Tales of Manhattan…and Hollywood (and more): The Last of Sheila

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETCX9yQLjrmoImGbz2h06itSiZd6j5SrYEZxHwhRJxEb5NgephvGzpU76MuLefW_cyLqc4FHAoqh_bKpnqEbF6-2rv_IIim0yfDoAlZ_tNLnHWu0_gRnkCaQir89f8DCIr24am93hGg2j/s1600/last+of+sheila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETCX9yQLjrmoImGbz2h06itSiZd6j5SrYEZxHwhRJxEb5NgephvGzpU76MuLefW_cyLqc4FHAoqh_bKpnqEbF6-2rv_IIim0yfDoAlZ_tNLnHWu0_gRnkCaQir89f8DCIr24am93hGg2j/s320/last+of+sheila.jpg" width="273" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The murder mystery has been a movie staple since the silent era. In the 1930s variations on the drawing-room style whodunit, perhaps epitomized by the lighthearted Powell/Loy “Thin Man” series and the suspenseful Rathbone/ Bruce “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, became popular. Fairly standard in these mysteries was a group of people in a remote location where one (or more) of them is murdered; the killer was not, in most cases, unmasked until the last act. One of Agatha Christie’s most popular whodunits, written in 1939, was filmed by Rene Clair in 1945 as the memorable <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And Then There Were None</b>, starring Walter Huston and Barry Fitzgerald.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But the “cozy” whodunit has never entirely gone out of style and an updated variant, the whodunit with an all-star cast emerged. This tale concerns one such film, a clever and absorbing entry from the era of “Easy Riders and Raging Bulls,” and how it came to be…</span> <br /><a name='more'></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfpeF0u4MyWisMK4RRvlmwZuxZugcNioyWuf2ijysXhHDpri_U8-n7cKb5FF_9lanuUgfpI6W8hgIKqRAP8zV5vbQrrA0OrkGlJIAaXFF0uSBQxfjR8PxAKokZxf15mCQos0Bz9HxtKbR/s1600/Perkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfpeF0u4MyWisMK4RRvlmwZuxZugcNioyWuf2ijysXhHDpri_U8-n7cKb5FF_9lanuUgfpI6W8hgIKqRAP8zV5vbQrrA0OrkGlJIAaXFF0uSBQxfjR8PxAKokZxf15mCQos0Bz9HxtKbR/s200/Perkins.jpg" width="179" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anthony Perkins</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the late 1960’s actor Anthony Perkins, synonymous with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Psycho</b>’s Norman Bates, lived in Manhattan and was part of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s social set. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sondheim, a Broadway legend among whose masterworks is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sweeney Todd</b>, shared many interests with Perkins, one of which was a love of sophisticated games and puzzles. Sondheim was well known at the time for his own rendition of the “murder game,” an at-home version of the whodunit, and was famous for going to great lengths to ensure his players really experienced “a certain amount of fear …” Writer Peter Shaffer (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Amadeus</b>) was so dazzled after playing that he asked Sondheim to stage a game in London at the home of his twin brother, Anthony (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Frenzy</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Death on the Nile </b>). The London game later inspired Anthony Shaffer to write <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sleuth</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaxDm8p6q0IYIPexwcuaP_RtiPCwUpkEuYiOokoseCUJ0WYvrODFhX7BtjBcX-RGTaEExuBSWq9GoVvDZYUQIIcfQENAHmQ5i0N4ItshuIB7DC0HLEt26AOzk2XwkaQk44YSnOmMnJFYB/s1600/sondheim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaxDm8p6q0IYIPexwcuaP_RtiPCwUpkEuYiOokoseCUJ0WYvrODFhX7BtjBcX-RGTaEExuBSWq9GoVvDZYUQIIcfQENAHmQ5i0N4ItshuIB7DC0HLEt26AOzk2XwkaQk44YSnOmMnJFYB/s200/sondheim.jpg" width="195" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stephen Sondheim</span></td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A scavenger hunt Sondheim and Perkins cooked up for Halloween 1968 became legendary. It had taken the two friends a full month to plan the “Eleanor Clark French Memorial Treasure Hunt,” to which they invited several famous friends (including Roddy McDowall, Lee Remick and Herb Ross). The group of twenty would spend the night roaming, in limousines with maps, all over Manhattan in search of clues. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually Sondheim and Perkins got together and wrote <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila</b>. A whodunit about an elaborate – and murderous <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- game, the story became a 1973 film directed by Herb Ross and was studded with stars James Coburn, James Mason, Raquel Welch, Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin, Ian McShane and Joan Hackett. Perhaps relishing the opportunity to satirize the movie business, Sondheim and Perkins created characters, both cutthroat and cowardly, straight out of Hollywood. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila </b>begins with the hit-and-run death of Sheila Green, a gossip columnist (briefly played by Yvonne Romain, formerly of B-movies and still the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>longtime wife of writer/composer/lyricist Leslie Bricusse). A year later her husband, ruthless producer Clinton Green (James Coburn) invites a group of industry associates to join him for a week-long Mediterranean cruise on his yacht, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sheila</i>. In attendance is a variety of industry types – director, actress, screenwriter, agent - each in need of Clinton in one way or another. Once all are on board, he reveals that he’s devised "The Sheila Green Memorial Gossip Game" as an entertainment during the trip. However, the devious exec’s true motive is to expose his wife’s killer in public; all six of his guests had attended a party at his home the night Sheila died - and the vengeful producer knows her death was no accident. However, as the game develops, his plan goes awry…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The convoluted cat-and-mouse thriller had originally been set on a snowbound estate on the East Coast. But filming on the Riviera seemed much more appealing to all and the estate was transformed into a luxury yacht. As it turned out, the change in location led to major difficulties…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">    </span></span></span>For starters, the yacht chartered for location shooting sank off the coast of Greece on its way to France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A replacement was quickly found but it wasn’t as large as the original and this caused delays and additional expense when interior sets had to be rebuilt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">    </span></span></span>Then there were bomb threats from the Arab terrorist group Black September, apparently in protest of Jews working on the project. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5dEkWyZd2CAmty_42D7-wzxLGfRH5WGllHAUi1H_59Qyqg-u965BQ6EmgEyd9v_LeHfoA93n1YEEP5sr8eR4eiVcQ4Z8wGOpWy_YfWTye2tM35xJV9IpHnSzxmx3yWsqsi8R3Eix2Gho/s1600/last+mengers+with+jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="141" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5dEkWyZd2CAmty_42D7-wzxLGfRH5WGllHAUi1H_59Qyqg-u965BQ6EmgEyd9v_LeHfoA93n1YEEP5sr8eR4eiVcQ4Z8wGOpWy_YfWTye2tM35xJV9IpHnSzxmx3yWsqsi8R3Eix2Gho/s200/last+mengers+with+jack.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sue Mengers and Jack Nicholson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not so much a problem for the production but a challenge for the actress,Dyan Cannon was asked to gain weight for her role. Putting on pounds might have been a worrisome proposition, but equally daunting may have been that her character, a blatantly bitchy and profane talent agent, was based on her own (and Perkins’s) agent at the time, the powerful Sue Mengers.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Super-agent Mengers had arrived in Hollywood from New York just in time for the “decade under the influence.” She’d started in the agency business as an MCA receptionist in 1955. Working her way up and around, she departed for the West Coast in 1968 and, at CMA, joined the once exclusive boys club of Hollywood talent agents. Soft-faced, zaftig and very blonde, Mengers played hardball with the best of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She developed a reputation for her parties, her pot, her foul mouth and her sense of humor – but most of all, she was acknowledged for her mastery of the art of the deal. Time Magazine called her “a cross between Mama Cass and Mack the Knife.” Mengers was at her apex when <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila</b> came out, with a client list that included not only Cannon and Perkins but also Streisand, McQueen, Burt Reynolds, Mike Nichols, Faye Dunaway, Ali McGraw and a long list of other in-demand stars of the new Hollywood.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cannon, a deft comedienne, bravely soldiered on and her performance as the brassy virago was the picture’s stand-out turn and earned the actress much critical praise.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHJNiJmnu4W-OMqzGdrPq_TpFf_1PW6toTgiBcG2PqApEedS2Kbt9jpoOTOEkh8hAW_sYnESwgAgUFEwSkSm5alw7jeBe-jVSres_Y99MqKDANQQhu9Z1KG9OWkw6V4Yv_PKp-1sEM8IG/s1600/raqie%253B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHJNiJmnu4W-OMqzGdrPq_TpFf_1PW6toTgiBcG2PqApEedS2Kbt9jpoOTOEkh8hAW_sYnESwgAgUFEwSkSm5alw7jeBe-jVSres_Y99MqKDANQQhu9Z1KG9OWkw6V4Yv_PKp-1sEM8IG/s200/raqie%253B.jpg" width="160" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raquel Welch</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Playing the part of a Hollywood sexpot was Hollywood sexpot Raquel Welch. Anthony Perkins thought she was the most physically perfect woman he’d ever seen, and he was not alone. The former beauty queen/weather girl was in her early 30s then and one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. She’d begun to develop a reputation as difficult to work with and the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sheila </b>set may have been one of the sources of her tag as a diva. At one point she walked off the set claiming director Ross had attacked her. James Mason, highly respected for his then nearly 40-year career, commented publicly that Welch was the most inconsiderate actress he’d ever worked with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perkins remarked, “She really should have done it closer to when the picture actually opened when something like that in the paper would have done the picture some good.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though sprinkled with stars, laced with sly humor and plot twists, and appreciated by critics from Vincent Canby to Roger Ebert, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila </b>was not a box office hit. It would be one year later, with Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Murder on the Orient Express</b>, that the star-studded whodunit would gain a wide audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Though <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sheila</b> was ignored by the Academy, Sondheim and Perkins’s screenplay won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turner Classic Movies is featuring guest programmers on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the month of March, and this time the group has been selected from TCM's own staff. Alexa Foreman of the Studio Production team chose <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila</b> and described it as, “a mystery that few have heard of, even though it was written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, and may be the best-cast movie ever.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIljP2AF47B08wEBSG-PD9NST_pgrnRcWhJZ-lEVLoYDSmBTOuJzblkpAORwr1SuDIM8RGKPIIF4IQ0N-HKaP0Bh2-455Qk6PMwZ_FPXwXZ_ncsgbBFyXEjGIm0lzgguU0T8U-r08ofzHR/s1600/last+of+sheila+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="251" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIljP2AF47B08wEBSG-PD9NST_pgrnRcWhJZ-lEVLoYDSmBTOuJzblkpAORwr1SuDIM8RGKPIIF4IQ0N-HKaP0Bh2-455Qk6PMwZ_FPXwXZ_ncsgbBFyXEjGIm0lzgguU0T8U-r08ofzHR/s320/last+of+sheila+3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was not familiar with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila </b>the first (and last) time I saw it, which was years ago on television. At first I was mostly curious to see a film I didn't know about that boasted an all-star cast. But I love a mystery and quickly became engrossed in a tricky plot enhanced by barbed dialogue and a sinister undercurrent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TCM’s screening of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last of Sheila</b> will be its premiere on the classic movie channel. The film has developed a cult following among murder mystery lovers over the years and currently has a 91% positive rating from critics at<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rotten Tomatoes. I'm looking forward to seeing <b>The Last of Sheila </b>for the first time in a very long time and will be thinking of Stephen Sondheim as I watch...the incomparable Mr. S will be celebrating his 81st birthday on March 22...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>The Last of Sheila</b> will air on TCM on Thursday, March 31, at 10:30pm Eastern/7:30pm Pacific (it is currently available to Comcast customers On Demand under Premium Channels/Preferred Collection)</i></span></span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qr1SVsVxqnM" title="YouTube video player" width="425"></iframe>

