SEARS

"Where it all begins." Sears has been one of my favorite stores for 35 years. They have terrific merchandise to choose from. Sears Stores always give you a feeling of home. -SD


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Sears Logo from www.weblogs.baltimoresun.com
Sears store front from www.gizmodo.com
"Sears house" photo from www.treehugger.com

The Seagull Soared

The show was actually held outdoors, in the huge play yard, under the warming sun, and not in the auditorium, as I had thought. What appeared to be just under the illuminating sun and bright blue sky, a regal looking bird kept soaring over the crowds of students, teachers, parents, and all faculty, enjoying the heart felt and soulful performances. I had never been more proud of this school. And right after the event, the PTA presented, is presenting, actually, uniform shirts, for order, and snacks for quick sale. They had a beautiful array of shirts on display to showcase colors and sizes. I was drawn to evergreen. And do you know what it says on the shirts? "Soar Like An Eagle". The sun wasn*t the only thing warming people up. The show warmed our hearts. *SD

What*s your content of Character? *SDRoads

Rise up, y*all.

"RISE UP!!!" *SD

~In the spirit of MLK~

Aaaaww. The Cotton Trees.

And the Principle and VP danced an African dance with children. Now 3 kids are singing "Yesterday is gone. And I belong. ... So I won*t give up. No I won*t break down. ... I*ll stay strong, when it all falls apart. ... When I*m standin` in the dark I will believe. Someone*s watchin` over me." In 1865 African Americans were set free. But they still had a long way to go. Enter Rosa Parks. ... Tears of joy fall. *SDRoads §

A Celebration

Hi. I*m about to enter my son*s elementary school auditorium for a celebration of Black History Month. It should be inspirational. I am looking forward to it. *SD

Needless to say, I am AGAINST the death penalty!!!

I am SDRoads, and I approve this message.

And...

the top to the infamous Obama and family water bottle mysteriously disappeared, in the same room where the two love birds kept LOUDLY, and annoyingly, sucking face at campus. Plus, my charger is not working right, my cell text pad is responding very slowly and awkwardly, so me last 2 posts took 12 times, or more, as long to text type. Plus, the Mormons are coming over on Friday at 5, and they aint happy with me for missing church last Sunday. *SD

Oh, and I ended up getting a B on the midterm, and not an A, afterall. I got 5 wrong. Need to call Fern to see what I missed by leaving class early, within reason. I wonder if another of my classmates, whom left shortly before me, left due to what was going to be viewed. The Professor asked her if she had another student*s number in order to get something for class later. I don*t feel like doing the extra credit offered to the class anymore to raise the B to an A. And on the walk home, we got cut off. Her in her roller and us with our stroller. I first thought, "How rude!" I also thought "HeXX! If an innocent child can get treated like this, how in the world will any of us have a chance!?" At least I came home to "Lie To Me", after a rough day. Though, that is about a form of LE. My baby is sound asleep. Literally. It*s a bit eerie versus relaxing. I keep checking on him. He has been under the weather. Oh my baby. I am glad
this class is almost over, Winter term, I mean, now, given I have recently lost my baby sitter to a much higher paying job. He has fun in the class, though. And, he makes everyone smile. Once he made everyone in the class bust up with probably the most adorable thing said. Very good acting in Lie To Me, by the way. I FINALLY got to see it. Been looking forward to it. And love the line, "Never let the facts get in the way of the truth." A stark contrast to the other famous quote from an older LE television program. The quote, "Just the facts madam." I would have written "maam", but I don*t know how to spell it! Well, tonight*s class really affected me. And to top things off, I heard that StarBucks is in financial trouble. You don*t know how disturbing to me that is. Further, the plot thickens behind the Wilmington Massacre story of late. The news had posted the following number, for those who may be suicidal, or homicidal, I
reckon. (800)854-7771. That was prompted by the Wilmington story. Moreover, I just heard something in the news about officials not being thrilled about Obama*s stimulus package. Plus, the Senate decided against the delay of switching to digital. Yet, they decided for it on Monday? I don*t know. I*m confused. I am too weary now to further report on those last three items, lest to say that the Mormon church was mentioned in that massacre in Wilmington story tonight, along with the words "ritual" and "murder". Also, The D(avenchy) Code was mentioned right along with them. I have been participating with the Mormon church lately, though not a member. It*s been making me feel uneasy. Oh, and it*s Wednesday. Long story. At least The Simpsons is on now. Yaay! Finals are next week. Can you believe it. Just got through the midterm. The Professor is not feeling well. We may get out of class extreemly early tomorrow. Earlier than usual. Then
again, American Idol is on tomorrow night. Lucky for him. He loves that show. Feeling a bit lost and alone, SD. Where*s Ginnger when you need her?

