Archive for September, 2011

PEPERONI RIPIENI A L’ANTONIETTA* (Antoinette’s (Famous) Stuffed Peppers)

Vol. 2,  No.  2,  September 27, 2011

CUCINA D’ANTONIETTA*(Antonietta’s Kitchen*) “the art of food, wine, family & more*”
By Antonietta La Posta

TITLE/ SUB-TITLE: “PEPERONI RIPIENI A L’ANTONIETTA *” (Antoinette’s (Famous) Stuffed Peppers)

INTRODUCTION
This is the season for peppers.  You can now buy ripe delicious peppers cheaply.  Stuffed peppers are done many different ways.  This is one of the ways I like to make them. They’re DELICIOUS.

MY LIFE & TIMES*
Every since I can remember, my mother made peppers with anchovies.  Anchovies have a very distinctive taste.  Not everybody likes them.  One of my friends calls them “hairy little fish”.  This is a recipe that my mother’s family put their stamp on and that I inherited.  They’re easy to make and impressive to serve.  Hope you’ll enjoy them too.

SAVORY INGREDIENTS PLUS*

Anchovy
Anchovies are a family (Engraulidae) of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.[1]
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchovy

Eggs

“Eggs laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, have been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen (egg white), and vitellus (egg yolk), contained within various thin membranes.

Egg yolks and whole eggs store a lot of protein and choline.[1][2] For this reason, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) categorizes eggs as Meats within the Food Guide Pyramid[1]

Popular choices for egg consumption are chicken, duck, roe, and caviar. The egg most often humanly consumed by far is the produce of the chicken.”
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food)

Why I prefer large size/brand

I prefer large size because it is perfect size – it makes the right amount. I like PRESTIGE CLUB PACK from Burnbrae Farms because they are good quality and fresh.

Pepper
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper (in the UK) and capsicum (in Australia and New Zealand), is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum (chili pepper). Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green.
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper

Garlic
“Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive,[1] and rakkyo.[2] Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The garlic plant’s bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, the bulb is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used for consumption (raw or cooked), or for medicinal purposes, and have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.[3]”
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Parsley (Petroselinum)
“It is a bright green biennial herb, often used as spice. It is common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. In modern cooking, parsley is used for its leaf in much thesame way as coriander (which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although parsley is perceived to have a milder flavor.”
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley

Sea salt
Salt obtained by the evaporation of seawater, is used in cooking and cosmetics. It is historically called bay salt[1] or solar salt. Generally more expensive than table salt, it is commonly used in gourmet cooking and specialty potato chips, particularly the kettle cooked variety (known as hand-cooked in the UK/Europe).
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_salt

Vegetable Oil
Vegetable fats and oils are lipid materials derived from plants. Physically, oils are liquid at room temperature, and fats are solid. Chemically, both fats and oils are composed of triglycerides, as contrasted with waxes which lack glycerin in their structure. Although many plant parts may yield oil,[1] in commercial practice, oil is extracted primarily from seeds.
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_fats_and_oils

Why I prefer Pastene brand
This product is reliable and always tastes rich and tasty.

HANDY APPLIANCES, UTENSILS, GADGETS, ETC.*

To cook stuffed peppers you need a CorningWare oval pan and a large bowl.

Why I prefer Corning Ware

I prefer a Corning Ware oval pan because the peppers are placed side by side to cook.  I have checked on-line and found a CorningWare French White 2 Piece 4-Quart Covered Oval Roaster at $29.99. 
http://www.amazon.com/CorningWare-Kitchen-Housewares/b?ie=UTF8&node=574082

Ingredients:
• 2 eggs (large)
• 6 green peppers (whole)
• 2-3 green peppers (diced)
• 1 can of anchovy (diced) Pastene oldest Italian specialty food products in North America since 1874 visit http://www.pastene.com/index.html
• 1 cup of bread crumbs … Pastene
• 3 or 4 pieces of garlic buds (minced)
• 2 tbsps fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt … sea salt type to taste

Directions:

• Place (In a large bowl): the peppers, eggs, parsley, anchovies, bread crumbs, garlic buds, oil and salt;
• Mix everything well;
• Put the bowl aside;
• Cut the top of peppers and clean out the insides;
• Fill in the peppers with the filling;
• Put peppers in a pan;
• Add one cup of water;
• Put them in the oven at 350⁰ for 45 minutes;

You can serve it alone or with whatever you desire.  It makes a delicious recipe.

Let’s make a deal. With my ““PEPERONI RIPIENI A L’ANTONIETTA ”” (Antoinette’s (Famous) Stuffed Peppers), I did the experimenting and you get the compliments. How’s that? 

Take this dish out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my food favorite for the week, what’s yours? *
ALP
CREDITS
-Web Tech:  richmediasound.com
The above is a new media production of Valente under its “United Author*” program.
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.

Posted by on September 28th, 2011 Comments Off on PEPERONI RIPIENI A L’ANTONIETTA* (Antoinette’s (Famous) Stuffed Peppers)

“RETIREMENT: Income, Pension, Planning, Calculator, etc. – What do want? – I have thought about it!*”

Vol. 2,  No. 19,  September 25, 2011
TITLE: “RETIREMENT: Income, Pension, Planning, Calculator, etc.  – What do want? – I have thought about it!*”
INTRODUCTION
The end of summer 2011 was different – big time. I RETIRED. My whole world shifted and my everyday changed. I want to give you a look inside … behind the front lines. I don’t have to theorize about a person retiring,  I am living it. I know of what I speak. My book of the week is:  “About Schmidt ” (Ballantine Reader’s Circle) by Louis Begley (Author). Hence, my subject is retirement.  (Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series on re-careering in midlife, retraining and retirement.)

PREVIEW #1: In a day or two, look for my next recipe installment, (located in the very same place), in another of my blogs. entitled, “CUCINA D’ANTONIETTA*”(Antonietta’s Kitchen*), “the art of food, wine, family & more*”. This time, I am cooking up, “Peperoni Ripieni a l’Antonietta” (Antoinette’s Stuffed Peppers). Bring your napkin.

PREVIEW#2: Next week, I will give you another installment of my series on parenting, schooling and the return to class. This time, my sub-topic will be mentoring… it’s an important component of a sucessful educational career. Please come by and check out my post after the bell rings at 3:00P.M. I will be waiting for you.    

MY LIFE & TIMES*

In my family, my father retired first. He was 65 and sold his business/truck.  Shortly after, he got a part-time job, pumping gas, a few days- a-week. It was at a gas station of a friend. HE LOVED IT! My mother waited until she was about 65 and then retired. She then busied hereself with her home, family, etc.

When I started thinking seriously about retirement, I spoke with friends and acquaintances. Some retirees said that it was a great time and place. These people were overjoyed – they explained that they had plans – places to go and things to do. Not everybody saw it that way.  A number of people who I knew, worked beyond their minimum years of service.  They didn’t have another job. They couldn’t imagine what they would do. They just stayed put. One was in his seventies.

I retired a month ago.  Many people at my former workplace were incredulous. Some said: “You are not old.” I said: “I feel young.” Others said : “You look so young. ” I would reply: “Thank you for the compliment.  Still others asked: “Why did you do it.” I answered: “It was the right time for me.” 

First, after 35 years of service, I was entitled to a full pension. Staying put would not get me  much more in dollars and cents. My decision was logical – it was to my advantage. Second, I was too young to stop working and I had another job lined up. That made it easier to come to the decision. Third, I was ready for something different – I was looking forward to a new career. I put in a few hours a week after 5:00 P.M. beforehand and had an idea of what to expect.  But emotionally, it was another story. I didn’t expect to be so emotional and sad. I really missed the routine and the social side of the workplace. It took me by surprise. 

A few years ago, I went to a seminar about retirement.  The speaker, who held a big position remembered when he entered his former workplace, the security and support staff would warmly greet him. He received a smile and several friendly words. Now that he had retired, he found that things had changed a lot. Now, when he went to visit, not many people acknowledged him.  How sad? 

