Early summer morning in the garden

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RK4Y0XqXMHCtqbEvyUgKOsdxOKmrzBlODCNErnwlTtbnAYYcXFM3cVMpPRXeJfiVUgXCd8_jWeOWLfHEB33x45fuOckW2WRaWaqZNcbOvPPULff3pzHE4uUtAjGBSaRU6ugQiK2wnVx/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RK4Y0XqXMHCtqbEvyUgKOsdxOKmrzBlODCNErnwlTtbnAYYcXFM3cVMpPRXeJfiVUgXCd8_jWeOWLfHEB33x45fuOckW2WRaWaqZNcbOvPPULff3pzHE4uUtAjGBSaRU6ugQiK2wnVx/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The cool 52-degree air wafted in the open windows this morning as I reached for a sweater to go over my tee shirt. The late July coolness is truly appreciated so after breakfast I loaded the washing machine with towels and sheets to hang out to dry, and then, donning SWAC Husband's wide-brimmed hat, headed to the garden before the summer sun became too uncomfortable.  </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmO8pXaGyrpbgJjNbKGITnmhq7kMs_4L5qTkzHoWHJpYIjuPZYd6p1SZcd2fWSmE5XGnT0w_0Ci5RpwhVhB_jAzJ3EPhvDXL9iBqlgobTlYWQdL-wE9NbCIzJHi_4aBnwQOely3tuvIa5/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmO8pXaGyrpbgJjNbKGITnmhq7kMs_4L5qTkzHoWHJpYIjuPZYd6p1SZcd2fWSmE5XGnT0w_0Ci5RpwhVhB_jAzJ3EPhvDXL9iBqlgobTlYWQdL-wE9NbCIzJHi_4aBnwQOely3tuvIa5/s400/10.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My tennis shoes quickly became wet from the dewy grass as I made my way across the yard to the garden gate. The sun was peeking over the ridge so half the garden was in shade while the other half was already in full sun.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVs5Vd1q4Pg3l_bf74lLEBwTih382w3mgGOKsrSkFEm37Wsql7ujFUZFePNdOZjP15T5QYofk_FYi4z-fKjrAlJeNBmn9CJh45v0dcYxDoKGrGzcHcoY92Jyj2EeX2IBuAo-PRgIQo-6Xp/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVs5Vd1q4Pg3l_bf74lLEBwTih382w3mgGOKsrSkFEm37Wsql7ujFUZFePNdOZjP15T5QYofk_FYi4z-fKjrAlJeNBmn9CJh45v0dcYxDoKGrGzcHcoY92Jyj2EeX2IBuAo-PRgIQo-6Xp/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrFHVOHVRLHvWw2FmFcFm-Nd0d3vPVx8lHI1FuYjGXyKloCG7LEVychQKXAq_W-0ze1d0g2boEYhVn9b5_vTYGofYH6zfy0NOt5W50hVa3ML0bDzXVOsRNmZafV87GS0Q6hEBqZouA1iC/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrFHVOHVRLHvWw2FmFcFm-Nd0d3vPVx8lHI1FuYjGXyKloCG7LEVychQKXAq_W-0ze1d0g2boEYhVn9b5_vTYGofYH6zfy0NOt5W50hVa3ML0bDzXVOsRNmZafV87GS0Q6hEBqZouA1iC/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOqtsaic7MlWQ33ooYAS43Km7-IhRH9JAG3c4mJuCOVH34nbJwH64kfvhq-w_iOeoktt6WHa9GvPvcptDcHLtXRGvuqKJPfZcS1MLnArQDDAXEFHiYlv5CDh3CC-Ng9VhK9mW8FBCkvgG/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOqtsaic7MlWQ33ooYAS43Km7-IhRH9JAG3c4mJuCOVH34nbJwH64kfvhq-w_iOeoktt6WHa9GvPvcptDcHLtXRGvuqKJPfZcS1MLnArQDDAXEFHiYlv5CDh3CC-Ng9VhK9mW8FBCkvgG/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We have what I would call a salad garden this year. Yukon Gold potatoes were the exception but they are always so good -- and this year they have grown so big -- that they are always a first choice for planting. Otherwise, it's several varieties of tomatoes, several varieties of peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. Colorful flowers add bright splashes of yellow, orange, red, blue, and purple while attracting pollen-collecting bees.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienStV1nZxtm6POfZ1Cq9440i6-L9763jTsZBDufyVVeo4KtCYI5TAHsDrqx_2HNhr0qrsuSm-QoGX-yjQFsXm26IemTNRex7W_M4L4dDPzIXNe28CJX4Mw0VLPafVLsnXvH4yjTNt5cmm/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienStV1nZxtm6POfZ1Cq9440i6-L9763jTsZBDufyVVeo4KtCYI5TAHsDrqx_2HNhr0qrsuSm-QoGX-yjQFsXm26IemTNRex7W_M4L4dDPzIXNe28CJX4Mw0VLPafVLsnXvH4yjTNt5cmm/s400/13.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The necessary June bug <i>aka</i> Japanese beetle trap hangs in the corner of the garden although they have not been much of a problem this year. We didn't get the 17-year cicadas either ... only the usual summer variety.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPVVcR2BuQYxWOBfBLNrBfyTYf-UsoAz7ESUhjp4Me4DV8PtwTs3Q6K8apm38Mfp5-MZJyXQad17K2d7aGuHEsuEJFIxusWd-wbMZuIzTMvNrzn0-pmcVtOgFndh2U5GLlJI-apVV5S_h/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPVVcR2BuQYxWOBfBLNrBfyTYf-UsoAz7ESUhjp4Me4DV8PtwTs3Q6K8apm38Mfp5-MZJyXQad17K2d7aGuHEsuEJFIxusWd-wbMZuIzTMvNrzn0-pmcVtOgFndh2U5GLlJI-apVV5S_h/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> It's nice to have a shady spot to relax after getting sweaty in the garden. This is my own oasis of quiet under the shade trees.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhXewEmqQkfk13GjxgBoZ4Il2UY49nDxm1CiRhagDEl6STf3OyHxQaH61AComUP8BQpe73d5JfyAgRlNPZu5WHWFCTbbjg0KTVVPhByoQ9iJKf8rtkHaw8a7HLp2xxDEU_bPDV5i4-hqj/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhXewEmqQkfk13GjxgBoZ4Il2UY49nDxm1CiRhagDEl6STf3OyHxQaH61AComUP8BQpe73d5JfyAgRlNPZu5WHWFCTbbjg0KTVVPhByoQ9iJKf8rtkHaw8a7HLp2xxDEU_bPDV5i4-hqj/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By the time I finished in the garden and had hung the clothes out, the temperature had risen 20 degrees to a still-comfortable 72.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SQZUoDx9gL78COATRgzStm6zlyFuQR1_sJ2kBYnD8IorRTsHNfUV4mgaBBWTDXQdFomWlU1oMHAo3XX98i8tJEdLLcHpR7DrgBeyWqZ6dyPjlT_VOa3iOLP9IEa1IZ34YkqA8Ed0aE-l/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SQZUoDx9gL78COATRgzStm6zlyFuQR1_sJ2kBYnD8IorRTsHNfUV4mgaBBWTDXQdFomWlU1oMHAo3XX98i8tJEdLLcHpR7DrgBeyWqZ6dyPjlT_VOa3iOLP9IEa1IZ34YkqA8Ed0aE-l/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I've got to say there's something satisfying about growing your own food, and there's something comforting about consuming it and knowing where it came from. We know there are no pesticides on it and how it's been handled and exactly how fresh it is ... from garden to dinner table. Yum.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />July 29, 2013

gardening home summer in the Shenandoah Valley summer vegetables sunflowers western Virginia Early summer morning in the garden

The cool 52-degree air wafted in the open windows this morning as I reached for a sweater to go over my tee shirt. The late July coolness i...

