luxurybag

Women still facing glass ceiling in 2010: study

Women saw small advancement in corporate boardrooms and compensation in 2010, extending a 5-year trend in which companies have lagged in promoting and mentoring of females to their own detriment, according to a brand new study released on Monday.

“Corporate the united states needs to get ‘unstuck’ when it comes to advancing females to leadership,” said Ilene Lang, president and chief executive of Catalyst, a non-profit organization that advocates greater opportunities for females.

The study found that 136 of the Fortune 500 companies had no females executives. Among those with no females were Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway, Citigroup, Costco Wholesale and Sears, the study said.

The study was based on annual filings made by Fortune 500 companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission or, in the case of insurance companies, to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

“This is our fifth document where the annual change in female leadership remained flat. If this trend line represented a patient’s pulse, she’d be dead,” Lang said.

females held 14.4 percent of executive officer positions in 2010, up from 13.5 percent in 2009, and female executive officers held 7.6 percent of the top earning positions, up from 6.3 percent in 2009, the 2010 Catalyst Census said.

females held 15.7 percent of board seats in 2010, a 0.5 percentage point gain over 2009, and more than 10 percent of companies lacked any females on their boards in 2009 and 2010.

The best five companies in terms of females in the executive suit were: Gap 50 percent, H&R Block 50 percent, Limited Brands 50 percent, TIAA-CREF 50 percent and Western Union 45.5 percent.

Companies need to be satisfied that diversity in leadership was important, Lang said.

Catalyst research showed men with mentors were promoted more and compensated at a higher rate than females, while females with mentors were far less likely to be promoted or paid more due to being mentored.

“To be successful they have to have more points of view — people from all kinds of background and have diversity in the senior leadership,” he said. “It’s core to the strategy.”

Country dirt road

What’s mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.

There’s not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn’t be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.

That it can jar1) you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it’s worth it, if at the end is home…a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy2) ride.

We wouldn’t have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.

There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.

Criminals didn’t walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they’d be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.

People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn’t tailgate3) by riding the bumper4) or the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield5) with rocks. Our values were better when our roads were worse!

Dirt Roads taught patience.

Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn’t hop in6) your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mail box.

What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows7) and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy’s shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.

Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.

At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn’t some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini8).

At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes9) would get stuck, you’d have to hitch up10) a team and pull them out.

Usually you got a dollar…always you got a new friend…at the end of a Dirt Road!

Iran calls for Asian “convergence” at ACD meeting in Tehran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for convergence of the Asian countries at the ninth ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), which kicked off in Tehran on Monday.

Ahmadinejad said at the opening ceremony that Asia is in need of convergence in order to implement its determining responsibility in the world which is urgently in need of a change in terms of order and conduct.

The ACD ministerial meeting, themed “Towards Asian Convergence and Unification: Promotion of Progress, Peace and Justice,” will last two days.

Ahmadinejad said that a mechanism to help countries reach convergence should be developed in Asia, and a convergent Asia, under any title or any name, should actively participate in resolving the global issues.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during the 9th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Tehran, capital of Iran, Nov. 8, 2010. Ahmadinejad called for convergence of the Asian countries during the ACD ministerial meeting in Tehran on Monday.

He said the existing world order is lacking the efficiency to resolve world issues and to create development, peace and justice.

“We are in need of a new world order which guarantees the nations’ rights, to recognize the dignity of human being and to promise lasting peace and security,” he said.

He added that Asia is the cradle of great civilizations and its culture is full of kindness, devotion, passion and friendship.

With such a pretext it is the responsibility of the Asian countries to actively restructure the global order, he stressed.

Ten-Year-Old Gives Birth In Spain

A ten-year-old girl gave birth last week in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. Mother and baby are reportedly in good health. Is this the youngest-ever mother in Europe?

The girl is a Romanian gypsy who arrived in Spain with her mother just three weeks ago, so that she could have her baby there. The mother, who identified herself as Olimpia, has said that she is “delighted” to have a new granddaughter, adding that they plan to stay in Spain, and that the father of the baby, age 13, is no longer in the picture.

Romanian Gypsy Mother Doesn’t Understand The Problem

Olimpia also said that she doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about because she and her daughter are Romanian Gypsies and their culture allows girls to marry young even though it’s against the law in Romania.

“That’s the way we get married,” she told reporters on Tuesday, November 2, outside the apartment building in the southern town of Lebrija where the family is staying.

