Some people would charge for that. Thank you for being my friend.
Nutrition Facts of AOL Journals: Serving Size: 1 Entry; Amount per serving; Calories 0, Total Fat 0, Minimum daily requirements: Amusement 25%, Good Cheer 25%, Smiles 25%, Friendship 25%
Total Enjoyment 100%
And you all know how we love to read the
Is it just me or is everyone else also getting so freaking annoyed with outsourcing jobs? I was so angry trying to resolve a disputed bill....first there is the very annoying automated system, press one for this, press 2 for that, press 3 (that's when your nerves are shot)...then finally a live speaking person on the line....but then you immediately detect the thick accent and know that you are talking to someone overseas which infuriates me knowing that people in our country are denied jobs because of this. Plus, you can't understand these foreigners and they can't understand you which becomes a frustrating ordeal and the outcome is usually unresolved and you have to demand to speak to a Supervisor from the U.S.
Shifting jobs to lower-wage countries--a form of what is known as offshore outsourcing--is an increasingly popular practice among U.S. businesses seeking to cut operating costs. Outsourcing has also become political shorthand for presidential candidates to describe what is perceived as unfair international trade and its costs for U.S. workers.
While some jobs may get sent overseas or be automated by machines, certain tasks will most likely always be handled by by human beings.
Gone are the heydays of horse and buggy and wheelwrights (the maker of wheels), but an element of those jobs live on in one form or another. With advanced technology and science, so come changes in jobs. But, as I walked out of my doctor’s office one day to chat with the Nurses at their station and pay the bill, I realized that there are certainly a lot of occupations that will stand the test of time and have staying power and will never disappear.
Wow, I couldn't stop my mind from thinking about all the everlasting professions that still require a human to perform and not an automated system or machine and a profession that can't be outsourced.....No wonder I can't sleep at night...I can't turn my mind off and relax!
What profession do feel is everlasting and cannot be replaced by being outsourced? Did outsourcing affect your job?
"I need to talk"
"I have nothing to wear"
"Do I have food in my teeth?"
"Don't tell a soul"
By creating all these options, the industry undoubtedly had done a favor for customers with varied tastes and body types. However, it had also created a new problem. In the past, a buyer like myself might have had to settle for an imperfect fit, but at least purchasing jeans was a five-minute affair. Now such a complex decision and forced to invest time, energy and no small amount of self-doubt, anxiety and dread over the ordeal and what about the outrageous prices!
It's not just jeans.....wow....eighty-five types of crackers, over two hundred types of cookies, eighty types of pain relievers....thousands of mutual funds....hundreds of cell phones, calling plans....paper or plastic......I can go on and on.....wherever I turn, I face mind-boggling choices. Amazing...the more choices we have....the more we seem to regret the decisions we make....confusing isn't it? It's hard to know which road to take....
Gosh, remember when we only had three choices of TV channels?....4, 5 and 7......now we have over 100 channels to choose from.....how things have changed throughout the years! Decisions....decisions....just going grocery shopping each week becomes a chore....making decisions!
Constant choices, decisions, options, everything forever changing like the color of your lipstick and so disappointing when your favorite product is discontinued forcing you to select another shade of pink!!!!!!
Everyone loves a good “how we met” story.
You know, the kind that makes movies like “Must Love Dogs” or “27 Dresses”, it’s all……...you know……..cute ”how we met” stories! I love it when I hear my friends tell theirs, it’s like icing on the wedding cake.
Many people have colorful tales of how they met either the loves of their lives or the reasons why they currently have to take out court orders of protection! Who hasn’t heard the mundane stories of couples meeting in local places?
One friend said she met her husband at a Laundromat….Yikes, I don’t think I’ve ever been in one have you?
O.K. maybe I have “How We Met Stories” envy because I never had such neatly wrapped tales of how I met someone. Well, not unusual movie style stories anyway. Oh sure, I’ve recently eyeballed a distinguished guy at the bookstore and we shared a “moment” before moving on with our lives. No, I never went back to the same store at the same time the following day or week to see if he’d be there. There may be such a thing as Fate, but no one said that it was a matchmaker!
