THE UNLIMITED AND MANIPULATIVE POWER OF RATING AGENCIES

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">GREEK DOWNGRADING BY </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">STANDARD & POOR’S, DESPITE EU FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As mentioned in my previous blog, date 29 June 2011, USA rating agencies are far too influential, especially when it comes to US based agencies. Today STANDARD & POOR’S proved how they are manipulating the “FINANCIAL MONOPOLY GAME” and how the entire EUROPEAN UNION is hostage of these agencies who are jeopardizing the bailout plan for GREECE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It seems as if RATING AGENCIES are treated like the Holy Grail. Everyone in EUROPE seems to adhere to their doctrines despite the fact that EU law inexplicably states that the EU can divert from these agencies, especially if there are doubts regarding their impartial evaluations.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">See: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/business/global/05iht-euro05.html?_r=1&hp">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/business/global/05iht-euro05.html?_r=1&hp</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

THE UNLIMITED AND MANIPULATIVE POWER OF RATING AGENCIES

GREEK DOWNGRADING BY  STANDARD & POOR’S, DESPITE EU FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE  As mentioned in my previous blog, date 29 June 2011, USA ratin...

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Hello from Alaska!

I'm at my sister's house in Alaska and loving it! She lives 30 miles outside of Fairbanks, near Moose Creek. Very aptly named because there are moose everywhere here! I've seen four moose in two days. Sorry, I'd post pictures but I can't figure out how to do it on this stupid Apple computer. <br /><br />I love the summers here, except for the mosquitoes, which just about ate us alive yesterday. This is a very bad year for mosquitoes. They were so bad last night that I almost freaked out about it...and I'm from here!<br /><br />It was like we were being swarmed by mosquitoes, it was something out of a horror movie. Hundreds of them landing on any spot of bare skin they could find for a feeding frenzy. It was really awful. Then immediately afterward there was a huge rainstorm, so I'm wondering if that had something to do with it. I've never seen mosquitoes swarm like that and considering I grew up on a homestead up here, that's pretty amazing.<br /><br />Anyway, I love visiting with family. Today everyone is coming over, including all my nieces and their husbands, my brother and his wife, the grandkids and great-grandkids.<br /><br />Tomorrow my niece from New Jersey and her family will be arriving (on a 1:37am flight--yuk). I'm really excited about seeing them. We haven't seen them in over 20 years. We've been talking non-stop on the phone for two weeks, after reconnecting. They're super nice and really fun people.<br /><br />My brother has a big camping trip planned for some of us (my sister refuses to go--she's more of a RV kind of camper). We'll be going to a place called Ken's Pond, by Donnelly Dome (about 100 miles south of Fairbanks). Here's a video he took of it last year. It's remote with only one public use cabin that he's reserved for us, right on a lake. We have to use the 4-wheelers to get back to it. Hopefully, I'll have my own pictures of it when I get back.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J2W1xLvykhU?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><br />Diet is going okay, but it could be better (I had three cookies last night). Exercise is non-existent since we sit around and visit all day, but I plan on walking down to the Tanana River today, about two miles down the road, if I can talk someone in to it. I might even go by myself. <br /><br />Anyway, I'm happy to be here. It's so relaxing, and I don't miss work at all. I finally feel myself letting go of the stresses of my job and that's a really good feeling.<br /><br />Happy 4th of July weekend!

Hello from Alaska!

I'm at my sister's house in Alaska and loving it! She lives 30 miles outside of Fairbanks, near Moose Creek. Very aptly named becaus...

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Money makes the World go round …… and Politics

<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Paris Club, USA Agriculture Companies, and International Financial Speculators “grab” onto ARGENTINA</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Foreign interests on Argentina are increasing for its natural resources and farmland.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">New York’s highest court insists that ARGENTINA has to keep on paying interest rates on some bonds <u>even after they mature or investors demand their principal back earlier.</u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">US court ruling on ARGENTINE bond default and 101% annual interest rate payment allegedly influenced by THE PARIS CLUB and the IMF.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite being band from International Financial Markets ARGENTINES economy is growing tremendously.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The majority of large Agriculture Companies in ARGENTINA are from the USA and own vast pieces of fertile farmland, boosting their profits.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In view of the agriculture commodity boom, WALL STREET Speculators and brokers as well as US Rating Agencies try to manipulate politics and lobbyists in order to gain influence in ARGENTINE and LATIN AMERINCAN economy. </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Being banned from International “Casino Financial Markets” does not necessarily have to mean it is bad for the country. </span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">AFTER DEFAULTING IN 2002, ARGENTINA</span></b> has turned its back on the IMF by paying off its debt with the fond in order to be able to free itself from restrictive terms, the IMF tired to impose on the country, in order to gain political as well as economic influence in the region.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">USA COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT – RULING INFLUENCED BY LOBBIES OF US AGRICULTURE COMPANIES, THE PARIS CLUB and IMF?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>The PARIS CLUB originally formed in 1956 because of the PERONIST UNREST in ARGENTINA also stepped in during ARGENTINA’S 2002 default, and since then is negotiation ARGENTINA’S bond default.<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Is it a coincident that suddenly the New York’s highest court, despite progress in negotiations between the PARIS CLUB and ARGENTINA, insists that ARGENTINA has to keep on paying interest rates on some bonds even after they mature or investors demand their principal back earlier? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The USA court ruling also indicated that interest rates as high as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">101% a year</b> on defaulted ARGENTINA dept were not unreasonable given the countries need for capital and default history. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTp0EUgVR9kuY70Mb4yRg81QJS4OV7y5xZFW8L59UdY_7cBv87xy-HE57Snh-Oa9nrXAFvpSuI3bKXg6GlBo7CsR8blZddCMWHqxd24DgZAzxzvitgGXJDlvDds27JxOZd4-KbZKzL-Vl/s1600/parisclub2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTp0EUgVR9kuY70Mb4yRg81QJS4OV7y5xZFW8L59UdY_7cBv87xy-HE57Snh-Oa9nrXAFvpSuI3bKXg6GlBo7CsR8blZddCMWHqxd24DgZAzxzvitgGXJDlvDds27JxOZd4-KbZKzL-Vl/s320/parisclub2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Could it be that this US court ruling is the response to a recent remark made by the ARGENTINE minister of economy, Amado BOUDOUs, emphasizing that ARGENTINA will not accept any deal with the PARIS CLUB which would harm its interest?  </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38hbQVFJwn8jiswU8Gq4FhGhp5hrGQM0dID4K6Koh3VunNDuGzJcU_VsAxQDF7k0zsUj0QlFoO69FKOVIpqJKLXLKstd5dOex93jj8H4vhf79n8H70_0zSMFx5Ya6R9DWUbp6QO1FCov0/s1600/222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Given the fact that the majority of foreign agriculture companies based in ARGENTINA are from the USA, with prominent names such as CARGILL, GENERAL MILLS, ADECOAGRO (George SOROS) to name but a few, which own vast amount of fertile farmland and who profit immensely from the current commodity boom, it becomes imminent that WALL STREET speculators, brokers and US RATING AGENCIES, closely related to THE PARIS CLUB and the IMF  try to protect and enlarge their interest in ARGENTINA by lobbing for a common cause.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">See <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/argentina-backs-bill-to-limit-foreign-land-owners-2011-04-27">http://www.marketwatch.com/story/argentina-backs-bill-to-limit-foreign-land-owners-2011-04-27</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thus the comment, made by a Federal court in the USA comes as no surprise and one can assume that the PARIS CLUB and the IMF collaborate on this issue, thus threatening ARGENTINA with legal challenges if it tries to return to the international capital markets and refuse to “dance to their music”. The question is, is it really necessary for ARGENTINA to return to the International “CASINO Finance” markets? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">THINKING ”IN THE BOX” versus THINKING “OUT OF THE BOX”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Following traditional economic doctrine or in other words thinking “IN THE BOX”, economists and so-called financial experts will claim that there is no way a country will survive economically, if secluded from the international capital markets. Thinking however “OUTSIDE THE BOX”, in other words neglecting the doctrines laid upon us by the “WALL STREET establishment” one might come to the conclusion, that there is life and prosperity outside financial market doctrines. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">ARGENTINA’S economy, which is band from international financial markets, is currently growing at 7.5 %. (See <a href="http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/gdp_real_growth_rate.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/gdp_real_growth_rate.html</span></a>) Critics might argue that this is solely because of the agricultural commodity boom. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">ARGENTINA will continue to grow economically because of its vast amount of farmland and water and natural resources which are necessary to feed an increasing global population. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX </b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Your task: Link all 9 dots using four straight lines or less, without lifting the pen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBEen_S5QHtQnvX54eR22pwpQiJtU4Ol7pwC8eIyRpkicWjkE7qGljcTCAquoW9n4Q5CpQ1uVynUOJrxKNVCRTCDYXGM1PSQPq3RN-fyd3Iq0aIGKKgH-ETIZLYDzqUM-DcxfTVKGwzw/s1600/Ninedots-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBEen_S5QHtQnvX54eR22pwpQiJtU4Ol7pwC8eIyRpkicWjkE7qGljcTCAquoW9n4Q5CpQ1uVynUOJrxKNVCRTCDYXGM1PSQPq3RN-fyd3Iq0aIGKKgH-ETIZLYDzqUM-DcxfTVKGwzw/s200/Ninedots-1.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pEji-aZDqDL-U0E0i0O5JcU9mCFlWdXsh8TkF5_9CUQLjqwWpWREI2Ct1xNdykOMc9GejVt4dtX-bAixlg2MAyAVJXMk1RGzywJK_Pg1VQUIah3HurG1rXTYGawen8_X_mV3Ls2_9PGF/s1600/270px-Ninedots.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pEji-aZDqDL-U0E0i0O5JcU9mCFlWdXsh8TkF5_9CUQLjqwWpWREI2Ct1xNdykOMc9GejVt4dtX-bAixlg2MAyAVJXMk1RGzywJK_Pg1VQUIah3HurG1rXTYGawen8_X_mV3Ls2_9PGF/s200/270px-Ninedots.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Money makes the World go round …… and Politics

