China tells US to stop tweets on Beijing's bad air

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 file photo, a man rides an electric bike crossing a street shrouded by haze in Beijing. A senior Chinese environmental official told foreign embassies on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in China, a clear reference to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2012 file photo, a man rides an electric bike crossing a street shrouded by haze in Beijing. A senior Chinese environmental official told foreign embassies on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in China, a clear reference to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

(AP) ? China told foreign embassies Tuesday to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in the country, escalating its objections to a popular U.S. Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing.

Only the Chinese government is authorized to monitor and publish air quality information and data from other sources may not be standardized or rigorous, Wu Xiaoqing, a vice environmental minister, told reporters.

China has long taken issue with the U.S. Embassy's postings of hourly readings of Beijing's air quality on a Twitter feed with more than 19,000 followers since 2008. But its past objections were raised quietly. U.S. consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou also post readings of the cities' air quality on Twitter.

The Twitter feeds were operating normally Tuesday, and an embassy spokesman in Beijing said the air quality reports were meant to inform Americans living in the three Chinese cities.

The air quality readings in Beijing are based on a single monitoring station within embassy grounds, and pollution levels are rated according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard that is more stringent than the one used by the Chinese government.

For instance, the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday reported 47 micrograms of fine particulate matter ? particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size, or about 1/30th the width of an average human hair ? in the air and said the level was "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Readings from Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau's 27 monitoring stations ranged between 51 to 79 micrograms but categorized all those levels as "good."

The Beijing government only began reporting PM2.5 earlier this year after long-standing public and international criticism of its lack of transparency about its air quality.

The government appears frustrated that there are now dueling readings for air quality and that the U.S. readings underscore the fact that pollution levels considered unhealthy in the U.S. are classified as good by China.

Wu said it isn't fair to judge Chinese air by American standards because China is a developing country and noted that U.S. environmental guidelines have become more stringent over time.

The standard China uses "takes into account the level of our current stage of development," Wu said.

Wu also said that air quality monitoring by foreign diplomats was inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and urged diplomats to abide by China's laws and regulations.

It is unclear if other nations monitor and publicize their readings of air quality in Chinese cities, but local Chinese have used the U.S. readings to prod their government into publishing more detailed pollution data.

Later, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin echoed Wu's remarks, saying at a regular press briefing that China objected to the publicity rather than the gathering of the environmental data.

"Of course, if the foreign embassies want to collect air quality information for their own staff or diplomats, I think that is their own matter, but we believe that this type of information should not released to the public," Liu said.

The top environmental official in Shanghai over the weekend also spoke out on the issue, telling local media that an air quality feed launched last month by the U.S. consulate in Shanghai was illegal.

The U.S. Embassy said the air quality monitor in Shanghai measures the air quality in the area around the consulate's office. "The monitor is an unofficial resource for the health of the consulate community," said Richard Buangan, embassy spokesman in Beijing.

China requires concentrations of PM2.5 to be kept below daily averages of 75 micrograms per cubic meter ? more than twice as lenient as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standard of 35 micrograms.

PM2.5 are believed to be a health risk because they can lodge deeply in the lungs, and have been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer.

___

Associated Press writer Gillian Wong contributed to this report.

___

Online:

U.S. Embassy Beijing air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/BeijingAir

U.S. Consulate Guangzhou air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/Guangzhou_Air

U.S. Consulate Shanghai air quality monitor: https://twitter.com/(hashtag)!/cgshanghaiair

Associated Press

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Dividend Investing: Benefits of Dividend Paying Stocks | Portfolio ...

Chart with money plotting dividend paying equities

?| Featured Author: Monica Jalife, CFA?|

A Brief Background on Dividends

Monica Jalife's pencil headshot | PWMDividends have been a critical component to overall equity returns since the mid 1920s. This contribution has changed with market cycles and throughout different time periods, ranging from over 50% in the 1940s and 1970s to 14% in the bull run of the 1990s. On a cumulative basis, dividend income has contributed 41% to total equity returns from 1927 to December 2010.

