July 2011 Archives

With the release of the  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets film (which we carry; click here) in 2002, we found our hero (Daniel Radcliffe) just barely, after several obstacles (including some provided by a very annoying elf named Dobby) starting his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Somebody, or something, seems to have it out for Harry.  He's hearing nasty voices, gets  framed for "petrifing" caretaker Argus Filch's cat, discovers he can talk to snakes, and finds that he's being set up as the "heir" of the dreaded sorcerer Salazar Slytherin, who housed some kind of horrible creature in the school's "Chamber of Secrets". 

David Bornstein at the New York Times focuses on a Danish company, Specialisterne, that offers job opportunities to workers with autism as consultants, in this article.  As Mr. Bornstein puts it:  "(W)hile many business people worry about the costs of accommodating employees with disabilities, few consider the potential contributions of people who are not "normal" or "neurotypical," as they say in the autism community."  See how Specialisterne approached this situation by clicking here. 

(Almost forgot:  Today's the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) becoming law.  Read this to see why it's still important!)

Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan, appeared on The Daily Show last week.  Sgt. Petry, who is now fitted with a prosthetic right arm, talks about his "remarkable" (as host Jon Stewart puts it) experiences here:

If you'd like to help out other soldiers and veterans who've been severely injured and/or disabled, click here for more info.   

With the release this week of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, the final (?) Harry Potter film, in movie theatres, now seems like a good time to look back on the Potter series and how it evolved over the years while keeping as close as possible to the original J.K. Rowling books.  The new film, like the (second half of) the book it's based on, signals an end to the popular series.  The next (well, almost) several posts in this blog will review the various installments of the series.

Katherine Preston (click here) gives currently employed job hunters looking for a better position several tips on finding something while avoiding the risk of getting fired.  She recommends using social media, scheduling interviews before coming to work and maintaining good references.  For more details click here.  And good luck!