Managing Your Money

Learning how to look after your own finances is a hugely important task, especially for those who lives on their own. Although we are still students and in most cases we are dependable on our parents who may subsidize us and bail us out, it’s necessary to state that we have to learn how to keep track of our outgoings, in other words how to budget.

Once we learn how to calculate our spendings and be ready to economize or even to tighten our belts if needed, we would be able not only to mount up our disposable income, but also to keep ourselves from having overdrafts and budget deficit.

From my part, in future I would try to spend my money responsibly and reasonably. It might be an idea to plan my spendings beforehand and to substract the expenses from the income. Having a surplus, I would try not to squander large sums of money or splash out on luxury, it would be better to put them into my savings account - a continency fund  wouldn’t hurt. A few words about a current account: I suppose that keeping an account in credit all the time rather than withdrawing is more sensible. What is more, it’s a good thing to check the transactions in my bank statement.

All in all, I share the opinion -  “Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”, in our words, I prefer to be a thrifty person, not an extravagant spendthrift.                                                     

Freelance Work VS  Working in a Team: pros and cons

Several decades ago it was thought that working solely in a team and collaboration would be lucrative and would guarantee maximum efficiency. However, leading practitioners and theorists in the sphere of marketing recently reconsider this issue and provide the new insight into the benefits of freelance work as well. So, let’s take a closer look at that.

Working in a team: 
Pros:

By setting individual goals to go along with common goals, the employees within work teams can create some friendly competition and use the peer-pressure influence to keep each other motivated to reach quotas or objectives. In other words, it boosts morale.  By the way, it may foster team spirit.

Moreover, team members can collaborate to enhance the benefits of the best solution by continuing to work together to enact it. In other words, pooling skills work wonders! Working as part of a team promotes mutual understanding and trust, is fulfilling and gives a feeling that you’re valued, needed.

Cons:

Not all teams work in an ideal manner all the time. Having different ideas individuals how tasks should be accomplished  may be disruptive and there is always the possibility of interpersonal conflict arising when working in a team.What is more, not being able to  fit in may result for a member not only in undermining  his confidence, but also the whole team work.

The other thing is that there is not so much room in a team for self-expression and this definitely brings about stifling individual enterprise and initiative.

Being a freelancer:
Pros:

The first and foremost, you're your own boss, not accountable to and not dependable on anyone else: you can choose when and where to work.  Also, it’s not a secret to anybody that working alone doesn’t influence your salary, even more, you can work less hours and make more money! By the way, this kind of work doesn’t interfere with other activities – you can juggle work and family responsibilities.

                                                              

Cons:

Despite the advantages, working as a freelancer isn’t all roses. With not having consistent monthly income, you won’t also have additional benefits and perks. That’s to say, you would have a lack of job and income security. Apart from that, freelancers usually encounter loneliness and in most cases they are forced to fend for themselves.

So, having mentioned some pros and cons of both ways of working, it’s important to bear in mind that there’s no perfect variant and it’s up to you to choose one. While some people wouldn’t exchange the security working in a team gives for anything else, other’s wouldn’t put up with punishing deadlines and office politics.

Brangelina - Hollywood's most Famous Celebrity Couple 

A perfect couple or to-be-divorced?

In early 2005, Pitt and Jolie appeared in the public eye and their association became the subject of a much-publicized Hollywood scandal, when they were alleged to have begun an affair while Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. Starting from 2006 they were considered a couple and they acknowledged their relationship for the first time in public.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie relationship breakup rumors keep going and going perhaps even after they get married (On April 13, 2012, the couple announced that they were engaged and are about to become newlyweds)  they will still be subject to such rumors. Well, that's how it is in Hollywood.

The findings about their relationships being on the rocks are all over the Internet. Paparazzi pry into their private life, make them suffer from press intrusion with an aim to cater reader’s avid curiosity.

 A few years ago all the fans of this star couple were rocked by the allegation that Brad Pitt damps Angelina Jolie even after she gave birth to 3 children (and 3 were adopted). This scoop appeared in both tabloids and broadsheets and was based upon some legal papers on  how to divide their fortune and who gets custody of their six kids.

Another exclusive story published in National Enquirer that took aback lots of people was one about an argument over rehab of Brad Pitt – the couple were butting heads over Brad’s drug and drinking issues. A few days after a source close to the couple told that Jolie and Pitt are “completely happy” and called the story about an argument over rehab “more tabloid nonsense” and “offensive.”
                         
