Take Five with Jvswag

I am working on a monthly newsletter for Comcast, summarizing and expanding on team goals and accomplishments with some wit thrown in. This will be the third one I have done.

Was back visiting my brother in Pennsylvania this month and we took the Hershey tour. Fascinating to go thru the simulated chocolate tour. Also went by the football stadium where they also have concerts. My highlight was going to the Arena which has a plaque recognizing Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game in 1962. The street lights are decorated like candy kisses and of course brown(chocolate) is the main color in town.

There may be a time someday when a company recognizes certain talents of employees and has them in the right position. Right now there are far too many talented people going through the motions in entry level or general jobs who could really make an impact in a higher position or one that matches their skills.

I highly recommend Tri Valley Dental in Pleasanton.They are friendly, provide great service and attention.... Plus++++ they have a massage chair in the waiting room to help you relax ! Doesn't get any better while waiting for an appointment!

Looks like it is rough even looking for a temp job over the Holidays. As Bob Dylan said: You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Well Sarah Palin got publicity and a buzz going. Newsweek will probably sell a record number of copies. Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue next for her?

Why I ask does every atm at a service station ask if you want a receipt? Shouldn't it be automatic. Some will make sure to ask if you want that car wash. I'm waiting for one to ask for a tip...or buy a snack.

Companies wonder why Customer Service is lagging. They can start with their highly customized 800 numbers which basically puts up roadblocks for someone to reach a live person. When there are many callers.....get ready for a lonnnnnng wait. This is not what 800 numbers were intended to do. Call up ATT,Comcast,Wells Fargo, Triple AAA,Chase, PGE or any major company and get ready to wait. No three's a crowd here..

If Pedro Martinez starts game 2 in New York....will we see and hear a repeat of 04 with...WHO'S YOUR DADDY !!!

First Steve Phillips and the staffer......Gone as Dan Patrick used to say. You can't keep affairs secret anymore.Now Bob Griese....out for a week. He should have said he was out having a beer. Remember the furor in 1983 with Howard Cosell and the Redskins receiver Garret? Howard kept going though.

What did we do before the internet? Before cell phones. I remember when transistor radios were cool. Color tv's in the 60's was truly amazing. There were no dvd's no netflix's. You had time for other interests.

Bob Dylan has recorded a Christmas album. Sounds good. I would like The Beatles to FINALLY put out their collection of Xmas songs. There were recorded from 63 to 69. With all this same old same old re-releases they are putting out how about something fresh. The song Christmas Time is Here Again is a great singalong. How about it Paul? Ringo? Yoko? Olivia/ 2010 maybe ??

I like being off on a rainy day. I have coffee in the morning, listen to jazz, check out the internet.

Users with household income above $75,000 Facebook -- 41.74 percent MySpace -- 32.38 percent LinkedIn -- 58.35 percent Twitter -- 43.34 percent Users with household income under $50,000 Facebook -- 28.42 percent MySpace -- 37.13 percent LinkedIn -- 17.34 percent Twitter -- 28.36 percent Female users Facebook -- 56.33 percent MySpace -- 56.69 percent LinkedIn -- 48.11percent Twitter -- 53.59 percent Users aged 18 to 24 Facebook -- 10.27 percent MySpace -- 15.46 percent LinkedIn -- 3.99 percent Twitter -- 9.51percent Users aged 35 to 49 Facebook -- 31.54 percent MySpace -- 29.09 percent LinkedIn -- 43.64 percent Twitter -- 34.02 percent Source: The Nielsen Co. Do you trust these numbers?So what do we make of them?

The SF Chron has an article about the recession woes hitting Marin,talking about how residents are coping like the rest of the Bay Area as if Marin is Xanadu. Meanwhile typical Marin, a Marin couple spends 27k to stay the night at Hearst Castle. How newsworthy. Why didn't they donate the money to a needy cause?

Some of the Public Relations projects I have done that stand out are I pitched a story about a softball team I played on to the Oakland Tribune and they ran it with pics. There were over 100 teams in the city but my team got the publicity. I also pitched a story on a hiking group I was with. Again the San Leandro paper ran a story with a picture on the front page. I have also arranged to get staff on radio shows and setup television coverage on events. That is called a track record of success.

