How to lose an election

Political strategists like to proclaim: “Campaigns matter!”

It is our usual caution that elections, where even strong incumbents are concerned, often turn on campaign performance. A cynic might observe, “Strategists always say that, it makes them more important.” But remember Barack Obama’s innovative nomination fight and then his transcendent general election battle? Sadly, for Tim Hudak, the corollary is also true.

Bad campaigns matter, sometimes more.

The McGuinty government should not have been able to achieve even the limited victory it did Thursday night. They avoided humiliation thanks to Hudak’s handlers’ determined effort to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. As a former New Democrat strategist, participant in and victim of similarly ham-fisted failures, I know what a disastrous campaign looks like.

Here’s how it is done. First, you set your campaign strategy in concrete a year in advance and refuse to adapt to changed circumstances. Then you fail to inoculate yourself against predictable attacks, and walk into the traps your opponent sets. Finally, you double down on your errors, spending millions of dollars inflicting more bruises on yourself.

That was the Ontario 2011 Hudak campaign. The same folks who fought the last war using their 1999 message in 2003, attacking Dalton McGuinty’s competence, did it again. The planners of this campaign reran their tired tax message of the ’90s as the economy and Ontarians’ confidence was heading into the ditch. The unemployed, and those fearing a winter layoff, are more worried about getting paid than paying taxes.

Premier Dad made unctuous appeals, several times daily, to trust him and his strong leadership. That insensitivity and false humility sent many voters further left and kept many others at home. Turnout fell embarrassingly below 50 per cent for the first time in history. His “bragging bus” criss-crossed the province covered with boasts about the schools, windmills, hospitals and highway miles he had personally delivered. This would not normally have been a wise or successful campaign strategy for a government that had racked up 500,000 unemployed voters and saddled their fellow citizens with $100 billion in provincial debt, in a province that was once again on the verge of a painful recession.

But bad campaigns matter more than tone-deaf or arrogant ones. Hudak first insulted every Ontarian who had ever feared their families being tagged as “foreign,” then the province’s large and influential gay community, and finally all the province’s teachers for allegedly pushing gender-bending propaganda at six-year-olds. It was a curious approach to political coalition building for a minority party seeking to oust a powerful incumbent government. Given that they had been thumped only four years earlier by the same opponent for preaching the politics of division — mostly unfairly, it is true — their flat learning curve was a little astonishing.

Indeed, there are insiders who think that the McGuinty war room dangled the poisoned meat of their rather silly “jobs for foreign PhD cabbies” program deliberately. They may have tempted the Hudak hardheads into doing exactly what the Grits wanted — providing another opportunity to swing the “politics of division” club at Tory heads.

Meanwhile, to the frustration of both men, Andrea Horwath took a page from Ronald Reagan’s book and smiled her way to success. In the debate, she didn’t quite say “There you go again” to her two opponents. But her dismissive maternal gaze at their sound bites said it all. A greenhorn and a first-timer, the NDP leader should not have been able to take her party from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties in popularity for the first time in 15 years.

Her platform may have been constructed with more than a few wobbly planks, her responses to complex questions on climate change and energy pricing, tax policy and fiscal verities may have made both lefty policy wonks and Bay Street wince, but she understood two political fundamentals: likability trumps angry partisanship, and optimism and confidence trump fear. What her opponents will now discover is that she has a steel spine behind that smile.

For election night’s winner, the political axiom to treasure today is this: “Enjoy your first day in office, it gets worse from tomorrow.” When the cabinet secretary’s team leaves the premier’s office, following their first economic briefing late next week, the premier and his team will look at each other and say, “This is victory . . . ?”

Not since Bob Rae had a similar bucket of chilling fiscal news dumped on him will the triumphant glow of election night have evaporated so quickly. And each team has already begun to plan the run-off.

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How to combat dollar's decline

A DIVING Aussie dollar has rubbed some shine from online retail bargain hunting but some savvy shoppers have been finding novel ways to bolster their buying power.

With our dollar dropping about US15c in the past few weeks, an analysis of transactions by financial services company Access Prepaid has discovered a spike in online shoppers using foreign exchange travel cards to lock in higher exchange rates.

Economists say last week's US dollar exchange rate, at US95c, is still high by historical standards, and the recent fall is good news for everyone except online shoppers and travellers heading overseas.

Many economists predict more volatility in the months ahead amid uncertainty about Europe's debt crisis and global economic worries, but expect the Aussie to be at current levels or higher about 12 months from now.

For online shoppers, the recent 15 per cent plunge in our currency has wiped out 15 per cent of their purchasing power.

The number of shoppers using travel cards to make online purchases - instead of their traditional use for overseas travel - has jumped 50 per cent in the past year, says Access Prepaid's director of global sales and strategic relationships, Graham Perry.

"The use of prepaid cards for online shopping is skyrocketing," Perry says.

"You lock in the exchange rate and you don't expose personal banking details to merchants on the other side of the world," he says.

"Something like 75 per cent of all cross-border online shopping in the world is done in a shop in the US or the UK."

Shoppers, travellers and investors need to put the Aussie dollar's latest fall into perspective. Ten years ago it was trading below US50c and five years ago it was US74c.

CommSec chief economist Craig James expects a turbulent time for the currency over the next few months, but says the recent weakness is "not a bad thing".

Exporters and manufacturers benefit from a weaker dollar, and it can even help the local share market.

"A whole raft of companies benefit when the Aussie's trading lower. It may provide some opportunities for foreign investors to say our shares are super cheap," James says.

CommSec forecasts the dollar to trade at $US1.07 or $US1.08 in the second half of next year.

HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham is less bullish, tipping the currency to stay near current levels for the next couple of years.

"Forecasting exchange rates is extraordinarily hard to do," he says, adding that people should remember that even after the latest fall, the Aussie dollar is still near its highest levels in three decades.

"If you had said a couple of years ago the Aussie would be US95c, you would be saying that's extraordinarily strong."

"We have had a period where it's been above parity, people have adjusted to that."

"We thought it was a bit overvalued when it was over parity. That's why we have it forecast staying at these levels for a while."

CMC Markets senior foreign exchange dealer Tim Waterer says more weakness in the next few weeks is possible if shares continue to slide.

"Much will depend on how soon the market starts to price out the likelihood of a Eurozone 'doomsday' event happening," Waterer says.

"I see our dollar holding above US90c short term, before regaining parity and above within six months, but it's dependent on a steady rebound in global equity markets."

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How to build mental health wellness in our children

We’ve all heard about the mind/body connection.
Psychiatrist Dr. Chris Wilkes likes to put a finer point on it.
“There is no health without mental health,” Wilkes says, explaining that it is profoundly connected to our physical health and overall well-being.
He’s got the numbers to prove that poor mental health equals poor physical health — and therefore a huge cost to our health-care system.
Wilkes and a group of other Calgary researchers recently published a paper in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry that found Calgarians living with a psychiatric diagnosis cost Alberta’s health-care system three times more for physical (non-psychiatric) health care than those without a diagnosis.
A year ago, the same journal published a study reporting that a person with a mental health diagnosis had a 70 per cent increase in mortality.
“And it wasn’t through suicide; it was through things like diabetes, cancer, heart disease,” says Wilkes.
“There is a health care problem associated with mental health diagnoses.”
Indeed, mental illness costs the Canadian economy an estimated $51 billion annually in terms of health care and lost productivity, according to 2003 figures from Statistics Canada. It’s the No. 1 cause of disability in Canada, with 500,000 Canadians absent from work every day due to psychiatric problems.
Fully 46 per cent of Albertans will be directly or indirectly affected by depression and, according to the World Health Organization, depression will be the single biggest medical burden on health care by 2020.
Typically we think of mental health problems as something that happen to other people and to other people’s kids.
But Dr. Frank MacMaster, a pediatric neurobiologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, points out how prevalent mental health issues are: “One in five Canadians have a mental illness and four out of five know someone with a mental illness. It’s touching everybody, basically. Most people may not recognize it, but someone in their life does have it. It’s extremely common.”
If you have a brain, the Canadian Mental Health Association likes to say, you can have a mental disorder.
Even if you or your child don’t have mental health issues, “it’s everybody’s problem,” says George Ghitan, executive director, Hull Child and Family Services.
“Angry, unhappy kids become angry, unhappy adults. Mental health issues cost our society billions of dollars, not just in terms of health, but in terms of education services, justice and prisons. Where do you think these problems come from? Most of them start in childhood.”
Mental health experts call for more funding targeted at children and youth as a way to prevent, catch and treat problems early, thereby saving precious health care dollars and untold pain and suffering that can last a lifetime.
In September, the Alberta government unveiled plans to improve mental health services in the province — a full three years after an auditor-general’s report harshly criticized the system for its lengthy waits, lack of co-ordination between departments and agencies, and the need for better standards of care.

Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdesky acknowledges the need for faster and better access mental health services.
“Right now people aren’t getting these service to the degree we would like; we want to ensure they do.”
He says the first year of Alberta’s new five-year addiction and mental health strategy is focused on a review of all the services out there — government, government-funded agencies and community organizations.
“Then we want to see how these services are or are not complementing each other. Is there duplication? Thirdly, we want to identify where and how we might have to move resources around to support better and more effective services,” says Zwozdesky.
“There needs to be an important shift in mental health services going forward. We’re going to continue what we’re doing in the acute care system, but we know we have to engage the community — schools, workplaces, organizations, places where people work and play — in a much better way. Our first direction in this strategy is building healthy, resilient communities because no government can do this alone.”
A whole community, holistic approach
The children’s mental health system is the proverbial canary in the coal mine, says Wilkes, an associate professor at the University of Calgary and the former division chief of child and adolescent psychiatry for Alberta Health Services.
“It’s a reflection of the general social supports, which includes schools, access to family doctors, access to recreational activities. If those social supports are not available, then the situation deteriorates for children generally.”
He says it’s essential for health care professionals, schools, communities and parents to work together to improve the mental wellness of our children and youth.
There a few bright spots where this whole community, holistic approach is beginning to happen.
Case in point: Because psychiatrists see about only 1.5 per cent of the children and adolescent population needing specialized care — usually the most severe cases in crisis — family doctors, pediatricians, school counsellors and others are left picking up the pieces, often without adequate funding or training. Wilkes says family doctors typically receive only about six weeks’ of training in psychiatry in medical school.
To change this, Dr. Peter Jensen, a world-renowned child psychiatrist from the REACH Institute in the U.S., was recently in Calgary to train faculty in the U of C’s department of psychiatry so they in turn can teach primary care doctors — who may have just seven to 10 minutes with a patient — to do quick assessments and initiate treatments for kids with mental health problems.
“Children can be seen, treated, advised and guided before things get into such a desperate situation that there’s an emergency,” says Wilkes.
The Eating Disorder Clinic at Alberta Children’s Hospital is another holistic example.
Eating disorders are considered a mental health issue — a complex, difficult one in which those who struggle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa may also battle depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, addictions and more, says Jodie Cossette, a recreational therapist with the clinic.

The intensive treatment program for patients ages 14 and up takes a multidisciplinary approach. Dietitians, family counsellors, occupational therapists, pediatricians, family doctors, psychiatrists, recreational therapists, registered nurses, social workers and teachers all work with the patient and his or her family to address the problems underpinning eating disorders.
Typically, patients are high achievers trying to excel in sports, school and work. They struggle with perfectionism, and the focus becomes hatred of their own bodies.
“We encourage them to focus on the mind/body connection with things like yoga and meditation because the eating disorder — self-hatred — works hard to keep body and mind separate.”
Patients learn how to care for themselves mentally, physically and spiritually. They do art, music and horticultural therapy. Tending plants in the healing gardens on ACH grounds puts them in touch with nature.
“My role is help them explore ways to find inner peace and calm. Perhaps it’s spending time in nature, being in the mountains, interacting with animals or gardening. It’s looking at activities that have the opportunity for healing, strengthening and empowering.”
Developing healthy coping skills helps insulate children and youth against mental health problems, she says, something that ideally starts at home with parents modelling healthy behaviours: caring for themselves and making time for rest and play in our go-go world.
Communities can also play a big role when it comes to promoting overall health and wellness, says Cossette. She recalls hearing Graham Clyne, a child and youth advocate, champion the idea of having recreation centres open and free to provide positive, healthy outlets for kids after school.
Two years ago, the Calgary AfterSchool program began offering quality, supervised and free after-school programs for all Calgary children ages six to 16, Mondays to Fridays between 3 and 6 p.m.
It’s run by the City of Calgary in partnership with 14 agencies and is paid for by Family & Community Support Services, a joint municipal/provincial program that develops and funds preventive social services.
In two years, more than 13,000 kids have participated in 181 programs doing sports, drama, arts, crafts, recreation and more, says Cathie Christenson, the co-ordinator of Calgary AfterSchool. Healthy snacks are included.
Six City of Calgary recreation facilities — Killarney, Southland, Thornhill, Bob Bahan, Village Square and Beltline — offer free drop in for older kids, ages 11 to 16; they can swim, try their hand at photography or cooking or get help with homework.
The programs are designed to give kids a fun, creative and safe environment where they can make friends, spend time with caring adults, build social and other skills, and stay out of trouble during what is often an unsupervised time while parents are working, says Christenson.

They’re also aimed at helping kids develop resiliency and coping skills, and at combatting isolation.
“Kids who spent a lot of time alone tend to develop depressive traits,” says Christenson. “The outcomes we’re looking for around friendships and social skills are ones that extend throughout your life.
“They help keep you on the positive side of life.”
Finally, there’s another bright spot on the horizon: in September 2016, Calgary will host the 22nd International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions World Congress.
Light up the Night Sky is the theme for the biannual event described as the “mental health Olympics for children” that lets professionals from around the world share knowledge about children’s mental health
“It’s great opportunity for Calgary to be directly involved and creating change within our community, within our province and within Canada — to be a beacon, a leader round the world,” says Cossette, who sits on a local organizing committee for the event.
“And it’s a golden opportunity to shine a light on the issues of kids’ mental health.”

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How to ride out the economic crisis

Anxious investors have endured another difficult week – and all the signals indicate that things could get a lot, lot worse before they start to get better.

The Governor of the Bank of England admitted that this could be the "worse financial crisis ever" as he pumped billions of pounds into the banking system in a bid to stave off another recession.

But while "quantitative easing" might help banks and businesses, it will create more misery for savers and pensioners, by pushing up inflation when we have rock bottom interest rates. It's also likely to cause annuity rates – already at an all-time low – to tumble further.

Sir Mervyn King might argue that this is the price that has to be paid to avoid a "double dip". The only problem is that we don't yet know whether it will achieve this end.

If this wasn't enough, there were renewed fears about the financial strength of banks, both here and in Europe, while stock markets remained volatile.

For the "squeezed middle" the question now is how they steer their finances through the dangers looming ahead. Further stock market falls could wipe thousands of pounds off pensions and Isas. Below we look at what you can do to protect yourself – and your finances – from the various perils ahead.

European banking crisis

On Friday the ratings agency Moody's downgraded some 12 British lenders, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander and Nationwide Building Society. It said this didn't mean that they were financially less secure, but that the Government was unlikely to bail them out in full if they got into trouble. And the fear is that Europe could plunge into another banking crisis, triggered by the sovereign debt crisis, which would inevitably affect some of our banks too.
Adrian Lowcock of Bestinvest said: "If the Europeans don't get their act together we could see a systemic collapse of their banking system, which would freeze credit markets and enter the world into another credit crisis, dwarfing the one initiated by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008."
Consumers and small businesses will find it even harder to get credit, and in the worst-case scenarios some banks could collapse.
What can you do? As a first line of defence, make sure money on deposit is safe. Don't have more than £85,000 in any one institution – this sum is the maximum that is guaranteed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. European banks offer the same protection (up to €100,000), but in the event of a collapse customers would have to apply for compensation in the country where the bank is based.
For those with significant cash savings – or of a particularly nervous disposition – National Savings & Investments may look attractive as it is 100pc backed by the Government.
There may also be implications for investors. Brian Dennehy of advisers Dennehy Weller said: "Avoid funds with too much exposure to the eurozone banks and financial companies. For example, we warned about Invesco Perpetual Corporate Bond in this regard last December. It is now down by 7pc – despite most people assuming that bond funds are low risk. In contrast, M & G Corporate Bond, which isn't as exposed to these sectors, is up by more than 3pc."

