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Tell Me About It!!!!!

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:13:19 GMT

Teachers union cites counselor shortage in MPS suspension rate

By DANI MCCLAIN
dmcclain@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Aug. 11, 2008

They get students thinking about college and help kids manage their grief and anxiety. They solve problems so teachers can focus on classroom instruction.

But at nearly half of Milwaukee’s public elementary schools serving seventh- and eighth-graders, guidance counselors don’t exist, and teachers union officials argue this contributes to the district’s high suspension numbers.

“Our belief is that working with a counselor, you can remedy certain behavioral issues a student might have so they don’t appear in high school,” said Tom Morgan, director of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association.

Of the district’s 55 K-8 schools, 25 didn’t have counselors this past school year, according to an analysis the association did late last year. Two of the 14 middle schools, which serve sixth- to eighth-grade students, lacked counselors, the analysis showed.

At a public hearing this summer, Morgan argued that the district should adhere to its own rule requiring counselors be staffed in middle schools and in the seventh and eighth grades in K-8 elementary schools at a counselor-student ratio of 1-to-500. The rule requires they be staffed in high schools at a ratio of 1-to-425.

Morgan said budget cuts and the district’s transition from traditional middle schools to K-8 programs in recent years have resulted in MPS falling out of compliance with its own policy. But union officials have been pushing the issue since late last year, when they met with a representative of the district’s Department of Administrative Accountability.

“Behavior and social issues that should be dealt with by a fully licensed counselor are not addressed,” Morgan wrote in a January follow-up letter to Superintendent William Andrekopoulos. “These issues escalate until they reach a level that requires suspending the student. . . . Classroom teachers cannot be expected to provide the services necessary to work with these students.”

Regardless of the policy, schools are responsible for making their own budget decisions about how they’ll stretch funds to keep counselors on staff, said Aquine Jackson, the MPS administrator who responded to Morgan’s charges at the June hearing.

Jackson said Friday that MPS isn’t out of compliance with state law, as the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction doesn’t mandate a counselor-student ratio.

DPI’s administrative code states that all districts “shall provide a program of guidance and counseling services for all pupils. . . . The program shall be developmentally based and available to every pupil in every grade of the school district.”

As Jackson sees it, MPS has three options.

“The schools can allocate their resources, the district can allocate additional resources, or we can void the board policy to avoid any mention of ratio,” Jackson said.

This fall, MPS enters the final year of a three-year, $1.2 million U.S. Department of Education grant that has kept counselors in Holmes, Hopkins and Sherman, three of the district’s K-8 schools.

The Safe Schools / Healthy Students and Futures First initiatives, two federal grant programs begun in the past year to address student behavior and school safety through prevention and early intervention, are part of the solution, district officials said Friday. A $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor funds Futures First, which has placed additional guidance counselors in MPS high schools.

Last week, the Journal Sentinel reported that a national panel of experts convened by the Council of the Great City Schools determined that MPS might have the highest suspension rate of any urban district in the country and appears to have few strategies for dealing with students’ behavior problems other than suspending them.

Suspensions have been rising year by year, according to MPS data. In the 2007-’08 school year, more than a quarter of students were suspended at least once, many of them multiple times. The total number of suspensions last school year — 86,675 — was just short of the number of students in MPS.

Source: JSOnline

A Deal has been Reached!!!

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:30:59 GMT

Kenya's Rival Politicians Agree to Power-Sharing Deal

By Stephanie McCrummen and Howard Schneider
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, February 28, 2008; 11:07 AM

NAIROBI, Feb. 28 -- Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed Thursday to a power-sharing arrangement meant to stabilize a country wracked by political violence since a disputed December election.

Brokered by former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan, the deal was signed by the two political rivals at a ceremony here and witnessed by both Annan and Jakaya Kikwete, the current head of the African Union and president of Tanzania.