The Death Penalty~ We were spared.

My littlest one comes to my Administrative Justice class with me, as some of you know. Tonight, the class was to view a documentary on the execution of the death penalty. The Professor said that I could leave so that Shanathan would not view it. I thought how wonderful that was we could leave for such purpose, AND, as an extra bonus, without penalization in my grade. But, between you and me, even if my little mate wasn*t there, I*D have to walk out! This I know because of what happened to me last year when I accidently came across 3 pictures of a man being executed in the electric chair, as I was studying the JonBenet Ramsey case at my old campus. Those images seemed to appear out of nowhere. Strange because they weren*t even connected to the case. I had some bad repurcussion from them. Nearly flew out of my chair, as though being shocked, as that last image of the trilogy appeared. It was as if electricity flew right out of the monitor into me, pushing
me back. And I had a witness to that! But, I digress. Armed with the knowledge of that experience, this time I figured I*d stay a few to learn until the viewing got rough. You know, before anything graphic was shown. The lights went out. The documentary was clicked on. Only, it started somewhere other than where it should have, the beginning. Of course the Professor tried to shut it down and restart it, but for the purpose of showing it to the students from the beginning to end. I recall, at one split second, seeing what appeared to be a door with a steering wheel from a ship on it. Something you might see on a submarine. Something air tight. What I recall next was viewing a hall for a second, then a door slowly opening, then IT. The death bed with all of those belts. And that was all before the teacher ever so quicky turned it off. It was as though it all hit the eyes swiftly, each image magicly darting at my brain through my eyes like subliminal
messages, imminating straight from Hell. Fortunately, Shanathan was busy playing video games on my cell, since the lights were off, only the lights from those horrid subliminal like visions were on, so he couldn*t see his homework. I quickly gathered him up, along with my purse, foresaking all else, figuring I could come back later for our jackets, his homework, and our near sacred Obama and family water bottle. I mean, surely we would have been able to get back in without a hitch later. But, no deal. After we went for a quick walk down the corridor, and a fun ride up and down the elevator, down and up, actually, we decided to head down back towards class. I thought the rough part would be over. You see, just before I scooted the two of us out the back door, I heard words that went something like, you are about to listen to audio of an actual execution. I had thought, "That*s all brother!", and high tailed it out of there. Well, as Shanathan
and I, shortly later, headed back towards the front door to the chamber, I mean, classroom, the Professor just so happened to step out, phone, some sort of list, and pen in hand. I said, "Wow!" and quickly recapped those startling words I heard that pierced my spirit from the huge screen*s audio. He told us it*s o.k. for us to go. I asked, in a near statement, that surely it was going to die down, the rough part. Excuse the accidental pun. He replied, a bit wide eyed, oh, that*s his normal look, "... Um, it*s gonna b". I finished his sentence for him, "be like that all the way through!?" He responded, "Pretty much." I don*t even think I said good bye. We just glided down the hall, Shanathan and I, down the elevator shaft, and down another hall, straight into the relaxing fireside room, where I am composing myself. At one point, and at which timeframe it occurred, I can*t remember,I had told Shanathan to stand on
the other side of the hall, about 5 feet away from the back door, because you could hear the documentary from outside the door. I said, "Stand right here, Mommy will be out in 15 seconds. I have to go in and get our things." In those 15 seconds, I heard a man in an orange jumpsuit state he*d rather die than state he did something, confess, to an act he did not do. I guestimated he could do that for a lesser charge, and an equally less potent punishment. I don*t know. I jolted back to my kid. Well, class is over now. It*s been over, actually. Shanathan is peacefully sleeping. Please excuse any mispellings in this post, for at this moment, I*m not concerned with manual editing. Quite frankly, my dear, I don*t give a damn! I think I will never be one to stomach that sort of thing, or heart it, for that matter. Perhaps a career in LE, law enforcement, is not for me after all. Good night all. *SDRoads