Dividends: a Stable Source of Income

Dividend income provides a stable source of income that can partially offset market price depreciation during down markets. In addition, as a recent Credit Suisse study shows, dividend paying equities?have outperformed non-dividend paying equities over long time horizons and have generally achieved this outperformance with lower overall levels of volatility!

?

Dividend Yield and Payout Ratio Chart

Past performance may not be indicative of future results. ?Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by PWM Advisory Group, LLC [?PWM?] or the author), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in the presented article will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful.

?

Another important aspect of dividend investing is the compounding effect of dividend income. For instance, if you invested $1 on January 1, 1930?in the S&P500, your investment would have?grown, excluding dividends, to $49 by December 2009. That same investment would have returned $1,259 over the same investment horizon if the dividends were reinvested .

Why is Now a Good Time for Dividend Paying Stocks?

Baby-Boomers are Approaching Retirement

Several factors support the case for dividend investing. First, let?s look at demographics. According to the U.S. Census, the first baby boomers turned 65 years old in 2011. This particular group will increase at a rapid pace, reaching 78 million in the next 20 years. As these 78 million baby boomers approach retirement, investors? focus will shift from capital appreciation strategies to equity-income strategies. As a result, I anticipate there will be strong demand for high quality dividend paying equities that provide a stable stream of income throughout different economic cycles.

Our Low Yielding Environment Calls for a New Income Solution

Next, let?s discuss the current yield environment. ?The yield on a 10 year U.S Treasury recently declined to 1.5%, interest in money market funds is close to 0% and inflation is running close to 2.5%. On an inflation adjusted basis, Treasury bond investors are actually settling for negative real returns! This historically low interest rate environment has forced many income oriented investors to look to dividend paying stocks as a new way of supplementing income and preserving purchasing power.

Dividend Yields vs. Bond Yields

Dividend yields currently exceed bond yields by the most in 15 years. Not only do many companies pay dividends in excess of the ten year Treasury (close to double), but they also have the potential to grow their dividends over time. Dividend payout ratios, the ratio of dividends paid to earnings generated, are at their lowest levels in years; and with healthy profit growth projections and high levels of cash balances, companies are well positioned to increase their dividend payments.

Dividend Paying Stocks Are Cheap Compared to Bonds

Looking at current valuations, dividend paying stocks?(and stocks in general) also appear historically cheap when compared to bonds. One way to compare the relative attractiveness of stocks versus bonds is to compare the earnings yield of the market versus bond yields (see chart below).

?

S&P500 Earnings Yield Minus 10 Year Government Bond Yield Chart

Past performance may not be indicative of future results. ?Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by PWM Advisory Group, LLC [?PWM?] or the author), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in the presented article will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful.

?

As of May 31st, the earnings yield for the S&P 500?(earnings the companies in the index are generating as a percentage of the price) was 7.5 % compared to the 10 year government bond yield of 1.6%. When the earnings yield of the S&P 500 is less than the current 10 year government yield, bonds are more attractive in relation to stocks. Conversely, when the earnings yield is higher than the 10 year government bond yield, stocks are considered undervalued in relation to bonds. The chart below shows that this spread is at its widest level in 30 years, which suggests that stocks are very cheap when compared to bonds.

Dividend Paying Stocks Should Not Be Ignored

To conclude, the importance of dividends cannot be ignored. Over time, dividend income has comprised a significant portion of long term stock gains. It also represents a more stable component of total return that can partially offset market depreciation in down markets.

A well constructed portfolio of dividend paying equities can provide attractive current income and allow for capital appreciation.?Demographics, valuation and the current yield environment are all factors and trends that support the bullish case for dividend stocks.

Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the presented material(s) may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the presented material(s) relate only to the author and are not?necessarily?reflective of PWM?s views. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in the presented material(s) serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from PWM. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing.?Photo Credit:?kenteegardin ? flickr

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Moody's cuts ratings of some German banks

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AT&T Outsides Sales Account Representative - Greenville - AT&T ...

Job Description:
Working as a Mobility Sales Executive, you will be responsible for generating new business, account penetration, account retention and account growth in an assigned set of accounts and/or territory. The Mobility Sales Team implements solution-based sales strategies that uncovers new business opportunities and manages account growth within the AT&T Mobility Group.

