CHAPEL HILL, N.C., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) will offer its Master of Public Administration (MPA) program in a new online format designed for working professionals and others seeking the accessibility and flexibility of an online program from a top-tier university.

"The MPA program at UNC-Chapel Hill attracts applicants with a desire to serve and a potential for leadership," said William C. Rivenbark, MPA program director. "Graduates of our program attain leadership positions in every level of government and in organizations that support the public interest. We typically admit about 30 high-performing students per year into the on-campus program, but this online option will enable us to extend the reach of our program and provide many more highly qualified students with the opportunity to earn an MPA from a top-ranked university."

The online program, known as MPA@UNC, will blend the flexibility of an online program with the rigor and quality of the on-campus program:

Courses integrate both self-paced content and live sessions held at pre-arranged times that accommodate students in multiple time zones. In live sessions, the state-of-the-art learning management technology which includes live streaming video will allow faculty members and students to see and hear each other as they discuss course topics, meet in student study groups or hold face-to-face meetings during office hours. The self-paced content provides high-quality faculty-designed coursework and an interactive social technology platform that allows students to chat, study and join communities with fellow classmates and professors 24/7.

"Governments and nonprofits need strategic thinkers at every level and public servants who can lead us through current and future challenges," said Mike Smith, dean of the School of Government. "With the addition of this online MPA option, qualified students will be able to choose a program that fits their life needs and their learning preferences, and we will expand our positive impact on communities across the country."

The UNC School of Government is developing MPA@UNC with 2tor, Inc. 2tor partners with leading higher education institutions to deliver rigorous, selective degree programs online by providing the technology platform, instructional design, marketing and infrastructure support. Headquartered in Landover, Maryland, 2tor was recently named by Fast Company as among the world's 10 most innovative companies in education.

"Technology is changing industries and many facets of our daily routines, including how we learn," said Chip Paucek, cofounder and CEO of 2tor, Inc. "In the UNC School of Government, we've found a forward-thinking team eager to innovate and push the boundaries of graduate education. We are impressed by the faculty's leadership in local and state governments, and thrilled to partner with a school widely regarded as the largest university-based organization for local government training, advising and research in the United States."

MPA@UNC will admit its first cohort of students this fall and will begin classes in January 2013. For more information, visit onlinempa.unc.edu or call 855-862-4672 (855-UNC-4MPA).

About MPA@UNC

MPA@UNC is a Master of Public Administration program delivered online by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Government. The program educates leaders for local, state and federal governments and nonprofit organizations, and consistently ranks among the best public administration graduate programs in the country, particularly in city management. The online program, known as MPA@UNC, allows working professionals and students everywhere to learn from UNC faculty through a unique blend of highly interactive online learning in an intimate classroom setting. MPA@UNC students need to meet the same selective admissions criteria as the on-campus program and upon graduation earn an identical diploma. Graduates of the UNC School of Government MPA program attain leadership positions in every level of government and in organizations that support the public interest.

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UNC-Chapel Hill to Offer Master of Public Administration Program in Online Format

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVaQGPOAwow

25-03-2012 06:49 I know this one is so similar to the self-helpless episode that it seems as though you've seen it before, but what can I say, obviously they have an enormous wealth of material to choose from!

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Penn and Teller - Life Coaching (Full Episode) - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN0XIUdYoOs

25-03-2012 19:50 In this week's tip, Dr. Lisabeth Medlock of Life By Design Coaching talks about how life involves some low points and suffering, but it is in the suffering that growth can occur and ways to move forward can be found.

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Life Coaching Tip of the Week-March 26, 2012: The Importance of Suffering - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvyO25ooNic

