Another study, conducted by a University of Toledo psychology professor, concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. So the next time you’re on an interview, keep in mind that the interviewer may be drawing conclusions about you before you’ve even gotten to the real interview.

Take a look at these worst- and best-case scenarios:

Worst Case

Jack is nervous about his interview as he sits in the lobby. Anyone watching can see the signs: His foot is tapping rapidly, and he’s muttering to himself, obviously rehearsing his lines. He’s slouched down in his chair, and when he spots the interviewer coming down the hall, he begins to wipe a sweaty hand on his pant leg. He stands, and as he does, the magazine on his lap falls to the floor. When he bends to pick it up, he knocks over his portfolio and papers fall out. The interviewer is thinking, “This guy is a basket case. He doesn’t look like the kind of person we want representing our product line.” When Jack finally pulls himself together, he holds out his hand, but his handshake is weak. Jack’s fate may be sealed before he answers his first question.

Best Case

Joann feels prepared and confident as she waits in the lobby for her interviewer. She knows she looks good, and she feels good. She has practiced and prepared and knows she can do this job. She’ll concentrate on selling herself as the solution to the employer’s problems. As her interviewer approaches, she stands and continues to smile, looking directly at him. She looks him in the eye as she extends her hand. She gives a firm shake and smiles. “This is a very confident woman — someone who shows real promise,” thinks the interviewer. The first impression has been made, and it is a positive one.

The Drill

The following seven steps, or “two-minute drill,” will guide you toward a best-case interview scenario.

1. Appearance counts. When you look good, you feel good. Make sure you look groomed and neat. If you were a book, would someone want to read more?
2. Your clothes and accessories should be conservative and neutral rather than wild and loud. Your clothes are your packaging and should not take attention away from the product.
3. Nonverbal communication sometimes conveys a stronger message than words. When you slouch, whether sitting or standing, you’re saying volumes about you and your confidence level. Sit up straight — like your mother always told you to. When you stand, make yourself as tall as possible: shoulders back and head held high.
4. Eye contact and smiles can indicate a confident and upbeat attitude. You will notice that many job postings ask for enthusiasm and energy. This is a good opportunity to demonstrate your social and interpersonal skills as well as your excitement about the opportunity for which you’re interviewing.
5. The handshake sends a strong tactile message. Whether your hands are hot and sweaty or cold and clammy, you can try some tricks to control the temperature. To cool your hands, try running cold water on the insides of your wrists. Use hot water if your hands are cool. If you have particularly sweaty hands, try using a deodorant gel (antiperspirant) as a lotion.
6. Your voice and the volume of your speech convey a strong impression. Whether the interview’s over the phone or face-to-face, you should speak with enthusiasm and energy. Use a firm voice to demonstrate confidence.
7. Your vocabulary reveals your communication skills and ability to interact with people, especially ones you’ve not met before. The words you choose will say something about you, as well as your knowledge of the industry. It is important to use their words and talk their talk.

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(CNN) — President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, a stunning decision that comes just eight months into his presidency.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honored Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

The decision appeared to catch most observers by surprise.

The president had not been mentioned as among front-runners for the prize, and the roomful of reporters gasped when Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel committee, uttered Obama’s name.

Nominations for the prize had to be postmarked by February 1 — only 12 days after Obama took office. The committee sent out its solicitation for nominations last September — two months before Obama was elected president.

The president, who was awakened to be told he had won, said he was humbled to be selected, according to an administration official.

Obama will make a statement Friday at 11 a.m. ET from the Rose Garden, administration officials said.

The Nobel committee recognized Obama’s efforts to solve complex global problems including working toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Watch the announcement of Obama as 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient

“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said.

Jagland said the decision was “unanimous” and came with ease.

He rejected the notion that Obama had been recognized prematurely for his efforts and said the committee wanted to promote the president just it had Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 in his efforts to open up the Soviet Union.

“His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population,” it said.

The announcement caught the White House off guard. One senior administration official said “we were quite surprised.”

Some analysts have speculated that the prize could give Obama additional clout as he forms a strategy for the war in Afghanistan and attempts to engage Iran and North Korea. Another senior administration official told CNN he hopes the White House can “use it for the positive.”

The domestic political consequences are unclear. Supporters hope the prestige associated with the prize will strengthen the president’s hand in the health care reform debate. A top Republican from George W. Bush’s administration, however, argued that “this will backfire on them for a while” and asserted it was “a gift to the right.”

