Marcella Glenn - Writer

Marcella Glenn - Writer

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Resolutions

Resolutions may or may not be part of your New Year's habit/plan. Some people make a habit of verbalizing New Year's resolutions, few do it because of others but here are a few tips on keeping them.

Start small. A walking routine could begin with a mile instead of seven miles, for example.

You must be resolute, sure of the New Year's resolution. The resolution(s) has to be what you want. A friend, cousin, aunt, coach or neighbor doing it isn't enough motivation.

Make sure you have the time and energy for a resolution.

Determination is needed for a New Year's resolution. Make-up your mind, claim the resolution.

The resolution should make you feel good, answer a need or problem. It it makes you feel good, you're more likely to continue working on a resolution. You'll pursue a resolution, too, if it fills a need or solves a problem in your life.

Paste-up prompts to keep you reaching for a New Year's resolution. It can be as little as one or two encouraging words on pieces of paper. Place them in areas you frequent, like your desk.

Ask yourself: How can I make this resolution happen? Wake-up earlier? Spend less time on an activity in your life? Stop socializing as much? 

A resolution becomes your goal. Plan on how to reach it. Send texts/notes about it to yourself. 

Take the necessary steps to make a resolution your reality. Work toward it each day. Do you need tools? Prepare to get the tools.

Don't rush. Take your time. Keep moving toward your resolution.

Sometimes, it's helpful to surround yourself with like minded people. It's a judgement call. 

Lastly, do it.

McDonald's: Avoid Burgers And Fries

McDonald's imparts information to its employees about health risks. The World's leading fast food producer, McDonald's, suggests on its web site, to employees: avoid burgers and fries whenever possible due to health risks.

McDonald's have around 700,000 employees around the World.

"Eat at places that offer a a variety of salads, soups and vegetables to maintain your best health," McResource Line web site.

"Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced and readily available alternatives to home cooking. While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt and may put people at risk of becoming overweight." the web site shared.

The advice grabbed attention.

"Portions of this web site continue to be taken entirely out of context. This web site provides useful information from respected third parties about many topics, among them health and wellness. It also includes information from experts about healthy eating and making balanced choices, McDonald's agrees with this advice."

The web site "does not advise against fast food," Lisa McComb, spokesperson for McDonald's.

Justine Sacco: 'I am very sorry for the pain I caused'

Justine Sacco, former PR executive, who made comments on Twitter that sealed her fate, at least with IAC.

The Twitter comments were tweeted before Sacco arrived in Africa. Sacco's comments: Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!

The tweet went viral before Sacco landed in Africa.

"There's an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis, Sacco's apology.

The offensive comment does not reflect the views and values of IAC...we have parted ways with the employee in question, IAC's spokesman Ryan Trostle.

"I am very sorry for the pain I caused," Sacco.

A tweet, word spoken or an action can't be undone. It's wise to think before tweeting, speaking or taking an action.

Guard Your Social Security Number

Guard your social security number to stop it from falling into the hands of identity thieves. There are too many people waiting to grab social security numbers in hopes of paying for their life-styles.

A social security number opens your credit line to identity thieves. Identity thieves can purchase clothes, home appliances, cars, houses and designer anything/everything. They, too, can have their personal information placed with your social security number.

A social security number should be shared few times, according to Privacy Experts.

Guard your social security number by giving it to few people, and having it in as few places as possible.

Most people, businesses, that ask for your social security number don't need it.

Here are places, people, that you should disclose your social security number to.

Many government offices have need of your social security number when you apply for licenses. One such office is the Department Of Motor Vehicles (DMV), where licenses for drivers are issued.

Credit bureaus, the big three, will ask for a social security number.

A social security number is asked for when applying for government benefits.

Banks, likewise, require a social security number.

An employer has need to ask for your social security number.

In closing, guard your social security number until it's really required. Keep it out of sight, under lock and key.

Hour Of Code: STEM Wake-Up

Code org., non-profit, wants to wake-up attitudes about basic programming, and inspire more students to enter Computer Science careers. The United States offer Computer Science classes, but many are elective. A class without credit isn't appealing, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is over-looked.

The non-profit is pushing to get the next generation trained. Hour Of Code is to wake-up people, and give basic instruction to any interested student.

Code.org, during Computer Science Education Week - December 9th to the 15th, is asking teachers to teach one hour of educating students on programming.

There are free tutorials to learn the basics of coding. Tutorials have been given by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, puzzles teach basic algorithms with games like Angry Birds, Python, JavaScript and mobile applications.

Tutorials will help adults too.

Apple and Microsoft are helping by making available Hour Of Code tutorials sessions at their retail out-lets.

Coding, as with other classes, should begin as soon as possible. An early start means students familiarize, gets comfortable with STEM. Fear of STEM disappears.

Trust Issues

Americans are less trusting of each other in everyday situations, according to the AP-GfK poll done last month.

News account of brawling on Black Friday is evidence of trust issues, or disrespect. Let the other person pass you. Close contact when many people are in an area can bring a stepped on toe, maybe a shove. Emotions can run high during Black Friday. There's no need to push, pull, brawl. Trust in you, if no one else. You'll get what's needed.

Now, less than a third of people polled didn't have a lot of trust in clerks who swipe their credit cards, drivers on the road or people they meet when traveling.

It's not unreasonable to feel concern with reports of identity theft. Many people have been brushed by identity theft, or theft of financial data. Financial data could be a stolen check, thieves barreling into online accounts, information.

Trust issues are common when driving, sometimes. Road rage happens. Although, it's best to roll-away from a person about to explode.

Yet, people trust. You trust, or know someone who does. Be careful to whom you give trust, because some people don't appreciate the gift that trust is.

It's too late for most Americans alive today to become more trusting, per some studies.

A low trust level means people are less civil to one another, the studies.

Trust levels are set for life in the mid-twenties, the research concluded.

Inspire today's youth into trusting, perhaps, could be done through high tech devices, the study.

What do you think?