Stock market volatility

Investors have seen some dramatic falls and rises in recent weeks, with markets losing up to 5pc in one day alone. Philippa Gee of Philippa Gee Wealth Management said: "This is clearly a very difficult time and an ultimate test for whether you are comfortable with your level of risk."
Most advisers caution against pulling out of markets now. Ms Gee said: "If you are sitting on money already invested and are seriously considering moving it out, even hiding it in cash, don't. Now is not the time to make such radical changes." Martin Holden of wealth advisers Towry agreed. He said: "Try to stay calm and objective rather than make a knee-jerk reaction. This often just compounds the damage."
But volatility looks likely to continue and few are ruling out further market falls. What steps can people take to cushion their investments? Mr Holden said: "Diversification is key; you don't want to be too exposed to any one sector." It's also important to review your saving and investment objectives. "Are you paying off a mortgage or saving for retirement – these are unlikely to have changed even if the market has taken a hit," said Mr Lowcock.
Ms Gee added: "If you are certain that significant falls are still on the cards, then look for more defensive multi-asset funds. There's no guarantee that these won't lose money, but losses should be more limited, and some offer the prospect of growth, even in a bear market."
She suggested CF Miton Strategic, CF Ruffer Total Return and Troy Trojan.
Jonathan Miller, head of research at Citywire, said some "steady eddy" managers aimed instead for consistent returns. Two of the most successful funds include the Insight Absolute UK Equity Market (Neutral) fund and Standard Life's Global Absolute Return Strategies fund.

High inflation & low interest rates

With interest rates so low, inflation continues to be a real threat to the preservation of wealth over the medium term, according to Peter Day, a partner at the stockbrokers Killik. "Many Western governments, including our own, have been printing money at an alarming rate and this is likely to result in higher levels of inflation in the future," he said.
Those seeking shelter from volatile markets should be aware that cash is not risk free. It is sobering to remember that from 1970 to 1990 inflation eroded the purchasing power of £1 by 86pc – making it effectively worth just 14p. Today, the rise in the retail prices index (RPI) stands at 5.2pc; at this rate your money halves in less than 14 years.
Equity investment has traditionally proven to be one of the better hedges against inflation, and those who can tolerate some risk may want to invest in high-yielding shares (or funds) paying good dividends. Mr Lowcock said: "The primary objective of long-term investing is to keep pace and preferably beat inflation. Even if inflation falls back, we expect it to remain about 2pc to 3pc for some time. So investing in assets generating an income of more than this is an essential part of portfolio planning."
But there are steps that investors can take to protect their money from the eroding power of inflation without plunging into the thrills and spills of the stock market.
Sadly, one of the best weapons against inflation, NS & I's index-linked certificates, has now been withdrawn from sale. But Mr Day said index-linked bonds launched by the likes of National Grid (although this particular one has now sold out) should be considered. These pay an inflation-linked income (known as a coupon) and the redemption price is also linked to RPI. Tesco and John Lewis have offered similar deals.
Stepping down the risk ladder, both Yorkshire Building Society and the Post Office offer savings bonds with inflation-linked returns, although they require savers to lock their money away for between three and five years.
Those sticking with bank and building society accounts should make the most of tax-free savings, such as Isas, pensions or some N S & I products. It is possible to get 3pc or more on instant-access accounts, and 4.5pc if you can lock your money away for five years.
John Eskdale at advisory firm Pilotmax pointed out that borrowers had the opportunity to reduce mortgage and credit card debt. "Make overpayments where possible, this will put you in a better position when interest rates do again rise."

Double-dip recession

Jobs will be threatened, wages frozen and hours cut – which will increase the squeeze on many people's disposable income.
For those worried about their job prospects it can pay to build up a cash buffer in case you lose an income. Insurance such as income protection may also be an option.
In investment terms, Ms Gee said: "A double-dip recession wouldn't have a great impact on stock markets, as one has already been priced in. So don't change any investment strategy as a result of this."
Mr Lowcock added that defensive British companies were better positioned to weather the current storms. Defensive sectors include utility companies, pharmaceuticals, tobacco firms and large food retailers.

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How to hide wires behind your TV wall brackets

After buying a nice TV wall bracket, are you well prepared to install your LCD TV sets to the wall? Do you know what you should pay close attention to during the process of the installation? Look before you leap. You need to make sure that the maximum allowable weight of your TV wall brackets has exceeded the actual weight of your TV sets to determine a perfect position for the installation your TV set. What's more, it is also essential to make clear that you have had a clear plan to conceal those unsightly wires and cables.

A very easy way to conceal the wires and cables behind your TV set is to conceal them behind your TV wall brackets in the wall. Many home owners hide the cables and wires behind some beautiful decorations. This is a very easy and convenient way to hide wires and cables behind your TV wall brackets. It is also very creative to find some nice pictures or wrappings to conceal the cables and wires behind your TV wall brackets. It is so easy that even a little child can do this job very well. In this way it can improve the appearance of your living room very much and perfectly match with the wall. What's more, it is not necessary for you to drill any holes or cut anything on the wall during this process. The cables and wires are invisible because they have been safely hidden behind your TV wall brackets.

When you are trying to hide the cables and wires by drilling holes on the wall, you are advised not to let the wires and cables pass through exterior walls because it will not be an easy job to drill holes on the wall. Moreover, sometimes it is not safe. Usually, you need to prepare a wall socket for the cables and wires. Find some useful tools such as sockets, knife, nuts and screw. Find an appropriate position for the wires and cables on the wall behind the TV wall brackets. You need to connect the cables and wires to the wall socket. If you are installing an extendable TV wall bracket, remember to fit the arms firmly to the TV set and make sure that it is tightly attached and that wires and cables behind the TV set are long enough for the TV to extend flexibly.

Now you can turn on the TV set and enjoy yourself. It's time to lie on your comfortable sofa, relax yourself completely and watch your favorite movies and TV programs. With the superb sound and picture quality brought to life, the LCD TV sets supported by your TV wall brackets can bring you an aesthetic interior design and a pleasing viewing experience. If you are still confused about the cablings when installing your TV brackets, I strongly recommend you to visit the well-known UK TV bracket website Bracketsrus, where you can consult experts about any questions on your TV wall brackets.

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How to win the TNP New Face

SHE felt she had to up her game to win.

So, three days before the big event, Jamie Lim began practising the catwalk on her way home.

It paid off in style - the 19-year-old first year business student at Singapore Management University was crowned the winner of The New Paper New Face 2011, held at Takashimaya Square last evening.

Besides winning a $10,000 cash prize and a $10,000 Maybelline contract, Lim also bagged the Subaru Miss Vivacious and InnerShine Miss Radiant Skin awards.

The second and third spots went to Charlotte Hand, 17, and Marisa Ong, 19, respectively.

Lim said: "I was so nervous before (The New Face Finals) that I began to practise my catwalking on the way back home from the bus stop I get off at."

On the walk that usually takes just five minutes, she would practise not one but two styles.

Giggling, she revealed: "Normally, we have a 'serious' walk and a 'fun' walk, so I tried out both styles.

"I always made sure no one was looking first before I start my catwalk from the bus stop!"

Lim's confident poise, vibrant sashay and megawatt smile wowed the judges.

Her parents, Mr Lim Teck Keng, 46, and Madam Joanna Yew, 44, were beaming with pride.

Madam Yew, a businesswoman, said: "She put in a lot of effort. She would watch videos to learn how to catwalk and how to apply make-up."

Mr Lim, also a businessman, piped in: "Mummy (Yew) was always helping her!"

They both agreed that their daughter should pursue her passions "as long as they make her happy".

But Lim mentioned that she had no long-term plans, preferring to "take it one day at a time".