From The Desk

UPDATE TO THE LATEST TRAGEDY REPORTED HERE: This in; Sadly, the wife and mother was a major contributer in the planning of the execution to the entire immediate family, due to financial woes in these hard economic times. Word is, her position was- Why have other people raise the children?- This set off such a reaction from all over that even professional counseling has come out in full force for free to the community, sharing their anti-suicide, as well as anti-homicide, etc., ideals. Our prayers are with them all. *SDRoads, reporting

From The Gateway

Hi. I am in a PTA meeting right now. I had found out that those tests the teachers plan on boycotting, and this is happening across the board, at least locally, are already paid for. Actually, that was not a part of the PTA agenda for the day. I had inquired. *SDRoads

------------------------
photo of PTA logo from www.373virtualpta.files.wordpress.com

I love you JJ! *SD

FW: Local Weather

----- Original Message -----
Subject: Local Weather
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:53:50
From: Sd Roads <roadssd@yahoo.com>
To: roadsrd.thenewscenter@blogger.com <roadsrd.thenewscenter@blogger.com>

It is not only cold here at this time, but it is also a bit windy. But there will be a warm front soon. More than likely, from mid Thursday on. *SDRoads

Money Matters

You should buy stock in McDonalds and Hooters Restaurants. They are doing extreemly well, in these tough economic times. This, because, McDonalds offers a value menu and meals, and Hooters offers, well, Hooters offers something different. They offer something a bit more on the devaluing side. Love the dancing, though. And that is my commentary. *SDRoads

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Image of Hooters Logo from: www.insidesocal.com
photo of Hooters' Anniversary from: www.prnewswire.com
photo of McDonalds Restaurant from: www.daylife.com
photo of kids playing at the Ronald McDonald House for sick kids and their families from: www.rmhca.org

We, here at the newscenter, give our condolences to those who suffered and suffer from the Wilmington Tragedy, Massacre, and loss discovered today, through a fax. *SDRoads and Family

A family of 7, dead, at the hand of the father. No survivors. An entire immediate family take out, including the dad. Shots fired around 7.30 this morning. The father was dispondent to to economic troubles. Now, we are beyond dispondent about their loss. *SD

The BoyGirlTestingCott

You see, schools spend in excess of 150,000 dollars a year on those tests. The position of the teachers is, don*t administer the unnecessary tests to help save money, to help the bite of the budget crises to lessen, and save their jobs. *SDRoads

The Fox

Jillian Barberie was doing a stint on makeup must haves with her young daughter at her home, when she sweetly told her daughter, &#39;You*re never to young for makeup.&#39;, as her daughter kept saying &quot;More&quot;, adorably. What a run on sentence. LoL And, today, on The Mike and Juliette Show, there will be a segment on beauty pageants and the level of competition for 2 year olds. Today, on Fox 11, at 11. And for more on Jill, log on to myfoxla.com. *SDRoads

School Budget Crises Continued

It was Emerson Elemetary in Los Angeles, California, that has sparked up the boycott. They, the teachers, face disciplinary action and possibly being fired. But, they don*t care that much. They are already facing massive job insecurity, which is a shame, because it*s their careers that are on the line. But again, nothing will stop them from participating in the boycott. According to them, it*s on. Now, recently, I got the impression that the teaching profession is secure and a bit prosperous in Georgia. I wonder if they are feeling the affects of financial crises now. Back to the boycott. Children are given 15 tests a year that are deemed unnecessary. They refuse to administer the next batch. *SDRoads

Oh yeah!