The deal will place Odinga in a newly-created prime minister's job, which will have "authority to coordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the Government of Kenya," according to a text of the agreement. Significantly, power to choose and remove the prime minister will rest with the parliament -- a limit on presidential power that will give Odinga, head of the largest parliamentary bloc, an independent source of authority.

Cabinet posts and portfolios are to be divided between the rival parties based on their strength in the parliament.

"Given the current situation, neither side can realistically govern the country without the other. There must be real power-sharing to move the country forward and begin the healing and reconciliation process," the agreement stated, making reference to "deep-seated and long-standing divisions within Kenyan society" that the December election laid bare.

"Compromise was necessary for the survival of this country," Annan said at the signing ceremony. The two parties "kept the future of Kenya always in their sights and reached a common position for the good of the nation."

Kibaki was proclaimed the winner of the December presidential election, even though Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement garnered widespread support in voting for parliamentary seats. Odinga's supporters claimed that he had won the presidency.

The dispute touched off widespread violence -- often directed against members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe -- which claimed 1,000 lives and displaced an estimated 300,000 people from their homes. The violence decimated the Kenyan economy and marred the country's image as one of Africa's most politically stable.

Power-sharing deals had appeared close before during Annan's mediation, only to stall. A session Thursday marked the first time that Odinga and Kibaki attended talks together.

They signed the agreement in front of the presidential office in downtown Nairobi, with Odinga's supporters erupting in cheers when he approached a news conference podium after the signing. Odinga insisted on a signed and witnessed document because prior deals with Kibaki had been ignored.

"We have begun a journey," Odinga said. "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Kibaki thanked his rival, whose party's off and on threats of street demonstrations had kept pressure on the government for an agreement.

"Kenya has room for all of us if we can enhance peace and tolerance," Kibaki said, adding that the country must address "national cohesion and unity" following the recent troubles.

Kibaki called parliament into session on March 6 to begin dealing with constitutional amendments and other changes required by the power-sharing arrangement.

Source: Washington Post

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:04:16 GMT

Volunteers remain safe and hope to return to Kenya soon

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5, 2008 - Peace Corps operations in Kenya will be temporarily suspended to ensure the safety of the 58 remaining Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Kenya. With growing instability in Kenya, and following the unrest associated with the recent elections on December 27, 2007, these Volunteers who remained working at their sites in the eastern, central and coastal regions of Kenya, will now be transitioning out of service.

Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter said, "Our first priority is the safety and security of our Volunteers. Over 5,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Kenya in the last 42 years, building deep friendships with the people there. The Peace Corps has become an integral and positive element of the U.S. partnership with Kenya and the Kenyan people."

The 58 Volunteers from the eastern region of Kenya will be granted close of service in good standing, or offered an opportunity to transfer to another Peace Corps country. The ultimate goal of Peace Corps/Kenya is to return Volunteers to their communities in Kenya when the security situation improves. The Peace Corps staff will remain in Kenya and maintain the program during the temporary suspension.

Peace Corps/Kenya had a total of 144 Volunteers serving at the time of the recent elections. During the initial post-election unrest, Volunteers were consolidated in a variety of safe locations. On January 4, Volunteers in the western region of Kenya were moved from their sites and began transitioning out of the country, due to the growing security concerns. Some of the western Kenya Peace Corps Volunteers were transferred to volunteer assignments in other Peace Corps countries; others ended their service in good standing and returned to the U.S.; and some have opted to temporarily suspend their service in hopes of returning to Kenya soon.

Since 1965, more than 5,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Kenya. Volunteers work in the areas of education, small business development, and health and HIV/AIDS prevention. Volunteers in Kenya also served in a unique deaf education program which began in 1992 as a way to train educators on better teaching methods, and to broaden the production of learning materials and facilities for deaf and hard of hearing students. The program now includes computer training and health and HIV/AIDS education programs, as part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Peace Corps/Washington is in constant communication with staff in Kenya and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The Peace Corps will continue to evaluate and monitor the situation.

