Maryland Schools Hiring Foreign Teachers

To help fill vacancies, our public schools are now hiring foreign teachers. There are pro's and con's with every situation, but it appears to be more con's with this idea and the schools are not resolving them.

Some of the teachers hired have a known language barrier and the message gets lost in translation. How does a teacher from a different country teach English and cannot master the language themselves? And what about those that do not adhere to the guidelines? Some believe those teachers get preferential treatment because they are foreigners, but at the expense of our students. So why are public schools continuing to hire more and more foreign teachers when their aware of the problems that exist? Is it more important to fill a vacant position?

Washington, DC and Baltimore, Modeling & Acting Casting Calls

Model needed for Bridal Show, Jan. 27, 2008

A dental practice, promoting their work needs a model for a Bridal Show. If you are not completely satisfied with your smile, they are willing to consult and trade services.

This is a great opportunity to get some cosmetic work completed for 1 day of work!

Requirements:
Female, 18-35, Petite

All interested parties, I need an email address and a contact number for you.


Several Dance Teachers Needed for studio in Baltimore City

Part-time Opportunity, teaching 3yrs old and up

Male or Female, ages 18-35
Exp in Ballet, Tap, Ballroom, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern
Rate of pay will vary

All interested parties, I need an email address and a contact number for you.


Note: I'm told there are approximately 5 acting requests coming through by Saturday, so everyone needs to check back to get the updates.

Coupons to use at Metro Area Shopping Malls and online stores

Check out this website, coupon cabin, to use at various malls:

Tyson Corner Mall and various online shopping
http://www.couponcabin.com/malls/tysons-corner-center/index.htm

PG Plaza Mall and various online shopping
http://www.couponcabin.com/malls/prince-georges-plaza/index.htm

Wheaton Mall and various online shopping
http://www.couponcabin.com/malls/westfield-shoppingtown-wheaton/index.htm

Laurel Mall and various online shopping
http://www.couponcabin.com/malls/laurel-mall/index.htm

Pentagon City Mall and various online shopping
http://www.couponcabin.com/malls/the-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city/index.htm

Tyson's Corner Mall, Best Shopping Mall on the Beltway!

I have frequented every mall around the DC beltway and the best mall is Tyson's Corner Center Mall. Tyson's offers stores for every shopper. Frugal shoppers to the affluent can find something at Tyson's Corner.

I love variety and I dread travelling mall to mall. You can spend hours in Tyson's Corner and find everything you want. Delia's, Gap, Old Navy, H & M, Cusp, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom and much more! They also have a movie theatre in the mall and several restaurants to choose from. Check out their website to see if your favorite store is listed. I'm confident, if don't see your store in their directory, there is another store comparable to what you want and want you are willing to spend.

The best part, if you don't have a car, you can take a metro bus there. Check out the DC Metro Transit website to plan your trip.


Tip: Check out Papaya store. They always have cute hoodies and t-shirts for under $20.

Career Moves in 2008

Many of us searching for a new job in the DC Metro Area target the Washington Post, Career Builder or Monster but there many other avenues to chase. Try checking a company website for job openings. A business will list opportunities on their own website before paying for outside advertisements. Craigs list is another good choice that has many overlooked opportunities. Now, the best advice before interviewing...Know something current about the
company by looking up their website or any news articles that can give you insight and topics to discuss at your interview; Have 2 or 3 questions prepared to ask about the position, especially about promotion potential. This gives the interviewer the idea that you are looking to stay at the company and grow; And lastly, when the interviewer ask you to tell about yourself, they want to know a summary of your professional highlights, not your personal information. Take 2008 by storm and begin making big moves!

Giant Food Store Commercial is a load of Bull!

This is so insignificant, but I must comment on that unbelievably, stupid Giant Food commercial, being seen in the Washington, DC metro area. They have this commercial with a woman reciting how her family shops at Giant Foods because their prices are so reasonable. She goes on to state how the family lives in a town home but are saving for a single family home and they shop at Giant Food because they save so much money. LOL. That is such a load of bull!
Giant Food is the more expensive store. More expensive than Shopper's Food, Food Lion, and Safeway, the major food chains in this area. And the advertising agency that talked them into filming that load of crap should give them their money back!