Consensual Sex Under Age 13

But yes, fuss there is. Spanish newspapers report outrage, and the local social service authorities are deciding whether to let the girl and her family retain custody of the baby. Under Spanish law, having consensual sex with someone under age 13 is classified as child abuse. But a Justice Ministry official said this particular case is complicated, because the alleged father is not in Spain and is also a minor, so it is not clear whether he could be charged.

Child Giving Birth To A Child

But that’s not the biggest issue here, obviously. A child giving birth to a child is the issue, and throwing in the idea of marriage is completely beside the point.

This case is a tragic story. Ask any fourth grader, girl or boy, what they would think about becoming a parent, and how do you think they will respond? It’s a time of exploration and excitement, and the beginning of developing independence, moving towards adolescence.

What About Children’s Rights?

How can a ten-year-old grasp that she has a baby now, but that she will be responsible for another human being for the rest of her life?

And what about the child, with a mother just ten years older than her?

Aretha Franklin cancels appearances for six months

The 68-year-old, who was admitted to hospital in Detroit last month for undisclosed reasons, is “resting comfortably” at home.

A statement from the star’s publicist said she was “very anxious to get back on the road to perform for her fans”.

Franklin shelved two gigs in August after breaking two ribs in a fall.

“The award-winning songstress sends her sincerest apologies to her loyal followers and colleagues for the cancelled shows,” the statement continued.

Among the appearances that have been called off is a Christmas concert in Detroit, where she was due to perform with Temptations singer Dennis Edwards, her former fiance.

Franklin has won a total of 20 Grammy Awards during her career, including two honorary awards.

In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The singer, often referred to as the “Queen of Soul”, performed at last year’s inauguration ceremony of US President Barack Obama.

how to succeed in life

Everybody wants to preach to the young, and tell them to be good and they will be happy. I shall not enter far upon that field, but confine myself to presenting from a business man’s standpoint of view, a few rules, which, I believe, lie at the root of business success.

First–Never enter a bar-room. Do not drink liquor as a beverage. I will not paint the evil of drunkenness, or the moral crime; but I suggest to you that it is low and common to enter a bar-room, unworthy of any self-respecting man, and sure to fasten upon you a taint which will operate to your disadvantage in life, whether you ever become a drunkard or not.

Second–I wish young men would not use tobacco–not that it is morally wrong, except in so far as it is used in excess and injures health, which the medical faculty declares it does. But the use of tobacco requires young men to withdraw themselves from the society of women to indulge the habit. I think the absence of women from any assembly tends to lower the tone of that assembly. The habit of smoking tends to carry young men into the society of men whom it is not desirable that they should choose as their intimate associates. The practice of chewing tobacco was once common. Now it is considered offensive. I believe the race is soon to take another step forward, and that the coming man is to consider smoking as offensive as chewing was formally considered. As it is practically abandoned now, so I believe smoking will be.

Third–Having entered upon work, continue in that line of work. Fight it out on that line (except in extreme cases), for it matters little what avenue a young man finds first. Success can be attained in any branch of human labor. There is always room at the top in every pursuit. Concentrate all your thought and energy upon the performance of your duties. Put all your eggs into one basket and then watch that basket, do not scatter your shot. The man who is director in a half dozen railroads and three or four manufacturing companies, or who tries at one and the same time to work a farm, a factory, a line of street cars, a political party and a store, rarely amounts to much. He may be concerned in the management of more than one business enterprise, but they should all be of the one kind, which he understands. The great successes of life are made by concentration.

Fourth–Do not think a man has done his full duty when he has performed the work assigned him. A man will never rise if he does only this. Promotion comes from exceptional work. A man must discover where his employer’s interests can be served beyond the range of the special work allotted to him; and whenever he sees his employer’s interests suffer, or wherever the latter’s interests can be promoted, tell him so. Differ from your employers upon what you think his mistakes. You will never make much of a success if you do not learn the needs and opportunities of your own branch much better than your employer can possibly do. You have been told to “obey orders if you break owners.” Do no such foolish thing. If your employer starts upon a course which you think will prove injurious, tell him so, protest, give your reasons, and stand to them unless convinced you are wrong. It is the young man who does this, that capital wants for a partner or for a son-in-law.

Fifth–Whatever your wages are, save a little. Live within your means. The heads of stores, farms, banks, lawyers’ offices, physicians’ offices, insurance companies, mills and factories are not seeking capital; they are seeking brains and business habits. The man who saves a little from his income has given the surest indication of the qualities which every employer is seeking for.