Anthony Perkins Dyan Cannon Herb Ross Ian McShane James Coburn James Mason Joan Hackett Raquel Welch Richard Benjamin Stephen Sondheim The Lady Eve (author) The Last of Sheila Whodunit Tales of Manhattan…and Hollywood (and more): The Last of Sheila

The murder mystery has been a movie staple since the silent era. In the 1930s variations on the drawing-room style whodunit, perhaps epitomi...

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Well-paying jobs you can get right out of high school

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9s/ar5l4m65x6vr30ln4w9s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9s/ar5l4m65x6vr30ln4w9s.gif" /></a></div>By Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder.com <br /><br />With increasing costs to higher education, pursuing a college degree can be tough for some. But here's the good news: Even if you don't continue school for another four years (or put it off until later in your career), there are still a surprising number of career opportunities for those with a high school diploma. With many career paths providing on-the-job training these days, it's often possible to move up into higher-paying positons without an additional degree.<br /><br />Here's a look at jobs you can get right after high school, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook:<br /><br />Loan officer<br /><br />Average annual salary: $61,928<br /><br />Anyone who's ever taken out loans to pay for a house, a car or even to start a small business has had to turn to a loan officer to help complete the transaction. Loan officers not only facilitate the lending process but are also involved with determining how clients will repay the loans.<br /><br />Medical appliance technician<br /><br />Average annual salary: $57,484<br /><br />Working with medical devices that are prescribed by podiatrists or prosthetists, medical appliance technicians are in charge of helping patients use the prescribed devices correctly. The technicians work with anything from replacement limbs to hearing aids and are responsible for gaining full understanding of each device.<br /><br />Stationary engineer or boiler operator<br /><br />Average annual salary: $55,373<br /><br />Working in malls, warehouses, hotels or large office buildings, stationary engineers manage the complicated ventilation, and heating and air-conditioning systems in these buildings. Stationary engineers oversee heat, electricity and cooling equipment in order to maintain optimal conditions in the work environment. <br /><br />Postal service mail carrier<br /><br />Average annual salary: $49,499<br /><br />Delivering mail to local businesses and residences, Postal Service mail carriers travel on established routes and also help with sorting of mail. Mail carriers value the stability of their job and the ability to build long-term relationships with those they deliver mail to.<br /><br />Line installer and repairer<br /><br />Average annual salary: $47,759<br /><br />Working to keep your cable and electricity lines running, line installer and repairers understand the complicated web of networks that connect people with the outside world. As these networks expand and need to be updated, those who understand how to maintain them are in constant demand.<br /><br />Desktop publisher<br /><br />Average annual salary: $46,524<br /><br />Using computer publishing software, desktop publishers produce printed materials like brochures, books and magazines.<br /><br />Quality control inspector<br /><br />Average annual salary: $46,378<br /><br />Maintaining the quality of products in any industry, inspectors work hard to make sure customers are getting exactly what they paid for. Testing vehicles, clothing, food and even electronic components means there is plenty of work variety to adjust to different interests.<br /><br />Floral designer<br /><br />Average annual salary: $45,234<br /><br />A dream job for aspiring creative types, floral designers come up with unique ways to present flowers. Using live or faux flowers, greenery, embellishments and vases, floral designers sell their work for occasions like weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties and funerals.<br /><br />Hazardous materials removal workers<br /><br />Average annual salary: $45,220<br /><br />As the spotlight on hazardous materials increases, removal workers have the important job of identifying and safely removing materials like asbestos, nuclear waste, mercury and others. Many respond to emergency situations to help protect people from accidental exposure to health harming materials and carcinogens.<br /><br />Firefighter<br /><br />Average annual salary: $45,145<br /><br />Working to save people and property from fire emergencies means risking your life to protect the public. In addition to putting out fires, firefighters work directly with ambulances and the police department to respond to other emergencies. <br /><br />*Average national salary information is from cbsalary.com<br /><br /><br /><br />Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Well-paying jobs you can get right out of high school

By Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder.com With increasing costs to higher education, pursuing a college degree can be tough for some. But...

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Happy Saturday!

Silly title to this post. Happy + Saturday goes without saying! <br /><br />It's a gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is shining and not a cloud in the sky. It's been raining nonstop for what feels like weeks, wet, cold and gray. I'm thrilled to see the sun and the deep blue of the sky. It makes me smile. <br /><br />I'm off to Weight Watchers for my 11:15 a.m. meeting. I don't think I lost anything. In fact, I may have gained. I ate an entire bag of frosted animal crackers a few nights ago. I'm not sure what came over me. I was in the store, saw them on the shelf and bought them. It wasn't planned, it just happened. Over 2,000 calories in the bag. I kicked my own butt the next morning when I woke up and remembered what I had done. I don't know why I did it when I know I have the Big Climb in only two weeks. It made me angry with myself, but time to move forward. That stuff happens, I just have to keep going. <br /><br />Plans for today are not very exciting, Weight Watchers, gym, grocery shopping, house cleaning. In that order. Already started on laundry. Fun times weekend chores. My husband is working on taxes so he's not the most fun guy to be around today. At least it's not pouring down raining so running errands will be slightly more enjoyable. I won't have to worry about a monsoon hitting me running from car to store and store to car.<br /><br /><strong>Hank update</strong><br />Here's the latest on Hank. I'm so relieved he's safe and in a good foster home. I talked with Jessica several times every day last week about Hank. I was the point person in my neighborhood since he was always spotted a few blocks from my house. One time he was seen two houses down from me. Anyway, Jessica loves this dog to pieces, and she persevered until he was found. Great ending to the story!<br /><br />Post on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saving-Great-Animals/102972989743662">Saving Great Animals Facebook</a> page:<br />We have Hank out of the hospital now. Here he is with our wonderful volunteer Jessica St Germain. Hank is now recouping in a loving foster home who has lots of experience working with dogs in emotional need. We will begin to look at who is the best fit for Hank for his forever home! THANK YOU to everyone who helped save him!<br /><br /><object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GLyxt0SLr2M&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GLyxt0SLr2M&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>

Happy Saturday!

Silly title to this post. Happy + Saturday goes without saying! It's a gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is shining an...

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24 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy-7-So13KlrWeKVcJ6m2Aahe4Agq31rXLNUKKS2Tx4walPpXWEIlRcIieKHm-xzdR62Ot2QTuDzuzZjr8iIOwPnMccsXeUspXSksdC7Xovu_juK7WDzYkE5Zt4yly3MuNS9hfQkVVYG3/s1600-h/24%20weeks%20-%203.2.11%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="24 weeks - 3.2.11" border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiO0Dw5mUAGRIMez3il-ZMwqsf6BeG_8i5SvLHjd9r4DZJapwgDKw1vt2hyphenhyphenaMomTrX_I1nL_oKHn3LcPpT8dvizEK4Z4zijLnBxLdTWEfbNH3X61RZgOM94avNv_91eW1vjQiJoNLgvXW5/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="24 weeks - 3.2.11" width="404"></a> </p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 24 Weeks </p> <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> Baby Bangert is the size of a papaya!</p> <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular.  Things are getting tighter though! </p> <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! </p> <p><strong>Movement: </strong>She’s a busy bee in the evenings and I've been starting to feel her more & more throughout the day! Kyle is anxiously awaiting his turn to be able to feel her!</p> <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Not too bad, I get up a few times throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I guess it’s preparing me for a newborn! </p> <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach and a bigger selection of clothes! </p> <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> I don't have specific cravings. I just like to eat! ;) I don’t think ice cream counts, I love that anytime! </p> <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Really can’t complain! Feeling pretty well! </p> <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Spending the weekend with good friends. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkdUjCt0kWyCvWTQZgpvagZy0sZTcTnJ657GTZ0V1GosmCQ5_k-FJ3Vo6lQiRXfrvRupE-Zz4f7FH1YE5Ztqm2XfXpHaWvmtchuJodFWU-mnarGAAzMdAxpaspAgXC452qqNuu8EKyxCi/s1600-h/DSC01788%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC01788" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyselLvmHNpi4lv3eRbt-7tlCzzwrzzz1pZQf2rDvTdztvcco3gfz6MDAIx_O725HCYODVB3O7SH-jQw6yTaLQVXEc7jg-V8xpYH0xgAEBAcxxGC3bGvhjkHCOjcDMuXl8MbvqptuQ7qut/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC01788" width="404"></a></p> <p>AND picking up the glider for the nursery!!! So cozy!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SFOpj_J3oumofX3mLyxcSbk-ywUGja80DWjU87x9318WjjZv1EsdNxv54XskuWq_xPV3OQfZy-IUv1h4HOrTP_6k7yL77VLwWEWdh0eIM9U6Xs1nhTtoMSysAWd6VaSJ3ZsLODef9Drb/s1600-h/DSC09817%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC09817" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJQtqvqpovIbRmmoA7t-67c536D6qVM6P8HwSlBllH3ef4r6o062CTupxCriSRB05utvMFYDwJXGfMBZeINZc3v-bgt1dbdV7RNfVY1hLEJxmJZqvnLR8sknpcQW_k_8fy79wEF4aP-Gf/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09817" width="354"></a></p> <p>So I’m behind (what’s new!), Thursday started week 25, but I wanted to put this up anyways! Hard to believe I have 15 weeks left. I’m so excited/anxious to meet my little girl. Kyle and I are currently in Chicago visiting his sister & brother-in-law. Can’t wait to share all the fun things we’ve done and we’ve gotten!</p> <p>Hope everyone has a great weekend and I’ll “see” you again for my 25th week post!</p>