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The Ellie Wenker Story

Thank you Spencer Osborne for this amazing article and story about my journey to Belviq and with Belviq this far.  <br /><br />This is probably the most accurate story of my journey so I encourage you all to read.  You may relate at some point in my life.  Please share your thoughts!!<br /><br /><a href="http://marketplayground.com/2013/07/29/arena-pharmaceuticals-inc-nasdaqarna-and-anti-obesity-drug-belviq-the-eillie-wenker-story/">http://marketplayground.com/2013/07/29/arena-pharmaceuticals-inc-nasdaqarna-and-anti-obesity-drug-belviq-the-eillie-wenker-story/</a><br />

The Ellie Wenker Story

Thank you Spencer Osborne for this amazing article and story about my journey to Belviq and with Belviq this far.  This is probably the most...

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Fly Lady

Cleaning.  Grrrr!  Cannot stand it!<br /><br />Clean a room, begin the next and the two little ones have completely destroyed the one that was just cleaned.<br /><br />It's well established I'm a little <i>off</i> in my head lol<br /><br />I can't function with clutter.  My productive mind completely shuts down and looks for shiny things to play with.<br /><br />I'm a procrastinator to the extreme.  If it's going to be too much effort, or if there's a shiny thing to chase, it's not getting done. <br /><br />I'm a perfectionist.  If I can't do it 100% perfectly, it's not worth my time.<br /><br />And I have little kids.<br /><br />So you can just imagine what my house often looks like.   <br /><br />A while ago I stumbled upon <a href="http://flylady.net/" target="_blank">FlyLady</a>.  She's got a whole system of daily assignments and routines to keep the house clean and organized.  I need structure and rules so this appealed to me.  One of the things she mentions a lot is keeping the CHAOS at bay - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome... because your house is trashed.<br /><br />There's some housecleaning plans I've found online that require you to put in hours each day.  Each Monday, you do these 90 chores, and then each Tuesday you do these other 82 chores, etc.  I don't think so.  It's not 1940 and I have jobs outside my home.<br /><br />With FlyLady as long as you do what you're supposed to do all week, your weekends are completely free for pampering yourself and spending time with your family.  No more spending all day Saturday cleaning up from the tornado that swept through all week.<br /><br />FlyLady breaks down everything over the month.  There are daily routines that go very quickly, then some cleaning and family stuff that must be done weekly.  Each week has a new area of the house to focus on in detail.  The little persnickety chores like sweeping/vacuuming under the furniture or dusting blinds are just once a month.  Of course, you customize it so if dust-free blinds are important to you, it goes into the daily or weekly category.  You can go online and see what is planned.  Or if you're like me and need to know precisely what is coming and when, you can make a big ol' binder with the entire website printed out.<br /><br />The whole thing is set up with a "you can do it" attitude.  I fall off the system a lot.  Like all the time.  But that's my struggle with my own <strike>crazies</strike> brain chemistry, my jobs, my poor kids, and a HoH that only comes out to humor me occasionally... usually when I need him least.  But despite this, I pick up my book, flip to the right page and pick up right where I left off.  <br /><br />So I'm writing this because I had a friend ask me about it over the weekend, and then TL Bucko mentioned the dreaded cleaning today too...  And maybe my writing about it will inspire me to stick to it this time.

Fly Lady

Cleaning.  Grrrr!  Cannot stand it! Clean a room, begin the next and the two little ones have completely destroyed the one that was just cle...

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YouMedia Manager (full-time) - Hartford Public Library

<strong>YouMedia Manager (full-time) - </strong><strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Hartford Public Library</span></strong></strong> seeks creative and flexible individual for management of our new digital learning center for teens. Responsibilities: the operation of YouMedia, a new digital learning center for teens. Minimum requirements: Bachelors Degree in a related discipline; Masters Degree in library science, education, arts education, or a related discipline preferred. Previous supervisory experience required. Experience with new technologies and social media required. Applicant must be technologically fluent with Macs, PCs and digital media creation software. Full requirements, job description and application are available online at <a _fcksavedurl="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" href="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" target="_blank">http://hplct.org/about/job-openings</a> or Administrative Office, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. A completed signed application must be received in order to be considered for this position. Position open until filled. Hartford Public Library requires a Criminal Background Check and Pre-employment Drug Testing on applicants who are selected as a finalist for the position. Applicants will be provided a copy of any positive drug test results. A criminal record does not necessarily eliminate you from employment with Hartford Public Library. Each conviction will be reviewed with respect to the offense, circumstances, seriousness and the position for which you apply. E.O.E.

YouMedia Manager (full-time) - Hartford Public Library

YouMedia Manager (full-time) -  Hartford Public Library seeks creative and flexible individual for management of our new digital learning ...

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Branch Manager - Hartford Public Library

<strong>Branch Manager - </strong><strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Hartford Public Library</span></strong></strong> seeks creative and flexible individual to manage a branch location. Qualifications: Masters degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution with previous supervisory/managerial experience. Previous supervisory/managerial experience required, preferably in a service organization. Candidate must have general computer proficiency, including knowledge of library software and Microsoft Office products; ability to communicate effectively and establish and manage effective working relationships with users, employees, supervisors, and the general public; and possess communication skills necessary to resolve issues with library users. <a _fcksavedurl="https://hplct.org/assets/uploads/files/about/Jobs/JOB%20DESCRIPTION%20-%20BRANCH%20MGR%20%202013.pdf" href="https://hplct.org/assets/uploads/files/about/Jobs/JOB%20DESCRIPTION%20-%20BRANCH%20MGR%20%202013.pdf" target="_blank">Full job description</a> and <a _fcksavedurl="https://hplct.org/assets/uploads/files/about/application.pdf" href="https://hplct.org/assets/uploads/files/about/application.pdf" target="_blank">application </a>are available from the Administrative Offices, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. A completed signed application must be received in order to be considered for this position. Position open until filled. Hartford Public Library requires a Criminal Background Check and Pre-employment Drug testing on applicants who are selected as a finalist for the position. Applicants will be provided a copy of any positive drug test results. A criminal record does not necessarily eliminate you from employment with Hartford Public Library. Each conviction will be reviewed with respect to the offense, circumstances, seriousness, and the position for which you apply. E.O.E.

Branch Manager - Hartford Public Library

Branch Manager - Hartford Public Library seeks creative and flexible individual to manage a branch location. Qualifications: Masters degr...

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Programming and Events Manager (full-time) - Hartford Public Library

<strong>Programming and Events Manager (full-time) -</strong> <strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Hartford Public Library</span></strong></strong> seeks a Programming and Events Manager in support of library wide innovative programming, within the Library’s broader program of services. This position requires substantial application of professional knowledge and experience. Responsibilities: Minimum requirements: Masters degree in Education, History, Art, Humanities or other related field. Previous experience with program development, planning, implementation and required. Applicant must have extensive knowledge of project management standards. Full requirements, job description and application are available online at <a _fcksavedurl="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" href="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" target="_blank">http://hplct.org/about/job-openings</a> or Administrative Office, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103 A completed, signed application is required in order to be considered for this position. Position open until filled. Hartford Public Library requires a Criminal Background Check and Pre-employment Drug Testing on applicants who are selected as a finalist for the position. Applicants will be provided a copy of any positive drug test results. A criminal record does not necessarily eliminate you from employment with Hartford Public Library. Each conviction will be reviewed with respect to the offense, circumstances, seriousness and the position for which you apply. E.O.E.

Programming and Events Manager (full-time) - Hartford Public Library

Programming and Events Manager (full-time) - Hartford Public Library seeks a Programming and Events Manager in support of library wide i...