I have this theory that as you get older the days and tine go quicker. When you were a child remember how long it took for Christmas to come? Or baseball season. Now it seems there's always a doctor appointment or Monday arriving for the start of the new work week. If you dread something on your calendar it will be there in no time at all.

Well the Ravens look tough. So do the Giants. The Rams and Browns look like the two worst teams. A big high five for the Lions, finally winning and the 49ers showing they are a good team. Favre is still..well Favre.

I wonder if we are still being creative as a workforce or are we just a group of button pushers who automatically go through the motions anymore.

I get peeved when so called managers say there is no "I" in teamwork. They must be blind missing the big "me" right in it ???

Remember the term "professional student" the person who seemed to be in school till their mid to late twenties. Now we may have the professional unemployed, the person who with the governments generous money line and extensions and extensions still is not working. I remember when people looked for a job through rough times, (myself included) and found one. Nowadays too many people are on the gravy wagon.

Yes I collected them as a kid and yes all those valuable ones are long gone. Besides the Honus Wagner million dollar card and the Mantle rookie card...the last real famous card one appears to be Ken Griffey Jr's rookie card of 1989.

With the unemployment rate in the Bay Area at 11.9 %.....shouldn't there be 11.9 % less traffic on work days? I don't see it. Especially on Fridays !

I think once people understand and use twitter and blogging, the over hyped facebook and over rated linkedin will slowly flame out.

I am just amazed that the Rolling Stones keep going in their sixties. Albums, the stunning live tours...how do they do it. I think it is because Mick and Keith believe in the band. If one of them had left there would be no more Stone as happened in the 80's for awhile. If John and Paul had still believed in the Beatles they would stayed together but that is another story. Here then is a salute to the Rolling Stones.

In this economy it is wise to look for a job NOT your dream job. You will spend endless hours, money and energy with coaches, success teams and networking when you could be geting paid for something you may not want or like. There are too many people believing the hype that networking = getting the job of your fantasy. Haven't we all written our description of that job and dreamed about it. Time to wake up and face the facts/smell the roses/pinch yourselves. There ARE positions out there that may not be be your fantasy job.

Here is a link to a Chronicle article about twitter and social networking as relating to a job search http://bit.ly/3NIV5 /c/a/2009/07/25/BUAI18UIVQ.DTL

Of all the comic books I used to read, Green Lantern is one I always wanted to see on the screen. Did George Lucas steal his idea of the Jedi's from all the Green Lantern's in their outer space meetings? Was Green Lantern really Luke Skywalker ??

What will grab the headlines today? Sarah Palin's resignation, the continuing saga of M.Jackson, the economy or Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest?

In VERTIGO......How the heck does Jimmy Stewart get down from that gutter??? It is breaking...no one else is up there. Plus he looks in bad shape. In KING KONG....How the heck do they transport Kong back to New York on a raft for several thousand miles?? In the 1976 remake they had him in a tanker. But in the original 1933 and the Peter Jackson remake, it skips that scene. In HANNIBAL....How does Lector board a plane with his arm bandaged and with the whole country looking for him and not be noticed?

Aren't you tired of that saying, it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. ? How about the greatest thing since the cell phone. Or electricity. A land line phone.Frozen meals maybe. The microwave. The automobile. Television perhaps. The internet and a home pc. Lots of others.

Was reading a book on the 1960 World Series where the Pirates beat in the Yankkes in seven games on Bill Mazeroski's home run. It is tto bad Bob Prince did not get to call it, it would rank up there with Russ Hodges and other memorable calls. Soooo..with that in mind here is how I think the Gunner would describe it. TERRY LOOKS IN THE COUNT 1-0. HERE COMES THE PITCH. THERE'S A DRIVE TO DEEP LEFT BERRA GOING BACK IT 'S GOING WAY BACK AND YOU CANNNN KISS IT GOODBYE. THE BUCS HAVE WON THE SERIES ON A HOMERUN BY BILLY MAZEROSKI. THE BUCS HAVE DONE IT. THE BUCS HAVE DONE IT THE BUCS HAVE DONE IT. THEY HAVE BEATEN THE YANKEES. IT'S PANDEMONIUM HERE AT FORBES FIELD. WE HAD 'EM ALLLLLLLLL THE WAY !!!!!

Yes I was saddened to hear that smooth jazz will no longer be on the station. But I was also sad of the end of Mervyns and Tower records. There is jazz on 91.1FM in San Mateo. I will give The Band some listening time. Maybe as a spark they can use some celebtrity dj's. Ringo Starr ? Bill Wyman ?

