Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Keep me at safe distance
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When in fact it's you that need to have me near
I will follow you wherever you may be
Can you feel the heat of passion
Slow down so I can smell the roses
You're more than just a one night stand
No one can stop us from having it all
Put tomorrow's cares right out of your mind
I'm ready for you
I will follow you wherever you may be
Can you feel the heat of passion
Slow down so I can smell the roses
You're more than just a one night stand
No one can stop us from having it all
Put tomorrow's cares right out of your mind
I'm ready for you
Friday, August 7, 2009
I'm pregnant
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Hi guys,
I'm pregnant. That's why I haven't updated my blog for a while. I think I should avoid computer and stress. They're not good for my baby. David and I are just overjoyed and we cannot wait until October 28 to meet our little peanut.
I'll be back soon !
I'm pregnant. That's why I haven't updated my blog for a while. I think I should avoid computer and stress. They're not good for my baby. David and I are just overjoyed and we cannot wait until October 28 to meet our little peanut.
I'll be back soon !
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cuba agrees to resume talks with the Obama administration
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Cuba has agreed to resume talks with the Obama administration on legal immigration of Cubans to the United States and direct mail service between the two countries, a State Department official said Sunday.
The announcement came as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to attend Tuesday's Organization of American States (OAS) general assembly in Honduras, where Washington and its southern neighbors have been caught in a row over the pace of normalization with Cuba.
The Cuban government informed Washington on Saturday that it "would like to resume migration talks.... (and) engage in talks on direct mail service," the senior State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
"We and the Cubans have to determine a mutually convenient place and time," he added.
The official said the Cubans "also indicated they would like to explore areas of additional dialogue," such as in counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, hurricane and disaster preparedness response.
US officials said May 23 that the Obama administration had proposed to resume the discussions on migration issues, which had been conducted every two years until they were suspended in 2003 by former president George W. Bush.
In April, President Barack Obama rescinded restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans with family there and on the amount of money they can send to their relatives on the island.
The latest development comes ahead of Clinton's participation at a meeting Tuesday in Honduras where Cuba's possible readmission to the Organization of American States is expected to be discussed.
U.S. officials say they are ready to support lifting the resolution that suspended Cuba from the 34-country group. But they insist on linking the island's readmission to democratic reforms under a charter the organization adopted in 2001.
"This is going to be a complicated challenge for her (Clinton) to deal with," said Michael Shifter, an analyst for the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank.
"I sense the Obama people are a little bit nervous. I think they're aware that it's a minefield, Cuba," said Shifter.
Clinton was preparing to leave Sunday for El Salvador to attend Monday's inauguration of Mauricio Funes, the first stop on a two-country tour.
Gay Radar : Eduardo Tesch
The announcement came as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to attend Tuesday's Organization of American States (OAS) general assembly in Honduras, where Washington and its southern neighbors have been caught in a row over the pace of normalization with Cuba.
The Cuban government informed Washington on Saturday that it "would like to resume migration talks.... (and) engage in talks on direct mail service," the senior State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
"We and the Cubans have to determine a mutually convenient place and time," he added.
The official said the Cubans "also indicated they would like to explore areas of additional dialogue," such as in counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, hurricane and disaster preparedness response.
US officials said May 23 that the Obama administration had proposed to resume the discussions on migration issues, which had been conducted every two years until they were suspended in 2003 by former president George W. Bush.
In April, President Barack Obama rescinded restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans with family there and on the amount of money they can send to their relatives on the island.
The latest development comes ahead of Clinton's participation at a meeting Tuesday in Honduras where Cuba's possible readmission to the Organization of American States is expected to be discussed.
U.S. officials say they are ready to support lifting the resolution that suspended Cuba from the 34-country group. But they insist on linking the island's readmission to democratic reforms under a charter the organization adopted in 2001.
"This is going to be a complicated challenge for her (Clinton) to deal with," said Michael Shifter, an analyst for the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank.
"I sense the Obama people are a little bit nervous. I think they're aware that it's a minefield, Cuba," said Shifter.
Clinton was preparing to leave Sunday for El Salvador to attend Monday's inauguration of Mauricio Funes, the first stop on a two-country tour.
Gay Radar : Eduardo Tesch
Monday, May 25, 2009
President Barack Obama sought to dodge racial controversy on Memorial Day, military chiefs back Obama on Guantanamo
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President Obama sought to dodge racial controversy on Memorial Day, sending wreaths to a monument for Confederate soldiers and other flowers to a memorial honoring more than 200,000 African-Americans who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
Barack Obama planned to continue tradition and have aides leave a wreath at the Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, the 600-acre site that once was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's estate. But the White House also will send a wreath to the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington's historically black U Street neighborhood.
Presidents traditionally visit Arlington to personally leave a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a marble structure housing the remains of unidentified U.S. military members who died during war. Presidents then have aides deliver wreaths to other memorials or monuments, generally including the Confederate memorial.
But a group of about 60 professors last week sent a petition to the White House asking Obama to avoid a memorial for Confederate military members who died during the war between the North and the South.
The Arlington Confederate Monument is a denial of the wrong committed against African-Americans by slave owners, Confederates and neo-Confederates, through the monument's denial of slavery as the cause of secession and its holding up of Confederates as heroes," the petition said. "This implies that the humanity of Africans and African-Americans is of no significance."
"President Obama, why not send two wreaths?" Kirk Savage, an art history professor at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post. "One to the Confederate Memorial in Arlington Cemetery and another to the African American Civil War Memorial in the District, which commemorates the 200,000 black soldiers who fought for liberation from slavery in the Union armed forces."
The White House hoped to sidestep the distraction and spend Obama's first Memorial Day as president speaking in honor of the nation's veterans and their families. He scheduled a private breakfast at the White House with family members who had lost loved ones in war.
In person, Obama planned to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and then speak about the nation's military members who died in battle.
"This is not only a time for celebration, it is also a time to reflect on what this holiday is all about; to pay tribute to our fallen heroes; and to remember the servicemen and women who cannot be with us this year because they are standing post far from home — in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world," Obama said during his weekly radio and Internet address ahead of the holiday.
Obama and his wife, Michelle, have made veterans and military families a priority during his young administration. Obama's budget proposed the largest single-year funding increase in the last three decades to revamp the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Our fighting men and women — and the military families who love them — embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us," Obama said during his radio address.
"And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear — and all who have worn — the proud uniform of our country."
The president also plans to send flowers to the USS Maine Memorial and the Spanish American War Memorial.
Meanwhile, Obama has gained support for closing Guantanamo from current and former military leaders despite opposition in Congress to moving "war on terror" suspects to the United States.
Colin Powell, the former secretary of state and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in Republican administrations, and Admiral Michael Mullen, the current military chief, said Sunday that the "war on terror" prison should be closed.
"I felt Guantanamo should be closed for the past six years, and I lobbied and presented reasons to president (George W.) Bush," Powell said in an interview with CBS television.
In an interview with ABC television, Mullen said he had long been an advocate for closing the prison because it "has been a recruiting symbol for those extremists and jihadists who would fight us."
Asked about Cheney's charge that the recruitment argument amounted to blaming "America for the evil others do," Mullen said, "It's my judgment that (Guantanamo) has had an impact (on recruiting). And it's time to move on."
He acknowledged the difficulties of figuring out what to do with suspects who are too dangerous to release but cannot be tried, and how to ensure that those released do not return to the fight.
He said detainees released from Guantanamo have returned to the battlefield in increasing numbers over the last year or two, and in recent months the percentage of recidivism has climbed from "five or six percent to the low teens."
Powell also took issue with Cheney's criticism, saying that even Bush had turned against Guantanamo by the end of his term.
"President Bush stated repeatedly to international audiences and to the country that he wanted to close Guantanamo. The problem he had was he couldn't get all the pieces together," Powell said.
"So I think we need to kind of take the heat out of this issue," Powell said.
Barack Obama planned to continue tradition and have aides leave a wreath at the Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, the 600-acre site that once was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's estate. But the White House also will send a wreath to the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington's historically black U Street neighborhood.
Presidents traditionally visit Arlington to personally leave a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a marble structure housing the remains of unidentified U.S. military members who died during war. Presidents then have aides deliver wreaths to other memorials or monuments, generally including the Confederate memorial.
But a group of about 60 professors last week sent a petition to the White House asking Obama to avoid a memorial for Confederate military members who died during the war between the North and the South.