25-03-2012 17:28 SUBSCRIBE PLEASE!!! VISIT MY COMPANION PAGE ON FACEBOOK AT http://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LOWCARBCORY FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @LOWCARBCORY Yo, what's happenin', people? This is Low Carb Cory. I'm a health/wellness/fitness coach from Central Wisconsin. I love to watch basketball and football (go Packers!), play basketball, swim and hit the beach in the summer, weight-train 3 to 4 days a week and write, produce and record my own music. I am on a mission to get RIPPED - to get my bodyfat down to about 8% and get that lean, Hollywood'ish, leading man look that makes women go crazy and makes other men seethe with envy. I started weight-training heavily in March of 2009 at what I now consider to have been quite a fat (20-24% bodyfat) 170 lbs. I had been taking the conventional advice that the health and fitness community gave me (eat 6 small meals a day, get multiple servings of grains, eat fruit, do cardio at the gym and work out 5-6 days a week) and you know what happened? I GOT FATTER. My ego wanted me to believe that I was putting on muscle, but I got a wake-up call when, after growing to 197 lbs (and although being stronger than ever), my belt, which I'd always comfortably worn on the second loop, started getting snug and chafing me on the FIRST LOOP. I was overweight, burned out, sore and tired as a dog. I decided right then and there that I was going to do something about this. I went online and spent countless hours researching and reading opinions, advice columns, weight/fat loss ...

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Thank you Keith

Its not a game changer for online fitness trainer Josh Neumann, but he believes a new motion control system for Microsofts video game console Xbox presents new health and fitness potential through gaming.

The co-founder of Stay Fit Anywhere set a benchmark for online training and works with clients around North America. Nothing can replace the benefits and interaction of meeting a trainer face to face, he says.

But the immersion gaming of Kinect comes close, and when users connect with one another using the system someone with dumbbells in one part of the world and another somewhere else with a professionals eye for technique can interact by teleconferencing.

Kinect, which is essentially a narrow camera box that attaches to an Xbox, doesnt just lose the hand-held wands or balance boards known to Sony and Nintendo usersthink Wii Fit. Its motion-sensor camera eliminates the need for a traditional game controller altogether.

You dont need to hold anything. Its just you and the game, Craig Flannagan, a marketing manager with Microsoft, said last week while showing off Kinect at a press preview before its wider release next month.

What Flannagan described as player projection tech translates to a camera that captures a users location and movement within an eight foot range, meaning an avatar on the TV jumps and lifts an arm to spike a volleyball the second the human player in the living room does so.

Theres nothing between you and your game, he said.

For blacktop racing, the plastic replica of a steering wheel is gone. In its place are your own two fists, held as if gripping the wheel. Play mechanicsessentially strategic leaning and a few timely elbow pumpspush your hotrod past the plumbers and over the finish line.

Designed by BigPark, a Vancouver-based design firm, Joy Ride is the first car racing game built for Kinect.

Founded in 2007, BigParks team has ties to Electronic Arts and Microsoft. Its popular franchises include FIFA Soccer, NBA Street and SSX, for snowboard cross. (Joy Ride has road elements that remind Flannagan of a half-pipe, which may be a hint of something to come. It feels snowboardy, he says. You can feel the BigPark roots.)

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Fitness trainer touts Xbox motion control

Dear Debt Adviser, I'm 37 years old, married with three kids, and I have about $15,000 in college debt from my MBA expenses. Should I withdraw retirement savings from my 401(k) or Roth individual retirement account to pay off the debt? I'm sick of having this debt and want to be done with it now. Can I avoid penalties if the retirement money is used to pay off student loans? -- Randy

Dear Randy, With three kids, I would have expected you to have developed more patience by now. Still, 37 is young in the scheme of things. Here's some advice from someone who has been patience-challenged for decades longer than you and comes from a family whose patriarch thought impatience was the most beautiful flower.

I have a three-part answer to your question.

You are responsible for a spouse and three children. Though it may be argued that she is equally responsible for you and the kids, we are talking about you -- and you are most certainly on the hook.

In my experience as a father and husband, I can tell you there is a very good chance in the next five to 10 years the $15,000 you are considering withdrawing may be needed for something more important than retiring an education debt you are "sick of having." Life has a way of sending the unexpected our way at the least convenient time, and often the unanticipated event(s) comes with a high price tag attached. It is hoped you have an emergency savings account of six to 12 months' of living expenses put aside to help fund life's financial curveballs, but you may find additional funds are required.

Also, the $15,000 you remove from retirement funds now could, if left where it is, be worth in the neighborhood of $80,000 by the time you're 67. Even when you take into consideration inflation, you could be missing out on the equivalent of $40,000 if you remove the $15,000 now. As an MBA, you'll no doubt appreciate the time value of money.

