Employment Strategies for Any Situation

The economy is in trouble. Employment opportunities in many industries were already stagnant or declining as early as 2006. Others, expected to grow from 2006 to 2016, were seriously hurt by the downturn last fall. And as we all can see, it's going to take time before the bleeding stops and hiring restarts.

But, we can find some good news. There are careers and positions that are still fairly healthy and still projecting growth. Across industries, Accounting, Finance, Engineering, Computer Science, or Marketing (all anticipated to be healthy fields for 2009 graduates), Project Management is the place to be. Companies will always need well-trained individuals who can plan, budget, oversee, and accomplish non-routine projects.

Start with an online Project Management certificate from Saint Joseph's University. In 24 weeks, you will learn scheduling, budgeting, managing multi-level or multiple projects, leading and managing teams, as well as team-building, staffing, planning, risk issues, and conflict management. These are invaluable skills, no matter where you work or what your field.

One of the areas in which Saint Joseph's University and O*Net Online anticipate much faster than average growth is Mental Health Crisis Management. And that determination was made before the economic crash. Since last fall, I can only imagine that the need for community support workers, therapists, and addiction counselors has grown exponentially.

Whether you're ready to move up, or move on, Project Management certification is a valuable weapon in your skills arsenal.


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God Bless!

Jules

The Misery Memoir, or How My Child Hurt Me

Stating the obvious, parents and teenagers don't always see eye-to-eye. There are days where it seems that we've given birth to a combination of 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Freddie Krueger' - surely that did not come from me! It's a part of the maturation process that kids test limits, push boundaries, and drive their parental-units crazy.

Apparently, complaining to friends and privately handling the situation wasn't enough for Julie Myerson and family. She wrote a book, Dad wrote a three-page feature article, and Son is publicly denouncing both of them. London is abuzz with the insanity and more than a little shocked.

Yes, I have a blog (obviously!) and I share tidbits about the family. I can only recall one instance where, in the heat of anger, I probably shared too much in this space. By and large, as I was taught growing up, you don't air your dirty laundry in public. It's unseemly, immature, and - the real kicker - no one is THAT interested in your life. They have their own problems.

Please set a better example for your son, people! Grow up! and shut up!


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God Bless!

Jules

Payment Solutions for Business

I think I'm in love!

Today, I found just what I need to take my business to a new level - a portable credit card machine. It's wireless and works anywhere a cell phone works. No landlines or slow POS terminals. Take credit card payments anywhere.

I've been toying with the idea of selling ready-made products, in addition to the special order items that are the core of my business. It would be great to offer my customers the ability to order by mail or phone and pay by credit card. Local customers could also pickup and pay for items right here - saving shipping expenses.

(Currently, we do accept all forms of payment - but primarily through PayPal and Google Checkout. Great services, but not 100% flexible.)

The major selling point, for me, was that the wireless terminal is free with the account. And the rates are comparable to most other companies; better than quite a few, in fact.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
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God Bless!

Jules

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and a Chest Cold ~ Oh, My!

We had a great time on Sunday. Frankie had a barbecue and everyone descended on our apartment for cake and silliness afterward. His friends are, by and large, good people and we enjoy having them stop by.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of uninvited guests that have decided to stay. Serious cold germs, to be precise. Frankie got sick first - fever, sneezing, coughing. Then, the germs came after me.

Now, I don't mind sharing with my kids. I love them all. But this little goody I could do without. My head is congested; my lungs are seriously unhappy; I ache all over.

I haven't been sick in a while, so I plan to be cranky and whiny - for days! Let's just hope Mark doesn't get it.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
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at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous

Don't get me wrong, I have zero sympathy or kind feelings for AIG executives. But this idea is going way too far.

A group, the Connecticut Working Families Party, has decided to organize a bus tour of AIG executives' homes. I find this idea almost as offensive as a company taking billions from taxpayers, sending a large portion of it overseas, and awarding millions in retention bonuses to employees that caused the problems or no longer work there. But the families of these employees deserve to keep their privacy and safety unthreatened by hotheads.

This small liberal party is also planning a rally outside AIG corporate headquarters. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with a peaceful rally outside a company's offices to protest the greed and avarice exhibited by the organization and its executives.

Putting families at risk out of some misguided sense of moral superiority, is just as bad as the behavior that caused the CWFPs outrage. If not, in some ways, much worse.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
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at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

Toppling Dominos to Mark Berlin Wall's Fall

Now, this is a fun idea!

On November 9th, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall, a group of Berliners are setting up and knocking down 1,000 giant dominoes. Decorated by young people from a number of countries, the styrofoam slabs measure 8 feet tall by 3 feet wide. The design styles cover a wide variety, determined by the students doing the decorating.

