexity to an already complex system.

Consider the players and their recent behavior within this system.

1. Prospective home buyers, motivated by increasing home prices, applied for mortgages.

2. Mortgage brokers, motivated by earning commissions, were happy to oblige and write these mortgages, even when the ability of the borrowers to meet their monthly payments was uncertain.

3. The mortgages were then sold to mortgage consolidators who asked few questions as they bundled this debt into Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). The objective of this bundling process was to spread the risk much like purchasing shares in a mutual fund , with its hundreds of stocks, spreads investment risk.

4. Then, the CDOs were sold as high yield investments to institutions such as banks, securities firms, and insurance companies.

5. AIG then insured the CDOs so institutions that held these instruments would be confident that their investment and income streams would be secure. Indeed this was a complex system, one built on trust (CDOs were unregulated), and one in which everyone prospered as long as the housing bubble continued to grow.
But it didn't.

Then, in August 2007, the bubble burst. Home values started to fall. Discovering that the equity in their homes was less than its value, many homeowners walked out the front door leaving the keys behind. Now, there were more homes on the market and prices continued to fall. Lower prices accelerated the process and the spiral continued.

With homeowners missing payments and eventually defaulting on their mortgages, the CDOs not only became less valuable but they also became difficult to value. What were they worth?
The CDOs were like black boxes, few could see inside, or cared to look inside. The home buyers who took out the mortgages in the first place were basically hidden from view. Transparency was gone. There were so many players - homeowners, mortgage companies, debt consolidators, insurance companies, and banks - that it was impossible to determine the quality of the debt.
Because the value of a CDO was so hard to determine, and because many banks and securities firms were either unaware of the financial risk or were in a state of denial, the value of the CDOs on the institution's balance sheet ... statements which summarize the financial health of a company ... was overstated.

Now, the ability of these institutions to borrow money, necessary in their day-to-day operations, was severely limited. Who would loan money to an institution whose balance sheet was not only overstated but whose investments in CDOs was impossible to value?

What had started as an opportunity for people to own their own home, turned into a bubble, which then brought down some of the most respected names on Wall Street, which later became a credit crisis. The complexity of the process contributed to the biggest crisis since 1929.

We Need Information not Data

The second lesson is that managers need timely information to manage effectively. Raw data is of little value; in most cases what they do not need is volumes and volumes of data in rows and columns. What they do need is information, useful information in summary form that helps make sense of complex situations.

Under better circumstances it may have been possible for data to have moved upstream as part of the mortgage loan package and become part of the CDO package. Then, the institutions holding these CDOs may have had a better chance of monitoring the quality of the instruments on their balance sheet. However, even if this were the case, falling home prices and an increase in foreclosures would have continued to deteriorate the value of the CDOs.

But the data that could have been used to expose the fragile nature of these CDOs was stored in different locations or not available at all. In any event, it was not possible to bring them together. As a result, decision makers were forced to fly blind and almost every institution, certainly the ones that failed, carried the CDOs on their balance sheets at prices much higher than they were actually worth. Consequently investment banking firms like Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch were overvalued until reality reared its ugly head.

Would it have been possible for better and more up-to-date-information to have softened the blow? That's a difficult question to answer, but the absence of information and the uncertainty expressed time and time again about the vulnerability of the system and the inflated values of the CDOs on balance sheets, certainly suggests that the lack of information contributed to the crisis.

Denial can Bring Catastrophic Results

The third lesson is that management cannot afford to be in a state of denial. In 2006, I attended a presentation at a New York investment bank and asked the senior economist at this firm for his views on an inflated housing market that some concluded was about to implode. He assured me ... supporting his argument with compelling data ... that this was an unlikely outcome.

A New York Times article by Joe Nocera on September 16, 2008, suggested that "most of the big firms have been a day late and a dollar short in admitting that their once triple-A rated mortgage-backed securities just weren't worth very much. And one by one, it is killing them." The article continued to explain that Mr. Fuld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers, went to the Korea Development Bank to ask for help in shoring up Lehman's balance sheet. It failed because Mr. Fuld demanded more for Lehman than the Koreans thought it was worth.

Denial was everywhere, from the homebuyers who felt they could afford a $600,000 house on a $75,000 income, to the mortgage originators who looked the other way, to the debt consolidators who put together the CDOs, to the banks who purchased the CDOs and kept them on their balance sheets at unrealistically high prices, and to the insurers who grossly miscalculated the risks they were taking.

Lessons Learned

Complexity has increased in most industries, and in September 2008 we learned how important it is to understand the linkages that tie systems together in the financial industry. Organizations and their leaders ignore complexity at their own peril.

Information and its use to support management decision making at the strategic level is more important today than it has ever been. No one would fly a Boeing Dreamliner without information displays in the cockpit.

