In today’s world, “green” is in—meaning that making ecologically sound choices is something at the top of all our minds. So when it comes to choosing a first home, many professionals are asking themselves, “which lifestyle is the most green?” Of course, if you have always dreamt of living in the country, the green revolution will probably have little effect on your aspiration. By the same token, if you have always dreamt of living in the heart of the city, you shouldn’t change your preferred lifestyle based on some builder’s notion of which lifestyle is more “green.” Never the less, it can be interesting to look at these different modes of living and really analyze the ecological sensitivity of that first home you buy.
When many think of “going green” or living in an ecologically sustainable manner, they think of that house in the country. After all, what could be more friendly to nature than surrounding oneself with nature, right? Wrong, many experts say. Living out in the country does indeed give you more access to the out of doors and the beauty of nature, but does it help the planet? Remember, the longer your commute to work, the more fossil fuels you will burn each day. If you live on a dirt road, you may need a large, four-wheel-drive vehicle, thus increasing your gasoline consumption. Wood burning stoves—though cozy and undeniably romantic—are common modes of heating in older country homes, but they pollute quite a bit. Also consider everyday concerns such as garbage disposal. Will you have access to a county dump? Will you have to haul your trash yourself? Because of their isolation, it is common for many in rural areas to burn their own trash, which is decidedly unhealthful for the environment. In addition to considering your own commute to work, also consider the drive-time necessary for the post office and other delivery vehicles to reach your home. These vehicles also burn fossil fuels as they roam around the countryside from one rural home to the next.
This is not an attempt to discourage any potential home-buyer from purchasing that dreamed-of home in the country, but simply a word to the wise. The rural lifestyle is distinct from the urban or suburban life simply because of its isolation and the fuel and vehicular demands upon it. It can be expensive to have a lot of land to keep up and care for as well.
Another option that many green-wise home buyers look at is that home in the city. Urban living, for many first-time home buyers, means a condominium. There are also wonderful brownstones and town homes available to city dwellers, but the condominium is the most affordably-priced city home for most first-time buyers. These dwellings do tend to be small. Storage space is limited and there is no personal outdoor space at all. Some condominiums offer shared recreation space—be it a setting in a park-like atmosphere or a roof garden. The lifestyle is communal in some respects, and that entails following strict rules as to outdoor décor that is permitted, noise levels, and behavior that may disturb others. Some young people balk at the rules and the fees associated with condominium dwelling . . . that is, until they move in! Condominiums often provide amenities such as swimming pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, and community centers for the residents, and these additions can make all the difference. Condominium dwellers do save on transportation costs to and from their workplaces, and do have numerous entertainments right at their fingertips. They don’t have the costly and time-consuming upkeep on their properties that rural-dwellers incur.
There are definitely some advantages to city living when home buyers are looking to “go green,” but ultimately the choice is a personal one. You must ask yourself: how much work and expense do I want to put into my home, and how much time and expense do I want to spend on transportation?
If you have had it with the workaday world and just don’t feel like it challenges you enough, perhaps you will be tempted to start your own business in 2010. Sure, who wouldn’t want to work overtime for nothing? Who wouldn’t want to give up a steady paycheck for the risk of going bankrupt? But seriously, there are so many incredible benefits to owning your own business. At first, you may not feel a lot of freedom. You’ll be tied to your work day and night—finding new clients, setting up your office, and marketing. But in the long run, with a lot of skill and a little luck, you could see that business grow and become successful.
Well, its official. Kindle is Amazon’s “most gifted product ever.” Ever? Yes, I said ever! Amazon also notes that on any given day, buyers purchased more digital books than actual books. So what is it that finally got people to eschew their tattered paperbacks and handsome hardbacks for digital editions? The kindle got off to a slow start, but eventually it was “discovered” for lack of a better term, and it looks like 2009 was its heyday. (So far.)
Have you ever felt like you work too hard? No, it’s not a matter of working harder than you want to, this is a matter of working harder than the results warrant. Wouldn’t you like to streamline your work? Whether it’s financial, creative, business, sales, or even housework, there are six primary steps to reducing wasted work time.
IT workers had a big year in 2009, what with the economy going south, virtual schools seeing a boom, and internet marketing changing character completely. Staying on top of all that is new and emerging in technology can definitely be hard work these days, so we have compiled five freebies for 2010: tips you can use and abuse as you like. No charge!
The 2009 national stationary show debuted some really interesting office products that could just make your business more productive and efficient. 
In today’s business environment, we have fax machines, telephones, mobile telephones, car phones, FedEx, snail mail, and of course email. With all these methods for transferring information, there sure is a lot of knowledge changing hands. But is that always a good thing? A company called 
Whether you own your own business or work for a large firm, the advent of the new year gives you the opportunity to reassess your work and your work environment and ask yourself, “Is this the work I want to be doing? Why? Where does it lead?” We all have goals, both personal and professional, and with new year’s resolutions should come a reiteration of these goals for ourselves.
Looking for work in 2010 may be easier than you think, if you work in Information Technology. A Gartner study has recently shown that banks and other financial industries are likely to be the biggest hirers of techies in the coming year. In fact, the study shows that a full 63% of financial-sector companies are planning on beefing up their IT staffs. Also, 62% of government agencies are also planning to grow IT departments. While hiring is not expected to boom all at once, experts do see steady growth in hiring for computer programmers, web developers, systems analysts, and other IT professions throughout 2010.
Love gadgets? Then you may be one of the millions who received a kindle this year. As of Christmas 2009, Amazon has declared it the most gifted Amazon item of all time. Yes, that’s right, I said all time. As a result, Amazon actually sold more kindle books this year than actual books. Can you say wave of the future?
