UPDATE ON JOB INTERVIEW

Dear friends and family,



I would like to first thank everyone who reviewed my resume last week. I was able to gain some great insights and ideas and I appreciate everyone who responded. Thursday morning I was at a class on being interviewed for employment offered by LDS Employment. I had taken the first 2 classes on job searching and resumes last year so this was a great brush up on going in for a interview and I got a lot out of the class. Friday morning I was up and out the door early so that I could be in Dallas by 8:30 AM for my job interview. After 11 months of being a stay at home dad I had forgotten how slow Dallas traffic can be on a Friday morning! I arrived early and was greeted by Ken the owner of the company and Vickie who does all of their HR/payroll and has been my contact up to now. The interview went great. We spent most of our time talking more so then being interviewed. They did have a set of questions that we finally got around to but those were more a "formality" in their words. I also appreciated that the interview was very positive and upbeat and I already felt like a member of the team. The company is family owned and has been in Dallas for 45 years and for the last 5 years it has been shifting it's focus from a storefront operation to a direct delivery company. So if a company orders office supplies they are delivered usually the next day and there is no delivery or UPS charge! This is great and with great prices and a 1500 page catalog I knew that this would be a fun job. My role would be to bring in new customers and to build the current customer base by adding new products and services. Basically "relationship sales" which I love doing! So at the end of the interview Vickie also notices my church CTR (choose the right) ring and tells me that she goes to the same church! They tell me that they really enjoyed meeting me and would be in contact with me on Monday or Tuesday.

The next few days were very long and I was very grateful that they were busy! We took the kids to see Santa Friday night and then went to a church event. Saturday morning we did a huge service project and we were worn out afterwords! Sunday was busy with church and then dinner at a friends house and then Monday came. And nothing! Didn't hear from them at all. Nope, nope, nope! Needless to say I was not a happy camper! Tuesday came and at $10:30 AM Vickie called and offered me the position! Yes! "By the way, can you start tomorrow"? OK.... They have a trade show on Thursday and they wanted to get me up to speed on Wednesday. It was really hard because I had to tell Ford Middle School where I was working part time as a Cafeteria Monitor that today would have to be my last day. I really loved working with the kids and staff there and I will miss it a lot. I had been working since the beginning of the school year trying to memorize all of the kids names. I always believed that if someone knows your name you feel just a little bit special and I wanted the kids to feel special talking to me. Everyday kids would come up to me and say "what's my name" and most of the time I would remember it. If a full-time position had come up with Allen ISD I would have taken it. I find a lot of fulfillment working with the kids and I do hope that I made just a little difference in their lives and I will miss saying "hi" to them everyday! Last night I got a priesthood blessing to help and comfort me in this new position and I appreciate Matt, Neal and Carter for coming over. I am excited about the future and I am looking forward to starting in a few (it's 4 AM) hours. This well be a great blessing to my family. If your company orders office products please let me know! Once again I truly am humbled everyone love and support with this change and with the last 11 months as while I was a stay at home dad. It has been fun, cooking, baking (cookies anyone), cleaning, working on the house more more so then anything just letting my wonderful kids know who "Dad" was and that he loves them so much! It was tough to do financially but well worth it!

Dave


http://www.ocopexpress.com/

I AM SANTA CLAUS

To the tune "I ...am I said" By Neil Diamond

North Pole's fine, it snows most the time
And I'm not cutting the Elves" any slack
The Penguins are playing in the snow
But you know I keep thinkin' about
Christmas time is coming real soon


Well I'm fat and old with a great big beard
White as snow,
I'm looking out my window
And it's snowing in July
The North Pole is home,
But I'm not really sure why


I am Santa Claus
To the reindeer
And they just looked at me
With a reindeer stare
I am Santa I cried "I am Santa said I
And I am behind in making toys
For boys and girls
Who have been good all year


Did you ever read about a reindeer
Who dreamed of joining the Santa's sleigh
And his nose lit up the night sky
Well Rodolph's his names
And he saved the day
One Christmas eve
But you know the story


But I got an hunger deep inside
And I've tried so many diets
But I need some milk and cookies
And I'm not a man who likes to eat diet food
But I been wondering when
I will be able to see my shoes


I am Santa Claus
But the Elves just stared
And they just work on toys
Stacked everywhere
I am... Santa Claus
I am... Santa Claus
And I am hungry for milk and cookies
And I don't know why
I am... Santa Claus
I am... Santa Claus
I am...Santa Claus

Got to Get You Into My Life

I was alone, I took a ride,
I didn't know what I would find there.
Another road where maybe I

Could see another kind of mind there.

