With more than 800 million users, including 150 million in the U.S., Facebook is a must-have for connecting online. with a “mere” 90 million users so far, Google+ can’t be a replacement for Facebook. But with great design and unique features, it makes a good addition. in fact, in a lot of ways Google+ is better.

Design  Google+ has simple and consistent navigation that even carries over to the mobile app (more on that later). a five-button menu bar at the top of each page links to the five main sections: Home, Photos, Profile, Circles (friend groups) and Games.

Like Facebook, Google+ has a Home page dominated by a stream of detailed status updates from friends. all the tools—such as filtering updates by Circle or starting up a chat—live in a narrow left-hand column.

Facebook’s left column is cluttered not only with friend lists and chat tools, but also links to other sections, such as messages, events, groups and apps. its Timeline profile page presents a fascinating chronology of the user’s life via status updates, photos, events and affiliations with schools or jobs. Winner: Google+

Posting  Both Google+ and Facebook provide easy ways to share the right info with the right people. the basic method is the same. Type something and/or click to select media, such as a photo. Then decide who sees it: both networks make that easy with drop-down lists of friend groups that users have created.

Facebook’s cool special features include allowing people, using the Timeline view, to tag an update as a specific life event, with icons such as “Family & Relationships” or “Travel & Experiences.” Winner: Draw

Sharing Media  With a madly growing trove of photos and videos (at the moment about 140 billion photos alone), Facebook is a must-post location. Facebook allows sharing pictures up to 960 x 720 pixels, about seven-tenths of a megapixel. That’s fine for viewing online, but not for archiving high-quality copies. Videos can run up to 20 minuets and the entry-level 720p HD resolution

Google+ takes photos up to about four megapixels. It can also link to pictures on Google’s photo-sharing site, Picasa, where image size is unlimited. Videos play up to 15 minutes and at quality up to the the maximum HD resolution, 1080p, Winner: Google+

Managing Friends  With both Facebook and Google+, filtering the audience is pretty easy using lists. in Facebook, simply clicking on a Friend list brings up the news feeds for everyone in the group. a “Manage Lists” button on the top right of the page allows filtering what shows up (status, photos, game updates…) as well as adding or removing list members. Google+ uses friend lists called Circles that work pretty much the same way.

Facebook provides a jumpstart by automatically creating “Smart Lists”—with groupings for friends who went to the same school, worked at the same job or even live in the same city, for example. Google+ doesn’t suggest Circle groupings. Winner: Facebook

Following People  Approaching 1 billion members, Facebook has a lot of interesting people who can’t all be friends. As with Twitter, Facebook allows users to follow posts from can’t all be actual “friends.” But users can subscribe to feeds of anyone’s public status updates. all those followed-but-not-friended people appear in a single list called “Subscriptions.”

On Google+ a user can also follow anyone but also file them in multiple Circles. Winner: Google+

Messaging, Chat and Video  In messaging and chat, Facebook and Google+ are nearly identical: Just pick a name and type.

Both offer video calling. in Google+ It can be an add-on for a one-to-one chat, but it’s also for groups. Any friend in a Circle, or on any ad-hoc list, can accept an invite to a Hangout—where everyone sees everyone else at the same time. Winner: Google+

Entertainment  Facebook offers a trove addictive games such as “Gardens of Time,” “The Sims Social” and “Cityville” (the top three for 2011). and major music services such as Spotify and Rdio pump the name of songs that users listen to right into the status updates to show off musical tastes.

Google+ is currently offers only about 30 games, though it says many more are coming from publishers including EA, Playfish and Zynga. the only entertainment updates it shares are what someone watches on YouTube or listens to on Google Music. Winner: Facebook

Mobile  Both networks offer similar iPhone and Android phone apps. As on the web, Google+ is easier to navigate: low-fi icons on a Google-esque white home page link to most of the same key sections on the website, such as Circles, Photos and Profile.

Extras include group messaging and, on the Android version, automatic photo upload to a private online album. But Google+ doesn’t yet have apps for iPads or Android tablets.