Obama’s recognition comes less than a year after he became the first African-American to win the White House. He is the fourth U.S. president to win the prestigious prize and the third sitting president to do so.

Jagland said he hoped the prize would help Obama resolve the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, last year’s laureate, said it was clear the Nobel committee wanted to encourage Obama on the issues he has been discussing on the world stage.

“I see this as an important encouragement,” Ahtisaari said.

The committee wanted to be “far more daring” than in recent times and make an impact on global politics, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the International Peace Research Institute.

And Wangari Muta Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist who won the 2004 Peace Prize, said the win for Obama, whose father was Kenyan, would help Africa move forward.

“I think it is extraordinary,” she said. “It will be even greater inspiration for the world. He has shown how we can probably come together, work together in a cooperative way.”

The award comes at a crucial time for Obama, who has initiated peace missions to key parts of the globe.

Obama’s envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has returned to the region to advocate for peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Mitchell met Thursday with Israeli President Shimon Peres. He plans to meet Friday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before talking with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton starts a six-day trip to Europe and Russia on Friday. On the trip, the secretary will discuss the next steps on Iran and North Korea, and international efforts to have the two countries end their nuclear programs.

The centerpiece of the trip will be her visit to Moscow, where she will work toward an agreement to take the place of the Start II arms control pact, which expires December 5. She also will address the new bilateral presidential commission that is working on a broad range of issues, from arms control to health.

Mohamed ElBaradei, who won the 2005 peace prize for his efforts to prevent nuclear energy being used for military means, said Obama deserved to win for his efforts to bring Iran to the table for direct nuclear talks with the United States.

“I could not think of anybody who is more deserving,” said ElBaradei, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

As the news of Obama’s win broke online, postings on social network sites Twitter and Facebook expressed surprise. Many started with the word: Wow.

The last sitting U.S. president to win the peace prize was Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The other was Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Jimmy Carter had been out of office for more than two decades when he won in 2002.

This year’s Peace Prize nominees included 172 people — among them three Chinese dissidents, an Afghan activist and a controversial Colombian lawmaker — and 33 organizations, the highest number of nominations ever.

The Nobel recipient receives a prize of about $1.4 million.
Provided by CNN

With the 2009 MLB Playoffs starting this week, we present the Top Ten Impressive Single Game Baseball Feats.

In roughly 750,000 major league baseball games some odd things have happened. Players have hit more than one grand slam in the same inning, pitchers have been taken out without recording an out, giving them an ERA of infinity, and others have been credited with a win without throwing a pitch, fielders have committed three errors in the same play and men have literally run through walls in order to track down fly balls. These are the ten feats occurring through pitching, hitting, defense, and base running that will make you stop and think about what you just saw. If you witness any of these automatic highlight reel moments, take a moment to consider the historical importance of what you just saw. After all, baseball is nothing without its tradition.

10. Stealing Home

Stealing home plate is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. It occurs when a particularly daring base runner on third decides not to wait for the hitter, and instead attempts to score on the steal. It is extremely difficult to pull off successfully and since you are already on third base, most opt to get batted in. The risk is huge and thus attempts are very rare. Jayson Werth of the Phillies stole home in May of 2009 and is the most recent person to do it. Jackie Robinson is most famous for the play, which he used in the 1955 World Series. Ty Cobb holds the career record for steals of home with 54. This statistic is staggering, considering most players today would be hard-pressed to even try it once.

9. Inside-the-Park Homerun

In case a player doesn’t have the power to hit a ball over the wall, he could instead hit a homerun by tagging all the bases in one play and showcasing their impressive speed. As the game has evolved, inside-the-park homeruns have become less common, averaging about 1 for every 158 home runs over the last 50 years. Tom McCreery holds the record of three in one game, done in 1897. There have been nine inside-the-park home runs in World Series history, and Roberto Clemente is the only person in history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam. Ichiro Suzuki is the only player to hit one in the All-Star Game.

8. 6 Hits in a game

Most players would be pleased going 3 for 6 in a game, but some men have gone above and beyond. 96 times, players have accomplished the feat. Only two men, Rennie Stennett and Wilbert Robinson have managed 7 hits in a single game. Freddy Sanchez is the most recent inductee in the 6 hit club, going 6 for 6 in May 2009. Cal McVey managed, in 1876, to do it twice in a period of four days.

