In this buyer’s market, sellers need a little help to get their homes sold and off the market. HGTV, the network that brings you “Designed to Sell”- a program that helps sellers prepare their homes for sale, is giving away $3,000 to a sweepstakes winner. The money is for sellers to make changes to their home so that it is appealing to buyers. You can enter the contest daily from September 28, 2009 to October 27, 2009.
The contest is open to any student who is enrolled in one or more of the CTE[Career and Technical Education] courses that prepare students for a career in Information Technology (IT), Multimedia, Web Page Design, and/or Digital Design (Media). Through Florida’s Division of Career and Adult Education there are nearly 300 Career and Technical training programs including 25 secondary CTE programs specific to information technology and Web design. The contest is open to approximately 84,000 CTE students across Florida.
Students will be redesigning the student portion of the Florida Department of Education web site. Winning this web design contest would be great because that would be an excellent point on anyone’s resume.
Student submissions will be judged by a panel of technology and design experts, as well as communications and public relations professionals. Members of the judging panel include individuals from Brandt Information Services, CoreMessage Inc., Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Salter>Mitchell, Taproot Creative and Florida Department of Education.
“I’m excited to give our students the chance to apply the knowledge they’ve gained through their advanced coursework and training to the re-design of a significant portion of our Web site,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “By integrating student ideas directly into our most important communications source, we can be sure we’re providing students with the information they need and want to know to further their education.”
Entries must be submitted via CD and include the name of the student, the student’s high school name and address, the teacher or advisor who assisted in the project and the name of the school district. Submissions must be postmarked by November 20, 2009, and sent to:
The Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1524
Tallahassee, Florida 32399To learn more about CTE programs, visit the Career and Adult Education Division Web site at http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/. For more information about the contest, including the rules and guidelines, visit http://www.fldoe.org/students/Web-contest.asp.
Kids 10 and under eat free on Sundays at
Polos Italian Grill
19040 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa,
Open from 5-9pm, every Sunday
813-657-0087
Other Place where Kids eat free in Tampa Bay
On October 2, 2009 the Patel Conservatory is offering one free tap class for adults during lunchtime (12 noon to 1 pm). The class does not require that you have experience or even tap shoes.
Space is limited. To R.S.V.P., call 813.222.6453.
The Patel Conservatory is a having an essay contest,
“Find your Wonderland: what makes your family wonderful?”, for Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. A winner will be selected from each grade level. Each winner will receive:
To enter, students must submit a written essay answering the question “What makes your family wonderful?” in 500 words or less to the Patel Conservatory between Monday, Oct. 5 and Friday, Nov. 6. An impartial panel of judges will select the winners.
“The topic of our contest, ‘What makes your family wonderful,’ explores the tendency for each of us to drift in our own wonderland—unaware of those around us. We need to take the time to appreciate the wonderful people and joyful experiences in our lives, and share them with others,” said Wendy Leigh, TBPAC’s vice-president of education.
More information is available by calling 813.222.1002, and by visiting www.patelconservatory.org.
Pinellas County Schools have are proud that 2 of their students made a 36, a perfect score, on the ACT. Both students, Seniors Alex Jablonski and Wendy Yin, attend St. Petersburg High International Baccalaureate.
Alex, whose interests lie in math and science, is a member of Youth in Government, Debate Team and the Honor Society. He plans to major in engineering and then attend law school. Wendy, also interested in math and science, is an Honor Society member and plays in the orchestra. She plans to major in engineering and attend medical school. The IB magnet program provides highly motivated students with a challenging and rigorous college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum.
Each 4th Wednesday of the month, from 10 am to 12 noon, homeschoolers get admission and skate rental for $3 at:
USA’s Skateplex
5313 E. Busch Blvd.
Temple Terrace, FL 33617
Tel: 813-989-2100
YMCA locations in the Tampa Bay YMCA network are offering free use of their facilities this week. September 20-27, 2009 is America on the Move Week with the YMCA and participating YMCA locations are giving families and individuals an opportunity to experience their local YMCA for free. You will need a picture I.D. YMCA locations have many different classes for kids and adults. Selection of classes and activities may include: dance, swimming lessons, fitness classes, gymnastics, soccer, soft ball, football, swim clubs, art classes and more. Availability of classes and activities vary by location. For more information visit the Tampa Bay YMCA web site
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are renovated team looking to prove itself to fans and the rest of the NFL. With two straight losses to begin the season there has been some doubt and questioning of the team and its coaching staff. Raheem Morris, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has let go of some veteran player and has created what appears to be a new team dynamic. A new coach and the release of some fan favorites had some Tampa Bay fans grumbling and questioning many of the decisions.
With the change in the team, the losses might just be growing pains the team is experiencing as they learn to work together with a new roster. Two games do not make a season; there 14 more games to play and more opportunity for the Bucs to comeback as true champions.
This morning I woke-up and went to open some files on my Maxtor external hard drive and my computer was giving an error message saying that it could not access the file and it was an invalid link. At first I thought it might just be a fluke and I decided to remove the power and USB cords and wait a minute before reconnecting them. After plugging out the USB and the power cords a couple times and waiting, the desktop computer still would not recognize the external hard drive. Then I decided to try and see if my laptop would recognize it, but still no luck. Neither computer could access the external hard drive.
