Thank You

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OJQ0se-HVxMRQF1s6LRcmEseQXUxUQLi6jz-5rdk3r6yLskof095LV9ROhAS70cczVWLDAerRc91csTYv2LeHjkY4QNuuGC8noynPxsVFWdYeaI99fBqPOP3vUDzmyp1AdQ-64skZsU4/s1600/bette-davis-virgin-queen--large-msg-131541125088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OJQ0se-HVxMRQF1s6LRcmEseQXUxUQLi6jz-5rdk3r6yLskof095LV9ROhAS70cczVWLDAerRc91csTYv2LeHjkY4QNuuGC8noynPxsVFWdYeaI99fBqPOP3vUDzmyp1AdQ-64skZsU4/s400/bette-davis-virgin-queen--large-msg-131541125088.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bette Davis, <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex  </i>(1939)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I received an email from Rick Armstrong the other day telling me that I'd been awarded the Classic Movie Blog Association's 2011  "Best Review/Drama" CiMBA for my post on <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i>, I was thrilled - and also surprised. The post had originally been my entry in CMBA's "Movies of 1939 Blogathon" last spring and I'd always thought of it as something of an outlier, being about a film that isn't generally counted among the truly great films of that much-vaunted movie year.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took another look at the post and read it with, I'll admit, a certain amount of pride (deserved or misplaced...who knows), and what came through most for me as I re-read my own words was the depth of my admiration for Bette Davis. I remembered that <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i>, though a moneymaker for Warners and a nominee for five Academy Awards, was bereft of statuettes and plaques. And I thought with some satisfaction (and cheek), "At last, Bette, this film that you were so eager to make, that you insisted was your 'tankard of tea,' has won an award!" </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to everyone who voted for my CiMBA entry - as well as those who simply liked it.  I'm honored.</span></div>

2011 CiMBA Awards Bette Davis The Lady Eve (author) The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex Thank You

Bette Davis, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex  (1939)When I received an email from Rick Armstrong the other day telling me that I'd been awarded the Classic Movie Blog Association's 2011  "Best Review/Drama" CiMBA for my post on The Private L…

Read more »