I think I aced my test last night. Yee haw!!! -SD

And from our friends at Simon & Schuster

Children's Bookseller News



2009 ALA Award Winners Announced!

The 2009 ALA Award winners were announced earlier this morning during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, CO. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is thrilled to have published several of these spectacular titles and authors, including Newbery Honor winner The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, and authors Ashley Bryan (Author and illustrator of Words to My Life's Song and Let it Shine), winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal, and Laurie Halse Anderson (Author of Chains and Fever 1793), winner of The Margaret A. Edwards Award.

For a complete list of winners or to learn more about the awards, please visit www.ala.org.

Updates Updates Updates

A Collective Update: ... Yeah, uh, lets see... The government at the State level is going to postpone __________________(It completely escapes my mind right now.) in order to be able to pay teachers. I mean, this really hit close to home. And I may not have known , or have known as quickly, if I did not work on the school committee. There was that chance that the elementary school could have been closed down. Thank God for the good news in this update. I am also thankful for the digital reprieve. Many people are still in need of the government issued coupons for the converter box. The government realizes that, in these hard economic times, many can not afford the box, or even cable or satellite, for that matter. Jillian Barberie Reynolds, of Fox's Good Day L.A. stated that she can't handle the televisions that have just a few channels and have snow on the screen most of the time. She says she could never go back to that. It makes her cookoo for Cocoa Puffs. LoL LoL I can't do that one justice in my writing. You had to be there. Haha In other news, I believe that the President is going to be speaking TODAY, vs yesterday. Having trouble getting that story. And there is something else I was wanting to write. but, it escapes my mind at this moment, and I am out of time, literally, for this computer. And that is my lame attempt at the news. LoL LoL LoL -SDRoads

CALIFORNIA IN BIG TROUBLE

...

Cold Front

We are experiencing a VERY cold snap, locally, due to the ridge of high pressure. But it wont last long. *SD

The Delay

The transference to digital for television HAS BEEN POSTPONED until July from February. So has the testing for ratings. Sweeps is not here yet? *SD

Blago*s Fight For Justice

And Oprah*s refusal. ... More to come. Huge story. *SD

Teachers Union Fight Hard

They are protesting against administrating certain tests, among protesting other things. They will be boycotting the tests. My son*s elementary sent out notices asking us to join the fight. GOOD NEWS! HUGE LAYOFF PLAN HAS BEEN POSTPONED. *SDRoads

The MidWay

The midterm. Happening soon. :o *SD

Oh no. I just realized something. I have to stroll that tree all the way home!

LoL Kinda long story. Tell ya later. If I don't write again today, or this evening, have a good night. -SD

Good bye for now, everybody.

I have to go pick up my youngest. And then, finish studying for my midterm this evening, as he does his homework after cartoons. Wish me luck? Kiss kiss -SD

For JJ

I also love a good Ginger and Mary Ann

... and the whole gang!!!! -SD

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Group photo from www.lancemannion.typepad.com
photo of Ginger from www.the-planets.com
photo of Mary Ann from www.bagofnothing.com

Oh how I love a good Betty and Veronica!

And, hey, it IS almost Valentine's Day! hint-hint LoL -SD


--------------
Photo from www.ioffer.com

Me And My Shadow

Me, with last year's glasses. This year's had to be crazy glued. LoL LoL I haven't had much luck with glasses. And here is a cute pic of Shanathan I had not seen in a long time. -SD


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Photos from the SDR files

To blonde, or not to blonde? That is the question.

Uuuhh! Decisions. Decisions. What decisions a girl's gotta make. Yesterday, as I was being pampered and having my hair braided, I decided I will go light ash brown with red highlights, my natural adult hair color. My natural hair color as a little girl was champagne blond. Wait, I'll go medium ash brown with red copper high lights. HeXX, I might even go Veronica black. Lord knows I've done the Betty thing. I'm just gettin' a little bored with the blond. Although, I do like that picture of me from behind, the blondish layers. I also thought of going to me Irish roots and going pure red. I don't know. Well see how it goes. Here are some contrasts. The 2 bottom pics in this post are from yesterday. I've been lettin' my roots grow in again. Most others were taken last year, or within the 6 month period before that. I don't have my pictures of me with my strawberry blond hair. You know, I've even thought of doin' the Bo Derek thing. ... Naww. Too much work. LoL -SD


-----------------
Photos of SD from the SDR files
photo of Betty and Veronica plus from www.zaiusnation.blogspot.com

Photos from the SDR files

Take~Two

Here's the edited version of Pretty. -SD

An Off~Shoot

Photo, entitled Pretty by SDRoads from the SDR files

That's my baby!

