Yes folks, it has happened again. A Yiddish folk tale from 19th century Europe has been reenacted in 21st century Israel. Its the story of the Rabbi and the Goat. ElAl, after tacking on $500 to a "bonus" ticket on their Matmid Frequent flyer program in the form of taxes, fees and fuel surcharges has issued a self-congratulatory email to its important friars flyers announcing a $35 reduction in the cost of a flight to New York, due to the declining price of oil.

In case you are not familiar with the tale, here it is, as described by Max Fischer (In Yiddish, this is usually drawn out into a 30 minute story):

"A Yiddish folk tale tells of a man who visits his rabbi to complain about his wife and seek pity about his household's condition. The wise rabbi counsels the man to take a goat, some chickens, and a cow into his home. Upon seeing the rabbi a day or two later, the man is distraught about the mess and commotion the animals have made. The rabbi advises the man to remove the animals, whereupon the man views his home life as absolute bliss."

There is even a book about this and now a whole airline is using this strategy.

• Fall Foliage in Boston, Cape Cod, Newport, Connecticut, Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Fall Foliage in Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat Springs and the Colorado Rockies
• Fall Foliage in Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Cheyenne Wyoming and the Eastern Rockies
• Fall Foliage in Philadelphia, Lancaster, the Poconos, Eastern Pennsylvania

With this preview, I will reveal the PiRate Ratings for each of the four teams in the AFC East Division.  Following those ratings are the Mean Ratings and my own biased opinion (last year’s final PiRate Rating combined with how much stronger or weaker I personally think each team is compared to last season).  That will give you three different ratings for the teams.

When all three ratings predict the same side to win a game against the spread, then that is a playable line.  If all three ratings agree on the winner of the game, and the Las Vegas Line is single digits, then that becomes a playable game on the Moneyline.  The reason for not playing any double digit spreads is that the Moneyline odds would be too prohibitive for a double digit favorite, where just one loss could result in a losing season.  During the season, I will also supply a list of games to be played with an imaginary bank account.

The predicted records are not tied to the PiRate or Mean Ratings; they are strictly from my biased ratings.

The New England Patriots are still the class of the division, but they won’t go 16-0 again, and I think they might lose four games this year.  Before the New York Jets picked up Brett Favre, I was inclined to believe they had a decent shot at 8-8 or 9-7 even with a tough schedule.  Add number four to the roster, and the Jets become a wildcard team.  Buffalo brings in a new coach, but I don’t believe they have enough offense to win more than they lose.  As for Miami, it’s all about The Tuna coming in as boss.  Sure, Tony Sparano is the new coach, but this is Bill Parcells’ team.  In year one of rebuilding, look for the Dolphins to improve by at least a game if not more.

Offense: Trent Edwards is not the quarterback who can lead this team to a winning record and playoff berth.  He has a habit of throwing quickly to his safety valve receiver rather than risk going for the bigger gains downfield.  That type of quarterback play will cause the offense to bog down.  Defenses will creep up to the line and stuff both the short pass and the run.  The Bills have a decent ground game with Marshawn Lynch toting the pig, but unless Edwards can become a vertical passer first and dump off passer second, this offense is going nowhere.  Lee Evans and Josh Reed form a decent pair of wideouts, and rookie James Hardy could be a big player.

Defense: Bills’ coach Dick Jauron is more of a defense-oriented guy, so expect the Bills to continue to try to win low scoring games.  There’s one problem: this defense isn’t good enough to hold 10 of its 16 opponents under 15 points, which is about what it will have to do for the team to win.  The strength of this side of the ball is the linebacker unit, where middle man Paul Posluszny could contend for a Pro Bowl Selection this year.  Kawika Mitchell comes over from the Super Bowl champ Giants, and he should add balance to the second line of defense.  The defensive line didn’t stop enemy runners, and they didn’t provide much of a pass rush.  That forced the secondary to defend too long, and the Bills don’t exactly have any Ronnie Lott’s playing on the back line.  Rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin from Troy will have to develop and be effective quickly for the Bills to improve.  At the moment, he has not cracked the starting lineup.

Special Teams: The Bills may have the best special teams in the NFL.  Kicker Rian Lindell is almost automatic inside 50 yards, and punter Brian Moorman booms his punts high into the air, rarely giving up a big return.  Roscoe Parrish led the NFL with a 16.3 punt return average last year, while Terrence McGee averaged a more than adequate 24 yards per kick return.

Summary: The Bills are missing too many ingredients on offense to seriously think about making a playoff run, but their schedule gives them a chance to get off to a good start and possibly gain some early momentum.  That first game at home against Seattle could be the key game for the season.  Buffalo gets Oakland, St. Louis, and Arizona before a bye in week six.  After the bye, they host San Diego, go to Miami, and host the Jets.  If they can beat the Jets in that game, their record could be 6-2, which is the minimum it can be if they are to finish 9-7 or better.  The back half of the schedule is considerably more difficult.