US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT The Paris Club, USA Agriculture Companies, and International Financial Speculators “grab” onto A...

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The HilJoe Competition - Revitalized!

If you've been following along with my weight loss journey, you know that a few weeks ago Joel and I started a <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-competition-never-hurt-anybody.html">weight loss competition between us</a>.  And while our intentions were good, at the end of the day, our living arrangement at the time was preventing Joel from really committing to it.  And it wasn't just him, I tried hard during those 8 months of living with his mom to lose weight as well, and it simply wasn't happening, despite my awesome attendance at the gym 4-5 days/week.  There's a whole slew of excuses that I will save you from.<br /><br />So, now that we're out on our own again, and he has been able to join a gym now, the competition is back on track!  Below are our stats.  We weighed in on Friday, July 1 and this is what we're working with:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Joel (6'): 240.3</b><br /><b> Hilary (5'8"): 261.2</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">You'll notice that I gained 4 pounds since last week.  One explanation for this is definitely due to TOM.  Sure, it's not the reason for all 4 pounds gained, but I did hop back on the scale Saturday morning to find that I was 259.8.  I've been feeling super bloated over the last 2 days due to TOM and I'm not too concerned about the gain.  Yeah, I'm not pleased with it, but I literally just got myself back on track after the move.  I'm not worried - I know that the weight will start coming back off soon enough!<b> </b></div></div>

Gain HJ Competition The HilJoe Competition - Revitalized!

If you've been following along with my weight loss journey, you know that a few weeks ago Joel and I started a weight loss competition b...

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Tips for getting hired long distance

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/yk/ar5l1lz6g31qnszpqjyk.gif?time=3/9/2011%202:16:00%20pm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/yk/ar5l1lz6g31qnszpqjyk.gif?time=3/9/2011%202:16:00%20pm" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine"><br /></span></b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></b></span><br /><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">By now you've read every bit of advice that explains how to make yourself more attractive to employers. You know to clean up your online profiles, update your résumé, practice your interview answers, and network. But what if you're looking for a job in a different time zone?</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Long-distance job hunts bring with them a special set of requirements that can seem daunting at first, but aren't all that much worse than a regular job search. With a little planning, you can conduct a long-distance job search that will land you a job in any city you want.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Choose locations</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Hunting for a job in a single city is difficult. Hunting for one in all 50 states is virtually impossible. Rather than approach your job search as a nationwide Easter egg hunt, decide what cities you want to focus on. Although you might be open to any location that will offer you a job, you should make a list of five or 10 cities where you can see yourself working. For example if you hate to drive and love cold winters, then you should probably cross Los Angeles off of your list.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Know the job market</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">When you're looking at potential locations for your job search, do some research on the local economy. Not all cities offer the same opportunities. Although you know that local unemployment rates differ from city to city, remember that industry vitality is just as diverse. One city might have a low unemployment rate, but your industry isn't necessarily enjoying the same boom. Look at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and peruse newspapers for localized information.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Use your network</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The glory of social media is that networks aren't confined by geography anymore. Look at your Facebook friends and you probably know people in dozens of states, if not countries. Use your contacts from all of your social media profiles to publicize your job search and ask for any information that could guide you toward the right opportunity. When it comes to job hunting, you can't ever have too many people looking for jobs on your behalf.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Brush up on your phone skills</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Phone interviews typically come before any in-person interview, but the likelihood of them increases greatly when you're searching long distance. In most cases, employers won't expect you to fly out for a first-round interview, so a phone interview is most common, and you shouldn't take it lightly. Practice speaking at a calm pace, be certain your phone signal is strong and do a few dry runs with a friend.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Perhaps most importantly, job seekers are often afraid to appear impolite when interviewers call and say, "Sure, I can talk right now." If you are caught off guard or if you are in the middle of feeding your children and doing laundry, you can be honest. Even if you ask for 15 minutes to go to a quieter room, you want to create the best setting for your interview.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Decide if you'll travel for an interview</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Sometimes you'll get to a second or third round of interviews when the employer wants to meet you in person. Sometimes the company pays for travel, but other times they don't. Set a few ground rules for yourself in order to determine what opportunities you consider worth your time and money. Also, if asked to travel, find out as much information as possible about so that you can make the arrangements that work best for you. See what dates are available (so you can book the most affordable flight) and how long the process takes (so you know if you can fly home that day and save hotel fare). You want to know as much as possible beforehand so you can make the most informed decision possible.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Travel</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Relocating for a job is a big move that can pay off for your career, but it can also require sacrifices. Leaving behind your friends, paying for the move, and spending the time on the move itself all require a lot of energy. You want to be certain the city you're moving to is worth it, so if you haven't visited in a while or ever, find a way to visit before you move. Not only will you find out if the culture is right for you, but you will also get a better idea of the layout. You could realize that you should extend your job search to nearby suburbs or towns, which can open up a new set of possibilities.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Know your own relocation plan</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The most important part of your long-distance job search is having a flexible game plan. Without a job offer, you might not have a definitive move date, but you should have an idea of what is possible in case you get an offer. Employers know you're not a local candidate, so they will want to know how soon you can start and when you plan to be in the city.</div><div style="margin: 0px 0px 1em;">If you get an offer and then say you need time to put your house on the market, find a good school for your children, and decide where you want to live, you'll probably lose out on the opportunity. Most employers understand the complexity of a long-distance job search, but they don't have six months to wait for you, either. A flexible plan allows you and the employer to negotiate a mutually agreeable start date while also showing that you're serious about relocating.</div><i>Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, </i><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Work Buzz</i></a><i>. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.</i>

Tips for getting hired long distance

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer By now you've read every bit of advice that explains how to make yourself more attractive to em...

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Eat What You Love: Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast

Another recipe from Eat What You Love!  This is called Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast.  I typically make my breakfast for the upcoming week over the weekend.  I would guess that this would have been better eaten fresh out of the skillet, but it still wasn't bad.  Perhaps the issue is that I am storing the cooked items in the fridge, rather than freezing them for the week - I'll try freezing them next time to see if that makes a difference.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s1600/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s200/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><br /><br />On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is "delicious/I would totally make this again" and 1 is "gross/bland/boring - never making this again", my rating is:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><b> 4 out of 5!</b></div><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/AVvXsEgjQNQOlx0qQE9TE8gs_H9KRnLwVi1KKofjs606mproYgtdDqAQ0th4zV0Y6DcPgN6e55eJVEKVoOLsOkkpsGwc3S2ALcqLWvYREU42lFI5Rbu5fQ_LbugJCLxjmurJJ5A8Emb6sgjVegg/s1600/blog+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQNQOlx0qQE9TE8gs_H9KRnLwVi1KKofjs606mproYgtdDqAQ0th4zV0Y6DcPgN6e55eJVEKVoOLsOkkpsGwc3S2ALcqLWvYREU42lFI5Rbu5fQ_LbugJCLxjmurJJ5A8Emb6sgjVegg/s320/blog+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with just syrup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwfOp0WfHhj57ZB-GuSLGz9sfg5csDGuWoj_Xi7MD36yZ6_3rz-yZkf1uEvJzWESNTCffVY0Q6vjsZ-duI7IrS0Tb0ueg4qzOYr98lsY1TzSGI7d5LXX7BIh5cCkK1Gm_7VVwstMX7I0/s1600/blog+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwfOp0WfHhj57ZB-GuSLGz9sfg5csDGuWoj_Xi7MD36yZ6_3rz-yZkf1uEvJzWESNTCffVY0Q6vjsZ-duI7IrS0Tb0ueg4qzOYr98lsY1TzSGI7d5LXX7BIh5cCkK1Gm_7VVwstMX7I0/s320/blog+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>  <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast</u> <i>(4 Points+)</i></b><i> </i></div><ul><li>1 egg</li><li>2 egg whites</li><li>¾ cup low-fat milk <i>(I used skim)</i></li><li>¾ tsp vanilla extract</li><li>1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar</li><li>1 Tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener (optional)<i> (I used 1 packet of Sweet 'n Low)</i></li><li>1 tsp ground cinnamon</li><li>4 slices thick-sliced bread (like Texas toast) <i>(I used whole wheat potato bread)</i></li></ul><ol><li>In a shallow bowl, mix together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla extract until combined.  Set aside.</li><li>In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, Splenda, and cinnamon.</li><li>Spray a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat.</li><li>Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture, coating both sides evenly.  Place the bread into the hot skillet while underside is cooking, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture evenly onto top of toast (pressing it through a mesh sieve makes for a nice coating).  Flip and finish cooking for 3 minutes, checking occasionally, while being careful not to overcook cinnamon sugar-coated underside.</li></ol>Makes 4 servings.

Eat What You Love Weight Watcher Recipes Eat What You Love: Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast

Another recipe from Eat What You Love!  This is called Brown Sugar Cinnamon French Toast.  I typically make my breakfast for the upcoming we...

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THE FINANCIAL MONOPOLY GAME Part 2

<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Global Society Gamblers</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Paris Club and the IMF</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">RATING AGENCIES, THE FEDERAL RESERVE, <b>THE PARIS CLUB, THE IMF</b>, brokers and speculator, all are part of the “CASINO FINANCE” the world is currently suffering from.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Ignorance blinds and thus imposes a danger to those who neglect the signs of change on the eco political global landscape.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">THE PARIS CLUB and the IMF will sooner or later have to face reality and accept that BRIC nations and like it or not also SOUTH AMERICA are gaining geo –politic and economic power.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Is it coincidental that the Paris Club and IMF are both closely connected, that the new head of the IMF is once again French? </span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">TWO INSTITUTIONS ONE PURPOSE  </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The PARIS CLUB and the IMF are closely connected and both entities have one objective, to lend money to mainly third world countries and countries with weak economies in order to dictate them their terms and conditions which in the long run favor the interest of those entities who formed these organizations in the first place.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The PARS CLUB is formed of 19 of the world’s so called wealthiest nations, who naturally use their power to impose upon the lending countries their doctrines which in most cases turn such countries into even worst economical as well as political crises.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">POLITICAL IGNORANCE AND CONSTANT UNDERESTIMATION OF BRIC (BRASIL, RUSSIA, INDIA AND CHINA) AS WELL AS SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES WILL BACKFIRE ON THE USA AND EUROPE IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA82pEnW43MqvdgET4ZBK1SJxjn2xhSF6BzY_LiLm1HqdgE0jBcjLCDJ909eHCRcPajgFQx8QP6BdiCaAjgyS06LBItIMarMNc17UF8s-kCO7ggfrGog-ssKzkh4TxEWBsBcfs1myabA3/s1600/parisclub1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA82pEnW43MqvdgET4ZBK1SJxjn2xhSF6BzY_LiLm1HqdgE0jBcjLCDJ909eHCRcPajgFQx8QP6BdiCaAjgyS06LBItIMarMNc17UF8s-kCO7ggfrGog-ssKzkh4TxEWBsBcfs1myabA3/s400/parisclub1.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Viewing the world map displaying the PARIS CLUB member states in comparison to the current global economic shift it becomes evident that this model as well as the dominant USA and EUROPEAN presence in the PARIS CLUB and IMF is slowly but surely becoming obsolete. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">BRIC Nations (BRASIL, RUSSIA, INDIA and CHINA), other ASIAN countries and SOUTH AMERICA as well as countries such as TURKEY and to some extent the MIDDLE EASTERN countries are already surpassing the so called established first world economies. This is the reason, why the key players of the PARIS CLUB and the IMF clinch onto their power, regardless of the signs of time.   </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">THE IMF AND ITS TRUE OBJECTIVES   </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">One of the first rules the IMF cases imposes on lending countries is to reduce its budget on national health care and education, two of the main pillars in society which guarantee intellectual as well as economic growth in a country, but at the same time imposes a danger for the ruling class, for a educated and healthy society cannot be as easily manipulated as a uneducated. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The IMF has created an immoral system of modern day colonialism with its structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) for the poor. The question is how long will emerging economies play along with the game?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The IMF serves wealthy countries and the “Casino Finance” Market of Wall Street, which deliberately caused the financial crisis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Is it coincidental that the Paris Club and IMF are both closely connected, that the new head of the IMF is once again French? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">WIND OF CHANGE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">If the IMF and the PARIS CLUB neglect the signs of the geo political and economic wind of change currently blowing across the globe, they will eventually be left alone with their ignorance overrun by emerging economies. EUROPE and the USA have reached their eco political zenith, only to be replaced by BRIC nations as well as ASIA and SOUTH AMERICA. Clinching onto power will only increase the downward spiral.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Let’s face it, economic growth in above mentioned countries and continents is evident and nothing can lead around this fact, so what does the IMF and their lobbyist do? Warn of the dangers of economic overheating.     </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">AS I SEE IT: </span></b></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> There are many controversial issues and conspiracy theories concerning the IMF and the PARIS CLUB, and not all their causes are of bad nature, but one has to consider the facts that countries such as ARGENTINA etc. who opposed the terms and conditions laid upon them by the IMF and the PARIS CLUB ended up being better off economically then those who adhered the IMF. Ironically the PARIS CLUB was formed in 1956 in order to help ARGENTINA to avert default during the PERONIST unrest.  Currently ARGENTINA is negating its debt repayment with PARIS CLUB.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Background info on : <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/ME24Dj04.html">http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/ME24Dj04.html</a> and </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2082575/" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">http://www.slate.com/id/2082575/</a></span></div>

THE FINANCIAL MONOPOLY GAME Part 2

Global Society Gamblers The Paris Club and the IMF RATING AGENCIES, THE FEDERAL RESERVE, THE PARIS CLUB, THE IMF , brokers and speculator, a...