Denial is not a river in Egypt, it is a fatal error made by pseudo confident leaders.

Keeping a Positive Attitude during the Financial crisis

The President tells us we have staved off a Great Depression with the giant mortgage crisis bail out. The Democratic Candidates tell us that the middle class is dying, people are losing their homes and jobs and the economy is in shambles. We all know that fuel prices are too high and the costs of nearly everything we buy are on the rise.

reasury Secretary Paulson warns us we are not out of the woods yet and former FED Chairmen Greenspan tells us that this is a one in a century emergency and the 700 billion dollar bail out is the only plausible option. The Commercial Real Estate Industry says they might be next and the retail sector along with car sales are in trouble. GM may need a bail out and the Airlines are all on the verge of stalling out. Corporate America has announced massive lay-offs and huge consolidations, all bad news, very bad news.

So, with all this doom and gloom how on Earth is anyone going to keep a positive attitude? Well, they need too, as "consumer confidence" can often be the difference between economic collapse and a short recession. It's up to all of us now, our leaders have spoken and are taking action, this can work, but not without our help.

It's up to all Americans to think past the mass media hysteria, to believe in our financial system, and to allow it to work through this crisis. After all if you allow yourself to dip into negativity, all you are going to do is cause yourself stress and health issues. And in doing so, you will not be helping yourself, your family or our nation through these turbulent times.

Health Benefits of a Glass of Wine by Joseph Devine

Alcohol, for years, has gotten a bad reputation for having zero health benefits and numerous social implications. While this has painted it in a bad light which has, to some degree, influence 35% of adult Americans not to drink at all, it has also led to research to confirm the negative stigma associated with alcohol.

The research that resulted has led to some interesting conclusions. In 1992, a team of researchers from Harvard University released a report detailing the 8 best things to do to fight or prevent coronary heart disease. Shockingly enough to many people, moderate consumption of alcohol was on the list. The moderate intake of alcohol improves cardiovascular health. The key here is that the consumption must be moderate. Drinking a bottle of wine or a case of beer a day will not help a person's heart.

While the Harvard research did not specify what type of alcohol they meant, subsequent studies have revealed that red wine gives the consumer the most benefit. Red wine is largely seen to be the most beneficial, healthwise, form of alcohol. The cardioprotective effect is attributed largely to the antioxidants found in the skin and seeds of the various red grapes used to produce red wine.

The antioxidants help in three key ways. For starters, they reduce the levels of LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol in the body. Next, they boost or increase the HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol levels. For a final benefit, they reduce blood clotting. Reducing blood clotting may sound bad but it can have positive effects like preventing the formation of blood clots that cause strokes. Having a glass of red wine with a meal can even increase a person's lipids. This is a good thing.

In addition to contributing to cardiovascular health, red wine and the flavonoids provide other benefits. The key to the other benefits is the antioxidant resveratrol. Research suggests that the high levels of resveratrol in red wines may inhibit the growth of some types of tumors. This means that red wine may help people prevent cancer from forming. Also, resveratrol promotes the formation of nerve cells. As it is suspected that both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have something to do with nerve formation, this can help a person treat or even sometimes prevent these diseases.

Any person that is considering taking up a glass of red wine a day should be aware of the best wines to drink. A study by a team of researchers from the University of California - Davis measured the antioxidant levels of a variety of red wines. As a general rule of thumb, the sweeter the wine, the fewer the flavonoids. The best reds to drink are Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, and Pinot Noir. Merlots and Red Zinfandels are less potent than the other three wines but still have some benefits. White wines have significantly fewer flavonoids than their red counterparts.

How to Build a Strong,Happy Family

A happy, optimistic family enriches the lives of everyone in the family. It is within the family structure, whatever form that takes, that children first learn to manage their emotions, how to develop meaningful relationships, and how to cope with hard times. The more strengths a family has, the more likely it is that children will grow up to be caring and productive adults. Here are five ways to strengthen your family.

1. Stay mentally healthy – calm and happy parents are more likely to have children who enjoy school and have fewer emotional problems.

2. Be caring and concerned – parents who praise and encourage their children and take an interest in their school and the social life have children who do better in school and display positive social behaviors.

3. Spend time together – quality family time is important for the development of the family as a whole and also for each individual. Having fun together decreases the likelihood of drug or alcohol use and other delinquent behavior.

4. Keep a regular routine – children who have regular mealtimes and routine chores usually do well in school, have greater self-control and as adolescents are at less risk of demonstrating delinquent behavior.

5. Practice positive communication – warm, respectful communication that allows the child’s opinions to be expressed is associated with the well being of children and the family. Adolescents whose parents used praise are shown to be more likely to ask their parents’ advice and less likely to have emotional and behavioral problems.