THE AUTHOR:  Louis Begley

Begley was born on October 6, 1933 in Stryj of the then Poland, the only child of a physician. He survived the Holocaust  (i.e., the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during W.W.II.) Using forged identity papers,  pretending to be Polish Catholics, his mother and he survived. In 1959, on graduation from Harvard Law School, he practiced law with a New York firm. He retired on January 1, 2004. He went from writing legalese to novels. He is a writers’ writer. He has the awards to prove it:  (a) The Irish Times-Aer Lingus International Fiction Prize; (b) National Book Award Finalist; (c) National Book Critics’ Circle Finalist; (d) PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award; (e) Prix Médicis Étranger; (f) Jeanette-Schocken-Pries; (g) Bemerhavener Bürgerpreis für Literatur; (h) American Academy of Letters Award in Literature; (i) Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung Literaturpreis; etc.
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Begley
 
SERIES/COLLECTION
Books
• Wartime Lies (1991)
• The Man Who Was Late (1993)
• As Max Saw It (1994)
• About Schmidt (Ballantine Reader’s Circle) by Louis Begley (Author) 1996
• Mistler’s Exit (1998)
• Schmidt Delivered (2000)
• Shipwreck (2003)
• Matters of Honor (2007)
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Begley

Movie: “About Schmidt ”
The 2002 film adaptation of the Begley’s novel has Jack Nicholson as its star. Kathy Bates is the female star. Early on, you see him at the office, quite “dorky”, yet seemingly successfully fitting in.  Gazing at the clock, Jack’s character is waiting for the hours to tick down. We realize that he is retiring. He soon finds that life in the retirement lane is slower. Indeed, he doesn’t strike you as “fast and furious”. He then becomes quirky, not quite knowing what to say and do, seemingly not fitting in anywhere. His escapades are really misadventures. At one point, he meets the Kathy Bates character, a senior citizen flower child of the 1960s.  You fill in the blanks. 

THE BOOK:  “About Schmidt ” (Ballantine Reader’s Circ.) by Louis Begley
This is one man’s story of death, retirement and inheritance. Albert Schmidt is a widower – this is about his life after he lost his wife of many years. He is a retired lawyer. Surprise surpsise….he has an unhealthy diet. He owns a house in the Hamptons. He has an adult daughter, Charlotte. She is a yuppie, in public relations for BIG tobacco. He wants to leave his home to his daughter, but she doesn’t want it. Life is simple yet complicated at the same time. Such is the time after work. It is one man’s take on the retirement stage. It is more than interesting. Read between the lines. Learn and retire better.   

CONCLUSION

Many of us will probably retire. Retirement could be wonderful or bad – indeed, truly great or really bad. Which will it be for you?

Personal Comments

Retirement could be a very tough time and place.  One really doesn’t know what to expect. When you get there, it might be overwhelming.

The transition from the work force to a stay-at-home retirement could be a shock to your system. Once the novelty of retirement wears off, some people whoosh like a popped balloon. On leaving their lifetime work, they lose themselves. They seemingly lose who they are: their (work) identity. They see their self worth sink to zero.

First, I say that they are wrong. They are who they are. What they did to make a living was only a part of who they are. They are worth much more than their job function.  In a family, they are unique: a son/daughter, husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, etc. They love and are loved.  That’s just the start. Connect the dots!  

Second, think about retirement… no really think about it.  You need to find your new life….just like the hamburger…just the way you like it! 

You work so long, looking forward to retirement. You dream – you have so many dreams.

You want to have a pleasant retirement. It is very important to have plans before you retire.  Many people think about the financial aspect of retirement.  “Yes” money is important. But, it’s not the whole story. It’s also about what you will do, day-in-day-out. If rich and famous, you have the means to go here and there, hobnobbing or some such. (Don’t envy them – many find such a life unfulfilling.)  I think that re-careering is a good option. A second option is volunteering – helping those in need, whether locally, regionally or whatever.  Other alternatives are: physical exercise and training, hobbies, sports, educational courses, etc.  I am sure that you can come up with ideas of your own. Being without activities to occupy your time could spell trouble in retirement.

Remember the slogan that starts with: “You’re not getting older….”  I think you’re getting better because you’re closer to retirement. 
 

The Point

Retirement is a huge challenge. Do it right! Retire well.

ANTOINETTE’S TIP SHEET*
Dos & Don’ts – if at retirement age:

1. Remember the slogan that speaks of being worth it. I agree.  Recognize that you’re a high value person. Your retirement can be great.  
2. Make sure that retirement is financially feasible; in this regard,

2.1 Evaluate your pension income – use an on-line pension calculator;
3. Figure out what you’re going to do. Don’t retire unless you have something to occupy your time. Try to find something about which you are passionate.
4. Make a plan; in this regard,

4.1 Set new goals- you need goals;   
4.2 Make your dreams happen. Remember the slogan that speaks of Freedom ??. It is all about dreams.  

4.3 Develop your strategies to get to the place where you want to be;

4.4  Set up an anticuipated schedule;

5. Get prepared for the transition; in this regard,

5.1 Recognize that retirement is one of the major transitions in your life and the last. The transition to retirement could be less painful if you have a plan.
5.2 Take into consideration your state of mind – embrace a better attitude ;

5.3 Prepare to be emotional – I think that you then might find it less difficult;  

I want your retirement to be amazing?Don’t you? Open your horizons. It is possible!* 

Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours?*
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
P.S. Big News: There are big changes coming to my blog – Please stay tuned.
P.P.S. #1 I have a TWITTER page. Consider becoming a follower? Visit www.twitter.com  –   saveandread
P.P.S. #2 I also have a FACEBOOK page. Consider becoming a friend? Visit: www.facebook.com  – Alp Save Andread – please check it out.
P.P.S. #3 I am on Linkedin. Consider becoming a connection? Visit  www.linkedin.com – Antoinette La Posta
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
================================================================================================
 
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
================================================================================================
ANNEX I: NEED SOMETHING FURTHER?, TRY AN ANECDOTE OR A QUOTE:
S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #1: Classic Groucho
The day after his retirement, Groucho Marx, having long planned a trip to Paris, hopped on a plane to fulfill his dream. Upon his return, he was met at the airport by a friend named Herb. “Well,” he asked, “how was Paris?” “Oh, it was fine,” Groucho replied, “but I wish I’d gone twenty years ago.” “When Paris was really Paris, eh?” Herb remarked, sympathetically. “No,” said Groucho, “when Groucho Marx was really Groucho Marx!”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=11501

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #2: No, By George!
Late in life, George Burns was asked whether he planned ever retire. “Retire?” Burns replied. “I’m going to stay in show business until I’m the only one left!”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=5823

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #3: Pothead Prime Minister
One day in October 2003, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that, although he had never smoked marijuana before, he might be willing to try it after his retirement, even if efforts to decriminalize it failed. “I will have my money for my fine [in one hand],” he declared, “and a joint in the other hand!”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) –  http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=14875

S & R* QUOTE #1: Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
That “change makes us uncomfortable” is now one of the most widely promoted, widely accepted, and underconsidered half-truths around…. [I]t is not change by itself that makes us uncomfortable; it is not even change that involves taking on something very difficult. Rather, it is change that leaves us feeling defenseless before the dangers we “know” to be present that causes us anxiety. (from Immunity to Change)
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) –  http://www.wisdomquotes.com/

S & R* QUOTE #2:  Audre Lorde
Life is very short and what we have to do must be done in the now.
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/life/
 
S & R* QUOTE #3: Parker J. Palmer
I want my inner truth to be the plumb line for the choices I make about my life — about the work that I do and how I do it, about the relationships I
enter into and how I conduct them.
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/life/index2.html
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
—————————————————————–———————————————————————-ANNEX II
SCHEDULE I
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are: “retirement”;  etc.

