I've been away! I've slacked on my articles! But here are some good ones to check out:

News
Oldest human skeleton found. Huge deal, since she is MUCH older than Lucy. What I don't understand is that they are saying that this disputes the missing link argument when, to me, it seems to be evidence for it.
Toyota makes huge recall on nearly 4 million cars.
Everything you need to know about the Swine Flu vaccine.
A few quick facts about H1N1 flu:
People born before 1957 were exposed to ancestors of the new pandemic virus, which are in a lineage that goes back to the notorious H1N1 virus that touched off the raging pandemic of 1918-19. That's why people older than 52 are likely to have some protective antibodies that "cross-react" with the new H1N1 flu.

In 1957, for reasons flu experts don't fully understand, H1N1 viruses disappeared for 20 years. They were supplanted by other seasonal flu strains, such as the currently circulating H3N2. So younger Americans didn't get exposed to H1 viruses while they were growing up.

Then in 1977, H1N1 came back into circulation, possibly because of a laboratory accident in Russia that released an archived virus. Since then H1 viruses have evolved further away from earlier versions.

On average, 20,000 Americans die of the season flu, also known as H3N2-this far surpasses the current number of fatalities due to Swine Flu.
It's also important to acknowledge that though this is a mutation, it is still a previously existing virus and there shouldn't be alarm about this new strain. The approximation for deaths in the U.S (that I can find) is under 200.
Getting the vaccine is a personal decision, just like getting the season flu shot. This is just information to help make your own, informed, decision.
Scientists may have a vaccine for the HIV virus.
Helpful
29 ways to change a habit. All very true.
How to turn anxiety into inspiration

Stuff:
Malawian man powers town with windwill. Amazing video embedded.
Come stream the "Where the wild things are" soundtrack
Thom Yorke and Flea formed a new band. This should be interesting!
Watch out, Twitter worm steals user info. I hate Twitter.
Blockbuster FAILS. They are reported to close as many as 960 stores due to slumping sales in competition with Netflix and Redbox. Yeah, they should go down since they don't carry "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"...
For your funny:
Riverdancing dog. He does a good job...

Homer Akinbola? An Angolan marketing firm has made the Simpsons go all Black.
Gamers are as sad as you think. The average videogamer is 35 and quite the unhappy sap.
Robot cats could provide care for the elderly. Creepy.
Study shows that we eat more when our friends do. Yes, the fatter your friends are, the more likely you are to overindulge. While there is a study that shows that we mimic our peers out of an evolutionary need, getting the giant onion blossom is NOT contributing to our betterment. However the US life expentancy is at an all time high of 78. How are we managing to continue to pump grease through our veins for this long??
8 phenomenon that defy explanation. Number 1? THE FLU.
I admit that I was overwhelmed by too much Shakespeare in college but creating a 3D musical of Hamlet is no way to spice it up.
Remember Andrew WK? He has a new album of tribal music.

Will I have to wait this long? 93 y/o man proposes to his crotchety 92 y/o girlfriend

Three ways to enhance your willpower
Diet fail
douche in a hat fail
Tattoo fails BIG TIME

I am having some severe allergy issues and have taken half a Benedryl so I'm OUT.

Tags: funny

Stuff:
11 movie soundtracks that were better than the movie. Agreed.
Canada's 'weed mine' may be lost.
Church of England offers 2-in-1 ceremonies. What a great job they've done this time! Get baptized AND married TODAY!
Metro sexual is OUT. This article claims that flashiness is now less important to men during this recession, but I see just as many douche-holes now as I did before...
Volcanoes vs lightening. Very cool pics

Life:All very helpful and relevant right now!
Who is worthy of love?. I like Mikko's articles. He often writes about and says things that I'd like to discuss with people. Somewhere, all too many people have felt that they didn't deserve some basic emotional needs. Mikko kind of talks about this, but I don't think it's enough to address some more deep issues. But it's a great start to making people wake up to what they're worth (or in some cases, learning how little that is).