24 weeks

How Far Along: 24 Weeks Size of baby: Baby Bangert is the size of a papaya! Maternity Clothes: I wear maternity jeans and pants but e...

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Hank's capture video

I loved this video!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jVXOwBO8oQw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />It made me cry because it's such a happy event. You can see what a gentle soul this little guy is just by his demeanor. He's been on the run for a week, in a completely foreign land, with snow and freezing temperatures this last week. Scrounging for food and sick with bronchitis. He didn't understand our language since he's from Taiwan, and I'm sure everything smells very differently here than it did in Taiwan. You can see how gentle he is when Jim (the tracking dog owner) picks him up and puts him in the kennel. Really touching.<br /><br /><span class="messageBody">Posting today on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saving-Great-Animals/102972989743662">Saving Great Animals Facebook</a>:</span><br /><br /><span class="messageBody"></span><span class="messageBody">Please email us if you would like to FOSTER HANK. He will be in need of a soft warm place to land as of this afternoon. He is being treated for Bronchitis with antibiotics and has a sore hip and leg from being on the run. The best place for him is in a home without any other dogs, since he has been through so much this past week, and with out any young children. Once he is settled and the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) has worn off his new home settings may change, but for now we want to find him a home where things are quiet and he will receive lots of TLC. PLEASE let us know if you can help.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="messageBody">~~~~~~~~~</span></div><span class="messageBody">If you live in the Pacific Northwest and are interested in either fostering or adopting this very special dog, email the Saving Great Animals director, Vashti Escobedo- Director Saving Great Animals: Matching Families and Pets at <a href="mailto:vashti@savinggreatanimals.org">vashti@savinggreatanimals.org</a>.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> ~~~~~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've never heard of this organization until last weekend,  <u><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://missing%20pet%20partnership,%20seattle%20pet%20detectives./">Missing Pet Partnership, Seattle Pet Detectives</a></span></u>. They were hired by the Saving Great Animals rescue group to find Hank. I was really impressed by these folks. <br /><br />The lady in the yellow vest in the video is Cat, and she is really a neat lady. They worked so hard to find Hank. They plastered the neighborhood with signs. There were signs everywhere. You couldn't go down a street within a two-mile radius from where he was lost without seeing one of the lost dog signs (and they were huge signs). They used a tracking dog to find where Hank was hanging out. They had a video camera at one of the live animal traps. They had a phone hotline that was answered 24/7. <br /><br />I guess most major cities have a service like this, but I'd never heard of such a thing. Good to know in case I ever lose a pet. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There were also about 30 volunteers working to find Hank. A really nice group of people donating their time to help in the search. The whole thing just made me feel better about people in general. The world really isn't such a bad place. There's a lot of good out there, we just don't always see it. </div>

Hank's capture video

I loved this video! It made me cry because it's such a happy event. You can see what a gentle soul this little guy is just by his demean...

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Best Day Ever!! (Hank and me updates)

After four crazy, emotional roller coaster days of searching for Hank, posting signs, checking the live animal traps, I received the following email this afternoon:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBPJ_xH4t7sUAGGlAZD6Ia6Hqc1csBxe2sw4qvE_P2zxp3qzXKRK9m9z8rRlW8-5Fnk3LMGOUnysVFMIdQVoPmib_WFtrQNhuXk3nS5q4pei1LQHMHeiXvKH2SrsrMwOTzOdJNGe0OliH/s1600/Hank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBPJ_xH4t7sUAGGlAZD6Ia6Hqc1csBxe2sw4qvE_P2zxp3qzXKRK9m9z8rRlW8-5Fnk3LMGOUnysVFMIdQVoPmib_WFtrQNhuXk3nS5q4pei1LQHMHeiXvKH2SrsrMwOTzOdJNGe0OliH/s400/Hank.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />BEST DAY EVER!! Hank has been caught! We can’t believe our eyes and there are plenty of tears from this exhausting long haul. The work is not done yet, as off to the vet he goes.  He is tired, dehydrated, scared and hungry.  But he is alive.<br /><br />We have paid the homeowner a reward (which they made sure to ask for!) and Vashti and Jessica are ready to take him to the vet. <br /><br />We will keep you posted through the day and send a picture. We are not done thanking you ALL! <br /><br />A happy ending!<br /><br /><u>Me update</u><br />It turns out that setting a goal of losing ten pounds in three weeks was kind of stupid. I know when I put crazy deadlines on myself they backfire in my face, so I don't know why I do this. It never works. You know the definition of insanity, well, that's me...insane.<br /><br />My food has been pretty good, but not good enough to lose weight (I'm down a couple pounds to 180, but that's not the number I wanted to see). I've been eating very healthy food, but my portions are too large. Same old story with me. I eat too much of the good stuff.<br /><br />Exercise is rocking. Today was a pure cardio day. I do those about once a week, where I only do cardio and no weights. <br /><br />Thirty minutes at a steady pace on the StairMaster, 121 floors, average step rate 68. Thirty minutes on the stationary bike. At lunch I went over the Sea-Tac Doubletree. Fourteen floors from the basement to the top. Each jaunt up was 225 steps. I did it four times, or 900 steps. The Big Climb is 1,311 steps. <br /><br />After 14 floors I had to turn around and go back down the stairs, back to the first floor, then start over. So I get a break every 14 floors. It was still hard. The first time it wasn't bad, second time a little bit more difficult, third time, ouch, it's hurting me. Fourth time, OMG I'm going to die! No way can I climb 69 floors non-stop. <br /><br />My co-worker that's done the Big Climb three times in the last three years keeps telling me it's a mind game. He said it's really 70% mental and 30% physical. If your mind believes you can do it, then you can do it. I know today my mind kept saying 'you are so screwed Diana!'. If only I'd lost that 20 pounds or even 10 pounds, this would have been so much easier. <br /><br />Since I can't lose a lot of weight at this point (only 18 days left!), I'm going to focus on the exercise. I'll continue my gym workouts as usual, adding in the exercise bike more often since it's good for the quads and quads are good for the stairs, and add in a daily DoubleTree stair workout during lunch. I also need to focus more on my core, a strong core is good for climbing stairs. <br /><br />Mind over matter, mind over matter. Yes, I can do this!

Best Day Ever!! (Hank and me updates)

After four crazy, emotional roller coaster days of searching for Hank, posting signs, checking the live animal traps, I received the followi...

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7 Questions That Make Interviewers Cringe

By Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder writer <br /><br />Chances are you've prepared answers to a variety of questions an interviewer might throw your way, but have you spent equal time considering the questions you want to pose to a potential employer? What you ask (and sometimes when) can speak volumes about your interest and work ethic. Keep interviewers from cringing -- and possibly questioning your suitability for the position -- by avoiding these seven questions:<br /><br /><br />1. What does your company do?<br /><br /><br />Sure, an interview is a two-way street designed for both parties to learn about one another. Yet how can a job seeker prove he is the person for the position if he doesn't even know the basics about where he wants to work?<br /><br /><br />"I feel that if someone is coming to an interview, he should have some background about who we are and what we do," says Tina Kummelman, human resources business partner for Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore, Md. "Specific questions are great, but the overall blanketed question tells me someone did not do his homework."<br /><br /><br />Bottom line: Don't waste the interviewer's time by having her recite what could have been learned beforehand on the company's website.<br /><br /><br />2. How much does the role pay?<br /><br /><br />It may be the answer you're dying to know, but seeking this information too soon can make you look like you're jumping the gun.<br /><br /><br />"Just don't ask it. It sends the wrong message," says Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition for Western Union. Adds colleague Julie Rulis, senior recruiter with the talent acquisition team, "I believe this question should be saved for later stages in the interview process. Asking about salary or benefits in the first interview isn't the impression you want to leave with an employer."<br /><br /><br />A better idea: Do some research ahead of time to get a feel for what similar jobs are paying.<br /><br /><br />3. What are the hours of this position?<br /><br /><br />"This one question makes me cringe more than any other," says Paul Solomon, president of Solo Management, a New York-based executive recruitment firm that specializes in financial industry recruitment. "Wall Street managers don't want a clock watcher, so when I hear that question I know the candidate will not be the right fit."<br /><br /><br />Rulis agrees. "Although I understand why candidates are eager to know this upfront, it<br /><br />can raise a question regarding their work ethic if asked too early in the process."<br /><br /><br />4. How many sick days do I get?<br /><br /><br />What goes through the interviewer's mind when hearing this question?<br /><br /><br />"We are in the business of developing leaders, not slouchers," says Gary Rich, president of Rich Leadership, an executive coaching firm in New York City.<br /><br /><br />Keep a potential employer from questioning your motivation (or your health) by looking this up in the employee handbook later.<br /><br /><br />5. How much time do I get off?<br /><br /><br />Like numbers three and four, this question can make a potential employer wonder if a candidate is more interested in getting out of work than contributing. It is especially frowned upon in fields requiring significant motivation from the get-go.<br /><br /><br />"A career as a financial representative is what you make of it. Your hard work helps determine your rewards. You have the ability to be your own boss, build your own practice and arrange your own schedule, while making a positive impact on your clients' lives," says Randi Michaelson, a director of recruitment and selection for the McTigue Financial Group in Chicago who recruits career changers to work as Northwestern Mutual financial representatives. "In the beginning, it takes time, energy and commitment, but successful financial representatives -- like successful entrepreneurs -- are able to enjoy work-life balance among other rewards."<br /><br /><br />6. If I'm hired, when can I begin applying for other roles within the company?<br /><br /><br />"This question makes it seem like the candidate isn't really interested in the job she is currently interviewing for -- that she really just wants a foot in the door," Rulis says.<br /><br /><br />While ultimately you might have higher aspirations than the position for which you are applying, remember that an employer is looking for the best person to fill an opening for what the company needs now, not in the future.<br /><br /><br />7. Do you do background checks?<br /><br /><br />If you don't have something to hide, you probably aren't going to bother asking this one. If you do ...<br /><br /><br />Rich sums up the feelings most interviewers have after hearing this question, "I definitely don't want this person on my payroll!"

