Just Dreaming

Today, I am dreaming about being a Part time Event Photographers. Although I am employed full time I probably could shoot a few weddings a year on weekends.
But what exactly do they do: Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story, or record an event such as wedding receptions, parties, galas, fundraisers, and all sorts of celebrations.
How could I break in: Building a good portfolio is essential to landing jobs in this field but since I don’t have training in photography, I probably could take some classes and try to land a job as a photographer’s assistant. I could also develop contacts in the field by subscribing to photographic newsletters and joining a camera club.
What does it pays: $20.00 - $25.00/hour (average salary) not bad for Part time.

Working hard to live well

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 238 job types that it officially qualifies as "blue collar," from masons and aircraft mechanics pulling in close to $30 per hour to baggage porters and bellhops making about one-quarter of that. They combine to provide about 22 million American jobs, or approximately 15% of the workforce.
Those who have developed the skills necessary for the best blue-collar jobs -- largely mechanics, installers and equipment operators -- find they're doing better than the average American, no matter the color of the collar. The average pay for the top 10 blue-color jobs is just over $27 per hour. Figuring 40 hours per week for 52 weeks per year, annual income adds up to $56,347, or 30% more than the U.S. median income of $43,318, according to the Census Bureau. Search job listings on MSN Careers
Top 10 best-paying blue-collar jobs
Public transit attendant $62,088
Longshore equipment operators $58,198
Brickmasters and stonemasons $57,200
Power plant operators $56,472
Locomotive operations $56,347
Aircraft engine mechanics $55,494
Electrical power installers and repairers $55,390
Mining occupations $54,704
Oil well driller $53,227
Telephone line installer/repairer $52,478

Home based jobs

We all want meaningful, legitimate opportunity that provides income and a level of flexibility. I recently came across these websites while doing research on working at home. They are listed below:
• alpineaccess.com A call center provider using home-based customer service agents
• intellicare.com A call center company that provides telephone services nationwide
• liveops.com A call center using remote and home-based agents. Requires $30 fee for background check
• workathomeagent.com Get certified to be a "at-home-agent."
• workingsolutions.com - Be a home-based customer service agent.

Corporate Downsizing

Quotes taken from Visual Editors website:http://www.visualeditors.com/forum/archive/orlando-sentinel-layoffs-4113.htm#SlideFrame_1
“It really sucks here today. Its very gloom. We lost six people in the newsroom, including a really good page designer and a really good graphic artist...not for performance issues, but because we are eliminating sections. I can't stand the word separated. It would sound more humane if they just said layoffs.
My husband has been laid off twice in the past, and using the word "separation" just adds insult to injury.
_________________
I would imagine if you could understand Morse Code, a tap dancer would drive you crazy (Mitch Hedberg)”

In June, employers took 1,219 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported July 20. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment; the number of workers involved totaled 127,897, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events increased by 37 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims rose by 9,483.
You don't have to be laid off to be affected by corporate downsizing. Those who survive a round of job cuts often struggle with increased stress and depression, according to a British study. Steven Reinberg with HealthDay wrote an article summarizing the research.
Here's an excerpt from his story:"Employees who remained in work after downsizing may be at increased risk of being prescribed psychotropic drugs," said lead author Mika Kivimaki, from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London.
Kivimaki's team based its findings on data on the use of psychotropic drugs -- including antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills -- in a group of almost 27,000 municipal workers in Finland between 1994 and 2000. Among these workers, about 4,800 worked in units that experienced layof fs but kept their jobs, almost 4,300 lost their jobs, and close to 17,600 did not work in units that were downsized.
Men who lost or left their jobs were most at risk of getting a prescription for a psychotropic drug. Compared with men who worked for units with no layoffs, these men were 64 percent more likely to be given a prescription for one of these drugs, the researchers found.
However, men who kept their jobs after a layoff were also almost 50 percent more likely to be given a prescription for one of the drugs, compared with those who worked for units that were not downsized, Kivimaki's group found.
Women in downsized units were 12 percent more likely to be given a prescription. Sleeping pills were most often prescribed to men, while anti-anxiety drugs were most often prescribed to women, Kivimaki said.
How should we react when we battle anxiety, anger, and sadness? How can we face personal tragedy? Is God there? Un-churched people have problems just like churched people do. The test is not the problems in your life. The test is your faith itself.