Responsibilities:

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  • Present professional business proposals
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  • Incorporate all applicable sales stimulation strategies, programs, and other targeting contacts, e.g. cold calling, prospecting, networking, and market knowledge
  • Submit daily and weekly call reports for prospects and existing account coverage including sales forecast to Sales Manager

Required Qualifications:

  • Three years of Business-to-Business Sales Experience (B2B)
  • One year of wireless sales experience a plus
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  • Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
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  • Industry knowledge
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Benefits:
We offer a competitive compensation and benefit package including: medical, dental, paid vacation time off.

?

(**Background check, drug screen and reference check are required for this position.**)itelcomm.com">

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Fossil discovery sheds new light on evolutionary history of higher primates

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

An international team of researchers has announced the discovery of Afrasia djijidae, a new fossil primate from Myanmar that illuminates a critical step in the evolution of early anthropoids?the group that includes humans, apes, and monkeys. The 37-million-year-old Afrasia closely resembles another early anthropoid, Afrotarsius libycus, recently discovered at a site of similar age in the Sahara Desert of Libya. The close similarity between Afrasia and Afrotarsius indicates that early anthropoids colonized Africa only shortly before the time when these animals lived. The colonization of Africa by early anthropoids was a pivotal step in primate and human evolution, because it set the stage for the later evolution of more advanced apes and humans there. The scientific paper describing the discovery appears today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For decades, scientists thought that anthropoid evolution was rooted in Africa. However, more recent fossil discoveries in China, Myanmar, and other Asian countries have rapidly altered scientific opinion about where this group of distant human ancestors first evolved. Afrasia is the latest in a series of fossil discoveries that are overturning the concept of Africa as the starting point for anthropoid primate evolution.

"Not only does Afrasia help seal the case that anthropoids first evolved in Asia, it also tells us when our anthropoid ancestors first made their way to Africa, where they continued to evolve into apes and humans," says Chris Beard, Carnegie Museum of Natural History paleontologist and member of the discovery team that also included researchers from Myanmar, Thailand, and France. Beard is renowned for his extensive work on primate evolution and anthropoid origins. "Afrasia is a game-changer because for the first time it signals when our distant ancestors initially colonized Africa. If this ancient migration had never taken place, we wouldn't be here talking about it."

Timing is everything

Paleontologists have been divided over exactly how and when early Asian anthropoids made their way from Asia to Africa. The trip could not have been easy, because a more extensive version of the modern Mediterranean Sea called the Tethys Sea separated Africa from Eurasia at that time. While the discovery of Afrasia does not solve the exact route early anthropoids followed in reaching Africa, it does suggest that the colonization event occurred relatively recently, only shortly before the first anthropoid fossils are found in the African fossil record.

Myanmar's 37-million-year-old Afrasia is remarkable in that its teeth closely resemble those of Afrotarsius libycus, a North African primate dating to about the same time. The four known teeth of Afrasia were recovered after six years of sifting through tons of sediment near Nyaungpinle in central Myanmar. This locality occurs in the middle Eocene Pondaung Formation, where the same international research team discovered Ganlea megacanina, an influential fossil described in 2009 that helped solidify the presence of early anthropoid primates in Asia.

Details of tooth shape in the Asian Afrasia and the North African Afrotarsius fossils indicate that these animals probably ate insects. The size of their teeth suggests that in life these animals weighed around 3.5 ounces (100 g), roughly the size of a modern tarsier.

Because of the complicated structure of mammalian teeth, paleontologists often use them as fingerprints to reconstruct how extinct species are related to each other and their modern relatives. These similarities provide strong evidence that Afrasia's Asian cousins colonized North Africa only shortly before the appearance of Afrotarsius in the African fossil record. If Asian anthropoids had arrived in North Africa earlier, there would have been time for more differences to evolve between Afrasia and Afrotarsius. The close similarity in age and anatomy shared by the two species makes Afrasia a touchstone in the quest to date the spread of anthropoid primates from Asia to Africa.