Facebook opens to the basic news feed, with buttons for posting status updates and checking messages. the gory details are revealed only by clicking a button that opens a massive left-side menu with items including Timeline view, events, friend lists, groups, chat and many others. the iPad app is virtually identical. Winner: Google+

Overall Winner  Good design goes a long way. together with a fresh perspective on how people socialize in groups, Google+ dominated this contest. But that’s only for the features that the two networks have in common. There are plenty, such as events, that Google doesn’t even offer. Facebook is also a better choice for entertainment, such as games and sharing music. Google+ will undoubtedly grow in both features and users. the service is more than promising enough to keep as an alternative alongside Facebook.

  *   Hands-on with iBooks 2 and iTunes U: the Future of Education?   *   Apple Revinvents Textbooks with iBooks 2, iBooks Author   *   Analyst: iBooks 2 could Be One of Most Important Apple Announcements Ever

Copyright 2011 Laptopmag.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Facebook vs Google+: What’s the best social network?

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BY MARK CUMMINGS Editor-at- Large, Western Bureau cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, January 12, 2012

MONTEGO BAY, St James — NEWLY appointed Junior Agriculture and Fisheries minister Ian Hayles, says his administration will be looking to agriculture to create sustainable investment and employment.

“We all know that jobs are lacking in the sector and in the island overall. but there are some sectors that can get us some immediate jobs and long-term jobs also, and I believe that there is no other sector and no other ministry that can create jobs as the ministry of agriculture, bearing in mind the multiplier effect that it has,” he explained.

he said among the crops that will be given priority attention by his ministry are cocoa, turmeric and ginger.

“When we look at cocoa for example, we will have to revive the entire industry because we are really not satisfying the market that we have for it. the same goes for turmeric, and more importantly ginger,” Hayles told the Observer West.

the 40-year-old Hayles, who was returned as Member of Parliament for Western Hanover in the December 29 general election, said his ministry will also be examining ways to attract youths to the agricultural sector.

“One of the big problems is how to attract young professionals into farming and so we have to find a way how to engage them and also to make farmers; earn to take care of their families, while at the same time create a robust ministry of agriculture in going forward,” he argued.

Noting that the country’s annual food import bill is roughly US$700 million, the junior minister said his administration, also plans to reduce food imports on a phased basis.

“Cutting our food import bill will enable us to increase production which will allow the economy to grow and create jobs,” he emphasised.

Hayles said he and Agriculture minister Roger Clarke plan to bring a “sense of business” to the agriculture sector, in a bid to ensure that the goals of the Portia Simpson Miller-led administration can be accomplished.

Hayles, whose Western Hanover constituency has in recent years seen a marked decline in agriculture, told the Observer West that he plans to reverse the trend.

he said he plans to increase the production of turmeric, cocoa and yam in the constituency, within the “shortest possible time”.

New administration targeting agriculture to create investment and jobs — Hayles

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In the state of new York, there are nearly 20,000 people. and that means a lot of hospitals, doctor’s offices, health clinics, and specialty medical centers. and who runs all those medical facilities? Nurses if you are considering a new York nurse job, you should remember how many nurses are needed to run every single medical office and hospital. this means you’ll never be out of a job. The nurse jobs of new York are your future.

If you are already a new York resident, then you are in luck. new York City alone has over 20 public hospitals Additionally, the health care industry in new York City employs 375,000 people. and that’s just one city; imagine how many more jobs are available in the rest of the state. With so many new York nurse jobs out there, well-trained nurses can do very well for themselves. if you’re looking for a great career in the state of new York, you’ve found it.

Nurses are needed almost anywhere. but if you feel that as a great nurse, you aren’t making the kind of money you should be, you might consider re-locating. With so many new York nurse jobs and a high paying medical job market, this state should be at the top of your list of new destinations. Care for patients in the bustling city of new York, or spread your wings and share your nursing skills in a smaller town upstate. The beautiful state of new York welcomes you with many competitive nurse positions, a booming economy, and a network of medical professionals.

If you want one of the many new York nurse jobs, then you need a good education. The state of new York is home to many nursing schools and programs to choose from. Or you might choose to complete some or all of your nurse training online or through correspondence. you can get your hands on some of the great money to be made as a nurse in new York.