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My New Favorite Sport

In my personal opinion, a sport is something that gets you moving and makes you sweat. Dancing? That is a sport. Sitting on the couch? Not a sport. Cheerleading? Yes - I believe that is a sport. Playing an instrument? Well, it depends. If you're in a chair in an orchestra hall, no, that is not a sport.<br /><br />What I saw last night involving instruments definitely would be included as a sport in my book. Last night my friend took my to my first Drum Corp competition. And wow! I think I'll be going to more of those shows!<br /><br />Drum corps are a summer sport involving teens and college students, roughly ages 13-22 (they "age out" if they are 21 that summer). The "drum AND bugle corps" consist of brass, percussion, and color guard. But if I were to say that was it, I would be missing out on the majority of the corp. There is brass of all shapes and sizes - trumpets, euphoniums, tubas, baritones, and probably more. The percussion section is huge, too. Not only do they have the marching drums - snare drums, quads, and cymbals - but they have a "front percussion" with electronic instruments and a variety of orchestral instruments like vibes and marimbas and other smaller percussion (my area of "expertise"!). Finally, the color guard has various types of dancing, but they also have to learn flag spinning, and working with/throwing in the air and catching mock rifles and sabers.<br /><br />When you put all these elements together, it's hard to watch. Hard, in fact, because so much AWESOME stuff is going on and your eyes can't keep track of it all! First the color guard is dancing crazily, and then the front percussion is going nuts with their mallets, then the brass suddenly breaks out into a giant chord of amazing, and then the flags appear, then this guy throws a mock rifle 20 feet into the air and catches it <b>on the beat!</b> How do they do that?<br /><br />Most of these performers are full-time high school and college students who join a drum corp in their area and train like crazy for days on end. They compete against other corps in competitions like I was able to see in Whitewater, Wisconsin last night. It was the Whitewater Classic, brought to you by the local drum corp, the Madison Scouts (who, ironically weren't there last night - they are on tour on the East Coast right now). But the eight participating corps were wonderful to watch - especially the last two: the Blue Stars (from LaCrosse) and the Cavaliers (from Rosemont, IL).<br /><br />For the inexperienced viewer, you could say that watching a Drum Corp competition is basically watching a three-hour halftime show. But once you start getting into it, you realize that there's so much more to it. Firstly, everything gets judged. The Cavaliers won last night's competition with a score of 81 out of 100 possible points. I don't know the exact judging requirements, but I'm guessing it gets pretty crazy trying to keep track of formations and saber throwing drops.<br /><br />Secondly, the drum corps don't have any woodwinds (clarinets and flutes). It really allows for the brass to really shine. (Sorry, clarinet and flute players.)<br /><br />Thirdly, this isn't a retro trip to the best of the Beatles that you're watching. This is artistry! Some of the pieces picked ("Nature Boy" by Eden Ahbez, or "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op 47" by Shostakovich) wouldn't be found in a football halftime show. And the color guard has to help the drum and bugle sections convey the storyline of the songs, through costumes and acting.<br /><br />I haven't mentioned the uniforms yet! Those were some of the coolest band uniforms I'll probably ever see. Some look like standard marching band uniforms, but the Troopers' (from Casper, Wyoming) uniforms are actually modeled after the Union Army's 11th Ohio Cavalry during the Civil War. Plus the Drum Major (who directs the whole show - and also is in the age range of the other performers, which is awesome) of the Troopers has a sword strapped to his belt! I am a conductor too - can I get a sword?<br /><br />I really got a kick out of watching this competition, and I look forward to seeing more. I'm a little sad that I didn't hear about this until I was in college, and one of my close friends alerted me to it. But now I can anticipate each summer with thoughts of seeing another Drum Corp show.<br /><br />(By the way the World Championships are going to be a movie theater near you on Thursday, August 11. Plus there are a ton of Drum Corp shows before then. You can go to dci.org to find out more! Please do - you won't regret it!)

My New Favorite Sport

In my personal opinion, a sport is something that gets you moving and makes you sweat. Dancing? That is a sport. Sitting on the couch? Not a...

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Stay connected to your networking without being a pest

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer <br /><br />The cliché that "It's not what you know but who you know" is very true when searching for a job. Yes, experience matters, but a great interview can be meaningless if everyone on your list of references says you're a terrible person. An amazing GPA might not matter if you're competing against the CEO's daughter for a job. She has the better connections.<br /><br />This is why having a solid network is important in your job search. Thanks to technology, you can stay in touch with people via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, text messages, video chats and more. Whether you worked with someone five years ago or met one time at a holiday party, you have several ways to add to your network of people who might help you land a job. <br /><br />The problem is that you might be desperate to find work, but these people have lives to lead. They don't need to see your smiling face every day asking if they found a job for you. Rather than alienate the very people who might be your best hope for a new job, follow these five simple guidelines so that you can stay in touch without becoming a pest:<br /><br />1. Use social media to your advantage<br /><br />Social media is the obvious way to stay connected to colleagues and friends, even if you don't speak with them on a regular basis. Yet, one size doesn't fit all in this category. Some people are strict about using Facebook only for personal reasons and don't want to have acquaintances or business contacts on their friends list, while others might not have even heard of LinkedIn, which has become the Facebook for professionals. Then there are other sites, like Twitter, that allow for some connection between friends but isn't as comprehensive as either of the other sites. Which should you use?<br /><br />Figure out how each person uses social media and stay in contact that way. Occasionally commenting on a status, saying "Hi!" on their wall, or thanking them for posting an informative article are simple ways to stay in front of them without being obnoxious.<br /><br />2. Meet them for drinks or lunch<br /><br />Some network contacts are nice people who you don't mind saying hello to in the hallway but you don't want to spend an hour or two making small talk over a meal. Don't feel pressured to -- especially because they might feel the same way. Reserve regular in-person meetings for people whom you consider a friend and enjoy spending time with. An occasional lunch appointment or even quick coffee break together is an easy way to stay fresh in their minds in case a job opportunity comes their way. Plus, that's an hour or two you get to spend time with a friend.<br /><br />3. Don't network with enemies<br /><br />Although not everyone is in the friend zone, some people are decidedly in the enemy zone, or at the very least you don't get along with them. Don't force a network connection with them because it won't make them like you. In fact, your insistence will probably annoy them more. Plus, do you think someone who doesn't like you is going to give you a glowing recommendation for a position?<br /><br />4. Make the relationship mutually beneficial<br /><br />No one likes a selfish person and no one wants to help a selfish person. If your entire relationship with the people in your network is about you and your job search, then you're not networking properly. When you do interact with your network, whether online or in person, talk about something other than yourself. Ask how they are doing and talk about topics that make it clear you're not simply using them for their connections.<br /><br />More importantly, be a resource for them. If you come across a job opportunity that is a good fit for someone else, let people know. People in your network could be in the same situation as you. If one of them asks you for help in finding a job, assuming it's not the same job you want, do what you can to get the word out to your connections. If job search karma exists, you want to be on its good side.<br /><br />5. Read their signals<br /><br />The best way to avoid being a pest to someone is not to push their buttons, and not everyone has the same buttons. Rather than insist everyone be your Facebook friend or everyone meet you for dinner once a month, figure out what each person prefers. Social media addicts who are on Facebook and Twitter all the time are probably perfectly happy to exchange in wall-to-wall conversation with you. Someone who logs in LinkedIn once a month might prefer to talk to you over email or the phone. In all interaction with your network, learn how each individual prefers to communicate and follow suit. It's a nice way of showing that you respect them and pay attention to them, instead of making them feel like they're just one of a hundred people you're pestering for a job.

Stay connected to your networking without being a pest

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer The cliché that "It's not what you know but who you know" is very true when searching...

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Nato rules out military intervention in Syria

In today's online issue the EUOBSERVER confirmed what has been stated in this blog on Friday, 24 June 2011 that NATO will not intervene in the SYRIAN upraise.<br /><br />See article link: <a href="http://euobserver.com/9/32575">http://euobserver.com/9/32575</a>

Nato rules out military intervention in Syria

In today's online issue the EUOBSERVER confirmed what has been stated in this blog on Friday, 24 June 2011 that NATO will not intervene ...

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THE FINANCIAL "MONOPOLY" GAME

<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Global Society Gamblers</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">RATING AGENCIES</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></u>RATING AGENCIES</b>, THE FEDERAL RESERVE, THE PARIS CLUB, THE IMF, brokers and speculator, all are part of the “CASINO FINANCE” the world is currently suffering from.  </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal">RATING AGENCIES are private enterprises which in economic terms only purpose is to generate revenue and thus can hardly be considered as impartial.</li><li class="MsoNormal">Key RATING AGENCIES are solely AMERICAN based firms, thus adding to conflict of interest when it comes to bias ratings.</li><li class="MsoNormal"> Rating Agencies have no legitimate cause other then service the interests of brokers and speculators.</li><li class="MsoNormal">Spreading rumors on a countries default by rating agencies would probably not occur, if the rating agencies hadn’t spread the rumor in the first place.</li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">RATING AGENCIES A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Since the stock exchange with its brokers and speculators became addicted to “Casino Finance” the entire economic system relied more and more on the influence of speculators and thus dubious organizations as well as private rating agencies emerged and gained Eco-Political influence. </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Not only are rating agencies in most likelihood influenced by large enterprises, but they also are private enterprises, which in economic terms are there to generate profits, thus such agencies can hardly be considered as impartial when it comes to rate countries and economies, especial if one considers that all key player rating agencies are based in the USA.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Despite this conflict of interests, Rating Agencies gained influence thanks to the “Casino Finance” trend on the stock exchange. Thus we have American Rating Agencies conducting ratings and evaluations on economies and countries around the globe, based solely on American Eco – Political interests. </div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Based on their ratings, which by no means have proven to be accurate in many cases in recent past, a country can tumble into economic and financial turmoil only because a rating agency deemed it necessary to downgrade it.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Rumors on a countries default spread by rating agencies, who service the gamblers of the financial markets and who sometimes bet on company bankruptcy and economy defaults in various countries,   would probably not occur, if they hadn’t spread the rumor in the first place.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Bias Rating Agencies have no legitimate cause other then service the interests of brokers and speculators. Since market speculation has become a key element in global economy it is time that Europe, Asia and Latin America counteract in creating their own rating agencies in order to create an equilibrium the predominantly American entity. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AS I SEE IT: </b> Observing the current financial and economic crisis and the hype around the speculative financial market, one cannot dismiss the comparison to the MONOPOLY game, only in this case it’s a GLOBAL FINANCIAL MONOPOLY GAME with real people bearing the consequences.   </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">  </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><u><b>See background information on Rating Agencies</b></u>: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_rating_agency">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_rating_agency</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/bonds/09/history-credit-rating-agencies.asp#axzz1QgsSCgUM">http://www.investopedia.com/articles/bonds/09/history-credit-rating-agencies.asp#axzz1QgsSCgUM</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.cfr.org/united-states/credit-rating-controversy/p22328">http://www.cfr.org/united-states/credit-rating-controversy/p22328</a></div>

THE FINANCIAL "MONOPOLY" GAME

Global Society Gamblers RATING AGENCIES RATING AGENCIES , THE FEDERAL RESERVE, THE PARIS CLUB, THE IMF, brokers and speculator, all are part...