The Arlington Confederate Monument is a denial of the wrong committed against African-Americans by slave owners, Confederates and neo-Confederates, through the monument's denial of slavery as the cause of secession and its holding up of Confederates as heroes," the petition said. "This implies that the humanity of Africans and African-Americans is of no significance."
"President Obama, why not send two wreaths?" Kirk Savage, an art history professor at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post. "One to the Confederate Memorial in Arlington Cemetery and another to the African American Civil War Memorial in the District, which commemorates the 200,000 black soldiers who fought for liberation from slavery in the Union armed forces."
The White House hoped to sidestep the distraction and spend Obama's first Memorial Day as president speaking in honor of the nation's veterans and their families. He scheduled a private breakfast at the White House with family members who had lost loved ones in war.
In person, Obama planned to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and then speak about the nation's military members who died in battle.
"This is not only a time for celebration, it is also a time to reflect on what this holiday is all about; to pay tribute to our fallen heroes; and to remember the servicemen and women who cannot be with us this year because they are standing post far from home — in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world," Obama said during his weekly radio and Internet address ahead of the holiday.
Obama and his wife, Michelle, have made veterans and military families a priority during his young administration. Obama's budget proposed the largest single-year funding increase in the last three decades to revamp the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Our fighting men and women — and the military families who love them — embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us," Obama said during his radio address.
"And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear — and all who have worn — the proud uniform of our country."
The president also plans to send flowers to the USS Maine Memorial and the Spanish American War Memorial.
Meanwhile, Obama has gained support for closing Guantanamo from current and former military leaders despite opposition in Congress to moving "war on terror" suspects to the United States.
Colin Powell, the former secretary of state and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in Republican administrations, and Admiral Michael Mullen, the current military chief, said Sunday that the "war on terror" prison should be closed.
"I felt Guantanamo should be closed for the past six years, and I lobbied and presented reasons to president (George W.) Bush," Powell said in an interview with CBS television.
In an interview with ABC television, Mullen said he had long been an advocate for closing the prison because it "has been a recruiting symbol for those extremists and jihadists who would fight us."
Asked about Cheney's charge that the recruitment argument amounted to blaming "America for the evil others do," Mullen said, "It's my judgment that (Guantanamo) has had an impact (on recruiting). And it's time to move on."
He acknowledged the difficulties of figuring out what to do with suspects who are too dangerous to release but cannot be tried, and how to ensure that those released do not return to the fight.
He said detainees released from Guantanamo have returned to the battlefield in increasing numbers over the last year or two, and in recent months the percentage of recidivism has climbed from "five or six percent to the low teens."
Powell also took issue with Cheney's criticism, saying that even Bush had turned against Guantanamo by the end of his term.
"President Bush stated repeatedly to international audiences and to the country that he wanted to close Guantanamo. The problem he had was he couldn't get all the pieces together," Powell said.
"So I think we need to kind of take the heat out of this issue," Powell said.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
American Idol April 28 Top 5 Rat Pack review
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The theater was alive with the sounds of Vegas circa 1965.
We didn't get a look at any ol' blue eyes, but American Idol's Top Five exceeded expectations on Rat Pack night, a tribute to standards made extra popular during the mid-'60s, when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and their entertaining cohorts reigned in Sin City.
Jamie Foxx played mentor tonight and, thankfully, he left the vocal theatrics to his talented charges.
Kris Allen: The sweet-faced singer ditched the guitar and turned up the charm for "The Way You Look Tonight," even taking a little walk with the microphone at one point to further prove that he can both flirt with an audience and croon at the same time. He rocked his Seacrest-style suit and skinny tie and did a pitch-perfect rendition of the Oscar-winning wedding standard, which was already 30 years old by the time Sinatra got his hands on it. While the rest of the judges' panel gave Kris Allen high marks for his sexy take on "The Way You Look Tonight," Simon Cowell inexplicably described the rendition as "wet." Ryan Seacrest, not letting that comment slip by, asked: "What do you mean by wet?"
Cowell's cryptic answer: "Not dry." Meanwhile, Allen's father made a face.
And Cowell, ever the contrarian, took an opposite view of Allison Iraheta's bluesy cover of "Someone To Watch Over Me."
"I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight," he told Iraheta, noting a "mechanical" feel to her performance and a lack of confidence.
But Iraheta, who turned 17 Monday, drew rave reviews from Abdul, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, who called Cowell "crazy."
"If that doesn't land you in the finals, I don't know what will," DioGuardi reassured Iraheta.
The judges were split on Matt Giraud. Jackson rated Giraud's "My Funny Valentine" as a "six out of 10," and DioGuardi — one of his biggest supporters — didn't feel he connected to the emotionally charged ballad.
But Abdul and Cowell begged to differ.
"It was the only believable authentic song I've heard tonight," Cowell told Giraud, who performed in the middle of the telecast. Cowell compared Giraud's vocal phrasing to that of Nat King Cole.
Jamie Foxx helped Danny Gokey channel his inner Frank Sinatra.
The Academy Award winner demanded that Gokey sing a few notes of "Come Rain or Shine" just inches away from Foxx's face, holding his gaze the entire time. Whatever he did must have worked — because Gokey wound up on Simon Cowell's good side after the acerbic judge criticized him for a lack of star power last week.
"What you had tonight was swagger and confidence," Cowell told the 28-year-old Milwaukee native.
Lambert was the final performer on the "Rat Pack"-themed show. He strutted down a neon pink-lighted staircase while seductively crooning "Feeling Good," which has been famously sung by Nina Simone and Sammy Davis Jr.
Indeed, as the popular Fox show winds down to the finale, it seems Lambert is destined for a spot in the showdown to win the title.
Paula Abdul stopped just short of declaring Adam Lambert the future winner of "American Idol."
Instead, she compared him to a certain Olympic swimmer.
The "Idol" judge praised yet another Lambert performance Tuesday night, telling the 27-year-old actor that each week "it's like watching the Olympics and you're our Michael Phelps."
We didn't get a look at any ol' blue eyes, but American Idol's Top Five exceeded expectations on Rat Pack night, a tribute to standards made extra popular during the mid-'60s, when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and their entertaining cohorts reigned in Sin City.
Jamie Foxx played mentor tonight and, thankfully, he left the vocal theatrics to his talented charges.
Kris Allen: The sweet-faced singer ditched the guitar and turned up the charm for "The Way You Look Tonight," even taking a little walk with the microphone at one point to further prove that he can both flirt with an audience and croon at the same time. He rocked his Seacrest-style suit and skinny tie and did a pitch-perfect rendition of the Oscar-winning wedding standard, which was already 30 years old by the time Sinatra got his hands on it. While the rest of the judges' panel gave Kris Allen high marks for his sexy take on "The Way You Look Tonight," Simon Cowell inexplicably described the rendition as "wet." Ryan Seacrest, not letting that comment slip by, asked: "What do you mean by wet?"
Cowell's cryptic answer: "Not dry." Meanwhile, Allen's father made a face.
And Cowell, ever the contrarian, took an opposite view of Allison Iraheta's bluesy cover of "Someone To Watch Over Me."
"I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight," he told Iraheta, noting a "mechanical" feel to her performance and a lack of confidence.
But Iraheta, who turned 17 Monday, drew rave reviews from Abdul, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, who called Cowell "crazy."
"If that doesn't land you in the finals, I don't know what will," DioGuardi reassured Iraheta.
The judges were split on Matt Giraud. Jackson rated Giraud's "My Funny Valentine" as a "six out of 10," and DioGuardi — one of his biggest supporters — didn't feel he connected to the emotionally charged ballad.
But Abdul and Cowell begged to differ.
"It was the only believable authentic song I've heard tonight," Cowell told Giraud, who performed in the middle of the telecast. Cowell compared Giraud's vocal phrasing to that of Nat King Cole.
Jamie Foxx helped Danny Gokey channel his inner Frank Sinatra.
The Academy Award winner demanded that Gokey sing a few notes of "Come Rain or Shine" just inches away from Foxx's face, holding his gaze the entire time. Whatever he did must have worked — because Gokey wound up on Simon Cowell's good side after the acerbic judge criticized him for a lack of star power last week.
"What you had tonight was swagger and confidence," Cowell told the 28-year-old Milwaukee native.
Lambert was the final performer on the "Rat Pack"-themed show. He strutted down a neon pink-lighted staircase while seductively crooning "Feeling Good," which has been famously sung by Nina Simone and Sammy Davis Jr.