So, I occasionally go into some nice night spots with my girlfriends and I have other friends that feel that looking for love in bars is being lonely under the influence! I actually should go out more often than I do. No one is going to meet anyone by staying home with the clicker in your hands.
Well, now at my age, I’m not looking to get married again but what is wrong with wanting company with the opposite sex? Oh my, so how have I’ve fared with finding my Prince Charming in bars???? Remember the old saying about having to kiss a lot of toads? Well, I’ve had my share of “ribbits” as the next woman.
I’ve also met some cool people to hang out with. I’ve been on a few nice dates that haven’t gone anywhere as well as actually having had a relationship from a bar meeting or an online dating meeting. These days, I like popping by certain night spots and while I don’t quite have that “Norm” status from the TV show “Cheers”, I do enjoy seeing the familiar faces. I'm originally a Boston gal and yeah, it's nice walking into Cheers where everyone knows your name! Is there a “Prince Charming” in the horizon? Well, there is always a charming gentleman somewhere, that devilish man who piques my interest or that one particular fantastic dancer that glided me across the dance floor...…so, let’s just say that my Apple Martini days aren’t over yet! I really drink scotch but an Apple Martini sounded like a nice girly drink! LOL
Do you have a great “how we met” story you would like to share with me?
I just had to copy and paste what I posted as Guest Editor last Friday. It was an honor and so much fun as well.
It was not on my AOL Journal, therefore, I just had to save it below even though you are only able to view the "Comments" on Magic Smoke where the entry was staged and created!
Hugs, Rose
I love to write and I love to read. I realized that the development of both is alluring to a variety of audiences. As an avid reader, I never thought that creating a Journal/Blog online would be my
Writing for me is a form of escapism. Of course, everyone enjoys a really good escapist read so I thought I should write what I feel. Writing takes you out of yourself, it passes the time if you're bored, and it relaxes you if you're stressed. It is also a great form of therapy. Some authors are so good they are able to bring you into another world for a short time. I enjoy reading things that are entertaining, funny, challenging or even disturbing. You will certainly find all of the above on AOL Journals from various authors.
I just learned how to “Hyperlink” so when you see that blue underlined lettering, you can just click on it and it will take you to my picks as I have the honor of being your Guest Editor this week! (Gosh, I hope it works) LOL
The Authors of all the AOL Journals I have read have been a pleasure and sometimes a very complicated concept. For example, I love reading Jimmy's Journal. Jimmy leaves me on the floor laughing daily. I find myself looking at the clock because I know that he usually posts an entry every week day around suppertime. I'm glad I found him via a referral on an Editor's Pick one day. His entries have become like a “Fix” I need everyday!
Then I turn to Indigo and read about her serious issues in life. This can very often be quite a bumpy ride. I found Indigo when she left a comment left on my Journal when I was new at this. She is a very talented writer and has experienced many obstacles that life has challenged her with but she is a strong woman and I’m very proud of her.
My next pick is Garnett109 who leaves me on the floor again with his off the wall humor! I'm sure he and Jimmy must hang out at the same place “Area 51”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will notice on my sidebar that I’m an honorary member and have their logo posted.
Foremost, I remember my very first comment from Dan when I was a newbie and he featured me as one of his picks when he was Guest Editor, I was shocked and honored. I enjoy reading his journals and viewing the adorable photos of his children and seeing life through a Dad's eyes. I also enjoy his serious side as a commentator of movies and book reviews.
You also have to stop by and see Russ and view his amazing sketches, he is quite the talented artist!
Last,but by no means least, is Val who introduced me to another world of graphics which I love to include in my Journals. I'm sure you have noticed all my animations and graphics in my Journals. I love using animations to help me express myself. I amuse myself as well when I find that perfect animation to help tell my story!