Sixth–Never speculate. Never buy or sell grain or stocks upon a margin. If you have savings, invest them in solid securities, lands or property. The man who gambles upon the exchanges is in the condition of the man who gambles at the gaming table. He rarely, if ever, makes a permanent success. His judgment goes; his faculties are snapped; and his end, as a rule, is nervous prostration after an unworthy and useless life.

Seventh–If you ever enter business for yourself, never indorse for others. It is dishonest. All your resources and all your credit are the sacred property of the men who have trusted you; and until you have surplus cash and owe no man, it is dishonest to give your name as an indorser to others. Give the cash you can spare, if you wish, to help a friend. Your name is too sacred to give.

Do not make riches, but usefulness, your first aim; and let your chief pride be that your daily occupation is in the line of progress and development; that your work, in whatever capacity it may be, is useful work, honestly conducted, and as such ennobling to your life.

Get Married, But Keep Your Credit Separate

Let’s just get this out of the way up front. Half of the married people reading this will get or have already gotten divorced.

Those are the numbers reported by the Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta, as well as a variety of other sources that track such statistics. So while practically all of us make some sort of statement about our marriage lasting “till death do us part”, the reality is that it won’t for half of us.

So what does this mean for you, credit-wise? It means there’s a 50% chance that you may have to go through the process of separating yourself from your ex-spouse’s credit. And while it’s really easy to co-mingle debt, it’s next to impossible to de-mingle it.

Why is it so hard? The simple answer is that the creditor does not recognize the court’s assignment of debt responsibility.

So when you’re standing there in court or in the lawyer’s office agreeing on the terms of the divorce, there’s one very important party missing: your lenders. Since your lenders are not a party to the divorce agreement, they are not bound by its terms. That means just because you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse agree that one of you will pay the Visa while the other pays the MasterCard, it means nothing to the lender and is as worthless in their eyes as the paper it’s printed on.

This is the primary reason you should attempt to maintain credit independence while you’re married. It has nothing to do with machismo. It has nothing to do with whether or not you love the other person. It has nothing to do with trust. And it has nothing to do with whether or not you think the marriage will last. The stats don’t lie. This is about being practical.

There are clearly exceptions to this rule. If you need two incomes to qualify for a home loan then both of you will have to sign the promissory note and be legally obligated to pay back the debt. If you need two incomes to qualify for a car loan then both of you will have to sign the auto loan paperwork as well. But, I would argue that if you need two incomes to qualify for an auto loan then you’re buying way too much car.

Additionally, there are states where you will both be liable for credit card debt even if only one of you applied for the card. These are called “Community Property” states. There are only ten of them: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Wisconsin and Texas. The argument there is that since you both likely benefited from the debt you both are liable for the debt. Sorry, you’re out of luck either way.

There is no real benefit for jointly applying for credit cards anyway. You can easily add your spouse as an “authorized user” on your existing cards (and vice versa) if you really want the two of you to have access to the same cards. Doing this allows both of you to have a card, you can both use the card freely, and you won’t have liability unless you live in one of those ten states. Jointly applying doesn’t do you any good, but it does do the credit card issuer a lot of good. Why have one liable party when you can have two?

If you have disproportionate balances on your individual credit cards then that can be addressed while dividing assets. If you owe $10,000 on an individual card that benefitted both spouses, then $5,000 has to be credited by the other spouse. That’s 1000 times easier than arguing with your ex to make the payments on the card after it’s too late.

The downside to assigning payment responsibility to joint cards after the divorce is huge, and all too common. If Jack is supposed to make the payment but doesn’t, then both Jack’s and Jill’s credit will suffer. And if Jack defaults, then the collection calls and efforts will persist against both Jack and Jill. And simply arguing “I don’t owe Jack’s debt” won’t work.

Top 5 Groceries You Buy and Then Throw Away

We go into the grocery store with the best of intentions, usually… I mean, assuming we’re not violating the cardinal rule, “Never grocery shop while hungry.” We try to plan out our meals to some degree, and think of all kinds of great things we can cook with various ingredients. But outside the grocery store, life is different. You get busy, you get exhausted, you don’t feel like making the intricate meals that seemed worth the time in your head. Or you get depressed and instead of something fresh, you reach for the comfort of microwave pizza or nachos or what have you.