New York Nursing Jobs

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NEW YORK | Thu Dec 1, 2011 1:15pm EST

NEW YORK Dec 1 (Reuters) – New York’s tax code should berevised so that it helps create jobs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said,according to media reports this week.

If that happens, the state’s wealthiest residents may windup being taxed at a higher rate.

New York, like many states, has found it much harder tobalance its books because tax revenue has remained depresseddue to the recession and the halting recovery that followed.

Cuomo, who is consulting with his group of private economicexperts, is quoted in Thursday’s edition of the Daily News:

“If you use the tax code right, it’s a potent economicgenerator. if you use it incorrectly, you can stiflebusiness.”

The New York newspaper cited the Democratic governor’sinterview with Albany radio station TALK 1300 AM.

For more than a year, the Democratic-led Assembly has beenpushing Cuomo and the Republican-led state Senate to extend anincome-tax surcharge on millionaires that expires this year.

Cuomo has fought back, saying this risks driving people tomove to lower-tax states.

But in recent weeks, Cuomo has said that no decision shouldbe made before the facts have been assessed.

And on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal said the governormight revise the state’s income tax by creating a new bracketfor the wealthy, which would be slightly below the current toprate of 8.97 percent, but slightly above the previous 6.85percent top rate.

Spokesmen for Cuomo had no immediate comment on the taxissue or on the possibility of amending the state’sconstitution to legalize more casinos — an issue thatresurfaced, according to Thursday’s Daily News article, afterit first arose this summer.

There is the possibility of asking the voters to legalizecasinos by approving an amendment to the state’s constitutionin 2013. That referendum could go before the voters only if itwas first approved by the current legislature and the one thatwill succeed it in the next election.

New York now limits casinos to a few Indian resorts.

Any new legalized gambling venues would have to compete notonly with New Jersey’s Atlantic City resorts, but withConnecticut’s Native American casinos and the more recentgambling halls opened in Pennsylvania.

NY’s Cuomo wants tax-code tweak to create jobs -media

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Twenty-five million dollars missing or unaccounted for. Shocking headlines and stories similar to this appearing in local newspapers recently is what has finally brought attention to the ever growing world of corruption in school districts on Long Island. Many of the recent news stories that have appeared in local papers focus on the horrible financial mismanagement and theft that has been going on in school districts for many years unchecked. The real problem is not being examined or addressed. how did such large amounts of money in various districts disappear without anyone blowing the whistle on the offenders? When this question is examined one will likely find that the root cause of the problems that many districts currently face relates to nepotism and patronage. if there is an inundation of family members and friends that are holding all the jobs in a district then the likelihood of someone blowing the whistle and stopping the offenders decreases dramatically due to family loyalty. The nepotism and patronage problems that many districts face have many more negative effects than just financial mismanagement. Nepotism can have adverse effects on the teachers’ unions, students and the district as a whole.

Dictionary.com defines nepotism as, favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs). When it comes to getting a job in the field of education, teacher Rich Brown says, what you know is not as important as who you know (personal communication, February 24, 2006). well qualified teachers with years of experience and impressive resumes are being declined for jobs that are being awarded to recent college graduates whose teaching certifications have not even been approved by new York State yet. The reason for this occurrence, which happens all too frequently, is nepotism. The aforementioned recent college graduate is awarded the much sought after job over other more qualified candidates because he or she is the relative of someone in that school district. Not since the days of Andrew Jackson has the belief in to the victor go the spoils been so alive and well as it is in the contemporary educational job market. he who is in charge gets to pick the people that will get the jobs.

Demonstrating nepotism when awarding teaching jobs is particularly dangerous because of the product that the employee is working with. The minds of the youth should not be placed in the hands of anything but the most qualified individual that can give them meaningful and accurate instruction. by giving out jobs based on nepotism, the students in the affected school districts are being instructed by teachers that may not be the most qualified individuals to give instruction. sometimes teachers are actually fired if possible, or relocated to other pilot programs outside of their teaching area in order to create an opening for someone’s relative that wants a job. in one school district on Long Island a teacher that I interviewed was not given a position when it opened because that teacher’s student teacher (who she was entrusted with the responsibility of teaching how to give instruction) became available for the job at the same time that she was to be considered and the student teacher was the son of the director of personnel. Standards are increasing in new York and the country and teacher quality is decreasing. Students are expected to accomplish more in less time and teacher quality is decreasing. Students are expected to score higher on mandatory exams and teacher quality is decreasing. While all other aspects of education and student performance seem to be moving forward, the hiring process of school districts has slipped backward to 1829 and the Jacksonian Era with jobs being awarded capriciously.