Indeed, as the popular Fox show winds down to the finale, it seems Lambert is destined for a spot in the showdown to win the title.
Paula Abdul stopped just short of declaring Adam Lambert the future winner of "American Idol."
Instead, she compared him to a certain Olympic swimmer.
The "Idol" judge praised yet another Lambert performance Tuesday night, telling the 27-year-old actor that each week "it's like watching the Olympics and you're our Michael Phelps."
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Freddie Mac dead, Morgan Stanley posts loss
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David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer of money-losing mortgage giant Freddie Mac was found dead at his home Wednesday morning in what police said was an apparent suicide.
Kellermann, 41, lived in Hunter Mill Estates, a well-off neighborhood of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. County records show Kellermann's home is worth about $900,000.
The Fairfax County police responded to a 911-call at 4:48 a.m. at the suburban Virginia home Kellermann shared with his wife and a daughter. The police would not release the cause of death or say if a suicide note was found.
Kellermann's death is the latest in a string of blows to Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees about 13 million mortgages and us the No. 2 mortgage finance company after sibling Fannie Mae. The company has been criticized for financing risky mortgage loans that fueled the real estate bubble, and its first government appointed CEO, David Moffett, resigned last month after six months on the job.
Morgan Stanley (MS.N) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday and slashed its dividend as real estate investment losses and a debt-related charge wiped out trading gains.
Morgan posted a net loss applicable to common shareholders of $578 million, or 57 cents a share, for the first quarter, compared with shareholder income of $1.31 billion, or $1.26, in the comparable period last year. Analysts on average expected a loss of 9 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.
The bank cut its quarterly dividend by 80 percent to 5 cents a share from 27 cents. The move will save the bank an additional $1 billion a year.
"I guess this shows not all banks are alike. It looks like (Chief Executive) John Mack took less risk and missed out on a chance to pick up some trading revenue," said Matt McCormick, portfolio manager at Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel in Cincinnati.
The loss, the third in six quarters for the investment bank and brokerage, disappointed investors who were hopeful after strong trading results last week at rival Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N). Morgan shares were down 4.75 percent in midday trading.
"We remain cautious," Chief Financial Officer Colm Kelleher said in an interview, though he stressed Morgan Stanley has more than enough capital and cash on hand to go back on offense.
"We're ready to go when we see risk-adjusted returns," he said. "We've made no secret 2008 was hugely challenging for the industry and 2009 we always saw as a year of transition. An extra three months of being safe to me is not a mortal sin."
To the extent the bank would make acquisitions, it would focus on expanding or complementing its wealth management business, Kelleher said on a conference call.
Kellermann, 41, lived in Hunter Mill Estates, a well-off neighborhood of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. County records show Kellermann's home is worth about $900,000.
The Fairfax County police responded to a 911-call at 4:48 a.m. at the suburban Virginia home Kellermann shared with his wife and a daughter. The police would not release the cause of death or say if a suicide note was found.
Kellermann's death is the latest in a string of blows to Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees about 13 million mortgages and us the No. 2 mortgage finance company after sibling Fannie Mae. The company has been criticized for financing risky mortgage loans that fueled the real estate bubble, and its first government appointed CEO, David Moffett, resigned last month after six months on the job.
Morgan Stanley (MS.N) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday and slashed its dividend as real estate investment losses and a debt-related charge wiped out trading gains.
Morgan posted a net loss applicable to common shareholders of $578 million, or 57 cents a share, for the first quarter, compared with shareholder income of $1.31 billion, or $1.26, in the comparable period last year. Analysts on average expected a loss of 9 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.
The bank cut its quarterly dividend by 80 percent to 5 cents a share from 27 cents. The move will save the bank an additional $1 billion a year.
"I guess this shows not all banks are alike. It looks like (Chief Executive) John Mack took less risk and missed out on a chance to pick up some trading revenue," said Matt McCormick, portfolio manager at Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel in Cincinnati.
The loss, the third in six quarters for the investment bank and brokerage, disappointed investors who were hopeful after strong trading results last week at rival Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N). Morgan shares were down 4.75 percent in midday trading.
"We remain cautious," Chief Financial Officer Colm Kelleher said in an interview, though he stressed Morgan Stanley has more than enough capital and cash on hand to go back on offense.
"We're ready to go when we see risk-adjusted returns," he said. "We've made no secret 2008 was hugely challenging for the industry and 2009 we always saw as a year of transition. An extra three months of being safe to me is not a mortal sin."
To the extent the bank would make acquisitions, it would focus on expanding or complementing its wealth management business, Kelleher said on a conference call.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Florida boat crashed into tug, relatives of a Sunday school teacher arrested
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Five people were killed and seven seriously injured when a 22-foot pleasure boat crashed into the rear of a docked tug boat near St. Augustine Sunday evening, authorities said.
Three of the injured were airlifted from the crash site and all seven were taken to area hospitals, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Joy Hill.
Hill was not sure whether those on the Crownline boat were tossed into the water during the crash. She said it doesn't appear anyone was aboard the 25-foot tug boat, which is registered to F&A Enterprises in St. Augustine.
The crash happened at 7 p.m. on the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Johns County near the Palm Valley Bridge, about 20 miles northwest of St. Augustine. The boat was carrying 12 people, according to Jeremy Robshaw of the St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. He told The Florida Times-Union newspaper that three of those injured were in critical condition, with the others in stable condition.
Robshaw said the pier was under construction and rescuers had to lay down planking before they could get to the crash victims. The victims names have not been released.
Relatives of a Sunday school teacher arrested in the killing of an 8-year-old girl found stuffed into a suitcase said Sunday they are baffled by the accusations against the woman they know as a loving, single parent.
"I just can't comprehend. There are no words," said Brian Lawless, the father of 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, who is being held in San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and killing Sandra Cantu.
Huckaby's grandfather, Clifford Lawless, who is pastor of the church, and others offered prayers for Sandra's family. Some churchgoers cried as Huckaby's uncle, 45-year-old Brett Lawless of Lakewood, gave a sermon preaching that faith was the only way to weather hardship.
Investigators searched the church last week after police said Sandra's body was found in Huckaby's suitcase in an irrigation pond. Huckaby's relatives said they still do not know why police searched the church or why investigators suspect her of the crime.
Brian Lawless said Huckaby lived for her 5-year-old daughter, Madison. Madison played often with Sandra, who lived down the street from where Huckaby lived with her grandfather. Huckaby taught Sunday school at her grandfather's church.
Sandra disappeared on March 27 and hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officials turned out to search for her. Pictures of the girl with dark brown eyes and light brown hair were posted all over Tracy, a city of 78,000 people about 60 miles east of San Francisco. Police said they received 1,500 tips.
Huckaby had been scheduled to appear in court on April 17 to check in with a county mental health program as part of a three-year probation sentence for a petty theft charge to which she pleaded no contest.
She was arrested late Friday, about five hours after she drove herself to the local police station at the request of officers.
Three of the injured were airlifted from the crash site and all seven were taken to area hospitals, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Joy Hill.
Hill was not sure whether those on the Crownline boat were tossed into the water during the crash. She said it doesn't appear anyone was aboard the 25-foot tug boat, which is registered to F&A Enterprises in St. Augustine.
The crash happened at 7 p.m. on the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Johns County near the Palm Valley Bridge, about 20 miles northwest of St. Augustine. The boat was carrying 12 people, according to Jeremy Robshaw of the St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. He told The Florida Times-Union newspaper that three of those injured were in critical condition, with the others in stable condition.
Robshaw said the pier was under construction and rescuers had to lay down planking before they could get to the crash victims. The victims names have not been released.
Relatives of a Sunday school teacher arrested in the killing of an 8-year-old girl found stuffed into a suitcase said Sunday they are baffled by the accusations against the woman they know as a loving, single parent.
"I just can't comprehend. There are no words," said Brian Lawless, the father of 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, who is being held in San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and killing Sandra Cantu.
Huckaby's grandfather, Clifford Lawless, who is pastor of the church, and others offered prayers for Sandra's family. Some churchgoers cried as Huckaby's uncle, 45-year-old Brett Lawless of Lakewood, gave a sermon preaching that faith was the only way to weather hardship.
Investigators searched the church last week after police said Sandra's body was found in Huckaby's suitcase in an irrigation pond. Huckaby's relatives said they still do not know why police searched the church or why investigators suspect her of the crime.