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Biggest wave of fast-food strikes begins today

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container tr_bq" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlw40T38H_W-SA6YquGRfzhF25aLpbV6LLI47lAD4TGCVwiiUP_3S18ylCb7uKJyop0iwapZh7j6DJUThdhXu8ZKQPZurw1_6YSwKs-dWqJS2CZNR4-boWuTOcvWOY6MbCTmMiJ6MOUF4/s1600/fast+food+strike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlw40T38H_W-SA6YquGRfzhF25aLpbV6LLI47lAD4TGCVwiiUP_3S18ylCb7uKJyop0iwapZh7j6DJUThdhXu8ZKQPZurw1_6YSwKs-dWqJS2CZNR4-boWuTOcvWOY6MbCTmMiJ6MOUF4/s320/fast+food+strike.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fast-food strike in New York City today.</td></tr></tbody></table>A wave of fast-food strikes began in New York City today as workers prepare to walk off the job in seven more cities over the next few days. It is likely to be the biggest mobilization of low-wage workers since the short, sudden one-day job actions began in November.<br /><br />Fast-food workers are striking in restaurants like McDonald's, Papa John's and Wendy's in New York City. More walkouts are planned for Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Mo., and Flint, Mich. The workers demand a living wage and the right to form a union without retaliation.<br /><br />The success of previous fast-food strikes has given momentum to the growing movement for livable wages. Josh Eidelson, writing in <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/07/29/fast_food_strikes_intensify_in_seven_cities/" rel="nofollow">Salon</a>, spoke to a fast-food worker a month ago:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">St. Louis Jimmy John’s employee Rasheen Aldridge told Salon that there “was a whole lot of nervousness” when he and three co-workers at his store first went on strike in May. “There was a big chance that I could of got fired,” said Aldridge, “because that’s just how, you know, fast food operates.” But when they returned to work in one piece, he said his co-workers’ reaction was “You know, you guys sort of took the step we all need to do.”</blockquote>Today's walkout is generating national media attention, as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/sunday-review/fighting-back-against-wretched-wages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">The New York Times</a>, broadcast and cable news networks and the <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/fast-food-strike-detroit-st-louis-new-york-chicago-3-other-cities-striking-monday-increased-pay">financial press</a>. Steven Greenhouse at The New York Times writes:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Often relegated to the background, America’s low-wage workers have been making considerable noise lately by deploying an unusual weapon — one-day strikes — to make their message heard: they’re sick and tired of earning just $8, $9, $10 an hour. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Their anger has been stoked by what they see as a glaring disconnect: their wages have flatlined, while median pay for chief executives at the nation’s top corporations jumped 16 percent last year, averaging a princely $15.1 million, according to Equilar, an executive compensation analysis firm. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">In recent weeks, workers from McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other fast-food restaurants — many of them part-time employees — have staged one-day walkouts in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Seattle to protest their earnings, typically just $150 to $350 a week, often too little to support themselves and their families. </blockquote><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-29/fast-food-workers-strike-for-higher-wages-in-u-s-cities.html" rel="nofollow">Bloomberg News</a> reports that low-wage jobs are the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The leisure and hospitality industry, which includes restaurants, is adding jobs faster than any other sector in the U.S. In June, the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/USEHTOTS:IND" rel="nofollow">sector</a> added 75,000 jobs, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fast-food cooks make $9.02 an hour, or about $18,760 a year, on average, according to 2012 <a href="http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag72.htm" rel="nofollow">data</a> from the Washington-based agency.</blockquote>The problem of low wages isn't limited to fast-food workers. Today, Hope Yen at the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/28/poverty-unemployment-rates_n_3666594.html?utm_hp_ref=tw">Associated Press</a> reported that 80 percent of adults in the United States struggle to earn enough money at some point in their lives:<br /><blockquote>Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream... </blockquote><blockquote>Nationwide, the count of America's poor remains stuck at a record number: 46.2 million, or 15 percent of the population, due in part to lingering high unemployment following the recession.</blockquote>

fast food workers low-wage jobs strike Biggest wave of fast-food strikes begins today

Fast-food strike in New York City today. A wave of fast-food strikes began in New York City today as workers prepare to walk off the job in ...

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Cultural Affairs and Public Programming Assistant (part-time) - Hartford Public Library

<strong>Cultural Affairs and Public Programming Assistant (part-time) - </strong><strong><strong><span style="color: #48286d;">Hartford Public Library</span></strong></strong> seeks creative and flexible individual for Cultural Affairs and Public Programming. Responsibilities: responsible for assisting with all aspects of space rental and room reservation requests. This includes the responsibility for scheduling, accounting, and logistics for all use by internal and external customers. Minimum requirements: Bachelors Degree or equivalent experience required. Full requirements, job description and application are available online at <a _fcksavedurl="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" href="http://hplct.org/about/job-openings" target="_blank">http://hplct.org/about/job-openings</a> or Administrative Office, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. A fully completed, signed application is required in order to be considered for this position. Position open until filled. Hartford Public Library requires a Criminal Background Check and Pre-employment Drug Testing on applicants who are selected as a finalist for the position. Applicants will be provided a copy of any positive drug test results. A criminal record does not necessarily eliminate you from employment with Hartford Public Library. Each conviction will be reviewed with respect to the offense, circumstances, seriousness and the position for which you apply. E.O.E.

Cultural Affairs and Public Programming Assistant (part-time) - Hartford Public Library

Cultural Affairs and Public Programming Assistant (part-time) - Hartford Public Library seeks creative and flexible individual for Cultural...

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Easy Methods To Shed Pounds, Anybody Can Lose That Weight

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Frederic Leblanc</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Have you been waiting for the proper time inside your life to truly buckle down and seeking to shed pounds ? Nicely that time is right now! Study on to discover the tips the pros use when they need to lose weight. It is by no means been easier- just read and adhere to these tips to a healthier life!<br /> <br /> An excellent way to assist you to shed pounds is to carry out three, thirty minute cardio sessions per week or if you want something much more difficult that takes much less time, you can do HIIT cardio as well. If you perform this many cardio sessions per week, you will burn roughly about 1 thousand calories via exercise. If you're dieting and performing workouts comparable to those in the same time you are able to lose about a pound every week, even more pounds if you are overweight.<br /> <br /> A good eating habits can significantly assist you to shed pounds<br /> <br /> Avoid eating when you are bored when attempting to lose weight. When you consume to relieve boredom, you're much more likely to consume high fat or sugary snack foods like chips or candy rather of healthy foods. You're also more most likely to eat much more food than in the event you plan your snacks.<br /> <br /> A important trick to eating less and reducing weight is to place your fork down after every bite you take. Doing this will allow you to eat more slowly, and it'll give your stomach time for you to send the signals to your brain about whenever you have had sufficient to consume.<br /> <br /> 1 fantastic tip to shed pounds would be to steer clear of condiments that are high in fat, like ranch dressing or bleu cheese. These can add hundreds of calories for your diet plan every day. Instead, try to use a vegetarian bean dip, such as hummus, that is much lower in calories and is actually good for you.<br /> <br /> To keep your nutritious diet plan in check, don't really feel that you simply have to restrict any specific meals. By performing that, you are going to crave that meals even more and that will throw your diet plan completely off track. Just consume the not so wholesome meals in moderation and also you will probably be fine but it's recommended to not consume more than two meals of these foods per week. It can be a good way to boots your metabolism up but once more eat these foods in moderation because it should not be delaying your weight loss results.<br /> <br /> Soda is one of the most dangerous drinks for your body. It'll help pack on the pounds, it has no nutritional value, and it could actually erode the lining of one's stomach. Put down the soda and grab water, and you will be amazed to determine a increase inside your weight reduction. You would most likely be shocked to know how numerous calories a day you're obtaining just from your sugared sodas. If you trade 1 super-sized soda for a no-calorie drink rather, you are able to reduce 400-500 calories. Multiply that more than a number of drinks a month, or perhaps a week, and you can see how quickly that adds up.<br /> <br /> Getting a gym partner that motivate you is another great way to help you shed pounds<br /> <br /> To help in weight reduction one must consider their motivation behind wanting to lose weight. This motivation will increase ones will to lose weight and stop one from providing up on their weight reduction struggle. Motivation may be the difference between effective and unsuccessful weight reduction for an individual. When having a gym partner, it is much more easily to stay focused on your diet and training by motivating each other.<br /> <br /> So, now is the time! Buckle down! These weight loss suggestions that you simply just read will work, in the event you give them a opportunity! Don't hesitate- setup a weight loss schedule for yourself now, and begin losing weight and feeling great! Shed pounds and reveal a slimmer, happier you!<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'><i>If you liked these tips on <a href="http://www.empowernetwork.com/white700/blog/shed-pounds-with-these-weight-loss-tips/?id=white700">how to shed pounds</a> and wish to have more info, visit my blog by <a href="https://www.empowernetwork.com/white700/blog/category/fat-loss/">clicking here</a>. </i></div><br /> </div><br />

Easy Methods To Shed Pounds, Anybody Can Lose That Weight

By Frederic Leblanc Have you been waiting for the proper time inside your life to truly buckle down and seeking to shed pounds ? Nicely ...