Papa John's Pizza and the Bubble Guts

I order pizza now and again and usually I have it delivered to my house. This time I went to Papa Johns and ordered and waited for my oily, bubonic pleasure and pain. And now I know why I don't order pizza more often. Let me explain what most people already know and still won't care. I watched as the young Papa Johns pizza maker reached for the dough, kneaded it, placed the sauce on it and spooned it around evenly. He needed to stop for a moment to help another customer who was picking up their order. He retrieved her pizza, took the money, returned the change and quickly went back to my pizza to finish it. He commenced placing the pepperoni, sausage, green peppers and onions on my pizza and placing into the oven. I just stood by and waited until he placed the pie into the box and called me up to the register. Now, I just told you everything that happened. Every move he made and you notice I never once mentioned sink, washing of hands, gloves, nothing. He did all of this without any gloves; Helped the other customer; Retrieved money and gave back change and went right back to making my pizza. No Gloves. No Soap or Water. No Antibacterial. But I paid for the pizza? I left with that pizza, knowing it spelled trouble. And now you know why your stomach began hurting when you last ate that pizza. Why do we still do stupid things that are potentially harmful to us?

Washington DC Casting Calls for Models & Actors

The Beltway Talkabout is pleased to begin broadcasting requests for local Models, Actor and Dancers. This is your opportunity to audition for local Fashion Shows, Feature and Short Films that are filming in the DC and Baltimore area.

All interested parties must follow up with an email back to Beltway Talkabout, informing us of your interest.

To Kick-off the New Year, here are our first Casting Calls:

Fashion Show Model Call - Local College Sorority Seeking Models for Fashion Show
Location: George Mason University
Fashion Show will be held April 26. Great Modeling/Runway Exposure

Looking for:

• Girls/Boys, 5-12 years old, youth sizes
• Teen Girls, 13-17, sizes 0-8Adult
• Females, 18 and older, Height 5'7" and Taller, sizes 0-16
• Teen and Adult Males, 5'10" to 6'4", Waist 29-36
• Auditions by Appt only! You must pre-register and make an appt!
• Leave a Comment here with your email address!
  
• Submission by Jan 10

Up and Coming Hip Hop Stars For a DC Reality TV

A public access cable show, called Da Cipher is seeking singers who want to promote their ability on this new reality TV show.

• Age Range - 18 to 35 Males and Females
• Leave a Comment here with your email address!
• Submission by Jan. 4

Full Length Feature Film will be shot in DC Metro Area Late Jan or Feb, 2008

• Starring Ed Norton
• Auditions not set yet! More details will be forthcoming. You must check back daily to get details.

Short Feature Film in DC

Casting for 4 roles

• #1 Will, Male age 20-25, any ethnicity
  character - lanky, funny, quirky like Zack Braff on Scrubs. In his first job on Capitol Hill.
• #2 Melissa, Female age late 20s to late 30s White
  character - professional, young at heart, weathered by political career
• #3 Bart, Male age early 30s to mid 40s, any ethnicty
  character - professional, expert in public relations, cynical, closeted gay
  Must have a valid driver's license.
• #4 Senator Fitzpatrick, Male, late 50s and up
  character - established politician in most sterotypical sense. Good humored, slightly aloof to minor details and surroundings.
• Must leave a Comment with your email address if interested!
• Submission by Jan. 4

Check back frequently. We will have updates at least 3 times per week.

D.C. Elevators Still Lack Legitimate Licenses

Yolanda Woodlee, staff reporter for The Washington Post reported a story back in March of 2006 about the lack of valid elevator certificates in DC buildings. Council Member, Jim Graham, was contacted and commented on the problematic elevator issues that plague DC; nonetheless, the issues remain the same. Let's shed some light on the uphill battle to bring businesses in compliance with DC laws.

DCRA issues all elevator licenses upon written proof from an inspector that the elevator is properly working. However, the investigator, most likely is a third party inspector, hired by the business seeking the license. Several problems exist with this scenario. First, isn't it a conflict to have a business paying their own inspector for a favorable report? Second, DCRA doesn't challenge any reports; they simply receive them at face value and issue the elevator certificate. Third, businesses that are unable to procure a favorable report for an elevator license simply do not seek a license out. The elevator remains in service without any valid certificate. Unless a business applies for their yearly elevator certificate, there are no follow-ups from DCRA to ensure businesses are compliant. Several buildings in Washington, DC that are leased by our Federal Government do not have a valid elevator certificate and Never have. Wouldn't a government entity ensure safety measurements are taken before leasing a building? How does a business get away with that? No certificate, no fines and no letters to the owners demanding compliance.

The Chop House, located on 7th and F Street was the scene of an elevator accident about two years ago. They still do not have a valid elevator certificate and DCRA has not followed up to ensure the owner is compliant. You would think a building that already had an elevator accident would be in the spotlight. No follow-ups send a message to property owners that DC is a push-over and rules do not pertain to them.

When riding an elevator, look to see if there is a certificate posted inside. If the plaque is blank or states “see elevator license in engineer’s office”, that’s a hint that the owner simply does not have a license

I would hope with a new mayor we could expect policy changes to force property owners to become compliant with DC laws.