Brian Lawless said Huckaby lived for her 5-year-old daughter, Madison. Madison played often with Sandra, who lived down the street from where Huckaby lived with her grandfather. Huckaby taught Sunday school at her grandfather's church.
Sandra disappeared on March 27 and hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officials turned out to search for her. Pictures of the girl with dark brown eyes and light brown hair were posted all over Tracy, a city of 78,000 people about 60 miles east of San Francisco. Police said they received 1,500 tips.
Huckaby had been scheduled to appear in court on April 17 to check in with a county mental health program as part of a three-year probation sentence for a petty theft charge to which she pleaded no contest.
She was arrested late Friday, about five hours after she drove herself to the local police station at the request of officers.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Women are better at catching the scent of body odor than men
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"It is quite difficult to block a woman's awareness of body odor. In contrast, it seems rather easy to do so in men," said Charles Wysocki, a behavioral neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
The researchers think women are more attuned to underarm stink because the biological data it contains helps them choose mates. The fact that most women are even better at smelling male body odor than female body odor seems to support this idea.
Wysocki and colleagues asked women and men to rate the strength of underarm sweat samples collected from both genders. When the scent was presented on its own, it smelled equally strong to both women and men. But when the researchers combined the body odor with other fragrances, the smell was often masked for men, though women could usually still detect it.
The new study, published in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, fits in with other research on how women use their sense of smell romantically. A study published in December 2008 found that women can tell when a man is interested from the scent of his sweat. The scientists found that women's brains responded differently when smelling sweat samples from men who were sexually aroused and men who weren't.
The study tested 32 fragrances to see how well they could hide B.O. Among the male subjects, 19 of the fragrances did the trick, though among women, only two of the scents successfully overpowered the sweaty stench.
"Our studies indicate that human sweat conveys information that is of particular importance to females," Wysocki said. "This may explain why it is so difficult to block women's perception of sweat odors."
The researchers think women are more attuned to underarm stink because the biological data it contains helps them choose mates. The fact that most women are even better at smelling male body odor than female body odor seems to support this idea.
Wysocki and colleagues asked women and men to rate the strength of underarm sweat samples collected from both genders. When the scent was presented on its own, it smelled equally strong to both women and men. But when the researchers combined the body odor with other fragrances, the smell was often masked for men, though women could usually still detect it.
The new study, published in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, fits in with other research on how women use their sense of smell romantically. A study published in December 2008 found that women can tell when a man is interested from the scent of his sweat. The scientists found that women's brains responded differently when smelling sweat samples from men who were sexually aroused and men who weren't.
The study tested 32 fragrances to see how well they could hide B.O. Among the male subjects, 19 of the fragrances did the trick, though among women, only two of the scents successfully overpowered the sweaty stench.
"Our studies indicate that human sweat conveys information that is of particular importance to females," Wysocki said. "This may explain why it is so difficult to block women's perception of sweat odors."
Monday, April 6, 2009
Strong earthquake struck central Italy, Mexico's death cult protests shrine destruction
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A powerful earthquake struck central Italy early Monday, killing at least six people, causing buildings to collapse and sending thousands of panicked residents into the streets, officials and news reports said.
Officials said the death toll was likely to increase as dawn rose over L'Aquila and firefighters made their way through the debris. Rescue workers were trying to rescue people from collapsed homes, including a student dormitory where a half dozen students remained trapped inside, RAI state TV reported.
Several people were also reported missing in the area of the quake, which was felt in much of central Italy, including Rome.
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Television footage from the scene showed residents and rescue workers already hauling away debris from collapsed buildings and bloodied residents waiting to be tended to in hospital hallways.
"The situation is very serious because the quake affected buildings," said Luca Spoletini, spokesman for the national Civil Protection Department. He declined to give a death toll, saying rescue operations were under way.
Four children died in L'Aquila after their houses collapsed, the ANSA news agency said. Massimo Cialente, mayor of L'Aquila, told Sky TG24 that two other people were reported dead in the nearby small town of Fossa.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics said the magnitude was 5.8, while the U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.3. The temblor struck about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Rome at about 3:32 a.m. local time (0132 GMT, 9:32 p.m. EDT), officials said. The Civil Protection Department said the epicenter was near the city of L'Aquila, in the mountainous Abruzzo region.
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About 200 worshippers marched Sunday to protest the government's destruction of "Death Saint" shrines, saying Mexico's fight against drug cartels has veered into religious persecution.
At shrines, chapels and small churches across the country, tens of thousands of people worship the Death Saint, which is often depicted as a robe-covered skeleton resembling the Grim Reaper.
"We are believers, not criminals!" the protesters chanted as they marched from a gritty Mexico City neighborhood to the Metropolitan Cathedral downtown.
It is popular with drug traffickers, and soldiers often find shrines to the saint during raids on cartel safe houses. But in crime-ridden neighborhoods, people of all walks of life believe the "Santa Muerte" protects against violent or untimely deaths. Devotees often use elements of Catholic rites, leaving offerings of candles or praying to the folk saint for protection.
Mexican law enforcement won't say it is targeting the "Santa Muerte." But last month, army troops accompanied workers who used back hoes to topple and crush more 30 shrines on a roadway in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas. Many were elaborate, one-story, marble-clad constructions with electric lighting and statues of the skeletal Death Saint.
The sect's archbishop, David Romo, denounced the destruction as religious persecution and demanded a meeting with President Felipe Calderon.
Protesters carried statues and pushed makeshift shrines to the saint. Some brought their children, and one marcher carried a white puppy.
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Officials said the death toll was likely to increase as dawn rose over L'Aquila and firefighters made their way through the debris. Rescue workers were trying to rescue people from collapsed homes, including a student dormitory where a half dozen students remained trapped inside, RAI state TV reported.
Several people were also reported missing in the area of the quake, which was felt in much of central Italy, including Rome.
Folic acid and prostate cancer
Television footage from the scene showed residents and rescue workers already hauling away debris from collapsed buildings and bloodied residents waiting to be tended to in hospital hallways.
"The situation is very serious because the quake affected buildings," said Luca Spoletini, spokesman for the national Civil Protection Department. He declined to give a death toll, saying rescue operations were under way.
Four children died in L'Aquila after their houses collapsed, the ANSA news agency said. Massimo Cialente, mayor of L'Aquila, told Sky TG24 that two other people were reported dead in the nearby small town of Fossa.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics said the magnitude was 5.8, while the U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.3. The temblor struck about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Rome at about 3:32 a.m. local time (0132 GMT, 9:32 p.m. EDT), officials said. The Civil Protection Department said the epicenter was near the city of L'Aquila, in the mountainous Abruzzo region.
Understand the natural of course of insomnia
About 200 worshippers marched Sunday to protest the government's destruction of "Death Saint" shrines, saying Mexico's fight against drug cartels has veered into religious persecution.
At shrines, chapels and small churches across the country, tens of thousands of people worship the Death Saint, which is often depicted as a robe-covered skeleton resembling the Grim Reaper.
"We are believers, not criminals!" the protesters chanted as they marched from a gritty Mexico City neighborhood to the Metropolitan Cathedral downtown.
It is popular with drug traffickers, and soldiers often find shrines to the saint during raids on cartel safe houses. But in crime-ridden neighborhoods, people of all walks of life believe the "Santa Muerte" protects against violent or untimely deaths. Devotees often use elements of Catholic rites, leaving offerings of candles or praying to the folk saint for protection.
Mexican law enforcement won't say it is targeting the "Santa Muerte." But last month, army troops accompanied workers who used back hoes to topple and crush more 30 shrines on a roadway in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas. Many were elaborate, one-story, marble-clad constructions with electric lighting and statues of the skeletal Death Saint.
The sect's archbishop, David Romo, denounced the destruction as religious persecution and demanded a meeting with President Felipe Calderon.
Protesters carried statues and pushed makeshift shrines to the saint. Some brought their children, and one marcher carried a white puppy.
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Nine ways to give you more time and less stress
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1) Curb your addiction to e-mail.
One of Morgenstern's mantras: Break the mindless e-mail habit. So basically, stop checking e-mail every 10 seconds! "Every time you're bored, every time you're facing something difficult, you're like 'Let me just check my e-mail first.' You're using e-mail and even the Internet as a kind of procrastination device. If you can eliminate that habit from your day, I guarantee you will regain a minimum of an hour of productivity a day. Minimum." To kick the habit, she suggests setting regular e-mail check times, as well as not checking your e-mail for the first hour you're at work, when possible.