Runner-up Hand, a mass media management student at Nanyang Polytechnic, was pragmatic about what she wanted to do with her cash prize of $5,000.

She said: "First, I have to buy a MacBook Air, and then be a good journalist."

Second runner-up Ong, an interior design student at Raffles Design Institute, took home a cash prize of $3,000.

She was "stoked" by her accomplishment, hoping that it would "open more doors into fashion and modelling".

The New Paper New Face Finals 2011 kicked off just after 7pm, with a crowd of 700 plus curious onlookers lining the barricades.

Veteran fashion show producer and choreographer Daniel Boey, 46, created a show comprising an eclectic mix of themes.

Two segments stood out - the Levi's Flash Mob, where the girls strutted down the catwalk in denim working attire, and the Black Is The New Black, where the girls, clad in black, sashayed past dancers who were dressed in the same hue.

Finalist Nicolette Yip, 19, an accounting and finance student from Temasek Polytechnic, had a particularly enthusiastic group of supporters armed with placards that spelt out her name.

The New Paper on Sunday's Deputy Editor Natalie Soh, who was also on the judging panel, said she felt as much pressure and excitement as the girls.

When asked before the results were announced who she thought would take the title, the 35-year-old jokingly said: "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

Another judge, 39-year-old Vincent Ong, a General Manager of Loreal Consumer Products division, said that The New Paper New Face has come a long way, adding that he felt "excited" that his company was associated with the contest in a "synergistic" way.

The 19th edition of The New Paper New Face was presented by Subaru MotorImage and co-sponsored by Maybelline New York, Levi's, and BRAND'S InnerShine.

Past winners include model Vivien Ong, entertainers Angelique Nicolette Teo and Julie Tan, as well as models Shahirah Price and Nargis Mussawir.

Many finalists have found success in the entertainment and modelling industries, including actresses Dawn Yeoh and Jessica Tan, and models Christabel Campbell and Emiko Thein.

New Face 2011 Subsidiary Awards

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How to Make a 'Lowball' Offer

For some home sellers, it was a long summer without a home sale. That means this fall, some buyers -- smelling the desperation -- may be able to cut a better deal.

"Sellers who had their homes on the market all summer are anxious to move on, especially before the holidays hit," says Bill Golden, a real-estate agent with ReMax in Atlanta. The closer it gets to the holidays, the more anxious unsuccessful sellers can become, he says.

Tim Goldman

Other sellers will choose to let their listings expire and try again next year. They, too, may be willing to make a deal in order to sell their properties, even if they're no longer actively trying to sell their place, says Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst for Paragon Real Estate Group in San Francisco.

The key to making an aggressive "lowball" offer on a home is to start by finding properties that have languished on the market for a long time. The softer the market, the more likely the strategy will work, Mr. Carlisle says.

But buyers can get tripped up. Here are six things you need to do when making a lowball offer.

1. Understand the market

Before submitting an offer, your real-estate agent should do a full comparative market analysis of the property to determine what its fair market value is, Mr. Carlisle says.

For instance, it's still a buyer's market in the Richmond, Va., area, where Susan Stynes works as a real-estate agent for Long & Foster. Ms. Stynes says she wouldn't hesitate to encourage a client to make an aggressive offer, after considering the time the property has been on the market and neighborhood comparables.

But in other markets a low offer won't get you far, says Stephen G. Kliegerman, president of Halstead Property Development Marketing in New York.

2. Pick the right real-estate agent

Some real-estate agents caution buyers against making an offer that is so low it could offend the seller and halt the negotiation process.

But sometimes agents are too reluctant to make aggressive offers, Mr. Carlisle says. They may be more focused on completing a deal and collecting their commission, rather than making the best deal. Or their negotiation skills might not be up to par.

"If it's an appealing, well-priced property that has five or six offers on it, well, going in 10% or 20% under asking isn't going to get you anywhere," he says. But on a property that has been overlooked by the market and doesn't have multiple bidders, it often doesn't hurt to go in low.

3. Back up your price

There's an art to presenting an offer that's substantially under the asking price. A low offer could start negotiations off on the wrong foot if you're not careful, Mr. Golden says. The key is for you or your agent to explain the offer when presented.

"Sellers want to know why you're coming in so low. Include recent [comparable sales in the area] or issues with the property that validate why your offer is so low," he says. Don't be too harsh with your criticism, however -- that can also work against you, he adds.

4. Know what you're willing to pay

Buyers these days have a strong motivation to get the best possible price on a property, especially if they believe that home values will fall even more, says Jay Butler, professor emeritus of real estate at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Their biggest worry is often that people will say they overpaid, he says.

But sellers have limits, too, most often dictated by the amount of home equity they have, Mr. Butler says.

Before negotiations begin, it's important for a buyer to decide what his walk-away price is, Mr. Carlisle says. "At some price point, the deal is no longer worth doing, no matter how great the property."

While a buyer should know how high she is willing to go, don't put limits in the first offer, Mr. Kliegerman says. You lose integrity if you say it's your "best and final" offer, but then are willing to come up with a few thousand dollars more in order to buy the property.

5. Make a clean, easy offer

When you make a low bid, you want other elements of the offer to be attractive to the seller. And a deal that can close quickly often will have appeal.

Make sure there are as few contingencies as possible, Mr. Golden says. It's best if buyers don't have a home to sell in order to buy the one they're bidding on, Ms. Stynes says.

Also, have your financials in order from the start. Loan qualification is more difficult these days, so it's important to have a lender pre-approval letter, Mr. Carlisle says.

6. Be smart about a cash deal

Cash is king, but in the end, a seller often wants the most money for his home -- regardless of if the buyer needs a mortgage or not. So don't think making an all-cash bid will automatically mean an accepted offer.

If the seller is a bank because the property is a foreclosure, the institution may accept a lower offer from a cash buyer, as opposed to someone who needs a mortgage, Mr. Golden says. Banks often don't want to deal with mortgage-related delays.

Read More >>

How to spend right on shopping

How many of us have had our budgets spiral out of control during the festive season? How many of us haven’t been able to avail of even lucrative deals simply because we don’t know if we can afford to splurge? Haven’t we cursed ourselves and our lack of financial planning then?

The festive season (October to December-end) is when people across the world shop maniacally. And we’re Indian. We shop harder than anyone else. But the mistake most of us make is that we ignore the “shop” part when we do our annual home budgets. We budget for groceries, vacations, we save for our children’s education or for weddings but we forget to budget for festival-time shopping. There’s a method to spending money during this period. Here’s how to maximise benefits and minimise waste.

Get ready to shop: Follow the rules
1. Be patient: If you want to take advantage of the most profitable deals during the festive season, you have to be patient for the rest of the year. By shopping during this season as opposed to any other time of the year, you can save money. Try and postpone purchases till the period before Diwali, because that’s when the good deals happen. Almost all manufacturers and retailers come up with attractive discounts and great combo deals.

2. Avoid impulsive shopping: It’s quite likely that the coffee machine you bought during last season’s ‘festive bonanza sale’ is still in its packing box, unused. That could be because you didn’t really need it but bought it only because of the tempting deal. To avoid this, first ascertain if you are an impulsive shopper or not. Check your credit card bills and ask yourself these questions: Did I really need those products? Wouldn’t I be happier saving money instead of spending it?

3. Do your research: It is very important to get the best of Diwali deals. Read up on the deals in newspapers, magazines and the Internet to zero in on the genuinely good bargains. Then pick something that most suits your budget.

4. Prioritise: Yes, there are lots of deals in every category – clothes, electronics, jewellery etc. You are going to get confused. So you need to get your priorities right before you buy. If there’s a great offer on a particular product but you don’t need that product in the first place, don’t buy it. For example, if shopping for your house, decide which of these you need most urgently: a bed, or a fridge or a TV. Buy one of these things. Similarly, choose between buying clothing and accessories.

5. You can’t avoid a list: Make a list before venturing out for your Diwali shopping. You could also make envelopes for your budgeted items, carrying just enough cash for the shopping list. If you see a ‘one-plus-one free’ or ‘up to 50 per cent off’ deal, remember that there are no free lunches. Check if there is a catch. And do you actually need any of the stuff on offer?

