"BIG TEN" APACHE SHARING CORNER (FOR "ALL" CENTENNIAL HIGH ALUMNI) (PHOTO GALLERY)!!

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Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on March 6, 2010 at 10:12pm

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 3, 2010 at 1:18am

Find out which 6 degrees rank highest in terms of employment


By Chris Kyle
Come graduation time, the English major, history buff, computer whiz, and business student all look alike in their caps and gowns.
Their job prospects, on the other hand, look very different.
Corporate consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas polled 100 human resource professionals to find out what graduating students this year can expect from the job market in 2010, and, specifically, which degrees have the best odds of helping students get jobs.
If you're contemplating a return to school and deciding what you want to study, read on for the six degrees that rank highest in terms of employment.


#1 - Health Care Degree
Graduates with recession-proof degrees in health care will find the most success in 2010, according to Challenger. In fact, more than one in four (26.3 percent) HR professionals picked health care as the best bet for job security. Nurses are receiving the most job offers in this category.
Desirable Degrees:
Nursing
Physical Therapy
Pharmacy
Medical Technician
Average Starting Salaries:
Nursing: $47,217
Health & Related Sciences: $30,522
Search for Nursing and Health Care schools now.


#2 - Business Administration Degree
It's no coincidence that business is booming for graduates with a business degree...it's the most popular bachelor's degree in the country.
Graduating with a degree in business administration puts job seekers in the second strongest position overall, just behind health care, according to the Challenger survey.
Desirable Degrees:
Business
Business Administration
Business Administrative SupportAverage Starting Salary:
Business Administration: $45,200
Find the right Business school and start your training!


#3 - Computer Science Degree
Computers are an indispensable part of the economy, and so are graduates who study computer science, which ranks as the third most valuable degree in today's job market.
Desirable Degrees:
Computer Science
Technology Support
Information Technology and Systems
Average Starting Salaries:
Computer Science: $61,205
Information Sciences & Systems: $54,038
Search for local and online Technology and Computer Science schools.


#4 - Accounting/Finance Degree
Finance and accounting graduates can expect their fortunes to improve as the economy improves. "Historically, hiring on Wall Street has recovered before the rest of the economy," Richard Lipstein, managing director at Boyden Global Executive Search, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Desirable Degrees:
Accounting
Finance
Average Starting Salaries:
Economics: $52,909
Finance: $49,607
Accounting: $47,982
Search for Accounting/Finance programs.


#5 - Engineering Degree
It might surprise you to learn that engineering degrees are ranked fifth in terms of employment - and not first - but don't start feeling sorry for engineers just yet. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, eight of the top 10 best-paid majors are in engineering.
Desirable Degrees:
Biomedical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Network Engineering and Administration
Programming and Software Engineering
Average Starting Salaries:
Petroleum Engineering: $86,220
Computer Engineering: $60,879
Mechanical Engineering: $58,392


#6 - Marketing Degree
Demand remains strong for marketing graduates in the business world, though a more general business administration degree, ranked number two overall, gets the edge in today's tight job market because of its broader application.
Desirable Degree:
Marketing
Average Starting Salary:
Marketing: $42,499
Search for schools with local and online Marketing degree programs now.
All salary information from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Winter 2010 Salary Survey, which looked at starting salary offers for new Class of 2010 college graduates

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 4, 2010 at 1:52am

Cleaning Tricks To Make Appliances Last!!

As it turns out, the secret to keeping appliances running smoothly is cleanliness—or at least that’s what Kirby Mills, owner of At Your Service Appliance Repair in Kansas City, Missouri, tells The New York Times, having seen hundreds of appliances malfunction due to “goo, dust, and gunk” every year. I learned this the hard way a couple months ago when my dishwasher stopped working, only to discover later (following a very expensive visit from a repairman) that the problem was simply a filter that needed to be rinsed. It really doesn’t take much time or effort to clean appliances, and doing so can extend their lifespan by years. Here’s a re-cap of how to best go about this:

Dishwasher: Take out the racks. Check the corners and the rubber lining around the door for cracks and food residue. Clean out both with a sponge and plastic-bristled brush (don’t use metal as it can damage the machine). Consult the owner’s manual and remove the spray arms and wash them with soap and water. If you’ve got a filter basket at the base of your dishwasher, carefully remove the filter itself and give it a rinse as well. Slide your hand in the filter hole and check for debris. Put the pieces back together and run the machine empty with a bit of detergent.