Anorexia Nervosa - A Serious Eating Disorder by Brenda Williams

Every year, many people become ill or even die from anorexia nervosa. There are an estimated eight million people in America alone who are currently suffering from anorexia and although the majority of those suffering from anorexia are young women, men can become anorexic as well. If anorexia goes untreated, a person could eventually die from it.

Anorexia nervosa is not just a physical disorder, but a psychological disorder as well. Anorexia is usually triggered by something unsettling happening in one's life, making them feel lost and uncertain about things. They will decide to starve their body as a way to feel they are in "control' of something.

Sometimes a person can become anorexic because they have low self esteem and it has also been suggested that eating disorders can be hereditary also. A person usually starts out eating less and less every day, until they're hardly eating anything at all. They may also become obsessed with exercising and weighing themselves. Here are some signs that someone may be anorexic:

• They get on the scale and weigh themselves several times a day

• They appear irritable and aggravated

• They're exercising a lot more than usual

• They're always complaining about being cold, even when everyone else is hot

• They don't seem to ever sleep much

• Their hair begins falling out

• Their menstrual cycles become irregular or even stop (and they're not pregnant)

• They're always looking in the mirror

• Their clothes appear to become baggy and loose

• They shift food around their plate but don't eat much of it

• They're very picky about the foods they do eat

• They talk about "fasting" often

There are two types of anorexics: restricting anorexics, and binge eating and purging anorexics. The restricting anorexics obviously are the ones who are picky eaters and mainly starve themselves (fast). The anorexics that binge eat and then purge are also bulimic and more than half of anorexics sometimes turn to bulimia as well.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia can cause many complications including heart problems, bad teeth, hair loss, illness and even death. Unfortunately many anorexics are already suffering from low self esteem and depression anyway, so the idea of dying doesn't bother them as much as it should.
Sometimes anorexics realize that they must go get help, but there is usually some sort of intervention from a concerned family member. Anorexics not only need physical help, but therapy as well and it can take a long time for full recovery. Unfortunately many anorexics will have a relapse later in life so there is no real "cure".

There is always hope though, and the more support and love given to someone suffering from anorexia will help them pull through. If you fear that someone you love may be anorexic or bulimic, try to be gentle with them and listen if they have anything to say. You should not force them to get help. You should not get them to make any "promises' about eating. Take everything slowly. You can sit down and talk to them and express your concerns, but do not yell or judge them. If you can slowly ease them into getting help, they will most likely recover and not relapse in the future.

Drug Rehab - Treatment is Possible by Roberta Groche

Are you fighting with drug addiction? If yes then keep on reading this article as this article can give you lots of information about rehab centers which can help a person to get rid of drug dependency. Treating drug addiction is possible if best rehab program is selected. There are many types of drugs which are abused by the people. The drugs abused by the people can legal or illegal.

Every person who is suffering from addiction needs drug rehab. Addiction should be taken seriously. There are many methods of rehabilitation. These methods are implemented by support groups, rehab clinics, rehab centers and sober houses. Person who is abusing alcohol is dependent physically and psychologically.

Drug addiction should be diagnosed in a timely manner otherwise it is very difficult to treat this. The rehabilitation program comprises not only medication but also counseling sessions.
There are two types of treatment phases. The first one is known as physical and second one is called psychological. The type of the treatment depends on the drug which is abused by the patient.

The drugs which are used in treating addiction mainly depress central nervous system. These drugs have been proven effective in treating addiction but have their side effects. Mainly there are three groups of drugs which are used to treat patients. The first group is known as CNS depressants. They can cause minor side effects like hypertension, tachycardia and high body temperature. Some patients need CNS stimulants. CNS stimulants can cause depression, paranoia and psychosis. Sometimes opioids are also used as the part of the therapy. Opioids can help a lot but also have some adverse effects like rapid pulse, high blood pressure, pains, tremors, vomiting and diarrhea.

As I have stated above that lots of drug used in treating addiction can cause side effects. So it is very important to choose a good physician. The center providing treatment facilities should have professional staff. The Doctors should be specially trained for treating drug and alcohol addiction.

Are you looking for a Drug rehab program? Drug rehab programs can help a lot in getting rid of addiction. These programs have helped a lot of people fighting with addiction. Rehabilitation programs can help a lot but everything depends on the patient and his family members. The patient should have a desire to lead a new life. Family also plays an important role in the treatment of the patient. According to recent studies and surveys people who have supportive family members recover faster as compared to other patients.

Finding best rehab program is a difficult task and there are many things which should be kept in mind while looking for a center. But you can easily find the one by doing proper research.

