Wounded veteran finds new life coaching football
Posted: October 11, 2012 at 5:15 pm
SAN DIEGO -- Josh Hooker paces up and down the sidelines during Francis Parker junior varsity games giving no sign that he nearly lost his life.
I was with the 101st Airborne out of Baghdad, Iraq, Hooker said. Another soldier and I were struck by an IED. Immediately he was killed and the residual blast hit my lower extremities and took off my left foot.
That explosion happened April 29, 2006. Hooker took more than a year to recover, and he chose to have his leg amputated. He now wears a prosthetic below the knee called a vertical shock piston.
It allows me to do anything and everything that a normal person would do, Hooker said.
Once he retired from the Army, Sgt. Hooker, went through the Warriors to Work program and found a job last season as a volunteer football coach with Francis Parker.
With his new job, he said he found a new life.
"I can also implement some of the skills I learned as a sergeant in the military," Hooker said. "It's not much different from coaching. So, I'm pretty much a drill sergeant coach, and it gives me an opportunity to lead troops into battle. I didn't have much of that opportunity in the service."
The 28-year-old former high school football player fit in so well, Parker head coach John Morrison hired him for this season.
It's really a lot less about him being an amputee and a lot more about what he brings to the program in terms of his leadership skills and serving as a mentor to the young men, Morrison said. Having him on JV, I think, is perfect because he's really with the younger kids, the freshmen and sophomores. I think he could make a great impression on them.
It's kind of inspiring because you see this guy who clearly started off just like the rest of us, a normal high-schooler who played football, said sophomore Kevin Roden. Then, when he went into the military, he was just serving his country and of course, what happened, happened.
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Wounded veteran finds new life coaching football
Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, Introduces New Health and Fitness Experience
Posted: at 5:14 pm
Guests Can Get Fit with New Visiting Instructor Series, Find Your Balance Four-Night Package and Vegetarian Cooking Class
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (PRWEB) October 11, 2012
Esperanzas new health and fitness experiences include:
Guests can visit http://www.esperanzaresort.com to view the 2012-2013 Auberge Trainer In-Residence schedule. Private and semi-private fitness sessions and complimentary vegetarian cooking classes can be booked by calling The Auberge Spa at 866-311-2226.
Esperanza encompasses a 57-room resort, 60 privately owned villas, 36 private residences, a full-service spa and several signature dining outlets, located on the bluffs overlooking two private coves at Punta Ballena near Cabo San Lucas. The resort is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chteaux collection. For reservations or more information, please call toll-free 866-311-2226 or visit http://www.esperanzaresort.com. Follow Esperanza on Facebook at facebook.com/EsperanzaResort and on Twitter at @EsperanzaResort.
About Auberge Resorts
Auberge Resorts is a collection of exceptional hotels, resorts and private clubs, each with a unique personality that assures a memorable guest experience. While Auberge Resorts nurtures the individuality of each establishment, all are characterized by a set of communal elements: intimate, understated elegance; captivating locations that inspire exceptional cuisine and spa experiences; and gracious yet unobtrusive service. Among the Auberge collection of distinctive properties are: Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, Calif.; Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley, Calif.; Solage Calistoga, Napa Valley, Calif.; Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.; Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo.; Pronghorn Golf Club & Resort, Bend, Ore.; and Auberge Residences at Element 52, Telluride, Colo., with several others currently in development. For more information about Auberge Resorts, please visit http://www.aubergeresorts.com. Follow Auberge Resorts on Facebook at facebook.com/AubergeResorts and on Twitter at @AubergeResorts.
Adryn Miller Murphy O'Brien 310-453-2539 Email Information
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Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, Introduces New Health and Fitness Experience
Crunch Fitness to Open 26th Franchise Location in Garwood, NJ
Posted: at 5:14 pm
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Crunch Fitness, the health club chain known for pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments and making fitness fun, is set to open the brand's 26th franchise location in Garwood, NJ. Located at 300 South Ave., Garwood, NJ 07027, the club joins Wayne and Paramus as the third location to outpost a Crunch Franchise in the Garden State.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090909/NY72689LOGO)
"Crunch's No Judgments mantra and cutting edge fitness offerings have had an overwhelmingly positive response from the community, since the opening of Crunch Wayne in 2011," said franchisee, Maria Parella-Turco. "We are thrilled to bring a third location to New Jersey and look forward to further spreading Crunch's innovative and fun approach to working out to local residents."
