Crude Awakening

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For the first time since 2009, consumers are finally saying "it's about time", as the price of crude oil is around $50 a barrel, which appears just fine. However, the global economy could be suffering down the line.

At one moment, the price fell more than a dollar to $49.92 a barrel in early trading on Wednesday before edging back above $50.

Meanwhile, as many consumers and businesses welcome a drop in the cost of fuel, oil producing countries including Russia and Venezuela have been hit as the price of their main export falls.

Baby It's Cold Outside

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With temperatures expected to be dangerously cold through Thursday, January 8th, NYC has issued a winter weather update, urging New Yorkers to take precautions to protect themselves and help others who may be at increased risk of health problems.

The forecast includes temperatures in the low 20s with wind chill values of 10-15 degrees. Wednesday's forecast includes a high near 28 degrees, with a low of 9 degrees Wednesday night and wind chill values between zero and -15 degrees. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory from 7PM Wednesday evening until 8AM on Thursday.

Three Kings Day

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Today is 3 Kings Day, which was once celebrated in Cuba and perhaps once again soon, it is currently celebrated in Spain, Latin America, throughout the Caribbean, and for many U.S. Latinos as well.

This day is still a traditional day. The 3 Kings Day holiday comes from the traditional Christian feast day of Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men brought gifts to the baby Jesus in recognition of his divine nature, according to the Biblical nativity story.

Learning About Life

As the new year begins, I am reflecting on a time when I was younger, with little knowledge of the wonders of youth and that it is definitely a defining period in life.

I graduated high school, eloped with my sweetheart as we ran away from home, got married, started a family, and rushed into trying to acts like a grown up adult. Luckily there were some things we got right. For example, we are blessed to have great kids, terrific grandchildren, but we eventually got divorced. Luckily I now have wonderful wife.

However, I have seen many friends, or colleagues who have lost their children, and have had to bury their kids too early. But generally speaking, most young people live their lives in such a hurry, they forget to pause, listen and take it all in to gain valuable knowledge that sometimes turns into wisdom.

I now realize that the key is to focus on growing into the person we want to be, not what others expect of us. Learn from each one of our mistakes. They can teach us great life lessons. Whether its falling down, being dumped, or losing a job, looking back I can honestly say that rejection taught me far more and had long-lasting effects. It let me realize that failure isn't the end of the world. Getting divorced taught me the difference between good and bad relationships, something I kind of knew deep inside, but perhaps refused to accept until I experienced a bad relationship.

Staying healthy is primordial. When we're young, it's easy to put off exercise and a healthy diet, but its never too early to establish good habits because when you're younger, body parts are stronger. Avoid junk food, soda, alcohol, smoking, etc. Poor health habits take time to break, so the future is now.

Paying for a high priced education may not always be wort it. The fact that we have done well academically doesn't necessarily mean that we'll immediately succeed. Instead, swallow a big humility pill and realize that great students are not always great in the workplace. An education is important, but its not the only way to gain knowledge, experience and find success. There are many things in life that can help us grow up fast. There are no right or wrong answers to many decisions in life. In fact, instead of seeing the world in terms of black and white, see it as a color chart. There are many perspectives, realities, several ways of doing things and not one of them alone is the right way.

While early choices we make have an effect on the future, some wrong choices don't mean that our life is over. Learn from mistakes, and grow into a better individual because the sun will come out tomorrow, and there will be another day to live and learn. There will always be people who dislike us, and the idea that every single person is going to tell us the truth and get along well with us isn't realistic. Take time to write, or learn a new language. Find folks that we get along with, then build relationships and forget about the ones that aren't worth our time and energy.

Buying new clothes, or moving into a new place will not bring happiness. While traveling is enriching, educational and enlightening, moving should not be used as solution to difficulties. Many young people travel, or seek new surroundings, or buy nicer clothes. But happiness is internal, not external.

Teamwork is more important that competition. Many people see cut throat competition as the only means of rising in their career path, but this is simply not the case. In our early years, a lot of emphasis is put on test scores, awards, and a empirical measurement of our accomplishments. What we're hardly ever told is that collaboration, is a more powerful tool at our disposal. In every worthwhile human endeavor, it was the harmonious, cumulative effort of a multiplicity of persons, often over many years, that yielded truly extraordinary results. The eureka moment for me is the realization that my personal impact can be compounded by orders of magnitude through well-orchestrated collaboration.

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Hell Freezes Over?

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It's going to get cold and I am not just talking about the cold shoulders the Democrats will be feeling in halls of Congress this week. Reach out to your US Representative and insist that they do some work, not like the last two sessions of US Congress. If you're not sure of your congressional district, or who your member is? This service will assist you by matching your ZIP code to your congressional district, with links to your member's website and contact page. http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Win By Losing For 2015

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Don't put it off. Take it off and keep it off. Do not risk another dieting dead-end. Set yourself on the road to success with a weight-loss program you can stick with and enjoy!

If diets failed you in the past, then put an end to dieting disappointment for good with health and nutrition professional planning.

Why do most diets not deliver as advertised? In a word: boredom. We start well, but after too many meals that are too restrictive, we lose interest. We're justifiably bored. And we quit.

Sex Updates

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What could be killing sex lives of many couples? Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation impair the quality of sexual intercourse for both men and their female partners.

Medical research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that there are actually two more surprising reasons to add to the list: a man’s relationship with his mother as a child, and how old he was when he first fell in love.

Iraq: 12K Dead

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The death tolls keeps climbing. In 2013, the U.N. reported 7,818 Iraqi civilians killed, but 12K this year.

Casualty figures for Iraq in 2014 were at their highest in over five years amid a spate of deadly violence which has been convulsing the country, the United Nations mission in the country reported today.

According to the latest figures issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), last year saw a total of 12,282 Iraqis killed and another 23,126 injured, registering as the worst outburst of violence experienced by the country since the 2006-2007 biennium.

Minimum Wage Increases

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This year, there are 20 states, plus Washington, DC all across the US, which have increased their workers' minimum wage. In other words, 3 million employees are receiving a salary increase.

Therefore, this year 29 states will have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum wage, which is still $7.25 an hour.

These city and state-led reforms are mounting pressure on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, but Congress does not always follow the will of the people, so don't hold your breath, because we're not there yet.

CIMAGES Welcomes Your Feedback

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