Teachers and other district employees should also promote positive, non-discriminatory, merit-based employment practices. Teachers and other employees who did not have to work hard to get their jobs often times do not feel the need to work hard to defend their jobs. in these troubling economic times job security is a great concern for many people. Teachers are constantly plagued by the worry that the state or federal government may reduce financial aid to their respective districts requiring the district to make staffing cuts. it is not uncommon to have members of teachers’ unions rally in state capitols to try to secure funding for the upcoming school year. it is also not uncommon for members of teachers’ unions to canvas the neighborhoods of their employment district encouraging taxpayers to approve the upcoming budget. unfortunately it is also not uncommon to find only veteran teachers with many years on the job and little to worry about in terms of job security out defending the newer teachers who do not bother to show up. Many newer teachers that secured jobs through nepotism feel no need to defend their jobs when the time comes to do so. this occurs because they had no trouble getting their teaching job; therefore, less value is placed on that job and the need to protect it. People tend to place greater value on things they work hard to obtain and that is not the case for those who secure jobs through nepotism. Teachers who receive jobs through nepotism are weak union members unwilling to fight for their jobs and afraid to anger the relatives that provided them with the jobs in the first place. Nepotistic hiring practices hurt teachers’ unions.

Less qualified teachers in the classrooms and a weakened teachers’ union not willing to work hard to protect job security can have a detrimental effect on the district as a whole. if a teacher does not have experience in the subject matter being taught and is not willing to better him or herself, then student performance will likely suffer. The lack of experience and motivation on the part of the new teachers will lead to poor classroom instruction and may cause mandatory exam scores to drop. When exam scores drop, schools loose state and federal funding. When state and federal funding is lost it becomes the burden of the taxpayers of that district to compensate for the loss in funding. in order to compensate for loss of funding school taxes are increased. Increased school taxes, coupled with reports about poorly performing schools will lead to property value losses district-wide. as school districts try to correct the problem it can also become very costly to remove ineffective teachers that have tenure, which is why the selection process is suppose to be thorough and merit-based. if too many relatives are working in a district together there is also increased likelihood that the problems will persist for a long time without notice due to internal cover-ups. The process of correcting the problems resulting from nepotistic hiring practices can be very costly and time consuming.

Nepotistic hiring practices are not just a problem in new York. Investigations into, as well as stories and complaints about, districts riddled with nepotism can also be found in many other states. in Oklahoma the state legislature has actually taken legislative action to deal with the nepotism problem in school employment practices by issuing House Bill 2479, which bans residents from holding board of education positions if their relative is employed by the school district and vice versa (Rousselot, 2006). Superintendent Dawson of Camden new Jersey was found to have had seven relatives on the district payroll when the state of new Jersey audited the district back in 1996 (Pristin, 1996). an article from February, 2003 in the Pittsburg Post-Gazette also revealed a significant nepotism problem in numerous school districts throughout the state of Pennsylvania (McKay). The presence of nepotism in school district hiring practices is a widespread problem and deserves the attention of the entire nation and, most certainly, the attention of the citizens that reside in districts with nepotistic hiring practices.

With nepotism being such a widespread problem people may wonder what they can possibly do to combat the issue. When it comes to the problem of nepotistic hiring practices in school districts the local public actually has much more power that it often recognizes. Education is controlled on a state level, which immediately eliminates the worry of having to combat federal bureaucracy to get the problem solved. Not only is education regulated by individual state governments, but education is often more closely regulated on a local level by school boards. The names of school employees are considered public information and are available to the community at any time. Concerned members of the public need only ask for the names of employees, compare similarities and ask informed questions. if it is found that nepotism is a problem in the district than pressure can be put on the board of education to address the unfair hiring practices. Many school districts have adopted new employment policies after prompts from the local community to eliminate nepotistic hiring practices. if a sufficient number of citizens complain to their elected state representatives it is possible to have statewide legislation enacted that addresses the nepotism problem as well, just as was seen in Oklahoma. Education is regulated on a state and local level and problems with district hiring practices can be dealt with by concerned members of the public seeking out their elected representatives and pressuring them to attend to the matter promptly.