The Goethe Institut, one of the sponsors of the event, plans to take the dominoes around the world, as a reminder that divisions can be resolved peacefully. A message that, in my opinion, can't be repeated too often.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
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You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

Escaped Lion Killed

I was very upset to read about the Mogo Zoo, south of Sydney, Australia, deciding to kill an escaped lioness.

Raised from birth at the zoo, the 9-year-old was found wandering toward the public area. Judging by the report, she was not directly threatening anyone. Staff should have had time to tranquilize her and put her back in her enclosure.

Instead, the owner overreacted and ordered Jameila killed. It's no wonder the zoo is receiving hate mail. Is it?


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

The Perfect Earrings

We all know that I love to shop. And that I am, what some may consider, overly fond of watches. Well, today I am adding a new favorite.

While surfing for something totally unrelated, I found the most amazing diamond hoop earrings. They are amazing for a number of reasons. Primarily, it's because I don't usually like diamonds - no matter what the setting.

These earrings, however, are just right.

First, the diamonds are not excessive. I wouldn't want to wear anything that looks like I'm an idiot with more dollars than sense. Not an easy thing to do with so many diamond earrings.

Second, I cannot imagine a better stone or setting for these earrings. There is absolutely no way that any of my favorite semi-precious stones would look better in this setting. They would all be too, for lack of a better word, gawdy.

These are simple, beautiful earrings. Well done, Bella True!


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

Northern Rockies Gray Wolves Delisted

I truly thought we'd get better from Obama and Salazar. Guess I was wrong. Posted, by the AP, about an hour ago: Feds OK gray wolves' removal from endangered list.

It's not just that they've delisted the Northern Rocky and Western Great Lakes gray wolves from the endangered species list, it's that there are so few animals in these populations. In both regions, which are not small, there are about 6,000 gray wolves. 6,000!! That's it.

There are over 4,000 gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes population. But the other group is much smaller.

The northern Rocky Mountain wolf segment, with a combined population of roughly 1,600, includes all of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon and a small part of north-central Utah.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090306/ap_on_re_us/gray_wolf_endangered

Thank heaven for Earthjustice and Defenders of Wildlife - I know that they won't let this stop here.


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God Bless!

Jules

Surplus Inventory

Alright, I'll admit it - shopping is fun! Even just looking is entertaining. If nothing else, it gives me an idea of what's available in the marketplace and the, as we used to say, going rate. Why pay $20.00 when you know you can find the same thing for $15.00 at a different store?

When I worked for the transportation company a few years ago, they had a store where they sold returned or refused items at huge discounts. Today, I found an online version where surplus inventory is offered for auction. It's a way for companies to liquidate returns or excess stock simply and quickly. And there are some great goodies.

I immediately headed for the Jewelry & Watches category. (Can't have enough watches, you know?!) Unfortunately, I fell in love with a lot containing men's and women's watches. Absolutely gorgeous, but even I can't use 50 watch sets!

Many of the items are returns and many are sold as-is, with no warranty as to functionality. Like my watches, some of the lots are rather large for individual purchase. There are, if you look, plenty of single items available. It just takes persistence and flexibility.

This isn't somewhere you can go, looking for specific items or particular sizes. You can, however, find some terrific deals. My lot of 100 watches is currently at $125.00 - for the whole lot!


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Shop Green: Part II

A couple of nights ago, unable to sleep, I was reading Op/Ed pieces and noticed a pattern. Obviously, with today's economy, it's important to find ways to save money. But with the condition of the environment, it's just as important to find 'green' ways to fill the pantry and clothe our families.

The title of this one: Green shopping: Don't say 'eww,' to thrift stores definitely captured my attention. I stopped grinning and started paying close attention, as I read about the cost and environmental savings associated with buying gently-used items. I think you'll agree that it really makes sense.

We have, over the years, purchased a number of items from a terrific shop that's actually less than 4 miles away and a Goodwill store that's even closer. For just a few dollars, we were able to bring home two beautiful, solid wood end tables; the sofa and loveseat were gently used and incredibly priced. At the time, there was absolutely no way we could have afforded new furniture, especially not of the quality that we found at the thrift shop.

The next year, we needed to get winter coats for the boys and went back. Michael's like-new Sun's jacket was his favorite for years. In all, we were able to get 6 coats and jackets for less than the price of one in your average retail store. Mark and I still wear ours faithfully, on the rare days that it actually decides to cool down here.

What never occurred to me, when I was trying to get the most for my shopping dollar, is the environmental (and human) impact of my choices:

"How does thrift shopping lower our carbon footprint? No additional energy is required to fill the consumer's need for a gently used product. The fuel of long-haul transport, often from the other side of the earth, has already been burned. The only fuel attached to the item is the car ride over to the donation site. Reused products do not have the weight and waste of excessive packaging new products do. Finally, thrift-store shopping diverts reusable items from landfills. That is a respectable energy savings.

