Our friend Mike Michalowicz author of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur just brought back one of his best vblogs – The Economy is Recovering, Are You? Since we know so many of you are entrepreneurs, or are just ready to know how to deal with the current state of the economy, we thought it would be nice to share! Take a quick listen to his 5 key strategies to navigating one of the biggest challenges facing us as the economy starts to show signs of economic recovery and then join the discussions by leaving a comment.

Watch the Video!

All work and no play makes the Young & Successful feel unbalanced! To rescue our overworked souls, YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon discusses the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.

If you noticed recently, there have been quite a few movies that deal with immigrants – people who travel miles and miles away just to take a taste of the United States, The Land of Opportunity.

I, as an immigrant, came all the way from Indonesia to this great nation of the United States of America for a chance at a better education and a better life. The idiots behind September 11 have made immigrants in general look bad… like we can’t be trusted. Thankfully, some filmmakers know that that’s not the case at all; there are still those of us who actually come here to work hard in order to send money to their families back home or simply to find out if the American Dream is still alive.

Now, I’m not writing this in order to tweak the current US policy toward immigrants, although one can certainly hope. I’m writing this simply to state the obvious — not all immigrants are bad — and mostly to express myself. After all, blogging is a form of speech.

The recent movie THE KITE RUNNER for example tells a tale of a father and son who had to leave a home country that was ridden by war. In America, the son grew up to be a successful novelist.

In the movie UNDER THE SAME MOON, the filmmakers emphasize the emotions and experience of immigrants. Do we find joy in leaving our families behind and work like hell everyday for a low wage? No! But we do what we have to do so that our families can do the same.

Director Tom McCarthy’s recent film THE VISITOR reminds us of how the concept of liberty has been made disadvantageous for the good immigrants who are not terrorists but are here just to make a decent, honest living.

Many movies in the past have been made about immigrants. And I’ve compiled a list of my favorites. I’m not going to include BABEL because if you’ve seen the movie then you’d know that at the end, the immigrant babysitter did not get the good end of the bargain. I’m not going to include FAR AND AWAY because I personally don’t think it was one of Director Ron Howard’s best achievements. And then there were some good ones such as SOPHIE’S CHOICE and MARIA FULL OF GRACE but I only compiled seven titles. Why seven? Because I think seven is a very good number.

So here are my Top 7 movies about Immigrants.

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Call it “Energy Efficient,” call it “Green,” call it want you want. The bottom line is, saving on your monthly energy costs should be something that appeals to everyone. The truth is that, in fact, it does not appeal to everyone. Why is this? In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, April 22, I thought I’d tackle this question.

The answer is that “Green” has become political, thus producing a divide between those who believe in “Green” and those who don’t. Those who do may or may not go to the extent of the Global Warming media frenzy, and those who do not, may not even believe in saving on energy or planting a tree. All based on political parties and agendas.

What it should be based on is as simple as the numbers on your monthly utility bills or the cost of gasoline at the pump. For each of us, the costs are high and not slowing any time soon. For this reason alone, “Green” may save us a little green each month and allow us to spend a little on other things such as enjoying life. The truth is, “Green” does not have to be political at all. If you care about clean water and air, are tired of rising energy costs, are afraid of what chemicals are being put into your foods, why not do something about it?

On my site Myrev.org, I compiled a list of sites that you can enjoy and possibly learn something from. While this list can get you started, there are many other resources on the internet to choose from!

http://www.energyguide.com/
http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/965
http://manageenergycosts.com/ManagingCosts.html
http://www.progress-energy.com/custservice/carres/billtoolkit/step1.asp
http://www.alternet.org/environment/50075
http://www.we-energies.com/residential/energyeff/101tips.htm
http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2008/20080003.html
http://www.fypower.org/res/tools/products_results.html?id=100160
http://www.energy.gov/yourhome.htm
http://www.enn.com/business/article/33586
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=1850884&Business=true
http://money.cnn.com/2002/12/23/pf/autos/save_gas/index.htm

Chad A. Armel is the author of “Stepping Stones,” a collection of motivational and inspirational poems. Chad is also the founder/editor of myrev.org, a website dedicated to motivating visitors to make a change in their lives.

