girl

I'm looking to buy a laptop, but I need it mainly to use MS Office- do any come with it (the full version, not just trial)?

Hi, does anybody know where I can buy wicker baskets for no more than $3 each?

We are making welcome baskets for our wedding guests and it has been unbelievably difficult to find the baskets. Online they are mostly sold in wholesale to retailers only. We need about 30.

I would prefer to buy them in person, not online. Any store suggestions? Specifically in the boston area? Thank you!

I've been looking for work through staffing agencies, and I'm not coming across the types of oppurtunities (or salary) I want.

I went to college, but I'm a semester's worth of credits away from graduating. I feel that as a college graduate I would probably have better oppurtunities come my way (whether its required for a job or not), especially since the recruiting companies are probably working with many others who do have degrees (it makes sense that they would forward those with the degrees the better jobs).

So my question is, is it worth lying on my resume and saying I've already graduated? Its not like I'm caliming to have a degree from Harvard either, its just a state university. Do staffing agencies actually verify these types of things?

Does anyone know which, if any, channel in India plays NFL games?

If not, where can I watch it online?

Thank you

Okay, I'm kind of confused about how icloud back up works...

So lets say I have 26 apps on my iPhone (named A-Z) and I decide to back it all up on icloud.

It is taking too long, though, so I go to "manage storage" and turn everything off except Apps A, F and H which I really need.

Those back up successfully and a few hours later I decide I want to back up apps B, D and E too so I turn those "on" in manage storage and do "back up now."

So my *latest * back-up now has all 6 apps right? Or just the three I turned on before the second back up?

I'm asking because when I get the iphone 5 and do "restore" it'll only give the option of the latest backup from this device and I want to make sure all the apps I want restored are restored not just the ones it added with my latest back up.

So I usually read the corresponding book after the season ends, but with two weeks to go before the final 2 episodes air I just couldn't help myself and I read ahead.

The thing is, I read the rest of ASoS, but excluded the Snow, Tarly, Davos and Dany POVs because I still want some surprises when I watch the show.

The problem is, now I can't stop and I want to continue reading the Cersei & Jaime POVs from AFfC...is it possible to do this without spoiling how the Snow, Tarly, Davos and Dany storylines ended in ASoS?

I just don't want to be reading Cersei's chapters and find out what happened with Stannis, or the wildlings at the Wall, you know?

How much farther can I read into AFfC with just the Kings Landing storylines without spoiling the others?

Thank you!

I'm visiting India and I'd like to watch American Football...does anyone know any websites where I can watch it live for free?

Thanks

About 2 months ago, I applied for a job at one of my favorite stores in the mall. They interviewed me twice and everything went really well. They said they would call me back within the week, but after not hearing back I called. The assistant manager told me they loved me but they're going to go in another direction.

The next day, she called me and said that they decided they want me for the holidays and they want me to do the paperwork now. I went in, did all the paperwork, they gave me the training packet to study the products and said they'll call in November when holiday training starts. I was hired.

After not hearing anything, and the holiday hiring/training in full force everywhere, I decided to call and ask when training is going to start. I asked to speak to the either manager and told the girl who I am and why I'm calling. She put me on hold, came back and said the manager is busy with a customer, but she (the manager) said that they are all set for the holidays and I should

try after the holidays.

EXCUSE ME??

I was already hired! I turned down other jobs because I had this one! I could have been working and earning for the past 2 months but I decided that this experience would be worth waiting for! And now- I'm jobless and holiday hiring is almost thru everywhere! Oh and, if I hadn't called they would have just left me hanging?!?

My question is, would it be totally inappropriate if I call, talk to the manager and tell her that I was counting on this job and next time they should be more respectful of the candidate by being decisive and informing them earlier?

I'm currently applying for various retail jobs and i'm not sure what to put under "Reason For Leaving" for my last job, which I was fired from (about 10 months ago).

Background:

To be honest, i'm still not sure why I was fired. When I started working there, there was no store manager and many of the assistant managers and supervisors were leaving. In short, it was a management disaster.

We eventually got a store manager, who seemed really nice, but her different expectations and the changes in management made things very confusing for us employees. For example, the new manager told us not to answer the phone at the register when we were with a customer (something we were asked to do before) and then when we wouldn't, one of the supervisors would ask us to.

Also, we were told by our previous supervisor that when we were assigned to the front section, we had to greet customers, but because they didn't want us to just stand around greeting, they also asked us to put fitting room clothes back where they belonged (often far away from the entrance). I always put the clothes back and I always greeted every single customer who walked through the door.

However, the new store manager fired me a few weeks after she came in saying that my personality was on the shy side and I wasn't greeting all the customers because I was often distracted with other work and was sometimes away from the entrance. This was not fair at all since I was performing all my duties as I had been asked to and I actually did greet every single customer.

We ended on good terms, she even let me work the next 2 weeks that I was scheduled for and we always talk when I go into the store. Also, I found out from a co-worker that everyone who used to work at the store, including assistant managers and supervisors, eventually got fired.

It seems to me that I was the first victim in a huge employee turnover and I feel like I was fired unfairly as a result of bad management.

Anyway, now, I'm not sure what to put on my application as "Reason for Leaving." I know honesty is the best policy, but I don't want employers to get the wrong impression about my quality of work by saying I was fired, and I really need a job right now.

One of the major issues I had with the store (aside from management) was the schedule. I'm in college;I have class in the morning and too often I was assigned late shifts that went until midnight. I almost quit the job because of scheduling conflicts, but alas, I was fired before I could quit. I would put "scheduling conflict" as a reason, but the truth is, that's not why I was fired.

Will they call the manager and ask why I was fired?