Each Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) specific to that country and developed in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy and Peace Corps/ Washington. The plans are tested frequently and information is updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their role and responsibilities in the EAP. Posts are prepared for all emergencies.

The Peace Corps is celebrating a 46-year legacy of service at home and abroad, and a 37-year high for Volunteers in the field. Since 1961, more than 190,000 Volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where Volunteers have served, including Kenya. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment.

Source: US Peace Corps

Friday, January 25, 2008

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:36:16 GMT

Cookie's Crumbs - Europe Part I was sent out last night!

Let me know if you didn't get it!

Part II is coming on Sunday!!

Guess why I'm watching the Super Bowl?

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:25:12 GMT

age old joke, but I'm not complaining at least we have a deaf-friendly ad during the Super Bowl!!!!
--------------

Only deaf people will get this Super Bowl ad

PepsiCo’s 60 seconds of utter silence will stump the hearing-abled
The Associated Press

updated 12:29 p.m. CT, Thurs., Jan. 24, 2008

NEW YORK - Amid the wall-to-wall sound during next Sunday's Super Bowl, one commercial from PepsiCo could send some viewers grabbing for their remotes to check whether they'd accidentally hit the mute button.

The pre-game advertisement features a joke that originates from the deaf community and will play out on screen over 60 seconds of total silence, a veritable eternity when it comes to the noisiness of Super Bowl ads.

"It's a popular story and we just turned it into an advertisement," said Clay Broussard, a supply and logistics manager at PepsiCo who proposed the idea for the ad. "This is the PepsiCo flavor of that joke."

The joke goes like this: Two guys are driving to their friend Bob's house to watch the Super Bowl. Once they get to Bob's street, neither knows which house is his. They sit in the car, arguing, until one of them has an idea. He starts laying on the horn, and one by one, the houses light up and dogs start barking.

One house stays dark and quiet: It's Bob's.

Deaf people will be falling out of their chairs in disbelief, National Association of the Deaf president Bobbie Beth Scoggins wrote in an e-mail response to questions. Hearing people, Scoggins wrote, will stop what they're doing to see why there are no sounds. She believes it's an historic first for an ad featuring American Sign Language to get such prominent play.

"I was glad to see this part of deaf culture awareness shared in a most clever way," Scoggins, who is deaf, wrote by e-mail as she was traveling.

Broussard, who plays Bob in the commercial, has worked for PepsiCo in Dallas for 27 years. He got involved in the deaf community through a church he and his wife attended, where the services were conducted entirely in sign language. Broussard is not deaf.

The two actors who play Bob's friends — Brian Dowling and Darren Therriault — are also PepsiCo employees, and are deaf. Dowling works for Frito-Lay in Arizona, and Therriault works for PepsiCo in Chicago.

Broussard worked on the ad concept on his own time. He said, "This was all extra credit."

It was 18 months before he showed it to senior managers, who decided they wanted it for the Super Bowl.

The ad was directed by Baker Smith, with creative help from BBDO-NY. A PepsiCo spokeswoman declined to say how much the ad cost.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22824530?gt1=10755

=============

View the ad here: http://www.pepsi.com/bobshouse/

Message for My Photography Fans

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:09:52 GMT

My pics aren't gonna be around much longer. Check out my pics before the "removal dates"!!!

Photo Albums to be removed on Feb 1:

Caldwell Family Reunion 2007

Isaac's Surprise 30th Birthday Party

Isaac's Bar Admission

Thanksgiving 2007

Bucks VS Pistons Game

==============================

Cookie's Crumbs Europe Trip Narrative Distribution Dates

Part I: Distribution Date Jan 24

photo albums to be removed Feb 9

Week 1 Boston & Madrid

Costume Exhibit & Street Entertainment

Part II: Distribution Date Jan 27

photo albums to be removed Feb 16

Week 2 Northern Spain & London

British Museum Exhibits

Part III: Distribution Date Feb 3

related photo albums to be removed March 1

Part IV: Distribution Date Feb 10

photo albums to be removed March 1

Week 3 Cologne, Amsterdam & Paris

Heineken Brewery Tour

Musée d'Orsay Exhibits

Musée du Louvre

Part V: Distribution Date Feb 17

photo albums to be removed March 8

Daschau Concentration Camp

Pinakothek Der Moderne Museum

Part VI: Distribution Date Feb 24

related photo albums to be removed March 22

Part VII: Distribution Date March 2

photo albums to be removed March 22

Week 4: Three German Cities (Isaac's website)

Part VIII: Distribution Date March 9

photo albums to be removed April 1

Week 5 Boston

JFK Museum

MISC albums - to be removed April 1

Artistic Shots

Men's Health Tidbits

Black & White Snapshots of Europe

Street Signs, Symbols & Funny Tid-bits

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:36:24 GMT

Gender or race: Black women voters face tough choices in S.C.

Story Highlights
Black women expected to make up one-third of all democratic voters in S.C.
Women are torn between voting their race, or voting their gender
Analysts: Black women more engaged, politically powerful in 2008 race
Many say they're focused on issues such as healthcare, education, economy

By Randi Kaye
CNN

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) -- At Anjay's Salon in Charleston, the only thing louder than the hair dryer is the chorus of political opinions.

On this day, owner Angela Jackson is outnumbered. She is the only one supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton over Sen. Barack Obama in South Carolina's Democratic primary Saturday.

"When you apply for a job, they ask you, do you have experience? They hire you based on experience. Hillary's been in office how long?" Jackson asks.

Customer Carol Singleton responds, "For me, Hillary, yes, she was a wife of a president, but she was not a president, so she doesn't earn credit for more experience than Obama. To me they're equal."

Stylist Shanese Jones says, "I just feel like it's his time. I think he's ready." Watch women say what's important to them »

While three say they're undecided, the rest of the women in the salon say they plan to vote for Obama.

Analysts say black women this year never have been more engaged in a political campaign or held such power in determining the Democratic nominee.

Recent polls show black women are expected to make up more than a third of all Democratic voters in South Carolina's primary in five days.

For these women, a unique, and most unexpected dilemma, presents itself: Should they vote their race, or should they vote their gender?

No other voting bloc in the country faces this choice.

Democratic analyst Jehmu Greene says, "We've all wanted the day to come where there was a black person in the White House, where there was going to be a woman in the White House. I don't think we imagined it would be having to decide one or the other."

Greene says women, including herself, face pressure to vote their race. In the African-American community, there is a perception that race trumps gender, she says.

Clinton supporters are seen as sellouts, Greene and others say.

Hairdresser Shontell Horlback, who is undecided, says, "It's not like I'm selling out, not that I'm not keeping it real 'cause I am, but keeping it real is actually the best candidate for the job."

Jackson, the Clinton supporter, says she doesn't care what others think. "They don't pay my bills. And they're not attached to my belly. Nobody is attached to my belly but me. They don't feed me, clothe me. I don't care what they think. ... She's a woman, I'm a woman."

Jackson met Clinton at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People dinner in November. A picture of them together is boldly displayed in her salon.

A half a dozen pictures of salon employees with former President Clinton also are on what Jackson calls her "Wall of Fame."

He visited the shop last fall to drum up votes for his wife.

Salons are a target for the campaigns -- across the state they have turned into caucuses of sorts. They're where women gather and gossip.

Among them is Toni Dawson: "I make the decision because with Hillary, so many Republicans and independents hate her so much that if she was to become president, I think she would get nothing done because there is so much hate for her," she says. "With Obama, he's a fresh face. I think he can unite everybody."

For many here, the decision may come down to experience versus grass-roots energy and excitement.

Greene says, "Black women are really politically savvy, and the question of experience is weighing heavy on their mind. Maybe race does trump gender as they're looking at this decision, but I think they also put a very high premium on experience, and that in itself is the real dilemma they are facing."