Refrigerator: The coils underneath the machine tend to get clogged with dust, which can make it hard for the compressor fan to circulate fresh air. To make sure they’re all clear, unplug the machine, get down on the floor, and pull out the vent plate that covers the coils. Then use a vacuum hose to clean the coils. It’s also good to wipe down the door gasket as with a warm damp cloth to make sure there’s no sticky build-up there, which can cause the gasket to tear (and inhibit your fridge’s ability to refrigerate).

Air conditioner: Similar to refrigerators, air conditioner coils need to be cleaned every once in a while—now, a.ka. the beginning of the season, is a particularly good time to do this. Remove the filter cover and run a vacuum brush over the coils. While you’re at it, pull out the filter and clean or replace it, depending on what kind of model you have.

Vacuum: This is one of the most oft-neglected household gadgets. Filters and bags need to be swapped out at least annually. If you have a bagless model, wipe out the canister with a sponge. Test it’s suction power: try to vacuum up a bit of sand, and see if your vac sucks up the majority of it (if so, it’s in good shape—if not, take it to a local repair shop to see if it’s just a question of changing out a part. If you’ve got motor issues, it’s probably more cost effective to buy a new vacuum).

Ceiling fan: If you notice the blades on yours are wobbling, you’re in for trouble—this wears out the motor a lot faster. Dust off the tops of the blades and tighten the screws to make sure everything is locked into place.

Stove and oven: Gas stoves in particular need to be kept clean to ensure burners and igniters will keep on for years. A warm cloth and a bit of dish soap is all you need to get them spic and span. Mr. Fleshman from Fleshman Appliance Repair tells The New York Times that the self-cleaning feature should be avoided, since the super-high-temperature can be hard on your oven’s wiring and electrical components. Instead, after you’ve used your oven, wait until it’s cool enough to touch but still warm, and wipe it down with a moist cloth. Fleshman also says not to worry about stains, “always tell my customers, if people are looking in your oven and complaining about it being dirty, you shouldn’t have those people in your home.”

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 9, 2010 at 2:28am

7 Money Mistakes We Make Every Day

For all the financial advice we find in books, magazines, and online, we still make a lot of mistakes when it comes to money. Some of these mistakes might not cost us much, but others can cost us a small fortune. And even the small mistakes, multiplied over a lifetime, can add up to a princely sum.

In the hope that we can make better financial decisions, here is a list of some of the common money mistakes many of us make every day:

1. Buying expensive mutual funds: Do you know how much you pay for the mutual funds in your retirement account? If you don't know, you're not alone. Mutual fund companies don't send out monthly or quarterly bills. Instead, they quietly deduct their fees from the returns on your investments. These fees, quoted as an expense ratio (a 1 percent fee means you are paying 1 percent of your account balance in fees each year), add up to thousands of dollars over a lifetime of investing. To see just how much you are paying, use a free service such as Morningstar.com to track the actual expense of your mutual funds and ETFs. You can track your portfolio for free on Morningstar, including the total cost of your investments.


2. Neglecting credit scores: Credit scores have a major impact on our financial lives. An excellent credit score results in lower interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and credit cards. It also results in lower insurance premiums. But many do not know their credit score or how their financial decisions shape their score. The first step is to regularly review your credit report, which is available for free from annualcreditreport.com. You can get your report from each of the three major credit bureaus for free once a year. Checking each report for errors can not only improve your credit score, but also help guard against identity theft. While your report will not include your credit score, there are several options to obtain your credit score for free or at a low cost.