Is it just me or has everyone been experiencing tough times lately? A lot of people I know, myself included, are feeling stressed or burned out but are having difficulty pinpointing a specific cause. Some days it’s work, other times it’s the economy. Some times it’s lack of sleep and then it’s because of personal problems. It feels like the reason changes on a day-to-day basis.

In my conversations here at YSN.com and with my friends, I’ve blamed 3 influences for this general malaise with the status quo:

1. The Election
Let’s face it: the presidential campaigns have everyone thinking about all of the changes needed in our country and our lives. Just as we question political policies and decisions every four years, it’s always a good idea to assess your own. What have your successes been in the past few months? Years? Your failures? What do you want to change in your life? What can you change?

2. The Season
It’s finally warming up and with the changing season comes the always-fun Spring Cleaning. As you start pilfering through your old stuff deciding which items you value and which to throw out, it’s almost inevitable that you start doing the same with the rest of your life.

3. The Year of the Rat
People look at me like I’m a crazy person when I bring this up BUT hear me out! 2008 is the Year of the Rat, according to Chinese horoscope (and, no, I’m not Chinese). One of its underlying themes is productivity –getting things done – and it’s marked by possibilities, progress and trying new things. As the first sign in the Chinese horoscope, the Year of the Rat symbolizes new beginnings but it doesn’t always mean tossing aside the old. The rat is always on the move so it really means finding a way to take your life to the next level and move forward.

My best advice is that “This too shall pass” so instead of identifying problems, identify what you hope to achieve. Then put your head down, stay focused, keep doing what you can to get closer to your goals… and then go a step further.

Let me just add that it does feel like the fog is lifting slowly, and that instead of just knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I can actually see it. So hang in there! Before you know it, we’ll have a new president, the seasons will change (and then change again), and the Year of the Rat will be a thing of the past.

per linear foot fencing price test

Are you thinking about quitting your job but not sure if it’s the right thing to do? With all the focus on the presidential primaries the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of discussion about knowing when to quit. After yesterday’s Super Tuesday, many think it’s time for Mitt Romney and/or Mike Huckabee to say sayonara. And last week, John Edwards ended his campaign after being overshadowed by his competition, and Rudy Giuliani after his strategy completely backfired.

But that’s about as much political talk as you’re gonna get from me for now. Sure, I have a favorite candidate, but 1) as many of my YSN colleagues remind me, I’m Canadian so it’s irrelevant and 2) at my first job, I learned that you never talk about politics, sex and religion at work. What I will talk openly about, however, is knowing when it’s time for you to quit your job.

For those of us not on the campaign trail, here are just a few telltale signs that it’s time for you to throw in the towel. Feel free to add your own!

1. Your non-work friends say that you never have anything positive to say about your workday (aside from lunch with your coworkers).
2. It becomes “just a job.” You stop putting in voluntary overtime, coming in early or leaving late.
3. You become anxious that you’re stuck or you know for certain that there is no room for advancement.
4. You hate your boss as a person… and the other execs and employees aren’t that respectable either. Unless you’re holding out for a big promotion or putting in enough time so the job looks respectable on your resume, get out of there! If you don’t really like the people you work with morally and ethically, get out of there. Who you surround yourself with says a lot about who you are and you can tend to pick up similar habits or qualities – good and bad.
5. Getting to work is hard work, including getting out of bed, looking presentable and arriving at an acceptable time.
6. You stop trying to learn new things or acquire new skills at work. There’s usually always something more you can learn but often you have be proactive at seeking opportunities.
7. You updated your resume, performed a few job searches and/or went on a couple interviews – six months ago (and six months prior to that) – yet you still work at the same place, same job.

Jovie Baclayon is the editorial director for YSN.com and an expert in the experiences faced by emerging adults. To learn more about Jovie, check out her YSN portfolio and feel free to e-mail her! She blogs every Wednesday and Friday on Waste Time Wisely.