Crunch Garwood will boast an impressive 20,000 sq. ft. facility, complete state-of-the art cardio machines with personal viewing screens, weight training equipment, free weights and two designated personal training areas. Crunch's unique programming will be offered in an incredible group fitness studio, including Zumba, BodyWeb with TRX, Tread N' Shed, and Yoga Body Sculpt, to name a few. Full service locker rooms, tanning and a relaxing lounge space will also be available for members.
Crunch Garwood owners are industry veterans and plan to open numerous Crunch franchise locations in the tri-state area in the future.
There is a presale enrollment center currently open outside the club space at the Garwood Mall with facility renderings and Crunch representatives to answers all your questions. In addition, a dedicated club website, http://www.crunchgarwood.com is offering exclusive membership deals, including a low monthly fee of only $9.95 for a limited time. Call 908-789-0900 for more information. To learn more about Crunch franchising opportunities go to http://www.crunchfranchise.com.
Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments. Headquartered in New York City, and co-owned by New Evolution Ventures (NeV) and private-equity firm Angelo Gordon, Crunch serves over 200,000 members with 54 gyms worldwide, including 26 franchise locations CT, FL, TX, WA, OR, CA, NJ, VA, NY and Australia, and is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. Go to http://www.crunchfranchise.com for more information.
Angelo, Gordon & Co., L.P. is a privately held limited partnership founded in November 1988, and currently manages approximately $23 billion. The firm's investment focus centers on core competencies of real estate, credit, and private equity. Angelo, Gordon has over 200 employees (approximately half of whom are investment professionals) and is headquartered in New York, with associated offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Sydney. For more information, visit http://www.angelogordon.com.
About New Evolution Ventures (NeV) Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV) is a private equity firm focused on the acquisition, development and operations management of fitness, media and sports interests both domestically and internationally. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney, and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is shaping the world of fitness, media, and sports one brand at a time. With a foundation representing over a century of business experience, NeV currently has operations and investments in more than 20 countries worldwide representing over 800+ facilities. For more information, visitwww.nev.com.
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Crunch Fitness to Open 26th Franchise Location in Garwood, NJ
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on retirement – Video
Posted: at 5:14 pm
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on retirement - Video
Rugby-Sharpe delays retirement, again, to play on for Australia
Posted: at 5:14 pm
Oct 11 (Reuters) - Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe has delayed his retirement for a second time and made himself available for Australia's northern hemisphere tour next month, the team said on Thursday.
It has been a remarkable 12 months for the 34-year-old Sharpe, who had slipped to being a fringe player at last year's World Cup where he won his 100th cap, and he had planned to retire after the Super Rugby season.
He was persuaded by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans to play on in the southern hemisphere's Rugby Championship after injuries ruled out captain James Horwill and Dan Vickerman and with little in the way of depth of international experience in Australia's locking stocks.
He rose to the captaincy for the second half of the Rugby Championship when Horwill's successor David Pocock injured his knee in the opening match and scrumhalf Will Genia followed two games later.
Sharpe's performances and leadership of the injury-ravaged Wallabies in those three matches persuaded Deans to ask him to postpone his retirement once more for the tests against France, England, Italy and Wales starting next month.
"Playing for Australia is something I have never taken for granted. As such, to be asked to continue beyond the deadline I had set for myself was both flattering but also a request that was very difficult to turn down," Sharpe said in a statement.
"I have never known a season where the Wallabies have faced such adversity as we have this year.
"To show the spirit and character that the team has is a mark of how the group has grown, both individually and collectively, and I have enjoyed playing my part in that.
"The opportunity to lead the Wallabies again on what will be a challenging but exciting tour was too tempting. It is not easy to say no to your country."
Sharpe is expected to play his last test on home soil in Brisbane on Oct. 20 when the Wallabies face the All Blacks in the final dead rubber match of the Bledisloe Cup, which the world champions wrapped up in August to retain the trans-Tasman trophy for a 10th successive season.
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Rugby-Sharpe delays retirement, again, to play on for Australia
Why You Should Delay Retirement Fund Withdrawals
Posted: at 5:13 pm
If you are near retirement, you will hear this advice very often: Stay in your job for a few more years. This is good advice, but it isnt very palatable or always possible. Some of us may have to leave a career due to family reasons, a health issue, or a company layoff. If your retirement fund is a little low, then its wise to keep working. However, there is an alternative to delaying retirement: Phase into your retirement and delay withdrawals instead.