6. Gift wisely: Make a list of the people you would like to give gifts to. Go over the list to make sure that it’s the final one. Pick gifts within your budget.

7. Think smart: Try to remember that your need for the latest gadget or those sexy shoes may be satiated with the purchase, but with every such purchase you are moving away from your long-term goal of wealth creation. Do not make your next impulse purchase at the cost of meeting your financial goals.

Think before you shop: How to budget your money throughout the year
1. Twenty-five per cent of your total annual income should be kept aside for the shopping expenditure that comes up throughout the year. For example, if the total income of the house is Rs 1 lakh then 50 per cent (Rs 50,000) of it should be kept aside for daily and monthly expenditure (food, bills, electricity, etc), 25 per cent (Rs 25,000) should go into savings (fixed deposits, retirement and mutual funds) and the remaining 25 per cent (Rs 25,000) should be kept aside for shopping.

2. Segregate your income under various expenditure heads. Further divide the shopping expenditure into four segments:
a) Keep aside 25 per cent of the money to buy clothes and accessories and for women, cosmetics.

b) Keep 30 per cent aside for home expenditure – changing the upholstery (every four years and usually during Diwali), cleaning (whitewashing) and changing the furniture, buying refrigerators, TVs, upgrading appliances.

c) Keep 10 to 15 per cent to buy jewellery (silver during Diwali or for weddings). This is also the time when the wedding season starts.

d) Keep 30 per cent aside for travel (holidays that most people plan during this time), eating out, gifting and socialising.

Smart buying tips: Small tricks to save big bucks

1 This is the time when many credit card companies tie up with stores and offer 0 per cent interest if you shop from those stores.

2 Though shopping with credit cards is not to be encouraged, use the tie-ups to your benefit. But make sure you spend only the amount that you have allotted to a particular product or category, no more. And you should have that amount in the bank. Don’t shop on credit.

3You can now scatter the payment (from the money you have saved in the bank for this purpose) over two-three months (interest free). Plus you will get interest on that money from the bank. So you don’t overspend and you also manage to get interest this way.

4 Another plus point of using credit cards during this time is that you may end up buying in a hurry (because of all the attractive deals). What you buy may turn out to be faulty. Even if you have lost the cash memo but have your credit card receipt, you can go to the store and claim an exchange. And if you end up in consumer court, a credit card receipt will help.

5 Buy in bulk during festive season, for example: buy three sets of sheets and get one set free.

6 Also, avail of membership discounts. While shopping through the year, collect membership cards from the stores you visit most often. They generally offer five to ten per cent discounts. If you add that up, you will save a sizeable amount.

Courtesy: Jai Kumar Tejwani, chartered accountant and partner JKT & Co, and financial consultant Radhika Mehtani 

Good causes
Hang it
Bright traditional handcrafted silk jhola from Kashmir for just `450. Available at Crafts
Museum, Pragati
Maidan, New Delhi

Get your Fill
Banana fibre tray with glasses from Eco-Corner, Mumbai for `385, 550, 650 and 950 (four different sizes)

Poo-tastic
Adorably recycled elephant poop notebooks by Haathi Chaap.
At O! Layla, Hauz Khas Village, Delhi and 109, Powai Plaza, Mumbai.
For `240

Rich & bright
A series of utility items made of river grass and mangalgiri cotton by NGOs Rainbow and Vismaya
promoted by Mother Earth. At Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhavan, Connaught Place and Sobo Central, Tardeo, Mumbai. `1,968 whole set

Cushion up
Cute dog pillow. From the NGO, Welfare of Stray Dogs. `220. Website: http://wsdindia.org

Power giftsSpeed up
Razor thin, ultra-light,
super-fast – the Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook is here. But it’s an expensive gift at R49,999

Tune in
For your music-loving buddies, the HD 25 Originals, the cool new electric blue over-the-ear headphones from Sennheiser R16,990

Find it
This is a useful gift, the TomTom Via 125 GPS
navigator. Now with the ability to pinpoint even
local landmarks. R15,000

Play on
Who loves gaming?
Give him/her the Sony PlayStation Portable,
R7,990. They’ll thank
you for a long time

Read it
The brand new Kindle from Amazon is now thinner, lighter and
keyboard-free! R4,905

Chat up
The stylish BlackBerry Bold Touch comes with the BlackBerry 7 OS. R31,500. Who wouldn’t want this as a gift?

Read More >>

How to Prepare Your Business for Google+

Google+ just opened its doors to the world by enabling open signups and moving to the beta, testing phase. The nascent social network is still thin on features and ways for businesses to properly use it, but its minimalist approach has gained Google+ millions of users in a very short period.

If you've tried it out for yourself, you'll know that making your way around Google+ is a simplistic, uncluttered experience compared to that of Facebook.

Back in July, Google promised that business profiles and features would be coming later, and as we get a little closer to when they are supposed to be announced later in 2011, it's time to position your business to take advantage in advance.

What's Coming for Business in Google+?

Google is preparing Google+ for businesses, as Christian Oestlien, Product Manager for Google+, explains in the video below. Rich analytics and the ability to connect to AdWords will be among those features.

Advertising will likely happen when Google rolls out business features, as Oestlien has stated that AdWords will play a part in the new business features. The ability to extend an existing advertising campaign into Google+ where you can target your client's interests will be invaluable. This will also extend Google's ability to advertise to local users for businesses that only offer services within a specific geographic area, exactly as you can on Facebook.

Stake Your Claim on Google+

Google has asked businesses to hold off on claiming user profiles for their businesses on Google+ until it rolls out certain features. This means that companies will likely have their own pages as they currently do on Facebook. As soon as Google+ business features are announced, you'll want to claim your company's home on Google+ by tasking someone in your company to watch for the announcement and setting up your Google+ business profile as soon as it comes.

You'll also want to stick with your company's real name. While it will be tempting to grab other names, such as keywords related to your business or misspelled versions of your company name, I suspect this practice will very likely be against Google policy. In addition to being your home on Google+, your business profile will be a valuable back-link for search engine optimization purposes.

If you've logged on and noticed that someone has taken your company name, don't panic. What they have created is not a business profile, and those are likely to be a little harder to establish than a user profile. This person is likely not from Coca-Cola, for example. Google has been actively cracking down on people who aren't using accounts for personal use only, and you can expect to be shut down if you try.

Prepare a list of influential people in your industry that you can apply later to your Google+ business profile.

What Edge Will Google+ Have Over Facebook?

Google+ will have a hard slog against Facebook. It will directly compete with the social network that has consistently gotten it right, especially when it comes to business use. Facebook's recently launched business portal is a great all-in-one tool for businesses to manage their presence on Facebook.

Google+ also lacks Facebook's user base of 800 million, although the Google+ user base has blown through 20 million so far and is steadily increasing.

Google's biggest ally against Facebook is Facebook itself. Facebook users have been getting ornery about its massive makeover rolled out this week, to the point where many may look at Google+ as a viable, pared-down alternative. The new Facebook Timeline should be a big concern for all of those new hires in the marketplace who may not want their frat-party status updates resurrected for co-workers on Facebook to see.

There is also the issue of demographics. Google+ is young-adult rich. This is the golden demographic that most marketers want to reach, and being able to reach it through a campaign that can be tracked through Google Analytics is a very attractive value proposition. In addition, there are other tie-in services Google could build into its features for business, which we have covered here.

How Can I Prepare My Ad Campaigns?

You can start researching targeted ad campaigns and the keywords you'll need to use so that when Google+ for business is launched, all you'll need to do is push a button. The first businesses to get on the more competitive keywords on Google+ will likely reap some rich rewards.

Prepare Content for Your Profile

A Google+ business profile is likely to follow the model of the current Google+ user profile. Have a concise, one paragraph description of your company ready, as well as any company logos and product photos that you would want to add. Make sure that your "About" paragraph contains relevant keywords for your business, just like your website copy does.

If we follow the model of the current user profile, videos will be an option as well. If you don't already have a product or company video, consider shooting one, since this can set you apart from your competitors in Google+.