Are there any creative ways to word getting fired without making it sound so bad? I can always explain further in the interview (if I get one).

Now that its down to four teams, here are the possible Superbowl match-ups:

1. Colts vs Saints

2. Colts vs Vikings

3. Jets vs Saints

4. Jets vs Vikings

Who do you think would win in each match-up?

My picks:

1. Saints

2. Colts

3. Saints

4. Vikings

Since about halfway through the season, and especially today, there have been articles everywhere about how this is the end of the New England Patriots dynasty, or as some put it, their "aura of invincibility."

Look, I know they weren't great this season. As a Pats fan, I've seen them struggle on a weekly basis (except for 2 games). They were terrible on the road (only won 1 real road game), they weren't able to close out games, there were some bad coaching decisions and the defense was inadequate to say the least. To top it all off, today's game against the Ravens was downright embarassing.

Having said all that, is the dynasty over? Hardly.

Consider all the factors the Patriots had going against them this year:

Loss of veterans on defense, failure to find a third reciever, new (or lack of an) offensive coordinator, Tom Brady returning from a major injury after a year away, injuries (some main ones: Brady, Welker, Wilfork), and very tough schedule (they played the top defenses pretty much all year).

These are not excuses. My point is that DESPITE all of this, the Patriots ended up being the 3rd seed in the AFC. How is getting into the playoffs as the third best team in your conference a failure in any way?

To me, it seems like this was a "transition year"- and if the team was still able to make it into the playoffs as the third seed, that's, in a way, good news.

Sure, they didn't make it far into the postseason this year (if Welker wasn't hurt we probably could have gotten a bit further), but how many times have the Colts been in the postseason and gotten to the superbowl in the past decade? Once, right? Yet they are still considered an elite team that is "feared." How come the Patriots lose that so quickly?

I guess, in a way, its a testament to how good the team is- the expectations are so high that any time they don't make it to the Superbowl people freak out.

But do people really think that what's been built in New England over the past 10 years will diminish that quickly?

I know the idea of their "era" being over is really exciting for non-Pats fans, but guess what? A franchise like this does not go away in a blink of an eye. The Patriots will make the neccessary changes in the offseason and come back strong in 2010. How am I so sure? Robert Kraft, the owner who's made this franchise so great, is still there. The best coach in the NFL is still there. And one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game is still there.

I guess my questions are:

How does being the 3rd seed in the playoffs amount to "failure" and "the end of the dynasty"?

And,

Do you really think that just because of a few bad halves of football this season, and an earlier-than-usual exit from the postseason means the end of a decade-long dyansty?

How did you feel about the Colts sitting their starters last week and deliberately not going for 16-0?

I know this topic has been discussed to death over the last few days, but I was just curious how the fans felt.

(NFL network replayed the Patriots vs Giants final regular season game yesterday and I remembered how exciting and special it was to see them go 16-0)

Would you have preferred that they let Peyton finish the game and play this weekend in Buffalo or do you agree with the organization's decision?

See lame explanation here: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/30/po...

My opinion: As a Patriots fan, obviously I was really glad to see that they can't match our 16-0 record. But at that same time, it seems like a really stupid decision. I mean, how often does a team get a chance to make history like this? Its one thing to not have 16-0 be a goal, but when its staring you in the face how can you turn your back on it? Even though the Pats didn't go 19-0, at least they gave it an honest shot every time and like Tedy Bruschi said, they "had the guts to go for it." Also, going 16-0 is not the reason we lost the superbowl. Patriots won two great playoff games after 16-0 and lost the superbowl because Eli Manning made a great scramble and David Tyree made a ridiculous catch.

Now, if the Colts don't make it to the superbowl, people will say it was pointless to rest the starters. And if they do win, everyone will think about how they could have gone 19-0. Its a lose-lose.

I know everyone is sick of the endless "Brady vs Manning" saga, but there have been a lot of "team of the decade" and "players of the decade" lists over the past week and Peyton Manning has been chosen over Tom Brady most of the time. This is absolutely baffling to me as I think Brady is a much better quarteerback and it should at least be 50/50 between the two.

Obviously, both are very talented and skilled. However, Brady has 3 superbowl rings to Manning's 1. Not to mention that he won those three before Manning won his, eventhough Manning had been in the league longer. This stat alone should make the decision to pick which quarterback an easy one.

Yes, Manning puts up ridiculous numbers every time he plays, but when you ask someone in September what were so and so's stats the previous year would they remember? No. What they do remember is who won the superbowl. My point is, its great that he puts up crazy numbers, but what does it matter in the end if you can't play like that on the big stage?

(The only Manning record/stat that *really* mattered were his 49 tds in 2004, and guess who beat that record? Brady!)

When teams enter the playoffs, they're all starting at the bottom again. At that point a team that went 10-6 and is the No.6 seed has as much a chance of winning as the team that went 14-2 and is the No.1 seed. Its all about how you play from that point on that determines whether or not you get a superbowl ring. Rings are not given to people who have better stats.

Brady has consistently shown that he can handle the pressure and play his best when it really counts, whereas Manning has continually come up short, even though he's had a better team most of the time.

Not only has Brady won consistently, he's done it with different offensive coordinators, various wide recievers and in the cold weather. Oh, and he started out as a 4th string back-up and worked his way up and right now is having his second best season ever and leading his team into the playoffs once again in his first year back from an injury.

How much more does Brady have to do to show he's a better quarterback? He has 3 superbowl rings (would have been four if it weren't for a glue helmet) and yet people have more faith in Manning to lead an nfl team.

If I was choosing a quarterback I would choose the one who could win me a championship not the one who can fill up a stat sheet nobody cares about.

Clearly, most people don't feel the same way.

Which QB would you choose?