​5. Vegetables

It’s after the holidays. You’re fat as hell. Your clothes are tight, and you feel like you’re starting to have trouble catching your breath. It’s time to lose weight. In accordance with your New Year’s resolution (the same one you make every year), you spent the last grocery trip buying tons of healthy meal options, including way too many vegetables. So you take them all home and put them in your crisper drawer, and there approximately 80 percent of them will remain until they’ve sprouted vines and walked away. Oh, you’ll probably eat a serving or two of salad, or at least put some of it on a sandwich. The first couple of nights, you’ll snack on the carrots and celery – with low-fat dressing, even – and try to be good. But then you’ll remember the reason you never eat this crap in the first place: It’s wholly unsatisfying. By the time you’ve eaten enough vegetables to feel full, you’ve got gas problems that scare your family and pets. You have to worry about whatever pesticides they’re soaked in, and if you buy organic veggies, then you have to worry about them rotting twice as fast. We don’t know how vegetarians do it. Veggies will never, ever beat chips or meat or pasta, and most of us are only able to lie to ourselves that they do for so long.

​4. Bargain meat

Okay, just hold on a second. We know that bargain meat is super-cheap and you’re tempted to buy 12 pounds of it, but stop and think. The manager has put that meat on sale because it’s mere hours, perhaps minutes away from going bad. Is the entire batch going to be your very next meal? If not, are you going to go home and cook it right away and save it for later? Maybe you will… but probably not. Most likely, you’ll stick it in the fridge thinking “I’ll just cook it up tomorrow, it’s no big deal.” Odds are that’s the last time you see it until a few months later when your fridge starts smelling like roadkill and you slowly open the meat drawer to look upon the squirming, exploded horror that is a long-neglected pile of meat. But even if you do let it sleep just the one night, will you really be okay with it the next day? The lights in your house aren’t as bright as the lights in the supermarket, and the stuff is looking pretty gray. If you’re health-conscious at all, you’ll err on the side of caution and feed it to the dog.

​3. Milk

Milk doesn’t get much of a chance to go bad at our house, because we personally go through a lot of it. It’s our favorite thing to drink with meals, the one childish habit we never really outgrew (that, and our love of Silly Putty). Nearly every other house we’ve set foot in, however, has always held a trap for us in the form of a carton of milk curdling on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Spending the night at friends’ places, we learned pretty quickly to thoroughly check the appearance and scent of their milk before giving it a passing grade. People just don’t use milk for much. People put it in their coffee and on their cereal, but that’s pretty much it. Very few people drink it by the pint like we do, and it goes bad quickly.

​2. Bread

Unless you’re buying unusually small loaves of bread or sharing a normal-size loaf among two or three other people, moldy bread is one of the easiest things to wind up with in the world. Unless you’re eating two or three sandwiches a day, it’s difficult to make it through an entire loaf without the last few slices getting stale, and honestly, that’s way too many goddamn sandwiches. If you’re eating that many you’ll need to stock up on all kinds of lunch meat, and then a few of those will go bad. One idea we’ve used a couple of times is to make French toast with the bread that’s almost gone bad; you can’t really tell the difference after it’s been slathered with egg, sugar and syrup. In fact, you’d be surprised how many foods that’s true with, but we’re told “French Quiche” wasn’t the rousing success we thought it would be.

​1. Strawberries

No fruit goes bad faster than a strawberry. Sometimes we can hear them starting to rot on the way home from the store. We usually only get one or two servings out of a box before inevitably we forget they’re in the fruit drawer. Even a day or two of absent-mindedness is long enough for them to start shriveling and tasting funny, and if you’ve forgotten them for more than a week, you may find yourself stumbling across a plastic box full of white fuzz which you can’t for the life of you tell what it used to be. Since bananas have this problem too, we like to take our almost-overripe strawberries and bananas and blend them into a smoothie. Or who are we kidding: shakes. That’s right, shakes, with Bluebell ice cream.

Cotton prices to a new high record of 10 years is expected to benefit from the relevant listed company

25, the China Cotton Index (CC Index328) exceeded 20,000 yuan / ton mark, reaching 20,236 yuan / ton, setting a 10-year high record. The continued high price of cotton significantly reduced the profit margins of textile companies.

National Development and Reform Commission will jointly Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Business Administration and other seven ministries in the Sept. 27 held a national teleconference on the work of cotton, cotton production and marketing analysis of the current situation, the deployment of the work of cotton in 2010.

◎ cotton production cuts led to an important cause of rising cotton prices. In addition to objective factors, the hot money speculation cotton is an important reason to promote the cotton prices. Therefore, we must prescribe the right medicine, and safeguarding the interests of farmers, while the cotton speculation against malicious behavior.

Cotton prices are expected to benefit from the relevant listed company. A share listed companies, listed companies involved in cotton business mainly Xinnongkaifa, Xinsaigufen, Dunhuang Seed.