On May 12, 2009 Capture The Dream and the Willie Mays Boys and Girls Club took part in the MLB Pitch, Hit and Run Event. Over forty boys and girls participated in the event. When asked what they liked about the event Tino Ellington, recreation director from the Bay View Hunter’s Point YMCA was very pleased with the event. “It was fun for a first time event and it gave the kids a chance to go to the All Star Game”. Jake Babick, counselor from the Willie Mays Boys and Girls Club also felt it was a great day. “The kids were well behaved and they have been looking forward to this event”.

Capture the Dream, Inc. was founded with the notion that everyone has dreams and aspirations --- but not everyone knows how to achieve them. This organization strives to support the future of our youth, empower future leaders, assist disadvantaged families, further education and arts, and capture dreams through enriching programs specially catered to those in need. Capture the Dream, Inc. was born in the summer of 2006 by Janine Lee. Founded by a young enthusiast at the age of 21, this organization brings a fresh, new perspective to assisting the community. Our annual DreamPack Campaign. The campaign provides needy students of various ages and grade levels with brand new backpacks filled with school supplies. Every back pack contains 30 items that are customized for each student’s grade level and needs. Equipped with the right tools, students can finally focus on learning In 2008, Capture the Dream, Inc. started a Scholarship Fund to help remove one of the largest obstacles preventing

A recent book by Michael Arkush tells about the fight of the century between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. In the book he refers to 5,500 fans in Pittsburgh watching the fight outdoors at Three Rivers Stadium in 18 degree weather. I was one of them along with two friends. I was a freshman at Point Park College and we decided to go. Through the winds, the cheers and the sipping of coffee we did indeed witness an event which I have never seen duplicated. No Super Bowl or World Series or any any boxing match comes close in the anticipation of that night. When they were in their corners before the bell sounded I was almost shaking with nervous excitement. Being an Ali fan I was disappointed that he lost but the memory of that night lives on. I wonder if I will ever experience a sporting event like that again.

Have you ever been in a checkout with eight or so people amd when the clerk next to you opens their register and says I'll take the next customer it's usually the last two in line who sprint over their first....and get waited on while you are still in the same spot. People who don't use their turn signals and jump in front of you. Those annoying coworkers that are constantly asking for change for a dollar or can you lend me five bucks till payday. Neighbors who are talking loud or blasting their stereo high. Someone who is always late to a meeting and thinks nothing of it. Commercials on TV or Radio that make little or no sense. Spam emails or phony job offers coming into your mailbox. How the media treats celebrity news as major news. Anyone who parks their car/truck/van over the line and takes up two places. Couples that take their personal issues into a public place and you can hear them, word for word, insult for insult.

JobLink, the St. Raymond Parish program for the unemployed and underemployed is sponsoring a “Reverse Job Fair” after every Mass this Sunday April 5. The job seekers will be set up in Moran Hall at St. Raymond’s Church at 11555 Shannon Ave. in Dublin and will be ready to discuss any possible job positions that are available. What makes this job fair different is that companies will not be coming directly, but fellow parishioners from the four Sunday Masses. This unique event is a step away from your typical job fair where employers are at tables and prospective job seekers come to them. Here the job seekers will be at a table and have their resumes, business cards and examples of their work ready and are available to discuss opportunities. Members of the Parish who are in a position to hire or know of any job openings will be able to spend some time with the JobLink group. In this tough economy and even tougher job market, making contacts within your Church can be an excellent way to n

I go back to 1964, watching UCLA defeat Duke on television. Black and white of course. The next two years are more vague. I listened on the radio to hear UCLA defeat Michigan, the next year I can't remembr hearing or listening to the significant win for Texas Western over Kentucky. 1967 started the UCLA dynasty. Seven straight titles. Will it ever end? Big Lew Alcindor, Wicks and Rowe then the Walton gang. It finally ended in 1974, it what I feel was the greatest college game ever, when North Carolina St with David Thompson ended the steak in double OT. Not to be put away yet UCLA came back and won the title the following year. Indiana & Bob Knight went undefeated ( the last team to do that) and won the title . That will be very very difficult to do again. Magic and Bird put on their show in 1979. the game wasn't that great as Michigan State was in control. Now we come to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown. He won one title over Houston and Akeem Olujawan in a classic matchup. T