-----------------------
photos by SDRoads from the SDR files

An Update

Hi. About halfway down this page, I had updated a post called The Wash, and added many pictures of the beautiful park and walk. -SD


------------------
photo by SDRoads, from the SDR files

Moments In Time

Soooo Cute!!!! *SD

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Photos from www.huffingtonpost.com

Obama Speaks???????????

It's weird. I just know Obama spoke for the public today, I just can't find it anywhere. And I couldn't stay home to view it. Way too many things to do. Any clues? -SD


-----------------------
Photo from www.blogs.wsj.com

Google

The Google company is a very celebratory business. Currently on the agenda, The Year of the Ox. *SD


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photo from www.jenn-photojennics.blogspot.com

The Interview

KATIE COURIC TO BE THE FIRST TO INTERVIEW SULLY, THE HERO OF THE HUDSON. THE INTERVIEW, INCLUDING MENTION OF HIS ENTIRE CREW, TO BE AIRED FEB. 8th, ON CBS&#39; 60 MINUTES. *SDRoads


-------------------
photo of Couric from www.gawker.com
photo of Sully and his wife from www.necn.com

The Bottle

Today we bought a bottled, before going to the park at The Wash. But not just any bottle of water. The bottle has a picture of the Obama family; Dad, Mom, and the kids. It was real exciting to see all of those bottles with varying pictures of Barack, with or without family. I picked one with the family. And when the water has run out, I will refill it. Only not too many times, because of that report about the dangers of reusing plastic beverage bottles. More on that later. But, when I stop reusing it, I won*t put it in a plastic store bag, along with the other recyclables, as I normally do, to put outside for the even less fortunate to pick up and take to the local recycling center for cold hard cash. No, this time I will save the bottle. It*s a keeper. I will use it as a vase for flowers and put it in the living room. It will look nice. Meanwhile, it will sit at my desk accompanying me as I study, every so often taking sips of the healthy drink,
occasionally glancing at the motivating picture for a boost of good ole American collective happiness. Time to start studying for my midterm tomorrow. Yes, I*m cramming. Well, goodnight y*all. Sweet dreams. Oh, I took pictures of the stunningly beautiful yet humble park I often write about. I will take one of that collector*s edition bottle as well, with flowers. I*ll add them to this post a.s.a.p. *SD

--------------------
Update:
photos from the SDR files

Be sure to watch J.W.*s America*s Most Wanted next week.

It will be compelling. Also, a story that hits close to home; one of the reasons this updated site was (re)created. Be sure to check your local listings for time and channel. Thanxx. *SDRoads

Sully Officially Honored

I Love The Yankees!

I*m a little excited. My dad is about to be on t.v., as a kid. He was
in an I Love Lucy Episode. The Bob Hope\Baseball game episode. He*s
on. Gotta go. *SD

KCal 9

For the locals~ KCal 9 is for you. They are all about community. The local news station salutes many of you for all your generosity to the community. *SDRoads, reporting

Travolta Case Update

WORD IN: And, they*ve left us with a real cliff~hanger. There were 3
extortionists involved, so it goes. It has been asked if Jett was part
of it, if you get my meaning. Shocking. Absolute. I am surprised this
case and investigation is not closed. *SD

Another Quake

A 3.4 HAD HIT THE SOUTHLAND. *SD

Travolta Update

The latest news, a statement from their attorneys helps to put things in perspective. Further, they will not allow the extortionists to go through with their dirty work. More later. *SDRoads

Travolta Speaks With Extortionists?

