2008 Guide to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an annual event held on the grounds of the prestigious National Mall in downtown Washington, D.C. and sponsored by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The Folklife Festival is a two week event coinciding with the 4th of July holiday weekend. This event is free to the public and hosts over one million visitors annually.

The Festival first began in 1967 and throughout the years it has brought more than 23,000 different types of performers from musicians, story tellers, actors and the like. The festival is divided into sections by nations, regions, state or themes. The Festival has drawn tradition bearers from over 90 nations, scores of ethnic communities, more than 100 Indian groups and a number of varying occupations.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is the largest cultural event in the United States and reaches over 40 million interested readers and viewers alike. It has been the subject of books, documentary films, articles and debate. Come and enjoy the richness of the cultures presented and be prepared to learn as much as you can about each one!

When/Where is the Folklife Festival?
June 25-29, 2008 and July 2-6, 200811a.m.-5 p.m. Daily. Evening events begin at 6:00 p.m.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.Festival Map (pdf) - Great resource to help plan your day's activities and events.

Tips and Tricks for Visiting During This Time of Year
Dress appropriately - This time of year in DC stands to be some very hot and sticky weather. Wear loose fitting clothing such as loose shorts, loose fitting top, wide brimmed hat, and shades are a must!

Sunscreen/Protection - You will want to make sure that you bring plenty of sun screen as you are out and about in the elements, moving from tent to tent and possible even seeing the sights around Washington, DC. I would encourage nothing less that 30 SPF sunscreen for your day. 50 SPF if you have young children with you.

Water - Bring plenty of water with you. There will be vendors throughout the area, but I would advise that you bring several bottles per person in your party.

Read Full Article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/790281/2008_guide_to_the_smithsonian_folklife.html

Georgia Tech Fires Wanda Wilson. Was this action too severe

Wanda Wilson was an administrative assistant at Georgia Tech's School of Electrical Engineering until September 2007. Wilson had her employment terminated in September 2007 after an official audit of her state issued credit card. Later, the school said she used the laptop computer and accessories to record sexual encounters, engage in sexually related chat room conversations and online gambling. Georgia Tech has General Work Rules that outline both major and minor rules of employment at Georgia Tech. Some of these violations are outlined in the excerpt of that policy below:

"Major Rule ViolationsMajor offenses include any willful, deliberate violation of Institute or safety rules of such a degree that continued employment of the individual may not be desirable. The following are examples of some offenses that may subject an employee to immediate discharge without warning:

• Deliberately abusing, destroying, damaging, or defacing Institute property or the property of others on Georgia Tech premises.
• Gambling, possession or use of liquor or narcotics, or the possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons on Institute premises.
• Taking Institute or other employee's property for one's own use.
• Sexual misconduct.

Minor Rule Rule violations of a minor nature include violations that may affect the continuity, efficiency of safety or work and will not be tolerated if repeated. Minor rule violations may result in either verbal or written warnings to the employee; however, repeated violations could lead to suspension and possibly termination. The following are examples of minor rule violations that may result in either verbal or written warnings to the employee:

• Performing unauthorized personal work on Georgia Tech time.
• Using Institute resources for personal work.

The above lists are not intended to be all inclusive. Georgia is an employment at will state. Cause is not necessary to terminate employment."

Source: Georgia Tech Human Resources Discipline Policy

Read Full Article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/781827/georgia_tech_fires_wanda_wilson.html

American Idol Season Finale: David vs. David

Well...we are down to the David duo as I had predicted in my previous article, American Idol: The Scotsman's Predictions. While my predictions were not 100% accurate as I had hoped, I was right about the David duo being the remaining two contestants on season 7 of American Idol. I am hoping in this article to evaluate each remaining contestant, David Archuleta and David Cook on their singing talent, stage presence, physical appeal, record selling potential, career longevity and any intangibles that may be out there.

So...with that said, here are The Scotsman's evaluations of both of these amazing performers and artists.

Singing Talent (Tie)

Anyone who has even seen either of these young men sing one time knows how highly talented both of them are.

David Archuleta - This young man has such a soulful and natural voice and ability to hit all the notes necessary for his performing. His vocal range, smooth and even voice, lend him a talent that many do not have. He can adapt his voice to many different songs and styles and shines with each performance he does. I could see his future opportunities for stage work as well be a viable option as he diversifies his interests later on down the road.

David Cook - This guy came from tending bars, to supporting his brother in his quest for the American Idol crown, and ended up in the competition himself. He has demonstrated an amazing talent, but his niche is rock music. He has the perfect raspy and strong voice to belt out rock music with the best of them. Through his performances that he chose he demonstrated that he has the ability, skill and gifts to really let loose and connect with the audience. He has a level of maturity and confidence at his young age, that some, including myself, have possible mistaken for arrogance. There is no question in my mind that he would perform professionally at any time during his future career.

