Don't Be a Secret Agent". . I am going to put a Marketing Tip on the front page of my Website ww.carolhaaz.com every day. I hope you will add your tips also. We can all learn from each other.
 
Tip #24
Every once in a while we all feel like we are taken for granted, that we are working just to pay the bills, or that no one really cares so why bother. Before you get to that day again buy yourself a notebook with lots of clear plastic sleeves and when ever you get a thank you note or a kind reference letter put it in the notebook. When you are having a bad day get the notebook out and read what people really think of you. It will brighten your day. Happy 2012 everyone....see you next year

A new report released by the Brookings Institute found that school districts that made top marks on standardized tests came from students who lived in neighborhoods filled with $200,005 homes. The far-reaching implications of this study demonstrate how land-use and school policies shape the education landscape. As education systems assign students to schools based on the neighborhood their parents can afford, equal opportunity of education for low-income students is significantly reduced.

The Cost of $200,000 Homes

The size and layout of a house that costs $200,000 varies greatly from city to city; this slideshow  give a better idea of what a $200,000 home looks like. According to test performance data in 100 of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., homes near the best schools cost nearly 2.5 times as much (on average) as homes near lower-scoring public schools. Houses in high-scoring neighborhoods typically cost $11,000 more per year than those in lower-scoring neighborhoods. Thirty percent fewer are rented, and homes have 1.5 additional rooms in areas with better schools, according to the study. 

It’s always a challenge to find new records, what with work, social obligations, children, and life in general getting in the way. Thankfully, online music engines abound on the Internet for the super-busy person. Before you get too overwhelmed with today’s gargantuan music selection, explore some of these helpful sites to discover your new favorite artists. 

1 – Tune into Online Radio Stations

Twenty years ago you may have turned on the radio in your car to discover new music. With online radio sites like Pandora and Last.fm, you can tune into a station that plays music according to your tastes. To use these services, all you have to do is type in one artist, for example, “Prince.” The site will then configure a playlist based on the music styling of the artist or song you chose. It’s is a great way to get introduced to artists you may have never heard of, with very little effort or research on your part. 

In the halcyon days of Facebook, college friends connected with each other, networked for career purposes, and shared fun memories. Now, however, Facebook has turned into a social Narcissus, where people become trapped on the site, checking and updating statuses at all hours of the day. Where stalking is acceptable and showing off encouraged, Facebook has turned “Likes” into social currency. 

Harvard scientists have released a study that proves what everyone already knew about Facebook: it’s addictive. In the study, scientists found that online social interaction, particularly bragging and self- promotion, triggered sensations of pleasure, similar to what happens when we eat ice cream or receive a yearly bonus.

Because activities on Facebook, like posting photos and sharing your thoughts, are so closely tied to pleasure, it makes sense that so many of us flock to the site multiple times a day. The brain remembers the thrill of reading friends’ comments and wall posts. What the brain remembers, it repeats, and this is the source of addictive Facebook behavior.

A group of researchers in Norway recently delved deeper into Facebook addiction, observing the behavior of 423 people to uncover some of the risk factors associated with Facebook use. They found younger people more addicted than older people, and that women were more susceptible to Facebook addiction than men. This led the team to develop the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. 

There are numerous tools available today that can calculate how long you should expect to live. They are free web-based tools that allow you to input your age and other information, and they calculate your life expectancy. But what do they really tell you?

How They Work

There are basic calculators that only require your birthdate and gender. These are generalized calculators that base their results on the overall population in your age range. For more precise information you will need to use a complex calculator.

With complex calculators, you provide information about your age, family history, and lifestyle. From this information the system will calculate how long you can expect to live. While these are more accurate, they do not take into account what would happen if you make good or bad changes in your life. They still make their calculations based on statistics for the general population.