Mesothelioma Cancer - Dealing With Pain by Felix White

Pain is an unpleasant sensation. Most mesothelioma patients suffer from pain to a certain degree. It can be mild but it can also be acute or chronic. Acute pain is severe pain that comes quickly but usually lasts for a short time. On the other hand chronic pain is more persistent and lasts for a longer period of time. Pain arises both from the tumor itself and from the treatment taken. Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can cause pain. Perhaps it is chemotherapy drugs that cause the most discomforts.

Chemotherapy usually cause discomforts as much or sometimes even more than pain caused by the tumor itself. The severity and location of pain depends also on the type of mesothelioma you have and it generally increases as the disease advances. Mesothelioma patients, because they are generally quite advanced in their age, may have other types of pain from other types of diseases. Different individuals have different tolerance to pain and so pain is a subjective sensation.
Pain has a large bearing on one's quality of life and so it is very important that it is adequately controlled. There are many methods that can relieve pain. Medications play an important part and can be administered orally, by injection or by patches. Mild pain can be controlled by over-the-counter medications. It is however important to inform your physician on any over-the-counter medications you may take since these may interfere with your treatment.

Therefore do not take any over-the-counter medications without prior informing your physician about it. More powerful drugs need to be administered for acute or chronic pain but it is important that such medications are strictly monitored by your physician because they might have some undesirable side effects. Among others this may include nausea and vomiting, constipation and drowsiness. Pain can reduce your appetite which is very dangerous because you need to be appropriately nourished in order to be more able to fight the disease. Strong medications can also be administered at home through a catcher. There are also a number of other methods that do not rely on medications that can help you to reduce your pain such as acupuncture, mediation and others. Talk with your physician about them.

It is important that pain is addressed as soon as possible since the more time you take to address it the more it will be difficult to control. So take action immediately. Reduction of pain depends on an appropriate collaboration with your physician. It is important that you describe your pain to your physician accurately such as its severity, location and when it is more acute. Since pain is an individualized matter, it is important that your physician addresses your particular needs. Pain does not only affect the patients but all the family will be affected. Family members may be hurt seeing you suffering. However they also can do their part to ease your pain.

Stress Management in Simple Steps by Akhil Shahani

There will be times in your life, both professional and personal, when you feel that you have no control over things that are happening around you. And you say "you are stressed out." What is stress? Stress is the emotional, mental and physical strain in reaction to pressures from the outside world. The word is derived from the Latin word 'stringere' which means to 'draw tight'.

It is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand placed on it.
Some stress is good because it enables us to push ourselves harder and work better. But this lasts only for a short period, and over time, stress inhibits our ability to work properly and leads to physical symptoms like high blood pressure, allergies and depression. We need to react to and manage stress properly in our lives to ensure it works in our favor.
Stress Management is the ability to maintain control when situations, people and events get out of hand. There are certain strategies that you can use to manage the level of stress you are under and minimize its effects.

1. Talk to friends and family. This gives you a chance to express your feelings and vent them out.

2. Understand what brings on your stress. Once you know the source of your stress, you can find ways to either reduce the likelihood of it occurring or create more effective strategies to deal with it.

3. Do not try to be a perfectionist at all times. Try and prioritize what is truly important and don't overwhelm yourself by fretting about your entire workload.

4. Divide your tasks into smaller achievable ones. This way, as you complete one task, you will feel a sense of achievement and feel motivated to move on to the next one.

5. Notice if any of the muscles in your body are tense. One of the symptoms of stress is muscle tightening. Just noticing that will often relax the muscle. Stop and take a moment to breathe

6. Monitor the number of hours that you work in a week. Give yourself some time away from your business.

7. Do something you can feel good about. Wash the dishes, cook a meal for your family or read a book. Do something to help get your mind off yourself.

8. See if there really is something you can change or control in the situation. Change the way you see things and react to them.

9. Learn to relax - meditation and breathing exercises have proven to be very effective stress management techniques.

10. Remove yourself from the stressful situation. Take a break even if it is only for a few moments daily.

11. Set realistic goals for yourself. Reduce the number of things that you are involved in, take help from family or delegate responsibilities.

12. Get enough rest. A good night's sleep will rejuvenate you and help you deal with problematic issues.

13. Work off stress with physical activity. Exercise helps to reduce it. So, when you feel tense, go for a brisk walk around the block, play a game of tennis or do some gardening. Start doing regular exercise every day.

14. Managing your time is an integral part of stress management. Create a list of to-do tasks and do the most important ones, eliminate or postpone those not so crucial to your business.

15. Above all, be positive. Constantly keep telling yourself how well you can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be.

The best solution to stress management is to acknowledge it and deal with it. Having a proper work-life balance will go a long way in reducing stress in your life.