3. Equating monthly payments with affordability: Far too many of us decide whether we can afford something based on whether we can manage the monthly payment. This is particularly true for homes, cars, and furniture. But just because we can handle a payment does not mean we can truly afford something. Monthly payments also ignore the true cost of ownership. A car, for example, costs a lot more than the monthly payment when you consider insurance, gas, repairs and maintenance. Instead of focusing on the monthly payment, separate needs from wants and evaluate how you might better use the money. If you still have consumer debt, for example, consider paying the debt off before buying something that will commit you to future monthly payments for potentially years to come.

4. Overpaying on a mortgage: Reducing a mortgage by even 1 percent can result in substantial savings. Whether because of falling mortgage rates, which are at historic lows, or an improved credit score, many may be able to save thousands of dollars over the life of their home loan by refinancing. Yet for various reasons, many have not taken advantage of falling rates. Even if you have a low rate now, check current mortgage rates to see if you can do better. In some cases, a savings of just 1% or less can justify the cost of refinancing.

5. Missing good deals online: Thanks to the Internet, you can find deals, coupons and promo codes on just about anything. And many retailers offer additional discounts if you buy online. From cell phones to home improvement, the savings can be substantial, and shopping online is often far more convenient than driving around town and waiting in lines. The problem is that we often make purchases completely unaware that these deals exist. To find these deals, search online for coupons before you make significant purchases and bookmark coupon sites such as Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com, which regularly update the latest offers from popular retailers.

6. Overpaying taxes: A big tax refund can be a source of much needed cash each year. But a tax refund is the result of having too much tax withheld from your paycheck, which gives the government an interest free loan with your money. Instead of letting the government hold on to your money for up to a year, adjust your withholdings so you can pocket your money now. The goal should be to match your withholdings as close as possible to your tax liability.


7. Making minimum payments on credit cards: Even low interest credit cards charge a high interest rate. As a result, making the minimum payment on credit card debt will add a lot of interest to your total payments over the life of that debt. Making just the minimum payment also extends the time it takes to pay of the debt by many years. Rather than making just the minimum payment, commit to paying more than the minimum, even if by just a few dollars. Allocate some or all of your next raise to your credit card payments, and reexamine your budget in an effort to increase the payment as much as possible.

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 16, 2010 at 12:50am

I'm so glad that my Son "TIVO....ed" the Laker Game for me because I worked late yesterday. The Laker Game was awesome. They came out and played to WIN. They should have been doing that every game. But... Everybody was hustling down the Court yesterday like their lives depended on it. That's the way we like it. Keep it up LAKERS!! (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum) did their thing last night and took the ball to the hoop. WAY TO GO LAKERS!! GREAT GAME......NOW DO IT AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND THE "CHAMPIONSHIP" WIN WILL BE OURS!!

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 17, 2010 at 10:40pm

Lakers Edge Celtics in Game 7, To Win The 16th Title!!

LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Los Angeles Lakers have won their 16th NBA championship, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 Thursday night in Game 7 of the NBA finals.

Kobe Bryant(notes) scored 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting while winning his fifth title with the Lakers, who repeated as NBA champions for the first time since winning three straight from 2000-02.

Ron Artest(notes) added 20 points for the Lakers, who shot terribly while trailing for most of the first 3 1/2 quarters. Yet they reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter and hung on with big shots from Pau Gasol(notes) and Artest.

With their fifth title in 11 seasons, the Lakers moved one championship behind Boston’s 17 banners for the overall NBA lead.

Series at a Glance vs.
Lakers win series 4-3

Game 1: at LAL
BOS 89, LAL 102 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 2: at LAL
BOS 103, LAL 94 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 3: at BOS
LAL 91, BOS 84 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 4: at BOS
LAL 89, BOS 96 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 5: at BOS
LAL 86, BOS 92 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 6: at LAL
BOS 67, LAL 89 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 7: at LAL
BOS 79, LAL 83 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Series Breakdown

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on June 29, 2010 at 1:59am

POEM: "FRIENDS"

There's nothing like a walk you know
To calm a troubled mind;
For worries like the air we breathe
It seems we leave behind.
It doesn't matter where we walk
Our spirit to defend.
It will be much more healing though
If we walk with a friend.