Retirement

Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely.[1][2] A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement
SCHEDULE II
STUDY/STATISTICS:
In most countries, the idea of retirement is of recent origin, being introduced during the 19th and 20th centuries. Previously, low life expectancy and the absence of pension arrangements meant that most workers continued to work until death. Germany was the first country to introduce retirement in the 1880s.The “standard” retirement age varies from country to country but it is generally between 50 and 70 (according to latest statistics, 2011). In some countries this age is different for males and females, although this has recently been challenged in some countries (e.g., Austria), and in some countries the ages are being brought into line.[4] The table below shows the variation in eligibility ages for public old-age benefits in the United States and many European countries, according to the OECD.
Country Early retirement age Normal retirement age Employed, 55–59
 Employed, 60–64 Employed, 65–69 Employed, 70+
Austria 60 (57) 65 (60) 39% 7% 1% 0%
Belgium 60 65 45% 12% 1% 0%
Cambodia 50 55 ? ? ? ?
Denmark none 65 77% 35% 9% 1%
France 62* 65* 51% 12% 1% 0%
Germany 65 67 64% 23% 3% 0%
Greece 57 65 51% 31% 8% 1%
Italy 57 65 (60) 34% 12% 1% 0%
Netherlands 60 65 53% 22% 3% 0%
Norway 62 67 ? ? ? ?
Spain 60** 65** 46% 22% 0% 0%
Sweden 61 65 78% 58% 5% 1%
Switzerland 63 (61), [58] 65 (64) 77% 46% 7% 2%
Thailand 50 60 ? ? ? ?
United Kingdom none 65 69% 40% 10% 2%
United States 62 67 66% 43% 20% 5%
Greater wealth tends to lead to earlier retirement, since wealthier individuals can essentially “purchase” additional leisure. Generally the effect of wealth on retirement is difficult to estimate empirically since observing greater wealth at older ages may be the result of increased saving over the working life in anticipation of earlier retirement. However, a number of economists have found creative ways to estimate wealth effects on retirement and typically find that they are small. For example, one paper exploits the receipt of an inheritance to measure the effect of wealth shocks on retirement using data from the HRS.[15] The authors find that receiving an inheritance increases the probability of retiring earlier than expected by 4.4 percentage points, or 12 percent relative to the baseline retirement rate, over an eight-year period. A great deal of attention has surrounded how the financial crisis is affecting retirement decisions, with the conventional wisdom saying that fewer people will retire since their savings have been depleted; however recent research suggests that the opposite may happen. Using data from the HRS, researchers examined trends in defined benefit (DB) vs. defined contribution (DC) pension plans and found that those nearing retirement had only limited exposure to the recent stock market decline and thus are not likely to substantially delay their retirement.[16] At the same time, using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), another study estimates that mass layoffs are likely to lead to an increase in retirement almost 50% larger than the decrease brought about by the stock market crash, so that on net retirements are likely to increase in response to the crisis.[17]More information tells of how many who retire will continue to work, but not in the career they have had for the majority of their life. Job openings will increase in the next 5 years due to retirements of the baby boomer generation. The Over 50 population is actually the fastest growing labor groups in the US. This might have something to do with the economy, or the fact that this generation is outliving any previous generation and needs a job to entertain them! A great deal of research has examined the effects of health status and health shocks on retirement. It is widely found that individuals in poor health generally retire earlier than those in better health. This does not necessarily imply that poor health status leads people to retire earlier, since in surveys retirees may be more likely to exaggerate their poor health status to justify their earlier decision to retire. This justification bias, however, is likely to be small.[18] In general, declining health over time, as well as the onset of new health conditions, have been found to be positively related to earlier retirement.[19]Most people are married when they reach retirement age; thus, spouse’s employment status may affect one’s decision to retire. On average, husbands are three years older than their wives in the U.S., and spouses often coordinate their retirement decisions. Thus, men are more likely to retire if their wives are also retired than if they are still in the labor force, and vice versa.[20][21]
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement
SCHEDULE III
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #1:
Consider downsizing in retirement when faced with mortgage debt The first wave of baby boomers will turn 65 this year but many may not be ready for retirement. A recent poll from CIBC reveals that nearly half (46 per cent) of our country’s baby boomers still carry a mortgage and 75 per cent still carry additional debt. The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) advises that downsizing to a smaller living space can help reduce mortgage debt and could also offer other lifestyle benefits. Smaller houses and condominiums can require less maintenance and leave more free time to enjoy living. The decision to move from the family home to a smaller house, townhouse or condo is becoming more popular, said Barbara Sukkau, president of OREA. Homeowners should take the time to consider what they can afford, what kind of lifestyle they want to have and what type of home they’d like to live in.Sukkau offers the following advice:
-Consider your debt: How much do you owe on your mortgage and how can downsizing help you to pay this off much faster?
-Figure out how much of your debt you can pay off by looking at the principal owing compared to costs related to selling. Then take into account other housing costs related to
your new space such as reduced property taxes and utility fees to get a clearer picture.
-Remember, condos also have maintenance fees that can rise over time if the building doesn’t have a sufficient reserve fund in place.
-Consider your current lifestyle: How many rooms do you need? How long will the kids still be living at home? How often do you have overnight guests? How much stuff can you get rid of? It’s important to consider what you’re willing to give up in return for a downsized space, including whether or not you still plan to host family holidays.
-Consider your future lifestyle: Do you have plans to travel after retirement? Is deteriorating health an issue? Perhaps a single-level home like a bungalow or a low maintenance space like an apartment would suit your future needs. With proper planning, downsizing can get you the lifestyle and home that you want. Visit howrealtorshelp.ca to help you when you decide.
www.newscanada.com
“News Canada” <article@newscanada.com>www.newscanada.com
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #2: Retirement planning with annuities
According to Michael Aziz, regional vice president of individual insurance product sales at Desjardins Financial Security, annuities can be an important part of a retirement plan. “Annuities have become more than just a source of life-time income,” said Aziz. “Some can be used as a charitable donation, and that’s a very smart tax and estate planning strategy.” We asked Aziz to give us a tour through the different types of annuities: To start, what is an annuity?An annuity is a long-term savings contract designed to provide you with guaranteed income.
How does it work?
An annuity allows you to convert your savings into regular income, which is paid out over a specified period of time or for life. For example, the funds are invested and then after a prescribed period of time the client receives an income at regular intervals for a pre-determined period of time or until their death, depending on the type of annuity chosen. These payments are determined based on factors such as life expectancy and current interest rates.What kinds of annuities are available?There are four that are most common:
A life annuity provides a guaranteed and predictable income for life. It’s safe from market fluctuations and can be reversible, meaning that when the person dies, the annuity payments continue and are paid to their beneficiary. Term certain annuity provides a regular guaranteed income for a specified period. If the person dies before the end of this set period, the annuity is paid to the beneficiary. Adapted life annuity, also called an impaired risk annuity, is designed to meet the needs of a person who has been diagnosed with a critical illness or whose life expectancy has been reduced. The payments the person receives are higher than conventional life annuity payments because they factor in their special circumstances.A charitable annuity allows a person to support a favourite charity while still receiving a guaranteed regular income for a specified period or for life. He would also receive a tax credit for the donation. To learn more about how to include annuities into your retirement plan, speak to your financial advisor. Or for more immediate answers, visit
Desjardins Financial Security at www.desjardinslifeinsurance.com.
www.newscanada.com
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved

Posted by on September 25th, 2011 Comments Off on “RETIREMENT: Income, Pension, Planning, Calculator, etc. – What do want? – I have thought about it!*”

WORKING, CAREER: Finding jobs online or classifieds, etc. – You can do it – I believe in you!*”

Vol. 2,  No. 18, September 18th, 2011
TITLE: “WORKING, CAREER: Finding jobs online or classifieds, etc. – You can do it – I believe in you!*”

INTRODUCTION

With the start of autumn, people are concentrating on work. I am thinking about a person restarting a career or making a  job change. My book of the week is:  “10 Strategies for Reentering the Workforce: Career Advice for Anyone Who Needs a Good (or Better) Job Now by Mary E. Ghilani (Author) . Hence, my subject is the search for a job .  (Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series on working .) 

PREVIEW: Next week, I will continue on with the theme of re-careering in midlife, retraining and retirement.  Indeed, life after retirement can be a new career.  What do you think?  Check out my post, if you please, on my blog next week and see my point of view. I would love to hear back from you.

MY LIFE & TIMES*

Working

I am no expert. But I have worked all of my life. Working hard is second nature. Dressing PROPERLY for the office is my personal rule. I have learned to work with my co-workers not against them. I will buy the coffee and in the morning, make the coffee. If my work mates don’t carry their weight, I will stop. I believe in being honest and sincere and respect the people with whom I work. I don’t believe in payback – this is because the employer is the ultimate victim. I am true blue  – I will be a listener and I will offer advice if asked. All of this to say, I think that I did something right. I was given a retirement party when I decided it was time to leave (More about retirement next week.)           

From my work experience, I have seen a few things:
1. A newbie gets a job in a big place by applying to join the occasional pool – these people fill in where there are absences.
2. A lower-level employee moves up by applying to a higher position and he or she has a good chance of getting the job by meeting all of the requirements. (Therefore, it is necessary to check out the requirements to ensure that you qualify.)
3. An ambitious employee intent on moving up, needs to get the skills by asking for and taking extra courses and training. Remember no pain..no gain!  

 
THE AUTHOR: Mary E. Ghilani

Ghilani is a nationally certified counsellor with 15 years of academic and career counselling experience with college students and adults. In education for 20 years, she is currently the director of Career Services at a community college in northeastern PA.  She says that “Her areas of specialty include career assessment, career change, internet resources, resume writing, and job search strategies.”