Let me suggest that a better idea may be to develop a plan to pay down your college debt more quickly.

Let's do some math. If we assume you have another 10 years to pay on your loan and your interest rate is 6 percent, your monthly payment is approximately $167 per month. If you were to add an additional $500 to each payment, for a total of $667 each month, your debt would be paid off in two short years. To pay off the debt in one year, you would need to boost your monthly payment by $1,125.

Whether you pay off your student loans sooner or later, my guess is once you know this debt is heading for the door, you won't feel the need to incur a penalty to send it on its way immediately.

Should you decide to withdraw retirement savings from your IRA, I would recommend you consult with a tax-planning professional to assure that you follow all the proper procedures. You do not want to complicate an already bad financial move with a problem with the Internal Revenue Service.

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Should you raid retirement to pay college debt?

LOS ANGELESMany Cougars recorded personal best marks this weekend as the BYU mens and women's track and field team participated in the Trojan Invitational at the Loker Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday.

The meet went very well, men's head coach Mark Robison said. There was tough competition at the meet and I was very pleased with our teams performances.

All-Americans Cade Lindahl and Ryan Waite ran well in both the 400m and 800m, with Lindahl placing fourth, running 46.71, and Waite finishing sixth in 1:48.74.

Three Cougars finished top ten in the 1500m, with Jared Rohatinsky finishing sixth (3:50.21), Justin Hedin finishing eighth (3:50.38) and Ryan Jones coming in ninth (3:51.38).

In the short distances, Fanfan Charles finished the 100m in a career best time of 10.58 and Jason Hinds finished in 10.71 and in the 3000m steeplechase Jacob Cosby, Steve Flint and Curtis Carr took fifth, sixth and seventh.

Kyle Baker and Keith Keller finished fourth and sixth in the javelin, throwing 63.48m and 62.09m respectively, and Colby Barber came in second in the shot put with a distance of 16.87m.

Also in the field events, Dakoda John came in third in the high jump with a height of 2.06m and Seth Weiler finished fourth in the discus, throwing 47.56m.

Junior Allyson Anderson led the BYU womens track team with a dominating performance in the javelin.

Anderson set a new personal best in her javelin win with a throw of 51.19m (167-11). Her throw ranks third in BYU history and currently ranks third in the NCAA. Anderson was the lone Cougar to win an event at the meet.

The high jump was also a strong event for the Cougars. Senior Diana Blauer led BYU with a second place finish after a season-best jump of 1.70m (5-7.00). Ada Robinson and Taylor Stapley tied for sixth in the event with a height of 1.60m (5-3.00).

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BYU track and field: Many Cougars record personal bests at USC Trojan Invitational

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt-XS2WPLiI

25-03-2012 19:24 wbnr.co http://www.businesscreditsherpa.com Business Credit With No Personal Guarantee 4 Steps To Business Credit Success Credit cards and lines of credit are important for a business, especially in the beginning when the accounts may be low on cash but bills and payroll may still need to be paid. Getting a card or a loan may not be difficult but most likely a bank will request the business owner to personally guarantee the account. In other words, the owner will be personally liable for any debts owed to the bank regardless of the status of the business organization. Why is this done? Because the banks want to get paid if the business goes bankrupt. Can the owner get corporate credit cards without personal guarantee? First of all, the business needs to have good credit scores with all three credit bureaus. In order to do that, a good way is to find stores, vendors and suppliers that would be willing to open a line of credit for a small amount in the name of the business only. It will likely be only a few hundred dollars but it is a start. As long as the debts are paid off on time and the payment history is reported to the credit bureaus, the credit history will be building up and the scores will be increasing. Having just one account will not help much. The business needs to have several accounts, including both loans and revolving lines of credit, to build a solid credit history and qualify for business credit cards without personal guarantee. Lenders ask for several important ...

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Business Credit With No Personal Guarantee: 4 Steps To Business Credit Success - Video

Unlike many youngsters her age, 31/2-year-old Sloane Smith loves vegetables.

Her dad, Jason, credits the Boulder-based Personal Family Farmers, Catherine Harley and Dale Zigelsky's backyard garden installation business. Thanks to them --and the backyard, raised-bed garden plots they put in -- the little girl spent all last summer eating beans and cherry tomatoes right from the vine.