Acceptance. Life tries to teach us to accept all things, good and bad, and not skew our perceptions about things that simply are. We don't get angered at the existence of gravity, so why do we become angry that there was a car accident that just put us behind schedule? You can't help these things and just have to accept them and some other general curveballs that get tossed your way in life. The article dares readers to learn to judge less and accept more.

It's come to my attention that we do not, in fact, get a lunch break, and because of that, I work 42.5 hrs a week. Today is only Wednesday...

Sufjan Stevens has a new release. The BQE is now available...

Google Earth now goes to the moon
WWJD?. Read some 'scholarly' speculations on what Jesus would do about healthcare...
Last giant tortoise mates at age 90. Dirty old man. Also in evolution, a page on Discover mag of six spots of evolutionary growth.
Recall on romaine lettuce

Motivational Posters of the day. Some of these are good. If these are your thing, you should check out demotivational.com.

Tags: links

A few for the day:

Funny:
Crazy lady of the day from List of the Day
Redneck cakes from List of the Day
Obey road signs!. This is a good one.
City Council loves farts

News:
Tests on spinal fluid may detect Alzheimer's sooner
Now you can buy camel milk chocolates
Madoff Bill. Charge rich criminals for their jail stay? Sounds good to me.

Life:
10 ways to overcome procrastination. One of which should be "stop posting on your blog".

Upcoming events:
House of Blues Two for Tuesdays- Tickets for select artists are buy two for the price of one, Tuesday only. Check them out here. There are a bunch of shows at HOB and The Parish this week (this including Zoso, a tribute to Led Zeppelin this Saturday).

Friday:
Porn Party featuring DJ Musa of Jock se Bloque. OEJ, 10pm $6
F.R.I.E.N.D.S Throwback @ The Republic 10pm, $5. Come dressed as a character from the show and receive one free drink ticket. Get a group of six to dress as all characters and be eligible to win the complete boxed set or even $120 cash. I might go just to see how crazy everyone looks...

Saturday:
C.O.G featuring Crowbar @ OEJ, 10pm, $12
Tab Benoit and Rockin Dopsie Jr @ Mid City Rock N Bowl, 9pm, $10

Sunday:
T Bird and the Brakes plus Good Enough for Good times @ OEJ $6

And don't forget that tickets to Journey are on sale!! September 26th at the New Orleans arena. Don't stop believin'!!!!

Tags: links, upcoming events

10 best cover songs. Do you agree? Me, not so much...
How lasers make lame pictures better
Fonolo now records CS calls. The service will now tap into the automated call line for you, connect you when the rep answers, and can record the call for you. I wish I'd had this when I called Cox Cable a few months ago...
Cussing may raise your pain threshold
'Jane Roe' of Roe vs Wade arrested during a protest
Vinland map of America is authentic. The first map to ever show part of America BEFORE Colombus "found" it.
Onion juice used to make electricity. We really are going "green", aren't we?

And in other news:
I just found out that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are through! I still have a shot!!

Tags: links

Just a few upcoming events:

Thursday:
The Mystery of Picasso @ CAC $8. Film begins at 7:30pm. Part of the CAC 2009 film series. Tickets on Ticketweb here
Ten for $10 Hardcore show @ The Hangar, featuring Poison the Well, Madball, Terror, Crime in Stereo, War of Ages, The Ghost Inside, Death Before Dishonor, Trapped Under Ice, and This is Hell. All ages, show at 2pm. Tickets on Ticketweb here


Friday:
Bonerama @ Rock N Bowl, $10. Show at 10pm.
Laugh out Loud Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Benefit show featuring Nature Boy, James Cusimano, JD Sledge, Tee Ray , Carrey B, Dane Fauchaux, plus performance by Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes@ Howlin Wolf. Doors at 8:00pm, $20. Tickets also available here
Flow Tribes with The Fills @ OEJ. Doors at 9pm, $9.