2) Set aside time for social networking.
Assign yourself time to check your Facebook, MySpace, Linked In and other social networking sites. They are tremendous procrastination devices, as well as easy entertainment. "But they're like TV," says Morgenstern. "You turn it on and three hours pass, and then you're like 'Where did my day go?'" By carving out set times to spend on them, you'll be more productive when you're focusing on other tasks.
3) Pick out your clothes the night before.
You would think that choosing your outfit would take the same amount of time in the morning as it does at night. Not so, says Julie Morgenstern, author of When Organizing Isn't Enough: Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life. "You actually take less time deciding the night before because you're not as stressed. I think when we're stressed, we freeze, we get paralyzed, we can't think, we start making mistakes and keep repeating them." She recommends going as far as hanging the planned outfit -- down to underwear and jewelry -- outside your closet.
4) Find your go-to outfits.
You probably have a go-to LBD in your closet that always makes you look and feel fabulous. Morgenstern suggests you find a few more fail-safe fashion choices that work for daytime, too. "Invest a couple of hours one weekend or one evening coming up with four or five standard outfits that you know always work," she says. "You do that for work outfits, and you should do that for going-out outfits as well."
5) Buy nice hangers.
Your closet is a reflection of you, says Morgenstern. "It's where you start and end your day, and you want to feel good when you reach for something and when you put it away." In her own closet, she uses slender wooden hangers. "I think they bring an elegance to your closet that makes it exciting to open your closet and motivate you to hang things up again."
6) Make your coffee to go.
Pay attention, Starbucks addicts. "We waste a lot of time going and getting coffee somewhere," says Morgenstern. "If you invest in a coffeemaker with a timer, you can set it the night before and wake up to the smell of coffee." Stock up on a few cute refillable travel mugs and you'll save time by avoiding that coffee-shop line . Or, if you always forget your mug at the office, consider buying to-go cups and lids to keep at home.
7) Organize your home by the way you think.
Organizing your mess of a closet can save you at least a half hour per day, but that doesn't mean you have to color-code your clothing like your type-A friend does. "You should organize your clothes in the way you reach for them, the way you think," says Morgenstern. "Not everybody thinks the same way, and I believe the zones of your closet should reflect your unique association. When some people go to get dressed, they think in terms of garments; others think of their clothes more by occasion: work clothes, weekend clothes, dress-up clothes."
8) Create a last-minute checklist.
There are few things more satisfying than ticking off items on your to-do list. Get that feeling every time you leave the house by creating a cool-looking checklist to keep right by the door. On it, put all the things you need for the day: wallet, gym clothes, phone charger, iPod, etc. It will save you time trying to remember everything and running back every time you forget something, says Morgenstern. Plus, once you've mentally crossed each thing off, "you'll leave feeling like a million bucks and full of energy."
9) Go to the digital supermarket.
If you can, order your groceries online so you don't have to go food shopping, says Morgenstern. "It will cut time from your weekly errands and chores, and the program will save your shopping list -- a big, really helpful time-saver for the household stuff."
One of Morgenstern's mantras: Break the mindless e-mail habit. So basically, stop checking e-mail every 10 seconds! "Every time you're bored, every time you're facing something difficult, you're like 'Let me just check my e-mail first.' You're using e-mail and even the Internet as a kind of procrastination device. If you can eliminate that habit from your day, I guarantee you will regain a minimum of an hour of productivity a day. Minimum." To kick the habit, she suggests setting regular e-mail check times, as well as not checking your e-mail for the first hour you're at work, when possible.
2) Set aside time for social networking.
Assign yourself time to check your Facebook, MySpace, Linked In and other social networking sites. They are tremendous procrastination devices, as well as easy entertainment. "But they're like TV," says Morgenstern. "You turn it on and three hours pass, and then you're like 'Where did my day go?'" By carving out set times to spend on them, you'll be more productive when you're focusing on other tasks.
3) Pick out your clothes the night before.
You would think that choosing your outfit would take the same amount of time in the morning as it does at night. Not so, says Julie Morgenstern, author of When Organizing Isn't Enough: Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life. "You actually take less time deciding the night before because you're not as stressed. I think when we're stressed, we freeze, we get paralyzed, we can't think, we start making mistakes and keep repeating them." She recommends going as far as hanging the planned outfit -- down to underwear and jewelry -- outside your closet.
4) Find your go-to outfits.
You probably have a go-to LBD in your closet that always makes you look and feel fabulous. Morgenstern suggests you find a few more fail-safe fashion choices that work for daytime, too. "Invest a couple of hours one weekend or one evening coming up with four or five standard outfits that you know always work," she says. "You do that for work outfits, and you should do that for going-out outfits as well."
5) Buy nice hangers.
Your closet is a reflection of you, says Morgenstern. "It's where you start and end your day, and you want to feel good when you reach for something and when you put it away." In her own closet, she uses slender wooden hangers. "I think they bring an elegance to your closet that makes it exciting to open your closet and motivate you to hang things up again."
6) Make your coffee to go.
Pay attention, Starbucks addicts. "We waste a lot of time going and getting coffee somewhere," says Morgenstern. "If you invest in a coffeemaker with a timer, you can set it the night before and wake up to the smell of coffee." Stock up on a few cute refillable travel mugs and you'll save time by avoiding that coffee-shop line . Or, if you always forget your mug at the office, consider buying to-go cups and lids to keep at home.
7) Organize your home by the way you think.
Organizing your mess of a closet can save you at least a half hour per day, but that doesn't mean you have to color-code your clothing like your type-A friend does. "You should organize your clothes in the way you reach for them, the way you think," says Morgenstern. "Not everybody thinks the same way, and I believe the zones of your closet should reflect your unique association. When some people go to get dressed, they think in terms of garments; others think of their clothes more by occasion: work clothes, weekend clothes, dress-up clothes."
8) Create a last-minute checklist.
There are few things more satisfying than ticking off items on your to-do list. Get that feeling every time you leave the house by creating a cool-looking checklist to keep right by the door. On it, put all the things you need for the day: wallet, gym clothes, phone charger, iPod, etc. It will save you time trying to remember everything and running back every time you forget something, says Morgenstern. Plus, once you've mentally crossed each thing off, "you'll leave feeling like a million bucks and full of energy."
9) Go to the digital supermarket.
If you can, order your groceries online so you don't have to go food shopping, says Morgenstern. "It will cut time from your weekly errands and chores, and the program will save your shopping list -- a big, really helpful time-saver for the household stuff."
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tips for who wants to change careers in 2009
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1) Network effectively
"Expand your network inside and outside your company. Many workers are caught flat-footed when they lose their jobs; they have to start networking from scratch to find another position. Smart people keep in touch with contacts in their industry and use their spare time to volunteer for projects that build skills and credibility." -- Candace Moody, WorkSource Corporate Communications
"Schedule a weekly coffee date with somebody new. Contact somebody with whom you would like to build a professional relationship. Call that person and be sincere in your request to simply meet for a short, mutually beneficial sharing of ideas, thoughts and strategies for career success. Ask them questions and listen. For a $3 coffee, you can learn incredible information and build powerful connections for future career opportunities." -- Mark Mikelat, speaker and founder of Building Aspirations
"Join the professional association that serves the job type you want to move to. Get active. Show your character and competence. Listen generously. Absorb the language and culture of your new career cohorts so when you get a job interview you come off like an insider." -- Lynne Waymon, co-author of "Make Your Contacts Count" and co-founder of Contacts Count
2) Spread the word
"Activate your network and get the word out. What good is a contact if you don't contact them? When you are on the job hunt, work the phone from eight to five just like a full-time job." -- David Lewis, author of "The Emerging Leader: Eight Lessons for Life in Leadership"
"Everyone should have a personal business card for networking -- they're relatively inexpensive to have professionally printed. Carry them with you wherever you go -- you never know who you will meet where. People change jobs more often than they change residences so if someone has your personal contact info, they will always be able to get in touch with you." -- Donna Cardillo, author of "The Ultimate Career Guide for Nurses"
3)Make a great impression
"In a tight economy there is no room for error. Competition is fierce. Your résumé and cover letter must be flawless -- no typos, no form letter, etc. You must be well-prepared for all interviews and networking meetings -- know the company, their business and current events and have specific questions prepared." -- Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA career center at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration
Here is my advice for making a great impression when you are changing careers:
To avoid being seen by employers as a "wannabe," learn as much as you can about the career before you start applying. Some ways to learn about a new career include: arranging informational interviews with people working in the career, attending meetings of professional associations, taking courses and reading books about the career.
