Sky-High Rewards

If you love flying to different destinations around the world or travel for business, then Emirates Airlines might be worth a try.  In case you're wondering, this post isn't a paid promotion.  I'm letting you know about an airlines that has excellent employees, including dedicated flight attendants, as well as fine in-flight entertainment and comfortable seats!  An added benefit is that organizations can sign up for Business Rewards, which they can redeem for tickets,  while their traveling employees simultaneously earn Skywards Miles.  The Skywards program lets customers redeem miles for merchandise, such as iPods and designer jewlery, or tickets.  For more information, please see http://www.emirates.com/us/english/business_rewards/Benefits/the_benefits_of_rewards.aspx.

Quick Career Courses

With many of us looking for a job or trying to keep one, now may be a good time to enhance job skills.  An easy method is to take online courses, such as those you can find at http://www.onehourcourses.com/.  Like the name says, these courses usually take about an hour to complete and include management, leadership, and other vital areas.  The prices are sensible--you can find a few free courses as well.  You can study when convenient, but once you purchase a course, you have 60 days to access it.  And, after finishing a course, you get a certificate, along with a more-marketable you.

A Convining Terrorist or An Innocent Woman?

 Even though the mainstream media avoided mentioning her case, the trial and conviction of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui may be one of the U.S. government's biggest wins or worst blunders.  Dr. Siddiqui, a Pakistani-American neuroscientist educated at MIT, went missing in 2003.  She was last seen with her three children in Karachi, Pakistan on her way to the airport.  According to the U.S. government, Dr. Siddiqui reappeared in Afghanistan in 2008, where she came out behind a curtain, picked up a rifle, and shot at two soldiers.  One soldier returned fire and wounded her in the torso, as the story goes.

This incident led to Dr. Siddiqui's Manhattan trial, where she faced attempted murder and other charges.  She contended that the U.S. government secretly held her in a prison, where she faced torture and rape.   And her family insists that Dr. Siddiqui has no links to terrorism.  Meanwhile, the government contends that her ex-husband's uncle, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mentioned her name in connection with terrorism.  Mmm, sounds reliable.

Terrorism is a real threat, no doubt, but what about due process?  Dr. Siddiqui's family has stated that the judge had, in essence, instructed the jury to find her guilty--he told them that aquitting her would mean a blemish on our government's record.  Wouldn't putting away an innocent woman for 30 or more years be a huge blemish? 

Your Story on Screen

Just about every U.S. immigrant has her or his own story to tell.  Your story may be about difficulty adjusting to a different culture or about someone who has helped make life easier.  Your story can be happy or a bit sad.  A group of talented people have come together to collect stories from average Americans who are immigrants or children of immigrants.

The project is known as "Choosing America," and its located at http://www.choosingamerica.com/.   Here, you can find out how to send your story, which can be from 1500 to 4000 words (roughly 2 to 6 pages long).  Then, the group in charge will choose some stories to turn into films and will produce a documentary about the authors.  According to the website, the authors will be able to keep the copyright to their work.

So, put your experience on paper and others may see your immigration story on screen.  Good luck!