Get Comfortable With Hangouts and Huddles

Google+ Hangouts and Huddles appear extremely useful for videoconferencing and cloud collaboration, and as a webcast platform. While they aren't a replacement for services like GoToMeeting yet, they do a great basic job and may be expanded on in the future.

While we can't say exactly when the new business features will be announced, they're promised for later in 2011, which could mean anytime between now and the end of the year. Prepare your company to hop on as soon as you can.

Read More >>

How to use Chrome's latest 'new tab' page

The blank Web site that stares back at you when you open a new browser tab is no longer a vast field of dead white space. Google is making Chrome's 'new tab' page a robust launch pad from which you can interact with your recently visited sites, Web apps, and bookmarks. It's currently only available in Chrome 15 beta, but it'll be handed over to the majority of people in the stable version of Chrome soon enough. Here's how you can use it, and thankfully it's intuitive.

The new page splits up your Most Visited sites, Chrome Web apps, and Bookmarks into three chunks. Arrows appear on the left and right page gutters. If you don't see them, mouse over that area and the background will light up. Use them to flip through the three default categories, and conveniently, Chrome will remember the last one you looked at and return you to it when you restart the browser.

There's a clever and intuitive organizational feature included, too. You can click and drag items from any of the three pages to the bottom bar and create custom categories for keeping them organized. Double-click where the new category label is blank to name it. You can also mix and match items in a custom category, so you can have your Google Calendar Offline Web app live next to your Gmail bookmark next to your Google.com frequently visited search. To remove an item, drag it toward the bottom right corner of the page, and a trash can will appear for you to drop it into.

Combine this with the age-old but still highly useful bookmarking method of location bar stars, which will appear on your Bookmarks page, and you've got a powerful yet simple way to ensure that you're always putting the parts of the Internet you care about most right where you want them.

Read More >>

How to unclutter your email inbox

Once upon a time we had in boxes and out boxes. They sat nicely stacked on our desks and, as the week went along, more memos, copies and little yellow phone messages came in than went out. The in box filled with paper detritus and raised our general stress levels.

Then came email. It sent the paper memo to the same crumply grave as folder tabs and carbon paper. The physical in and out boxes were used less and less frequently.

It was going to make our lives simpler. Neater. More organized.

For all the ballyhooed change, the horror of the in box is really worse than ever. It's now a single word (inbox), and is no longer made of gun metal or cherry wood. But we fear not being able to find an important email and believe we should be organizing our inboxes.

You can buy a book that will give you a "system" to get all those emails to their rightful place. Or, you can download a program, an app or, heaven help us, you can take a class at the community college. All promise to help you take back your inbox.

But I'll share a little secret. You don't really need to "get organized" to take control of all that email.

Mostly, you just need to take some steps to keep most of it out of your inbox.

Here are some things you can do now to help:

•Stop trying to follow a complicated system. Email programs have plenty of room these days. When you want a specific email, search for it. The key is to use good subject lines. No color coding, file tabs or alphabetizing. Here's your system: Start using good, descriptive subject lines that will be highly searchable. Ask those who frequently communicate with you to do the same. There's your system.

•If that's not enough for you, make folders in your email program for email from family, co-workers, clients, the boss, etc. Use your email program's filtering capabilities to automatically place email from a particular person into the appropriate folder.

•Control email from your social networks. Don't let Facebook send you an email every time Aunt Wilma plays "Words With Friends." Turn off all optional notifications and don't let your Facebook (or MySpace or LinkedIn) messages get forwarded to your main inbox. Leave email in its place of origin.

This week, Facebook announced on its own Facebook Page that it is testing a new feature to let you reduce notification emails even more.

"We'll provide a new summary email and turn off most individual email notifications," it said.

It's in test mode for now, but more than 33,500 people have hit the "like" button on that announcement, so it's likely to be on its way to broad adoption.

•Stop wasting time with Unsubscribe and start using Block Sender. Unsubscribing takes time, is generally too complex and often doesn't work. Not everyone plays nice. Block Sender is immediate.

You just have to convince yourself it isn't unkind to Block someone. Don't want those press releases, jokes of the day, constant mass updates or chain messages? Just make them stop.

Many proprietary email programs include a simple Block Sender button. Use yours without remorse. The widely available email systems sometimes require a couple of simple steps.

To block a sender in Gmail, follow the Create A Filter link near the search buttons. Type the desired email address under From. You can block an entire domain by entering just the domain name. When you're done, click Next Step —. Make sure Delete it is checked under Choose action.

In Outlook, you can quickly add a name to the Blocked Senders List by right-clicking on their unwanted e-mail message. Then, on the shortcut menu, point to Junk Email and click Add Sender to Blocked Senders List.

Learn how to delete email. You read it and dealt with it. If you don't need it, delete it.

Of course, the text, the tweet and other faster, briefer communication methods are lying in wait to hasten the demise of email as we know it.

But don't expect that to put an end to the clutter. There will be new problems. And when that time comes, you can count on me to be here for you with new solutions.

Read More >>

How to focus in a manic market

While the market was doing another backward swan dive, one email came to me that reflected the mass anxiety: “Some are saying it may be time to panic, and I am resisting. What do you think? And what does panic mean: Jump? Sell off?”

After I offered some brief words of staid resolve, it occurred to me that the luncheon speaker at the Morningstar ETF conference I was attending at the time had the right idea, even though he didn’t utter a word about finance or markets.

Words of fortitude came from Jeffrey Zaslow, who co-authored books with Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a disabled jet in the Hudson River (saving all 155 aboard); and Randy Pausch, the Carnegie-Mellon Professor who offered a moving “last lecture” on life and love before he died of cancer.

Both men faced life-threatening panics and had to make tough decisions. Sullenberger had minutes to decide the best course of action when bird strikes took out his jet’s engines after he left LaGuardia airport. Pausch had a few months to deliver his key life lessons to his students, colleagues and family.

What did they both have in common? Focus and an ability to discern what was important. To distill the essentials of life and articulate them. A lifetime of training, experience and thoughtful examination had prepared them for the moment of truth. As Zaslow noted, they — along with most of us — would be remembered for what they did in critical moments. Yet another such global moment is upon us.

I’m not going to pretend that the markets will suddenly see tomorrow that all will be okay with European banking, or that the U.S. government or American megabanks will fix their tattered balance sheets anytime soon. Or that we’re not all headed for a global recession or more bank failures.

All of that is possible and that’s why the markets are so utterly spooked. Volatility will not ease soon and if you can’t afford the risk, you shouldn’t be invested in stocks.

What I do know is that this is a perfect time to concentrate on what’s essential to you and your family. It’s nearing year-end, so now’s the perfect time to start asking — and answering — these questions:

Are you protected?

This question goes beyond having the basic forms of insurance to cover your vehicles, home/apartment/valuables, life and health. Disability insurance is essential because you’re far more likely to suffer loss of income for health reasons. Portfolio protection is key to make sure all of the risks (inflation, market, credit) are fully hedged.

Is your “gross family spending” positive?

I heard this phrase from Robert Arnott of Research Affiliates and thought it was perfectly descriptive of household financial health. It’s simple: Do your assets (home, business equity, pension, savings, cash) exceed your liabilities (mortgage, credit cards, taxes owed, loans)? If not, what can you do to clean up your balance sheet?

Do you have a plan?

I’m not just talking about a comprehensive financial plan that sets down your goals, objectives and risk factors in an investment policy statement. What about your estate planning? Do you have a living will or trust? Do you want to continue your education? How can you reduce your taxes? How do you plan to invest in your human capital — what you’re good at and passionate about?

What’s your legacy?

This is the hardest question of all. Building an estate is just fine, but if you leave behind love for the people you care about, there’s nothing wrong with that. This is the most lasting legacy.

You may come to the conclusion that you need some help in answering all of these questions. It wouldn’t hurt to approach all of your trusted advisors or summon your family to discuss some of these items. Also check in with your lawyer, accountant or financial planner.

Please note: By “trusted,” I don’t mean brokers or agents. Professionals who are not on commission can give you more objective advice.