Then get some hands-on experience related to the career. Don't worry about the job-hunter's dilemma (to get a job you need experience, but to get experience you need a job). There are ways to get experience before you get the job. In fact, having experience will help you move into the career you want much more quickly at a higher rate of pay.
Ways to get experience before you start applying for your dream job include: volunteer your services (to a department in your company, family and friends, or a nonprofit organization), do an internship (even if you are an older worker), take a part-time, entry-level position or start your own part-time business.
4) Ask the right people for advice
"If you're thinking about changing jobs, the last person with whom you should consult is someone who loves you. They'll want to hold you tight and protect you from taking any risk." -- Irena Chalmers, author of "Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers"
"Do your friends keep you down? Do your friends consistently come up with reasons why you shouldn't change careers? A bucket of crabs doesn't need a lid on it because as one crab nears the top, the other crabs will pull it back down. Sometimes your best career strategy is to begin to hang out with more positive people and limit your time with Debbie Downer." -- Jennifer Loud Ungar, president, Career Moves
"Find a mentor. Contact mentorship organizations and your alumni association to interview (yes, interview) prospective mentors to guide you through your transition. Just because someone has great credentials doesn't mean they're going to make a great mentor. They must exude passion for their work and be able to effectively communicate their expertise to you." -- Brian Kurth, founder of VocationVacations and author of "Test-Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love"
"Expand your network inside and outside your company. Many workers are caught flat-footed when they lose their jobs; they have to start networking from scratch to find another position. Smart people keep in touch with contacts in their industry and use their spare time to volunteer for projects that build skills and credibility." -- Candace Moody, WorkSource Corporate Communications
"Schedule a weekly coffee date with somebody new. Contact somebody with whom you would like to build a professional relationship. Call that person and be sincere in your request to simply meet for a short, mutually beneficial sharing of ideas, thoughts and strategies for career success. Ask them questions and listen. For a $3 coffee, you can learn incredible information and build powerful connections for future career opportunities." -- Mark Mikelat, speaker and founder of Building Aspirations
"Join the professional association that serves the job type you want to move to. Get active. Show your character and competence. Listen generously. Absorb the language and culture of your new career cohorts so when you get a job interview you come off like an insider." -- Lynne Waymon, co-author of "Make Your Contacts Count" and co-founder of Contacts Count
2) Spread the word
"Activate your network and get the word out. What good is a contact if you don't contact them? When you are on the job hunt, work the phone from eight to five just like a full-time job." -- David Lewis, author of "The Emerging Leader: Eight Lessons for Life in Leadership"
"Everyone should have a personal business card for networking -- they're relatively inexpensive to have professionally printed. Carry them with you wherever you go -- you never know who you will meet where. People change jobs more often than they change residences so if someone has your personal contact info, they will always be able to get in touch with you." -- Donna Cardillo, author of "The Ultimate Career Guide for Nurses"
3)Make a great impression
"In a tight economy there is no room for error. Competition is fierce. Your résumé and cover letter must be flawless -- no typos, no form letter, etc. You must be well-prepared for all interviews and networking meetings -- know the company, their business and current events and have specific questions prepared." -- Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA career center at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration
Here is my advice for making a great impression when you are changing careers:
To avoid being seen by employers as a "wannabe," learn as much as you can about the career before you start applying. Some ways to learn about a new career include: arranging informational interviews with people working in the career, attending meetings of professional associations, taking courses and reading books about the career.
Then get some hands-on experience related to the career. Don't worry about the job-hunter's dilemma (to get a job you need experience, but to get experience you need a job). There are ways to get experience before you get the job. In fact, having experience will help you move into the career you want much more quickly at a higher rate of pay.
Ways to get experience before you start applying for your dream job include: volunteer your services (to a department in your company, family and friends, or a nonprofit organization), do an internship (even if you are an older worker), take a part-time, entry-level position or start your own part-time business.
4) Ask the right people for advice
"If you're thinking about changing jobs, the last person with whom you should consult is someone who loves you. They'll want to hold you tight and protect you from taking any risk." -- Irena Chalmers, author of "Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers"
"Do your friends keep you down? Do your friends consistently come up with reasons why you shouldn't change careers? A bucket of crabs doesn't need a lid on it because as one crab nears the top, the other crabs will pull it back down. Sometimes your best career strategy is to begin to hang out with more positive people and limit your time with Debbie Downer." -- Jennifer Loud Ungar, president, Career Moves
"Find a mentor. Contact mentorship organizations and your alumni association to interview (yes, interview) prospective mentors to guide you through your transition. Just because someone has great credentials doesn't mean they're going to make a great mentor. They must exude passion for their work and be able to effectively communicate their expertise to you." -- Brian Kurth, founder of VocationVacations and author of "Test-Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love"
Thursday, March 19, 2009
How marketable are you ?
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Whether you're looking for work or wanting to hold on to the job you have, maintaining your marketability for the long term requires that you continually invest in yourself. You are the product you're selling, but you must be proactive to remain competitive. Here are five ingredients for a winning strategy: work that serves your goals, networking, lifelong learning, staying current with your skills and industry knowledge, and maintaining balance.
Use this checklist to test your marketability. If you find any areas wanting, use your answers to create an action plan to improve them.
1. My education, certification, and training are current.
Lifelong learning is the key to staying marketable. Prepare for varied options.
Do I need a degree or certification to keep up with my present employment, get promoted, or land a new job?
Do I regularly attend professional association meetings, workshops, seminars, and continuing education classes?
Tip: To find programs, start with local educational institutions. Explore CareerOneStop, a site rich in resources for job seekers.
2. My current employment serves my goals.
Measure your current or prospective situation against short- and long-term goals. Aside from financial reward, do you gain in these ways:
Do my responsibilities sync with my strongest capabilities?
Am I developing relevant skills and meeting the right people?
Is there room to grow? Or is this a good stepping stone?
Tip: Maximize your experience by looking for opportunities to increase your value within your company.
3. My networking and communication activities are constant.
Strategic networking helps cultivate mutually beneficial business relationships. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful tool to gain opportunities and referrals.
Do I routinely develop new contacts, nurture existing ones?
Do I meet in person with people most important to me rather than relying on email threads?
Do I make weekly connections through online groups and social networking (Yahoo! Groups, LinkedIn)?
Tip: Networking is about quality, not quantity. It's about being a helpful resource, a relationship builder.
4. My life and work are in balance.
Long-term marketability relies on a healthy balance between life and work -- emotionally, physically, intellectually, financially, and spiritually.
Do I follow sound self-care practices?
Do I give equal attention to relationships and work?
Tip: Difficult to do, but maintaining balance and perspective are key to surviving and thriving.
5. My skills and industry knowledge are up to date.
Staying current is a prerequisite for ongoing employment. Could you qualify for an equivalent position with a competitor -- or do you readily qualify for the upgrade you seek? If not, what do you need to do?
Am I technically proficient in the latest software?
Do I know my industry's trends and major players?
Do I read trade publications and industry blogs? Join discussion groups?
Tip: Check current requirements by reading employer posts on job boards and company sites.
Use this checklist to test your marketability. If you find any areas wanting, use your answers to create an action plan to improve them.
1. My education, certification, and training are current.
Lifelong learning is the key to staying marketable. Prepare for varied options.
Do I need a degree or certification to keep up with my present employment, get promoted, or land a new job?
Do I regularly attend professional association meetings, workshops, seminars, and continuing education classes?
Tip: To find programs, start with local educational institutions. Explore CareerOneStop, a site rich in resources for job seekers.
2. My current employment serves my goals.
Measure your current or prospective situation against short- and long-term goals. Aside from financial reward, do you gain in these ways:
Do my responsibilities sync with my strongest capabilities?
Am I developing relevant skills and meeting the right people?
Is there room to grow? Or is this a good stepping stone?
Tip: Maximize your experience by looking for opportunities to increase your value within your company.
3. My networking and communication activities are constant.
Strategic networking helps cultivate mutually beneficial business relationships. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful tool to gain opportunities and referrals.
Do I routinely develop new contacts, nurture existing ones?
Do I meet in person with people most important to me rather than relying on email threads?