Obama supporter Jones reminds the others that "we can't focus on what Bill Clinton did for the U.S."

"We can thank him for that. He's no longer our president anymore," she says. "We need to focus on her and what she can do to make our country better."

While race and gender play a role, most women here say they plan to vote based on the issues.

They rank health care, education and the economy in order of importance.

Women say the candidates' spouses likely also will be part of the decision.

Some black women says they consider Michelle Obama a "rock star." They say they are impressed with her strength and like the idea of a strong black woman in the White House if Obama were to go all the way.

Bill Clinton also connects with black women. They say he's committed to civil rights and African-Americans.

And of course, there is the "Oprah" factor. The famous talk-show host is supporting Obama and has campaigned for him in the state.

Greene says that Oprah Winfrey "opened up the door for black women to take a closer look at him. She said, 'This is my candidate, this is who I'm backing,' and I think that made a lot of black women say, "We've been with the Clintons for several decades, and we think we should take a look at this guy, maybe we should see what he is about.'''

Support for Clinton among women has been growing, while Obama is gaining among African-Americans, the results in last week's Nevada caucuses show.

How will it go this time around?

Greene says she believes that "black women will stick with Hillary."

"I think they are going to take a very long look at her experience, her work to fight for civil rights, fighting for women's rights, fighting for human rights, and that's going to play well with them," she says.

Salon owner Jackson doesn't hide what having a woman president would mean to her. "If she could run for president, then I could run for president one day, right?" she asks.

If only both candidates were on the same ticket, then women here say that the decision would be a no-brainer.

"Maybe Hillary's a great vice president for Obama," Singleton suggests.

Either way, whether it's a woman or a black man, everyone in this salon says they agree it'd be a great day for America.

Source: CNN

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:29:21 GMT

The plight of Kenya's refugees

Story Highlights
Violence over disputed election has cost many their homes and livelihoods
Border camps in neighboring Uganda struggle to cope with mass of refugees
More than 600 children are at risk of malnutrition says children's charity
More than 255,000 Kenyans have fled their homes since elections

BUSIA, Uganda (AP) -- With one baby strapped to her back, another in her arms and a posse of other grandchildren clinging to her skirts, Mary Nyawera stood in line for food rations.

The explosion of violence over Kenya's disputed election has cost Nyawera her home, her livelihood and all four of her sons. She is now the sole provider for 22 grandchildren, all refugees at a border camp in neighboring Uganda.

The 74-year-old was lucky to be called to the front of the line here recently, where she received some ground corn and dried beans.

But the rations fell short of the children's needs.

"The young children need some milk and sugar. They don't eat maize and beans," Nyawera explained.

More than 600 children who have sought refuge in Busia are at risk of malnutrition unless their diets improve, according to James Male of Save the Children.

Fighting over the disputed December 27 election has pushed thousands into neighboring Uganda. In just one day recently, more than 500 Kenyans crossed the border, bringing to about 7,000 the number of refugees who have sought safety in three Ugandan border towns including Busia.

The International Organization for Migration said it has plans to set up two camps outside the Kenyan city of Eldoret to house up to 10,000 people.

For now, refugees are being housed in schools across the border in the towns of Busia and Malaba, where people are sleeping on mats, sharing meager supplies and lining up for food.

John Karanja, 76, has used what little money he was able to salvage from his looted home to buy his ten orphaned grandchildren milk and other food.

"It is not easy to feed the children. They don't want to eat the food supplied by the charities," he explained.

Three weeks ago Karanja lived in comfort, raising pigs, cows and goats on his farm.

Then a mob armed with machetes arrived. "They destroyed everything, and looted everything. They cut the animals (down) and set fire to what they could not carry with them," he says.

And the cash he managed to escape with is running out.

More than 255,000 Kenyans have fled their homes since supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga began contesting the election, in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner. International and local observers have also said the vote was rigged.