In 1883 the United States Congress passed the Civil Service Act. this was done to try and eliminate some of the corruption associated with the spoils system and capricious distribution of government jobs to unqualified individuals. The civil service system has been used since 1883 to award government jobs to the best qualified candidates. Prospective employees for government jobs must submit to exams that measures their skill levels. Jobs are subsequently awarded based on the score that applicants received on the exam; the higher the exam score the better position an applicant receives on the list of potential employees. Teachers in new York are required to submit to two exams before they are able to obtain their teaching certificate. The scores on the exams measure the teacher’s competence in subject matter, ability to reason and knowledge of teaching techniques. these exams are only used in determining whether or not a teacher deserves state certification, however, and play no role in the employment process after that point. After one hundred twenty-three years since the advent and implementation of the civil service system and millions of dollars worth of financial mismanagement and corrupt business practices later, new York state has still not figured out that scores on certification exams may be able to serve a greater purpose. what better way to reform hiring practices then to capitalize on the system of evaluation already in place. using teacher certification exams as a tool to award jobs to the most qualified individuals is one way to avoid having jobs awarded just to relatives of board members, administrators and other teachers. it also helps to justify giving a relative a job if he or she actually scores high on the exam and proves to be the most qualified individual.

Ultimately, the job of monitoring nepotism in school districts falls upon the public. if the public is well informed and gets involved in community affairs then the chances of such egregious hiring practices occurring will decrease. The public can also push for legislative action to ban nepotistic hiring practices locally and statewide. Practicing nepotism in educational employment is inappropriate and can have horrible effects on the students, other teachers and the community that allows the practice to take place.

Nepotism in Schools: Is the Teacher in the Classroom With Your Child Qualified?

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What do i need to get to start playing dungeons and dragons and around how much will it cost? is it like just one big kit? also i was reading dungeons and dragons for dummies and it only lists for classes(jobs or whatever) like fighter, spellcaster, cleric, and rogue, arent there more?

If there are people already part of a group that are playing, make sure you find out which edition they are using. As the others mentioned, the latest version is 4th edition, which only hit stores last month. there are probably a lot of organized groups who were using edition 3.5 (or even earlier) and don't plan to change for now (and the various editions are not compatible with one another).

Regardless of the edition, the only thing you really need as a player is the player's handbook (or PHB). I believe the D&D for Dummies book really only covered 3rd edition classes – 3.5 added quite a few more in the core books and more still in the various expansion books. the first 4E core book pared it back down to about 8 or 9, but there will be additional PHBs coming out (at least one a year) which will expand things out again.

Don't have the books handy, but IIRC the original 3.5 classes were barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer and wizard. most of the various expansion books (Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, etc.) each added a couple more (like warlock, warmage, scout, beguiler, marshal, etc.)

4E's original set of classes (likewise, IIRC) are cleric, fighter, paladin, wizard, warlock, warlord and rogue. the PHB2 to be published next year will probably include at least some of the base classes from 3.5

It really depends, from $0 to a whole $$$. D&D for dummies is a good book. They are the basic classes, you have to buy additional resource books. I sugguest that you stick with the basic classes in the beginning. Heck, I still stay with the basic races and classes and I have been playing over 25 years.

You would need at least two set of dice, the three core books, pen, paper, and graph paper. But if you find a group that will teach you and share their books all you need is pencil and line paper (or not)

They also have a startup "kit" that gives you a small taste of it with out spending a lot of $$ if you group doesn't have any books. I'm think it is about $29.99 I suggest this product, but I don't think they have one for 4th Edition yet and I'm not talking about the Player Kit.

To find a group try school bulletins,library, search for groups on website, meetup.com, or do a post at other D&D websites.