Saturday:
WORN AGAIN nola3 Patron Party @ Howlin Wolf. Doors at 6:30pm, $50. Tickets available here
Playing for Change @ Tipitina's. Doors at 9pm, $15. Tickets available at Ticketweb.

Tags: upcoming events

Happy Friday!

Country honeys?
Cereal FAIL
Forget me NOT
Half assed ass doctor. WHAT. Out of control.
Origins of FAIL. PLEASE WATCH. This is the best video EVER.
10 signs a movie will suck
Potty Police
6 videos of people freaking out at animals. This, this stuff is good.
10 videos of road rage. It gets intense. Seriously, people need to drive better and cut this shit out.

Tags: funny

I am thinking that this is like, the best thing ever!! http://www.nola.com/forums/westbank/index.ssf
I feel especially attached to THIS thread. Ahh, McD's.
Also in local stuff:
Baton Rouge company sign deal for Six Flags. Hm.

I have some important shows to highlight as well:
Friday:
Ladies of the 80's Throwback night @ The Republic. Ladies drink free til Midnight, everyone drinks free during the song "Girls just wanna have fun". Ha.
Saturday:
D.O.N @ The Blue Nile. Hip Hop. $5 cover
Ed Kowalczyk of Live @ HOB. Tix available at the HOB site.
Sunday:
HOB Staff Talent show. Tix available at the HOB site.

ALERT: UPCOMING CASINO SHOWS WILL ROCK YOUR ASS.
August 6: Counting Crows @ Beau Rivage in Biloxi. Tickets available here
August 14: Melissa Etheridge @ Hard Rock Live in Biloxi. Tickets here
August 21: BBD @ IP Casino in Biloxi. Tickets here
There are a lot more casino shows coming up so I will post them and also list them on the Auntie Ann calendar.


And a few quick links:

A Heartbreaking work of staggering AWESOME
You're BOTH right
British Dogs trained to sniff out diabetes
10 rules to better enjoy life

And the funny:
Beard Contest
Summer reading list
Dimple machine

Tags: links

Not much to share today, just more job related links.

Top 10 most flexible jobs
Top 10 home office jobs.

Hmm, think it's time for a career change....

Tags: links

I have a lot of work to get through so I am going to take a particularly short route in providing links for today. Take a glimpse at my Google Reader. Beware, some items are NWS.

There's also an article hereabout a recall on e.coli infected Nestle cookie dough.

An interesting article hereon new findings in fertility in men.

Have at it.

With the job market still being tight, I would like to offer a few helpful pointers in submitting resumes to companies for a specific position. I have gotten quite a bit of feedback from other professionals in several fields on resume and cover letter writing tips. In my current venture into summer hiring frenzy, these tips come as I come across some of the worst mistakes in resume writing.

Do not use crazy fonts in your cover letter, e-mail or resume. It is hard to read script fonts or curly, italic fonts, and can be frustrating to someone who is trying to gauge your qualifications. It is best to stick with typewriter fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia, or even Arial, Microsoft Sans Serif, Lucids Sans, Tahoma or Verdana.

Save your resume in universal formats.Resumes should always be in Microsoft formats, in the oldest possible version. Microsoft Word 97 is best, as some users may have MS Office 2003, or even 2000. Not everyone has transitioned to Office 2007, and if you are using it, they will not be able to view your file. Do not use .wps, .wpd (Microsoft Works Processor), or .txt (Notepad/Typepad)formats. Very few people can read these, and .txt formats have no wrap-around function and your text goes all the way across the page.
It is a good idea to save your resume in several formats just in case, so you do not waste time reformatting it for various companies.

BCC other companies that you e-mail your resume to.. Leaving all addresses viewable sends the messagage that you are desperate for work, and also says that we are each in competition for your employment.

Use a professional or simple e-mail address. It never looks professional to send a resume from "hotgrrl504 at yahoo". This sends the message that you are immature, not concerned about having a professional appearance and are not concerned with the espectations of the business world.