Also known as interim, taxi or just plain old temp job.This is when you take a job when your unemployment has run out, you have or won't tap into your 401k or just need money coming in ASAP. I have been there. THE GOOD You will have money coming in and will be back to a routine. It can give you confidence while you still search for your ideal position. If you are lucky you may get health coverage, vacation days and sick days. You will probably develope some friendships their. You may even pick up a new skill or two. THE BAD You won't make a whole lot of money. Keep your budget and expenses under control. It's possible you make have to work two jobs to make ends meet. You will have a little less flexibility in arranging interviews, taking classes or going to meetings. THE UGLY The competition for these jobs will be rugged. Look at the people lining up for Kohl's or the 7,000 people waiting in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium for about 500 seasonal jobs. Make sure you stil

I have always thought that the way items on a menu are described can make your mouth water in desire. These are some examples that may cause you to hesitate in ordering. From menu items in China, Thailand, Mexico and yes the USA. Spaghetti Coronary Meatballs Made of Swedes Toasted Beagles Chicken Fried Mexicans Cabbages and Condoms Deepresso Coffee Sushi-Chef's Butt Veal Voldostana , topped with asparagus,mozzarella,prostitute and swiss cheese. Each sandwich special comes with small dink. My review would be I'll take the Spaghetti if it includes meatballs. I will pass on the Swede meatballs though. Toasted Beagles, depends on the condiments. No to the chicken dish.The Cabbages and Condoms ... hmmm hold the Condoms. I will try any coffee so yes to the Deepresso . Not a sushi fan so pass on that. The Veal dish ...well depends who serves it. I have no problem with a sandwich with a small dink but bring a coke or pepsi . A good proofreader is sometimes hard to find.

Growing up in the sixties brings back memories. Remember Ed Sullivan introducing The Beatles and the sensation called Beatlemania that went on through the decade? Then there were the sad assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK. Rough times. If you were a baseball fan you knew players by their nicknames....Say Hey, The Mick, Arriba. Football players also were instantly recognized by their nickname....Johnny U, Golden Boy, Broadway Joe. Remember the James Bond craze with the release of Goldfinger and then Thunderball. The novels were issued in paperback and with the merchandising it rivaled what Stars Wars was in later years. TV shows also had catch phrases which you recognized. Good Morning Mr. Phelps Open Channel D Herrrrrre's Johnny. and I don't mean Jack Nicholson busting through a door. The final episode of The Fugitive was a classic. We finally saw Richard Kimble in a long awaited confrontation with the one armed man. There was the 1969 Moon Landing, Woodstock, Altamount.....Is

In a recent review of resumes on the web, these are a few examples of what NOT to put on your resume or cover letter. In other words check your spelling and grammar. I stick wit a job til it gets done and done right. Desire to use all my kowladge into the wark by to get the best result for the company. Languages: English and Spinach. Creating concept for TV Commerchials, Print Madia and Hoarding. I am a student of advertizing, on the streets I am a student of culture and memes. This is advertizing, finding the elusive why. Full grasp of nuances of culture, the relativity of trends and the impact of memes. I am a cultural chameleon, all of us and one of us.

Andy Rooney still packs a punch and a laugh on 60 Minutes. Some of his more memorable segments I remember are one wher he had a tv camera rolling at an airport where he first planted pennies on the ground. Few takers there. Then he dropped nickels and dimes and business picked up as people were bending down and scooping them up. Then a few quarters arrived and they didn't last long. Then came the dollars bills and Wow! Any more where those came from. He did another where he talked about making Thanskgiving dinner and all the delicious food. Thanksgiving Dinner requires a lot of butter Andy noted. This isn't a diet I'm prescribing. A classic one was where he started with as only he can with I hate baseball, I have always hated baseball, in fact I have trouble liking anyone who likes baseball. Then he backed off and said it probably has something to do with my next door neighbor's daughter threw a baseball better than me.

Browse through a newspaper, you will find several humorous articles. Comercials on tv or radio can also be funny or clever or just plain silly. You can aslo read about mishaps about athletes or politicians and how they try to squirm out of a situation. You can also rent a comedy or look for a movie on tv. Try to put your situation as if it were a movie itself or soneone is writing a book about you. How would it go.