         Although as every couple this one may have some misunderstandings, but against the odds, they are still together and more in love than ever. There are numerous articles where we may find words like: "They're both lovely, very talented people that compliment each other . . . when you're with them, you can see how strongly in love they are." So, not all the stories describe this couple as being on the brink of divorce (http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/gossip-did-angelina-jolie-buy-brad-pitt-a-heart-shaped-island-27310.gallery).

What is more, after a grueling year Angelina celebrated Brad’s milestone birthday by giving him a “precious” gift – one that “money can’t buy”. Are you interested what was that? If yes, read more at:

http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/82590/Angelina-Jolie-And-Brad-Pitt-Always-Knew-Theyd-Be-Together-Forever#uWWREUybRPyYGZFH.99

I Can Understand News Headlines, News Journalism

1. The warning came as Lady Thatcher made a dramatic plea for arms and military aid for Bosnia.
2. Luis Sales, head of a Brazilian advertising agency, was freed unharmed after being held  by kidnappers for two months.
3. Candidates for a seat in the Senate, let alone for the presidency or vice-presidency, have to be both wealthy individuals in their own right and able to tap substantial sources of campaign finance from companies or the social elite. 
4. I urge members, Chairman, not to hide behind this shabby amendment but to vote according to their consciences and their beliefs and to vote according to the views of eighty percent of the population that we represent and I urge other members to be as brief. 
5. ALL-GIRL band L7 are teaming up with wild rockers Nirvana in a bid to promote women's rights. 
6. The outcome is a clear victory for President Bush, countering criticism of his failure to oust President Saddam Hussein. 
7. Lamb and David Gower will be two famous omissions when chief selector Ted Dexter announces the 16-strong England tour party for India and Sri Lanka. 
8. Israel interior minister vows to send Gaza back to Middle Ages.
9. Their " computations " indicated the close approach would be on the order of only 40,000 miles, which they said was close enough for the comet to either be pulled into Mars, resulting in a catastrophic blast of " millions of tons of material " from Mars, or to yank one or both moons of Mars out of orbit. 
10. Let's see how badly we can wreck the economy while still turning a personal profit.
11. China's use of state power and support to boost industries such as biotechnology, telecommunications and alternative energy has become a main concern among U.S. business and government officials 
12. After bin Laden was located, why would any President not give the go-ahead to get him?
13. Hoffa planned to invest the money in a financial scheme, that when he cashed out, he would repay the teamsters retirement fund.
14. The Republican party should cease being the party of Lincoln. 
15. As regional partners work together to curb greenhouse gas emissions, care should also be taken to improve clean air, clean water and protect low-income residents.
16. How do these starkly different worldviews help us resolve the riddle of death?
17. The Maine GOP even tried to block these contributions where Lachowicz was cleared of any wrong doing and the investigation was dropped.
18. Due Saturday, she said the news was a blow, even though she was expecting it.
19. ALERT: This guy wants to' fundamentally transform' the whole country along socialist lines!
    