I love animated graphics but I was limited to what I could do with them at the time. Now, I'm hooked! I belong to a site with an amazing group of gals that are so talented, kind, helpful and just wonderful to chat with daily online. Again.......more wonderful Faceless Internet friends, I recently decided to take on a project for the creator of that site and since we are a smaller group than AOL Journals, I created an Album so we can match the face with that email address! I’m proud to say, it turned out lovely. LOL
AOL Journals focuses on the potential and excitement of reading, of sharing our lives with each other every day and shows how we all fit it into each other’s lives even though many of us have nothing in common. All these Faceless Internet People that have become our second family.
I have to thank my lovely daughter for encouraging me to create my online Journal in the first place. I get so much enjoyment from this new-found hobby.
When my friends found my Journal entertaining and enlightening, they asked if I would create another one for our forever friends and old classmates of 1962. So, now I have two (2) Journals up and running. My first of course, is “Roses Are Read” and the one for my classmates is “The Lantern”.
Thank you for allowing me to be today's Guest Editor. I hope you enjoy my picks.
We all have a best friend but sometimes one best friend is not enough. And, now with new modern technology, we have our Online Friends. Just as we need more than one lipstick, so do we need our "BROAD SQUAD" to help us survive a tribulations of work, marriage, and family .... not to mention fashion emergencies! Of course, you may have one great friend who can handle all your problems on her own. Lucky you! But others have different specialists on call for each life challenge, including but not limited to how to wreak revenge on an evil boss and how to sniff out whether your boyfriend or husband is telling the truth about things....
THE OLD FRIEND: The person who convinced you that you looked beautiful, even with braces, on prom night...and the one you still yap with on the phone for hours. There's a song: "Make a new friend, but keep the old; one is silver, and the other's gold." We all need that one friend who goes for the gold. She's the one that we bonded with while drooling over glossy photos of some teen idol on a Saturday night sleep over and that we called three times a day, convinced we were in the middle of a life-altering drama. Our oldest friend is a walking, memory book, the one who reminds us of the embarrassing nicknames and hairstyles of our past. She's our hope chest, the girlfriend who thinks of us as her good china and crystal. She still sees our unique beauty, even as our body surrenders to gravity.
THE SECRET KEEPER: The friend in whom you confide your online dating disasters. The secret keeper is there for you in good times and bad. She moves with the speed of a freight train to make sure that everything in your life is in operational order after a divorce, death, major trauma issues. Someone you want to share everything with whether engaging in retail therapy or inhaling macaroni and cheese in your kitchen.
THE PERSONAL COACH: She's our glass half-full friend who may drive us crazy with her cheery optimism but never lets us shortchange ourselves. She encourages us to dream the impossible dream yet remain fully awake and solvent. Her positive outlook is not only infectious.....it's inspiring. Makes you want to strut in your high heels and classic suit....leaving negativity behind.
THE PARTY PAL: She always makes you feel as if you were the guest of honor. Her enthusiasm is unconditional. When we're determined to be depressed, she shows up at your door, ordering us to ditch our big bag of potato chips (and our bathrobe) for a night of embarrassing karaoke. Every girl gang needs one member who gets you up and running and keeps you in a festive, feel-good frame of mind. This party gal is always insisting that you wiggle yourself into last year's jeans, and encourages you to paint your face with lots of goop and set your eyes with three layers of thick black mascara. Before you know it, you are dancing in the aisles, arms flung heaven-ward, underarm flab be damned!
THE FRIEND ON SPEED DIAL: Everyone has that special friend that will be there for you no matter what.
FAMILY FRIENDS: Many of us are lucky to have family members as best friends.
I wish I had this warning when I was younger! Oh that scale!
I never had a weight problem when I was younger but after going through menopause I packed on about 20 pounds and then again packed on more after I stopped smoking. Well, the good part to that is I’m rid of the nasty addiction even though I still need that fake cigarette in my hand to do that hand to mouth thing! Hey, it works for me!