SERIES/COLLECTION
Books/Articles:
Some of her published works are:
• Second Chance: How Career Changers Can Find a Great Job
• Web-Based Career Counseling: A Guide to Internet Resources for Researching a Career and Choosing a Major
• 10 Strategies for Reentering the Workforce: Career Advice for Anyone

THE BOOK: 10Strategies for Reentering the Workforce:Career Advice for Anyone Who Needs a Good (or Better) Job Now by Mary Ghilani

The goal according to her is to achieve a satisfactory work life. She is a realist …. telling us that S…. (it sounds like split) happens.  There is economic necessity, brought on by a plant closing, corporate downsizing, etc. There are also life-changing circumstances like divorce, injury, etc. And there are those who wake up one day and say that they need a change.  She says that people therefore need to look for new work. To do this, she takes you by the hand and goes through the steps. These are reflected by the Chapter roll with these topics: 1. Understand today’s workforce; 2. Assess your present situation; 3. Deal with common emotions; 4. Take stock of what you already have; 5. Make a career decision; 6. Identify your options; 7. Overcome obstacles; 8. Plan your career strategically; 9. Remember: its never too late to go back to school; 10. Reenter the workforce; 11. Afterward where do I go from here, by her printed words, she acts as your personal counselor. This is a HOW-TO instrument to help you get to the employment side of the street. She even has included sample resumes, cover letters, Web sites addresses.  She says that “This book is to the best possible to find a better job or improve your employment situation no matter your stage of life you are in your career ” (pg. .. )  I believe that she is right. This is truly a “soup-to-nuts” manual. Use it!

CONCLUSION

I get it. Making a living is important. Paying your bills is urgent. Getting a job is job #1.
 
Personal Comments

Sometimes being out of work is forced upon you by circumstance. Sometimes it is voluntary. It is also common during one’s midlife.  In many instances,  a second career or a new job could be a healthy change.

Job hopping is not viewed as a positive, but being stalemated in the same job is also a negative.  What to do? Sometimes, you have to change the company in order to get there. 

Loyalty to the same company gives you comfort, security, seniority and in some cases a pension at the end of the tunnel. But things are a changing. A few years ago, I was watching a television show where young people were being interviewed on their views regarding job, career and employer loyalty. Their take on this was to stay with a company as long as it suited them and until the next opportunity came along.  They didn’t believe in being loyal to a company for 35 years or so as their parents had done. And with pension horror stories in the last years, we know that pensions are not 100% or forever. 

With a new company, you’re the last on the totem pole.  Last one in, the first to go… if there are lay offs.  That’s something to contemplate.

If you want a second career, don’t be afraid to do it. It’s not an easy move to make.  It takes a lot of effort.  It’s never too late. It could be right for some people – it could be a bad idea for others.
The Point

After Labor Day, with summer holidays over and people back at work, many people job-hunting are looking hard.  With production jobs exported elsewhere, and in today’s economy: the stockmarket tanking and major employers fiercely job-cutting, there are too many people applying for the few jobs available. Competition is fierce. With jobs now a political football in the United States and other places, real help from governement might not trickle down to you early enough. (What do expect? Our politicians are gainfully employed, so they really don’t understand and they don’t feel the pressure.)  Job fairs are big events and too many people show up – the  line is unbelieveable ….snaking around the block. All of this to say: it is not easy to find a job.
 
ANTOINETTE’S TIP SHEET*

If a there is opportunity at your company,

1. Set your sites on the job that you want and proceed one step at a time, moving up to the next job until you get where you want to be. Remember climbing the ladder is what will get you to your goal. 

2. Take courses to get more skills or retrain, if needed;

3. Know your market before you jump;to this end,
3.1 Research thoroughly:
3.1.1 Gather newspapers: major dailies, community weeklies and monthly ethnic papers, etc.; 
3.1.2 Surf the Internet;
3.1.3 Check out Government job banks;

If a job seeker,
4. Start with a positive attitude (especially if you’re pushed);

5. Analyze the jobs being offered and not being filled and verify why;
6. Let the marketplace talk to you: the need/what work that it wants done and which need(s) is/are going unsatisfied
7. Ask yourself if you could do this; if not, and if entrepeneurial, strive to organize a business to satisfy this need;
8. Write up a report to yourself and determine the prospective employers; and to this end,
8.1  Rethink the basics…think out of the box … not how much you need to earn to pay your bills; instead ask yourself: “How can I make a future employer make money?” and (b) “How can I get this message delivered to the decision-maker in charge at my employer candidate?” 
9. Network;
10. Look the part: dress up and groom to look your best; 
11. Stay busy and volunteer to be out and about; 
12. Strive to get out in front of the pack; to this end,  
12.1 Make a once-a-week caravan visiting local employment/placement firms to leave a business card along with CV;  and I also suggest that you introduce yourself to the receptionist,  return every two weeks asking if there is anything new and also if there are companies just not getting enough employees;
12.2 Call attention to yourself with a curb side advertising board in order to publicize your offer to work; 

13. Think long and hard before giving up your current job; more precisely,

13.1 Ask yourself  (a)”Am I afraid of getting another job, equal or better, such with a pay equal or better?” or (b) “Am I really confident that I can get it done?” 

12.2 Go for it IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PERSISTENCE;

13. Be smart at your new job – you thereupon, should  
13.1 Stay connected, once you do leave, to people from your previous workplace;
13.2 Make note of the positives in your new job;

13.3 Focus on your new duties and do your best always;

I get it.  Employment income is really important to you.  I hope that some of my thoughts give you an idea and spur you on. Let’s get to work!*

And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
P.S. Big News: There are big changes coming to my blog – Please stay tuned.
P.P.S. #1 I have a TWITTER page. Consider becoming a follower? Visit www.twitter.com  –   saveandread

P.P.S. #2 I also have a FACEBOOK page. Consider becoming a friend? Visit: www.facebook.com  – Alp Save Andread – please check it out.
P.P.S. #3 I am on Linkedin. Consider becoming a connection? Visit  www.linkedin.com – Antoinette La Posta
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
=============================================================================

ANNEX I: NEED SOMETHING FURTHER?, TRY AN ANECDOTE OR A QUOTE:

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #1: Michael Moore: Battling Hypocrisy
“Many of Michael Moore’s stunts effected remarkable changes. In “The Awful Truth,” he staged a mock funeral for a man whose HMO had refused to cover his condition, prompting the HMO to reverse its policy. In Bowling for Columbine, Moore took two Columbine victims to Kmart headquarters and persuaded the company to stop selling bullets. His television show, “TV Nation,” once did a story on undocumented workers who had been fired for trying to form a union, and was pleased to learn that they got their jobs back. Moore, however, was not always sympathetic to the plight of the working man. One day during the first season of “TV Nation,” Moore called Eric Zicklin and another novice writer into his office. Though they had been given the title of associate producer, neither was a member of the powerful Writers’ Guild. Neither, therefore, was entitled to health benefits (or to a percentage of video and rerun sales). “Michael said, ‘I’m getting a lot of heat from the union to call you guys ‘writers’ and pay you under the union rules,'” Zicklin recalled. “‘I don’t have the budget for that. But if they keep coming down on me that’ll mean I’ll only be able to afford one of you and the other one’s gotta go.’… He wanted to let us know that this would hurt us if it continued. We were scared out of our minds. It was like a theme from Roger & Me.”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=19290

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #2: Crappy Job

“Early in his career, in a bid to gain industry contacts, Quentin Tarantino posed as a journalist working on a B-movie anthology. The ploy worked; many directors (including Brian de Palma) actually believed him and agreed to an interview. An earlier ploy also worked, albeit with mixed results. Having cold-called a number of Hollywood big shots asking for work, Tarantino finally landed a job as a “Production Assistant” on a workout video. Not until he had arrived on location, however, did the future director receive his assignment: cleaning dog feces from the front lawn of the house in which the video was being shot.[Tarantino dropped out of school in the middle of ninth grade. His mother insisted only that he get a job. He agreed, and promptly began working as an usher at the Pussycat Lounge – a local porn theatre.]”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=11416

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #3: Rodney Dangerfield: Young Stud
“When I was trying to get in show business, it was rough, you know,” Rodney Dangerfield recalled years later. “So Monday and Saturday I drove a laundry truck and Thursday and Friday I drove a fish truck. I worked for the little fish market in Kew Gardens. “One time, I was delivering some fish to Jamaica Estates – that’s a high class section, you know. I stop at a red light and all of a sudden a really attractive lady stops along side of me. She looks at me. She smiles and tells me to follow her. ‘Whew,’ I said, ‘did I get lucky! Wow. I should have taken a shower, you know.’ “So I follow her. She pulls into the driveway of a big expensive house. So I get out. Before I do, I check myself in the mirror to make sure I’m okay, you know. So I get out and I walked over to her and said, ‘Where do we go from here?’ She says, ‘Nowhere. I was just gonna show you a shortcut to my house. You’ve got my fish in your truck.'”
[“I was gonna say to her, ‘Lady, you should see what I’ve got in my pants!'”]
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) –  http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=19000

S & R* QUOTE #1: John F. Kennedy
“The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) –  http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/changegrowth/

S & R* QUOTE #2: Marcus Aurelius
“Observe always that everything is the result of change, and get used to thinking that there is nothing Nature loves so well as to change existing forms and make new ones like them.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/changegrowth/

S & R* QUOTE #3: Mary Engelbreit
“If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/changegrowth/index3.html
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
—————————————————————–———————————————————————————————
ANNEX II
SCHEDULE I
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are:  “employment”, “employee”, “career change”; etc.