"For years we thought the African fossil record was simply bad," says Professor Jean-Jacques Jaeger of the University of Poitiers in France, the team leader and a Carnegie Museum research associate. "The fact that such similar anthropoids lived at the same time in Myanmar and Libya suggests that the gap in early African anthropoid evolution is actually real. Anthropoids didn't arrive in Africa until right before we find their fossils in Libya."

Implications for future research

The search for the origin of early anthropoids?and, by extension, early human ancestors?is a focal point of modern paleoanthropology. The discovery of Afrasia shows that one lineage of early anthropoids colonized Africa around 37? million years ago, but the diversity of early anthropoids known from the Libyan site that produced Afrotarsius libycushints that the true picture was more complicated. These other Libyan fossil anthropoids may be the descendants of one or more additional Asian colonists, because they don't appear to be specially related to Afrasia and Afrotarsius. Fossil evidence of evolutionary divergence?when a species divides to create new lineages?is critical data for researchers in evolution. The groundbreaking discovery of the relationship between Asia's Afrasia and North Africa's Afrotarsius is an important benchmark for pinpointing the date at which Asian anthropoids colonized Africa.

"Groundbreaking research like this underscores the vitality of modern natural history museums," says Sam Taylor, director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. "Research like this can only be sustained by the irreplaceable collections, curatorial expertise, and scientific infrastructure that natural history museums provide. At the same time, cutting-edge science like this revitalizes our museum's educational programs and propels its mission."

"Reconstructing events like the colonization of Africa by early anthropoids is a lot like solving a very cold case file," says Beard. "Afrasia may not be the anthropoid who actually committed the act, but it is definitely on our short list of prime suspects."

###

Carnegie Museum of Natural History: http://www.carnegiemnh.org/index.html

Thanks to Carnegie Museum of Natural History for this article.

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Choosing Organic Pet food for Your Dog | Free Press Release

Organic and natural food has become popular within the past few years. There are many of people who prefer natural and organic food and because of this specific; they are also buying natural dog food for their animals. When it comes to the benefits of natural food, there are definitely tons which quickly explain why everyone is choosing this style of food for their dogs.

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You will find lots of benefits for pet dogs when it comes to organic food. Organic food can help to eliminate some of the allergies and also skin conditions that pet dogs suffer from. Not all canines have this problem if your dog does, natural and organic food can actually help to get rid of that.
The truth is, organic food won?t contain artificial color or flavor innovations and is completely organic. It also does not consist of those toxic pesticides that non-organic food will certainly typically contain. With no these harmful substances, the organic food can treat along with eliminate the allergies as well as skin conditions that your pet had a problem with before.

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Your dog could already eat well but organic meals is still a good choice for the dog. It is constructed with some of the best and finest elements which are something you most likely want your dog to have. Most importantly, you can supply your dog without worrying about him or her consuming any toxic bug sprays or anything else that is unnatural. The food your dog consumes will be easy to process and can provide better security against health conditions.
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Toddler makes miraculous recovery after TV lands on his head ...

Toddler makes miraculous recovery after TV lands on his head

By Jane Gargas
Yakima Herald-Republic

?

YAKIMA, Wash. ? "I'm 2!" he declares loudly.

With a little guidance, he pushes a toy plastic shopping cart across a room.

He works puzzles, looks intently at picture books and loves juggling pots and pans around a play kitchen.

That's some of what he can do.

He can't yet stand by himself or walk, ride down a slide at the park or eat candy.

But that's OK, his parents say.

Ezra Wells is alive. And he's getting better every day.

In late February, Ezra, son of Amy and David Wells of Yakima, was attempting to climb a dresser when a 27-inch box television fell on top of his head. The cerebellum, the part of the brain in the back of his skull, took the brunt of the impact from the nearly 70-pound TV.

In critical condition, Ezra was rushed to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Ten days later, he was transferred to Seattle Children's Hospital.

Seattle surgeons, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, therapists, neurologists and rehabilitation specialists worked not only to decrease the swelling in Ezra's brain but also to assess how much damage the organ had sustained.

"Because of the direct impact, in layman terms, lots of things got disconnected," Amy explains.

Finally, after nine weeks and six surgeries, Ezra was released from the hospital in late April.

As soon as the family walked back in their house, Ezra said, "Yakima!" and everyone knew he was on the road to recovery.

