Louisville’s Edgar Sosa (right) goes for a steal against Siena’s Edwin Ubiles as Louisville’s Preston Knowles comes in behind on March 22, 2009. Ubiles led the Saints with 24 points, tying him with the Cardinals’ Terrence Williams as the game’s high scorer.

DAYTON, OHIO – They despise each other for roughly 23 nights a year, though for some members of the Big East Conference it’s a full-time job. They are all one family now, though, unless and until the feuding resumes by necessity.

“As much as we hate Morgantown, West Virginia, we were disappointed when we heard Dayton pulled the upset,” Pitt point guard Levance Fields said. “We battle all year long, but when we get into tournament time, we want to see all of us advance.”

The Big East brotherhood might last a few more days before the Big East bloodbath reconvenes, but they’re going to enjoy it now. Seven teams from the conference were invited to the NCAA tournament, and most appear determined to hang at this party until the last Vitamin Water is empty.

In recent days, in spite of public furor over huge bonuses paid at American International Group Inc., the administration has concluded that it needs the private sector to play a central role in fixing the economy. So over the weekend, the White House worked to tone down its Wall Street bashing and to win support from top bankers for the bailout plan announced Monday, which will rely on public-private investments to soak up toxic assets.

But weeks of searing criticism by politicians and the public had left bankers leery of working with the government. After brainstorming about what to do about that problem, the White House resolved to try to take control of the debate, according to several administration officials. In weekend television appearances, President Barack Obama and other administration officials tempered their criticisms of the financial sector.
President Obama met with members of the National Conference of State Legislature at the White House speaking adamantly about how his $787 billion dollar bailout must be used wisely and that wasteful spending will be avoided. Video courtesy of Fox News.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and his colleagues worked the phones to try to line up support on Wall Street for the plan announced Monday. They told executives they don’t favor using the tax code to retroactively penalize specific individuals who had received bonuses, according to people familiar with the calls. They asked officials to sign on “in pencil, not ink,” and to “validate” or “express support” for the plan, these people say.

Some bankers say they turned the conversations into complaints about the antibonus crusade consuming Capitol Hill. Some have begun “slow-walking” the information previously sought by Treasury for stress-testing financial institutions, three bankers say, and considered seeking capital from hedge funds and private-equity funds so they could return federal bailout money, thereby escaping federal restrictions.

“Our great challenge is to make clear that we can’t have an economic recovery without Wall Street, but these AIG bonuses make it that much harder,” said David Axelrod, President Obama’s top political aide, in a recent interview.

The administration “is adjusting to find the right balance” between politics and policy, says Thomas Nides, chief administrative officer at Morgan Stanley. “The White House understands that to have a healthy Main Street, you need a healthy Wall Street.”

By rushing, Kyl said, Democrats were letting populist outrage trump informed decision-making in the Senate, which is supposed to be insulated from the pressures of public passion.

“I don’t believe that Congress should rush to pass yet another piece of hastily crafted legislation in this very toxic atmosphere, at least without understanding the facts and the potential unintended consequences,” Kyl said on the Senate floor. “Frankly, I think that’s how we got into the current mess.”

Senate Democrats said they will try again next week to take up the tax bill and hope to complete it before April 4, when Congress leaves for a two-week spring break. Combining the disparate House and Senate versions of the bill might have to wait until after the recess.

The Senate voted last month to block the bonuses at AIG and other companies as part of the $787 billion stimulus bill, but Democrats then watered down the measure allowing them after Treasury Department officials warned that the move could trigger lawsuits against the government.

Pressly also co-star as a longtime couple who bicker incessantly. (It is fun, though, to see Favreau play the arrogant jerk for a change and not the needy mensch.)

“I Love You, Man” didn’t need all that obvious, crass stuff. Its sensitive side was far more attractive.

“I Love You, Man,” a DreamWorks Pictures release, is rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references. Running time: 105 minutes. Three stars out of four.

by Romy LeClaire Loran, FindtheRightSchool.com

Choosing a career path can be challenging. Half of all college students change their majors at least once as they travel the sometimes bumpy road that will lead right degree. If you want to follow your dreams as well as provide for a certain future, take heart. As long as human beings continue to inhabit the planet, there are many worthwhile and fulfilling jobs that will never go away.

Accountant
As long as there are taxes, there will be a need for skilled accountants to work with clients, helping them keep their books in order. While accounting technology becomes more sophisticated, many accountants also assist clients with the technological aspects of record keeping and tax preparation. An online degree can prepare you for this field by providing accounting coursework and career training. Many assistant accountants begin with training and an associate’s degree. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, you could make an average annual salary of $63,180, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Computer Support Specialist
If you thrive on helping your friends and family solve their computer woes, consider becoming a computer support specialist. With computers playing such an important part of daily life, computer support specialists provide their clients much needed technical assistance. As a computer support specialist, you will meet with clients in person or answer questions remotely, via Internet, or on the phone. Many computer support specialists either have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or an associate’s degree in a computer-related program. In 2007, computer support specialists made an average annual salary of $45,300, according to the BLS.

 

 

Entrepreneur
To be an entrepreneur you need to be an independent, outgoing risk taker as you establish your own business or company. Although it may be hard to know whether a business will succeed, there will always be a need for a variety of goods and services and businesses to supply them. An online degree in business can help make your dreams a reality, as you earn your associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Although salaries can vary greatly with the self-employed, small business owners made an average annual wage of $36,000 to $75,095 in 2008, according to Pay Scale.

Mechanic
As anyone who commutes or runs to the store knows, we live in a nation of automobiles. If you know the make and model of every automobile that zips by and have an interest in what’s under the hood, consider becoming an automotive service technician or mechanic. Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose problems with cars and light trucks and fix them. Mechanics need to be analytical, good problem solvers, and willing to work with computerized diagnostic tools and programs as well as traditional tools. You can also specialize in an area such as brakes or cooling systems. Online career training can get you started. Programs range from six months to two years. Mechanics made an average annual salary of $36,480 in 2007, according to the BLS.

Paramedic
Paramedics make life and death decisions, assessing injuries and providing emergency medical care. To be a paramedic you have to be agile, strong, and be willing to work under pressure. Although the hours can be long, many paramedics find great satisfaction in helping others. An EMT paramedic has usually taken courses in anatomy and physiology and completed a one-to-two-year program — or the equivalent of an associate’s degree. Basic and intermediate certification can get you started in this fast paced, much needed career. According to the BLS, paramedics earned an average of $30,870 annually in 2007.

Teacher
As long as human beings continue to have children, there will be a need for teachers. If you enjoy working with young children and want to teach, you can make $50,040 on average annually if you are an elementary school teacher, and $52,450 annually if you are a secondary teacher, according to the BLS. Elementary teachers have the pleasure of teaching all subjects. Secondary teachers also get to follow their bliss. By focusing on specific certification areas, secondary teachers specialize in the subjects they want to teach. Many online programs can get you started towards a bachelor’s degree in education and certification.

Whatever your calling may be, with the right degree and career training, your career prospects for these much-needed jobs can help keep you from becoming outsourced or even worse, obsolete.