A friend can help to bear the weight
That's really got us down.
The love of friends is all we need
To melt away our frown.
A friend relieves the pain as well
That stimulates the tears.
To be held close when 'darkness' falls
Will banish all our fears.


The walk through life can be so long
For those without a friend.
Increasing isolation though
Seems now to be the trend.
We shouldn't have to look for friends.
They should be part of life.
There're very hard to find because
Our lives are full of strife.


To ease the strife is difficult.
God help us make amends,
So we create a life in which
We're all each other's friends.


(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)


Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4: 7-8)


TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!


HAVE A VERY BLESSED WEEK EVERYONE!!



Love and Blessings, Phoebe

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on July 21, 2010 at 1:05am

POEM

It Takes Courage
Author Unknown

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

(Author Unknown)


Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
(Deuteronomy 31:6)

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!
___________________________________________

HAVE A VERY BLESSED WEEK APACHES!!

Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on September 6, 2010 at 5:33am

Hey Apache Classmates,

Kick back or Lay back and have a wonderful and peaceful LABOR DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND (YOU DESERVE IT)!!

Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on September 28, 2010 at 3:30am

(TODAY'S THOUGHT: "FAITH LIKE A CHILD")

POEM: "Faith Like A Child"


"Peek A Boo - I see You."
I overheard my neighbor's child.
"Peek A Boo - I love You."
I watched and listened for awhile.

The little girl skipped down the walk,
Humming as she moved.
From time to time, I'd see her stop,
And sing her childish tune.

"Peek A Boo - I see You."
Her sweet face looked so intent.
"Peek A Boo - I love You."
Then down the path she went.

I saw her do this several times,
Poor, lonesome child, I thought.
She only has a nursery rhyme,
To go with her on her walk.

"Peek A Boo - I see You."
She did it then once more.
"Peek A Boo - I love You."
Then I scurried out my door.

I could not stand it any longer,
What did this child see?
I hurried up and caught her,
Hoping she'd explain to me.

"Peek A Boo - I see You."
Her face buried in some Daisies.
"Peek A Boo - I love You."
Was this child crazy?

"Honey," I called out to her,
"What are You looking at?"
(I may have to tell her mother,
And I needed all the facts.)

She gave me a vacant stare.
And said, "There's nothing's wrong!
I see Lord Jesus everywhere,
That's why I sing my song."

"Mama says He's in the flowers,
And He's in the bushes and the trees.
And He's in rainbows and in showers,
And He's even in the breeze."

"I see Him everywhere I look,
And I like to tell Him so.
You see, He's not just in The Book,
He's everywhere I go."

"Peek A Boo - I see You."
I peeked into her precious face.
"Peek A Boo - I love You."
Then I thanked God for such grace.

(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)


"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and
the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them."€
(Isaiah 11:6)


Have a Blessed Day & Week Alumni Friends & God Bless You All !!

Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on October 3, 2010 at 3:13am

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
(Romans 15:4)

God bless!
Love and Blessings, Phoebe Macon c/o '75

Permalink Reply by Phoebe Macon on October 10, 2010 at 1:05am

HAPPY SUNDAY APACHES!!


SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:

John 15:16-17 – This is my command: Love each other
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. – John 15:16-17
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We would like to think that we found God – but He actually chose us! Our ability to bear fruit doesn’t come from our own will power, but from a heavenly intervention on our behalf.

We are not our own – to ask based around our own agendas betrays the fact that we have been chosen and appointed. Chosen for what? Appointed for what? To love one another. This begins the pilgrim’s journey. This forms the asking. This becomes the great adventure of following Jesus.

Today’s commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org
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