    
20. They just put some money into their science department and now they are on the brink of bankruptcy. 
21. Plus, the chronology of events essentially rules out the possibility of a San Francisco meeting. 
22. An estimated $2 million worth of gold nuggets and precious gems were stolen Friday afternoon from the Mariposa Mining and Mineral Museum, a California State Parks spokesman said. 
23.  Amid all the munchie-themed jokes from reporters, political elites and late-night comedians, this remains the overarching question after Coloradans voted overwhelmingly to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in the same way alcohol is already legalized, regulated and taxed. 
24. Making an incredible allegation of false arrest on Revere Beach, a 55-year-old Revere resident filed a lawsuit in Boston's Federal Court against a State Trooper who allegedly arrested him while he was trying to teach his granddaughter not to play with fireworks. 
25. The resolution warned that any official investigation would only cover-up the truth about the fatal fire in Euro Terraces Building B and its underlying causes, and called on workers, students and youth to help establish a committee to independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding the fire.
26. Cerberus Capital Management LP, which was among the buyout firms that weighed joining the bidding group, is no longer working on the deal, one of the four sources said.
27. This was clearly a lapse in judgment which I'm sure no one who is reading this is exempt from. 
28.  Defending himself against the perception that he has no significant foreign policy experience, Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has drawn fresh attention to one of the most controversial acts of the past decade.
29. If the bill's author does not take-up the measure by the end of the day, it may be penalized or retain its place on File by unanimous consent. 
30. Because these professionals work " behind the scenes, " few people know how critically important their job is.
31. According to their website: It has pretty much always been a restaurant since opening in the late 50's. 
32.  An opinion poll from 2011 revealed that the American population has -- just over the previous few years -- moved from " broad opposition " to " overwhelming opposition " to NAFTA-style trade deals. 
33. As the investigation proceeded and more evidence emerged, including Broadwell's role, FBI investigators realized they had uncovered an affair between Petraeus and Broadwell, the officials said. 
34. On page 99, Beck shifts from a scathing criticism of public education to promote God and religion in public life. 
35.  You should also leak to the American people certain Pentagon secrets. 
36. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things...
37. His unilateral decision raised a storm of protest, particularly from members of the Indian Congress party.
38. This summer Australia has recently experienced something of a delayed Silk Road craze, with every major news outlet sounding the alarm about the mail-order drugs supposedly flooding into the country from the site.
39. The world is changing and the tide is turning against Zionism. 
40. Sorry but the article doesn't do justice to the past week even if I agree that they are a drop in the ocean of what is required. 
41. According to bestselling author and renowned leadership expert John Kotter and coauthor Dan Cohen, this focus on connecting with people's emotions is what will spark the behavior change and actions that lead to success. 
42. There was a blazing row with the crew who tried to claim that we would have been alright in a few more minutes as we were about to crest the sandbar. 
43.  The Senate co-president, John O. Bennett, who lost his bid for re-election and will leave office in January, not only had his mother and his mother-in-law working for him, but also came under attack during the election for his job as a solicitor for New Jersey communities.
44. Britain's banks were back in the firing line this week. 
45. The problem is not simply that the ministry appears to be moving the goalposts for the sake of public relations; a " high-risk " rating automatically obliges the federal government to evaluate water systems and fund repairs. 
46.  Kenneth says police and the medical examiner haven't given them much information about her death, but he believes foul play was involved.
47. Federal and state laws need to be amended and enforced to provide a level playing field for producers when entering contracts with integrators.

Examples are taken from Freely-available, web-based corpora (100 million – 400 million words each): American (COCA, COHA), British (BNC), TIME, Spanish, Portuguese.

If you Wanna Change the Country, Change Yourself

           Recently I have come across an article in an English-language magazine What's On Kyiv  written by Neil Campbell, a British, who is a publisher and a chief editor of this weekly publication, and I certainly can’t play it cool. His article itself is a reply to the story in this magazine regarding the decline of Ukraine’s population. The author gives us an explanation for the state of things we have in Ukraine, including the corruption, the money-grabbing, a complete disregard for others, having grudges against each other, and the desire to leave the country.

It can be said that Campbell’s opinion is grounded – he keeps in touch with many young Ukrainians, who being asked about life in Ukraine keep answering without fail : “We want to leave…”. Isn’t it a reminiscent of your own thoughts, or, at the very least, the thoughts of your associates? Than, he continued by saying that, ironically, the Ukrainians who are complaining and are eager to leave, are the same Ukrainians who are guilty for the above mentioned negative traits – the root of the problems stems exactly from us, Ukrainians!  Personally, I share the author’s opinion that in most cases we do not do anything – we close our eyes on some problems, live with them instead of doing something about them all. He also stresses that as a substitute for a shrug of the shoulders (for instance, when we are witnesses of someone’s bad behaviour) and a sigh of “this is Ukraine”, as if excuses everything, we have to learn not to be reconciled to such behavior, on the contrary, we have to show that we are resistant to it! I am inclined to think that we have to realise our own involvement with our country and the society we live in. What is more, I absolutely agree with the Campbell that the best remedy for our problems is to do our best to change ourselves and the people around us, not with anger, but with kindness.

There are millions of details to think of, but it worth being mentioned one more time – Ukrainians, don’t be indifferent – every effort is priceless, together we can make the difference and make our motherland a better place. 

        If you're interested in Neil Campbell's article, you're more than welcome to visit this site:
http://www.whatson-kiev.com/?go=News&in=view&id=15050 

Why another offence after being punished? What measures can be taken?