Employment
“Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:”A person in the service of another under any contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, where the employer has the power or right to control and direct the employee in the material details of how the work is to be performed.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment

Employee
“An employee contributes labor and expertise to an endeavor of an employer and is usually hired to perform specific duties which are packaged into a job. In most modern economies, the term “employee” refers to a specific defined relationship between an individual and a corporation, which differs from those of customer or client.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment

Career
“Whereas a career comprises the work activities that can be identified with a particular job or profession, having multiple careers is the growing trend in the late 20th century and early 21st century. These multiple careers can either be concurrent (where a worker has two simultaneous careers) or sequential (where a worker adopts a new career after having worked for some time in another career). Both may occur for different reasons.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_careers

SCHEDULE II

STUDY/STATISTICS:
“A primary goal of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) was reducing welfare dependency through job preparation and employment. Rather than having entitlement benefits, welfare recipients now face time limits and must, along with their caseworker, develop a program that will assist them in preparing for employment and finding a job. Prior work with the Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) first longitudinal file found that for approximately 1.1 million people who moved from welfare to work between 1993 and 1997, over one-third were employed in low wage, service sector jobs. Using the SPD second longitudinal file (SLF), supplemented with data for occupational measures from the dictionary ofoccupational titles (DOT), a better picture emerges on the types of jobs that former welfare recipients get.”
Source: – http://www.census.gov/spd/workpaper/Assessing_Employ_Outcomes.pdf

SCHEDULE III

S & R* NEWS ALERT* #1: Urban student interest in biotech on the rise
“The number of students choosing a career in agriculture biotechnology is climbing, and many of them are coming from urban, not rural backgrounds, says a professor of Field Crop Pest Management at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus.We are seeing a lot of students with an interest in pest management, said Dr. Art Schaafsma, who teaches graduate students as well as students in the diploma program.Our enrollment has increased by about 30 per cent in the past few years, he said. Surprisingly, many of these students were raised in an urban setting.According to him, they are drawn to the field with the promise of marketability after graduation. We are seeing a shift in attitude. A lot of people are starting to see that agriculture is not just farming, it’s a whole lot more.This is a critical shift for farmers and agriculture businesses that have traditionally preferred to hire youth with farming experience. However, with the decrease in the number of farms, there are fewer young people available who have that necessary farm experience.Students from urban areas are seeing that these are interesting jobs, and that they involve a lot of technology, claimed Schaafsma.  In fact, we like to say that one of the farmer’s most valuable tools is his blackberry. With it, he can find the identity of a weed, buy and sell and keep track of his records. When all is said and done, many of his students choose agriculture biotechnology because they know they will be immediately graduation. They see that the field offers tons of jobs, good jobs, secure jobs with secure companies. That’s what matters most.”
www.newscanada.com
“News Canada” <article@newscanada.com>www.newscanada.com

S & R* NEWS ALERT* #2: Make your summer job pay all year long
“The new school year is the perfect time to get a fresh start, but it can also be an expensive time of year for students leaving for university or college. As the summer winds to a close, realizing just how much money you’ll need for tuition, books and living expenses can be a real eye-opener but it is possible to stretch your summer income throughout the school year.
Here are some tips:
Start tracking your spending now  Most people have no idea how much money they spend in a month. Whether it’s books or burgers, tracking your spending will help keep it in check so you don’t run out of cash before final exams. Free personal financial management tools like Mint.com track your spending, help plan budgets, and alert you if  you’ve spent too much in a particular category, such as entertainment.
Consider your expenses and look at alternative solutions If your budget is coming up short, start looking into some cost-saving options. For example, textbooks can be a huge expense, but if the course material hasn’t changed from last year, buy used at half the price. Need furniture for your dorm room? Hit the garage sales or check online for dealson discounted or used items before heading to Ikea.
Fill your grocery cart with more, for less
Start comparison-shopping by looking at flyers to find the best deals. Keep tabs on your grocery budget each week and curb that expensive takeout in favour of a home-cooked meal. Mint.com users say they spend 40 per cent less eating out once they actually pay attention to what it costs.
Boost your bank account  If those summer dollars just can’t cover it all, look into a part time job. There are lots of opportunities on campus if you check out the student services centre. Many colleges and universities also offer a wide variety of untapped scholarships and bursaries. Do some digging and determine if you’re eligible the additional cash in your account could help get you through to the end of the year.”
www.newscanada.com

*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved

Posted by on September 18th, 2011 Comments Off on WORKING, CAREER: Finding jobs online or classifieds, etc. – You can do it – I believe in you!*”

“9/11 COMMEMORATION 10TH ANNIVERSARY: “On 9/11, I remember, support, pay homage; I also believe and have faith!*”

Vol. 2,  No. 17, September 11th, 2011
TITLE:  “ 9/11  COMMEMORATION 10TH ANNIVERSARY: “On 9/11, I remember, support, pay homage; I also believe and have faith!*”

UPDATE – Sept.11, 2011

INTRODUCTION

It is Sunday, September 11th, 2011.  I am again thinking about that fateful day in fall, 2001 when the world changed. I am also thinking about where we are now, on this, the 10th anniversary of 9/11. My book remains the same:  “Commission Report 911 by Commission National” (Hardcover – Aug 30 2004) This book contributes to our understanding of this horrific event. (Editor’s Note: This is the first update of the blog post, first published  Vol. 1,  No. 14, September 12th, 2010)

PREVIEW: Next week, I will be starting a new series on job/job search, training, career/re-career, etc.  I hope that you come by.

MORE OF MY LIFE & TIMES*

This week, it has been heartbreaking to again watch on television some of the footage on the events of the 911 attacks. Today, I watched some TV documentaries. I went numb in shock all over again. There were images of blown out windows, people running down the stairs trying to escape,  etc.

The thought of the jumpers was extremely tough. The falling man photo was difficult to look at. The stories of flight 93 and the others were so moving. The fact is that many people didn’t make it. The lives of so many innocent people were lost.

A terrorist organization,Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility. It was the doer of the deed. We attempt to get into their heads,  trying to make sense of their intentions – it can’t be done. It is necessary to  find these to be evil acts.  These were murderers.  The hijackers died, but they were not punished. Many of the leaders, especially Osama Bin Laden  have been killled, but they have not been punished. These people should have been punished.

The allies went into Afghanistan and waged war, toppling the Taliban, a regime in a failed state, harboring Al-Qaeda,  The cost has been huge. Many soldier lives were sacrificed.  There have been several notable subsequent attacks, foreign or home-grown, in many countries.  Many further civilian lives have been lost.  Now 10 years later, the world is still, very much, in a defensive mode.  Gettting on a plane is still very difficult – high security is necessary. There have been many complaints about “patting down”.   The announcement about the killing of Bin Laden, the master-mind of the 9/ll attacks, finally came. President Obama got it done, but there was no relief. The number two also was taken out, and still no relief.   There still is a fear that other attacks might happen.  Word is that Bin Laden had plans for another attack on the tenth anniversary.  New York and most of the world are on high alert.  The war against terror goes on.

There has been one controversy after another: what to do with ground zero,  the building of a mosque in lower Manhatttan, the deteriorating health of the 9/11 first responders. (The US Congress just recently passed a bill covering their care.)  

But I really want to talk about the people.  I pray for those who left us so suddenly.  I pray for the victim families. Last week on a morning show, a lady along with her children, talked about how they want to put the tragedy behind them and move on with their lives.  From 9/11 victims fund, both of the children were given scholarships to study in Great Britain.  They both took advantage of the offer and got a good education.  It’s nice to know that these folks were provided for and are gaining success. That makes me feel good. And while I am brought to tears by the heroism of average people, so many heros, their selfless sacrifice …I am stregthened in my belief in people, their goodness. I thank you all who gave so much from the bottom of my heart. 