"We thought it would be really neat to do a garden (as) a family thing," Smith said. "That visualization of the family out in the yard really came true."

Not that Jason Smith considers himself much of a gardener. Busy schedules prevented Smith and his wife from starting a garden from scratch. And while they considered investing in one of the community supported agriculture farms, the Smiths decided that other weekend activities took precedence.

That fledgling farmer is exactly the audience that Harley and Zigelsky are targeting . Launched in 2009, Personal Family Farmers has grown from serving 10 customers its first year to 40 its second. Forty-five people have already signed up for this summer.

"Our mission really is to trigger the green thumb in the household and then get the homegrown garden to become a natural thing again," Harley said. "They can start and then learn at their pace."

The service includes varying levels of installation, setup and maintenance of 4-by-4-foot plots that each hold 16 plants. Clients pick from a lengthy list of produce options, primarily vegetables with a few fruit and flower choices (more than 60 different offerings total), personally deciding what pops up in their garden.

"People can grow what they want," Harley said. "If they don't like beets, they don't have to get beets."

Price points per plot range from $289 for what Harley calls the "PIY," plant it yourself, to $599 for the full-service option. Harley admits the first year is an investment, but points out that her customers save considerably on their produce bills. Plus, the installation is a one-time cost, and seeding a plot costs roughly $25 in following years.

"Starting a garden in a way that is successful, you're guaranteeing your investment back," Harley said.

Continued here:
Boulder personal gardeners set up vegetable patches

10:35 p.m. EST, March 25, 2012

Chamber

Winter Park: Winter Park Executive Women "Discover Your Personal Brand," 11:30 a.m. April 2, Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 W. Lyman Ave., Winter Park. Cost: $20 for members; $25 nonmembers; Reservation deadline is March 30. Details: 407-644-8281 or winterpark.org.

Sanford: Successful Business Solutions Forum, 5:30-8 p.m. April 19; Sanford Chamber of Commerce Hall, 400 E. 1st St., Sanford. A panel of local entrepreneurs will share their stories of the triumphs and challenges on the path to success. Free, registration required. Call 407-322-2212 or email susan@sanfordchamber.com.

Sanford: Better Neighborhood, Better Life Community Expo, 5-8 p.m. April 26; Sanford Civic Center, 401 E. Seminole Blvd., Sanford. A breakout session will be offered from 6-6:30 p.m. on "3 Keys to Email Marketing." Free. Details: 407-322-2212.

Education

Rollins College Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center, Steps for Starting a 501c3 Nonprofit, 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 16; $25; Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park. Details: 407-975-6414.

UCF-Small Business Development Center, Social Media Marketing for Business Success, 6-8 p.m. March 27, $20; Quickbooks Overview, 6-9 p.m. March 28, $30; Bookkeeping and Taxes, 6-9 p.m. March 29, $30; Contracting with the Army, 6-9 p.m. April 3, $30; Start Up Basics, 6-9 p.m. April 4, free; Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights, 6-9 p.m. April 4, $30; GSA Schedules, 6-9 p.m. April 10, $30; Government Contract Law, 6-9 p.m. April 17, $30; Bids & Proposals, 6-9 p.m. April 24, $30; all classes at Orlando Fashion Square Mall. Details: 407-420-4850 or sbdcorlando.com.

SCORE Orlando, Funding Your Business, 6-9 p.m. March 27, $50; You, Your Business Idea, How SCORE Can Help, 6:30-9 p.m. April 2, 9:30 a.m.-noon April 7, free; Starting Your New Business, 9:30 a.m.-noon April 9, $50; all classes at Orlando Fashion Square Mall. Details: 407-420-4844 or scoreorlando.org.

Seminole State College of Florida-Small Business Development Center, Building the Ultimate Business Plan, 9 a.m.-noon March 29, $95; Websites for Small Business, 9-11 a.m. April 4, $30; Print, Website, and Brand Consistency 2-5 p.m. April 11, $30; all classes at the Center for Economic Development, Seminole State College, 1055 AAA Drive, Heathrow. Details: 407-321-3495 or sbdc.seminolestate.edu/.

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03/26: Business events