How does the price of oil affect the stock market

Ever since the price of crude oil started growing there has been talk about the price of oil affecting the share market and your investments. Now if you think about it logically it does sound like it would make an affect. If it costs a company more to run the company because oil prices are changing then it sounds like it would affect the share price. Same goes for the idea that people will be less or more likely top purchase shares in a company that has something to do with oil. So for instance would you invest in a company which sold hose sockets if you were in a draught? However is this theory about crude oil price affecting the share market actually real?

The rational behind this theory is that because many companies freight their products, they have to pay more to transport the products when price of oil goes up so does the transportation cost. This of course drives up the price of the product. So if the company wants to keep the price of their product at the same level, there will be less corporate profit and the share prices will go down after that. Makes sense right? Well maybe not!

Companies do tend to put up the price of their product or service if the price of providing it goes up. So the profit margin will stay at approximately the same. However if the mood of the population, and in particular the stock market investor population, changes about the product the industry might suffer.

Yes global events that affect the price of products like oil (think about Hurricane Katrina) do affect the investment mood. When there is a massive climb or dip people and investment companies tend not to change their portfolio around too much. But however when something grows in price over time people is less likely to react. We all know that the price of oil is growing but it is not like when a major event happens.

Straight after an event occurs fear spreads like wildfire. One person’s fear turns into the fear of an entire investment industry. So no one buys or trades, but there are generally lots of people selling. So there is no actual understanding of what is going on. Once the environment calms down so does the market.

So yes in massive bombs the price of oil will affect the price of shares. But in a long term growth situation it won’t matter. The price of oil has almost quadrupled over the last five years. But has the price of shares?

Not really because oil has become an even more precious commodity people want it even more. And owning shares in an oil company will give you that piece of Texas gold that you have been craving. So the price of oil shares hasn’t really changed, and if it has it has grown.

So if we know that market changes will affect the share price because of the mood of people buying and selling shares we can predict the change. If you feel a change in mood, it is almost certain that there will be change in market. So you can sell, but there also is a chance that the price will raise again after too long.

Philadelphia schools trying for better teachers

All schools need teachers. What’s more important, however, is that the schools, even Philadelphia Schools, need excellent teachers. Excellent teachers bring many qualities to their classrooms. It’s hard to say what’s most important in regards to characteristics that make teachers great; classroom management, knowledge of subject area, good communication skills with parents, students, and administration, participation in continuing education (required by most, if not all school systems), or a college education. All are indisputable musts for a good teacher. Philadelphia Public Schools recognize this and are working very hard to improve current faculty, and to hire and retain the excellent teachers their students deserve.

Teachers today don’t always look like the fresh-faced 21 year old college graduates of the past. Instituting an alternate-route teacher certification program is one way that Philadelphia Schools are expanding efforts to attract new teachers. This program looks for folks working in the private sector who may want a career change, or have always felt they had something to give to Philadelphia Schools students. Recruiting people from the business world to become teachers is a popular method to solve critical teacher shortages across the country. There are tons of people out there who may have never thought of giving teaching a try, but would make excellent educators for Philadelphia Schools.

I know a Kindergarten teacher who is decided to changed careers to go into teaching. She’s a former marketing executive who decided two years ago that she needed a change. Raising her daughter on her own, she wanted the convenience of having the same schedule as her child. Teaching is something that she’s always wanted to do, and with the added benefit of going to work with her daughter, it was a good switch for her to make. Add into the bargain that she’s an excellent teacher who is driven and dedicated to giving her students the best, and viola! a great teacher for Philadelphia Schools was born.

It’s easy to see, with the above illustration, how school districts like the one serving Philadelphia Schools are turning to people working in the private sector to pick up the chalk. At the same time, Philadelphia Schools are also trying to upgrade the qualifications of classroom teachers by cutting the number of Philadelphia Schools teachers with emergency certifications (those teaching out-of-field, i. e. a music teacher who is currently teaching special ed) and by raising the certification rate throughout Philadelphia Schools, especially among new teachers. By providing more curricular and coaching support, the Philadelphia Schools are helping its teachers improve their skills.