7 Questions That Make Interviewers Cringe

By Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder writer Chances are you've prepared answers to a variety of questions an interviewer might throw yo...

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5 Ways to Botch a Phone Interview

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/r1/ar5m0gf659vn3tj6s5r1.gif?time=9/22/2010%204:28:27%20pm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/r1/ar5m0gf659vn3tj6s5r1.gif?time=9/22/2010%204:28:27%20pm" /></a></div>Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing <br /><br />Phone interviews are a fairly fundamental part of the job search process. Yet many candidates fail to progress beyond this stage in their pursuit of a particular job.<br /><br />"Often, a candidate's failure occurs because he didn't treat the phone interview as seriously he would have a face-to-face meeting with a recruiter or potential employer," says Vicki Salemi, author of "Big Career in the Big City."<br /><br />In her book, Salemi pinpoints several phone interview faux pas, which include the following:<br /><br />Conducting the interview in your pajamas<br /><br />Even though you're not meeting with someone face-to-face, you should still wear clothes that make you feel confident and put together, Salemi says. In addition, she recommends candidates wake up at least 30 minutes before the interview, comb their hair and brush their teeth. "I can't tell you how many times I've conducted phone interviews with people who literally just woke up. This created the visions in my head about their unbrushed teeth, uncombed hair and overall inability to focus," she explains.<br /><br />Picking the wrong spot to talk<br /><br />Whenever you're talking with a recruiter or potential employer on the phone, it's best to do so in a place that's peaceful and quiet. Outside noise and too many distractions around you can make it difficult to concentrate on what you're being asked during the interview. Salemi suggests staying at home for the phone interview and talking on a land line instead of a cell phone. "This way, it's likely you'll have clearer reception and you reduce any risk that you'll lose the call in the middle of a sentence."<br /><br />Failing to take advantage of access to helpful resources right at your fingertips<br /><br />According to Salemi, the main advantage to a phone interview is that you can refer to a handful of helpful resources during your interview. For example, you can glance at a list of talking points or you can pull up the company's website on your computer so that it's in front of you while you're interviewing.<br /><br />Forgetting to let your smile shine<br /><br />It may feel silly to smile when no one's around to see it, but odds are strong that the person interviewing you will notice how much more pleasant your voice sounds when you're doing so. Salemi also suggests standing up during the interview. "You'll be able to project your voice more and sound more confident if you're standing as opposed to sitting down. Celebrities do this all of the time during radio interviews, so why not channel your inner rock star?"<br /><br />Neglecting to close on a strong note<br /><br />It's very important to close the phone interview just as you would an office interview, Salemi says. "Ask the interviewer about the next steps in the interview process, when you should follow up, and where they are in the process. Then say your cordial good-byes, hang up and immediately send a thank-you note."<br />Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.

5 Ways to Botch a Phone Interview

Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing Phone interviews are a fairly fundamental part of the job search process. Yet many candidates fail to progress...

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Blue Monday

I'm not in a happy place this morning. There are many reasons:<br /><br />1. Still no sign of Hank (see yesterday's post below). Each time I check the live animal traps for him (three times in the last 12 hours, I feel my heart sink. I just can't believe this dog has gone through so much, was lucky enough to get adopted by a loving family in Taiwan, then loses everyone in a house fire. Then lucky enough to get shipped to the United States so he doesn't wind up on someones dinner table in Taiwan, and gets adopted immediately here in the States. Then this happens. He's lost ten minutes after being in his new home. It just breaks my heart.<br /><br />2. I had an emergency call at midnight for a work problem. After fixing it I tossed and turned for what seem like forever. I was hungry (of course). I finally got up and ate strawberries with real whip cream (in a can but it's the real stuff, not light, and I ate a lot of it). I think I finally fell asleep around 2am with the alarm going off at 4:30am. I had to check Hank's traps at 5am then go to the gym. Of course the traps were empty.<br /><br />3. My gym workout was lackluster to say the least. Probably because I'm so tired. I used the five-minute rule six times while I was on the Crossramp. Seriously, every five minutes I'd tell myself just five more minutes then I can leave. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life. Afterwards I did upper body weights which normally I love. I didn't seem to have any strength. It's like someone pulled the plug on my energy. After only four exercises (3 sets each), I gave up. Normally I do a minimum of six different exercises, three sets each. I just didn't have it in me this morning.<br /><br />4. I have my performance review today at work It's not something I'm looking forward to. Especially because I'm so tired, and I never take constructive criticism well even under the best of circumstances. Given how I feel right now I'll probably wind up in tears.<br /><br />5. It's snowing giant snowflakes right now. Thirty-five degrees with gray skies. Normally I love snow, but it makes me sad to think of poor Hank out there, alone, cold, hungry and scared. <br /><br />I know all this will pass and everything will be okay. No one is going to give up on Hank. I probably won't get fired from my job. So I had a bad workout this morning, it happens. <br /><br />I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day (heck, can't get much worse than how I feel right now).

Blue Monday

I'm not in a happy place this morning. There are many reasons: 1. Still no sign of Hank (see yesterday's post below). Each time I ch...