There are lots more. Spallcaster? That's 2e. (Second Edition) What's the copyright date on your DnD for Dummies book? anyway, as for money: it all depends on whether or not you are DMing (going to be the Dungeon Master). if you are going to DM, then it will be more expansive. if you aren't going to DM, then you'll need to find someone to DM for you. you will be playing 4e., right? if so, the books are about $30-$35 each, unless you get them 2nd hand. if you are going to DM, you will need the Dungeon Master Guide, the Player's Hand Book, and the Monster Manuel. you will also need at least one set of DnD die (it will help if you had a set for each person) It's up to you whether or not to use miniatures and grids (they really do help, though). if you aren't going to DM, then it would be really helpful to your DM if you would at least buy a Player's Hand Book and a set of dice for yourself.

I just DMed for my first time today. it was fun!

GOOD LUCK to yourself!!

To play D&D, you will need to buy the following:

3 books:
The Player's Handbook
Dungeon Master's Guide
Monster Manual

A set of dice (not the same as regular dice).
4-sided
6-sided
8-sided
10-sided
12-sided
And 20-sided

A lot of paper and pencils. All this can run you between $60-$120. if you're on a budget, and you're very creative, you can get by with just the player's handbook and the dice, although your game will be very limited. Alternately, you could get the dice and buy "keep on the Shadowfell", a D&D adventure book that contains a basic rules summary, and does not require you buy the books to play. no matter what, you will need D&D dice.

To play DnD you need the core handbooks unless someone else is being the DM (Dungeon Master)( in which case you only need a players handbook), paper, pencil and a set of dice. the latest edition is 4th edition and its a very user friendly edition so the instructions should be good. there are more classes then those you listed and they are all in the players handbook. my group still plays 3.5 (wasn't released too long ago) because they didn't like some of the rule changes but it should be just fine. the core gameplay is the same so you should have a good time also .

Heres a site that has them: http://tinyurl.com/6evcdm

Absolutely nothing! find a dungeonmaster at a local game convention and the DM will talk you through the game. now if want to spend money, you can. buy the books, buy and paint figures, buy adventures, buy dice and buy terrain.

A good place to start might be the Wizards of the Coast Website.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd…

What do i need to get to start playing dungeons and dragons?

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im looking for an overnight to pay for school but ive only worked in mcdonalds so what overnight jobs can i apply for… im a kinda weak female so i didnt want strenuous

What overnight jobs are available in nyc for a beginner in th job field?

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My boyfriend and I are having a heated debate. I want to move to new York City when we get married and he says Chicago. Which, in your own personal opinion, will have more job opportunities for a couple, one majoring in Medical Technology and the other majoring in Physics and Spanish?

He's right, move out to Chicago. good Luck!

You can get jobs in either place. Chicago will have better cost of living than NY.

Chicago has a great downtown,

Move to Chicago. there are enough job opportunities in the fields you mentioned, to enable both of you to get great jobs. the cost of living is lower in and around Chicago.

Either one will have lots of job opportunities for you both. You may get more money in new York, but the higher cost of living will eat that up very quickly.

Where is better to get a high paying/decent job? New York City Or Chicago?

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i need help , looking for a spring/summer in manhattan , 5th ave. to be specific. i have never worked before, but i have done a little community service inside and outside of school. can you please give me a list of jobs that i can possibly do part time. nothing in food or anything. I'm looking for more of Retail job. something with clothes , shoes , or computers. I'm looking for something that pays $8.50 and up. in the Spring i can work on weekends like Saturday and Sunday , or the Summer from late June to late August. in the Summer i can work for 32 hours a week.

Please i need help early because i like to be prepared in advance. I need an idea so a few weeks before Spring i can start applying.

Please if you can give me all the stores on 5th ave. that you think would be hiring….. name all the stores you know in that area. (if your going to answer please answer seriously)

Thank you ALOT!

put on some patriotic-colored daisy-dukes, cover your nipples with patriotic-colored tape, grab a guitar, and stand around smiling with people

List of spring/summer jobs an 18 year old can get on 5th ave. manhattan?

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What is the best website to find work in the NYC area?

www.newyorktimes.com

it is the best website to find anything in new york

Best Website to Find Jobs in the NYC Area?

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