Ooh then I suddenly see you,

Ooh did I tell you I need you

Ev'ry single day of life?

You didn't run, you didn't lie,

You knew I wanted just to hold you,

And had you gone, you knew in time

We'd meet again for I had to hold you.

Ooh you were meant to be near me,

Ooh and I want to hear me,

Say we'll be together ev'ry day.

Got to get you into my life.

What can I do, what can I be?

When I'm with you I want to stay there.

If I'm true I'll never leave,

And if I do I know the way there.

Ooh then I suddenly see you,

Ooh did I tell you I need you

Ev'ry single day of my life?

Got to get you into my life.

Got to get you into my life.

I was alone, I took a ride,

I didn't know what I would find there.

Another road where maybe I

Could see another kind of mind there.

Ooh then I suddenly see you,

Ooh did I tell you I need you

Ev'ry single day of life?
What are you doing to my life?

THE COW AND THE ICE CREAM

THE COW AND THE ICE CREAM



ONE OF THE BEST EXPLANATIONS OF WHY OBAMA WON THE ELECTION


from a teacher in the Nashville area

"We are worried about 'the cow' when it is all about the 'Ice Cream.'

The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this year...


The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote. To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot. The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia's mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Everyone applauded and he sat down. Now is was Olivia's turn to speak. Her speech was concise. She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down. The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream." She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn't know. The class really didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a landslide. Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth he offered ice cream and 52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds. They want ice cream. The other 48 percent know they're going to have to feed the cow and clean up the mess." This is the ice cream Obama promised us! Remember, the government cannot give anything to anyone --

that they have not first taken away from someone else.

IN HONOR

While I was out yesterday I was able to get pictures of just a few places that had flags at half mast in honor of the soldiers killed at Fort Hood, TX. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those killed on what would have been just another day.

A US army psychiatrist about to be deployed to Afghanistan allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", as he opened fire at a military base in Texas, killing 13 people and wounding 28. The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, shouted the Arabic phrase just before he began his shooting spree at Fort Hood military installation yesterday, according to the base commander, Lieutenant General Robert Cone. Hasan's family said he had been dreading deployment to Afghanistan. Cone praised a civilian police officer for stopping the rampage. Sergeant Kimberly Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire. Cone said Munley shot the gunman four times despite being shot herself. "It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer," he said. Twelve of those killed were soldiers; one was a civilian. All of the wounded were in a stable condition, officials said at a press conference today. Among them are Hasan himself and Munley. Contrary to initial reports, Hasan is alive but has not yet been interviewed by investigators as he is on a ventilator. "He is in a stable condition," an army medical spokesman said. Commander Colonel Steven Braverman, who was a colleague of Hasan at the Darnall army medical centre on Fort Hood, said Hasan performed well in his job and had showed no obvious signs of trouble. "We are not aware of any problems that he had while he was here at Darnall," said Braverman, adding: "We had no problems with his job performance while he was working with us." Braverman confirmed Hasan had received orders to deploy to Afghanistan. One of Hasan's cousins, Nader Hasan, told reporters he had been dreading going to war, having counselled scores of returning soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder. "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy," the cousin said. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there."