Update your 'objective' field for each position you apply for. This reflects laziness and also, if your experience is in a different field than you are applying for, it can relay a message that you are just using this job as a stepping stone to your career and you do not plan longevity in this position.
Also, don't leave it as generic as "To obtain a position in your organization". Based on what may follow, it may seem that you don't care WHAT job you get, just that SOMEONE hires you.

Have someone proofread your resume. It is very easy to overlook your own mistakes, and they may also be able to help you re-word some common terms and phrases.

Update regularly. Make sure that not only your work and education history are current, but also your contact information!

List only your relevant work experience.If you apply for a job as an accountant, a hiring manager doesn't necessarily need to know that you worked at a daycare center while you were in college. Listing the jobs that have comparable skills but in different fields is useful, but cluttering up page after page of irrelevant information is not.

Don't expect a reply right away. A hiring manager or HR person may be weeding through tens of resumes and may have a lengthy process for finding qualified applicants. If you receive a "thanks but no thanks" reply, do not call or write back asking why you are not qualified. If you do receive a positive response, still allow a few days before sending a follow up call or e-mail. Much like dating, it makes you look desperate!

It is always helpful to searh help online for more tips at sites like these:
http://www.resume-help.org/
http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.php
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/resume

Please, also feel free to comment with any field specific tips, ie for lawyers, phlembotomists, research jobs, non-profit, etc. Every tip helps!

Tags: helpful

The morning is already stale and it's not yet 9:00am. I'd like to start with something interesting:

Paper folding art. This is more amazing to me than the chalk art. There's also The Sand Dancer who draws, or dances, huge art pieces into beach sand. It is amazing what the human mind is capable of.

For instance, the geekery:
The enigma of dreams. Several theories about why humans dream.
ComicCon 2009 to recieve TV attention. The event has gotten more massive in the last few years and TV networks plan to cash in.
LA plans to bring light to town's movie fests. Who knew they even had any?
5 baby friendly rock albums.

Life:
10 Rules for slowing down and enjoying life
What to do when you're told you're OVERqualified. There should be an article for hiring managers on how to handle people when they are overqualified. *gulp*

News:
World Hunger hits one billion markNot something I'd typically like to spotlight but maybe it may help people dig deep and find a local (or large scale) way to help.
Children of gay couples talk about their families

Looking for new music?
This isn't new by any means, but I'd bring some attention to it, anyway.
Wired Music Podcasts. I know some people aren't hot on Wired Mag but so far, it's a supplement to my usual Paste Sampler which, BTW, is now completely available in digital format. The mag has gone online to save money (and trees, of course) so if you were ever interested in picking up the mag but don't like traditional subscriptions, now's the time to support 'em.

Upcoming events in NOLA:

Tickets for JOURNEY went on sale on 6/27, so get them early! The show is scheduled for 9/26/09 at the New Orleans Arena.

June 30-July 1-Carrollton Station has an acoustic Open Mic night every Tuesday, and Stand Up Comedy Open Mic every Wednesday.

July 4th Weekend Takeover: Featuring Biz Markie on July 3rd and 4th at HOB.

July 11- Ed Kowalczyk of LIVE with Joe Firstman @ HOB

Honestly, last week is the week I should have posted because there was a lot going on but such is life!
Don't forget that the circus is in town! Tickets available through Ticketmaster here.

News:
Pixies to record new album
Homeless girl goes to Harvard
'The View' host Hasselbeck steals book Her gluten free cook book may be partially plagiarized.
Banksy mural sullied. Banksy fights to get paint marks removed.

Life:
Being chubby can lengthen your life
Snoring is a symptom of apnea And there may be a cheap way to cure it.

Geekery:
Study shows chromosomal link to autism
Chevy goes green. Chevrolet to unveil new electric car
wind power, 60 second podcast. This is part of an awesome serious of 60 second iTunes podcasts.
Volcano in space Space station images of a recent volcanic eruption.

Funny:
Cat?tattoo fail
Unidentified tattoo foolery
Police car fail

Tags: links