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Diet and Exercise with African Mango for Weight Loss Results

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Lisa McLilly</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Sometimes it seems like people will try anything to lose weight. Stimulants made from dangerous chemicals? Sure. Magic pills and crazy diets? Of course! Don't waste your time, effort, and money when there is better alternative. African Mango is an all natural and clinically proven weight loss supplement. Continue reading to learn more.<br /> <br /> African Mango was recently recommended on the Dr. Oz show. It is an all natural weight loss supplement created with the patented extract IGOB1131. Not only is African Mango all natural, it is clinically proven to help people lose weight. Continue reading this article to figure out how to buy the best African Mango supplement.<br /> <br /> African Mango first works to rev up your metabolism. Secondly, African Mango works to correct leptin resistance. Leptin is the hormone that converts fat to energy and tells the body to stop eating when it has become full. If we ignore this signal, our bodies become leptin resistant. A simple blood test can determine whether or not you are leptin resistant.<br /> <br /> Look for an African Mango supplement created with 100% pure IGOB131. The only inactive ingredient should be the vegetable cellulose capsule used to contain the active ingredient, IGOB131. This product should be wild harvested and grown without chemicals fertilizers or pesticides.<br /> <br /> Do not buy an African Mango supplement if it contains fillers, flow agents, artificial color or sugar, caffeine or stimulants, or anything else artificial. You should also avoid products that contain proprietary blends as they are likely to hide the true ingredients found within the product.<br /> <br /> There you have it! If you want to lose weight naturally, choose African Mango. Simply follow the guidelines provided by this article and you will be sure to find a natural weight loss product that is right for you. Remember, when it comes to your health the best supplements come from the earth.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>Click here to read our article about how the find the <a href="http://www.best-organic-supplements.com/africanmango.html">best African Mango supplement</a>. You can also read our informative article about <a href="http://www.best-organic-supplements.com/africanmangoclinical.html">African Mango Research</a>.</div><br /> </div><br />

Diet and Exercise with African Mango for Weight Loss Results

By Lisa McLilly Sometimes it seems like people will try anything to lose weight. Stimulants made from dangerous chemicals? Sure. Magic p...

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EUROPE AND ITS YOUTH: A TICKING TIME BOMB?

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi6FXptNwLGGqAq2bPOskqBneBIyJbLZBa2No41fTEtGdAeIss714gULHwEt4-n6N7-bAaiZdXAjyfwXEVihUl17GPY8ihk2xpRdc5hErXyNrBg8uDqEidTErc0VNRBqAAL8XTa8lNmKn/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-01+at+11.34.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi6FXptNwLGGqAq2bPOskqBneBIyJbLZBa2No41fTEtGdAeIss714gULHwEt4-n6N7-bAaiZdXAjyfwXEVihUl17GPY8ihk2xpRdc5hErXyNrBg8uDqEidTErc0VNRBqAAL8XTa8lNmKn/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-10-01+at+11.34.53+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BANKS COUNT TEN TIMES MORE THAN EUROPE’S YOUTH </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Roberto Savio via IDN</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Youth At the last summit of EUROPEAN heads of state in Brussels, the main theme was youth unemployment, which has now reached 23% of EUROPEAN youth (although it stands at 41% in SPAIN). Last year, the International Labour Organization issued a dramatic report on <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_180976.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">'Global Employment Trends for Youth 2012'</span></a> in which it spoke of a “lost generation”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COMMON EURO PENSION FOR BABY BOOMER GENERATION (BORN BETWEEN 1958 AND 1963)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to projections, the generation currently seeking to enter the market place will retire with a pension of just 480 euro – if it actually succeeds in entering the market – because of temporary jobs without social contributions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6BILLION DOLLARS SUPPORT FOR YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT VERSUS 60 BILLION DOLLARS FOR SUPPORTING EUROPE’S BANKS </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After long discussions, EUROPE’S leaders decided to allocate 6 billion dollars of EUROPEAN money, to fight youth unemployment. After much shorter discussion, they decided to allocate up to 60 billion dollars to support EUROPE’S banks. This, on top of the striking subsidies already received: the EUROPEAN Central Bank alone has given <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">one thousand billion dollars to the banks at nominal cost</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BRITISH FINANCIAL SYSTEM NOW ACCOUNTS FOR 10% OF THE BRITISH GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)!</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the efforts to create a EUROPEAN banking system under a central regulator are now on hold until the GERMAN elections in September. A member of the GERMAN delegation at the June summit is reported saying:”We know well what we are supposed to do, to calm financial markets. But we are not elected by financial markets, we are elected by GERMAN citizens.” (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/world/europe/merkel-plays-to-germans-as-she-jousts-with-europe.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0"><span style="color: blue;">NYT | IHT online</span></a>). And of course, no effort has been made to explain to GERMANY’S citizens why it is in their interest to show economic solidarity with the most fragile countries of EUROPE. Democracy, as it is understood today, is based on leaders who follow popular feelings not on leaders who feel their duty to push their electors towards a world of vision and challenges.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The summit was also obliged to accept the blackmail of BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron: either you maintain the subsidies that then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher obtained in 1973, when you insisted that we join EUROPE (which makes BRITAIN a net recipient of EUROPEAN money), or we will block the EUROPEAN budget. This is because the anti-EUROPE electorate in BRITAIN is growing and Cameron could not afford to appear weak. But Cameron was one of the strongest proponents of the subsidy for the banks, and no wonder: the financial system now accounts for 10% of the BRITISH gross domestic product (GDP)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">KEY WESTERN POWERS UNWILLINGNESS TO PLACE BANKS UNDER CONTROL AND REACT TO THEIR STRINGS OF CRIMES</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is a very curious situation, in which not only has EUROPE spent several hundred billion dollars for its banks, it has even invited the <a href="http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm"><span style="color: blue;">International Monetary Fund</span></a> (whose controlling member is the UNITED STATES) to join the EUROPEAN Institutions and manage the EUROPEAN crisis. And, in an unprecedented sign of independence and resistance to the UNITED STATES, EUROPE has rejected AMERICAN calls for reducing austerity and starting policies of growth as Washington and Tokyo have been doing, so far with proven success.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless, what is common to the three most powerful players in the West (UNITED STATES, EUROPE and JAPAN) has been their inability – and unwillingness – to place banks under control and react to their strings of crimes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Central bankers from the entire world join in the <a href="http://www.bis.org/"><span style="color: blue;">Bank for International Settlements</span></a> (BIS) based in Basel. Now its <a href="http://www.bis.org/bcbs/"><span style="color: blue;">Basel Committee on Banking Supervision</span></a>, headed by the governor of the SWEDISH Central Bank, Stefan Ingves, has come up with a proposal that would finally subject EUROPEAN banks to balance their capital with the volume of financial operations deemed feasible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘REVOLUTIONARY’ PROPOSAL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This ‘revolutionary’ proposal calls a relationship of 3 percent, meaning that the banks would need to hold about 1 euro in capital for every 33 euro in risk or other financial exposures. Obviously, of course, if a bank sustains a loss higher than 3%, it would require the state to eliminate the deficit in order to save the institution. Well, even this bland proposal has been received with a howl of protest from many banks, claiming that they would have great difficulty in raising capital.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">UNDER THE OLD CAPITALIST ECONOMY, NO ENTERPRISE WOULD RUN WITHOUT CAPITAL ADEQUATE TO ITS NEED. </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today we have a new branch of economy, which wants to play without capital, and expects the state to bail it out if anything goes wrong. Here are some of the many wrongdoings by banks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On April 28, 2002, then New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, on behalf of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), won a lawsuit ordering 10 U.S. banks to pay 1.4 billion dollars in compensation and fines because of fraudulent activities. One year later, the SEC discovered that 13 out of 15 financial institutions randomly investigated were guilty of fraud. In 2010, Goldman Sachs agreed to a fine of 550 million dollars to avoid a trial for fraud. In July last year, the U.S. Senate presented a 335-page report on the BRITISH bank HSBC, the largest in EUROPE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the years it helped drug dealers and criminals recycle illicit money. For example, the bank sent 60 billion dollars in cash by road or plane from the accounts of MEXICAN drug dealers to its New York Branch. The fine was 1.9 billion dollars. In November 2012, SAC Capital was fined 600 million dollars, and in the same month the second BRITISH bank, Standard Chartered, was fined 667 million dollars. In February this year, Barclays Bank announced that it had set aside 1.165 billion euro to face fines for “illicit transactions” (the bank is now under investigation for a very dubious capital increase of 8.4 billion euro in 2008). And in March this year, Citigroup accepted a fine of 730 million dollars for “selling investments based on junk to unsuspecting clients”. These are just a few of the most clamorous cases, and there are many, many more, involving even the JAPANESE bank Nomura.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CURRENT CRISIS TRIGGERED IN THE USA BY ITS 10 LARGEST BANKS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We all know that the crisis in which we find ourselves (which, for the optimists, will end in 2020 and for the pessimists in 2025) was triggered in the UNITED STATES by the 10 largest banks which decided to sell derivatives based on junk and certified by the Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s rating agencies. U.S. taxpayers “donated” 750,000 million dollars to the banks, while the BRITISH did the same for HSBC, Royal Bank of SCOTLAND, Barclays Bank and Northern Rock.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-highlight: yellow;">While this financial disaster was happening, the ‘Big Five’ (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Bearn Sterns) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">paid their executives 3 billion dollars between 2003 and 2007, And, in 2008</b>, they received 20 billion dollars in bonuses while their banks were losing 42 billion dollars.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of this was certified by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, which control 75% of the world market. Now Standard & Poor’s has been requested to pay 500 million dollars. But what about the million people who lost their job, the millions of young people without a future? It’s always the same old story: if you steal bread, you go to jail, but if you steal millions, nothing will happen to you … and if you steal millions in a bank, even less reason to worry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meanwhile, back at the summit table, the priority for survival is to allocate taxpayers’ money, even if all talk about youth unemployment. After all, what really matters is that leaders will be re-elected.</span></div>