Stage Presence/Physical Appeal (Tie)

Read Full article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/771347/american_idol_season_finale_david_vs.html?cat=2

Popular Christian High School Graduation Songs

Do you remember your favorite songs form the year you graduated high school? If not you can always do a search on Google for the top music types of the year you graduated. I am sure that you will run across something that catches your attention and reminds you of sons played during your graduation, or at the celebrations after the ceremony.

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding young folks talking about and/or sharing their faith in Christ from the stage or lectern. This is an unfortunate event considering that our country was founded on Christian principles and that we still hold to the right to free speech in our Constitution. But, instead of turning this into a political and/or cultural issue, let's look at some of the top Christian songs of 2008, especially the ones that appeal to the younger generation graduating this year.

The 39th annual GMA Dove awards was held in February 2008 and awards were given out for:

Song of the Year - Some of them included:

East to West - Casting Crowns
Amazing Grace - Chris Tomlin
Bring the Rain- Mercy Me
Give you Glory - Jeremy Camp
Made to Love - Toby Mac

Male vocalist of the year -

Read full article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/760451/popular_christian_high_school_graduation.html

Mother's Day - Right Around the Corner

Well...Mother's Day is right around the corner and we hope that you have already made plans, purchased items, and looked for ways that you can make her day as special as possible! Have you?

Well, if you haven't, you are not alone! There are many out there who due to busyness of life, competing priorities, and/or limited resources, have yet to even get a card for their wife or mother, let alone order a gift for her.

At Mother's Day Resources, you will find an article on FREE Mother's Day e-cards that you can send or even have scheduled to be sent to that special woman in your life. You can also do some shopping at the online store GIFTS FOR HER! and let her know what you have ordered for her just in case it will not make it there with shipping time frames.GIFTS FOR HER! has many items for your ease of mind (and easy to buy) such as:

• Apparel & Accessories
• Dresses
• Pants
• Shirts
• Undergarments
• Make-up
• Bath and Shower Items
• Perfumes
• Jewelry
• and MORE!!!
  

If you are a last minute person (which I am sure you are not! :)) check out the store, make a quick purchase, and put your receipt (At least) inside her card.

I wish you the best and hope that your wife and/or mom truly has a wonderful and blessed Mother's Day!

American Idol: the Scotsman's Predictions

Well…sadly enough my previous ranking and prediction was correct and that my “home-girl”, Brook White was sent home. That was a very sad ending to the show and obviously was a very difficult time for her. Even though she was sent home, I am confident that some very intelligent music/record producer (If not many!) were waiting in the wings to get her home and contact her about a contract. I am sure that with some additional practice, much needed rest, and regaining her confidence after being intimidated before a nationwide audience, she will shine greatly! I look forward to hearing more about and from her in the future.

In all actuality, my predictions have not changed much from my previous article. I am still confident of the final rankings and status that we will all witness in the future to be the ones mentioned before. So, with that said, what are the Scotsman’s predictions for the final four?

David Archuleta – As we noticed even in the last elimination, David Archuleta has definitely captured the love and admiration of fans all across the country and more than likely around the world. Not only is he a gentleman…a demonstration of a truly humble attitude…but he is an awesome performer! Each week I can’t wait to hear his song choice, watch his performance and to sit there and enjoy listening to his…

Read Full Article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/750133/american_idol_the_scotsmans_predictions.html?cat=2

How to Quit Smoking: The Scotsman's Findings and Personal Experience

Over the years I have tried to quit smoking, all to no avail at the time. I tried many different ways to quit including "cold turkey", nicotine extensions for my cigarettes, nicotine gun, exchanging gum/toothpicks for smoking, etc. There are a number of things I experienced while going through these attempts to quit smoking, which were not very pleasant, but well worth it if you can make that transition. I will outline some of my experiences and the side effects I faced later in this article.

Benefits-

First, let's take a look at some of the more popular ways to try and quit smoking that are out there today. There are numerous resources on the Internet of how to quit smoking, which you can peruse at your leisure. I have selected some of the information and included some of the Web sites below on how to quit smoking for your ease when finding it. I hope that you benefit from the Scotsman's work of surfing the Net for your benefit and to help you quit smoking!

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Federal Government agency, provides information on their Web site as to what are the benefits of quitting smoking. They include:

"People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk of dying prematurely.Benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, but cessation is beneficial at all ages.


Smoking cessation lowers the risk for lung and other types of cancer. The risk for developing cancer declines with the number of years of smoking cessation.


Risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease is reduced after smoking cessation. Coronary heart disease risk is substantially reduced within 1 to 2 years of cessation.

Read Full Article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/750359/how_to_quit_smoking_the_scotsmans_findings.html