Don’t make a move until you know your long-term plan. Now is a bad time to make a decision if you’re just doing it out of panic. You’re not alone in this and there’s no need to completely jump into gold or cash without having a rational defense.

The bottom line is sustainability. If your debts are out of control, why are you worried about the markets? And if you’re not protected against loss of income, the European banking situation is incredibly irrelevant.

After you’ve consulted with your family and professional counselors, then decide if your plan makes sense. You may feel that you’re still wobbly — and need to make some course corrections. But at least you won’t be flying blind.

Read More >>

How to get rid of a manipulative boyfriend

Having a boyfriend can be a wonderful and exciting experience. The feeling of companionship and closeness you can develop with your boyfriend can be matched by few other experiences. However, some boyfriends just don't quite make the grade. Manipulative people can be extremely difficult to deal with, and manipulative boyfriends can be even worse. Follow these steps to rid yourself of your manipulative boyfriend and start with a clean slate.

Instructions

* 1. Make a time to discuss your issues with your boyfriend. Pick a time that is not in the midst of an argument or disagreement so that emotions don't run too high during your talk. These feelings could cause you to feel guilty and second-guess yourself.

* 2. Start a private list of the reasons why your boyfriend is manipulative. Write down all of the ways in which he leaves you feeling manipulated, angry, upset or guilty. Correspond his behaviors with how you end up feeling to see the correlation on paper.

* 3. Talk to a friend or counselor if necessary before talking to your boyfriend. This step is especially helpful if you are especially sensitive to manipulation and worry about being assertive enough during your breakup conversation. Practice in front of a mirror or with a friend so that you will not give in to the possible manipulation.

* 4. Jot down various excuses your boyfriend is likely to come up with to counteract your feelings of manipulation. Remember that any excuses that he comes up with will most likely be an attempt to manipulate you into doing what he wants you to do.

* 5. Be strong when having the discussion with your boyfriend. Be respectful; saying something like "I hate you because you manipulate me" will not be as affective as saying "this relationship isn't working for me because I feel manipulated much of the time and am tired of feeling jerked around". Say what you mean, be firm and have the confidence to know that you deserve better in a relationship.

Read More >>

How to find out who unfriended you on Facebook

We've shown you how to try Facebook's new profile page — also known as the "Timeline" — right now, but did you know that it's more than just a pretty design? It can be used to find out exactly which of your friends quietly unfriended you at some point.

This clever trick was discovered by the folks at Buzzfeed (who we hear skipped work to spend the whole day playing around with Timelines) and it's pretty simple.

All you have to do after enabling Timeline on your Facebook account is pick a random year and scroll down until you find a "Friends" box.

Facebook

Once you've found one of those boxes, click on the "Made [some number] New Friends" text.

You'll see a little pop-up with a list of the friends you made at that particular point in time. If you're still friends with a person, the button next to his or her name will say "Friends." But if you're not? Then the button will say "Add Friend" instead.

Busted!

Facebook

Of course it's worth noting that the people who have an "Add Friend" button might not have unfriended you — instead they might've been the victims of your friend list purge.

Read More >>

How to plummet 10 storeys without killing yourself

Peter Kent on some of the tricks of a stuntman's trade:

? A "high fall" is when you jump off a building that's at least 10 storeys.

"You're usually into an airbag," says Kent, who produced an award-winning series on stunts called Stunt Dawgs in 2006.

"The trick is to get your landing right and not to go in feet first or head first, because they can result in a broken neck or a torn spinal cord. I know people who have done that, unfortunately. You go in flat on your back or [do] an 'over,' where you go head down and at the last second you flip your legs over and go in on your back."

"The old school method is box catchers. You use a big square cardboard box, three foot by three foot, they stack those one on top of the other, then stretch a tarp over top of all that.

"That's old school. Sometimes if you're out somewhere where you don't have access to electricity and can't use an airbag, box catchers are your only method."

On the Schwarzenegger movie The Last Action Hero, Kent fell 18 storeys using a third method, a wire. "It's a free fall, but you have a wire on your back," he says.

"The wire slows you down, so as you come closer to the ground the speed wicks off until you just touch down. But for the first 15 or 16 floors you're in a free fall, right at the concrete.

"The luxury of that shot is you can look over the person who is falling's shoulder and see the ground, there's no airbag to give it away. They remove the wire on computer. It's a pretty good rush. Especially knowing that if the cable breaks there's nothing to stop you, it's just splat, right to the pavement."

? A "stair fall" is when you go ass over teakettle down stairs. "The trick is to try to keep your chin tucked in to your chest," he says."If the director wants you to go head first straight down the stairs, that's what you do. Otherwise, you ride the walls, like back and forth between the walls to take some of your speed off."

A solo stair fall is completely different than doing one with another stuntman.

"The thing is, you want to get on top of them and ride them all the way down the stairs," he chuckles.

"That's why when you see a couple falling down a flight of stairs, it looks hairball as hell, because each guy is struggling to get on top of the other guy to ride him down the stairs, to take the worst of the beating."

He laughs, but doing stunts can be painful.

"You've got to give credit to the stunt women," he says.

"A lot of times the guys are wearing pads and stuff under their pants. [But] then you'll get a woman in a skimpy dress doing a stair fall, and you can't hide anything under that. I give kudos to a lot of the [stunt] women out there, because many times they take way more of a beating than the men do. 'We want you to do this in a frigging negligee. Okay.' "

? Going through glass can also be tricky.

"They break [the glass] with what's called a squib," he relates. At the second of impact, a little charge goes off and smashes the glass. Back when I was in great shape, I had to do a Baywatch episode where I went out a set of plate glass patio windows onto the deck of a house in Malibu, landing in the glass, in my underwear.

"That cut me up pretty good - it's not fake glass, it's real glass. I landed in all these glass particles and sliced the hell out of my back."

Read More >>

Travel advice: how to recover a hotel booking fee

On July 9 I booked two return flights to Prague with easyJet, travelling out on January 12 for a four-night stay. I also booked hotel accommodation through easyJet because I wanted to be sure that if the flight timings were changed I could amend the hotel booking.

EasyJet has now cancelled the outbound flight and can offer no alternative on the same day. It says it will refund our fares but will not cancel the hotel booking and refund the £200 we have already paid.

It says we have a separate contract with easyJet/LateRooms because we completed the flight booking before purchasing the hotel room. If we had bought both elements in one transaction, we would have been covered.

If this is the case, why is it not made clear at the time of booking?

Carol Bannister, Bristol

Gill Charlton replies

A spokesman for easyJet said it doesn’t matter whether customers book accommodation before or after paying for the flight reservation, as the contract is always direct with the hotel. Its agent was wrong to tell you otherwise.

Both easyJet and LateRooms.com act only as booking agents and not as holiday organisers. This means that customers are not protected under the European Union’s Package Travel Regulations 1992, which state that if the holiday organiser cancels an essential element of the package the customer is entitled to a refund of all money paid under the contract.

The easyJet spokesman said that in most cases accommodation is sold through LateRooms on a book-now-pay-later basis, with no payment being taken until the customer reaches the hotel. This means that when a flight is cancelled the customer is normally able to cancel without charge.

However, you booked a non-refundable room for a special advance-purchase price. EasyJet can usually work with LateRooms to resolve the problem, and apologises for failing to help you. The company has now agreed to refund the full cost of your hotel reservation.

Southern India tour

We are touring southern India for three weeks and would like to spend a few days relaxing in Goa at the end at a comfortable resort-style hotel. Which beach should we choose?

Susan Prentice, Southampton

Gill Charlton replies

Avoid the beaches of North Goa: Baga and Calangute are noisy and dirty and Anjuna is synonymous with drugs and beach parties. Candolim, at the southern end of Calangute beach, is quieter and the beach is clean.

I would stay at the long-established, low-key Taj Holiday Village, which has its own security. To get far away from tourists and beach traders, drive 90 minutes north of Panjim to Fort Tiracol (www.forttiracol.com), a small heritage hotel perched on rocks above the sea. The simple stylish rooms cost from £120 a night half board. There’s no pool but it’s a short walk and ferry ride back across the river to a beautiful deserted beach.