To put it in the words... of Harvey, something's up. This is about the Travolta Tragedy. I knew something seemed askew when I put up my "looms for the lacuna" post. It has been reported that John Travolta has been speaking with extortionists, per the death of his son, Jett. It was further reported that he "has been cooperating", with authorities, as I understand it. Moreover, the extortionists referred to here have been reported to be a politician and an ambulance company employee. I will report more here as I get word in. It has been stated that the extortion is happening because there is information that could be leaked that would be disturbing to the public and to the Travolta family. I hope it is all hype, and that everything will be o.k. for the Travoltas in this most difficult, devastating, and tragic time. -SDRoads, reporting

Where's The Beef?

Here it is. I have a beef, and it is with a high ranking public official. In all actuality, it is not so much a beef as it is a concern. I thought of this today, though events have been leading up to this for days... quite some time, actually. When I thought of it, the words came pouring out of my heart and were thrown up to my brain, like a bucket of water, so quickly that I would not have been able to text type it fast enough, from my cell. And, now, I am working from a PC that will not let me view my site. I can only get as far as the Administrator's desk, where the settings, layout, etc. tabs are. That is o.k. There will be time to share it later. I at least wanted to document the time frame that I have thought of this, for various reasons. This posting will be updated here, at a later time. -SDRoads

Good bye for now.

I'll be back tomorrow, I'm pretty sure. As always, thanxx for stopping by and have a great day! I still have a lot of editing to do. I apologize for not getting to it fast enough. I still can't stand that a lot of the posts are still not in paragraph form, among other things. That's o.k. I'll get to it. At least y'all can read it. Cuddle up with a good book tonight. I suggest The Death of Innocence by John and Patsy Ramsey. -SD

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Photo of book cover from booksale.com.ph
Ghostlike photo of SD from the SDR Filesxxxxx

It's Kareoke Time

www.j29y.blogspot.com
An advertising for Jeff. -SD

------------------
Photos from picasaweb. No connection to Jeff's site.
~ picasaweb.google.com/.../RlWmL4lnD6B1D1Jq15XkNw

A Beautiful Place To Visit

7051 MCCUTCHEON ROAD
Chattanooga, TN 37421 ~
8.7 Miles From Center City Chattanooga

Reservations: (888) 201-1746 US Toll Free
Telephone: (423) 899-2300 Fax: (423) 899-2282
Email: cx_chtn@countryinns.com


***Hotel Description
Complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, including Belgian waffles. Outdoor pool and indoor heated pool, exercise facilities, guest laundry facility, 8-hour dry cleaning service, free local calls, fresh coffee and cookies available 24 hours. All suite entrances are from indoor corridors with electronic locks, 27 inch TVs with remote controls, free HBO and 56 channels, dataports, refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers, hair dryers, iron and ironing boards. A Guest Appreciation Reception is held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening from 5:30-6:30PM offering beer, soft drinks and a variety of food items. This is complimentary to all guests.



Location Description
City - This hotel is located near the city.


Deats:
Check In: 3:00 PM
Check Out: 12:00 PM
Native currency: American Dollars
Number of floors: 3
Number of rooms: 82
Time zone: EST


Hotel Amenities
Air Conditioned
Coffee Maker in Room
Cribs Available
Handicapped Rooms/Facilities
FEMA Approved
Exercise Gym
Internet Access – Complimentary
Jacuzzi
Microwave
Free Newspaper
Indoor Pool
Outdoor Parking
Safe
Free Airport Shuttle
Fitness Center or Spa
Laundry/Valet Services
Breakfast
Meal Plan - Continental
City Center
Elevators
Fire Alarm with Light
Hairdryers Available
Iron
Maid Service
In Room Movies
Pool
Outdoor Pool
Recreational Vehicle Parking
Security
Smoke Detectors
Sprinklers In Rooms
Wheel Chair Access
Continental Breakfast
Copy Service
24 Hour Front Desk
Express Checkout
Grab Bars in Bathroom
Health Club
Ironing Board
Modem in Room
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
Heated Pool
Bus Parking
Refrigerator
Shops/Commercial Services
Sofa Bed
Television with Cable


Area Attractions
TVA Energy -Complimentary games, models

Tennessee Aquarium -7 thousand specimens of fish and birds.

