Articles written by I. Michael Akbar - Page 4

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About me - I. Michael Akbar

My background is quite varied and diverse. I attended a private college prep boarding school with president's and senator's sons and later sold frozen meat door-to-door on the streets of Chicago. I spent three years at Northwestern University and later drove

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Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Archives Christmas 2007: Gifts ideas for software programmers: 2 of 5
A computer related gift for your software programmer friend might require some thought because they tend to get their hands on the gadgets and gizmos they really desire pretty quickly. Here are a few ideas that might just touch your software programmer's soft spot: KVM SWITCHES A KVM (think "keyboard, video, mouse") enables ... More..
Jobs & Careers > Office Politics Best excuses for calling in sick: 14 of 33
There is an art to calling in sick, that is, when you are not actually sick, of course. If you think you have a good enough reason to risk it, you have to know that it is very hard to come up with a good excuse for calling in sick, especially if you just need the one day off. When you make your story sound bad enough to be r... More..
Jobs & Careers > Nonprofit & Service Sector Selecting effective board members for a nonprofit organization: 3 of 7
Selecting an effective board member for a non-profit organization is not the same as selecting one of a large, for-profit company. While business knowledge is desirable in a board member of a for profit company, I feel that primarily, a non-profit organization should look for someone who believes in what the organization doe... More..
Relationships & Family > First Dates First-date safety tips for women: 22 of 50
When it comes to a woman's safety on a first date, I initially think of my grandma's era and how the principles of that time would come handy today. My grandma used to tell me that a young lady would never think of being alone in the company of a young man, especially one that her family did not know well. Your best protecti... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Ethnicity & Gender (Other) Ways we betray our hidden prejudices: 6 of 13
There are those prejudices that a person may be aware of but that they refuse to let it go of it. These prejudices are just not discussed in public because the person knows it is not popular. It might be negative feelings toward homosexuals or the notion that a woman should not be president. These are the ones that when conf... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Environmental Awareness The most polluted places in the US: 7 of 15
The good news is that if we were talking about the 20 top polluted cities in the world, no U.S. city would make the list. In fact, according to a 2006 CNN study, China owned 16 of the top 20 cities on the list of the worst polluters. So much for the notion of American decadence destroying the environment. America does have i... More..
Computers & Technology > GPS Devices Christmas 2007 gift ideas: Hottest new GPS devices: 2 of 4
"Gee, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!" These days, Dorothy wouldn't need the Wizard to show her the way out of Oz. There is a wide variety of GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation devices that will give you instant, customized directions to almost anywhere. The satellite-based navigation system consists of ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Photography Tips for buying digital photography software as a gift: 2 of 4
New software can be a great gift idea for the photographer on your list. Whether they are just starting out or they are old pros, there are plenty of different software upgrades out there. A little subtle snooping will tell you what photography software, if any, they already have and what else they wish they had. Even if alr... More..
Arts & Humanities > Photography Tips for buying lenses and camera accessories as gifts: 1 of 2
If you have and avid photographer on your gift list, buying them a new lens or camera accessory might be a picture-perfect gift idea, but it will take a little planning on your part to get it right. You have to make sure that the lens or accessory fits their camera (at least one of their cameras) and that it fits their style... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Football Is Michael Crabtree the best freshman in college football?: 1 of 2
Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech, is an excellent player. However, being the product of a pass-happy system, he is not the best freshman in college football this year. That honor falls to one Knowshon Moreno, TB, of Georgia. Moreno, with 1104 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, is already being compared to one of the greatest i... More..