Phase into retirement. Phasing into retirement will let you stay active in your most healthy years of retirement. Most of us still want to work and contribute to society when we are 55 or 60 years old, but may be bored with our careers or want to spend more time with family. One way to phase into retirement is to transition to part time. Another is to change careers to a more interesting and fulfilling job. These options will most likely reduce your income, but they will enable you to delay withdrawals from your retirement fund. Many of us are uninspired by our jobs after working for 30 years, and perhaps the change will enable us to delay full retirement.
Delay withdrawals. Delaying withdrawals has a big impact because the extra time will let your investments continue to grow, and you will spend less time in retirement. For example, lets say you expect to live until age 80. Robert retires at 60 and he needs to spread his retirement fund withdrawals over 20 years. Jane also leaves her full-time career at 60, but delays her withdrawals by 5 years. Jane will have 15 years of full retirement to cover. Lets assume they both have $500,000 in their retirement funds at age 60, earn a 6 percent annual return on their investments, and encounter an inflation rate of 3 percent.
By delaying withdrawals, Janes retirement fund will have a longer period of time to grow. We estimated the annual growth rate to be 6 percent, but it will be up and down in real life. After 5 years, Janes retirement fund will grow to $669,100. In addition, her withdrawal period will shrink to 15 years instead of 20. This enables Jane to have 44 percent bigger annual withdrawals in her retirement. Jane has more money to cover expenses and less time she needs her money to last, so she will be much better off than Robert during her retirement.
Early retirement. So far we looked at the effects of delaying withdrawals, but it works the other way, too. Lets add another example. Dora accumulates $500,000 by the time shes 55, and then phases into her retirement without withdrawing from her nest egg until shes 65.
Each year, Dora will have 66 percent more money than Robert and 15 percent more than Jane. More importantly, she can quit her job at 55 and work minimally for 10 years before retiring full time.
Its important to note that these calculations did not include tax rates or Social Security payments, but the point is still applicable. Saving up early and then delaying retirement withdrawals will enable you to have more income when you retire full time. Even if you cant put off retirement, consider putting off retirement account withdrawals if at all possible.
Joe Udo is planning an exit strategy from his corporate job by reducing expenses and increasing passive income. He blogs about his journey to early retirement at Retire by 40.
Revolutionary ZinkUz App Fuels Personal Connections to Boost Organizational Morale and Productivity
Posted: at 5:13 pm
Ground breaking new app easily and creatively connects people to enhance communication, drive performance, lower attrition, and improve workplace culture and satisfaction.
Fort Worth, TX (PRWEB) October 10, 2012
"ZinkUz connects random people throughout an organization, explains Mala Brough, inventor of ZinkUz. The app brings people together in ways that benefit both the individual and the company so its a win for everyone. Ready to go to lunch? Launch ZinkUz from your phone, press connect, and you are on your way to building a new friendship at work.
Leverage the power of ZinkUz. Because human capital is the most precious asset in any organization, the ZinkUz app is a valuable tool for nurturing a positive workplace environment and increasing employee morale. It will help organizations to remove obstacles to performance and productivity while it generates fresh new collaborations that are fun, satisfying, and make measurable improvements.
The proprietary ZinkUz is a patent-pending process is designed for businesses, universities, churches and trade shows. ZinkUz software providesorganizationsthe abilityto customize how people are matched.
ZinkUzcan be used to create an environment that facilitates mentoring relationships by connecting new employees with seasoned employees.Anorganization can encourage and inspire interdepartmental interaction or dialog between upper management andall employees of any level.
ZinkUz is an organization strengthening tool. ZinkUz helps organizations drive innovation, strengthen culture, and impact profits. "Impacting profits by impacting people is our core belief at ZinkUz," responds Mala, inventor of ZinkUz.
Come meet the ZinkUz team at the upcoming HRSouthwest Conference Expo. ZinkUz will be an exhibitor at HRSouthwest Conference, booth 529. The HRSouthwest Conference is being held at the Fort Worth Convention Center on October 15th and 16th.
Media Contact: Ross Christen, 855-294-6589, r.christen(at)zinkuz(dot)com
Investors: Paul Brough, zinkuz.wefunder.com
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Revolutionary ZinkUz App Fuels Personal Connections to Boost Organizational Morale and Productivity
Justin Bieber's camera, computer stolen at one of his shows
Posted: at 5:13 pm
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Justin Bieber's camera, computer stolen at one of his shows
VP debate impact may be more personal than electoral
Posted: at 5:13 pm
When Rep. Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden square off in Thursday night's vice presidential debate in Danville, Ky., sparks will fly, consultants will fret, and snap polls will deliver snap judgment. Twitter might actually explode. And come November 6, it probably won't make a difference.