EUROPE AND ITS YOUTH: A TICKING TIME BOMB?

BANKS COUNT TEN TIMES MORE THAN EUROPE’S YOUTH  By Roberto Savio via IDN Youth At the last summit of EUROPEAN heads of state in Brussels, t...

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Today's Teamster News 07.29.13

<a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teamsters-on-strike-against-gold-cross-ambulance-217292341.html" rel="nofollow">Teamsters On Strike Against Gold Cross Ambulance</a>  Local 542   ..."It is the hope of Teamsters Local 542 that the company realizes the danger that their actions and position has put the residents of the Imperial County in and that they come back to the table with an offer for their employees that will end this strike as soon as possible..."<br /><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Exclusive-4-in-5-in-US-face-near-poverty-no-work-4691668.php" rel="nofollow">Exclusive: Signs of declining economic security </a> Associated Press   ...Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream...<br /><a href="http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/us-multinationals-were-hiring-mad-2011abroad">U.S. Multinationals Were Hiring Like Mad in 2011...Abroad</a>   Economic Populist   ...we have a 0.1% increase in hiring for jobs in the United States while MNCs (multinational corporations) increased their hiring abroad by 4.4%...<br /><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/26/2359781/report-canceling-sequestration-could-add-up-to-16-million-jobs/" rel="nofollow">REPORT: Canceling Sequestration Could Add Up To 1.6 Million Jobs</a>  ThinkPtogress   ...Fully canceling sequestration at the beginning of August would likely add 900,000 jobs to the economy but could add up to as many as 1.6 million, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office...<br /><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2013/07/the-bogus-high-tech-worker-sho.html" rel="nofollow">The Bogus High-Tech Worker Shortage: How Guest Workers Lower US Wages</a>  PBS Newshour   ...When Bill Clinton was president, wages for American IT workers were climbing and American students were clamoring to become computer scientists. Fifteen years later, average real IT wages are no higher. It is no coincidence that high-tech industries are now using guest workers to fill two-thirds of new IT jobs...<br /><a href="http://www.mintpressnews.com/its-been-a-busy-week-of-protests-in-america-teachers-pensions-minimum-wage/165977/" rel="nofollow">It’s Been A Busy Week Of Protests In America: Teachers, Pensions, Minimum Wage…</a>  Mint Press News   ...Detroit is bankrupt, Chicago just layed off 2,100 teachers, and California Wal-Mart workers are on strike. Across the U.S., a growing number of Americans are fed up with low pay and spending cuts that are touted as a panacea for budget deficit and years of overspending by American cities...<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-protest-wells-fargo-san-marino-20130727,0,5806249.story" rel="nofollow">Activists protest outside Wells Fargo executive's San Marino home</a>  Los Angeles Times   ...About 70 anti-foreclosure activists gathered Saturday afternoon outside the San Marino home of Wells Fargo Chief Financial Officer Tim Sloan, testing a city law against political protest in residential areas that was enacted after a previous demonstration at the bank executive’s house...<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/sunday-review/fighting-back-against-wretched-wages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" rel="nofollow">Fighting Back Against Wretched Wages</a>  New York Times   ...More walkouts are expected at fast-food restaurants in seven cities on Monday...<br /><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/22/2336241/prince-william-paid-paternity-leave-royal-baby/">Unlike American Parents, Prince William Gets Paid Paternity Leave After The Royal Baby Is Born</a>  ThinkProgress   ...the U.K. guarantees a weekly sum of £136.78 (equivalent to $209.78) or 90 percent of a father’s average weekly earnings – whichever is lower – for the duration of leave...<br /><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/07/28/2366711/governor-admits-he-does-not-know-enough-about-the-voter-suppression-bill-hes-about-to-sign/" rel="nofollow">Governor Admits He ‘Does Not Know Enough’ About The Voter Suppression Bill He’s About To Sign</a>  ThinkProgress   ...North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) said Friday he would sign a bill passed by the North Carolina legislature that would become the most suppressive voting law in the nation...<br /><a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jessica_vanegeren/solidarity-sing-along-crowd-grows-as-arrests-continue-at-wisconsin/article_cbd3dc63-c23f-5cc3-8901-2166614f10b5.html">Solidarity Sing Along crowd grows as arrests continue at Wisconsin Capitol</a>  The Cap Times   ...Arrests of protesters continued for the third straight day Friday at the state Capitol, suggesting a renewed effort by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration to silence the ad-hoc “Solidarity Sing Along” group is doing little to stop the daily event...<br /><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/27/1227043/-Let-Me-Show-You-Why-People-Support-Scott-Walker" rel="nofollow">Let Me Show You Why People Support Scott Walker</a>  Daily Kos   ...Propaganda disguised as news...<br /><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/313921-lew-no-federal-bailout-for-detroit-" rel="nofollow">Lew: No federal bailout for Detroit</a>  The Hill   ...Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Sunday defended the administration’s decision not to help bail out Detroit, saying that the city would need to negotiate its own resolution with creditors...<br /><a href="http://truth-out.org/news/item/17808-california-hunger-strikers-enter-third-week-face-retaliation" rel="nofollow">California Hunger Strikers Enter Third Week, Face Retaliation</a>  Truth-out   ...The strike encompassed people in two-thirds of California's state prisons and four out-of-state private prisons contracted by California...

