Hitting Khadafi

It looks like the air strikes are having their desired effect. The Libyan rebels have retaken two key oil ports and Khadafi's troops seem to be retreating in haste. According to reports, they've left ammunition and supplies behind and just, as one source put it, "melted away". The coalition has hit Khadafi's hometown of Sirte and other positions. The rebels have retaken territory they lost earlier. They are moving westward and are looking to take Sirte soon. Qatar, who is participating in the strikes, has said they will help the rebels move the oil currently in storage. The storage facilities are filled to capacity so they can't pump any more oil until they pump out the current stocks. With any luck, that might even help bring oil prices down. Maybe. All we can do now is watch and wait. Here's hoping it ends soon and the Libyan people can rebuild a better country and future.

Mold, Ugh!

Found some mold in a corner of the back room in the apartment. We notified our landlord, who is currently serving with the USMC in Japan. He got back to us and said to clean it and keep him apprised of the situation. It seems to have just been surface mold since I was able to get rid of it with the appropriate cleaner and some elbow grease. The room tends to be a bit cool and I think some dampness has gotten in from the outside. The plaster is still solid so I think with a little monitoring, the periodic spray of blocker and better air circulation, we should keep the mold at bay. Our landlord plans to do some renovations when he returns in December. Well, maybe not right after he gets back but probably in the spring of next year. I think things should be okay until then.

Been Busy

Been a busy week, between workshops, meetings and support groups. Finally got my resume ready and have started sending it out. I've also been networking and am returning a couple of favors to people who have helped me. Have some ideas about where to apply that are a little out of what I originally thought of but you never know what might happen. Have to start applying and will probably go to some local job fairs. Could find something there and if nothing else, I'll make some connections that may pay off in the long run. Have to keep plugging and working at it. Also have to make time for some other projects and trying to get back up to speed on some software. Got a lot to do and have to make the best use of my time as possible. Whew!

It's Monday

Had another required workshop today for the group I belong to. Now I've finished the required workshops. There are some other ones I want to attend to get my resumé finished and to learn how to research companies. Job hunting is a lot of work. It's even harder with the economy in the state it's in. There's a lot of people out there looking. I hope to find something soon.

Photos

Finally dug out my black & white negatives and contact sheets. I'm starting to work on choosing which ones to include in a book I plan to publish through Blurb.com. I've been wanting to publish my photos for a while but haven't had a chance to really get started. I've got a lot of photos to look at and I also plan to put out books of some of my color photos as well. I also have to sit down and learn to use the book designing software and get a handle on book design as well as color management and a bunch of other relevant subjects. I'll get there. Going to take it one step at a time. I'll post progress reports as I go along. It's going to take a while since it's a side project and my job hunt is my main concern right now. Once I find a new job, I'll be able to concentrate more on this and some other projects I'd like to do.

Got Some Things Done

Hoorah! I got some things done today. Made some changes to the resumé and sent it to a friend to get an opinion and (finally) started setting up lists in Excel for my Zazzle products. That's going to take a while. My record keeping hasn't been the best up until now so I have to go through each design and see which product(s) it's on. A bit tedious but it's also a good way to get proficient with Excel. It's good to know Excel since it's used just about everywhere. I'm also working on getting better with Word and learning Power Point. Definitely keeping busy with that along with the job search and improving my job search skills. I will take some time for myself this weekend and do something fun. Not sure what, though. Maybe a walk in the park or something like that. I also need the exercise so that's fairly high on my list. Have a great weekend everyone.

Spring is Coming

Finally some nice weather. It's been a rough winter and we're finally getting some nicer weather. It's supposed to hit at least 70º(F) tomorrow. It's in the mid-60's today and sunny and it's gorgeous outside. Will probably go for a walk a little later on. I don't know anyone who isn't glad to see this winter go away. After all the snow we had, along with the bitterly cold temperatures, we've all had enough for one year. Come on, Spring!

US Has Its Faults

Think California is the only part of the US that has geological faults? Well, you'd be very wrong. The US has several that could cause catastrophic earthquakes. The New Madrid fault in the center of the country last had four earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, estimated to be between magnitude 7.0 to 8.0. The area was sparsely populated back then so the damage to homes and buildings was very limited, although the quakes at one point caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for a time. If a similar quake happened now, the effects would be devastating. Since many of the buildings in Memphis are unreinforced, they would collapse readily in a strong earthquake. Here's a link to an article at ABCnews.com that goes in to detail about what could happen: Link . It's a frightening scenario that is an all too real possibility.

Meltdown?

There's the threat of a meltdown at the reactor in Japan. Some of the fuel rods were exposed and started to overheat. They are pumping seawater in to cool down the fuel rods. Some people have been exposed to radiation  and they have been given iodine pills to help with exposure. Here's hoping they can get this situation under control quickly. The last thing the Japanese need is a nuclear accident on top of everything else.

Relaxing Day

Just a nice, relaxing Sunday. Applied for a couple of jobs, got a few other things done and went for a walk.  I think I'm ready to start walking longer distances. Next time I'll go twice around the park I went to today. Once that gets easy I'll tackle the longer route in the park around the river. I've definitely lost some weight and am slowly getting into better shape. I'd like to be running by this time next year or even sooner if possible. Have to take it one day at a time.

Earthquake Photos

I was looking at photos taken after the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan and the damage is mind boggling. Some areas were completely obliterated and there are city streets completely blocked by debris. There is a photo of the large cargo containers used to ship goods that were strewn about like toys and large ships washed up on shore. There are cars on top of buildings and mud and debris piled up all over the place. It's going to take a while to restore everything back to normal. The sheer magnitude of the disaster is almost too big to comprehend. Aid is on the way and I'm sure clean up operations will be in full swing in a few days. Given the extent of the damage, I'm sure it'll be several months before any sense of normalcy will be returning to Sendai and the surrounding areas. I wish the Japanese people all the best and that they can repair the damage and get back to their regular daily lives as quickly as possible.