In closing, I recognize that our world wide global village is getting smaller. No matter where we live, we were all witnesses to 9/11, the worst and best in humanity. The aftermath is just more of the same – the best and worst of what humanity has to offer.

Ground Zero refused to be the abyss. Instead, in a flash, it turned into holy ground and in 10 yuears,  it has become a place for a memorial garden and a construction site where the new World Trade Center is proudly being erected –  proof positive that good does indeed beat evil. We don’t forget, but togther we move on! 

And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours?*
ALP
N.B. There are big changes coming to my site – stay tuned.
P.S. I wish to remind you that I have a TWITTER page – it is located at:  saveandread – please register as a follower.
P.P.S. #1 I also have a FACEBOOK page – it is located at: Alp Save Andread – please check it out.
P,P.S #2 I am also on LINKEDIN – it is located at: www.linkedin.com – Antoinette La Posta, Save and Read* – please register as a connection

*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
===================================================================================================

—————–ORIGINAL POST – Vol. 1,  No. 14, September 12th, 2010———–

MY LIFE & TIMES*

This weekend, on the anniversary of 9/11, I got to thinking about that fateful day. I would like to share with you some of my experiences and thoughts.

Since I start work at 8:00 a.m., I was in the office when I first heard the bulletin. I will always remember that moment. It is one of the significant days of my generation. In the instance of the deaths of Pres. J.F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Dr. King, etc. and the walk on the moon by Astronaut Neil Armstrong and the fall of Saigon, I was younger and not quite part of the adult world. But with 9/11, I was of age and I had to deal with it.

It was approximately 10:00 a.m. when people were slowly trickling into my work space to discuss the tragedy. I could not quite believe it. I kept thinking that the TV pictures were from a horror movie not the news channel. When I kind of digested what had happened, it kept getting worse. I desperately wanted it to stop. Like everyone, I did not then know, how it would escalate and play out. It marked me along with the entire world.

STATISTICS/STUDY
Here are some stats:
Overall
*The victims numbered about 3,000;
* There were 19 hijackers who died;
World Trade Center
* There were 2,752 victims of which there were: (a) 343 firefighters; (b) 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority; (As per  the New York State Health Department, 836 responders died as of June 2009.)
* Most were civilians, including nationals from more than 70 nations;
* People in the 100s were killed instantly upon the planes crashing into the the towers, while many of the others were trapped and died after the buildings collapsed.
* About 200 +- jumped to their deaths;
* There was one secondary death, from lung disease due to dust from the building collapse;
Pentagon
* At Pentagon, there were 184 people who died.
(Source: Commission Report, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, etc.)

THE AUTHOR: 9/11 Commission
The 9/11 Commission – its formal name is the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. It was established on November 27, 2002. Its mandate was: “to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks”
(Source Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

SERIES/COLLECTION
There are many books on topic; as for example, notably:
1.  “New Pearl Harbour” by David Ray Griffin;
2.  “ The 911 Commission Report Omissions and Distortions” by David Griffin;
3. “Crossing the Rubicon” by Michael C Ruppert;
5. “Towers of Deception” by Barrie Zwicker;
(N.B. These books are enumerated for your information – I am not recommending them and I do not necessarily subscribe to their conclusions.)

THE BOOK: Commission Report 911 by Commission National (Hardcover – Aug 30 2004)
It is a comprehensive document, fact-filled narrative of the real story, step-by-step, playing out in several locations involving many people. It is both heart-breaking from the immense tragedy and uplifting due to the heroic acts of ordinary folks meeting the challenges and becoming shining stars of the righteous. Read and endure, but also rise to the heavens. It is an impressive read, which will surely move you. You will finish it with an opinion of what was good and what was deficient in the U.S. response.

CONCLUSION
The 9/11 tragedy affected all of us emotionally. For me, I felt numb because of the innocent people at work killed for no reason. I also felt fear. But in the end, I felt hope out of courage.
The point
It was a horrible event. I will not deal with the policies – I will leave that to the governments. I will not deal with the politics – I will leave that to the politicians. I will not deal with the issues of the military – I will leave that to the top brass and the officer corp. But I will deal with the human side.
1. First, people perished that day – I remember and will never forget. I also acknowledge the tours of duty served and the supreme sacrifice of brave American, Canadian and other NATO soldiers in Afghanistan. etc., and I affirm my heartfelt gratitude and support.
2. Second, families lost loved ones – I extend my deepest sympathy and express my personal wish to stand with them to provide never-ending succor.
3. Third, there were heroes – I pay homage to these brave people.
4. Fourth, because of an appointment or a stop at a grocery store or  just missing the bus, arrivals were delayed until after the tragedy had started; and as a result, lives were incredibly spared. When I heard some of the stories that were revealed later, it confirmed my belief in destiny – I believe.
5. Finally, I encourage each and every person who survived 9/11 to extend a courtesy to one another regardless, of nationality, creed, religion, etc. – I have faith that, someday, the world shall overcome the cause of 9/11 and we all shall live in harmony.

Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
CREDITS
-Web Tech:  richmediasound.com
The above is a new media production of Valente under its “United Author*” program.
*TM/© 2010, 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.

——————————————————————————————————–
ANNEX I: NEED SOMETHING FURTHER?, TRY AN ANECDOTE OR A QUOTE:

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #1: Al Jazeera

“President Mubarak of Egypt was on an official visit to Qatar and asked to be shown the network [the fiestily independent Arab television network, Al Jazeera],” an Iraqi employee once recalled. “He arrived unannounced and at first the guys on the gate didn’t recognize him. When he finally got inside, he was appalled at how small we were. ‘So this,’ he said, ‘is the tiny tinderbox that started such a big fire.'”

[“Whatever we do, people say, ‘Why are you doing this now?'” Al Jazeera’s Ali Mohammed Kamal once remarked of Arabic culture of suspicion and paranoia. “They even said it when we did a story on the history of the Lebanese civil war. And when we ran a video of one of the 9/11 hijackers reading his own will before embarking on the attack, we were accused of distracting attentino from the [Israeli] siege on Arafat’s compound. [pause] But Arafat’s compound is always under siege. For us, the news is the news.”]
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=14709

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #2: Tumbling Woman
“In 2002, officials at New York’s Rockefeller Center unveiled a sculpture called “Tumbling Woman” by Eric Fischl intended to commemorate victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack who fell (or jumped) from the towers’ windows. Following a host of complaints, “Tumbling Woman” was deemed inappropriate and promptly removed.”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) –  http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=16181

S & R* QUOTE #1: President George W. Bush
“It changed my presidency …it was like walking into hell.”

S & R* QUOTE #2: – Aristotle
“Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) –  http://www.wisdomquotes.com/index.html#nq

ANNEX II
SCHEDULE I
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are: “World Trade Center (N.Y)”; “9/11 Attacks”; etc.

World Trade Center

“The original World Trade Center was a complex of seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is being rebuilt with five new skyscrapers and a memorial to the casualties of the attacks. As of September 2011[update], only one skyscraper has been completed with four more expected to be completed before 2020. A sixth tower is still awaiting confirmation to be built. At the time of their completion, the original 1 and 2 World Trade Center were the tallest buildings in the world, surpassing the Empire State Building, also in Manhattan.

The complex was designed in the early 1960s by Minoru Yamasaki and Associates of Troy, Michigan, and Emery Roth and Sons of New York.[2] The twin 110-story towers used a tube-frame structural design. To gain approval for the project, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to take over the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad, which became the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH). Groundbreaking for the World Trade Center took place on August 5, 1966. The North Tower (1) was completed in December 1972 and the South Tower (2) was finished in July 1973. The construction project involved excavating a large amount of material, which was later used as landfill to build Battery Park City on the west side of Lower Manhattan. The cost for the construction was $400 million ($2,169,167,354 in 2011 dollars).[3] The complex was located in the heart of New York City’s downtown financial district and contained 13.4 million square feet (1.24 million m2) of office space.[4][5] The Windows on the World restaurant was located on the 106th and 107th floors of 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) while the Top of the World observation deck was located on the 107th floor of 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower). Other World Trade Center buildings included the Marriott World Trade Center; 4 World Trade Center; 5 World Trade Center; 6 World Trade Center, which housed the United States Customs. All of these buildings were built between 1975 and 1981. The final building constructed was 7 World Trade Center, which was built in 1985. The second King Kong was filmed in 1976 with some scenes mentioning and showing the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center experienced a fire on February 13, 1975, and a bombing on February 26, 1993. In 1998, the Port Authority decided to privatize the World Trade Center, leasing the buildings to a private company to manage, and awarded the lease to Silverstein Properties in July 2001.”
(Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center

9/11 Attacks

“The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/11[nb 1]) were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C., area on September 11, 2001. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets.[3][4] The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. Hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take control before it could reach the hijacker’s intended target in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 died in the attacks.[5][6][7]
Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda, and in 2004, the group’s leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks.[2] Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda members. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. In May 2011, after years at large, bin Laden was found and killed.