Today's Teamster News 07.29.13

Teamsters On Strike Against Gold Cross Ambulance  Local 542   ..."It is the hope of Teamsters Local 542 that the company realizes the ...

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Weekend catch up

On Saturday we had breakfast in the Fumbally Cafe.  We went for the eggs as usual and they were as good as always.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKo2zwrpBD5wY_uuBUa-xDb1APlwLXOk3IkU9ODUhJ_2219ck2Qf8p_NH6ERkvVbctpXMzI0fnTwLyVpqKDEGhHG-LO1Uq4J22aRLtQwUZ4wahgSFniE38_mJ62Qd6njR60BFdIvemgj9/s640/blogger-image-1272850682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKo2zwrpBD5wY_uuBUa-xDb1APlwLXOk3IkU9ODUhJ_2219ck2Qf8p_NH6ERkvVbctpXMzI0fnTwLyVpqKDEGhHG-LO1Uq4J22aRLtQwUZ4wahgSFniE38_mJ62Qd6njR60BFdIvemgj9/s640/blogger-image-1272850682.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After breakfast we dropped the dog home and went back in to the city.  Ciaran went to Jack's Barbers on Montague Street, just off Camden Street. I sauntered up Camden street and checked out a few shops while Ciaran was getting his hair done.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxv1VZ2gRJchFIP_2-PqdEqgSfrlkVNNM3kYAMg604IJAsIIJEEU_0zsRvK6Ulheg_BbL_vbYYN7RGSOR4JsXAEuPlmVofT-Q7QDF25ICsQwYLEVQCXiy4ys84-kL2Vc2kIhv-ZzuEf7Q/s640/blogger-image--305770848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxv1VZ2gRJchFIP_2-PqdEqgSfrlkVNNM3kYAMg604IJAsIIJEEU_0zsRvK6Ulheg_BbL_vbYYN7RGSOR4JsXAEuPlmVofT-Q7QDF25ICsQwYLEVQCXiy4ys84-kL2Vc2kIhv-ZzuEf7Q/s640/blogger-image--305770848.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrHFzBHS3WD-BWswu8Ukz49hK-U9otLg0Li69q447XcQ7Yr9ImDZ7fiCQnC0dMVP5qKSnlQkrBkl4XMPrAjip0fERYh4MOK-9NMktJdpfnbJbDwF_zQ9MdRuh_xDY1WpL2nSmzziL_3Zj/s640/blogger-image--646818007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrHFzBHS3WD-BWswu8Ukz49hK-U9otLg0Li69q447XcQ7Yr9ImDZ7fiCQnC0dMVP5qKSnlQkrBkl4XMPrAjip0fERYh4MOK-9NMktJdpfnbJbDwF_zQ9MdRuh_xDY1WpL2nSmzziL_3Zj/s640/blogger-image--646818007.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>How pretty are these flowers which were on sale from a stall on the street.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsQgi56voUoWILwE64UO8jh9J-N1MmBYR7Az68O87tYP2lM8i1-XK1b9La4SemTxVKZAWgsCZClQjWocRn4e5lKymU9uPDVbvE2c3wCuVKA_zYobgkVe2zuakPtGk94Qe1NszxSj6ldJs/s640/blogger-image-1572140204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsQgi56voUoWILwE64UO8jh9J-N1MmBYR7Az68O87tYP2lM8i1-XK1b9La4SemTxVKZAWgsCZClQjWocRn4e5lKymU9uPDVbvE2c3wCuVKA_zYobgkVe2zuakPtGk94Qe1NszxSj6ldJs/s640/blogger-image-1572140204.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I popped in to this health store <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomOfXxNAcpyow1C5laC3j4Pg_tpMiJednadzjyQ58Y7acAKj1joN7tk8fuFydHCb3Rlz7mQSeQrmI7phuQYQdki-KQhiSDz1twvYrxOTnZWK_Oc-ICZnK4UcDg2G0HCyvidtVxdFoHTgF/s640/blogger-image--1574350663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomOfXxNAcpyow1C5laC3j4Pg_tpMiJednadzjyQ58Y7acAKj1joN7tk8fuFydHCb3Rlz7mQSeQrmI7phuQYQdki-KQhiSDz1twvYrxOTnZWK_Oc-ICZnK4UcDg2G0HCyvidtVxdFoHTgF/s640/blogger-image--1574350663.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>and got some Belgian chocolate covered pumpkin seeds (they were not too nice) and a Salt of the Earth natural deodorant - I'll report back whether it is effective.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6H_rn-YYOClCIKVE4ATOW2N6qVvX5St7cIcKALgu3xhm7eBLFploO7jRwRMCRF6etakFPC5_y6x-urnZGPsFScOm7sJQwqh95IRME0utm7SwTnoBtw5r3mqHtb527ISpKLc_Zpj6p4D0/s640/blogger-image-707186038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6H_rn-YYOClCIKVE4ATOW2N6qVvX5St7cIcKALgu3xhm7eBLFploO7jRwRMCRF6etakFPC5_y6x-urnZGPsFScOm7sJQwqh95IRME0utm7SwTnoBtw5r3mqHtb527ISpKLc_Zpj6p4D0/s640/blogger-image-707186038.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROKwGo_j8MEmZIsoc6Xk83IniDiL7cPhje-DO-j-yf_p6F-xEKiqiwhtY3VeyzYvDolzpE9MdgCQU-sBPiISUc-jOmwFl_VQsxcmgDAet97EmCA4uuLuzxtqoF5vE3DKRTunWSOtRskgp/s640/blogger-image--905552432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROKwGo_j8MEmZIsoc6Xk83IniDiL7cPhje-DO-j-yf_p6F-xEKiqiwhtY3VeyzYvDolzpE9MdgCQU-sBPiISUc-jOmwFl_VQsxcmgDAet97EmCA4uuLuzxtqoF5vE3DKRTunWSOtRskgp/s640/blogger-image--905552432.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>

Weekend catch up

On Saturday we had breakfast in the Fumbally Cafe.  We went for the eggs as usual and they were as good as always. After breakfast we droppe...

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Sequels & Reboots Still Driving Box Office

<div class="MsoNormal">I know what you’re thinking, movie sequels and reboots of the same old franchises are popping up everywhere.  However, it seems like the only ones to blame for the glut of same old same old at the cinema is the ones buying the tickets in the first place.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to feel bad for Hollywood when the top five movies this year have grossed <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2013&p=.htm">around $1.5 billion domestically</a>, according to Box Office Mojo, but taking a closer look at those top five films and an interesting phenomenon occurs.  “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2,” “Man of Steel,” “Monsters University,” and “Fast & Furious 6” are all sequels (or at least based on enough material to be considered additional films in a franchise).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">While enough general belly aching occurs when audiences see the 2’s and 3’s (let alone 6’s) pop up behind films, it is hard to blame movie makers for going after the low hanging fruit.  Not that individual films are doing that poorly.  That same chart puts “Oz: The Great and Powerful” at nearly $234 million dollars, but it had enough sentimental appeal from another film released decades earlier, but it also includes “Now You See Me” with a domestic gross at almost $115 million, not a bad number by any stretch of the imagination.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Now You See Me” had a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1670345/">budget of around $75 million</a>according to IMDB.com, and Tony Stark’s latest outing had a budget of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300854/?ref_=sr_1">around $200 million</a>.  Would you rather put your  money in a place where it will earn $40 million or $207 million (not including international money)?  Easy answer huh?  Back the superhero in a metal suit every time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So while some viewers (myself included) might be wondering if Hollywood has anything new to say, movie goers themselves are to blame for the onslaught of sequels and the beating of dead horses, because in the end we are responsible for the box office grosses of these films, DVD sales, and whatever other merchandise we pick up.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">The sequel fever doesn’t really get much better for the rest of the year because “Smurfs 2,” “Thor 2,” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” are all slated to release later this year, and it is hard to imagine that one or two of them will not make the top five grossers of the year.<o:p></o:p></div>

highest grossing summer movie sequel fever too many sequels Sequels & Reboots Still Driving Box Office

I know what you’re thinking, movie sequels and reboots of the same old franchises are popping up everywhere.  However, it seems like the onl...