Family and fellow officers said Hasan had complained of harassment by other troops about his Middle Eastern ethnicity and Muslim faith. The FBI was last night going through Hasan's phone and computer records to see if a motive could be identified. Agents were checking back on website postings by a man who identified himself as Nidal Hasan that appeared sympathetic to suicide bombings. At about 1.30pm yesterday, Virginia-born Hasan is said to have opened fire with two handguns at the base's soldier readiness centre where troops were having equipment checks, dental treatment and undergoing other preparations before being flown to Iraq or as they returned from combat. Neither of the guns are believed to have been military issue. Ford Hood's deputy base commander, Colonel John G Rossi, said about 500 soldiers were in the area when Hasan entered the centre wearing military uniform. He shot some victims at close range and others were injured as the bullets ricocheted, Rossi said. Troops are not allowed to carry firearms on the base and armed military police quickly swarmed to the scene. Soldiers tore up their uniforms to bandage the injured. Troops at a graduation ceremony nearby, attended by 600, have been praised for quickly blocking the doors when the firing began. The base went into lockdown for several hours amid fears other gunmen were involved. Greg Schanepp, who was representing a local congressman at the graduation, told how a soldier who had been shot in the back came running towards him and alerted him to the shooting, telling him not to go in the direction of the killer. The base commander, Cone, said only military police on the base carried guns. He did not speculate on a motive. Two other people were questioned and then released. Federal law enforcement officials told Associated Press that Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of his web postings, which discussed suicide bombings and other threats. One of the web posts that authorities reviewed was a blog that equated suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. "To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. It's more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the post. "Scholars have paralled [sic] this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers." The officials said Hasan appeared to have made the postings but it was still being checked. The wounded were taken to hospitals in the central Texas region. Lisa Pfund said her daughter Amber Bahr, 19, was shot in the stomach and was in a stable condition. Barack Obama, interrupting a speech in Washington, said the incident was a "horrific outburst of violence". The gunman showed no signs of worry or stress when he stopped at a convenience store for his daily breakfast of hash browns, said Jeannie Strickland, manager of a local 7-Eleven. "He came in [Thursday] morning just like normal," she told the Houston Chronicle, "nothing weird, nothing out of the ordinary." Video footage was shown on CNN last night apparently of Hasan in a shop in the morning ‑ about six to seven hours before the shooting ‑ looking relaxed as he bought some goods.


Wajahat Ali: Muslim Americans taking the blame



guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009

RISK: THE MOVIE

How many hours have I spent playing this game? Dave

‘Risk’ Board Game To Be Movietized



Deadline Hollywood tells us that Sony Pictures bought the rights to make a movie based on Risk, the classic board game produced by Parker Brothers (a division of Hasbro™). No details yet on who would direct, write the script or star in such a film, so we can jump right to speculation and opinion before we get to the press release. Sony only has to look to TMNT, Transformers, G.I. Joe or Pirates of the Carribean for evidence that films based on toys/games/rides that have been popular with children can make big, big money at the box office – despite the fact that out of that same list, only Pirates received significant critical acclaim (at least the first film did) Risk doesn’t exactly stir up the same memories TMNT/Transformers/G.I. Joe does for twenty and thirty-somethings, but then, neither did Pirates. I’m no expert, but it’s hard to imagine teenagers these days stooping to the low-tech level of a board game, so Sony probably won’t get a lot of recognition-based excitement from THAT crowd. More importantly, the film’s gonna have to be a war epic and don’t those come out all the time? If Sony were willing to take real countries and create alliances that don’t exist and pretend we’re all at war, that could be pretty cool, I guess. While I’m spouting opinion, it’s hard for me to imagine any of the action/battle scenes providing anything that we haven’t seen a million times before. /Film dug up this quote from Brain Goldner of Hasbro regarding the inevitable awesomeness of a Risk movie: “The strategic thinking and the tactical gambles that players must take in the game are what make RISK a classic, thoroughly engaging game. Those elements translated into an action-packed, thrilling story are what will make this a uniquely exciting movie.”


Sure. /Film also pointed us to the press release immediately following: Sony Pictures Entertainmenthas acquired from Hasbro, Inc. the motion picture rights to produce RISK, the classic board game brand of world conquest, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. The film will be produced and developed by Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir and Overbrook Entertainment’s James Lassiter.