Tennessee Valley -Railroad museum, trips

Warehouse Row -Factory outlet shops

Hamilton Place Mall Largest shopping mall in Tennessee

3-D Imax -3D movie theater

Audubon Acres -10 miles of hiking, sanctuary

Battlefield -Civil War artifacts

Chattanooga Choo Choo -Restaurants, shops and gardens

Creative Discovery Museum -Hands-on childrens museum

Houston Museum -Decorative arts, 18th and 19th Century

Hunter Art -Historic mansion, American art

Incline -Steepest incline in the world.

Raccoon Mountain -Cavern, slide and bungee

Regional History -Area History

Riverboat -Sightseeing, lunch and dinner

Rock City -Fairyland and trails

Ruby Falls -145 foot waterfall in cave

Sir Goony's -Miniature golf course, go karts, paint ball, and arcade


Restaurants
Applebee's: .2 mile from hotel

Breakfast Room: -Hotel lobby

Cracker Barrel: Approx .2 Mile from hotel

Grady's:

Shoney's:

T.G.I Friday's:

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar: Located at 507 Broad Street (423) 752-9464

Altruda's Italian Restaurant: Located at 138 Market Street (423) 267-6145


***THIS IS A 3 STAR HOTEL***


-----------------
Pictures and data from www.oc-usa.com
Quick Editing by SDRoads

Becoming Older And Wiser

************************************************************************************************************************************And, I don't mind my wrinkles... too much. Haha Yet again, the color (of the sweater) matches the new color theme here. Fancy that! LoL LoL ~SDRoads

------------
Photo from the SDR Files

I just love these pictures.

And, I think they match the new color theme here. -SD/Chatta

----------------
Photos from the SDR Files by Chatta

Forget About The Keeping Up With The Jones', Keep Up With The Times And The Economy First

Everything else will follow suit. -SDRoads

*******

Top In-Demand Careers of 2009
by Amelia Gray

With all the recent worry over the economy, which jobs are still safe? Check out this set of careers slated to remain a great pick for anyone considering an education--even in this current difficult period for profits and growth.

According to the 2009 Robert Half International Salary Guide, careers in business, IT, and law are among the fields expected to yield top careers in the coming year. Learn more about which careers are expected to see the most growth, the highest starting salaries, and the best opportunities.

Technology Careers on the Rise
CIOs were asked which technical skill sets are in the greatest demand in their IT departments. Their response? Administration, support, and management skills are golden. The top responses, according to Robert Half International:

Network administration (LAN, WAN)
Windows administration
Desktop support
Database management
What do all these skills have in common? They can each be learned in an associate's or bachelor's degree program online. Bachelor's degrees in computer science, information science, or management information systems (MIS) are generally considered ample training for administrators. Desktop support professionals in smaller companies may only hold a two-year associate's degree in the field.

Creative Careers, Competitive Salaries
Looking for a job that challenges your creative side? Career training in artistic and creative careers can land you high starting salaries. Check out starting salary ranges for some of the top creative jobs for 2009, according to The Creative Group:

Graphic designer: $36,000-$49,250
Desktop publisher: $35,500-$45,000
Motion graphics specialist: $56,000-$87,500
Remember, those are just starting salaries. While no career training program can guarantee a particular salary, the portfolio-building training you receive while working towards a degree in graphic design, desktop publishing, or animation can help prepare you to enter the field with confidence.

Freelancing is another option to keep your creative career in demand. When advertising and marketing executives were asked about the greatest benefits of using creative freelancers, 36 percent said that freelancers provided access to skills that didn't exist internally, and 21 percent noted that freelancers help avoid overstaffing followed by layoffs. In this volatile economy, you may earn more by diversifying your skills into a range of different jobs.

Career Training for Office Jobs
What do hospitals, retail centers, executive offices, and manufacturing plants have in common? They all need someone to sit at the front desk. A nationwide demand for administrative assistants, customer service representatives, and receptionists means that you can put your office management training to work. Here are a few special skills in demand in 2009, according to a survey by Office Team:

Technical aptitude: Including Microsoft Office as well as accounting, payroll, and human resources applications
Multilingual ability: Communicating with culturally diverse consumer groups is the biggest drive behind bilingual and multilingual hiring
Continuing education: Hiring managers like to see employees continue their education by securing Certified Professional Secretary (CPS), Microsoft Business Certification, and other training.
Education plays a real role in the workforce. During times of high unemployment and higher job competition, boosting your resume with a career training program can make a big difference.