Odinga's followers rioted and looted and then turned to ethnic attacks on Kibaki's Kikuyu people.

"My sons had met at their uncle's home, to discuss how they could protect their families in case they were attacked by their enemies, when youths supporting Raila Odinga attacked them," Nyawera said, tears running down her face. "The thugs locked them in the house, set fire on it and they all perished."

When she learned of their deaths, Nyawera gathered all the children, aged from two to 17, to head for Uganda. They hurried to cover the ten miles between their village, Karibuni in western Kenya, and the border.

Many of the refugees making similar journeys have been stopped by informal roadblocks manned by militias to prevent the escape. Some refugees have arrived at the camp with machete wounds.

Clement Mwangai, an unofficial leader of the Kenyan refugees, said many of the refugees are particularly concerned about the plight of Nyawera, who has no one to help her with the 22 orphans. But Mwangai said the others are not in a position to help.

"We all feel sorry for Nyawera but we are helpless. There are over 20 widows in this camp whose husbands were killed in the chaos. Most of them have children and they are struggling to look after them," he said.

Karanja and Nyawera blamed politicians on both sides for their woes.

"If I met Odinga today I would tell him that 'You are a killer,"' Karanja said. "And Kibaki, I would tell him to improve on the security, especially in areas where his supporters are hunted."

Source: CNN

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:25:08 GMT

Highly Skilled And Out Of Work
Long-Term Joblessness Spreads in Middle Class

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 21, 2008; A01

An unusually large share of workers have been out a job for more than six months even as overall unemployment has remained low, a little-noted weakness in the labor market that analysts said threatens to intensify the impact of the unfolding economic downturn.

In November, nearly 1.4 million people -- almost one in five of those unemployed -- had been jobless for at least 27 weeks, the juncture when unemployment insurance benefits end for most recipients. That is about twice the level of long-term unemployment before the 2001 recession.

The problem is ensnaring a broader swath of workers than before. Once concentrated among manufacturing workers and those with little work history, education or skills, long-term unemployment is growing most rapidly among white-collar and college-educated workers with long work experience, studies have found, making the problem difficult for policymakers to address even as it grows more urgent.

"What has happened is a polarization of the labor market. It was very strong at the very top and very strong until recently at the bottom," said Lawrence F. Katz, a labor economist at Harvard University. "But in the recent weak recovery, and now recession, demand has been very weak" for jobs in the middle.

Caroline Dixon never contemplated any of that when she resigned in April after nine months as a program officer with the Spina Bifida Association. She left because the job was "a bad fit," and she said she was confident that the economy was strong and she would soon find work. For a long time, she never stopped in the unemployment office on Naylor Road near her Southeast Washington home.

But as weeks out of work stretched into months, Dixon, 41, became a fixture there. Now she can be found there on weekdays, spending untold hours at the heavily used computer bank checking out potential employers, printing job notices and e-mailing her rÂ¿sumÂ¿. "I jokingly tell people that I'm headed to my office when I'm coming here," she said, without a smile.

With the economy sliding toward a possible recession and the jobless rate having spiked to 5 percent last month, the already high rate of long-term unemployment is likely to grow, as it has during past slowdowns, a prospect that has spawned calls in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail to extend unemployment benefits and expand tax cuts to protect jobs and fuel the economy.

The growth in long-term unemployment has occurred even as displaced workers have taken bigger pay cuts to reenter the job market. A 2004 study found that workers who lost a job in 2001 to 2003 took an average pay cut of 17 percent in their new jobs, more than double the average cut of those displaced in the late 1990s.

"When people are losing good jobs these days, they have a very hard time getting back to the type of job they had before," said Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group that presses for more generous unemployment benefits.

While strong corporate profits, low inflation and record manufacturing output characterized the extended recovery that followed the 2001 recession, some economists call that period of expansion a "CEO's recovery." Real wages were mostly flat, poverty ticked upward and an unusual number of people had a hard time finding work -- a fact masked by relatively low overall unemployment rates.