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Platinum Blonde and Beyond

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiertslXgbvSKgk33eJ8Y_2iIiCoNTRLjJxznsDuQrvILuRgWqS6nmJH7hbjyC3t_BVRnlNlTykufu8tSo9twHwVg2vzrsqHO6PI9Je8JtUfzSlUHV-TiZFo6LE4CA7Tl9O2bPdBJYWKiHx/s1600/Jean+Harlow%255B1%255D+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="305" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiertslXgbvSKgk33eJ8Y_2iIiCoNTRLjJxznsDuQrvILuRgWqS6nmJH7hbjyC3t_BVRnlNlTykufu8tSo9twHwVg2vzrsqHO6PI9Je8JtUfzSlUHV-TiZFo6LE4CA7Tl9O2bPdBJYWKiHx/s320/Jean+Harlow%255B1%255D+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was her trademark, her calling card and, in 1931, the name of a film for which she received third billing. <i>Platinum Blonde</i> had originally been intended as a vehicle for top-billed star Loretta Young but, by the time it was released, the film's title had changed and changed again until it was an outright reference to pale-haired co-star Jean Harlow. It was not Harlow's breakout picture, that had come with <i>Hell's Angels</i><b> </b>(1930), nor is it generally cited as one of her great classics, but <i>Platinum Blonde</i><b> </b>was pivotal - it proclaimed her stardom.</span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjZYEoJ-iK1sBE9rap6JPAPMzvhilDjaEvYqdjBj8wXBk_Fp1fHN9kLc5nC86Vx799P-ihSGtfdXSMmNPuTJupvT4Y1bRFsfbSq-zXNYVfKllXFtkRxhHM3E84bEfTz__ESJMue1_WDKx/s1600/6943_1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjZYEoJ-iK1sBE9rap6JPAPMzvhilDjaEvYqdjBj8wXBk_Fp1fHN9kLc5nC86Vx799P-ihSGtfdXSMmNPuTJupvT4Y1bRFsfbSq-zXNYVfKllXFtkRxhHM3E84bEfTz__ESJMue1_WDKx/s200/6943_1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="143" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Public Enemy (1931)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1931, the 20-year-old starlet was still under an oppressive five-year contract with Howard Hughes, producer/director of <i>Hell's Angels</i>. She had proven her appeal in the film, but Hughes had no projects in the works for her and most Hollywood insiders believed he was mismanaging her career. Harlow's then-friend/future husband Paul Bern arranged for her loan to MGM for <i>The Secret Six</i> (1931) an underworld drama with Wallace Beery and not-yet-famous Clark Gable. Immediately after, she was loaned out to Universal for an unsympathetic role in <i>The Iron Man</i><b> </b>(1931), a boxing drama with Lew Ayres. While still on that project, she went back to MGM for retakes on <i>The Secret Six </i>and began work on her next film, this time on loan to Warner Brothers for the gangster classic <i>The Public Enemy</i> (1931), with James Cagney. Her fourth film in five months was for Fox, <i>Goldie</i><b> </b>(1931), a comedy with Spencer Tracy. Of these films only <i>The Public Enemy</i> was an unqualified hit, and it was a blockbuster, but it was Cagney who became the overnight star...Harlow's allure was noted, but her performance was widely panned.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With an assist from New Jersey mobster Abner Zwillman who was involved with Harlow, a two-picture deal with Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures was secured. Zwillman made sure the actress earned quite a bit more than what she eked out from Howard Hughes. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Harlow's first film for Columbia was to be called "Gallagher" and was one of several films of the emerging "newspaper" genre. It was a romantic comedy about an everyman reporter who falls for a high living socialite and is blind to the love of his best friend and fellow reporter, a gal pal named Gallagher.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8PP1LNbwXSkjRwgYsmIQYE7qQGgA1F4hH3_48AU1sNw-xWPWeSYlbRy2XOBcbJ3DufD_tFOupmnaCRRMMEiA2q5xXNZmCDAZpYfRNo1-tobd2u-vjXFvKglsGuL-wD5pCmRNuLJ5DXgV/s1600/Loretta+Young%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8PP1LNbwXSkjRwgYsmIQYE7qQGgA1F4hH3_48AU1sNw-xWPWeSYlbRy2XOBcbJ3DufD_tFOupmnaCRRMMEiA2q5xXNZmCDAZpYfRNo1-tobd2u-vjXFvKglsGuL-wD5pCmRNuLJ5DXgV/s200/Loretta+Young%255B1%255D.jpg" width="151" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Loretta Young</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Contracted to star as Gallagher was luminous Loretta Young, already a movie veteran at only 18. She'd started in pictures at age four with an uncredited bit part as a "Fairy" in <i>The Primrose Ring </i>(1917) starring Mae Murray. At eight she'd appeared as an "Arab Child" in Valentino's <i>The Shiek</i><b> </b>(1921) and at 15 co-starred with silent screen legend Lon Chaney in <i>Laugh, Clown, Laugh</i> (1928). In 1929 she, along with her sister Sally Blane, Jean Arthur and others, was named one of Hollywood's "WAMPAS Baby Stars." By the time she came to "Gallagher" Young had already appeared in more than 30 films.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Gallagher" had begun as an assignment for director Edward Buzzell (<i>At the Circus, Go West, Song of the Thin Man, Neptune's Daughter</i>) and development of the project was nearly complete by the time Frank Capra, then a promising director at Columbia, took over.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6e2-SS1j6iVDtpHwdkQF1woSLhtAXsKNJjjepNtvKYYihLwJIHursd5l3FqlYln9vJNO-_HE8R06xAuuGo8EsT7z0WRLWNTUuBpLlb6xvGnuADLRHearDvLLRJhwEDZ4slw2_eZJT1M6O/s1600/cohn+and+capra+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="148" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6e2-SS1j6iVDtpHwdkQF1woSLhtAXsKNJjjepNtvKYYihLwJIHursd5l3FqlYln9vJNO-_HE8R06xAuuGo8EsT7z0WRLWNTUuBpLlb6xvGnuADLRHearDvLLRJhwEDZ4slw2_eZJT1M6O/s200/cohn+and+capra+2.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Harry Cohn and Frank Capra</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Capra was on his way up in 1931, but still a few years away from the Oscar nominations and wins that would characterize his career. He had been scheduled to make <i>Forbidden</i> with Barbara Stanwyck but that project was shelved for the time being and he moved on to "Gallagher." Comparing the filmographies of Buzzell and Capra, this was fortuitous.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On loan to Columbia from RKO-Pathé to co-star in <i>Forbidden </i>was recent Broadway-to-Hollywood transplant Robert Williams. With that film on the shelf, Williams was cast as the male lead, a down to earth newspaperman and charmer named Stew Smith, in "Gallagher."</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfl26_yEAOM9qaHqGq836o9CiOLlovfqMzduyW_86TSgNjujZkH-geQzpKQ7SP0bfO7qe3nCCun4lMl9QL-JQQ2B31gROs6-dVlkz9Ehl4eVKwj_u586IkYiy1QY8jRFMNGnU5FhZJblC/s1600/platinum+blonde+dvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfl26_yEAOM9qaHqGq836o9CiOLlovfqMzduyW_86TSgNjujZkH-geQzpKQ7SP0bfO7qe3nCCun4lMl9QL-JQQ2B31gROs6-dVlkz9Ehl4eVKwj_u586IkYiy1QY8jRFMNGnU5FhZJblC/s200/platinum+blonde+dvd.jpg" width="159" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harlow and Williams</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Williams had been on the New York stage for nearly ten years when Hollywood beckoned. He'd starred in a great hit of the era, "Abie's Irish Rose," the longest running play in Broadway history up to that time. In 1930 he was cast in Donald Ogden Stewart's "Rebound," which was just a moderate success. But sound had  permanently arrived, and Hollywood was desperate for stage plays, actors and writers. When RKO-Pathé bought the film rights to the play, Williams repeated his role in <i>Rebound</i><b> </b>(1931) opposite Ina Claire. He was quickly cast in two more productions, <i>The Common Law</i> (1931) with Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea and <i>Devotion</i> (1931) with Ann Harding and Leslie Howard, and was considered "a new comedy sensation" when tapped for "Gallagher."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Another noteworthy contributor on the film was screenwriter Robert Riskin (<i>It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take it With You, Lost Horizon</i>) who, though credited only with the dialogue, reportedly penned the script that had captured Capra's attention early on. The combination of an appealing cast, an up-and-coming director along with well honed writing, delivered a box office hit - and a film that has been called Capra's most underrated.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">By the time the picture was screened for its final preview audience, it had been retitled "The Gilded Cage," referring to protagonist Stew Smith's predicament and shifting focus from the Gallagher character. At the same time, a PR-fueled craze for peroxide-blonde hair swept the country and further heightened interest in bombshell Jean Harlow, recently tagged "the platinum blonde." Within a week of the last preview, the film had a new and lasting title, <i>Platinum Blonde</i>, though the plot had nothing to do with haircolor...</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN7mm3z2okENpQxmVIwIOXl2aVaL9vnrYEoAdOcEpdx_Ab66fKwVTocssufLZLBhdt18a3TWCNx-spXg-eJY8SVv3-Ih0z-iLUYwOICfLcTc-SxQfFefbzwa9K5ZcWXX7_0CjiPZeESW9/s1600/red+headed+woman+book+jacket.jpg+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN7mm3z2okENpQxmVIwIOXl2aVaL9vnrYEoAdOcEpdx_Ab66fKwVTocssufLZLBhdt18a3TWCNx-spXg-eJY8SVv3-Ih0z-iLUYwOICfLcTc-SxQfFefbzwa9K5ZcWXX7_0CjiPZeESW9/s200/red+headed+woman+book+jacket.jpg+2.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With <i>Platinum Blonde</i> Harlow became a star. A few months later <i>The Beast of the City</i> (1932) brought her first consistently good reviews and in April 1932, aided by the maneuvering of Paul Bern and Irving Thalberg, she signed a seven-year contract with MGM. Her first film for the preeminent studio was <i>Red-Headed Woman</i> (1932), and it was tailored to her style and personality with added emphasis on humor to soften the perception of overt sexuality. Jean Harlow made 13 more films for MGM, all of them popular, several of them classics, and was a top Hollywood star for the rest of her short life.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Loretta Young's acting career covered more than 75 years, but her ascent to stardom only began in earnest when she signed with 20th Century Fox in the mid-'30's. She won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in <i>The Farmer's Daughter</i> (1947) and later won three Best Actress Emmys for her 1950s TV anthology series.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Capra and Riskin went on to make a string of classic films together. It's significant that the primary characters and themes of <i>Platinum Blonde</i><b> </b>would be revisited and refined in their later collaborations. The two men next worked on <i>American Madness</i> (1932) and then came <i>Lady for a Day</i><b> </b>(1933) bringing Oscar nods to each of them. It was the following year, with <i>It Happened One Night</i><b> </b>(1934), that Capra's and Riskin's reputations were made. The film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing/Adaptation. In his career, Riskin was nominated for a total of five Oscars, all were for Capra films. Capra was nominated for six Oscars and won three; all winning films were those on which he'd collaborated with Riskin. Their first success working together had been <i>Platinum Blonde</i>...</span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8-kMRfL5KOWQKD4dZLErBodUYpI5C7Q9qeJ8_R7DQUrabEFCKtmfHXnPjSFRGOq_EtaX3LDWDp6TeFmzX2-_wOa-WP56iQmKIltG0a-zBQ3k5X-kZ_zfHjuuvvSRjhGhP-60JWlZJnS7/s1600/Robert+Williams+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8-kMRfL5KOWQKD4dZLErBodUYpI5C7Q9qeJ8_R7DQUrabEFCKtmfHXnPjSFRGOq_EtaX3LDWDp6TeFmzX2-_wOa-WP56iQmKIltG0a-zBQ3k5X-kZ_zfHjuuvvSRjhGhP-60JWlZJnS7/s200/Robert+Williams+2.jpg" width="138" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Williams</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I realized on first viewing <i>Platinum Blonde</i> that the standout performance and the heart of the film was the male lead. I wondered who Robert Williams was and why I hadn't seen his name before. He was enormously talented, facile, charismatic...and attractive enough to make the grade - yet I'd never heard of him. There was a very good reason.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When <i>Platinum Blonde</i><b> </b>opened Williams received glowing reviews. He must have realized that he was about to break out, but he had little time to enjoy his new caché. Just as the film was opening, Williams took a trip to Catalina Island, a popular getaway for Hollywood folk in those days. While he was there his appendix ruptured and by the time he managed to return to the mainland and go into a hospital he'd developed peritonitis. He underwent surgery but died on November 3, four days after <i>Platinum Blonde</i>'s release and on the same day <i>Variety</i> singled out his performance and predicted a promising future.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There isn't much available on YouTube from </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Platinum Blonde</span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">, but the scene below provides a moment of pre-Code mischief (if some of the dialogue seems politically incorrect remember, this film is 80 years old)...</span></i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>TCM will air <b>Platinum Blonde</b> on Tuesday, March 29, 11:30pm Eastern/8:30pm Pacific</i></span></div><br /><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/AVvXsEhNsdq9Yih4oVXSqWy-HnE17DZSZ9jt38whexejCqdG6uLtV1PiFO68rR7LkNIzBnlHGef9kWv4EUtmixSejUFm0X_m1phXM96EBKMxRKRTCRuVK7Bvsw28IjbRtr1ccyncmRFTKfF4Xeg/s1600/platinum+blonde.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsdq9Yih4oVXSqWy-HnE17DZSZ9jt38whexejCqdG6uLtV1PiFO68rR7LkNIzBnlHGef9kWv4EUtmixSejUFm0X_m1phXM96EBKMxRKRTCRuVK7Bvsw28IjbRtr1ccyncmRFTKfF4Xeg/s400/platinum+blonde.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loretta Young, Robert Williams, Jean Harlow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Darrell Rooney and Mark Vieira's new book <i>Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital, 1928 - 1937</i> (</span><a href="http://www.tcm.com/movienews/index/?cid=375118"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">click here</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> to learn more) is scheduled for release in  March from Angel City Press.</span></span>

Frank Capra Harry Cohn Howard Hughes Irving Thalberg Jean Harlow Loretta Young Paul Bern Platinum Blonde Robert Riskin Robert Williams The Lady Eve (author) Platinum Blonde and Beyond

It was her trademark, her calling card and, in 1931, the name of a film for which she received third billing. Platinum Blonde had originall...