7. The Ultimate Grand Slam

No, not a Denny’s breakfast, but the seemingly cliché situation of being down by three runs, with the bases loaded, bottom of the ninth or an extra inning, when the batter steps to the plate, sees the pitch, and knocks the ball over the wall to clear the bases and win the game by one run. Many kids have done this in their mind while running through imaginary situations in their backyards, but only 22 men have done it in the big leagues. 13 of these came with two outs, and only one, Chris Hoiles of the Orioles, hit his with a full count.

6. Golden Sombrero

The Golden Sombrero is a game in which a single player strikes out four times. It is a dubious honor, used mostly in jest. Hopefully for all, the player wearing it has a sense of humor. The term derived from hockey’s “hat-trick” meaning 3 goals in a game, so adding another one, makes it a bigger hat. Mike Schmidt, arguably the greatest third baseman of all-time, claims to have had the lamest performance in the history of Major League Baseball. Not only did he strike out four times, but he did so on twelve pitches.

5. No-hitter

A no-hitter is a game thrown by a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) where the opposing team does not get any hits. There have been only 263 “no-no’s” thrown in baseball history. A perfect game, is also a no-hitter, the difference being that in a no-hitter the team can reach base via a walk, hit-by-pitch, or error. Because of this, a player can throw a no-hitter and still lose a game, although it is rare, occurring only once. Every major league team has had a no-hitter game thrown against them, but four have not have any pitched four by them, the Rays, Rockies, Padres, and most famously the Mets. Nolan Ryan holds the record of throwing seven no-hitters in his career, although interestingly, none of them were perfect games.

4. Unassisted Triple Play

A triple play is a unique, game-changing play. It is only topped by the unassisted triple play. They have only occurred a total of fifteen times in history. It is not as impressive as some of the other feats on the list, because while athleticism is a factor, a lot of luck is also needed. The conditions must be perfect. For starters, there must be no outs in the inning, and two men must be on base, the runners must be employing a hit-and-run strategy, that is leaving the bases immediately after the batter makes contact, instead of waiting for the ball to fall in for a hit. The ball must be hit hard at an infielder, typically the second baseman or shortstop. The infielder catches the line drive for the first out, then steps on the base for the second out, and finally tags the advancing runner for the third out. Eric Bruntlett, a backup 2nd baseman for the Phillies turned an unassisted triple play in August 2009, in the ninth inning, after already committing an error in the same inning.

3. The Natural Cycle

Hitting for the cycle is when a single player hits a single, double, triple, and home run in a single game. The natural cycle is defined as all these done in that specific order. It takes such a rare combination of power and speed that only fourteen men have done it. The most recent natural cycle was hit by Gary Matthews Jr. in 2006. Tony Lazzeri is the only player to cap his off with a grand slam in 1932.

2. 4 Homeruns in a Game

As they say, chicks dig the long ball. Well they must really dig four in one game. It’s the power hitter’s dream day, 4 homeruns in one game. Sixteen men have accomplished this. Most recently, Carlos Delgado did it in 2003. Shawn Green and Mike Cameron had their games only 21 days apart, in May of 2002. Amazingly, Lou Gehrig’s 4 homerun day was the same day as Tony Lazzeri hit for the natural cycle in 1932.

1. A Perfect Game

27 batters faced, 27 batters retired, the pinnacle of any pitchers career. In the history of major league baseball, only eighteen men have thrown a perfect game. For reference, more men have orbited the moon then have thrown a perfect game in the major leagues. Mark Buehrle of the White Sox became the eighteenth in July 2009. Nine different men have taken it to the edge, retiring 26 in a row, but not been able to get the final out. No pitcher has ever thrown more than one perfecto, and Don Larson is the only pitcher to ever hurl one in the post-season, during the 1956 World Series. The Yankees own three of the perfect games, including two only 14 months apart. When Babe Ruth was originally a pitcher, he was kicked out of the game by an umpire after walking the first batter and then arguing the call. The pitcher who came in to replace him, Ernie Shore, caught the base runner stealing, and then proceeded to retire the next 26 batters, but this does not count as a perfect game.

Provided by Listverse

Brazil will become the first South American country to host the Olympics after the city of Rio de Janeiro was chosen to stage the 2016 Games.

Rio won a majority of the 95 votes at the meeting in Copenhagen, eliminating Madrid in the final round. Tokyo and Chicago had already been knocked out.

“The world has recognised that the time has come for Brazil,” said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Chicago’s early exit was a surprise, after bookmakers made them favourites.

US President Barack Obama had flown to Denmark on Friday morning to join his wife, Michelle, and make an emotional address to the International Olympic Committee delegates.