But it wasn't always so. In fact, Amy, 26, and David, 27, who is associate pastor at Terrace Heights Baptist Church, weren't even sure their son would live through the first night after suffering the traumatic brain injury.

But, slowly, Ezra returned.

"God has given us our boy back!" Amy wrote on Facebook in April.

At first, glimmers of hope were few and far between -- "It was overwhelming and devastating," says his mother. But then Ezra began to recognize his family. Next, he responded to simple commands.

Seven weeks after the accident, he smiled, then began to talk.

When he first got home, he couldn't sit up. Two days later he could. A week after that he was crawling.

"It was wonderful," Amy recalls.

They say Ezra's speech has returned almost to normal; it's just slower, and he sometimes drops the first consonant of a word. His parents report that he's cognitively back to where he was before the injury: he uses the same phrases he always did, counts to 20, knows his shapes and colors and can sing his favorite song, "Jesus Loves Me."

Mostly, he's the Ezra he always was, just with a long scar on his skull. "Personality-wise he's the same -- sweet and affectionate," says his dad.

His balance isn't back yet, and Amy and David noticed his hand/eye coordination is still a little off. He has also lost all hearing in his left ear.

However, that deficit was countered by good news with his eye. An ophthalmologist originally determined that the toddler's optic nerve had suffered damage. Two weeks later, though, he and another eye surgeon examined Ezra again and concluded there was no damage after all.

The Wells attribute that to divine intervention. About two months ago, Amy logged onto "Praying for Ezra," a Facebook web site that nearly 1,700 people from around the world have joined, asking people to pray that Ezra's optic nerve wasn't damaged.

"I'm not trying to push faith," says David, "but a couple of weeks after Amy posted that, the doctor looked and there was no damage. People can chalk it up to coincidence but for us it was a very clear and distinct answer to prayer."

David predicts it won't be long before Ezra regains his balance and will be walking again. Having to scoot around on the floor is less frustrating to the boy than not being able to eat all the food he wants, such as M&M's. Everything has to be soft, like yogurt and oatmeal. He gets liquids through a feeding tube in his abdomen.

Amy and David say that their son's long-term prognosis is anyone's guess. Since Ezra wasn't expected to live after the accident, every improvement has been a gift.

"Different parts of the brain were affected, at least temporarily," David explains. "We'll see what God has planned."

More clear-cut is what comes next surgically. Ezra goes back to Children's Hospital in July for a seven-hour procedure to repair the facial nerve on his left side.

Returning to the hospital may be uncomfortable deja vu, but it won't be nearly as grim as those first days after the accident, waiting to see if Ezra would survive.

"It was unbearably hard at times," confirms Amy. "It was long and unending, but we had to trust in God's heart."

David describes the whole ordeal as overwhelming and stressful, but he took solace in paying close attention to Ezra's progress, "so we could be there for him and not be self-absorbed."

?

Mom's close call

In the midst of concern for their son and remembering to focus on their 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, too, the Wells graphically proved that life goes on, no matter what.

When the accident occurred, Amy was almost nine months pregnant. On March 22, she delivered a healthy baby girl, Everleigh, in Seattle.

And, while it was a routine birth by caesarian section, if the Wells were expecting smooth sailing after all they'd been through, they were mistaken.

While in the operating room, Amy suffered a severe reaction to the anesthesia and went into heart failure.

"She coded on the table," recalls David, who watched in horror as his wife stopped breathing and her heart ceased working.

Amy woke up to physicians performing chest compressions.

"They said it was a very rare reaction," Amy explains. "The anesthesiologist had only seen two other cases in 35 years of practice."

After a few seconds of terror, all turned out well.

"It was almost a point of comedy," David says. "Amy died for a few seconds just to make our life more interesting."

Not even counting Amy's delivery, all the medical treatment Ezra has received comes with an enormous price tag. The Wells have medical insurance but assume, even though they haven't seen all the bills yet, that not everything will be covered.

"We're in the millions of dollars," notes Amy, estimating that hospital bills alone, not counting surgeries, will be more than $600,000.