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Free Virtual School Chemistry Resources for you

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE have an update from Frederic and Malik two of the international speakers at our SchoolNet Conference in July this year. They run the Virtual School in the UK </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Dear teacher friends in South Africa,<u></u><u></u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope you are all doing great and, after having talked at length about #OER (Open Educational Resources) at the SchoolNet conference a couple of weeks ago we now want to start sharing with you the work that we are doing ourselves.<u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of you may not know yet what we are trying to achieve with our OER project 'The Virtual School' - we want to create 3600 free videos for secondary education in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, English and ICT literacy within the next 2-3 years. We have already created 300 videos accesible totally free here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/virtualschooluk/videos" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>user/virtualschooluk/videos</a><u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently and during the next two months, with our talented young design team [watch them introduce themselves here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZId1Jmwpz4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>watch?v=UZId1Jmwpz4</a>] we are working on the chemistry curriculum, and we have a growing playlist of videos here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?feature=edit_ok&list=PLW0gavSzhMlReKGMVfUt6YuNQsO0bqSMV" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>playlist?feature=edit_ok&list=<wbr></wbr>PLW0gavSzhMlReKGMVfUt6YuNQsO0b<wbr></wbr>qSMV</a>. The other subjects will follow thereafter.<u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are hoping that you can all share the chemistry playlist, which will be growing by over 150 videos in the next few months, with the teachers at your science department and at the science departments at fellow schools. <u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would also be fantastic if you could give us feedback on these videos, be it via email or with comments under the YouTube videos.<u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you who want to download the videos for offline use you can use a download tool like Keepvid: <a href="http://keepvid.com/" target="_blank">http://keepvid.com/</a> [<wbr></wbr>you can watch a tutorial here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35myFjW_axY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>watch?v=35myFjW_axY</a>].</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u></u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the very best from London from Malik, myself and our team,<u></u><u></u></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Freddy"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UZId1Jmwpz4" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/35myFjW_axY" width="420"></iframe></div>

Resources Free Virtual School Chemistry Resources for you

WE have an update from Frederic and Malik two of the international speakers at our SchoolNet Conference in July this year. They run the Virt...

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Gleanings from ISTE #2: Microsoft at ISTE 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">It was such a great experience to visit ISTE in San Antonio this June. Microsoft was one of the Level 1 sponsors so I thought I would write a post especially about their generosity to teachers at ISTE 2013</span></div><br /><h2 style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PRYXhLHJttAtPLVzGBNU1VDA3LZdSHTuK1ihqu-f8tb_zTcG5gWNpktrZlPA6NBwPb_3xlJNthjY3zJBc2QElOKRgo206fgKeYmi_2rHqOouQ5FBi7zl7-gX-j_EspnApPSqD8mr-e0/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PRYXhLHJttAtPLVzGBNU1VDA3LZdSHTuK1ihqu-f8tb_zTcG5gWNpktrZlPA6NBwPb_3xlJNthjY3zJBc2QElOKRgo206fgKeYmi_2rHqOouQ5FBi7zl7-gX-j_EspnApPSqD8mr-e0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The BIGGEST thing about Microsoft at ISTE was their extreme generosity in giving out 10,000 Surface tablets (or was it 11,000) to the registered attendees. Can you imagine the excitement about this as the Surface is said to be a tablet AND a laptop – something really new! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">A great thing about the Surface tablet is that Office 2013 RT is freely available on it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Of course Microsoft wasn't just dishing these out randomly to anyone that asked for one - a lot of thought had been put into it, prearrangements had to be made,  and there were conditions attached. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbK2HymY9werTfx3_g4feDhbz9JFJlpHpe431wBcjqzqhNWQfB_kaet-srPqF3F3yy2oSvbRz-tYNNztZ5jUweC8rrAeyB7Eq6bF5-MJ1SV24ryqvDZb82SJVX8P0xZZOSLMXjS0ueqM/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbK2HymY9werTfx3_g4feDhbz9JFJlpHpe431wBcjqzqhNWQfB_kaet-srPqF3F3yy2oSvbRz-tYNNztZ5jUweC8rrAeyB7Eq6bF5-MJ1SV24ryqvDZb82SJVX8P0xZZOSLMXjS0ueqM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="240" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">1) The tablets were for the school that the attendee represented and this had to be pre-arranged before ISTE via a letter signed by the principal of the school.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2) The recipients had to be prepared to be involved in the Windows in the Classroom Experience Project whereby they discussed and contributed their classroom activities and lesson plans on how to use Windows in the Classroom  on the Partners in Learning Network, and showed the teachers at their schools what was available on the Partners in Learning network. The recipients would also</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> join the Microsoft in Education newsletter and receive additional training resources.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In my mind I can see the Partners in Learning Network becoming an exceptional resource for teachers around the world with great technology integration activities of every type freely available. It is REALLY worth joining that network. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">During ISTE participants were invited to </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">hands-on demonstrations and training in Microsoft’s Learning Lounge in Exhibit Hall D Room 1A during exhibit hall hours.  Those who were offered Surface tables were also pointed to the support offered. They could </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">visit the </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/surface-with-windows-rt/home" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">Surface web site</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> to download the </span><a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/D/4/BD44C612-D08E-4586-9345-ACA8AB978BC8/Surface%20RT%20User%20Guide_Final.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">Surface RT User Guide</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">, </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/register" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">register your Surface</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">, and find </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/home" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">support</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I unfortunately didn't get to join one of the hands-on experiences on shows how to use Windows 8, Microsoft Office, and Windows Phone to enhance teaching and learning but I constantly took a walk to see what was happening in the Microsoft Lounge. I could see that it was interactive, experiential, and fun and there was a great, excited buzz. </span></span></div><h2><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVShhrwWtCXhUDFHza1QO4pCiy5r-UK-Slp0XOZcyM2u0QvH4R-EO1Up53ATxKWVc8UPlX0fI_Tb0xvr3zfR4383H_MqwkBB3j08xkihsOHE5NIsbAsV6xFrxdOU9ebbMlTVKTXucjbwk/s1600-h/20130623_173333%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="20130623_173333" border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofA3tFdMBiIBaM2Yuwf3Qsc3as05cXFFLm-335XhyphenhyphenIm3aCZ5dRi8kc4qGCHdJGUgKeTkrKoO3w92BwjeUa8rgsYcYcT95d4VQPnNyoM_uzPTUvwBG7Cwj_vkNIWv-fCGH0woCj2AR3oI/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20130623_173333" width="244" /></span></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrUDAMJEo3A2iI7Ekchxv9meG0dU1fcQ0wRvoVU5mcS20ty3sr4LztPxw4U1scYJPSj-oeHv5eeDIR74IvUJTaTeT4I-tAIXx-gCGofyX_rxYxBVDcYMc-VBjagv0IL0hEnRYEsng1Gs/s1600-h/20130623_173600%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="20130623_173600" border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMWScY-aMH50ssvjlEUQ8rc5ve7wLbtkbuJACBt31LOaM5wzDUvFgtn6XueBoyQCaEwwsiFaLltymyJ13feXXVBmo9Ik1usHoJ19mBHmpCNZDqlqBHligO-30zp7pEwhvztlzQZ56qcU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20130623_173600" width="244" /></span></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Looking around – the new Surface</span></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Volunteers helping with setup</span></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6KMFh0CMEvxM1Jd_TDMHFYBLsJrLdpdB7jrx-JJN2qjlJjykwedwFyWQYZi3SdpWPNScrnvWPK97YYt_OpHmWyawlzUWLQDjHuC4YC989TKsbXIZqgSbEsAJYdIY8g8Aj7hU-xGCJjA/s1600-h/20130623_172721%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="20130623_172721" border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBjTN2O5xQUMPOWdIwFK0YbFhLrRQqAIqQX1oQfFNc1LwTPH0AzWaEpxkGUvg4RHZyD8NRWpleTlTZmDt5gfY4Jpcqon8fFLOGDz1WMjLSFGr_2YeYGoWmY_4OFrlincakiYzX8PeL2A/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20130623_172721" width="244" /></span></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBZ5HTSLnqZlXeESiIikHT_JPwukQ3oOC6WD2CPkwWXxJ0OBmsqc98kCcZRoCecfK3ajIQJW2hHYooIDSo6xgGiHfCA_2_zV-vsqIdvZNSmHZ8b6zMvb7kzy1e5XSB2_qg3DIR0MNS98/s1600-h/20130623_180730%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="20130623_180730" border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQq_GmWaEJb1Sy1FJ5wpz7Iyz9atQx-xiCGrvfDeX-5Wp5HspVa_Nl89Q3cDKluj_gXH7tH1EWwSOgxUoB6CKL1VTK4nva9TK5SVC81AO0hNxq0k61hDVWcnxv1i7w4ZyZIJn9V072vA/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20130623_180730" width="244" /></span></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Videos dotted around explaining Windows 8</span></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">People gathered in groups looking at their new Surface machines</span></td></tr></tbody></table></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Why don't you join the Partners in Learning Network today if you haven't already done so? You'll be amazed at the magnitude of the free resources, the ideas, the discussions, and the great network of educators from around the world that you can collaborate with. </span></span></div></div>