The destruction caused serious damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan.[8] Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002, and the Pentagon was repaired within a year. Numerous memorials were constructed, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, the Pentagon Memorial, and the Flight 93 National Memorial. Adjacent to the National Memorial, the 1,776 feet (541 m) One World Trade Center is estimated for completion in 2013.[9]”
(Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11

SCHEDULE II
STUDY/STATISTICS
:

See above.

SCHEDULE III
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #1: 9/11 activities for Canadians
(NC)—”The images and painful memories of the September 11 terror attacks may still be fresh on the minds of the families who lost loved ones—even though they occurred a decade ago. For the rest of us, the constant dose of discouraging news events—from natural disasters, civic unrest, heinous crimes, scandal-plagued celebrities, and sporadic eruptions of violence—are enough to desensitize us to the horrors experienced by victims on that fateful day.

To soften your heart to the every day realities of the Sept. 11 victims’ families and friends, consider taking part in one of these activities:

1 Write letters of appreciation to your local fire, police, and emergency services departments. Also don’t forget the service men and women who fight terrorism overseas. These individuals live lives of sacrifice. Remember to say “thanks”.

2 Act on compassion. Think of ways you can make positive change in the world. Share your talents at a seniors centre. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Help a child living in extreme poverty through Christian Children’s Fund of Canada. The opportunities are there if you are willing to act.

3 Embrace multiculturalism. On 9/11, countries around the world set aside their cultural differences to unite in sympathy over the thousands who perished. Do your part to promote peace by: reading biographies about notable country leaders who had a positive impact on their constituents; opening your mind and taste buds to ethnic foods; or learning a new language.

Participate in these activities to make 9/11 a lesson learned on compassion and sensitivity. Keep informed on landmark events that changed the world and do your part to improve your world.”
www.newscanada.com
“News Canada” <article@newscanada.com>www.newscanada.com

Posted by on September 11th, 2011 Comments Off on “9/11 COMMEMORATION 10TH ANNIVERSARY: “On 9/11, I remember, support, pay homage; I also believe and have faith!*”

FINDING BEST TEACHERS: I say we need the great ones for our children!*

Vol. 2,  No. 16, September 4, 2011
TITLE: “FINDING BEST TEACHERS: I say we need the great ones for our children!*”
INTRODUCTION

Today, continuing with the current theme, I am thinking about how to get the best possible teacher for your child-teenager. My book of the week is:  “Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do” by Annette L. Breaux and Todd Whitaker (Paperback – Feb 2006)  This book will aid you and me in this regard. (Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and last of a series on parenting, schooling and the return to class.) 

PREVIEW: Next Sunday is the anniversary of 9-11, the day that changed our world. I will re-post my blog from last year, with updates and additions. I ask that you attend my on-line commemoration. 
 
MY LIFE & TIMES*

As you already know, I worked for the most part of my career at a college in my hometown. I recognized a number of teachers who excelled. It wasn’t necessarily those who were the best qualified – it was more those who were the most motivated. You know effort really does count! They were always well- prepared. They cared about their students -they made themselves available to those needing help.

More on a persoanl level, when my daughters were in grade school, I had a bad experience with one of the teachers.  My daughter was a bright child … quite active… every bit perfectly normal.  When I went to meet the teacher on teacher-parent night, she complained that my daughter was too active, requiring more of her attention.  I knew that she was over-reacting.   I realized that she was a lousy teacher; and she was also a B …..- it sounds like pitch. At first, I did not know how to reply, but on second thought, I decided to get on her good side.  I assured her that I would talk to my child. It seemed to defuse the situation. My daughter got through the year and beyond the teacher. She got educated despite this year of low-grade teaching.  

THE AUTHOR:  “Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do” by Annette L. Breaux and Todd Whitaker (Paperback – Feb 2006)

Breaux was a classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator. She is the author of Louisiana FIRST, a statewide induction program for new teachers. She now serves as the teacher induction coordinator for Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. She is an able lecturer. Whitaker, on the other hand, was a teacher at the middle and high school levels. He became a principal and now is a professor at Indiana State University. He is an author. His areas of interest are: motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness.
These are educational experts. They are teachers of teachers, I see them as helpful to you and me in identifying the better teachers.  

SERIES/COLLECTION
Books/Articles:
Annette L. Breaux and Todd Whitaker
Several of their joint books are:

  • Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do  (Paperback – Feb 2006)
  • 50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior: Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges [Paperback]

Annette L. Breaux
Several of her books are:

  • 101 Answers For New Teachers & Their Mentors [Paperback]
  • New Teacher Induction: How to Train, Support, and Retain New Teachers [Paperback]
  • Real Teachers, Real Challenges, Real Solutions [Paperback]

Todd Whitaker
Several of his books are:

  • What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most by Todd Whitaker (Oct 10, 2003)
  • Motivating & Inspiring Teachers: The Educational Leader’s Guide for Building Staff Morale by Todd Whitaker, Beth Whitaker and Dale Lumpa (Dec 11, 2008)
  • What Great Principals Do Differently:: Fifteen Things That Matter Most by Todd Whitaker (Mar 14, 2007)
  • Dealing With Difficult Parents And With Parents in Difficult Situations by Todd Whitaker and Douglas Fiore (Jan 31, 2001)

THE BOOK:  “Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do” by Annette L. Breaux and Todd Whitaker (Paperback – Feb 2006)

This book is actually for new teacher instruction and teacher training. It focuses on seven techniques – the authors, Breaux and Whitaker, call them SECRETS. These are: Planning, Classroom Management, Instruction, Attitude, Professionalism, Effective Discipline and Motivation and Inspiration. Under each secret, there are a number of tips how the teacher could do this better. The cumulative effect will be a better teacher. For example, the first is planning. The first sentence of the first paragraph starts like this: “The very best teachers know that if you want to have a great lesson, you need to plan a great lesson. It is truly that simple.” (Pg.2) `The HOW-TO steps under this “secret” are:  how to have a great plan, do overplan, be flexible, make objectives clear, promote activity, and be proactive.  The big winners will be the students, today, tomorrow and after tomorrrow.

I chose this book because if you know how a teacher does what he or she does in order to be better, then you will be able to identify the better teachers in your child`s school. This is my suggestion. Try it …it might work. I hope so. Let me know if it helps. 

CONCLUSION

We all hope and pray that our kids will get the best possible education. When it comes to teachers, I say that we need the great ones for our children.

Personal Comments

A child in elementary school is greatly affected by the teacher. The fact remains that a bad teacher teaches badly. It can’t be good for your child if he or she is in that class.  In addition, a teacher’s approach to teaching certain subjects will either make the subject easy or hard for the child.  For example, a child who has been taught mathematics poorly, will probably dislike the subject. 

A child of middle school age is greatly affected by the teacher.  They are young and impressionable and are about to start their teen years. Their teacher will help them through this transition. The teacher will contribute to the building of good work/study habits.

A youth in high school is greatly affected by the teacher.  A teacher’s approach will help harness the energy of adolescents and direct it in a positive way.

What makes a good teacher?  I think that it is a combination of many things: 
1. Education and training: Teacher qualifications are an important starting point – but they are not always the key indicator of a good teacher.
2. Teaching talent: Teaching is a talent – a teacher may have the degrees, but may lack the talent. 
3. Love for children and young people: A good teacher likes children.  
4. Good communication skills: Some teachers know the subject, but do not know how to explain it to the students. A good teacher knows how to communicate the material to his/her pupils. 
5. Good/complete preparation:  Once the teacher enters the classroom, there should not be any hesitation as to what he/she will cover during that session. Indeed, a teacher should always be prepared for his/her class.
6. Throrough:  A teacher should cover every topic completely.  
7. Accessible:  A teacher needs to be available to his pupils. A student should have the option of seeing the teacher after class or during office hours. 
8. Patience: A teacher should have all the time in the world to answer each and every student question, no matter how trivial they may be.
9. Sensitive: a teacher should NEVER tell a student that he/she is stupid or make him/her feel that way.

10. Insightful: A teacher sees right inside his/her students. With this, he/she can teach and motivate them.  

11. Demanding: A teacher powerfully requires big effort and hard work from his/her pupils. True success doesn’t just happen.  