Do I make weekly connections through online groups and social networking (Yahoo! Groups, LinkedIn)?
Tip: Networking is about quality, not quantity. It's about being a helpful resource, a relationship builder.
4. My life and work are in balance.
Long-term marketability relies on a healthy balance between life and work -- emotionally, physically, intellectually, financially, and spiritually.
Do I follow sound self-care practices?
Do I give equal attention to relationships and work?
Tip: Difficult to do, but maintaining balance and perspective are key to surviving and thriving.
5. My skills and industry knowledge are up to date.
Staying current is a prerequisite for ongoing employment. Could you qualify for an equivalent position with a competitor -- or do you readily qualify for the upgrade you seek? If not, what do you need to do?
Am I technically proficient in the latest software?
Do I know my industry's trends and major players?
Do I read trade publications and industry blogs? Join discussion groups?
Tip: Check current requirements by reading employer posts on job boards and company sites.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A new baby boom in the United States
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THE US teen birth rate rose for a second straight year in 2007 after a long decline and more babies were born to all mothers than even at the peak of the baby boom after World War II.
The total of 4.3 million babies born in 2007 was the most ever recorded in the United States, topping even the peak of the baby boom in 1957, according to a report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's National Centre for Health Statistics.
Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, the teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row.
The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older.
For a variety of reasons, it's become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, said Duke University's S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility researcher.
Even happy couples may be living together without getting married, experts say. And more women — especially those in their 30s and 40s — are choosing to have children despite their single status.
The new numbers suggest the second year of a baby boomlet, with U.S. fertility rates higher in every racial group, the highest among Hispanic women. On average, a U.S. woman has 2.1 babies in her lifetime. That's the "magic number" required for a population to replace itself.
Countries with much lower rates — such as Japan and Italy — face future labor shortages and eroding tax bases as they fail to reproduce enough to take care of their aging elders.
While the number of births in the U.S. reached nearly 4.3 million in 2006, mainly due to a larger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics, it's not clear the boomlet will last. Some experts think birth rates are already declining because of the economic recession that began in late 2007.
"I expect they'll go back down. The lowest birth rates recorded in the United States occurred during the Great Depression — and that was before modern contraception," said Dr. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health.
The 2007 statistical snapshot reflected a relatively good economy coupled with cultural trends that promoted childbirth, she and others noted.
Meanwhile, U.S. abortions dropped to their lowest levels in decades, according to other reports. Some have attributed the abortion decline to better use of contraceptives, but other experts have wondered if the rise in births might indicate a failure in proper use of contraceptives. Some earlier studies have shown declining availability of abortions.
Cultural attitudes may be a more likely explanation. Morgan noted the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, the unmarried teen daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The young woman had a baby boy in December, and plans for a wedding with the father, Levi Johnston, were scrapped.
"She's the poster child for what you do when you get pregnant now," Morgan said.
Teen women tend to follow what their older sisters do, so perhaps it's not surprising that teen births are going up just like births to older women, said Sarah Brown, the chief executive for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Indeed, it's harder to understand why teen births had been declining for about 15 years before the recent uptick, she said. It may have been due to a concentrated effort to reduce teen births in the 1990s that has waned in recent years, she said.
The statistics are based on a review of most 2007 birth certificates by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers also showed:
- Cesarean section deliveries continue to rise, now accounting for almost a third of all births. Health officials say that rate is much higher than is medically necessary. About 34 percent of births to black women were by C-section, more than any other racial group. But geographically, the percentages were highest in Puerto Rico, at 49 percent, and New Jersey, at 38 percent.
- Among the states, Utah continued to have the highest birth rate and Vermont the lowest.
- The pre-term birth rate, for infants delivered at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, declined slightly. It had been generally increasing since the early 1980s. Experts said they aren't sure why it went down.
CDC officials noted that despite the record number of births, this increase is different from occurred in the 1950s, when a much smaller population of women were having nearly four children each, on average. That baby boom quickly transformed society, affecting everything from school construction to consumer culture.
Today, U.S. women are averaging 2.1 children each. That's the highest level since the early 1970s, but is a relatively small increase from the rate it had hovered at for more than 10 years and is hardly transforming.
"It's the tiniest of baby booms," said Morgan in agreement. "This is not an earthquake; it's a slight tremor."
The total of 4.3 million babies born in 2007 was the most ever recorded in the United States, topping even the peak of the baby boom in 1957, according to a report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's National Centre for Health Statistics.
Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, the teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row.
The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older.
For a variety of reasons, it's become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, said Duke University's S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility researcher.
Even happy couples may be living together without getting married, experts say. And more women — especially those in their 30s and 40s — are choosing to have children despite their single status.
The new numbers suggest the second year of a baby boomlet, with U.S. fertility rates higher in every racial group, the highest among Hispanic women. On average, a U.S. woman has 2.1 babies in her lifetime. That's the "magic number" required for a population to replace itself.
Countries with much lower rates — such as Japan and Italy — face future labor shortages and eroding tax bases as they fail to reproduce enough to take care of their aging elders.
While the number of births in the U.S. reached nearly 4.3 million in 2006, mainly due to a larger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics, it's not clear the boomlet will last. Some experts think birth rates are already declining because of the economic recession that began in late 2007.
"I expect they'll go back down. The lowest birth rates recorded in the United States occurred during the Great Depression — and that was before modern contraception," said Dr. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health.
The 2007 statistical snapshot reflected a relatively good economy coupled with cultural trends that promoted childbirth, she and others noted.
Meanwhile, U.S. abortions dropped to their lowest levels in decades, according to other reports. Some have attributed the abortion decline to better use of contraceptives, but other experts have wondered if the rise in births might indicate a failure in proper use of contraceptives. Some earlier studies have shown declining availability of abortions.
Cultural attitudes may be a more likely explanation. Morgan noted the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, the unmarried teen daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The young woman had a baby boy in December, and plans for a wedding with the father, Levi Johnston, were scrapped.
"She's the poster child for what you do when you get pregnant now," Morgan said.
Teen women tend to follow what their older sisters do, so perhaps it's not surprising that teen births are going up just like births to older women, said Sarah Brown, the chief executive for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Indeed, it's harder to understand why teen births had been declining for about 15 years before the recent uptick, she said. It may have been due to a concentrated effort to reduce teen births in the 1990s that has waned in recent years, she said.
The statistics are based on a review of most 2007 birth certificates by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers also showed:
- Cesarean section deliveries continue to rise, now accounting for almost a third of all births. Health officials say that rate is much higher than is medically necessary. About 34 percent of births to black women were by C-section, more than any other racial group. But geographically, the percentages were highest in Puerto Rico, at 49 percent, and New Jersey, at 38 percent.
- Among the states, Utah continued to have the highest birth rate and Vermont the lowest.
- The pre-term birth rate, for infants delivered at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, declined slightly. It had been generally increasing since the early 1980s. Experts said they aren't sure why it went down.
CDC officials noted that despite the record number of births, this increase is different from occurred in the 1950s, when a much smaller population of women were having nearly four children each, on average. That baby boom quickly transformed society, affecting everything from school construction to consumer culture.
Today, U.S. women are averaging 2.1 children each. That's the highest level since the early 1970s, but is a relatively small increase from the rate it had hovered at for more than 10 years and is hardly transforming.
"It's the tiniest of baby booms," said Morgan in agreement. "This is not an earthquake; it's a slight tremor."
Jazz musician Terence Blanchard records new album in New Orleans
,
Jazz musician Terence Blanchard honed his musical gift in the streets and clubs of his hometown New Orleans and received music's highest honor for an album about the city's darkest hour — Hurricane Katrina.
But in a career spanning nearly three decades, roughly 50 film scores and more than a dozen albums, the 47-year-old trumpeter had never recorded an album in New Orleans.
After making an appearance on this year's Grammy Awards show in a special segment celebrating New Orleans music, Blanchard said there was no better place to record his latest album, "Choices," than at home.
"I was so proud to represent the city like that," he said of leading the Dirty Dozen Brass Band onto the Grammy stage.
But Blanchard didn't want the celebration of his hometown to end there. This month he got to work on "Choices" with his five-piece band and guest artist, Bilal, a hip-hop and jazz singer from New York.
While Blanchard's last album, the Grammy-winning "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," stemmed from the storm's pain and destruction, this one would be a celebration of all that has survived Katrina, he said.