Commenting on the announcement Belgrad said, “Hasbro has already seen tremendous success with Transformers and G.I. Joe and audiences have shown a great desire for films that bring to life everything that has made these franchise properties stand the test of time. The strategic thinking and the tactical gambles that players must take in the game are what make RISK a classic, thoroughly engaging game. Those elements translated into an action-packed, thrilling story are what will make this a uniquely exciting movie.” Lassiter added “We are excited to be working with Hasbro and Columbia Pictures on bringing such a beloved and well-known game to life on the big screen. We have two television projects currently in development with Hasbro Studios and look forward to this collaboration.” The game was invented in 1957 by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse as La Conquete du Monde (The Conquest of the World). Two years later, Parker Brothers published the game in the U.S. as RISK. According to Hasbro, RISK was a groundbreaking game, the first board game to offer nonlinear movement. In the game, players compete on a map of the world, amassing armies and attempting world domination, or, as its rules put it, to “occupy every territory on the board and in so doing, eliminate all other players.” The game has sold millions of copies and spawned several variations, with settings ranging from movie properties (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings) to various periods from world history to the moon. Here’s hoping for something more like Pirates and less like Transformers 2. Speaking of, I think excellent acting is part of what separates those two films and may be something for Sony to think long and hard about before moving forward with a Risk flick. What else separates the good from the bad and ugly when it comes to movies based on children’s phenomenons?

No word yet on when Risk would conquer theaters worldwide.

Source: /Film, Deadline Hollywood

6 Most Disgraceful Diet Myths

6 Most Disgraceful Diet Myths



If you can't figure out why the weight won't stay off, perhaps you've been following bad advice.


If you can't seem to keep the weight off, you may simply be following bad advice. The fact is, there are a lot of bogus diet claims out there-ones which could sabotage your good intentions. Here, the six most outrageous diet myths of all time.

1. Snacking will destroy your diet. This is true-if your snacks of choice consist of large quantities of potato chips, candy bars, or leftover takeout. The good news is that snacking can actually help you lose weight if the foods (and portions) that you select are healthy. Research has shown that eating five or six small meals, or snacks, a day is more effective for weight loss than eating two or three larger ones. This method of grazing works by keeping your metabolism in a constantly active state, which can increase the amount of calories you burn and, ultimately, the number of pounds you can drop.

2. Fat will make you fat. Like carbohydrates, fat has a bad reputation. Keep in mind, however, that not all fats are created equal. Saturated and trans fats can expand your waistline, raise your cholesterol, and increase your disease risk. But natural, unsaturated fats, found in foods such as olive oil, avocadoes, salmon, and nuts, are essential for good health and can help prevent certain diseases. When unsaturated fats are a part of daily meals, they can also help you feel fuller longer, decreasing the amount of calories that you consume.


3. As long as it's healthy, you can eat 'til your heart's content. A calorie is a calorie, despite the form that it takes. If you eat too much of anything, calories will add up and derail your weight-loss efforts. Watch out for foods labeled low-fat or low-calorie. A Cornell University study showed that people ate 28 to 45 percent more calories when eating low-fat foods because they thought it was acceptable to increase the amount they ate. Control your portions of all foods to keep the pounds off.


4. It's okay to forgo exercise. There have been an overwhelming number of conflicting studies about exercise, ranging from how often you need to do it to the intensity required for benefits. Some people even question whether it's actually a necessary component for weight loss. However, although diet alone may cause satisfactory weight loss, a regular exercise program (even if it's as simple as a daily walk after dinner) can accelerate your efforts by burning more calories, building muscle, and increasing metabolism. Additional benefits include increased energy, decreased appetite, and improved digestion, all things that can help with long-term weight loss.

5. Carbs are the enemy. With obesity and diabetes at an all-time high, carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap, mainly because dieters don't distinguish between the two types: simple and complex. Although neither is inherently bad, complex carbs (found in whole grains, berries, and beans) are starches that cause a more gradual change in blood sugar than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbs keep you full for longer periods of time, contain more nutrients and don't cause the crash associated with simple sugars, such as soda, candy, white bread, and processed snack foods.


6. Fasting will help you shed pounds faster. No one can deny the fact that if you stop eating, you'll lose weight. However, not only is crash dieting hazardous to your health; the results are only temporary-and you could actually impede your weight loss in the long run. Along with losing fat, fasting also removes lean muscle, and your body will start using fewer calories. As soon as you start eating again, your body will pile on these extra calories that it didn't need before your fast.