Groupon Weekend Part 2

On Saturday, I had scheduled Joel and I for massages at a spa in Old Town Alexandria.<br /><br />Whoa.<br /><br />I can't even believe that I just called that place "Old Town".  I cringe when I hear others use that term: it's for the uppity gang to call that part of Alexandria "Old Town", not me :).  After moving here and learning what exactly encompassed that part of Alexandria, the artsy swanky part of town, the term immediately annoyed me.  It's <i>still </i>Alexandria after all.  Rant ended.<br /><br />We each had hour long massages.  Mine was pretty painful, as are most massages for me.  I prefer deep tissue massages - where the masseuse pretty much drills her fingertips in to me to work out all the knots in my muscles.  My shoulders are littered with knots.  I also found out that my face and forearms are as well.  Wierd.<br /><br />After our massages, we still had the whole day to figure out some plans.  It was such a nice fall day so I suggested we go to some wineries.  We have a ton of wineries all throughout Virginia.  We had enough time to make it to 3.<br /><br />First up, we visited <a href="http://www.hartwoodwinery.com/temp2011/">Hartwood Winery</a> in Fredericksburg, VA.  <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQDqzjx6HPF9KPl_VBULSASfdp9a1nRn2Z9yTDK80-K9v8gFPIKy9uE7Q3G9kPiNGjWQM4zPAugMedYUBwPbJbZ5hCa5RUvuaryAjyJQn6sJ-zwGUaQ7BjL4YFSBwdIYRvshvfo9VGO8/s1600/Hartwood+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQDqzjx6HPF9KPl_VBULSASfdp9a1nRn2Z9yTDK80-K9v8gFPIKy9uE7Q3G9kPiNGjWQM4zPAugMedYUBwPbJbZ5hCa5RUvuaryAjyJQn6sJ-zwGUaQ7BjL4YFSBwdIYRvshvfo9VGO8/s400/Hartwood+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This was our favorite stop of the day. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqWQd4pXEaZKAdlszKjUvKrWmAyCrAhBDu3Z9WDFwesTxWwM5MMgOeuuRmVjfQVpZnGXnv72UF9MFBOll4S_B07G9MegyhEFJfRTKvtZj1qyKrnpC3K1d_6Y1l6WdS78K8IKRe4rM6wc/s1600/Wagon+Wheel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqWQd4pXEaZKAdlszKjUvKrWmAyCrAhBDu3Z9WDFwesTxWwM5MMgOeuuRmVjfQVpZnGXnv72UF9MFBOll4S_B07G9MegyhEFJfRTKvtZj1qyKrnpC3K1d_6Y1l6WdS78K8IKRe4rM6wc/s400/Wagon+Wheel+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />We got to talk with the owner of the winery and he helped us find the perfect wines to fit our tastes. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kZIenS-Zyib5OVDA8MsQ7HEwb57ELBopoJ1Vx5Zc0DgXwNtseAFzLUi12SBbKdLjliRg6IAdjgcyJXBcbKY8Nr0RLC8oU20vbLP13pYsK6hpAWeZVvBmPaTPKVIHQVy5-PbDkOMxQEc/s1600/hartwood+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kZIenS-Zyib5OVDA8MsQ7HEwb57ELBopoJ1Vx5Zc0DgXwNtseAFzLUi12SBbKdLjliRg6IAdjgcyJXBcbKY8Nr0RLC8oU20vbLP13pYsK6hpAWeZVvBmPaTPKVIHQVy5-PbDkOMxQEc/s320/hartwood+2.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />Next we headed to <a href="http://www.rogersfordwine.com/">Rogers Ford Farm</a> in Sumerduck, VA.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPKbaz1poJW71pWwTGCJ1JgrzDNDoxPJYCyIIOGrMD0fqJOBCF22gyCnF4Y1QzZ_x45mX9a8N8ULZpxLala1ECYLUr_U_1zIOq2N36yMxsewNssrTzQRq0oUhekg2kb_WfDJ9zQ9V0NA/s1600/Rogers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPKbaz1poJW71pWwTGCJ1JgrzDNDoxPJYCyIIOGrMD0fqJOBCF22gyCnF4Y1QzZ_x45mX9a8N8ULZpxLala1ECYLUr_U_1zIOq2N36yMxsewNssrTzQRq0oUhekg2kb_WfDJ9zQ9V0NA/s400/Rogers+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />This place was really off the beaten path - just the way I like 'em.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI10svfsaaDDM8eBNEaZ5pSt_Ofgv_18KUKVs-VDau5BiJ_4VxaBXyqYqNg4tzWj9Wuvjhyphenhyphen3QTYt9zLiFwEev_ZS9fTMNGmZ-GsKa5I3XJWvEz2tqu6hv7I1u4dzR4Tb11rtxJlp1vaYA/s1600/Rogers+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI10svfsaaDDM8eBNEaZ5pSt_Ofgv_18KUKVs-VDau5BiJ_4VxaBXyqYqNg4tzWj9Wuvjhyphenhyphen3QTYt9zLiFwEev_ZS9fTMNGmZ-GsKa5I3XJWvEz2tqu6hv7I1u4dzR4Tb11rtxJlp1vaYA/s400/Rogers+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Of course we had to do a self-timer.  Disregard my lack of dressing up please :).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy2rxEUi58GgQC5zdhamOQGKJzprqAsgoPrkbexdj_DrRXPzE0_Kbi7AHyT-nE9FRlA_Kf5VpnEh6jGEnFKfigOSjb-yO4mmrF0r4gWfXwkq2p_zFBbvxGlPR75xU_Hj0Fq_VVH-mM8E/s1600/Rogers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy2rxEUi58GgQC5zdhamOQGKJzprqAsgoPrkbexdj_DrRXPzE0_Kbi7AHyT-nE9FRlA_Kf5VpnEh6jGEnFKfigOSjb-yO4mmrF0r4gWfXwkq2p_zFBbvxGlPR75xU_Hj0Fq_VVH-mM8E/s400/Rogers+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />And finally we ended our vino tour at the <a href="http://www.potomacpointwinery.com/">Potomac Point vineyard</a> in Stafford, VA.  This was the swankiest winery of all 3.  There was even a wedding going on when we arrived.  The tasting room was very fancy and also very busy.  We bought 2 bottles at this place and that ended our day. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Arxp-4LEgx7I2DsXO18Nmf8MOQML7Fx2SUHd2zi7am_zaPJrZkPCDad9Savn_RNIfNrRfig75P3GD2oRLpXQWjM5962vwaxXsXUSo_T6RYP0CDnYYbjwZrqoM6TV0y-cljuAELF2olI/s1600/Groupon+Weekend+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Arxp-4LEgx7I2DsXO18Nmf8MOQML7Fx2SUHd2zi7am_zaPJrZkPCDad9Savn_RNIfNrRfig75P3GD2oRLpXQWjM5962vwaxXsXUSo_T6RYP0CDnYYbjwZrqoM6TV0y-cljuAELF2olI/s400/Groupon+Weekend+012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />So how does the Groupon weekend relate to weight loss?  For me, when I stay busy, I don't eat.  And while we were busy on a 3 hour sailing adventure and a wine tour, I wasn't eating.  Now, sure, I was consuming calories from wine tasting, but I accounted for that and moved on.  Part of the weight loss journey for me is the mental aspect as well (not just the physical).  If I keep myself busy and get out and enjoy other things about life (instead of sitting at home....eating), it helps me realize that my life doesn't have to revolve around food - it can and should be centered around doing fun things instead of worrying about my next meal. <br /><br />On Sunday, Joel and I finished off our busy weekend with some football and a wine and cheese affair:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf_QcWZKvZjNxOoD7c0KrR-JTUu7YpxpoCksfl5EMPV8zbU8DRVnOZws_tPi0ouZ3Bs7Rc8Vsd-H9hoEcoXcdB4A8e5RFdcCF6SBttDht9Po0uBHhM5v7bEzlBfaYfD_bcVTAt60YmUk/s1600/wine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf_QcWZKvZjNxOoD7c0KrR-JTUu7YpxpoCksfl5EMPV8zbU8DRVnOZws_tPi0ouZ3Bs7Rc8Vsd-H9hoEcoXcdB4A8e5RFdcCF6SBttDht9Po0uBHhM5v7bEzlBfaYfD_bcVTAt60YmUk/s400/wine+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I hope you're having a wonderful week everybody :).<br /> <br /> Cheers!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkVWBlVMiR-cl2A7pofoiH5OEzCWM6Ya-Jh51oQ4lgB8AI4GyHwpjwgvGrhSshyPTLY9YBsKyv8Mq24oKiW1-hZt2hUHiTtPutb6LDhrFD0qrklnLcC68Dn-CgReVkZ-pHkzazbmXS0U/s1600/wine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkVWBlVMiR-cl2A7pofoiH5OEzCWM6Ya-Jh51oQ4lgB8AI4GyHwpjwgvGrhSshyPTLY9YBsKyv8Mq24oKiW1-hZt2hUHiTtPutb6LDhrFD0qrklnLcC68Dn-CgReVkZ-pHkzazbmXS0U/s400/wine+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />

Miscellaneous Groupon Weekend Part 2

On Saturday, I had scheduled Joel and I for massages at a spa in Old Town Alexandria.Whoa.I can't even believe that I just called that place "Old Town".  I cringe when I hear others use that term: it's for the uppity gang to call that part of Alexand…

Read more »

"You Said That in an Interview?"

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/zm/ar5f5hn63h98k6zb85zm.gif?time=9/22/2010%205:16:22%20pm" /></div><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></h1></div><div style="color: #333333; font: italic normal normal 16px/normal arial, helvetica;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline2">Things Job Seekers Say that Have Interviewers Scratching Their Heads</span></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder</span></b> </div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Just because you got an interview doesn't mean you'll know all the right things to say once you're in the interview chair. As a matter of fact, most people definitely have few stumbles before winning that job. When it comes to interviews, practice and experience make perfect, career experts say.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here, interviewers and human resources experts share the things job seekers say that leave them scratching their heads:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"There are plenty of common interview questions, and when an interviewer asks one of the basics it is expected that the applicant will have a well-rehearsed response. For example, 'Why would you like to work here?' is a standard interview question, so one would expect interviewees would have a well-prepared response. I have heard people respond with all kinds of inappropriate reasons: 'because I live down the street,' 'because I am out of work,' 'because you offer benefits' ... None of these are responses that will impress an interviewer!" <i>-- Chris Posti, president of outplacement firm Posti & Associates, Inc.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"The thing that always makes me scratch my head during an interview is when I ask 'What questions do you have for me' and they've got nothing or ask something lame like, 'What's it like to work here?' In the age of Google, doing enough research on the company to have some interesting questions ready for the interviewer is basically the price of admission." -- <i>Scott Eblin, </i><i>executive coach and author of "The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success"</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"I like to ask interviewees to describe their work style. This question is intended to get at self-awareness and how the candidate may or may not fit into the company or work group. One interviewee's response stands out. He said, 'Well, Matt, I am actually an extroverted introvert.' Upon further probing, he said, 'I force myself to be a people person.' Between the contradictory remarks and clichés, I certainly was scratching my head after that question." <i>-- Matthew Levy, president of Corner Office Career Coaching</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"I was interviewing a woman for a position in our department. Right away she noticed I was wearing an engagement ring and proceeded to ask me questions about my upcoming wedding. She mentioned she was also recently married and spent five minutes offering me advice about the process (which I never asked for!). Needless to say, she steered the conversation away from the real reason she was there, which was unprofessional and did nothing to show off her work experience. Talking to me about my personal life was a clear signal that she'd be off task in the future." <i>-- Karina P., account executive at financial services firm</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"I was a marketing director at a multinational IT company, and it seemed that everyone wanted to be in marketing because it was the place to be: filled with energetic people, having a lot of fun. When we advertised for positions, many internal staff applied. I never knew if they really loved the marketing profession, or if they just wanted to escape their boring job. So one day an engineer insisted that he wanted to switch careers. Why would an engineer take a shine to marketing? It was a huge career change. He would have been great on the team, but I wanted to test his conviction. So I asked, 'Doesn't it bother you to take a $20,000 pay cut?' With that, he stood up, swore at me, and stormed out of the room. In fact, he would have earned $40,000 more in my department, but I wanted to check if he really meant all that fluff about 'loving marketing.' I was concerned that he just wanted an easy ride into a fun department, all for the wrong reasons. I set a trap, and he exposed his true colors. He stormed out of a $40,000 pay rise. The lesson is, beware the trick question. You never know how you are being set up." <i>-- Jonar Nader, author and blogger at LoseFriends.com/blog</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CBForJobSeekers on Twitter.</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

"You Said That in an Interview?"

Things Job Seekers Say that Have Interviewers Scratching Their HeadsAlina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder Just because you got an interview doesn't mean you'll know all the right things to say once you're in the interview chair. As a matter of fact, …

Read more »