Thrift shopping is also a poetic gesture: The profits from the sale of repurposed products in charity-run thrift stores directly promote the repurposing of lives in need. Not only do we avoid product waste, through our contributions we help to avoid the waste of another human's life. This, in turn helps our community."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090302/cm_csm/yturosak_1

As long as we believe that new is better; as long as we refuse to rethink our purchasing power and habits, the economy and the environment - and the communities that we call home - will continue to suffer.


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at Independent Designers
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God Bless!

Jules

VEFM.org

I offered this information about 6 months ago, but I don't think it can be said too often.

As a pet owner, okay as a person owned by a pet, I live in fear that my baby will have an emergency that I cannot afford. (Given that I can only occasionally afford food, this is a pretty safe assumption.)

Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission

If your pet had an emergency, would you be able to pay for it? Veterinary emergency care can be very costly and most emergency hospitals require payment up front. Lack of sufficient funds can leave an owner faced with euthanasia for a beloved companion. The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission (VEFM) helps locate these funds.

A 'friend' of mine, with years of veterinary experience, understands the fear that many of us face. In 2004, our cat 'Bear' developed a bowel blockage that eventually, painfully, killed him. If we had been able to have him fixed, we would have reduced the probability that he would develop this condition.

If you need help - or if you can help - please visit VEFM.org.



Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Disability Insurance

While taking a break from doing our taxes, I ran across a company that has been in the business of processing disability insurance claims for 25 years. Allsup has helped over 100,000 people, since 1984, with a range of financial and healthcare services. Not to mention, their amazing 97% success rate with SSDI.

Several years ago, we went through the long and painfully difficult process of getting Mark his disability benefits. We did have the assistance of the staff at the VA hospital, but by-and-large, it felt as though we were on our own. Swimming in the deep end is truly for the professionals, as we found when Mark was denied and we didn't know what to do.

Of all the items on the site, the one that I could really have used in 2003 was the article called "Beware of Ten Mistakes after Social Security Denies Disability Benefits". So many people, it seems, get denied during the initial process, lose heart, and quit. Or, possibly worse, keep starting over from scratch.

If you are disabled and facing the SSDI application process, don't go through it alone. Allsup knows the steps to take and the information that is critical to getting the benefits due to you.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Shop Green: Part I

Due to too much caffeine and a recurring problem with insomnia, I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to read some Op/Ed articles. Oddly enough, there was a running theme that seriously grabbed my attention. It started with toilet paper.

Yes, that's right. Toilet paper!

And I was appalled at how companies are depleting old-growth forests in order to make softer, fluffier toilet tissue. Something that, it appears, Americans find critical to their happiness. After all, we wouldn't want to risk a little lint on our chubby backsides, now would we?! Or spend that 3-second wipe with something that isn't soft as ailk?!

But, it isn't just the loss of old-growth trees that must be stopped. Toxic chlorine-based bleach is used to turn tree pulp into a whiter white. Carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, can't be absorbed by trees that no longer exist. Greenpeace has even addressed this issue.

The Ecological Guide to recycled tissue products lists three (3) important criteria and how well current products meet them. Before you even think it, (okay, before you say it), price is not necessarily a factor.

I just did a little online price-checking - and at CVS (for one) you can purchase Cottonelle, Scott, or Seventh Generation for the exact same price: 12 rolls, $11.99.

According to the Greenpeace guide, Cottonelle and Scott use 0% (none, nada, zip, zilch) post-consumer material, 0% overall recycled material, and use chlorine-based bleach in processing. For the same price, same quantity Seventh Generation uses 80% post-consumer material, 100% overall recycled material, and does not use chlorine-based bleach for that whiter-white. And they aren't even the best - just one that happened to offer the same size package, when I went to compare prices.

Please help protect our forests and let companies know that you don't approve of clear-cutting the only way they understand: buy earth-friendly paper products.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules

Recommended Movies

I should have known better, since he recommended "Click" and yet I watched another of Frankie's favorite movies tonight. Now, my eyes are all puffy and I have to keep blowing my nose.

Let me explain - I am not a Tom Cruise fan, but I am a huge fan of feudal Japan stories. Against my better judgement, I watched "The Last Samurai" tonight. It was almost as bad as "Click" - from a tissue-count standpoint.

Guess that will teach me to make snap decisions and presume the worst. You really should see this one. It's a cross between "Shogun" and "Dances with Wolves" - both of which moved me to more than tears.

I believe that blubbering, emotional wreck about covers it. And as soon as I can nail Mark to a chair - we're gonna watch it again.


Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
You can cast your Vote For JMark Afghans, etc.
at Independent Designers
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!

Jules