      An unbearably painful subject is that a high proportion of ex-criminals are about to commit crimes again after serving their first punishment. While there are several reasons for this tendency, such as social and educational background of the offenders, the overdone disapproval of the society or their inability of rehabilitation, a number of effective measures can be taken by governments to tackle this problem.

      The way many people see it, there are two objective reasons for commiting reoffends. 

     Firstly, the prison system itself can make the matters worse. It’s mostly connected with the ‘bad company’: criminals are put together in cells and while they are locked up, they may even plan crimes with other inmates. Secondly, offenders simply do not have any other means of earning money, as they are in crisis, penniless, without proper education skills to maintain a job. What is more, a criminal record makes it difficult to find a job.

     To tackle this problem, the punishment system should have not only a strictly punishing effect, but also an educational one, trying to rehabilitate the criminal behaviors of the offenders.  

     In addition, jails need to have some trainings to help them integrate into society after serving their punishment, change their criminal behavior.

     They can even learn some practical skills, so that can be hired for a position in future. Moreover, the can learn how to use their skills for serving the society after releasing from prisons.

    Besides, there has to be a positive feedback on behalf of the society, as people’s disapproval regarding those with criminal background is sometimes one of the problems of the offenders’ inability of reintegrating into the normal society, turning over a new leaf.

     In conclusion, both sides have to do something about it. The offenders should try their best to prove that they are worth of rehabilitation and the society should give them all the proper chances for this to happen. 

 Reasons to Give Up the Death Penalty

According to Amnesty International, seventy-six countries have eradicated the death penalty completely, and many countries that retain the death penalty have not utilized it for years. Capital punishment should be abolished because of the following: it is not an effective crime deterrent, it may result in the loss of innocent lives, it is morally wrong, and there are other, more humane, alternatives.

The death penalty does not contribute to the deterrence of crime. In fact, the death penalty may actually raise crime rates. Jack Callahan in his “Stop Killing People'  concludes that capital punishment is no more effective than life imprisonment in deterring murder.

Capital punishment is not a viable solution for offenders with mental problems because they are incapable of normal thought processes and many cannot even grasp the concept of death.

The death penalty puts innocent lives at stake. It is widely recognized that justice system is not perfect. There are times when people are wrongly accused of crimes or they are not granted fair trials. There is still corruption in our justice system, and bias and discrimination occur. In the same article Jack Callahan claims that since 1970, 76 people have been released from death row because of clear evidence of their innocence.

The government has no right to put conditions on human life. Helen Prejean, author of "Executions are too costly--Morally," encapsulates this idea in her essay when she says "Allowing our government to kill citizens compromises the deepest moral values upon which this country was conceived: the inviolable dignity of human persons".When the government or individuals make the decision to take another human life and act upon it, they commit murder. Moreover, it contradicts with morality and consistent ethic of life. Thus, James Megivern is his book ‘The Death Penalty’ says: ‘Punishment, Yes, Death, No…Every person has universal, inviolable, inalienable rights. Basic to all is the Right to Life.”

The death penalty sends a confusing and contradictory message "Don't kill or we will kill you."  Punishing an action with the same action is incongruous and inconsistent. It only serves to confuse and reinforce the behavior rather than correct it.

Capital punishment is not necessary because there are other alternatives. First of all, tougher sentencing would help deter offenders from committing crimes. Longer jail time for felons and first-time offenders would keep them from entering society until they were able to rehabilitate. In addition, life sentences would prevent violent offenders from reoffending. Also, keeping convicts in prison is cheaper than executing them, so it is a better alternative. Requiring inmates to pay for their time in prison would further reduce the cost to taxpayers. Allocating a portion of a prisoner's earnings toward facility expenses and programs would force them to literally "pay" for their crimes. Although money can never replace a loved one or completely heal the damage, it could help families reconstruct their lives. There are more constructive alternatives to the death penalty.

Human life is precious, yet society does not hesitate to cast it aside into a system that is mediocre at best, without remorse. Capital punishment does not deter crime, cannot ensure the safety of the innocent, and is morally deficient. There are other alternatives. Murderers and violent offenders deserve to be punished for their crimes, and victims and their families deserve justice. However, the death penalty is not the answer.

Many other countries have eradicated the death penalty for this reason. The countries that have abolished capital punishment have substantially lower crime rates.