Then I did what I always do when I have a problem: pray and then do a web search. Apparently there are a lot of people that have been in my shoes and not been able to access their external hard drive. At first it seemed that all was lost, so I went to see how much hard drive data recovery from one popular place wouldcost and it said for a hard drive it would start at $259. I certainly did not want to spend $259 for data recovery, even though I did need the data. I continued searching and then found a video that really helped me out.
Recover Data From External Hard Drive – For more funny videos, click here
In the video the guy gave instructions on removing the hard drive from the case that contained it and it would like a normal hard drive like the one in the computer. Then after removing from the case you can install it in your computer like you would normally install an internal hard drive. I was able do to this, but I needed to get an extra data cable to connect the hard drive to the motherboard. The data cable that was originally part of the external hard drive was too short to use. I found an extra data cable in an older computer that I had since 2001 and that I now just use for part. Installing the hard drive required that I do some reading in the manual for my HP Pavilion desktop computer. When all was said and done the hard drive was installed and I was able to access the data that I thought I lost. The hard drive was not the problem it was something going on with the case and the connectors. I am happy for the internet because it really has saved me a lot of cash over the years.
Now I have an internal hard drive that used to be my external hard drive, but that is okay because I can now access the data and I didn’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to do it
During this special week, Borders will honor current and retired teachers, librarians, licensed homeschoolers, school administrators and daycare facilitators with 30% off the list price of nearly everything in stores including books, teaching resources and materials, music, movies, educational toys and games, gifts and stationery and even Seattle’s Best Coffee cafe products. To take advantage of the 30% discount, educators need only present proof of educators status, which can be a paystub or an identification card with a current date. (Homeschoolers must present their homeschool certification.) Borders recently increased its everyday classroom discount to 25% off classroom purchases, but the special 30% discount during Educator Appreciation Week can be applied toward classroom purchases as well as items for personal enjoyment.
Teacher appreciation week is from September 29, 2009 to October 7,2009. Borders will kickoff Educator’s Appreciation Week with a “Teacher’s Town Hall” that will hosted at local Borders locations across the country. More information about Borders specials for educators can be found at: http://www.borders.com/teaching
Admission ONLY $5.00 for Both Parks!
Good Only September 12th & 13th…Weekend Special for Splash Island Waterpark and Cypress Gardens!
Purchase Online or at Main Gate Ticket Booth!
Enjoy both parks this Saturday and Sunday for ONLY $5.00!
You and get into both parks for $5.oo which is a deal. Admission to both parks is regularly $22.95 online.
During the Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh game on Sept. 10, followed by 13 games on Sunday, Sept. 13 (most of which can be seen via DirecTV at participating Friday’s), and capped off by Monday night’s double-header of Buffalo vs. New England and San Diego vs. Oakland, all Friday’s bar guests will be treated to six free Buffalo Wings (six wings in boneless or traditional styles and served with celery and your choice of Bleu Cheese or Ranch). During all games this season, participating Friday’s restaurants will offer a special game day menu at the bar featuring six Buffalo Wings for $3.99, Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs for $7.99 and two Jack(TM) Championship Sliders for $3.99.
The free chicken wings are available at participating restaurants
Visit the Smithsonian magazine web site to print an admission card that gives you and one guest free admission to select museums on Museum Day. One card is to be used per household. Museum day in September 26, 2009. Participating Museum are:
Florida Air Museum
Polk Museum of Art
Florida International Museum at St. Petersburg College
Great Explorations Children Museum
Morean Arts Center
The Pier Aquarium
G.WIZ-The Science Museum
Cracker County
Tampa Bay History Center
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
Ybor City Museum State Park
Lee-Rattner Museum of Art
Show a little team spirit and Chick-fil-A will show you a chicken sandwich.
In celebration of the second-annual Chick-fil-A® Kickoff football game, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will offer a free Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich to any customer wearing any sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, pitting the University of Alabama against Virginia Tech, will be held at 8 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and will be televised nationally on ABC. The following Monday, Sept. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., customers are encouraged to visit any participating Chick-fil-A restaurant wearing their favorite sports-related apparel to receive a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. Appropriate attire includes any article of clothing with a sports team logo – from a little league uniform to a favorite professional or collegiate jersey, hat, t-shirt, socks or other accessory.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released several players.
T Xavier Fulton has been place on the injured reserve list and S Tanard Jackson has been placed on the Reserve/Suspended list.
Some parents are nervous about the speech that President Obama will be making on Tuesday, August 8,2009. The speech is directed at students is scheduled to air at 12 noon during school hours. Although this is a scheduled to be a motivational message, some parents are fearful that this will be a way to President Obama to push his political ideologies.
According to tbo.com
School officials in Hillsborough and Pasco counties say they are receiving calls from concerned parents who have said they will not let their children attend school if they must watch the president’s address.
Summer Romagnoli,a spokeswoman for the Pasco County school district, said some callers are supportive and want their children to have access to the speech, but the majority have concerns about what the message would be.
In both counties, it will be up to teachers to decide individually whether to show the president’s speech.
Information from WhiteHous.gov says the following about the planned speech:
Help get America’s students engaged! On Tuesday, September 8 — the first day of school for many students — the President will talk directly to students across the country on the importance of taking responsibility for their education, challenging them to set goals and do everything they can to succeed. We want to make sure that as many schools and classrooms nationwide can participate in this special opportunity, so we are making the President’s address and all the information that comes with it available as widely as possible. Whether you are a teacher, a school board member, or a member of the media, find information below to help you watch and be engaged with the President in welcoming our students back to school.