Offense: The addition of Chad Pennington improves this offense, but the Jets were willing to dump him in favor of a retired Brett Favre.  Pennington is only good in a short passing game, and good Tampa-2 and regular cover 2 defenses can shut him down.  I can see a scenario where rookie Chad Henne from Michigan could be the starting quarterback by year’s end, but that would only happen if the Dolphins were faring worse than last year with the trio of passers they had.  Ronnie Brown tore his ACL last year, and he will start the year backing up Ricky Williams.  Williams may still have something left in the tank, and in the new offense, he has a chance to become a reclamation project.  Ted Ginn, Jr. is a prize at one wide receiver spot, but the receiving corps is weak after that.  The offensive line should be better just because Pennington is under center.  He will avoid some of the sacks that last year’s trio absorbed. 

Defense: Expect immediate results here this year.  However, Miami is moving back to the 3-4 after being a 4-3 team for a year.  There may be some problems with players playing a position they aren’t exactly tailored to play.  If nose tackle Jason Ferguson can get a full year out of his aging body, he just may be the catalyst for improvement.  The 3-4 must have a tackle who can stuff the run.  The loss of Jason Taylor may be too much for the second line of defense to overcome.  Matt Roth is not an equal replacement.  Add to this that Joey Porter is not 100% healthy, and it could be trouble at the beginning of the season.  The secondary is average at best, and enemy quarterbacks will exploit the holes they allow. 

Special Teams: The Dolphins won’t win or lose games because of their secondary.  Rookie kicker Dan Carpenter replaces Jay Feely, while punter Brandon Fields returns.  Ginn is a threat to take any kick or punt for a touchdown, but he isn’t going to get much blocking help with this team. 

Summary: Expect the Dolphins to finish in last place again, but teams are going to be facing a more physical Miami team.  Miami will probably lose their games by fewer points than last year, and they will surprise a team not prepared for the brute force they will receive.  The schedule is not that bad, except for the two games with the Pats.

Offense: The 2007 Patriots came within a whisker of going down in history as the best team ever to take the field.  It was thought that 16-0 was not possible in today’s salary cap NFL.  The offense produced an all-time record 589 points last year (The Los Angeles Rams averaged more points per game in 1950 but the NFL played only 12 games per year then).  Tom Brady should continue to put up outstanding numbers, but the Pats will regress some this year.  The loss of Donte Stallworth will cost them some, but it won’t stop them from leading the division in points scored.  They still have Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, and tight end Ben Watson.  Running back Laurence Maroney should top 1,000 yards if he stays healthy for the full year.  The offensive line suffered a letdown against the Giants in the Super Bowl, and I expect a few other teams to try to exploit the slightly smaller than average unit this year.

Defense: The defense was overlooked last year due to the offense, but the Patriots only surrendered 17 points per game.  The New England defense is a 3-4 set, and they have an excellent nose tackle in Vince Wilfork.  Ty Warren and Richard Seymour are better pass rushers than run stoppers.  There is a new face in the second line of defense.  First round pick Jerod Mayo should start from the beginning at the inside spot with Tedy Bruschi.  The secondary will be weaker with the loss of cornerback Asante Samuel.  Jason Webster will not adequately fill those shoes.

Special Teams: This has not been a strong unit in recent years.  Kicker Stephen Gostkowski is accurate when he is inside 45 yards, but he has limited range.  Chris Hanson is an average punter, but he doesn’t have to play all that much. 

Summary: Look for the Patriots to be dominant once again this season, but they will lose in the regular season possibly as early as week two.  New England should finish with a 12-4, 13-3, or 14-2 record and is the AFC favorite to make another Super Bowl appearance.

Offense: How much Brett Favre has left in his arm will determine how many games this team wins.  If he can come close to last year’s results, the Jets should score at least five more points per game this year than they did last year.  It’s important that he learns the playbook as quickly as possible, because the Jets run an intricate offense.  Thomas Jones may not be in the class of LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson, but give him a little daylight and he can turn a short run into a breakaway.  Expect receivers Laveranues Coles and Jerricho to thrive with Favre preferring to pass the ball downfield rather than short.  The offensive line will perform much better with Favre under center, as he can get his passes off quicker than Kellen Clemens or the departed Chad Pennington.  Look for a big year from tackles ’Brickashaw Ferguson and Damien Woody.

Defense: Kris Jenkins comes over from Carolina to anchor the 3-4 defense from the nose tackle spot.  The two ends, Shaun Ellis and Kenyon Coleman need to improve their run stopping abilities, but with Jenkins in the lineup, they could get more opportunities for quarterback sacks.  Eric Barton and David Harris make up a nice duo of inside linebackers, while outside linebackers Bryan Thomas and Calvin Pace have lots of potential.  Cornerback Darrelle Revis leads one of the better secondaries in the AFC.  Justin Miller has the quickness to be a stud at the other cornerback spot, while Eric Smith and Kerry Rhodes hold down the fort in the deep middle.  This has the makings of a rather good defense.