Training for Legal Careers
Salaries are expected to increase across the board for legal workers in 2009, according to Robert Half Legal. With specialized training in the form of an associate's degree, you may land a job as a paralegal, legal secretary, legal receptionist, or office clerk. Check out some of the salaries that may be available to graduates with the two-year degree:

Case Clerk (zero to two years' experience): $32,000-$41,000
Junior Paralegal (two to three years' experience): $40,500-$49,200
Legal Receptionist: $26,750-$38,000
Office Clerk: $27,000-$37,250
Use a degree or certificate to obtain the specialized education you need to enter the legal field. According to Robert Half Legal, most law firms and legal departments expect paralegals to hold at least a two-year college degree.

In this changing economy, popular jobs may see more competition. Hiring managers may expect applicants to be able to start on the first day with a strong set of skills. Rise to the challenge with the help of an online degree or certificate.



Featured Schools
DeVry University
Argosy University Online
Walden University
Westwood College Online
Kaplan University Online

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Among The First Order Of Business

Obama signs order to close Guantanamo in a year


WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama began overhauling U.S. treatment of terror suspects Thursday, signing orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, shut down secret overseas CIA prisons, review military war crimes trials and ban the harshest interrogation methods.

With his action, Obama started changing how the United States prosecutes and questions al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters who pose a threat to Americans — and overhauling America's image abroad, battered by accusations of the use of torture and the indefinite detention of suspects at the Guantanamo prison in Cuba.

"The message that we are sending the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly and we are going to do so effectively and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals," the president said.

The centerpiece order would close the much-maligned Guantanamo facility within a year, a complicated process with many unanswered questions that was nonetheless a key campaign promise of Obama's. The administration already has suspended trials for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo for 120 days pending a review of the military tribunals.

In the other actions, Obama:

_Created a task force to recommend policies on handling terror suspects who are detained in the future. Specifically, the group would look at where those detainees should be housed since Guantanamo is closing.

_Required all U.S. personnel to follow the U.S. Army Field Manual while interrogating detainees. The manual explicitly prohibits threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding, a technique that creates the sensation of drowning and has been termed a form of torture by critics. However, a Capitol Hill aide says that the administration also is planning a study of more aggressive interrogation methods that could be added to the Army manual — which would create a significant loophole to Obama's action Thursday.

"We believe that the Army Field Manual reflects the best judgment of our military, that we can abide by a rule that says we don't torture, but that we can still effectively obtain the intelligence that we need," Obama said. He said his action reflects an understanding that "we are willing to observe core standards of conduct, not just when it's easy, but also when it's hard."

A task force will study whether other interrogation guidelines — beyond what's spelled out in the Army manual — are necessary for intelligence professionals in dealing with terror suspects.

But an Obama administration official said that provision should not be considered a loophole that will allow controversial "enhanced interrogation techniques" to be re-introduced. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the administration's thinking.

The order also orders the CIA to close all its existing detention facilities abroad for terror suspects — and prohibits those prisons from being used in the future. The agency has used those secret "black site" prisons around the world to question terror suspects.

_Directed the Justice Department to review the case of Qatar native Ali al-Marri, who is the only enemy combatant currently being held on U.S. soil. The directive will ask the high court for a stay in al-Marri's appeals case while the review is ongoing. The government says al-Marri is an al-Qaida sleeper agent.

An estimated 245 men are being held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, most of whom have been detained for years without being charged with a crime. Among the sticky issues the Obama administration has to resolve are where to put those detainees — whether back in their home countries or at other federal detention centers — and how to prosecute some of them for war crimes.

"We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms," Obama said as he signed three executive orders and a presidential directive.

The administration official said Obama's government will not transfer detainees to countries that will mistreat them, including their own home country.

In his first Oval Office signing ceremony, Obama was surrounded by retired senior military leaders. He described them as outstanding Americans who have defended the country — and its ideals.

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