"This tells you that this has not been as good an economy as the overall unemployment rate would make it seem," said John Schmitt, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "This dynamic causes anxiety among people even if they still have a job. It is very important to understanding the level of anxiety that the work force feels as a whole."

Dixon estimates that she has sent out more than 100 rÂ¿sumÂ¿s, yielding four interviews. And nobody is talking about paying her anything near the $65,000 she made in her last job. "All of my friends keep telling me, 'You'll get a job,' " Dixon said. "But that's what I thought six months ago, and I still don't have one."

Dixon said she and her friends and family grow more anxious the longer she is out of work. For nearly all of her life, having a job was a given: Her late father had worked 35 years for Washington Gas; her mother retired from her last job after more than 15 years. After graduating from college in 1989, Dixon worked for 16 years at the American Forest Foundation before moving to the Spina Bifida Association in the District.

These days, her mother, who lives in Capitol Heights, often sends Dixon encouraging notes with Safeway gift cards tucked inside. "I'm sure she's concerned," Dixon said. "She's always asking, 'So, how's the job hunt going?' I tell her, 'If I had a job, you'd be one of the first people I'd tell.' "

Dixon has managed to stay afloat by occasionally working as a substitute teacher at the Washington Middle School for Girls, using a small profit she earns from a rental property and tapping into her savings. She said she considers herself lucky to get free health insurance through a D.C. program that provides coverage for the unemployed.

Still, things are getting tight for Dixon, who is single and has no children. "I need a safety net under my safety net," she said.

Officials who work with the jobless said they are seeing more people like Dixon-- educated, with stable work histories -- having a hard time finding a job.

"It seems like for the skilled worker who has experience and credentials, finding a job that matches their skill and experience is like reaching for the brass ring on the carousel," said Howard H. Marshall, manager of the Baltimore County Workforce Development Center in Hunt Valley. "A lot of people are grabbing for it, and only few will get it."

Jan W. Saurbaugh, 57, a former computer specialist who lives in Timonium, Md., started working at 14, when he got a paper route. By 19, he had joined the Marines. For most of his life, he has worked steadily, shifting with life's circumstances and the economic currents.

After leaving the military, he trained and worked as a welder. When neck injuries from an auto accident left him unable to do that, he went to community college to learn computer-assisted drafting, which led to seven years of work with the Coast Guard in Baltimore. Saurbaugh, who exudes an old-school formality with his ramrod straight posture, tightly knotted necktie and neatly pressed corduroys, said he made the mistake of his career when he left his drafting job for a computer-related Coast Guard job in Washington. The position was officially designated as temporary but offered an immediate $12,000-a-year increase over his $38,000 salary and the promise of more raises.

"One guy told me, 'I've been on temporary status with the federal government 13 years, and I've always had a job,' " Saurbaugh said, which put his misgivings to rest. But then Saurbaugh faced what he called a "bad turn of events."

Scrambling to complete his bachelor's degree, Saurbaugh found himself getting little sleep and struggling with the commute to Washington. He developed a sleep disorder that caused him to miss significant time at work. Nine months after taking the job, he resigned under pressure. A sheaf of commendations and awards he had accumulated with the Coast Guard could not save his job.

"I was devastated that I didn't have work," Saurbaugh said. "But I figured I was just a couple of months away from my degree. I figured once I had it, somebody would pick me up."

That was more than two years ago. In between, he has worked only three months -- at a car dealership where a childhood friend is a manager. "I sold eight cars a month for three months. That wasn't cutting it. I am just not a car salesman," he said.

Saurbaugh, whose wife is partially disabled, has sold his camper and drained his retirement accounts and is now dependent on family for survival. His elderly in-laws took a home-equity loan to pay the mortgage on his three-bedroom Cape Cod, and his brother-in-law pays for the couple's health insurance. "I thought by this time in my life, I'd be the one peeling off a few bills for someone," he said. "I hate asking people for money."