conferences Gleanings from ISTE #2: Microsoft at ISTE 2013

It was such a great experience to visit ISTE in San Antonio this June. Microsoft was one of the Level 1 sponsors so I thought I would write ...

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Cable TV...Parade of Stupid

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cheers Chuckleheads!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_u4ddThMEUVw_vgGfbNkM_b6Nw5cqv2-1MfElanzxgWcu8-nLDV288TCEJGJGcNWLzhgZIJ1M2M_4ebnW3O8hqr0fqb9m9u1qCEdeOLkXDwQwZ_J4HW0z0ASKMO8MLSgwgJSwO_jOKk/s1600/Melissa+Harris-Perry+Idiot+Tampon+Earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_u4ddThMEUVw_vgGfbNkM_b6Nw5cqv2-1MfElanzxgWcu8-nLDV288TCEJGJGcNWLzhgZIJ1M2M_4ebnW3O8hqr0fqb9m9u1qCEdeOLkXDwQwZ_J4HW0z0ASKMO8MLSgwgJSwO_jOKk/s400/Melissa+Harris-Perry+Idiot+Tampon+Earrings.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Yesterday, after broadcasting along with Jayman yet<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/07/28/sexy-sexting-show" target="_blank">another award winning episode of I’m With Stupid</a></span> on Blog Talk Radio which revolved around all the sexting scandals and bad behavior that is transpiring in our society, I took a nap.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Okay…I ate a humongous double fish sandwich lovingly prepared by my friends at Rally’s, and then took a nap, but nonetheless…<br /><br />When I awoke, I was thinking more seriously about Weinergate, Sanfordgate, Geraldogate, and said to myself…<br /><br /><i>“You know Matt-Man…Old men texting pics of themselves and speaking illicitly to young women, and knowing that old women do the same thing with younger men.  That‘s funny shit right there.”</i><br /><br />And then I remembered something that Noel Paul Stookey, the Paul of Peter, Paul, and Dead Mary fame, said years ago; something to the effect…<br /><br /><i>“As far as magazines go, we used to have LIFE, and then…we had People…after that, came Us…before you know it, we will have a magazine called, Me.  It will be a magazine cover with a mirror on it.”</i><br /><br />Good ol’ Paul was not too far off.<br /><br />We do have a magazine called Me, but instead of it being constucted of paper, print, and staples, it comes in the form of the internet…in the form of Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, 24/7 Cable News, radio, and to the chagrin of the masses who listen to our radio show, in the form of Blog Talk Radio, and a myriad of other social media outlets.<br /><br />Oh Dear God…<br /><br />MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry puts a syllabus up on her Facebook page before her show that nobody watches.  And why would they?  Who wants to watch a show anchored by a somewhat black chick pretentious professor of color who talks and talks, says nothing, and wears tampon earrings?<br /><br />Rachel Maddow is one who digs deep into the facts, yet, she only reports the facts that agree with her own sensibilities.<br /><br />And of course there is Chris Matthews and Al Sharpton…Chris wants to make love to the President and Sharpton wants more from the President.<br /><br />On the other hand…<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUUFeS3Q9LvqhR4EF0XagMn6JxB__WIun_Y4WVXRiv0UCmL1sl_GjUbgpo3f88D7wv-IxMZWMSLcFM5C9YsivJxGAWIp290jPzI9BgHLC1bWvqrMupNUWinRYixI3vA2AQODt8DeIofU/s1600/Sean+Hannity+Fox+News+Asshole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUUFeS3Q9LvqhR4EF0XagMn6JxB__WIun_Y4WVXRiv0UCmL1sl_GjUbgpo3f88D7wv-IxMZWMSLcFM5C9YsivJxGAWIp290jPzI9BgHLC1bWvqrMupNUWinRYixI3vA2AQODt8DeIofU/s400/Sean+Hannity+Fox+News+Asshole.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Over at FOX NEWS and the right wing media circus.<br /><br />Every morning as the rooster crows, Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and avant-garde MENSA President Gretchen Carlson level words of vitriol against President Obama for things like not paying for the penicillin to treat the gonorrhea of one, Lance Corporal Joe Middle America which he contracted during a stay in a Dhaka hotel with a Bangledeshi hooker.<br /><br />Herman Cain has a radio show and he talks about repealing “Obamacare.”  He doesn’t talk solutions, but he does talk repealing.<br /><br />Rush Limbaugh talks about how Obama is the worst President in history, and that the morals of this country have gone down hill.  And then? He goes home to his third wife, and smacks his nanny/drug mule on the ass and berates her for being too slow with the goods.<br /><br />Sean Hannity may be the best of all.  For three weeks he has talked about the travesty of the Trayvon Martn case, Obama’s socialism, and how white people are looked upon funny, and yet?<br /><br />He cries a sparrow’s cry and weeps because our country is so divided, and he doesn’t understand why.<br /><br />Here’s the thing…<br /><br />Just like Weiner, Geraldo, and Sanford who immersed themselves into their own egos, lusts, and fully exposed themselves for the world to see, the people who cover these people and their stories, do it on a daily basis.<br /><br />Lispy Girl, Maddow, Limbaugh, and Hannity…none of them give a fuck about making a difference, they just as does Anthony Weiner, want their numbers to shoot up.<br /><br />Those media clowns are no different than the legislators that we elect, and the legislators that when indifferent to their agenda, they rail against on air.<br /><br />Just as a, I’m going to change the world, bright-eyed politician wins his first seat, over time, he or she  makes it about him or herself, and so do broadcasters.<br /><br />After all, politicians aren’t there to help you out.  They’re there to get re-elected.  And broadcasters?<br /><br />They aren't there to inform you.  They are there to get renewed.<br /><br />But....If you want to hear great journalism and funny stuff...Listen to I'm With Stupid which aired LIVE yesterday and we talked SEXTING!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="http://player.cinchcast.com/?show_id=5185789&platformId=1&assetType=single" width="400"></iframe><br /></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><br /></div><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br />Matt-Man<br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mattmaniws" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Matt’s Facebook Page</span></a></div>

Cable TV...Parade of Stupid

Cheers Chuckleheads!! Yesterday, after broadcasting along with Jayman yet another award winning episode of I’m With Stupid on Blog Talk Ra...

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