Special Teams: Kicker Mike Nugent has limited range, and punter Ben Graham is decent but not outstanding.  Leon Washington returns punts and kicks, and he is better than average but not a star.

Summary: There are two big questions with the Jets.  How will Favre perform after coming out of his short retirement?  How will the Jets cope with making road trips to San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle.  They could easily go 0-4 in those four games, and I don’t expect them to do any better than 1-3 in those games.  In those other 12 games, the Jets could easily win nine of them to finish at 10-6.

On Peachtree you can find the Fox Theater (our oldest theater, a historic gem), the Shakespeare Tavern, and the High Museum of Art. On the same street, you can also find gentlemen's clubs and Insurrection, a local chain novelty store. On one block will be a hoppin gay bar, and then an another will be the First Baptist Church. The Margaret Mitchell house is down the street from corporate giants such as Bank of America and AT&T. There are more bars than you can count and twice as many churches. You'll find American cultural staples such as Hard Rock Cafe and Hooters, but right next door is an English restaurant, Pleasant Pheasant, and my favorite Moroccan spot, the Imperial fez. Plus, some of the nicest apartment buildings share the same address as a majority of our homeless. On one end is our sports area, the Georgia Dome, and on another is our premium shopping, Lenox Mall. Peachtree is the pride of Atlanta, and the bane of all tourists. It is the road that never ends but always jumps. It is a street to connect us.

People always wonder why I love Atlanta so much, and I really can sum it all up in one word: Peachtree. There is so much diversity in this city, and one main lifeline connects it. I know Atlanta is technically a polycentric city with multiple mini city-centers and still intense segregation, but I really have not been able to find another street quite like Peachtree anywhere else. Maybe the Black Pride and the DragonCon crowds don't mix, but they sure as hell cross each other on the street. Maybe the Auburn fans wont take the 'Vampire" out to dinner, but maybe they'll let them through at a stop light.

I do believe there is such a thing as Southern Hospitality, and the other day I saw a wealthy white man help a homeless black man across the infamous Peachtree. I know that's a racially charged statement, but those situations are hard to come, regardless of color. Maybe because we all shoved onto one main thoroughfair, we are slowly learning to not only exist with each other, but truly live with each other.

It's a thought, anyway. All I know is, I'll deal with the traffic lights because I love diverse landscape.

I live real close to Seattle....music capital of the country.  But I have to say that there are some fine artists coming out of my hometown, Atlanta.  I have always enjoyed the music community there and was real happy to receive this CD in the mail earlier this month.  If you have not heard of Meghan Coffee, you should visit her website and listen in.  My favorite from her record "Songs to Sail By"
is the song "Jericho."

Let me know what you think. :)

Willy Franzen, from One Day, One Job, "an insider's guide to unique and exciting entry-level job and career opportunities for recent college graduates," recently ran an experiment with new college grads to see if posting ads about their desire to work in certain companies (Disney, Sprint) or certain fields (publishing, entry-level) could propel their job searches to the next level.

Although none of the 5 new grads who participated in the experiment landed a job as a result of their ads, they did have some interesting results. Willy notes some key takeaways:

1. The most successful students were those who targeted a single company with a very specific ad that mentioned the company’s name in the text.

2. Targeting by location draws too many extraneous clicks and seems to have a low return on investment.

3. Spending more on ads leads to more responses.

4. This method is best suited for targeting larger employers with significant populations of Facebook users.

So, should everyone advertise their job search on Facebook? I don't think so, but I think there is a lot of potential for expanding your network as a new or recent college grad. For a more senior person seeking an opportunity, I think it may border on seeming desperate!

Some other important points...
Consider this type of marketing as part of your networking plan. I believe the best way to approach this is to hope to make connections who may be willing to help you with your job hunt.

Spend some time sprucing up the site where potential connections will wind up when they click through your ad. If that site is your linkedin profile, optimize it before you set up a campaign. If that site is your blog, make sure the blog is up-to-date and current and would appeal to your target audience.

Willy also notes (and I agree) that sealing the deal is key in this strategy. Just because you have an ad and people click through to learn more about you doesn't mean that you will get a job. Your follow-up and ability to demonstrate why you are a great networking link (and a great hire) depends on how you manage the follow-through.