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Chasing Hank

Meet Hank, a two-year old, 35-pound Formosan Mountain Dog:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp9YyQG2_r582M6qlUG-apsTDAQIi1AVswMQQc9_fTjdHXljLmMqvnNC3mkGLfqC5eQiGwXj7_GsusuvLTX5KQKjTD2cmEp5hWBOe3voLFJ1OMVdVdEy9XAodMXp91ZY5tD4UGLBjBh5x/s1600/Hank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp9YyQG2_r582M6qlUG-apsTDAQIi1AVswMQQc9_fTjdHXljLmMqvnNC3mkGLfqC5eQiGwXj7_GsusuvLTX5KQKjTD2cmEp5hWBOe3voLFJ1OMVdVdEy9XAodMXp91ZY5tD4UGLBjBh5x/s400/Hank.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><br />I spent most of my weekend volunteering with a dog rescue group, Saving Great Animals, trying to track down Hank in my neighborhood. <br /><br />This poor dog has the saddest story, but I'm praying for a happy ending. He's from Taiwan and has only been in the United States for five days. He is one of forty dogs rescued from Taiwan. Hank's breed, the Formosan Mountain dog, and the fact that he's solid black, put him at high risk to become dog meat in Taiwan. In 2004 the Taiwanese government made selling dog meat illegal, but of course, people still do it. The Formosan is a favorite, and an all black dog is considered a delicacy.<br /><br />Hank was a beloved family pet in Taiwan until a recent tragedy. His family's house burned down, and all of his family died in the fire. Somehow Hank got out of the house, and was sent to the Saving Great Animals sister shelter in Taipei. They wanted to get him out of Taiwan since he's solid black. The risk of someone eating him was too high. I don't know about you, but this just horrifies me.<br /><br />Hank was picked up at the airport five days ago by his new foster mom. He'd just flown in on a flight from Taiwan. She said he has the sweetest personality and played with her dog (a rescue from Mexico that I fell in love with). Hank even let her two-year old pet him. <br /><br />Two days after Hank's arrival, he was adopted by friends of his foster mom. This is where we should have a happy ending. Unfortunately, more tragedy struck. Within ten minutes of having Hank in their house, the new owners accidentally let him in the garage with the garage door open. Hank has been on the run for three days, in the coldest weather on record in Seattle (in the teens at night).<br /><br />Last night there was a sighting about a mile from my house, so we searched from 9pm until 2:30am. We finally gave up and went home. This morning there was another sighting a half block from my house. I ran over to where Hank was spotted, and met the guy that had seen him. There's a huge reward for this dog so the guy was really trying to help us find him. No luck.<br /><br />About two hours later a lady called and said he was in her yard. It was a fenced yard about a half mile from my house. There were eight of us, including a woman from Pet Partnerhip, a searh and rescue for lost pets group. She had a snare pole and was using her own dog as a "magnet" dog, to be used to lure Hank over to her so she can collar him. Unfortunately Hank freaked out. We ran after him, but we couldn't catch him. I was in tears. I couldn't believe we were so close to catching him, and he got away from us. <br /><br />The rescue folks finally decided to set live animal traps for him, with food inside. One is a block from my house and the other one about 1/2 mile. They have to be checked every two to five hours. I hope we catch him. <br /><br />The new owners that let Hank escape aren't going to be able to adopt him. They're not fit to be dog parents. I know they must feel awful, but they haven't helped us at all to try and find Hank, and their mistake was pretty big.<br /><br />Send a little prayer out for Hank. :)<br /><br /><strong>Back to my regularly scheduled program, weight loss</strong><br />I attended my Weight Watchers meeting Saturday, and I weighed in at 182.6. Not fantastic. Heck, not good at all, but what I failed to mention is about ten days ago I saw 187.0 on my home scales. That was the first thing in the morning, naked. At Weight Watchers I had clothes on (I'm pretty sure you already knew that). I'm going in the right direction, but I still have a really long way to go.<br /><br />Saturday night after walking around in the freezing cold until the wee hours of the morning, I came home starving to death. I had purchased a box of two-Point Lemon Mousse Pie bars at my meeting (never again). I ate the entire box when I got home. I think there were ten, at 70 calories each. <br /><br />I was furious with myself afterwards. I'd spent an hour at the gym earlier in the day, 30 minutes StairMaster and 30 minutes crossramp. One hour of high intensity cardio. Then I'd traipsed through the woods for five hours looking for Hank. I burned a lot of calories but not enough to compensate for a 700- calorie binge. <br /><br />What can I say? Not much. I started over today, again. So far, so good but it's only 9pm. I have to go check Hank's traps before I can go to bed. I'm totally exhausted from this weekend. It ws physically and emotionally challenging.

Chasing Hank

Meet Hank, a two-year old, 35-pound Formosan Mountain Dog: I spent most of my weekend volunteering with a dog rescue group, Saving Great Ani...

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Can Facebook really help you land a job?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/70/ar5l5r373y8z0cwdry70.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/70/ar5l5r373y8z0cwdry70.gif" /></a></div>By Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder <br /><br />While Facebook can sometimes seem like a way to simply post a few photos or let your friends know about your birthday -- there are ways it can come in handy in your professional career. Facebook lets job seekers tap an informal network of friends or friends of friends who can be instrumental in creating success. "The collection of friends you have through Facebook are the ones most likely to have your back," says Jenny Foss, a job search expert who blogs at JobJenny.com. With so many different options, Facebook is a good place to start if you're job hunting or just seeking to network.<br /><br />Here's what to do to get started:<br /><br />Customize your avatar<br /><br />In an online search, your avatar is typically the first thing a potential employer sees on Facebook. So if you're in job search mode, it's important to have a professional avatar that can help you get hired. "You can create a custom avatar that includes your contact information and that you are in the job market," says Jessica Miller-Merrell, chief executive of Xceptional HR. Additionally, while your profile should be kept private, include an e-mail address and job history in the visible information so recruiters can reach out to you directly.<br /><br />Use your status<br /><br />Find a good way to let your Facebook friends you're looking. For example, refer them to your own site, which showcases samples of your work and a résumé, or ask them to drop you an e-mail if they know of a lead. Being specific about what type of job or company you're looking for can make it easier for people to help, Foss says. Throughout your job search use your status to update your friends on how it's going. Don't inundate friends with every little detail and make each status conversational and optimistic. "Keep it genuine, make it real," Foss says. "But don't come across as the saddest, most desperate person alive."<br /><br />Take out a Facebook ad<br /><br />When Marian Schembari graduated from college and wanted to land a publishing job, she took out an ad on Facebook to target publishing houses. The ad showed up for Facebook users who listed companies like Random House and HarperCollins as their employer. Once they clicked on the ad, users were referred to her personal website that contained her résumé. A person from each of the publishers e-mailed that he or she passed on her résumé to HR or wanted to meet, she recalls.<br /><br />After placing her ad, others in the industry wrote about Schembari's pursuits and she was able to get her foot into the publishing world. "Facebook was the easiest and fastest way to network with a huge number of publishing people at once," she says. "It was like a networking event on steroids with an added bonus of never needing to leave my house or get out of my pajamas."<br /><br />"Like" companies where you'd want to work<br /><br />Since most companies have a Facebook presence these days, clicking the "like" button on that company's fan page will signal that you're interested in a job there, Foss says. Additionally, it's a simple way to learn the latest company news, which can help during an interview. Additionally, "some companies list their open jobs right on their [Facebook] pages," she says.<br /><br />Keep it real<br /><br />Since Facebook is a less formal network, people expect to see a more casual part of your personality so there's no need for a professional tone, points out Craig Fischer, vice president of sales at Ajax Social Media. "I have hired many people through Facebook," he says. "Many of my customers and job candidates are people who I network with [on] there." <br /><br />Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Can Facebook really help you land a job?

By Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder While Facebook can sometimes seem like a way to simply post a few photos or let your friends know a...