Only by focusing their efforts on recruiting new Philadelphia Schools teachers, keeping them in the classroom, and improving the teaching staff they have, can Philadelphia Schools hope to improve and raise the bar for their educators.

Consolidate your debts with home equity loans

Your home is your biggest asset. It does not just provide you shelter; it also comes to your aid when you are in financial distress. The equity of your home, built over the years, can be used to obtain loans by acting as the collateral. You can find two types of home equity debt, namely in the form of home equity loans and also in the form of home equity lines of credit otherwise known as HELOCs. Both of them are described as second mortgages, because just like the primary mortgage, the equity loan is also secured by your property. But unlike the first mortgage, the equity debt is repaid over a shorter span of time. The first mortgage is usually repaid over a span of 30 years, whereas the equity loan is usually paid within fifteen years. However, there are exceptions and the repayment period may be as short as 5 years and as long as 30 years.

The growing popularity of home equity loan generally coincides with the recent surge in property value and relatively lower rate of interest. Thus more and more homeowners are turning to home equity loans for managing their personal debts. Other advantages of the home equity loan also include lower interest rate and tax deductions, making this mode of debt even more popular.

So far as the equity rate of interest is concerned, it is slightly higher than the first mortgage, but considerably lower than credit card loans or other consumer loan interests. Because your property is used as the collateral in equity loans, lenders consider them as secure as the first mortgage.

The tax deduction feature may be the biggest reason behind the huge popularity of home equity loans. Mortgage debt comes with attractive tax savings compared to lets say consumer loans, thus it is highly cost effective to consolidate your other debts with this loan and enjoy lower interest rate plus tax deduction benefits at the same time.

With these benefits, namely considerably low rates for equity debt and tax deduction on the interest payments, it is no wonder that a number of homeowners are utilizing the equity of their homes to meet further expenses and debts. True, it is a mortgage on your precious home, but if you are able to pay back the entire amount within a short span of time and you have stable income, home equity loan is a good option for much needed credit.

Yoga s eight fold path to enlightenment

While many consider Yoga to be a form a physical exercise, it is also known to be an exercise in spiritual development. Most would agree that the true goal of Yoga is to provide the individual with the means to achieve inner peace and balance. To achieve these lofty goals, students are encouraged to become familiar Yoga's eight fold path. The eight fold path consists of eight disciplines; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samhadi.

The first fold, Yama, advises students to engage with the world from a moral standpoint, and is actually broken down into five distinct elements. The first element, Ahimsa, teaches the student to respect the world around him. The second, Satya, teaches that one should be honest with themselves and with others. The third, Asteya, teaches not to steal from another. The fourth, Bramacharya, advises against overindulgence of any form. The fifth, Aparigraha, teaches the student to live a simple life that is not distracted by material things.

Niyama, or the second fold, is considered the path of self restraint and consists of three distinct elements. Shaugh, the first element, teaches students to keep the body and mind clean and pure. Santosh, the second element, teaches the student to be happy and contented with the task at hand and to give an honest effort in all endeavors. Tapa, the third element, suggests that certain pleasures must be given up in order to attain one's goals.

Asana is the third of the eight fold path, and it is concerned with physical training and building stamina. Asana is made up of 84 yoga poses, which are focused on developing strength, increasing health, and preparing for meditation. This stage is as much about physical conditioning, as it is mental or psychological discipline. Pranayama, the fourth fold, concerns controlled breathing. Proper breathing is important for mastering true relaxation and self discipline. The proper way to breathe while practicing yoga is to breathe in, and breathe out while pausing in between.

Pratyahara is the fifth of the eight folds, and is concerned with the individual's control of sensory stimulation. The intent is to induce a sense of inner peace and quiet, by tuning out external stimulation. Dharana is the sixth fold, and it is primarily concerned with focusing one's concentration on meditation. When a meditative state has been attained the student is then on to the seventh step, Dhyana. The final step, Samhadi, is attained when all previous steps have been completed and the individual experiences a true oneness with all things. The student is, as of this point, in tune with the universal flow. Namaste!