Despite screaming headlines predicting a "high-stakes" encounter, the VP candidates can take solace in this, at least: their performance, barring a spectacular implosion or gaffe, is unlikely to affect the outcome of the 2012 election.
The potential impact on Biden and Ryan, however, could be profound.
Alan Schroeder, a professor of journalism at Northeastern University and author of "Presidential Debates: 50 Years of High-Risk TV", argues that the VP debate "has more to do with the legacy for the debater than affecting the outcome of peoples' voting decisions."
Indeed, a look at past vice presidential debates reveals an event that scarcely affects the election at hand but can render a powerful, durable verdict on the sparring understudies.
The stakes may be higher for the 42-year-old Ryan, a young up-and-comer commonly heralded as the vanguard of a new generation of Republican leaders. A strong performance from Ryan would solidify his standing as the GOP's heir-apparent; a tepid performance could tarnish his credibility as a big thinker and derail his national ambition.
But Biden, too, will be watched with an eye to 2016. Despite abundant skepticism among the commentariat, Biden confidantes insist that the loquacious 69-year-old must be seen as a viable presidential candidate four years hence. An aggressive, punchy performance could elevate his stature within the party, quelling doubts about the vice president's age and competence. A feckless night could erase whatever remains of Biden's 2016 currency.
John Sides, a professor of political science at The George Washington University, explains that the debate can be an audition for bigger things: "If a vice-presidential candidate has grander ambitions, their performance as a candidate is one factor that could affect their prospects." Though he argues that "party leaders will look at a VP debate as one data point" in measuring the presidential caliber of rising stars, he cautions, "It's not the only one, or even the most important one."
In the first vice presidential debate of the television era, a 1976 face-off pitting then-Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., against then-Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn., Dole delivered the night's most memorable attack, scorching Mondale and the Democrats as warmongers: "I figured it up the other day, if we added up the killed and wounded in Democrat wars in this century, it'd be about 1.6 million Americans - enough to fill the city of Detroit."
Dole had developed a reputation for acidity, as Mondale reminded the audience: "Senator Dole has richly earned his reputation as a 'hatchet man' tonight." The "hatchet man" label endured for decades.
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VP debate impact may be more personal than electoral
Money Tips From The Amish
Posted: at 5:13 pm
The simple lifestyle of the Amish involves more than just their limited use of modern technology. By taking a simple approach to business and finance, the culture has produced stunningly successful businesses and very healthy personal finances. In this article, we'll explore the Amish culture and take a look at some financial lessons that you can apply.
Who Are the Amish?The Amish are a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships that form a part of the Mennonite church. After beginning in Switzerland around 1700, the culture migrated to the United States in the early 18th century. There are now an estimated 250,000 Amish in the U.S. alone. They live primarily in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
The culture is best known for its simple living, plain clothing and lack of modern technology, including the use of electricity from grid sources. Families tend to be larger than average with members only able to marry other members of the Amish community.
Despite the lack of modern technology, the Amish make money in a variety of different occupations, including produce farming, at-home shops, market stands, woodworking, factories, and common services like accounting or taxidermy. Most of the funds from these activities are invested in real estate rather than stocks or bonds.
Personal Finance TipsFrom designer label clothing to the latest smartphones, most American consumers are always looking for the "next best thing" while being bombarded by advertisements from every angle. The Amish live a very different lifestyle that encourages simplicity, sharing and community, which also happen to be the cornerstones of effective personal finance.
Here are some specific tips that can be applied to everyday life:
Pursue Simplicity Simple solutions to common problems are often cheaper and more effective than complex ones. For instance, buying a new riding lawnmower may make life easier right now, but there is likely a higher cost of ownership in the long run compared to a traditional push mower.
Embrace Community Using family or communities to help out can help reduce costs for large and small projects. For instance, asking neighbors to help lay bricks for a new patio is far less expensive than hiring contractors to do the same thing. Joining a local running club can be far cheaper than buying a gym membership.
Maximize Resources Reduce, reuse and recycle are three terms that aren't used enough in modern society. From handing down clothing to using an old laptop as an Internet TV box, there are many different ways to maximize what we have in order to avoid buying new products.
Do It Yourself DIY projects can help save money and build new skills. For instance, many simple home repairs can easily be accomplished by reading an article online or watching a YouTube video. Cooking meals at home can save hundreds of dollars each month in unnecessary spending at restaurants and cafes.
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Money Tips From The Amish