Here's an interesting article that lists ten things not to put on your resume. Some of them are obvious, like lying, but some are a surprise. For instance you are no longer supposed to put an objective on your resume, which is good news as far as I am concerned. I was always tempted to put "To do my best while feeding and clothing my family."

http://www.fins.com/Finance/Articles/SB130021278360394737/The-Ten-Worst-...

If you are one of the many people who were adversely impacted by defective drywall from China you will be interested in this article about a settlement.

"A global settlement has been reached between Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin and thousands of homeowners who filed a lawsuit who claimed that the company's tainted Chinese drywall product was used to construct their properties and severely damaged their homes."

http://www.mortgageservicingnews.com/msn_features_reo/pay-1-billion-defe...

I hope the money will help make up for the pain and suffering caused by this serious problem.

Here is an interesting article from Employee Benefit News that talks about tax breaks that many disabled people miss out on. The point about earned income credit is especially important. You may not need to file taxes but it's often worth it if you can claim a credit. http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/tax-breaks-disabled-overlooked-2710008-1...

If you give your pets chicken jerky treats you should take a look at this recall. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/fda-repeats-warning-on-chicken-jer...

Chicken jerky may be making dogs ill and may be causing their deaths. From the release:

"FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died."

You can make your own jerky pretty easily and then you know what exactly is going into it. I'm guessing it's also cheaper to make your own.

Some good news for those who are at risk for scammers came out today. Google and SIGTARP teamed and suspended the accounts of more than 500 advertisers suspected of illegal activities regarding loan modifications.

"The most common scams included asking homeowners for an upfront fee and telling them to stop paying their mortgage and cease all contact with their lender.

They also included diverting mortgage payments to the scammers, transferring property deeds, and releasing personal information. Some also claimed to be affiliated with the federal government."

http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/dailybriefing/2010_478/sigtarp-googl...

If you're on the lookout for low cost or free turkeys, for you or another person or family in need, and are in the Washington DC area, check out this story which discusses an organization trying to help nine thousand families this year.

http://dcentric.wamu.org/jp/gobble-gooble-free-turkeys-in-d-c/

This page has some helpful information regarding two different programs designed to help those who are overwhelmed with student debt. http://www.ibrinfo.org/what.vp.html

One is Income-Based Repayment (IBR), which can help you make your payment affordable. Most people should be able to have payments that are ten percent of their earnings or less, depending on how much they're earning.

Another program is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), which forgives debt after a certain number of years in certain fields, like teaching.

Both of these programs are worth looking into.

Fans of Firefly and Serenity will want to check out the new rap album from Adam WarRock called Browncoats Mixtape.

Check out a sample here:

More information here http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113394-Rapper-Releases-Tribute... or you can just download for free here http://www.adamwarrock.com/browncoatsmixtape/.

Songs to Test By, Volume Three, is now available for free from Valve, makers of Portal and Portal two. Volumes one and two were downloaded two million times so you should hurry and get volume three before everyone jumps on the bandwagon. http://www.thinkwithportals.com/blog.php?id=6409&p=1

If you're in Anne Arundel County and thinking about getting a flu or a pneumonia shot you might want to head over over to the county health clinics, where you can get the shots for free. A list of days, times and locations are found here: http://www.aahealth.org/pdf/flu-clinic-walkins.pdf