Tis the season to avoid litigation making sure your office christmas party is safe

According to recent statistics, a third of companies aren’t planning on hosting the traditional office Christmas Party this year, amidst concerns about legal action due to drunken antics and so forth. While I can safely say there are many more office safety risks during a party than the rest of the year (most offices just aren’t built for that level of snacks, alcohol and cheesy music), with a little thinking ahead the office Christmas party can become the celebrated institution it once was – without the dark cloud of litigation hanging overhead. It’s important to keep the office health and safety precautions in the background however – no one likes the idea of constant red tape when they’re trying to unwind. Already over half of managers recently surveyed felt the celebratory atmosphere felt very ‘forced’.

Here are 5 workplace health and safety steps you can take to minimise the risk of a litigious post party hangover.

1) Take it out of the office

The easiest way of avoiding the legal minefield of workplace health and safety laws is to take it out of the office! As I mentioned earlier, the typical office with its computers, water cooler and cubicles is just not built for the antics and tomfoolery of the stereotypical office Christmas party. Booking a restaurant or a hotel may seem like an unnecessary expense in the short term, but the different environment will help people unwind and enjoy themselves, and your precious photocopier will not be damaged by the exhibitionist office clown!

2) Leave off the Mistletoe

This one is less ‘health and safety’ and more to do with employment law, but one of the biggest concerns for legal action is the fear of sexual harassment in the workplace. And while the Mistletoe is a firm favourite, in some cases it really can be asking for trouble. By taking it off the list of decorations, you will limit your responsibility if someone does feel harassed or intimidated – remember that if you are funding the party, then the party will still come under the office rules, including those pertaining to sexual harassment. As a warning about office conduct in general, a worker from Merill Lynch was paid a Ј1,000,000 out of court settlement over comments about her sex life and breasts at the office Christmas party, so keep an eye out for inappropriate conduct.

3) Look out for hazards

Here’s a bizarre statistic for you: in 2002, 1,000 people were injured by falling Christmas trees. It just goes to show that hazards are everywhere, especially with the alcohol free flowing. If you can’t budget to have the office elsewhere, make sure you’re not creating trouble where there were no occupational health and safety hazards before. Typical Christmas office safety pitfalls can be easily avoided: Don’t allow people to stand on office chairs or desks to put up decorations and don’t allow fire hazards like Christmas lights to be hung on computers or air vents. Also, ensure that all the usual emergency information is not obscured by crass decorations – even if it means there’s no room for that last life-size reindeer model – the office health and safety laws must come first!

4) Watch out for the alcohol

It’s unsurprising that many managers are terrified at the workplace health and safety inspector’s nightmare: combining alcohol with expensive office equipment. Fortunately, there are steps you can take towards limiting the potential for damage and aiding office safety. It’s a well known fact that alcohol is most potent on an empty stomach, so put on some catering. Salty snacks are less recommended because they create a thirst which can be counter-intuitive for the alcohol-wary manager. A good way of being able to control the alcohol a little more is by making your own punch – the alcohol content is then up to you, and the fruit juice in them will cause the alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream that little bit slower.

5) Put on transportation

Booking some taxis or providing rooms for party goers to sleep may sound like an unnecessary expense at the end of the night, but the cost is far less than the risk they would cause to themselves by drink driving, or the damage to the company if they sue due to an accident as they stagger back to their homes. And the extra cost involved is all in the spirit of Christmas, and will ensure that for just one day, you aren’t compared to Ebenezer Scrooge!

One final word of advice: According to a recent survey, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York are our favourite Christmas songs, while Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine, and Wham’s Last Christmas are best avoided if you want to keep the moaning to a minimum! Some would call a Christmas over indulgence in Cliff a far more concerning breach of health and safety laws, than a little alcohol abuse!

Are you losing body fat or water

“I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the first week!”

“I’ve gained three pounds in one day! It must have been the cookie I ate or maybe the mashed potatoes!”

Stepping on the scale can become an anxiety filled event that leaves people wondering where they went wrong when the numbers don’t go in the right direction. This leads to panic and usually ends with blaming a particular food item that really wasn’t the culprit. Everyone who has been on a journey to lose weight has been there before. Even though you are following your plan and exercising regularly the number may go up 1-2 pounds or even up to 3-4 pounds creating unnecessary guilt that we have failed somehow. If it’s not always food that makes our weight creep up then what is it that causes these fluctuations on the scale?