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Adelyn’s Birth Story

<p>Monday June 20th I had a scheduled induction for 7:30am. My doctor thought my baby was at least 9  lbs and thought it was necessary since I was already over-due. We woke up bright & early on Monday and headed to hospital with such anticipation! It was quite interesting knowing I was going to be in labor that day! And this was our last picture as a family of 2!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAntsfMmkUoT0caLKokYwe7mJMEf21S-7PBkqkImmRgjCWSeB_HfPvjAox0d6dz9BgcQBvrxn39SdW7M39Qtv0bXg74ganD_wMV10AAzuQxyNmCOI-kUBn-UUTSHAESSti2rTgPb-BmsUB/s1600-h/DSC09962.jpg"><img alt="DSC09962" border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGyHGDKj8IrHfJzCk_MeXOXJVK8Y7-PntoJD1VTPT_f1edLcvi6jXM3RQebUC2DIxW8RqX2oDYqQkocuxDcVS0H-CwqITICkqYyf7mDVhWPeWQn0x_yCUhRIOtXsd914aHG8jQa8UjPMH/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09962" width="354"></a></p> <p>First thing they got me gowned up, did a blood draw, and broke my water. I was dilated to 3 cm. Then they started an IV, hooked me up to a million (felt like it!) other cords/machines, and started pitocin to get contractions going.  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8xvLal58SdTP9uNCGx2GbFIYo2nNkDAfUFR3rim9q0pQTwlJ16ATC7as1SE0E9K3IUc-qjxnbMDDC_viD1ecN0QJp4KBFsmkmh6NEFG3LCDjBrPwxJUKF2imxCfX6-ozy9DuSeJKPbhF/s1600-h/DSC09964.jpg"><img alt="DSC09964" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTxAj26JX3lmKuaj5VO8ygTByJG9yWP9StmJ_PYXq3w_delbOS_orjP6XdR1W_QBye1bv4IlTB_hbBbo3E7kUTRlXNi_xaF47PMrmjTcrVqC906NSK47qJsnSqKt2EXJPAvj0cIf1hJez/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09964" width="404"></a></p> <p>The contractions started right away, but I couldn’t really feel them too much. We spent the morning talking about our baby girl who was about to arrive, took a few walks, and tried to rest.  I felt completely fine until about noon.</p> <p>Kyle was an amazing support person the ENTIRE day! My diet for the day was ice chips only and he said he was going to join in my fast so I didn’t feel deprived if he ate (even though I kept telling him to eat!). But he couldn’t resist the mini cans of pop through the OB floor kitchen though!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnePU0Ue1NMX3776j-CljhBtDPLvr0MwuF9e7VxIycAJnl4CDCGsjSAyFdeX-ddccQeLm9Tg79IQ-hY-OUpuhtd0zrKYkzWJnDQZnAYLa28VUBZnodb739pWCtIZKP_9M80At8A9lL1q8b/s1600-h/DSC09967.jpg"><img alt="DSC09967" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwxQTUmU_eDPY9vPDRcMXyGPpm7leejV7Q01kLv-8ivIED68BmZmmKNo0zD14PwSAuaX6wwtZhoZOF1pbbFGIDj7YBDuwvE7Mij4BKGvfiynRQO45Rli2f73bZWukxrtK7euDuoYck3J7/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09967" width="404"></a></p> <p>My doctor came back and determined I had dilated to 4 cm now and baby’s head was very low. The contractions started to pick up quite a bit! I was consistently breathing and focusing through each one. I’m not a fan of this picture…but I think it shows pretty well how I was feeling! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3W-9ypPbplBsmlnVW9PUxol87WTK9HAy9OeWHaHN6Dp0qIpDo7ff_z_CxXlwBSJWYPPsyDbKagEtHaOV5WRttOh_uHQdyFDx4mttaXiOKp1CS8LdX0-U461as4gp3gAn2VJXnjPzDTjz/s1600-h/DSC09969.jpg"><img alt="DSC09969" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXeU1_gcwWvgBwXpvjofQTRbXO6soYLpn2y7Ifpy33O_PjtG5-bN7TUIaoluxophhoQPd3k0HqtUqQ_iF7p6lbQAq6_iyfXwdhyphenhyphenU9yKt5ENq-NvJSUNWZurhoIhGIfwCrS0IvAI1ueAuD/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09969" width="404"></a></p> <p>This is the monitor that kept track of my contractions and baby’s heartbeat. I couldn’t see it from where I was in bed, but Kyle kept close tabs and commentated on it for me… “Woah, that was a big one”!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPiSyOYTUUMvra_Q-9zhY1MBPLoBjOMpd09cqgyzxvan0IleBmmXb-hGumM0UNJgvaA0avbvj4Eg0rpZSsVmF6l-5c_T1r3-r0teLrmw8GCfzp2QIe1_K8NrFaYAzSJpmyKb17hMibYXN/s1600-h/DSC09972.jpg"><img alt="DSC09972" border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qsLnab20lG3tj9S6Ae7YCSupD4qJDSJ7GMotMhG-t-dzeHH-0eMgjffcRVNUwG4NYJgI-dwORIFiE7duoZr5L-iIH2cRq20N_RgDepJrYkhy7h4OFi9vsEKKhKbwjNlBQcNNKN5KL9hI/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09972" width="404"></a></p> <p>I made it about 4 1/2 hours through active labor without any pain control, breathing through those contractions. I wanted to make it as long as I could because they say sometimes an epidural can slow your labor down. Generally you should dilate 1 cm/hour when you are in active labor and don’t have any pain control. I went from noon to 4:30pm and only progressed to 5 cm and believe me those 4 1/2 hours were a tough go!</p> <p>About 4:30pm I decided the contractions were plenty strong and requested an epidural. By 5pm they had the epidural in and I had instant relief! I was feeling great and excited to meet my little girl!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJL-HtreSsb381olN-5WcYnK0FzfziK044G0-NMjj9hyphenhyphenj2AokCElnKOPDLbOt4JpljnHEfp5FljKN5x62MDkhwapWZwZqSWNkuOECQIOAsz4v8ZTKvf_mH_Vjmgk1oIYfMHMxYp8WG_0Ay/s1600-h/DSC09975.jpg"><img alt="DSC09975" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2yE1YRpi6lHcs3MF5bdfMavxH7ombpIolWTZBzREtHxEvpYePft0b-Q2xzOFKzxPWpPAuR4thgPdNXG-F1tXiqKt6uvhosasR5kqbGyG_xuqs5zxk3ahXg7AJmm8VjbXZZVjd5NJAQCK/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09975" width="404"></a></p> <p>Around 7:45pm my doctor checked me and I was dilated to 6 cm and 90% effaced. She ordered internal monitors to determine the strength of each contraction since I couldn’t make that determination now with the epidural. </p> <p>By 9pm I was 7 cm and still feeling pretty good. Two hours later though I was still at 7 cm and my doctor said if I hadn’t made progress by midnight “we would have to talk”. Of course I knew that meant c section, which I knew was always a possibility. At 11:30pm my nurse checked me and I was still 7cm. Starting to feel discouraged I re-focused and mentally prepared myself for the possible c section. Kyle and I said prayers and knew God was in control of the arrival of our daughter!</p> <p>At midnight my doctor checked me again and I made it to 9cm…in a half hour!! Needless to say I was a happy camper! I was really started to feel that “pressure”, but couldn’t push yet because I still needed to make some more progress. </p> <p>Around 2am I was full dilated, effaced, and ready to push! I ended up pushing for over 2 1/2 hours! They were a long, tough few hours, but <strong><u>COMPLETELY</u></strong> worth it!!</p> <p>At 4:34am Adelyn Marie was born! They put her on my tummy right away and started rubbing her down. Kyle and I were overjoyed, she was finally here! Such an amazing moment! Kyle got to cut the cord and joined our daughter just across the room while they did all those first checks. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO_UyriK0M2EOWMJomjYTKswSclTi0OMWGfe4KveLzdB1DCvyERe2QB7hsZRUr2SfZQ057mBL7-CfqSuDZqLtC9FwKNrSf9pKHA9iqsFpx_g1khygdlDWH-CMKHyOpYLojGYc9MuSooKb/s1600-h/DSC09982.jpg"><img alt="DSC09982" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnizpkBJP6iQXObE2piGqDe-UjSV8YSQYEe8lPriqVMTjBKtwz0xuhEpKjVGXZopwbAGAk6toWzlp5kf5b3B_tiAs11nPlUeaTmoTKn7fBNrPvpX1y1RUjWOEVcm8IWhU3am0Nc0kTpU-7/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09982" width="404"></a></p> <p>As soon as she came out I could hear the nurses and my doctor making guesses about about big she was! No one got it though…she weighed 10lbs 2 3/4 oz and was 22 in long!! A good sized healthy little girl! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheanqSfoD4kP3gb3LNKrdLuWWtK7IKbXYBquKuKacNzkMGJYopuLlkW-TbWz9CSeQOryLH8zkqZRbGpYvBGFqgCQYgm1_feE8yWvFQXKKXKnf2OH7Bh_xUTYDO2Bg83-qRZgRGxat_vSLL/s1600-h/DSC09980.jpg"><img alt="DSC09980" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnBEnnQB6EBUBU9MvXFxg0n0VqX1L8hJ3TIB8xycqQUBSKjv9r5dCkUirbq3hPJs3xt4YPyhP8tjwNU7LNKGND18HHUJjCywCuLpjpD3URxdZ9y0kHXxsVnZo6jCgbUl66srCOUn4CKaL/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09980" width="404"></a></p> <p>Our local hospital recently re-modeled the OB floor. They have labor & delivery suites where you stay the entire time. And when baby comes they don’t have to wisk them away, they do EVERYTHING right there in your room. It so nice!! So while the doctor was finishing up with me I could see Adelyn across the room!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1nOZ2OY01SEqfSb7GWxh5cEdD6jkobG_wR-VCnCyYjy1_mQl2gPsg8_TxMkxr9N0aJDPwtH1anh5nauVlMAs2MevR2XZ0DRY5o42vKUUSxCRx1DBiAcjZPT850MuMmJtLPDNYZXnKjfK/s1600-h/DSC09985.jpg"><img alt="DSC09985" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ysT5-WetEqDIEv9ocYhJmLy0jwzmokhreE3uqa8g_AlDTXRA5CjDTmf7pbCfRsDKDN_omB-LosD9s9BQFBZCJuEvWtpNNrrDsSqd-9AwMrvoliUtxxqaMstErzWz1dLmrwHYN0qf0WK1/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09985" width="404"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATAKZCQfGVxSvyhhQx1vl5DUZsTlfGgXi4ZC9OInsLg4jaINbmrMYmZP_r1ZRI5n87BVm7R5plKxhueXehhUp_zu3CHdyiLaVRWF9coAKXwr4nEIEWAOn2tBbMu3wLH2UlhACBq3SKV9x/s1600-h/DSC09990.jpg"><img alt="DSC09990" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZghubeNR3XksklU_HRFux91C27XLhLPodVcs85SPCOZJJg3SY5R_FkmUSAcKq4Cvt-yTDe-8JkD4LqTAyh4eXN47CL1idKe3Ji73eDnzTXe1iCrkmF7wU5KVvHtgEIpqD-UbR88MGqI-/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09990" width="404"></a></p> <p>Adelyn had her first bath! She wasn’t much of a fan of it though!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWD4ic7tip1ydK3zVsPLKdxvVmpeDA2RdamNuFQpSZh8wQLV4ohggIjL58fYZAMRaJ_HagdzDgb86Q2aukn2BWiqbTNjfQlHWS4SUx85KseWcvYj8-5PU_QxMqXPRkAbnrikKhtcZva4U/s1600-h/DSC09997.jpg"><img alt="DSC09997" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHnId7g3mqUQdCzW-K4RdR4TbEuVL2wyJidjM_R7ObTCEuImMMxOumi-BC-XZhsWfzGXT72kjkSD4wyd1jqGrMJM2BgTjn8onQi96umWkiQQ7iwhloV37pR7BcDf_zmSMj0FI6nqzDNC9/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC09997" width="404"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhkwcjTFHHJE_p4xK-E7DITMOnxOQW2d5IRGP-P2RacGH8Xd_lViF6ThK57I0UhdyAhJUsPcdwOzw_1TzKpqcazVhACv7s8-QYPXthdAKRPowqN-lc72PcmtdqHYZhpVGpM7ANiWmBnYH/s1600-h/DSC00004.jpg"><img alt="DSC00004" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcc1iHXbu3r_Hx10Df_hWlO7wh9-QSV-Pruj0TjBpFmqq5PRx4wvCcCPTv9HCvuGB0wjrkII7vRZ2glDvCXyHw8Nn39UxB-s482qlLQFpTEykVtYkgvZCRMuRZ-Aa8uZbiwd3fk4kiVr8/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00004" width="404"></a></p> <p>Pretty sure she was checking Daddy out here! So sweet!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFqNO4vIPAL1PTzCAgEOril59mUFWVxuSjtiNYSsdN7qRrYFNB7xczetpBSkZOyLOLqh1BiRaAeyFzw423e9y1fJQsZqyZZsDFy0TQf51HQghQoXybbkupzjhKKB5K4B4tX3SMFITUpmf/s1600-h/DSC00006.jpg"><img alt="DSC00006" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel0DEy5x5qIssjJu_CqNtMVH4VitqzpN1qYNdR4yyoPbNirCIPYVXXqz45laPIABT9fHKq0rvhe0DsVGSv5tD01Vq0C7aIDJ0CqEHrbJH6s9AQJUTRXmwYZp4DgSIY71T9YfhlTuDDDEg/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00006" width="404"></a></p> <p>They took her foot prints right away and my finger print as well. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx79Og0cCRXvQJuR5oLLxl7W6Log7cq2GheA8aDA_n27DIX3U19dOOwsbr5fkF8EBSSonq6Zb2JBxfmYSlR0sNE4Mgxa3SJF9-0aj9PYSR7eQGr06XrUNKGwTkuzN9gUKb1-66_r8i3_UQ/s1600-h/DSC00014.jpg"><img alt="DSC00014" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8A8jwRzot5-yeOBIHCEXCxdU5ecvphcvgQXWJagYLWcaEZxSQx9CTgV7fpfig4mYhHSE7xydujtv610eqOw0bB9BesQikjT2o_n_X6GwgT293aph8byf_mm4L_R-_VMeLzmPGCmhxSDv/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00014" width="404"></a></p> <p>After they were finished I finally got to hold my sweet baby girl!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hI6lbFKlA-uE8Bmk9godSEWvtM56SQKsj3ihMNDIn0oN2vhrAZ6uo4IfsPMS6moFOSTz5gc0x6UaU-lrT-0wzINjUlwFUGrHkwGtJpFMaQbw-Cx-iNfciKcyDEx3_VO8Qm0b6naOy6m0/s1600-h/DSC00017.jpg"><img alt="DSC00017" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX6b_1K8Vfmc2ja4K4hpF16hnX3p-m7x6svBP6yhAhBQkJJTjUIrePkfpnwOexe_8ULL0sFHcWZaasAdya0nVGLNVTYWGEtYLZIC50QrF9Y_3xIbcS6TqY7buNz9k10kf55L26N3nszO4/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00017" width="404"></a></p> <p>And of course Daddy too! Kyle was amazing through the entire experience! I am so blessed to have him as my husband and Adelyn’s Daddy!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8L7EeY7WAu9biNRRXz7gznPG4v2RtpHVFpzZTSirE_F3psDiEYQBr-cZrE6SfxR159QlOcl5YMYcuv0kOhZOQZlMdP0CCogmCosqJNE-vYXg5n35ib7ggnnqHJRmChtU66vQwRIzpjMS0/s1600-h/DSC00024.jpg"><img alt="DSC00024" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qm7K8sRmDnAuBN2YNWXUmEaRwqCsN5qC56OMWuzuiPnchyd5pSSz42mBcPWv5FTCFGFPESHGbhuXPUQMonAHCGbgYkYFYe088iBiXH_9dS0Q3sBz5jCzsXS4jya71BWVH04gZZlT1jTE/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00024" width="404"></a></p> <p>This was our first picture as a family of 3!! We feel so incredibly blessed to have our new little healthy bundle!  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HhzhfqUz4n7Ta3sF6lOoMNHTZMYRSAT7GNFU_dFGtdchjNu6JRXd-4aLzbJBr1dSW-UV083jX-0dyA-Hbp3r1b4-s34nK0pGdcxATCOEzqqvDpsoErHIpHKR9ZfcRDyjNfMjiUFM4EdG/s1600-h/1st%252520family%252520pic.jpg"><img alt="1st family pic" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvAqbRzwEBauFh4tPScQI2zAY9sAY9_lJ9mgElYGUBtyU_XtxiaA5hHqAUNGd3NJkU8LpuJ9irhEcBfzJfqU5CdS6eXTR3C0mXOlsg77soSyfXQedOhp0Hk-FA3CSFGlqZ991ofM4z8Xf/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="1st family pic" width="404"></a></p> <p>And thank you to EVERYONE for all your kind words, comments, and gifts! We truly appreciate it!</p>