From my own experience, the hardest obstacle to overcome when incorporating any diet is to give up eating bread! Since grain bread is very high in carbs (about 20 g per slice), it is impossible for me to try and lose weight if I continue to eat bread.
A friend of mine just lost a lot of weight and I asked her what her secret was and she said “Cutting Calories” is usually a lot easier than you might think. Her advice was to cut 500 of calories per day from your diet. For example, that daily tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of flab (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound a week.
Other easy cuts include salad dressing (salad dressing is the number one source of fat in the average American woman's diet) soda pop, ice cream, candy, and butter. You don't need to cut these things out entirely, but if you reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods you'll lose weight faster. She said to also stop using olive oil when sautéing….use Pam instead. Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week. I did notice a cut in calories by purchasing the squirt dressing instead of pouring dressing over your salad.
My friend obtained all this useful information from a Diet Program that she joined and paid a lot of money for this information and diet program. Thank goodness my shorthand came in handy jotting down all these notes. My friend lost 40 pounds in a short length of time. She told me if I handle this calorie problem with the same vigor I did with “stop smoking”…..she said it will be a “piece of cake”…..no pun intended! LOL
She also said they were taught to plate their food instead of eating out of a jar or a bag. This must be a visual thing I guess.
We all know to switch from whole milk to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you'll lose 5 lbs in a year. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day. She said she dilutes her juice with water.
She also said they all had to keep a food journal. It really works wonders. That I knew already, I use a great online site that my daughter introduced to me called Sparkpeople. I keep track of everything I eat and also what exercise I have done during the day. It truly helps me. You must jot down every morsel of food you intake…………the total amount of calories will shock you.
http://sparkpeople.com/myspark/loginpage.asp?whereFrom=nutrition.asp
Click on the above site and join….it is free. Yes, you need a username and password………..people panic when they have to take a few more extra steps online to join a free program!
I have been using Mustard instead of Mayo and believe it or not….I like it. I have been eating more soup….being Italian, mine is homemade of course, just stay way from the creamy ones.
One girlfriend of mine lost 30 pounds by just stop drinking sodas… and she was drinking diet drinks! Amazing.
Limit alcohol to weekends. Now, this one I may have a struggle with. I love my wine with my dinners and that is every night!!!!!!!
Since my friend shared these great tips with me, I decided to pass it along to you......my dear Internet Friends. If you have some other great tips...please let me know. I wish I had all this knowledge 20-30 years ago!
Walk along any beach during the summer vacation season and you’ll see them - the Briefcase People! They are all huddled in the dunes at the beach or under umbrellas to protect them from the hot sun; they sit with a Blackberry in one hand, cell phone in the other and a computer on their lap. They think they are on vacation, but actually.......they’ve simply moved their office outside with a better view. They are everywhere!
Stop for lunch anywhere...Panera Bread for example..........and there they are......the Briefcase People.....all confined in a special location of the restaurant retrieving the free WIFI. These people need a REAL vacation.
If you are part of this growing group of working vacationers, beware. Combining beach sand and local restaurants with your Blackberry can be hazardous to your health. Instead of using your vacation to release tension and reduce stress, you’re heading for burnout trying to combine both.
Working while on vacation doesn't go unnoticed at leisurely locales like the Boca Raton Beach and Resort Club. I laugh when I see makeshift desks made out of towels by the pool, day planners opened while munching on a sandwich and cell phones ringing every five minutes. Oh those damn cell phones! I admit, I love mine and appreciate that I have it with me at all times in case of an emergency but these people have them glued to their ear and so annoying to hear everyone's ringtones going off constantly when you are trying to relax and enjoy your quiet time or a nice dinner at a restaurant. Why can't people give it a rest and become unglued from that cell phone? We lived so many years without one!
With the help of my membership to a special graphic site with so many talented ladies, this masterpiece was created? I'm retired now.........so everyday is a vacation day for me. I wish I owned one of these during the days I carried a briefcase to work everyday for many, many years and especially during the cold winter months in New England during a Nor’easter! LOL