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

Need help with your hunt? Did you know we offer a resume consulting service? We advise, you write! Or, hire us to write your resume for you. Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

Boston, MA

Jackson High lures students with academics

This is exciting news for the neighborhood! Excerpts from the article:

This year, Jackson High became the fourth high school in Atlanta City Schools to transform into smaller learning environments. The campus, formerly called Southside High, was renamed to commemorate the city’s first black mayor. A ceremony marking the name change takes place Thursday

Converted high schools contain different academic themes, similar to a university with distinct colleges. Jackson High offers three — information technology, engineering early college, and fine arts/media communications. Students pick an academy and spend their time with teachers and classmates in those areas. Each academy has its own math, English, science and social studies teachers, in addition to instructors tied to the academic theme.

Experience our coffeehouse-style service featuring fresh brewed, ground whole bean coffee. This Red Roof Inn is just off of I-85, within minutes of fine dining and a variety of shopping. This Red Roof Inn is located near Emory University, Oglethorpe University, Mercer College and Emory Hospital. This location offers On Command Video with a selection of free TV channels, pay-to-view premium channels, movies, music and games. It also offers internet access via TV for email and web browsing (daily fee applies).

Posted By Larry Micohn, Amerivest Realty of Portland Oregon - Real Estate Franchise

MyGym Buckhead location:  Tuesdays 3:00pm-3:45pm

My Gym East Cobb location:  Saturdays 10:00am-10:45am

Musical Concepts we'll work on- *steady beat* *tone* *fast/slow* *loud/soft* *basic rhythm*

Come to the My Gym Fun Fest Open House on Saturday, September 13th 10:00am-4:00pm (Buckhead) or Sunday, September 14th 10:00am-4:00pm (East Cobb) to see me do a demo class for FREE! 

My Gym offers age-appropriate, fun filled classes for children ages 6 weeks to 13 years.  Their program incorporates songs, games, dances, gymnastics, sports and tumbling in a non-competitive enviornment.  Call today and ask about their FREE Guest Class and FREE Membership! #404-252-1201

NFL Season Kickoff Preview of Giants-Redskins

Washington Redskins (0-0) at New York Giants (0-0)

Time: 7 PM EDT

TV: NBC

Forecast: Clear with temperatures falling from the low 80's to upper 70's by the end of the game and gentle breeze

PiRate: Pick

Mean: Giants by 4

Bias: Giants by 6

Vegas: Giants by 4

Over/Under: 41

Strategy: Go with the Giants in the moneyline at -210.  All my ratings (including some I don't publish) pick them to win this game by anywhere from 2 to 10 points.

The defending Super Bowl Champions kick off the NFL season against division rival Washington.  The Redskins play their first real game under new coach Jim Zorn.  Last season, the Redskins came into Giants Stadium and shut down Eli Manning and company in a 22-10 win. 

This game's outcome will be decided in one area:  how much of a pass rush can the Giants get without end Osi Umenyiora?  If they can put pressure on Washington quarterback Jason Campbell, then the defending champs will outscore the visitors.

Manning may have had his worst game as a pro last year in this game.  He will be ready to show the nation that he is ready to become a real star and challenge the Romos and Hasselbecks of the world.  I can see his QB rating moving up from 73.9 to the 90's.

The Vegas spread and my ratings are too close to recommend a straight play against the spread.  I also don't like the totals line for this game, as my ratings believe it could easily be a 21-20 game.

This game could be used with other games on Sunday as part of a teaser parlay.  In that case, I like Washington +14 if you play 10-point teasers (you must play a 3-team parlay).

Due to time constraints the last two weeks, I am not officially using this game in my bank account.  I will debut the bank account with my preview of the Sunday and Monday games.

Altanta Falcons Jonathan Babineaux

Spokesperson for Lupus Foundation

Georgia Chapter 

NFL star Jonathan Babineaux has joined forces with the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter to help raise awareness for lupus, one of the least recognizable and most misunderstood diseases affecting 55,000 Georgians and more than 1.5 million Americans.

Jonathan, who was recently inducted into the Port Arthur Hall of Fame along with his brother Jordan who plays for the Seattle Seahawks, through their Babineaux Brothers Foundation have been sponsoring fundraisers in their hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, to benefit lupus research for four years. Jonathan is now assisting Georgians living with lupus by helping highlight the programs, services and events provided by the Georgia chapter.

The Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter (LFAGA) is the only statewide valuable resource for lupus patients, providing thousands with educational information, physician referrals, resources, support groups and educational programs. 90% of every dollar raised stays in Georgia to support chapter programs.

Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, the LFAGA is hosting its first annual “Drive for Lupus Now” Golf Tournament at Towne Lake Hills Golf Club with PGA Tour’s Jason Bohn and Mark Strickland, the 2007 Georgia State Golf Association, Player of the Year. To play golf, sponsor a golfer or for more information on all chapter programs and how to get involved and make a difference for those living with lupus, visit www.lfaga.org or call 770-333-5930 or email info@lfaga.org

Due to the alarming increase in the number of people affected by lupus in their hometown, the Babineaux family raise funds to benefit lupus programs as well as building a community recreation center.