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23 weeks

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz1iAlzVTIU-6gzztjpHZQyur0L90nbyC1moRWITx9dSMcXxaf3Rjz66d_ho7HUJ2i-DjdN4mWHoodsQ8v4xbu1UvKghzedLXYqdBjxuvW-TKQVbDQ08aJrFZ_MhFbq1fFk3sx-TrUhs/s1600/DSC09803.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577664474068291154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz1iAlzVTIU-6gzztjpHZQyur0L90nbyC1moRWITx9dSMcXxaf3Rjz66d_ho7HUJ2i-DjdN4mWHoodsQ8v4xbu1UvKghzedLXYqdBjxuvW-TKQVbDQ08aJrFZ_MhFbq1fFk3sx-TrUhs/s400/DSC09803.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 23 Weeks <br /><br /><strong>Size of baby:</strong> Baby Bangert is the size of a papaya<br /><br /><strong>Total Weight Gain/Loss:</strong> didn’t weigh this week<br /><br /><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> I wear maternity jeans and pants but everything else is regular. Things are getting tighter though! <br /><br /><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! <br /><br /><strong>Movement:</strong> She’s a busy bee in the evenings and I've been starting to feel her more & more throughout the day!<br /><br /><strong>Sleep:</strong> Not too bad, I get up a few times throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I guess it’s preparing me for a newborn! <br /><br /><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach and a bigger selection of clothes! <br /><br /><strong>Cravings:</strong> I don't have specific cravings. I just like to eat! ;) I don’t think ice cream counts, I love that anytime! <br /><br /><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Really can’t complain! Feeling pretty well! <br /><br /><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Picking out the glider for our nursery! Hayden was a good help! ;)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90WXb-CtqfdL1MlUcyDGl4qzeEX4Jr7V6ILX5unGAiscVC5WdkY9ZAIGSg2Qil4-TCSvqJXBicsrveRE28i2i2spknq-F-OVJho5Z3twu7qPG7UrTrv7hQFHFI0pXldcTZ_aJ1KzrCoE/s1600/DSC09789.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577664477179890866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90WXb-CtqfdL1MlUcyDGl4qzeEX4Jr7V6ILX5unGAiscVC5WdkY9ZAIGSg2Qil4-TCSvqJXBicsrveRE28i2i2spknq-F-OVJho5Z3twu7qPG7UrTrv7hQFHFI0pXldcTZ_aJ1KzrCoE/s400/DSC09789.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br /><br />Once again I'm behind getting this up. Today is day 2 in my 24th week, but hey better late than never right?!?! I'm so excited for this weekend, we have friends staying with us and a wedding, should be a good time!<br /><br />Happy Friday everyone!

23 weeks

How Far Along: 23 Weeks Size of baby: Baby Bangert is the size of a papaya Total Weight Gain/Loss: didn’t weigh this week Maternity Cloth...

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My head has been buried in the sand

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVHy1twmOe5oywDUjI2TVgllyGqVVnJnBnmd8hv0X2lPz8iRktPPVezUxdeCbXZWWKQ9l7co8FTniyreD4aBeg2jBmKVp1QyJY9AUdCZrwmoxQ36aXkLRScas5cSKNv0xFZ59r9rvcGX/s1600/sand.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVHy1twmOe5oywDUjI2TVgllyGqVVnJnBnmd8hv0X2lPz8iRktPPVezUxdeCbXZWWKQ9l7co8FTniyreD4aBeg2jBmKVp1QyJY9AUdCZrwmoxQ36aXkLRScas5cSKNv0xFZ59r9rvcGX/s320/sand.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />I've been really good lately about ignoring the the one thing I don't want to talk about. Recently, another blogger mentioned that you can tell when someone is doing poorly on their weight loss plan. It's when they talk about everything except their weight loss plan.<br /><br />I know that blogger was talking about me (actually, I don't think they even know I exist...but still, that's me). I talk about my cat, about being sick with a cold, my toothache, and recently I've even been chatting about the weather. Really, the weather? <br /><br />Sorry dear readers. To the few of you that still remain faithful, I haven't exactly been open and honest about my weight loss, or rather, my lack of weight loss.Or in reality, my weight gain. It's very apparent I've been avoiding the obvious. Even if I should happen to even mention trying to lose weight or talk about getting healthy, I quickly gloss over it  hoping you don't notice that I really haven't been into it lately.<br /><br />About that blogger I mentioned above, they were right in their analysis. The weight loss hasn't been going well for me. I have a lot of reasons, or rather excuses. They really aren't even worth mentioning, but here they are: I've been sick, I'm tired all the time, it's cold outside, I've lost desire, I don't care anymore, my work is stressful (some things never change), or, and you've got to love this one because it's my favorite...I just don't feel like it. <br /><br /><strong>It's time</strong><br />Time for what? It's time that I do something about this very unfortunate situation I've put myself in. I have to lose weight. I have to stop talking about it and do it. <br /><br />I just counted the days until the Seattle Big Climb. My heart sank when I realized I only have 24 DAYS before I have to climb 69 floors. There are 20 people on my Big Climb team. I am the team captain. One of the people on my team is the president of my company. I've heard he's a very nice person. Although we've met a few times, he doesn't know me, but he knows the person we're honoring with our climb. The president went to high school with one of the guys on my team (on my work team and my Big Climb team). They're good friends. <br /><br />So it's not like I can say I'm not doing this thing. That's not even within the realm of possibilities. I have to go, put on my cheerleader hat and literally, take one for the team. Or in this case, take 1,311 stair steps for the team. Really though, this isn't about me. It's about raising money for research for leukemia and other blood cancers. Reading this guy's <a href="http://www.poundsoffplayoff.com/2011/02/in-home-stretch.html">blog</a> reminded me once again of why I'm doing this (it's not for me or about me, it's for a greater good). <br /><br /><strong>About my weight gain</strong><br />I weighed two days ago at home, no clothes, in the morning before breakfast. I was HORRIFIED to see 183.4 on the scales. I practically ran screaming from the room. How on earth did I let this happen? And now, of all times, with a very difficult, physical challenge facing me on March 20. I don't know. I just know it happened. Excuses are acceptable, and none would help at this point anyway.<br /><br /><strong>Setting a goal with fierce resolve</strong><br />I have exactly 24 DAYS until B.C. DAY (Big Climb Day = March 20). I can either throw in the towel and say there's nothing I can accomplish in that short amount of time, or I can give it 110% of my effort. I'm choosing the last one. I'm going for it. I know I can at least make a dent in the damage I've done. <br /><br />My goal is pretty aggressive, but here it is:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Ten pounds in 24 days</div><br />Fierce resolve is a desirable quality in an employee. It's referring to intense professional will. It's something that's encourage where I work. Why can't I apply this concept to weight loss? What if I have fierce resolve to lose this weight? An intense will to lose weight. Imagine what I could do with this. I had it at one time, then I quietly and conveniently let it slip away from me.<br /><br />It's really easier to not have fierce resolve about weight loss. Fierce resolve is hard work, especially for someone like myself, that has struggled with my weight my entire adult entire life.<br /><br />I was reading about fierce resolve on the internet, and came across an interesting <a href="http://www.poitiveimpactliving.blogspot.com/2007/07/attiude-of-fierce-resolve.html">article</a>. I borrowed this paragraph from the article:<br /><br /><strong>Reality can and does bend at our will. This is where the phrase fierce resolve clarifies itself. When you are firmly decided upon a goal, you cultivate the resolution to achieve. You don't do this half-hearted. </strong><br /><br />My head is out of the sand.

My head has been buried in the sand

I've been really good lately about ignoring the the one thing I don't want to talk about. Recently, another blogger mentioned that y...

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Want to get hired? Think like a publicist

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/ms/ar5l0zs696792b5jfcms.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/ms/ar5l0zs696792b5jfcms.gif" /></a></div>Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder <br /><br />Being a publicist is hard work, but public relations pros may have all the right answers when it comes to landing a job or advancing up the corporate ladder. In "Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired and Rewarded," publicists Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper share their advice on how to use classic, well-tested PR techniques to get ahead.<br /><br />Want to get a job or build your brand with the media savvy of a publicist? Here's what to do:<br /><br />When online, keep it professional<br /><br />You don't need to keep up with all the social networks, but make sure to set your best foot forward when it comes to Facebook friends, Twitter followers and LinkedIn connections. "You may think that tweeting 'My job sucks' or 'I'm so hung over today' is innocent, but if your boss or a potential employer reads that, it could reflect poorly on you," says Jessica Kleiman, co-author and vice president of public relations at Hearst Magazines. "In PR, we like to consider everything 'on the record' because you never know who's sitting next to you when you're complaining on the train or who's reading your online profile."<br /><br />Craft a message<br /><br />With little time to pitch a service or product to reporters, it's important for publicists to be concise with what they want to say. "The first thing we do when we get a new client or project is to map out our key messages," says co-author Meryl Weinsaft Cooper and managing director at DeVries Public Relations. "Think about the three things you want people to know about you and then consider how you plan to communicate that in your resume and, ultimately, in a job interview." With so many job applicants, being able to weave a concise message to capture a recruiter's or hiring manager's attention is key.<br /><br />Do your research<br /><br />"Never go into a job interview without having researched the company," Kleiman says. "We would never pitch a reporter without having looked up [the reporter's] last few stories or knowing what kinds of topics the outlet covers." To prep for the interview, talk to current employees at the company, read industry blogs and make sure you understand what this company and position is really about. The more you know about a particular company and job opening the easier it will be to tailor your experience and explain why you're really a fit.<br /><br />Don't be afraid of rejection<br /><br />Even when approaching a dream company, don't be paralyzed by the thought of rejection, say the book's authors. Knowing how to deal with frequent rejection is part of the process as a publicist and is an especially relevant skill in times of high unemployment. At times, publicists send out a 100 inquiries to get just one or two responses, the authors point out.<br /><br />Forget instant gratification<br /><br />One of the skills most publicists learn right off the bat is that nothing pays off instantly. Instead take time to really craft and slowly build relationships. Many publicists need to constantly call their connections to get a positive response and following-up is often a large part of the job. Use the same tactics to get ahead in your job search. Instead of sending a cover letter and forgetting about that specific hiring manager or recruiter, be persistent and continue to follow-up without outright nagging. Building long-term relationships means they'll think of you when an opportunity arises.<br /><br />Make it constant<br /><br />Being a publicist is a 24-7 job, and like a job search, requires constant upkeep. Just like publicists need to keep tabs on how their specific product, person or service is doing -- job seekers should keep up with new opportunities, add to their experience and understand the changes in their industry. "While many celebrities and politicians have teams of PR experts working with them to build and manage their images, anyone can use the same skills to promote their talents and accomplishments in the workplace," Kleiman says.<br /><br />Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Want to get hired? Think like a publicist

Alina Dizik, Special to CareerBuilder Being a publicist is hard work, but public relations pros may have all the right answers when it comes...