But the gesture - the first time a current US president had addressed the IOC in an attempt to win the Games - failed to persuade the voters as Chicago became the first city to see its dream of hosting the biggest sporting event in the world fall by the wayside.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on his return, Mr Obama said he wished he had come back with better news, but congratulated Brazil for a “truly historic” win.

“As friends to the Brazilian people, we welcome this extraordinary sign of progress,” he said.

The president said he had no doubt that Chicago’s bid had been the strongest possible, could not be prouder of the city, and insisted that he had no regrets about travelling to Denmark.

“I believe it is always a worthwhile endeavour to promote and boost the United States of America,” he added.

Chicago received only 18 of the 94 votes available in the first round poll of IOC delegates at the Bella Convention Centre on Friday afternoon. Madrid came out top with 28, followed by Rio on 26.

In the second round, however, Rio almost secured the absolute majority needed to win outright, with 46 of the 95 votes cast. Madrid came a distant second with 29, while Tokyo was eliminated after receiving 20.

The final ballot saw Rio win by a comprehensive margin of 66 votes to 32.

More than an hour later, IOC president Jacques Rogge finally revealed the result to the world: “Like in every competition there can only be one winner.

“Tonight, I have the honour to announce that the Games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of Rio de Janeiro.”

The Brazilian bid team leapt to their feet in celebration, began singing their “Marvellous City” song, waving flags and hugging each other.

A tearful President Lula told reporters afterwards: “The other countries made proposals. We presented a heart and a soul.

“I confess to you if I die right now my life would have been worth it.”

The BBC’s Gary Duffy in Rio said there was “absolute, unrestrained joy” on the city’s famous Copacabana beach after the result was announced, with silver glitter flying through the air and tens of thousands of people singing.

The golden sand disappeared under a sea of green and yellow, the colours of Brazil, our correspondent said.

There have been questions about Rio’s bid not the least the high level of violence which so often scars the city’s image, but in one glorious moment that was all set to one side for a truly Brazilian party, he added.

In his speech to the IOC earlier, President Lula had promised: “Rio will deliver an unforgettable Games. You will see for yourselves the passion, the energy and the creativity of the Brazilian people.

“It will not be just Brazil’s Games but South America’s. It will serve to inspire the 180 million young people on the continent. It is time to redress the balance. It is time to light the Olympic flame in a tropical country.”

Rogge said Rio had presented the IOC “with a very strong technical bid, built upon a vision of the Games being a celebration of the athletes and sport, as well as providing the opportunity for the city, region and country to deliver their broader long-term aspirations for the future”.

“This call to ‘live your passion’ clearly struck a chord with my fellow members, and we now look forward to seeing Rio de Janeiro staging the first Olympic Games on the continent of South America,” he said.

Rio plans to stage all the competitions inside the city, bringing “dynamics to the Games and facilitating the athletes’ interaction”, according to the bid website.

There will be seven competition centres in four Olympic regions - Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro, and Maracana - with football matches held in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and Sao Paulo.

Madrid’s surprising success in reaching the final round came after former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch made an emotional appeal.

“I know that I am very near the end of my time. I am, as you know 89 years old. May I ask you to consider granting my country the honour and also the duty to organise the games in 2016,” he said.

However, a win for Madrid would have made it three European-based Olympics in a row, with London 2012 and Sochi 2014 preceding it.

After the result, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Madrid could leave Copenhagen with “dignity” and did not rule out another bid.

“We were nearly there, but Rio won,” he told Spanish reporters. “Now is not the moment to talk about 2020. Madrid is always a strong candidate, but it depends on the city, not me.”

The BBC’s Steve Kingstone in the Spanish capital said Madrilenos were leaving the square in front of the royal palace, where they watched events in Copenhagen, with a sense of pride.

In the lead-up to the decision, King Juan Carlos had called the Olympics “Madrid’s unfulfilled dream of hope”, and for now at least that is what the games remain.

Tokyo’s bid team were said to have been shocked and stunned after their elimination in the second round, as they had felt their focus on the environment and youth would impress IOC delegates.

“It was really disappointing for us and for the children but this is not the end. We want to carry this on to the next chance,” said marathon runner Yuko Arimori.

In Chicago, which had also believed it would be a finalist, thousands stood in silence in the city centre after it became the first to be eliminated.

“We fought a good fight and I am very proud of the team and the campaign. I have no idea why we went out so early. The IOC members will have to ask themselves that question,” said Chicago bid chief Pat Ryan.

Provided By BCC