He said that if he doesn't find work soon, he will have to sell his house. Saurbaugh said he has looked for jobs everywhere, even applying at electronics stores and bulk-office-supply businesses. But, so far, nothing.

"I keep telling my wife: 'Things are going to work out. They'll work out," he said, shaking his head. "But they haven't."

Source: Washington Post

Deaffie in the news - sort of ;)

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:21:19 GMT

My Deaf friend, Erickson, who has just come home from Kenya as a Peace Corps Volunteer had his question posted in the Times!!!

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008

10 Questions for Madeleine Albright

How will President Bush be judged when he leaves office? Dennis Su, SAN MARINO, CALIF.

I wrote my book Memo to the President Elect for the next President because they are going to have a very hard job to do. Our reputation is the lowest that it has ever been. This presidency has done a great deal of damage, and I'm very glad that it will end.

You have campaigned for Hillary Clinton. If she wins, will you accept a job as Secretary of State again? Rafael Mercene, MANILA

For somebody who loves foreign policy, being Secretary is the best job in the world—but it doesn't happen twice. The only person who was Secretary twice was Daniel Webster. I am not Daniel Webster.

What was your greatest accomplishment as Secretary? Lester Palencia Ordan SANTA CRUZ, PHILIPPINES

I was able to be part of a decision that saved a lot of lives in Kosovo. Afterward, I went to the capital, Pristina, and saw crowds of people with signs that said THANK YOU, USA. I am now thrilled that there is a generation of girls in Kosovo whose first name is Madeleine.

Did you ever make a decision that risked your credibility as a human-rights supporter? Armando Davila, MEXICO CITY

The hardest part of having that kind of power is deciding where to act and under what circumstances. I was the United Nations ambassador at the time of Rwanda, and I wish that we had been able to do more at the time.

What can be done to help stop the political unrest in Kenya? Erickson Young, TAMPA, FLA.

I think that the U.S. and the African Union should try to help resolve some of the political questions. Should the elections be rerun? Is there some way to get a power-sharing agreement between the current President and his challenger? It is important to get outside assistance before things get totally out of hand.

Should the West use China's Olympics to highlight environmental and human-rights concerns, or should we simply step back and enjoy the sports? Ali Strayton, LONDON

It is impossible to separate those things. People are very concerned about China's behavior, both internally and externally. I hope people enjoy the sports, and I hope the Americans do well, but I think it's very hard to expect that politics will not enter in.

What are your thoughts on the immigration debate? Seyi Falade, NEW YORK CITY

I'm troubled by it. When [my family] came from England during the war, people said, "You are welcome here. What can we do to help?" I am a beneficiary of the American people's generosity, and I hope we can have comprehensive immigration legislation that allows this country to continue to be enriched by those who were not born here.

Should the Constitution be amended to allow foreign-born Americans to run for President? Maggie Devcich, LOS ANGELES

I have never thought about it for myself, but I do think that many foreign-born Americans could be President. There should be a requirement that instead someone has to be raised in the U.S. for 25 years or something. For me, being raised in a free America made all the difference.

What advice do you have for women who want respect from their male colleagues? Dana Philbin, CHICAGO

Women have to be active listeners and interrupters—but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about. I also think it is important for women to help one another. I have a saying: There is a special place in hell for women who don't.

You have dealt with very stressful situations. What do you turn to for comfort food? Mills Chapman, PHILADELPHIA

[Laughs.] Mashed potatoes. I try not to, because I hope people will notice I have lost a lot of weight since I was Secretary. [Instead] I try to seek comfort in apples.

To watch a video interview with Albright and to subscribe to the 10 Questions podcast on iTunes, go to time.com/10questions

Source: Time Magazine

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10 Questions for Madeleine Albright

By DANI MCCLAIN
dmcclain@journalsentinel.com