Adelyn’s Birth Story

Monday June 20th I had a scheduled induction for 7:30am. My doctor thought my baby was at least 9  lbs and thought it was necessary since I ...

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A Question for the Weight Watchers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfII-wC1x7qA2b5G0aYwFcjx0cOeSHSgc5DKFwpe8k5r4LUGW9a1L9lNM-HcSkAqS81bOAw8GK_qLDsXF6OYu2Nnf0IoJYBUVwdzj4iFPtA0lMHJRqLOYYcc8UMz3baA4_FMoyHOLA52nW/s1600/pic_questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfII-wC1x7qA2b5G0aYwFcjx0cOeSHSgc5DKFwpe8k5r4LUGW9a1L9lNM-HcSkAqS81bOAw8GK_qLDsXF6OYu2Nnf0IoJYBUVwdzj4iFPtA0lMHJRqLOYYcc8UMz3baA4_FMoyHOLA52nW/s200/pic_questions.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I’m curious – if you follow the Weight Watchers Points+ Plan, I would like some feedback on how you divvy up your Points+ balance everyday. <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Do you simply eat willy-nilly – just picking up and eating whatever floats your boat, regardless of the Points+, whenever you’re hungry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Do you allot a certain number of Points+ for each meal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Do you eat your Weekly Points+ Allowance? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Do you eat your Activity Points+?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Also, what are the challenges and/or benefits that you find with the way you utilize your daily Points+? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I'm an online member of WW, but I miss the interaction with the people at the meetings.  And because of this, I don't get the same kind of feedback regarding WW tips/tricks that those do who actually go to the meetings.  Your thoughts on these questions are greatly appreciated - I'm looking for a way to revamp my eating plan!  </div>

Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Weight Watchers A Question for the Weight Watchers

I’m curious – if you follow the Weight Watchers Points+ Plan, I would like some feedback on how you divvy up your Points+ balance everyday. ...

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Eat What You Love: One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner

Dinner for Monday night was this DELICIOUS take on a traditional St Patty's Day favorite - basically meat/cabbage/potatoes. <br /><br />The meal came from my Eat What You Love cookbook by Marlene Koch. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s1600/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s200/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><br /><br />On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is "delicious/I would totally make this again" and 1 is "gross/bland/boring - never making this again", my rating is:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><b> 5 out of 5!</b></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp7H_JEZ1UIZpgyv85W6h7HtIFUqSx1N_3BrXXTmTvRYArBTfJ6OzfYCNscVvt_hor7cBvqw2wf6aIvFltXvDZzH-X11WVIfiD49P2k4PaQpBGUbSsB574atHKISH4ZgfECSCNT255lU/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp7H_JEZ1UIZpgyv85W6h7HtIFUqSx1N_3BrXXTmTvRYArBTfJ6OzfYCNscVvt_hor7cBvqw2wf6aIvFltXvDZzH-X11WVIfiD49P2k4PaQpBGUbSsB574atHKISH4ZgfECSCNT255lU/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><u><b>One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner</b></u><b> </b><b><i>(7 Points+)</i></b><br /><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i><br /><ul><li>1 small onion, thickly sliced</li><li>1 cooked turkey kielbasa sausage link (1 pound pkg) sliced into 1" slices (I used Butterball turkey kielbasa)</li><li>5 medium red potatoes (3/4 pound), sliced thick</li><li>1 Tbsp brown mustard</li><li>1 c. light apple juice (1/2 c. apple juice with 1/2 c. water) (I used Mott's for Tots - comes in a smaller size bottle than the generic brands, but is the same exact nutrition stats!)</li><li>1 tsp caraway seeds</li><li>6 c. shredded cabbage</li></ul><br /><i><b>Directions:</b></i><br /><ol><li>Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 min.  Add the kilebasa and cook for 2 more minutes, or until kielbasa and onions are browned.  Add the potatoes to the pot.<br /></li><li>In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and apple juice.  Pour over the sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and stir.<br /></li><li>Pile the cabbage on top of the sausage, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.  Makes 6 servings.</li></ol>

Eat What You Love Weight Watcher Recipes Eat What You Love: One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner

Dinner for Monday night was this DELICIOUS take on a traditional St Patty's Day favorite - basically meat/cabbage/potatoes.  The meal ca...

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GREECE, THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE EU?

<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">C<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">ould it be that GREECE is just the scapegoat for the entire political mismanagement of the EUROPEAN UNION? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Food for Thought </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Views and opinion voiced by common people of different educational backgrounds and social levels.</span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li> <span style="font-size: large;">Theoretically speaking a country cannot default, the entire process is superficial. If you take into consideration that almost 90% of the entire worldwide money transactions are no physical, one has to question the entire monetary system.    </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The entire worldwide monetary system, with its speculators, stock exchanges and rating agencies all in all is a big gambling machine politicians and the establishment uses to play on the cost of the common people.     </span></li></ul><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">GREECE’S default will only unleash the genie that will haunt all of EUROPE </span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">GREECE’S default creates a even stronger rift in EUROPE between left  versus right and integration  versus disintegration</span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to EUROPE’S shortsighted technocratic politicians, the downward spiral of the continent is turning faster.</span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Lack of long-term visions and the need of migration will turn EUROPE into a massive poor “Old People’s Home”</span></li></ul><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">        </span></div>

GREECE, THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE EU?

C ould it be that GREECE is just the scapegoat for the entire political mismanagement of the EUROPEAN UNION?  Food for Thought  Views and op...

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Going to hell in a handbasket

I haven't blogged for so long that when I went to sign in this morning I hesitated for a moment because I couldn't remember my password. I've thought about blogging, but when things aren't going well, I don't like to blog about it.<br /><br />I had been blogging for months about how poorly I'm doing with trying to lose weight. Same shit, different day. I know it must be boring to read, and it sure is boring to write about too.<br /><br />I was called this at 3:40 a.m. today with a severity one work issue. Sev 1's mean it has to be resolved within 30 minutes or a conference phone bridge is opened, and managers and directors from several areas of IT get on the bridge. It's not at all fun. In fact, it's downright stressful to the bone. Especially when you're the one in the hot seat trying to resolve the problem. In the past two weeks, I've had five Sev 1 calls, and several sev 2's (almost as bad, but not quite). That's unheard of, but it happened. The problem this morning turned out to belong to another team. Thank you Jesus. Really, I mean it.<br /><br />About the diet and exercise, well, since I haven't been blogging it should be obvious that it's not going well. In fact, it's going horrible. Each day I get up with new resolve, and each day I fail. A lot of my problems are coming from work. I have added responsibilities since two people left our team (without added pay, I might add). The responsibilities aren't temporary until more people are hired, they are permanent (did I mention no additional pay). It adds a whole new layer of stress at my work, and I see it coming out in my eating and exercise habits.<br /><br />I don't have time for snacks at work. I barely have time for lunch and definitely no time for a walk at lunch. I'm so exhausted that my six days of working out have fallen to three. I haven't tracked my food, although I try to eat healthy most of the time, I'm still eating too much. I have eaten candy and cookies in the last week, which is something new for me. In the past three and half years my binge foods have been chicken breasts or too much fruit or something else relatively healthy. <br /><br />The only thing that might save me is I have vacation starting Thursday. I'm going to Fairbanks to see my sister (and the rest of the family, but mainly my sister). My niece (my brother's daughter) and her family are flying up from New Jersey on July 4. I haven't seen her in over twenty years. Long story about my brother's first marriage, and now his daughter wants to reconnect with the family. I've talked to her and her husband on the phone several times in the past two weeks, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her and meeting her husband and 10-year old daughter in person.<br /><br />I spent a lot of time one summer in 1974 with her mother (my brother's first wife and his best one...he's on #3 now) while my brother was working up on the North Slope in Alaska (trans-Alaska pipeline days). We had a blast together that summer. Tammy, my niece, sounds exactly like her mother. <br /><br />Anyway, the good thing about the trip is binge eating isn't an option at my sister's house. Plus it'll be a distraction from work, which I desperately need. I'll be gone for twelve days. Woohoo!<br /><br />In the meantime, starting today, I'm going to get back on the straight and narrow. It's 4:40am and I'm going to get off the computer and get dressed for the gym, and be there when they open at 5am.<br /><br />Today I'm going to drink all my water, even if that means I'll have to go to the bathroom a lot. I've even stopped drinking water because I don't have time. Wow, that sounds really crazy and insane when I write it. Too busy to drink water? This has got to stop. Now. Here. Today. I have to come first, the job has to come second.<br /><br />Last thing, I haven't weighed in days. That's never a good sign. I'll get on the scales this morning, and document my weight. I'm pretty sure it's up since my size 16's felt snug yesterday. A sure sign things are amiss.<br /><br />Tonight, I'll make time to read some blogs. That's another thing I stopped doing. Another sure sign things are going to hell.<br /><br />New day, new attitude. I'm not going down without a fight. :)