12.   Bigger than life: To a youngster, a teacher is a major figure. A great one is also inspiring!  

The Point

I know that, like me, you want your child or teenager taught by a better teacher. Let’s make this happen!

ANTOINETTE’S TIP SHEET*
Every parent should:

1.  Inform yourself about the program, curriculum, etc. that your child will follow; 

2. Make it a point to speak with the principal and learn the names of the teachers in your child’s school;
3. Talk with other parents to get impressions about teachers in the next grade of your child;
4. Attend and participate in home and school;  in particular, encourage and support faculty study groups, staff development workshops, etc. for the teaching staff at your child’s school.
5. Volunteer for school programs;
6. Pay attention to school notices, diary all events, particularly, teacher-parent meetings and keep a file of all correspondence;

7. Prepare questions in advance of the meeting;
8. NEVER miss teacher-parent night.  It is important to (a) Have direct contact with the teacher; (b) Know how your child is progressing first hand; (c) Gain an insight into the teacher capability – Look for tell- tale signs of teacher inability, incompetence or worse.

9. Be smart when confronted with a lousy teacher. Unfortunately, bad teachers happen.  It is every parent’s job to address the problem teacher. Try to talk it out with the teacher; if the problem persists, try again. Last resort, put in a complaint.

Indeed, in a class taught by a great teacher, chances are there will be many students learning well.  Now, that’s what I want. They’re our future!  

And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours? *
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours?*
ALP
P.S. I wish to remind you that I have a TWITTER page – it is located at:  saveandread – please register as a follower.
P.P.S. I also have a FACEBOOK page – it is located at: Alp Save Andread – please check it out.
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
===================================================================================================

ANNEX I: NEED SOMETHING FURTHER?, TRY AN ANECDOTE OR A QUOTE:

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #1: The Honor is Mine…
“Legendary teacher Isidore Philipp offered to introduce the young Hungarian composer Bela Bartok to Camille Saint-Saens, at that time a great celebrity. Bartok declined. Philipp then offered him Charles-Marie Wider. Bartok again declined. ‘Well, if you won’t meet them, who is there that you would like to know?’ ‘Debussy,’ said Bartok. ‘But he is a horrid man,’ said Philipp. ‘He hates everybody and will certainly be rude to you. Do you want to be insulted by Debussy?’ ‘Yes,’ said Bartok.”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=158

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #2: Tony Curtis: Minus Zero
“Tony Curtis, who, by his own admission, never paid attention in high school, once got every question wrong on a spelling test. “The teacher gave me a minus zero because I even misspelled my name,” Curtis (who was born Bernard Schwartz) later recalled. “I forgot to put the T in Schwartz!”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) – http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=21740

S & R* CHOICE ANECDOTAGE #3: F-ing Teachers?
“In high school, Kevin Williamson had a teacher who “had this stupid rule that when you got a grade, you had to take it home and have your parents sign it so they saw what grade you were getting. One day she failed me,” he recalled, “because I didn’t have my mom sign off.” His grade? “It was an A-plus, and she gave me an F.”
(Source: www.anecdotage.com) –  http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=6135

S & R* QUOTE #1: Parker J. Palmer
“Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) –  http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/education/index3.html

S & R* QUOTE #2:  Albert Einstein
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/education/index3.html

S & R* QUOTE #3: Anne Sullivan
“Too often, I think, children are required to write before they have anything to say. Teach them to think and read and talk with self-repression, and they will write because they cannot help it.”
(Source:  Wisdom Quotes) – http://www.wisdomquotes.com/topics/education/index3.html

*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
—————————————————————–—————————————————————————————————————————

ANNEX II
SCHEDULE I
“IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are: “teacher”; “professor”; etc.

Teacher

“A teacher (or, in the US, educator) is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students (adults). The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher
Professor

“A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a “person who professes” being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank.[1] In most English-speaking nations professor is reserved for senior academics holding a departmental chair (especially head of the department) at a university, or an awarded chair specifically bestowed recognizing an individual at a university. In the United States and Canada title of professor is granted to larger groups of senior teachers in two- and four-year colleges and universities.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a “person who professes” being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor
Education

“Education (also called learning, teaching or schooling) in the general sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.”
(Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education

SCHEDULE II
STUDY/STATISTICS:

Historical Census Data

“Effective educators always look for new ways to combine high- interest materials, real-life applications and curricular standards. Teachers who consult the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site can locate a valuable repository of materials for classroom use. The section on historical data is particularly useful for social studies, history, and math teachers.

Site surfers might find the links and contents initially challenging; however, once unlocked, the site provides an infinite array of appealing possibilities.

Navigation Directions: Go to <www.census.gov>; click on “People and Households”; click on “Sources of Information”; click on “Historical Census Data”; click on #1, “Population, Housing Units, Area Measurements, and Density.”

The information provided on this link offers excellent opportunities for elementary students to work with large numbers, applying addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills.

Direct students to compute historic changes during selected decades in population, housing units, area measurements and density of the U.S.
Have students develop different kinds of graphs showing the changes in data indicated on this link.
Provide students with partially complete tables showing historic changes in population, housing units, area measurement and density and instruct them to fill in the empty cells.
(a) U.S. Settlement Patterns

The table of information is a complement to history lessons about U.S. settlement. Have students:

Round the population figures to the nearest million and create line graphs to show the change in U.S. population over time.
Divide the population by the land area to calculate population density for selected years.
Use the total population and total housing units columns to calculate the number of persons per household from 1940 to the present.

(b) Connecting Historical Information to Today’s News

Have students examine the historical county information for their state and county and compare it to the latest County Population Estimates. Navigation directions: Go to <www.census.gov>; click on “People and Households”; click on “Sources of Information”; click on “Historical Census Data”; click on #26, “Population Census Counts.” Click on your state to get individual county information.

Source: – http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff15.html

7.2 million
Number of teachers in the United States in 2009. Almost 3 million taught at the elementary and middle school level. The remainder included those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, preschool, kindergarten levels, special education and other teachers or instructors.”
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 615 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

SCHEDULE III
S & R* NEWS ALERT* #1: Success despite reading challenges
”Learning to read can be difficult, especially if you’re an adult who has spent more than a decade in the spotlight trying to keep your literacy challenge a secret. For Paul Rosen, paralympic gold medalist and goalie for Team Canada’s sledge hockey team, this was reality. It wasn’t until Paul was in his mid-40s that he acknowledged his trouble with reading and told himself he needed to do something about it. My ultimate turning point was back in 2005 when I was asked to give out two awards at the Ontario games, he explains. I couldn’t read the teleprompter and I had to memorize a script. I was embarrassed. I realized then that I had a serious problem.Five years later, at age 50 and through much encouragement from his daughters, Paul finally believed in himself enough to do something about his literacy skills. He found help through Grade Learning, an Ontario-based education and training organization. Through hard work, dedication and support from his family, he went from a grade six reading level to a university reading level in just one year.”
“News Canada” <article@newscanada.com>www.newscanada.com

S & R* NEWS ALERT* #2: Mentorship mentality varies across Canada, survey finds
”When it comes to our mentality on mentorship, Canadians are a diverse bunch, a recent survey has found.In polling 1,000 Canadians, the American Express Mentorship Survey discovered those living on the East Coast are most earnest about mentorship: 68 per cent of Atlantic Canadians say they believe a mentor has helped them on their life’s path a full 10 per cent above the national average.But it’s British Columbians who best believe successful people have mentors 59 per cent agreed with that statement compared to 51 per cent country-wide.Of those Albertans with a mentor, 66 per cent indicated a mentor has helped them spiritually twice the national average.Other key survey findings include:Mentors have most often helped Canadians with their life’s path (58%), careers (51%) and relationships (38%). More than one in four (27%) have also turned to mentors for financial advice.
Of poll respondents who did have a mentor, a whopping 91 per cent said he or she has been integral to their success.Young Canadians (ages 18-34) are more likely to have a mentor than those aged 35-54 or those over 55 with 26, 18 and 12 per cent respectively reporting as such.It’s clear from this survey that Canadians are thinking about, and often seeking out, mentorship, says David Barnes, Vice-President of Communications at American Express Canada. That’s why American Express is excited about our Room For Thought program, which will see three Canadians paired up with inspirational mentors to bring some big ideas to life.This November, the Room for Thought program will highlight those big ideas
in downtown Toronto based on guidance that three lucky Canadians receive from some incredibly inspirational people: Marc and Craig Kielburger, founders of Free the Children; Les Stroud, aka Suvivorman; and Emily Haines, lead singer of Metric.”
www.newscanada.com
*TM/© 2011 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved

Posted by on September 4th, 2011 1 Comment