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

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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***


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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

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Photo from the SDR Files

I just love these pictures.

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

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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

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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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Article and photo from Yahoo Education
Quick Editing by SDRoads

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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Story from Associated Press via Yahoo Homepage
Pictures from Yahoo Homepage and Associated Press
Quick editing by SDRoads