Most resort hotels are found south of the capital, Panjim. Colva is now busy, so I would head for Benaulim or Varca, farther south, where four- and five-star resort hotels such as the Taj Exotica, the Leela Goa and the Club Mahindra are situated.

As you are touring, you might also consider the Neeleshwar Hermitage near Bekal, a Relais & Chateaux hotel on an unspoilt beach in northern Kerala that is safe for swimming. It is represented in Britain by Mahout (01295 758150, www.mahoutuk.com).

Is the cash on travel money cards safe?

For our forthcoming trip to Australia, we are considering loading funds on a travel money card. I asked staff at my local Thomas Cook branch whether such cards are covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, but they did not know. Online, I came across the Cashplus prepaid MasterCard. Its website says it is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), but what does this mean? The Co-op’s money card agreement states that all deposits are placed in a special account, but how can I be sure of this?

I should be grateful if you could advise on the financial status of these prepaid cards.

Sylvia Bond, Derby

Gill Charlton replies

The FSA issues licences to the providers of e-money accounts after making rigorous checks on their businesses. New legislation to protect customers has been brought in since the failure of the currency specialist Crown Exchange.

Cashplus, for example, says that money credited to travel cards is ring-fenced in a tri-party trust account managed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, MasterCard and Travelplus.

“To release money from the trust account we need multiple signatures,” a spokesman for Cashplus said. “The money can be used only for the settlement of prepaid travel card obligations and even the bank isn’t allowed to re-lend or reinvest it.”

This means that there would be no problems with liquidity even if all Cashplus customers wanted to withdraw their funds at the same time.

Other providers of prepaid travel cards work with the Newcastle Building Society, which operates a similar trust account system.

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How to reduce risk but stay in the stock game

The relief rally that pushed the Standard & Poor’s 500 index back above 1,200 ended abruptly Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it would purchase $400 billion of longer-dated Treasurys to “put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates.”

Global markets sold off big time, a selloff that continued Thursday, as the Fed’s downbeat statement cited continued economic weakness. But the debt crisis in Europe and here will make it difficult for governments to take steps to stimulate their economies.

Who’s most responsible for the US debt crisis? Read Howard Gold’s view and cast your vote on the Independent Agenda.

Also, as the third quarter comes to an end, analysts and strategists are ratcheting down their earnings forecasts and their price targets for the S&P. Meanwhile, prophecies of gloom and doom are everywhere. I know — I’ve made a few of them myself.

But that shouldn’t completely stop you from investing. None of us really knows where the market is going, so drastic moves to put all our money into stocks or pull all of it out at any one time usually don’t work.

So what should you do now? Basically I think you need some exposure to equities, but the key word there is “some.” And which ones you hold matter a lot.

“’Get my risk down’ — that’s what people are asking for,” said Richard Band, whose newsletter, Profitable Investing, is aimed at conservative investors.

“People are very afraid,” he told me. “They want the maximum return possible from a low-risk standpoint.”

The reliability of dividends

They’re also shell shocked. After the dot-com bust, a housing bubble, and the biggest financial crisis and deepest recession since the 1930s, their expectations are definitely lower. No wonder investors pulled $75 billion out of stock mutual funds in the four months since the end of April, Bloomberg News reported — more than they withdrew in the four months after Lehman Brothers fell

Read Howard Gold’s take on why he’s lightening up on stocks for good on MoneyShow.com.

“Certainly it’s been a lost decade,” said Band. “Gradually folks have seen that capital gains were not certain.”

So instead of chasing the next hot stock they’re looking for the greater reliability of dividends. “In the last 10-11 years, more than 100% of your return has come from dividends,” he explained.

In fact, Band said investors should “get as much of your return up front as possible in the form of interest and dividends.” He thinks the bull market is entering its later stages and investors should move into more defensive sectors, like health care, consumer staples and utilities.

“First, shift the portfolio to defensive equities,” he told me, and then, “move more of your money into fixed income.”

His biggest concern: aging baby boomers. “I’m worried about a huge flood of people over 65 redeeming mutual funds and selling stocks out of retirement accounts,” he said.

Thousands of people turn 65 every day, and there will be a big jump in that population over the next five years, which Band called “the demographic peak of retirements.”

He’s focusing on large, dividend-paying multinational blue-chip stocks. Among his favorites: AT&T /quotes/zigman/398198/quotes/nls/t T -1.94% , Nestle /quotes/zigman/137226 NSRGY -1.45% and PepsiCo /quotes/zigman/238082/quotes/nls/pep PEP +0.21% .

Even if AT&T doesn’t get its proposed merger with T-Mobile approved, it would still be a leading telecom and wireless company that has raised dividends for 27 years in a row, “right through the recession,” Band said. He pointed out that its current yield is near 6%, double the yield on 30-year Treasuries and three times that of the S&P 500.

Swiss food giant Nestle trades actively over the counter, he said, and has raised dividends 15 years in a row, with a current yield of 3.8%. The Swiss national bank’s efforts to rein in the Swiss franc will help Nestle’s earnings, he said.

PepsiCo is racking up annual revenue growth of 24% in emerging markets, he said, as it focuses more on snacks and nutritional products. Pepsi has raised dividends 39 years in a row and its stock yields 3.4%.

For those who prefer exchange traded funds, he recommends a new one: PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio /quotes/zigman/5035470/quotes/nls/splv SPLV -2.04% . It takes the 100 least volatile stocks in the S&P 500 over the past 12 months and rebalances every quarter, so it “automatically moves you out of things as they become more volatile.” It’s just a few months old, so it doesn’t have much of a track record.

Safety, low volatility — where’s that?

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Harris Private Bank in Chicago, is “pretty negative,” he told me. “We raised cash on Aug. 4.”

In fact, cash in the accounts his firm manages is “now 10% across the board. That’s really our maximum,” he said.

“I think the market is currently anticipating a 20% decline in earnings, which is kind of consistent with a normal recession,” he continued, and in that environment it’s safety first. “We’re going to the safest, lowest volatility area of the market.”

What’s that?

“Our preference at the moment is U.S. focus over international, megacap over small cap, and growth over value,” he told me. He said the risk in Europe is too high, while emerging markets are facing inflationary pressures.

“It’s still a market where you’d rather keep some powder dry, “he said. “This bouncing ball in Europe in particular could land in so many different places.”

Read Howard’ Golds commentary on how debt will haunt the markets for years on MoneyShow.com.

He also likes investment grade corporate bonds, which are “OK as long as inflation rates stay relatively low.” One ETF that covers this area is iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond /quotes/zigman/309117/quotes/nls/lqd LQD +0.19% .

Band, too, likes investment grade corporates, but he “wouldn’t touch Treasurys—I think they’re very, very overvalued.”

So do I, though they may have a bit longer to go as the Fed rolls out its program to buy long-dated Treasurys.

I like Ablin’s allocation of 40% equities at this point. I would concentrate my holdings at 30% large U.S. equities, through the kind of stocks Richard Band likes and a fund of dividend paying blue chips like Vanguard Dividend Growth /quotes/zigman/245144 VDIGX -2.56% or its ETF equivalent, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation /quotes/zigman/1495790/quotes/nls/vig VIG -3.48% . (I own the mutual fund.)

I’d also hold 10% in emerging-market equities while avoiding Europe or Japan, where you get little bang for the extra buck of risk. I wouldn’t buy emerging markets just yet, but would build my position as they sell off more, as I suspect they will.

I would put 40% in bonds, like the LQD ETF Ablin recommends, plus a mixture of high-yield bonds and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities. Ten percent more would go into cash, and the remaining 10% in gold and dollar hedges. I do expect the dollar’s quiet rally to continue and I wouldn’t be surprised to see gold fall into the $1,600-an-ounce territory, but that might be a good buying opportunity. (I own the SPDR Gold Shares ETF and an ETF focused on the Australian dollar.)

You can’t outguess the markets, especially these days, but if you’re in solid, dividend-paying stocks and have real diversification, that’s the best you can do in a volatile, uncertain world.

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