When trying to lose weight the scale often becomes the only measurement of success and this makes it difficult to remember that every time we step on a scale it is measuring every part of our physical being at that moment in time, which means it measures our fat, muscles, organs, tissue and water weight. Body fat is not the only thing being measured. While organs and tissue don’t change much; fat, muscle, and water do change which can result in fluctuating numbers on the scale.

Water weight can affect your total weight anywhere from 1-10 pounds and sometimes even more. It is important to understand what kinds of dietary factors can make these fluid shifts happen. To start, many of the high protein, low carbohydrate diets can cause a dramatic shift in your water weight. This is because as you cut back carbohydrate intake your body starts breaking down the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to use as energy, and this breakdown causes the body to excrete large amounts of water. Once the body begins to use stored fat for energy, weight loss slows. This is the reason why most people lose a significant amount of weight right away on a low carb, high protein diet. Extreme low carb, high protein diets can potentially lead to dehydration because of this significant fluid loss.

When a person following a low carb plan eats a carbohydrate-rich food they can easily gain 1-3 pounds. However, this weight gain can be misleading because it is usually your body replenishing the fluid it lost and not gained fat. This 3 pound fluctuation becomes frustrating for many people and they end up yo-yoing back and forth with fluid weight thinking that it must be the half cup of rice they had the night before that caused them to gain that 3 pounds when in fact eating the rice just allowed them to regain some of the fluid they had lost from following a strict low carb plan. The fact is carbohydrates do not affect your weight quite that simply. Excess carbohydrates can strongly stimulate insulin production, which promotes fat deposition and increases appetite. This kind of weight gain will happen gradually, not dramatically overnight.

Sodium is another dietary component that can lead to fluid gain. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluid, leading to these frustrating daily weight fluctuations. Some people are more sensitive to sodium than others. Watch your diet and see if your weight gain corresponds with a high sodium meal the day before. For example, eating out in restaurants can often increase your sodium intake significantly.

The best way to tell if you are retaining fluid is to pay attention to your body. If you get indentations on your ankles and lower legs from your socks then you are retaining fluid. If you wear rings and they become tight and leave an imprint in your fingers when you take them off then you also retaining fluid. Any kind of puffiness in your skin is a good indication of water weight.

The bottom line is that it takes 3500 calories to gain or lose 1 pound of body fat. This equates to an extra 500 calories a day over 7 days to gain a pound. This means if you gained 3 pounds in one day you can chalk it up to fluid weight otherwise you would have had to consume 10,500 extra calories that day which is not likely! True weight gain happens gradually and likewise we lose it gradually. Check your weight weekly instead of daily and look for overall trends. If you are seeing dramatic daily changes in your weight, it is likely the ever-changing shifts of our body’s water weight.

© Meri Raffetto, 2005

The top home owner insurance company

When you make an important purchase, such as a home owner insurance policy, you want to make sure you’re buying the best, from the best, right? If a family member contracted a potentially fatal disease, you’d want him to see the best doctor trained in that field, right? If one of your children were kidnapped, you’d want the best trained police officers and investigation specialists to handle the case, right?

The same is true for purchasing a home owner insurance policy. Home owner insurance policies protect some of the things that mean the most to you – you and your family, your home, your possessions, and even your bank account should a salesperson or even a neighbor come knocking at the door. Therefore, you want to purchase your home owner insurance policy from the top home owner insurance company around.

How do you shuffle through the good, the not-so-good, the average, and the excellent home owner insurance companies to find the top home owner insurance company? The one you immediately know you must do business with?

Well, you won’t immediately know which home owner insurance company with which to do business, because finding the top home owner insurance company is a process. It is a process; however, that helps you shuffle through the rubble.

The process is simple, actually. Figure out the kind of coverage you need and want, search the highest rated home owner insurance companies, and call for more information. See? Simple. But during this process, make sure you obtain printed information about the home owner insurance company and its policies, as well as speak with several representatives to assess the customer service quality, too.

There many not be one particular top home owner insurance company, but if you find a reputable one that meets your needs – financially and coverage-wise – as well as offers great customer service, it may just be the top home owner insurance company for you.