Japanese Earthquake

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit Japan today. It has caused extensive damage and major tsunamis that have devastated the coastal areas. Strong aftershocks continue to shake the country. I want to extend my condolences to the Japanese people in their time of need. Let's hope aid gets there soon. The US Navy is preparing to go in once the arrangements are made with the Japanese authorities. I hope that they can get there and begin to help the Japanese crews with the rescue efforts.

Continuing My Search

Well, I'm continuing with the job search. Met with the weekly support group and it was a good session. We're all in the same boat so we can offer support, advice and other useful information. Have to make a few minor adjustments to the resumé and start sending it out. Found out about some more resources to find job listings. It really helps to belong to a support group or two. Someone may know someone who knows someone or knows about a job lead somewhere you may not have thought of or heard of. It builds on itself. Have to keep working at it.

Learned Something

Had a couple of interview workshops today. The first was an overview of the interview process and some of the questions you might be asked and the second one was a "role play" kind of thing where you answered one of the questions you thought you might have trouble with. I actually did okay, so I think all the research I did on interviewing recently has paid off. I hope it pays off when I actually get some interviews. Also got some more insight and advice for my resumé. I think it should be ready soon and I can start applying for jobs. I've gotten a lot done in a very short amount of time. I hope I can find a decent job fairly quickly.

Oil Prices

Here we go again. The pundits, talking heads and Chicken Littles are all saying the sky is falling. Yes, oil prices are up due to the situation in Libya and other Middle Eastern countries. It's a good chance that oil prices will be ridiculous for the short term, but once things settle out and the fighting ends, prices should go down. If there was a reason to switch to alternative fuel sources, this is it. I don't know anyone who isn't affected by the huge jump in fuel prices. It affects the cost of everything and food prices worldwide are rising dramatically and putting food out of the price range of more and more people. Not a good situation. The sooner we move to renewable and alternative sources of fuel, the better. The whole world will be better off.

Fighting in Libya

Looks like Libya is heading for a civil war. Not that there ever was a war that was "civil". The rebels are pushing towards Tripoli and Khadaffi's forces are fighting back. This is probably going to be a prolonged situation that will affect everyone, since it will affect the price of oil, which has jumped tremendously in the last few weeks. It's (as of today) at $104.91 per barrel and will probably continue to rise. So much for the economic recovery. Here's hoping that things end quickly in Libya and Khadaffi gets it and gets the hell out and lets the Libyan people decide their own destiny.

Civil War in Libya?

Looks like there may be a civil war starting in Libya, since neither side seems to have the military strength for a decisive victory. The rebels pretty much hold the eastern half of the country and a few cities near Tripoli and Khadaffi's forces hold the rest. According to some reports, the rebels have been capturing tanks, artillery and other military hardware. This situation will probably go on for a while and will most likely cause oil prices to skyrocket as the speculators pee their pants. I think the rebels will want to keep the oil flowing so the money will keep coming in. I think the day of the Middle East despot is coming to an end. Here's hoping all the people in the Middle East will free themselves from the dictators they've been suffering under and be able to have the chance to choose their leaders and progress and modernize their countries. Here's hoping.

Easy Day

It was a relatively easy day today. Just had to do some shopping for my mom and meet with the facilitator at the PSG office. PSG is a group for unemployed professionals run by the NJ Unemployment Office. It helps professionals to find jobs. It's pretty cool. Getting some great job hunting tips. Should be a big help. I also belong to a support group at a local Methodist church. It's non-denominational and it helps keep your mood up since job hunting and unemployment are stressful and can make you depressed. I have to work on my resume and then email it to the PSG facilitator to get her input on it. Once I'm happy with it, I'll start sending it out. Here's hoping. Have a great weekend everyone.

Another Step Closer

Had a great morning. Met with a job hunter's support group and met some really great people. One of them is redoing my resumé for free. It needs work so I'm really appreciative of his efforts. I hope I can return the favor some day. There are a lot of people in the same situation as me so it's nice to meet them and try and help each other. What's great is that they also give you advice to help you cope with your situation. It can be very distressing and more than a little overwhelming. It helps to have others who know what you are experiencing to help you through the rough spots. I'm hoping to start applying for jobs by some time early next week. I really do need to find something right away and then I can work on finding the "dream job" later on. I think with the help from the groups I'm in, I should be able to do that sooner rather than later. I'll keep you posted.

Progress

Well, I've pretty much gotten the resumé taken care of. I'm going to a support group tomorrow to meet some people and maybe get a resumé critique and put a final polish on it before I start sending it out. I'd like to find a job ASAP but it'll probably take a while. I'm also going to work on resumés to help me change careers. That's the hard part. These days, most companies won't even talk to someone looking to change a career, especially if it's a big change. If I can find a "day job" to pay the bills, then I can take the time to get ready to make a career change. Lots of stuff to do and not a lot of time to do it. Story of my life. Always playing catch-up ball. Drives me crazy. But I'll work through it in the long run. I really don't have much of a choice.

Again, Resumés

Attended a great resumé workshop today. Learned a lot and found out a resumé I already have is just about ready to go. I have to add a bit more to the first part and it'll be ready to send out. That's a big relief. It saves me a ton of time and work. Now I can concentrate on finding a new job. Takes a bit of a load off my shoulders. Now the hard work of finding a job in this crappy economy starts. If any of you out there are looking for work, I wish you the best of luck. Times are tough everywhere.