Going to hell in a handbasket

I haven't blogged for so long that when I went to sign in this morning I hesitated for a moment because I couldn't remember my passw...

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Weigh In & New Gym

After a week of not weighing in, I finally bit the bullet and hopped on the scale on Friday to find a gain of only a pound.  I'll take this gain of only a pound after allllll the eating out I've done and the lack of gym attendance as well.<br /><br />Joel and I made it to the gym twice last week and as of today we're officially members at Gold's Gym!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/golds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/golds.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I'm happy to not only get myself back into a routine, but I'm ELATED that Joel is going with me!  I'm happy for him that he can start making positive changes for his health, and I'm happy that the person I love will be spending these grueling moments with me as well.  <br /><br />The HilJoe competition is not over by any means either.  Joel has an unusual work schedule, and getting him to weigh in at the same time as me has been a llittle difficult.  So we're going to work something out to ensure that our weigh in's continue to be as fair as possible.  Stay tuned as we're going to revamp our competition now!

Gain goals HJ Competition Weight Loss Weigh In & New Gym

After a week of not weighing in, I finally bit the bullet and hopped on the scale on Friday to find a gain of only a pound.  I'll take t...

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She’s Here!!!

<p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">Adelyn Marie</font></p> <p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">Arrived 6.21.2011 at 4:34 am</font></p> <p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">10lbs 2 3/4oz * 22in long</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzUbqNdU_0bban9LCYJx4SCZATRyhHTRbbQRGhPMjb_QY1tudktJipX1kYcoxenD6HV4JtkzBuesDsEuhwaHDN-91i-TA40Qh-tCj58X2TfTDWxMf9abYko6p6yAdkmevDCVV_6JNux4h/s1600-h/DSC00065%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC00065" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqhyEje3RGdIQMmxf4mk4FCjAIzbcTocFooYDPpIrNoUTke3Y0f1r2yABV-asdoooeLJEDCvdr4FrcJRkMuabdYfbw8JQUJZPbuXkBqjDez1GpZsD1wP5e6MmzrT6tmoWb-RsHTXs5C9k/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00065" width="404"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8zZWtnw5ROoJknRkkwNV1g4eJ-4yUkx8n2aeDtc8D_nK4M1CoawQRhOaJQEy-VDYU0jmGXAfvaUUeE-Le6pBCgdxLCny1RQ8xotSmL9Hb6QS3ijcsqJaoyp5WwFEnoUPlSO8AfuXhmCc/s1600-h/_DSC5370%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="_DSC5370" border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vTbV0zRMRoXRJqeNB5B3zHPUNVa59CsNG5jJFjIOawfzzNmVZ6wN2ZS15F3wZkDIOwJ27sL3Y4Q6qXGgn72E-oPFKgwb8KeBiIDh0a8-7i1PFpWapgGTII-BpEFfDByV-4TAf0AtzY0Q/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="_DSC5370" width="404"></a></p> <p>More to come soon!!</p>

She’s Here!!!

Adelyn Marie Arrived 6.21.2011 at 4:34 am 10lbs 2 3/4oz * 22in long More to come soon!!

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What do you get from being a Premium Member?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i>Submitted by Deb Avery</i></span><br /><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In this first blog post, let's look at how being a Premium Member can benefit you.  Look at the  BENEFITS tab to see what you will gain by being a Premium Member.  You'll see that Schoolnet SA makes a  commitment to you</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"As a premium member we will focus our attention on you to ensure that you will grow professionally....and its all free!"</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But - what does this really mean?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teachers who have signed up as Premium Members obviously want to grow and develop their ability to integrate ICTs into their teaching.</span></span></div></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Schoolnet offers some excellent face-to-face courses, and many members will have benefitted from these. You may still want the opportunity to participate in one or more of the courses. But for many members, the need is to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">develop specific skills</b>, in order to take their teaching to a new level. Our aim is to find out what those specific needs are and to provide short interventions like webinars, podcasts, “how to” videos and access to lesson and project ideas, amongst other ideas.  For example, here is a photo of the 'Schoolnetters' being trained by Gerald Roos to deliver the Getting Started course. This session was held in Johannesburg in 2010. </span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeiFDNlDLGUEROBMXHhGpH1TLTMwGEE_4julLULpO1yR_5DLs2L2Pr6PmXPcBa1pMkEY67fKaVX-1-HK5KlfytkAwNepF1lkWGDK6Q-iCJoqRxc91ZbdmyxelUFcCa78Rn9TlStVzo78/s1600/DSC_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A second thrust will be to help overcome the “loneliness of the only ICT integrator” that some of us feel in schools. In many schools, the ICT integrator is tolerated, sometimes encouraged, but seldom understood. Through the Premium Member group, we will all have the opportunity to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">share ideas with other like-minded educators</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">network</b> together. This could include discussions on topics of general interest – like “Should learners be allowed to use cellphones in class?”; discussions involving special interest groups, like Art teachers for example; or discussions between teachers who are in the same geographical area and are able to support each other more closely. This could also include inter-classroom collaboration between different schools or classes who have Premium Members on the staff. SchoolNetSA has a great 'family' scattered all over South Africa. Here are some of them gathered at a conference in Cape Town. </span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXgJvwZHBA3FkTsCpas4K9behZDLBiDI1FploMcqlR_rPH6Orr53Jyth0O5RK0gURVEFRtnw4L1volbQ3cQR4aMf627bOIGRofjd_0Ay3pkHw7rMPdq8HvI7CADS2wvqvBGVcrwjn8q4/s1600/Intel_TEO_059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Providing resources to help each Premium Member to develop their own <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Personal Learning Network (PLN)</b> is going to be one of the benefits. A PLN can be defined as “the entire collection of people with whom you engage and exchange information, usually online.” We will devote a blog post to this in the near future and hope to have some webinars and interventions to help you develop your own PLN.</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Internet is full of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">resources</b> for teachers to use – lesson plans, ideas, games, projects, new tools – sometimes there is so much that the mind boggles! As a Premium Member you will have access to some resources that have been reviewed by other Premium Members and rated as worth looking at. You can follow Schoolnet on Facebook and Twitter to access these resources, and we encourage you to add to the discussion threads. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are also collecting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">local resources</b> to share – good ideas from South African teachers. You are encouraged to add to the Library of useful materials that can help other teachers develop excellent classrooms.</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then there are the practical things – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">early notification</b> and preferential booking for SchoolNet events, newsletters and access to the blog</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this stage, we don’t really know what the members want in the way of interventions. We will only know this if all members participate in surveys, discussions and interventions. We also know that it is necessary for enough people to be involved to make the group really work. Market research shows that a critical mass of members needs to participate in order to make a group viable. So you need, not only to participate, but to encourage other colleagues and friends to join and participate. Don’t be a “lurker” – one of those who look but never respond. Please join in the discussions, the interventions, the collaboration and the sharing. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then you will gain the full BENEFIT of being a Premium Member.</span></span></div></div>

premium membership What do you get from being a Premium Member?

Submitted by Deb Avery In this first blog post, let's look at how being a Premium Member can benefit you.  Look at the  BENEFITS tab to ...

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