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The gym and a snow day

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This will be a short post because I have a cat in my lap, with his head draped across my left arm. It's my cat Mickey (a.k.a. Mickey Mouse), a white and orangeTurkish Van. He's a cat that thinks he's a dog that's named after a rodent. Anyway, it's hard to type and keep my arm still so as not to disturb him. He looks annoyed here because I woke him up to take his picture.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98PgilO0HnSL6SZbXLKJazZqIIQ4UzCSRmlvOJ_6nKIPz0-ONO8_X8qhVZ0zFvdoU6Vm8r2y7X7eLN6fpCQg7uS9yajd5MmeSLkWj6alGik7Zg21ned3Bk-TqvBIq1xl9oLHXYS-mhSFw/s1600/mm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98PgilO0HnSL6SZbXLKJazZqIIQ4UzCSRmlvOJ_6nKIPz0-ONO8_X8qhVZ0zFvdoU6Vm8r2y7X7eLN6fpCQg7uS9yajd5MmeSLkWj6alGik7Zg21ned3Bk-TqvBIq1xl9oLHXYS-mhSFw/s320/mm.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />My toothache finally subsided last night until 2:30 a.m. when the Vicodin wore off (it's only good for four hours). I woke up in agony. I took two more Vicodin and went back to sleep. <br /><br />Since my toothache didn't come back, I made it to the gym by 6 a.m. and worked out for an hour and 45 minutes. My lungs burned so bad while I was on the StairMaster that I thought they were going to catch on fire. After my strength training I went home and was so nauseous that I threw up, and I hadn't eaten anything since the night before at about 9 p.m.. Maybe too much too soon. <br /><br />Pictures through my office window today at 12:30 p.m., and then twenty minutes later. The sun came out and about an hour later it was all melted, but it was beautiful while it lasted.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd2PfukiqG_-Dk5_-zu9YJGMzOI9fUnJFWiPXQmn5NV39AXxC5IDTCV4-ZmgSKyBMf7frZp1ofmBFiKqlj_oCPbNBzhm3aWuLddElPLMdOnI3gq8LkJPgPvKD9AaG9T1AQWtJYaeK2jQn/s1600/P1020594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd2PfukiqG_-Dk5_-zu9YJGMzOI9fUnJFWiPXQmn5NV39AXxC5IDTCV4-ZmgSKyBMf7frZp1ofmBFiKqlj_oCPbNBzhm3aWuLddElPLMdOnI3gq8LkJPgPvKD9AaG9T1AQWtJYaeK2jQn/s400/P1020594.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGv5ADcmkwGF7REzvbXujyBeGUld1u2XUPyxuCuNEMPQbMiDS81hCOV0YiJMv6XrZLlauhWdRLbI8haukhzW2Yi6zIr0_OpOl2hjkDJ9sx2HwPQaBdvCChAZTlXC3v-St3wMTNhaOwfpyw/s1600/P1020600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGv5ADcmkwGF7REzvbXujyBeGUld1u2XUPyxuCuNEMPQbMiDS81hCOV0YiJMv6XrZLlauhWdRLbI8haukhzW2Yi6zIr0_OpOl2hjkDJ9sx2HwPQaBdvCChAZTlXC3v-St3wMTNhaOwfpyw/s400/P1020600.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tomorrow's goal...to set some goals. :)</div>

The gym and a snow day

This will be a short post because I have a cat in my lap, with his head draped across my left arm. It's my cat Mickey (a.k.a. Mickey Mou...

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Toothache from hell and pictures from my day

I woke up this morning thinking I either have bronchitis or maybe pneumonia. Every time I cough, my lungs burn and hurt, and my throat is raw from all the coughing. I even thought about canceling my delivery aircraft flight but since it was very last minute, and it's considered a great opportunity and an honor, I took a shot of DayQuil and headed off to the office. I skipped the gym because just showering and getting dressed pretty much sapped all my strength.<br /><br />The day was sort of fun. We took a bus from Sea-Tac up to Boeing Field. We were able to take pictures of our brand new aircraft, and we took off for an hour and a half sightseeing flight around Puget Sound landing back at Sea-Tac. It was cloudy but there were patches of open sky.<br /><br />The best part of the day was when we got to 15,000 feet they let each of us take a turn sitting in the Captain's seat with our hands on the "steering wheel" (I think it's called a "yoke" but I'm not sure). Then the Captain took our picture. That was really cool. Unfortunately, we were warned to NOT post the pictures on the internet. I'm not sure why exactly, but we were told it wasn't allowed.<br /><br />The only pictures from my day where you can't see the name of my company (!):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Me holding up the aircraft</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1UZAFORf6ZQZBSnCwXWVeCEU6tPxMFJDgta0CcpmVkhE7UYpDS2eloqYAHm-VvixtnUld9McDzUZZVn5hhyphenhyphenynbyHQVl46KEgtPN4kX9SRZHq212tasV9YVHHavuQWF39DjoijlvKSqF-/s1600/P1020565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1UZAFORf6ZQZBSnCwXWVeCEU6tPxMFJDgta0CcpmVkhE7UYpDS2eloqYAHm-VvixtnUld9McDzUZZVn5hhyphenhyphenynbyHQVl46KEgtPN4kX9SRZHq212tasV9YVHHavuQWF39DjoijlvKSqF-/s400/P1020565.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A view from the window. Notice the sunshine on the engine, where it was </div><div style="text-align: center;">sparkling clean and shiny. The entire aircraft had a new car smell, or I guess, </div><div style="text-align: center;">a new airplane smell. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQWy96VCRdrJXumvOEYcDjRGNT-aI78syy7N9k_v5Cq_k2Blp_s1PC2E_1hMlqNwZPPwhePFmKW6y-usFVGcY4jD-RPMlQy1Jk1ZhkTyOEUc2ljXsZKN7gin6nYt-XLUB5NUNHUpHK_mM/s1600/P1020575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQWy96VCRdrJXumvOEYcDjRGNT-aI78syy7N9k_v5Cq_k2Blp_s1PC2E_1hMlqNwZPPwhePFmKW6y-usFVGcY4jD-RPMlQy1Jk1ZhkTyOEUc2ljXsZKN7gin6nYt-XLUB5NUNHUpHK_mM/s400/P1020575.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />The toothache from hell<br />Tonight I have major, excruciating pain in a lower molar. I had my first crown about a year ago, and it's hurt from the beginning. Tonight it started throbbing and the pain kept getting worse. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is when you would rather just die than to keep feeling the pain, about an hour ago it was at least an 8. I'm a wuss when it comes to pain, but boy does this ever hurt! I've taken two aspirin and two Vicodin and the pain is now down to about a 7. I hope I make it to the morning when I can get in to see the dentist. <br /><br />The only positive here is that I have no desire to eat. None. The thought of trying to chew anything makes me cringe. I can't remember the last time I had a toothache. Probably when I was a kid. I never had tooth pain, until this crown, which was probably the biggest mistake I've ever made. The darn tooth didn't even hurt until the crown. I forgot what tooth pain felt like, and let me tell you, it is miserable.<br /><br />At least the Vicodin fixed my sore throat and cough. Its weird it's not doing much for the toothache.<br /><br />Weight this morning...183.4. Not good. Working on it the best I can, but with the cold and now a toothache, I haven't been in the gym in four days, nor have I been tracking my food. Hopefully I'll be well soon and get back on track. I haven't given up and the Big Climb in in 29 days!

Toothache from hell and pictures from my day

I woke up this morning thinking I either have bronchitis or maybe pneumonia. Every time I cough, my lungs burn and hurt, and my throat is ra...

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What to do when job searching takes longer than expected

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/lj/ar5m02y5wcpw398n50lj.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/lj/ar5m02y5wcpw398n50lj.gif" /></a></div>By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing <br /><br />Even the most talented, educated and experienced job seekers may have a difficult time finding a job in today's economy. Although people may hope their transition between jobs will last only a few weeks, the reality is that many job seekers spend months, or even a year, trying to secure work. This delay can wreak havoc on a job seeker's confidence, motivation and sense of pride -- all which are characteristics critical to achieving success in the job market.<br /><br />Jean Baur, author of "Eliminated! Now What: Finding Your Way from Job-Loss Crisis to Career Resilience," says one of the best things people can do when they begin to feel stuck in their search is evaluate what methods are working and which aren't productive and then adjust their strategy. They also need to take care of themselves. "You can better cope with the feelings associated with a long-term career transition if you're not worn out and take care of yourself through therapy, physical exercise and even volunteering. A new project or hobby can be another way to go," she suggests.<br /><br />"The real issue here is self-care -- something most of us aren't very good at. Job searching is hard work, so it must be sustained with good self-care. The obstacle that many people have to get over to do this is a false sense that this is wrong -- that they're selfish if they take care of themselves. Job seekers need to realize that balancing the demands of finding a new job with smart ways of caring for themselves will make them more successful."<br /><br />In "Eliminated! Now What?" Baur offers these additional do's and don'ts for persevering through a long transition:<br /><br />Do: <br /><br />Create contingency plans so that if your search goes on longer than expected, you know what you'll do.<br /><br />Take care of yourself during this demanding process. Find the things that restore you so that this doesn't become drudgery.<br /><br />Work hard on your search but don't let it eclipse your whole life. Positive results come from short breaks and rewards.<br /><br />Research opportunities for training, whether in your existing area of expertise or something new. Adding new skills will broaden your market and give you an area where you can see immediate results.<br /><br />Use volunteering as a way to expand your network. This effort keeps you connected to others and ensures you're doing something productive besides looking for work.<br /><br />Don't:<br /><br />Become a job search machine. You'll wear yourself out and won't be presenting your best self to others.<br /><br />Assume you know how and when you'll discover your next opportunity.<br /><br />Get stuck. If one method isn't working, try another.<br /><br />Tell your network that there are no jobs out there. This is a depressing message.<br /><br />Be unwilling to compromise. Sometimes you might have to take a small step back to move forward.<br /><br /><br />Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.

What to do when job searching takes longer than expected

By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing Even the most talented, educated and experienced job seekers may have a difficult time finding a job in tod...

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