Even with their insurance, they say they wouldn't have been able to pay for everything, including their nine-week stay in Seattle, without the help of friends, family and strangers.

"There's nothing I could have done to financially take care of my family at this time," says David. "People have been incredibly gracious. It's humbling and intensely gratifying."

Members of their church cleaned their home, brought dinners and started fundraising, opening an account at Yakima Federal Savings for donations. Contributions have poured in from around the world after word spread from church to church and on the web site.

"The church continued to pay my salary even when I wasn't there, and we're a small church," says David.

The Rev. Luke Safford, senior pastor at the church, says the congregation, with an average attendance of 145 people, immediately rallied round the family.

"It really drew the church together in so many ways," he says.

The family was understandably excited to attend church on their first Sunday back in the Valley. And although their appearance hit a rough spot, it did end well.

"It was a little hard," David admits.

One of the kids didn't quite make it to the bathroom on time, and another threw up all over Amy. After a quick dash home to change clothes, they reconvened in the sanctuary and addressed the congregation, thanking them for all the support.

So now things have settled down for the Wells -- mostly. Ezra goes for occupational and physical therapy at Children's Village several times a week and is visited at home by a speech therapist.

Physical therapist Katie Buck says she sees gains in Ezra every session.

"He works really hard," she reports. One recent day, Buck noticed that Ezra was showing increased balance as he shifted from side to side on his feet.

"That's really impressive," she says.

Even after all the turmoil of the past three months, David is still philosophic about seeing a positive outcome from the accident.

"It's a good thing if parents can be reminded to take more effective care for their child's safety. I hope this does help others."

He points out that stores sell straps to mount television sets safely to the wall.

Unsecured televisions caused 176 fatalities between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Sadly, in fact, just two months after Ezra's injury, a 3-year-old Yakima girl died when a television fell from a dresser and struck her on the head.

The Wells know how fortunate they are to have Ezra home and for now are focussing on normalizing family life with a new baby, a healing toddler and a protective big sister.

And they're continuing to marvel at the blessings of his recovery.

"He's our miracle -- in all ways," Amy says.

?

* Jane Gargas can be reached at 509-577-7690 or jgargas@yakimaherald.com

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3 Effective Methods To Achieve Higher Self Esteem In Your ...

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3 Effective Methods To Achieve Higher Self Esteem In Your Employees

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Self esteem improvement in any organization is a solid low cost investment in any business. Performance levels of those with high self esteem have been shown to be higher than those with low self esteem, even though this is still considered an unusual approach. When you really think about, there are so many benefits that can be realized if your work force is more positive and has a healthy outlook. The self esteem of your work force can be increased if you follow these three proven and effective strategies.

To help build healthy self esteem and an employees sense of worth and value, you need to understand the importance of recognition. These opportunities often don't get fully taken advantage of or are neglected entirely. The individual contributions people make to improve your business should always be recognized and valued. Not only can you easily accomplish this task in various ways but you can and should implement it throughout the different levels of your business. This aspect of business dynamics needs to be brought to the attention of all the management levels in your company.

Receiving individual recognition on a personal level has a positive impact on people. The personal approach as well as organization-wide recognition are two highly effective methods to help increase self esteem and a sense of value among people.

The perception others have of us and how they accept us or not, directly impact our self esteem. To be rejected by someone is a feeling that everyone has felt at some point in their life. Accepting others unconditionally is vital for you as the head of your business. We all know that there are some faults that will need to not be accepted. However, you can demonstrate a positive impression by showing that you understand people have faults, including you, yet it's ok and it is something that can be worked with.

To make an impact on people in a positive way you will need to improve your listening skills and learn to be an active listener. When you show another person that you are really listening to what they have to say, then that tells the person that you care about what they have to say. We all know that it's important to feel that what we think, feel, and say matters. The impact on your work force would be great if you utilize this approach. You should also make it part of your overall training for all levels of management.

The methods and strategies available for improving self esteem within the workplace are generally small in nature. But don't let that fool you about their effectiveness. After all, it is the little things that count the most and have the most far reaching impact. Cost is a major concern for businesses. But the kinds of programs and policies that get positive results are of a more personal nature and cost very little.

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