That's why Blanchard chose to record from the Patrick F. Taylor Library, a building dating back to the late 1800s that has survived more than a century of hurricanes and decades of neglect.
"Being in this building, in this city, creating something here. ... It's a powerful thing, and it's something we can all be proud of," he said.
Blanchard said not recording an album in his hometown wasn't intentional. He was either living or working elsewhere, he said.
Katrina's destruction — including the flooding of his mother's home — inspired "A Tale of God's Will," the album that earned Blanchard a Grammy in 2007 for best large jazz ensemble album. It included 13 emotional songs with such titles as "Levees," "The Water," "In Time of Need" and "Funeral Dirge."
Blanchard was nominated that year for best jazz instrumental solo for "Levees," the track he composed for Spike Lee's HBO documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts."
While he could never forget Katrina, which struck in 2005, Blanchard said he was ready for an album focused on growth, change and the celebration of "how far we've come."
Terence Oliver Blanchard was born March 13, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the only child to parents Wilhelmina and Joseph Oliver. Terence began playing piano at the age of five and then the trumpet at age eight upon hearing Alvin Alcorn play. Blanchard played trumpet recreationally alongside childhood friend Wynton Marsalis in summer music camps but showed no real proficiency on the instrument. Then, while in high school, he began studying at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) under Roger Dickerson and Ellis Marsalis, Jr.. From 1980 to 1982, Blanchard studied under jazz saxophonist Paul Jeffrey and trumpeter Bill Fielder at Rutgers University, while touring with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. In 1982, Wynton Marsalis recommended Blanchard to replace him in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and until 1986, Blanchard was the band's trumpeter and musical director. With Blakey and as co-leader of a quintet with saxophonist Donald Harrison and pianist Mulgrew Miller, Blanchard rose to prominence as a key figure in the 1980s Jazz Resurgence. The Harrison/Blanchard group recorded five albums from 1984-1988 until Blanchard left to pursue a solo career in 1990.[1]
In the 1990s, after a laborious but successful embouchure change, Blanchard was as busy as ever. He recorded his self-titled debut for Columbia Records which reached third on the Billboard Jazz Charts. After performing on soundtracks for Spike Lee movies, including Do the Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues, Lee wanted Blanchard to compose the scores for his films beginning with "Jungle Fever" (1991). Blanchard has written the score for every Spike Lee film since including, Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, Inside Man. In 2006, he composed the score for Spike Lee's 4-hour Hurricane Katrina documentary for HBO entitled When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Blanchard also appeared in front of the camera with his mother to share their emotional journey back to find her home completely destroyed.
Blanchard has also composed for other directors, including Leon Icasho, Ron Shelton and Kasi Lemmons. With over forty scores to his credit, Blanchard is the most prolific jazz musician to ever compose for movies. Entertainment Weekly proclaimed Blanchard "central to a general resurgence of jazz composition for film." Yet in a 1994 interview for Down Beat, Blanchard was quoted as saying, "Writing for film is fun, but nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing a club, playing a concert," [2]
All the while, Blanchard has remained true to his jazz roots as a trumpeter and bandleader on the performance circuit. He has recorded several award-winning albums for Columbia, Sony Classical and Blue Note Records, including In My Solitude: The Billie Holiday Songbook (1994), Romantic Defiance (1995), The Heart Speaks (1996), Wandering Moon (2000), Let's Get Lost (2001) and Flow (2005), which was produced by pianist Herbie Hancock and received two Grammy Award nominations.
Terence Blanchard's 2001 CD Let's Get Lost was his most commercially successful album to date. It features new arrangements of classic songs written by Jimmy McHugh and performed by his own quintet along with the leading ladies of jazz vocals: Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Dianne Reeves, and Cassandra Wilson.
In 2005, Blanchard was part of the ensemble that won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his participation on McCoy Tyner’s Illuminations, an award he shared with Tyner, Gary Bartz, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash.
But in a career spanning nearly three decades, roughly 50 film scores and more than a dozen albums, the 47-year-old trumpeter had never recorded an album in New Orleans.
After making an appearance on this year's Grammy Awards show in a special segment celebrating New Orleans music, Blanchard said there was no better place to record his latest album, "Choices," than at home.
"I was so proud to represent the city like that," he said of leading the Dirty Dozen Brass Band onto the Grammy stage.
But Blanchard didn't want the celebration of his hometown to end there. This month he got to work on "Choices" with his five-piece band and guest artist, Bilal, a hip-hop and jazz singer from New York.
While Blanchard's last album, the Grammy-winning "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," stemmed from the storm's pain and destruction, this one would be a celebration of all that has survived Katrina, he said.
That's why Blanchard chose to record from the Patrick F. Taylor Library, a building dating back to the late 1800s that has survived more than a century of hurricanes and decades of neglect.
"Being in this building, in this city, creating something here. ... It's a powerful thing, and it's something we can all be proud of," he said.
Blanchard said not recording an album in his hometown wasn't intentional. He was either living or working elsewhere, he said.
Katrina's destruction — including the flooding of his mother's home — inspired "A Tale of God's Will," the album that earned Blanchard a Grammy in 2007 for best large jazz ensemble album. It included 13 emotional songs with such titles as "Levees," "The Water," "In Time of Need" and "Funeral Dirge."
Blanchard was nominated that year for best jazz instrumental solo for "Levees," the track he composed for Spike Lee's HBO documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts."
While he could never forget Katrina, which struck in 2005, Blanchard said he was ready for an album focused on growth, change and the celebration of "how far we've come."
Terence Oliver Blanchard was born March 13, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the only child to parents Wilhelmina and Joseph Oliver. Terence began playing piano at the age of five and then the trumpet at age eight upon hearing Alvin Alcorn play. Blanchard played trumpet recreationally alongside childhood friend Wynton Marsalis in summer music camps but showed no real proficiency on the instrument. Then, while in high school, he began studying at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) under Roger Dickerson and Ellis Marsalis, Jr.. From 1980 to 1982, Blanchard studied under jazz saxophonist Paul Jeffrey and trumpeter Bill Fielder at Rutgers University, while touring with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. In 1982, Wynton Marsalis recommended Blanchard to replace him in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and until 1986, Blanchard was the band's trumpeter and musical director. With Blakey and as co-leader of a quintet with saxophonist Donald Harrison and pianist Mulgrew Miller, Blanchard rose to prominence as a key figure in the 1980s Jazz Resurgence. The Harrison/Blanchard group recorded five albums from 1984-1988 until Blanchard left to pursue a solo career in 1990.[1]
In the 1990s, after a laborious but successful embouchure change, Blanchard was as busy as ever. He recorded his self-titled debut for Columbia Records which reached third on the Billboard Jazz Charts. After performing on soundtracks for Spike Lee movies, including Do the Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues, Lee wanted Blanchard to compose the scores for his films beginning with "Jungle Fever" (1991). Blanchard has written the score for every Spike Lee film since including, Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, Inside Man. In 2006, he composed the score for Spike Lee's 4-hour Hurricane Katrina documentary for HBO entitled When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Blanchard also appeared in front of the camera with his mother to share their emotional journey back to find her home completely destroyed.
Blanchard has also composed for other directors, including Leon Icasho, Ron Shelton and Kasi Lemmons. With over forty scores to his credit, Blanchard is the most prolific jazz musician to ever compose for movies. Entertainment Weekly proclaimed Blanchard "central to a general resurgence of jazz composition for film." Yet in a 1994 interview for Down Beat, Blanchard was quoted as saying, "Writing for film is fun, but nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing a club, playing a concert," [2]
All the while, Blanchard has remained true to his jazz roots as a trumpeter and bandleader on the performance circuit. He has recorded several award-winning albums for Columbia, Sony Classical and Blue Note Records, including In My Solitude: The Billie Holiday Songbook (1994), Romantic Defiance (1995), The Heart Speaks (1996), Wandering Moon (2000), Let's Get Lost (2001) and Flow (2005), which was produced by pianist Herbie Hancock and received two Grammy Award nominations.
Terence Blanchard's 2001 CD Let's Get Lost was his most commercially successful album to date. It features new arrangements of classic songs written by Jimmy McHugh and performed by his own quintet along with the leading ladies of jazz vocals: Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Dianne Reeves, and Cassandra Wilson.
In 2005, Blanchard was part of the ensemble that won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his participation on McCoy Tyner’s Illuminations, an award he shared with Tyner, Gary Bartz, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash.
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