STILL MORE GOOD TIMES

Around 1993 about 6 months after my family moved to Huntington Beach, CA I finally joined them. I moved into a 3 bedroom apartment with 4 other guys and had a lot of fun living the "dorm life". I made lasting friendships with those guys who I am mostly still in contact with today. I am always grateful to Phil, Dan, Raphael and Steve for taking me in and letting me make a fresh start. It was not the cleanest place but it was cool. What was even cooler was that the apartment next door to us had 6 girls living in it. All of us were LDS and went to the Huntington Beach 8th Ward. The first 3-6 months I keep pretty low. I was really worn out from doing too much in Long Beach. I needed to recharge my batteries and just work on "me" for awhile. Soon they called a new Bishop to the ward and Larry Johnson changed my life forever. Bishop Johnson saw the value in not what I was but what I could become. He helped me to grow spiritually and to get to the temple. Around that time my Dad also invited me to live at their new home which was a lot of fun and had a pool! We had pool parties every Labor and Memorial day with over 100 young adults! Not only would their be people in the pool but in the living room, family room, in the garage with the ping pong table or across the street at the park. The ward had a lot of fun activities, break fast, family home evening, the Christmas dinner dance and the huge monthly dances. But besides the fun stuff the leadership also made sure that we were feed spiritually with great Sunday school, Priesthood/Relief Society, Institute lessons etc. Even though I still made mistakes I was able to grow into the kind of man that would be a honorable husband and take a wonderful girl to the temple. And that is exactly what I did on September 7th, 1996 when I married Elizabeth Brown for all eternity.

Dave's Thoughts About Holiday Shopping

From Dave Ramsey

Dave's Thoughts About Holiday Shopping



If you pay for your holiday festivities with credit, you're bringing a stalker home for Christmas. The holidays will follow you around all year long. The process usually goes something like this:

You buy costumes and decorations for Halloween, a feast for Thanksgiving, and Christmas gifts for your family, more than likely waiting until the last minute for each occasion and missing the good deals. If you're not on Dave's plan (and, if not, what's stopping you?), you throw everything on the credit card. In January, the bills start coming in the mail. One by one, the bills remind you of the temporary holiday thrill-rides. Unable to pay everything off at once, you pay the minimums.
By June, you've hardly made a dent in the holiday debt—which has simply been added to all your other miscellaneous debt like student loans, mortgages and the always-dreaded car payment. By fall, you should be planning ahead for next Christmas. But, instead, you're still dealing with last year's debt—plus all the accumulated debt from the ghosts of Christmases past. And the cycle continues. That is, until you finally say, "Enough!" No more debt. No more credit. It's time to make a plan early in the year, and then stick to it! Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November. Christmas is always on December 25. These dates never change. There's no excuse for getting caught off-guard and desperately piling up mounds of debt on credit cards. So let's say you haven't started making a plan for the upcoming holidays yet, but now you are ready to get moving. You've still got time! Consider some of these holiday shopping ideas:


Research. Before you head to the mall, look for deals online. Visit the websites of the stores you plan to visit, and check out their prices. Don't waste your time shopping at one store if you know the store down the street has a better deal.

Make a budget. This is common-sense stuff, but it's amazing how many people have no financial plan for their spending. They are like an energetic kid in a toy store, grabbing the first toy that looks pretty and tossing it into the shopping cart. In order to work your way out of debt, you must become disciplined during the holiday season. If you must buy for everyone, keep it simple and stay within your means—however meager they may be. Don't get caught up in "bigger is better," or else the bigger debt in January will remind you of how stupid that mindset is.

Use Cash. As Dave always says, you spend less when you use cash. Before you hit the stores, swing by the ATM and pick up a pre-planned amount of money. Then, stop shopping when it's gone! If you've planned ahead and followed the two steps listed above, then using cash should be easy. You'll know what you need to buy and how much it will cost—before you start.

Start now—no, really, right now!—planning for your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Or, wait until the last minute and celebrate them for months to come by wading through all those bills.

The choice is up to you!