After a long (OK, only one season) absence from San Antonio, the Dallas Cowboys are making their way back to the Alamo City for their annual training camp. And while this season won't be featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" like last season (the Bengals will have that honor), there is sure to be plenty of story lines and drama coming out of camp. Thankfully none of that drama will be due to T.O.

Tuesday, July 28 is the Kickoff Event with the first practice being the next day at 2:15 p.m. From there, the Cowboys hold a few one-a-day and several two-a-day practices, most of which are open to the public. The first scrimmage is an away game vs. the Oakland Raiders on August 13.

The official Dallas Cowboys site has the full schedule for all of the Alamodome-based practices.

To those who subscribe to my weekly newsletter, I apologize in advance. The newsletter somehow got sent early and it send a draft from last week instead of this week.

I promise next week will be newer content. But you can explore the site to see what is new, even without links in the newsletter.

Thanks for your readership!

I've never liked the name of this show. I know it's a play on words but the implications ... well, I'll leave it at that.

But no matter my feelings on the name of the show, the help it provides obese people in gaining back their health is undeniable. And now, San Antonians have a chance to be on the show.

The Biggest Loser will hold auditions here in the Alamo City this weekend. Get yourself down to Nix Downtown, 414 Navarro St from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. for your chance. But make sure to bring a family member - you must audition as a pair from the same family.

If you can't make it to the auditions in person, you can still fill out an online form and send in a video audition. You can go to the official site to download the form and the rest is up to you. Good luck!

With job loss being such a big issue right now, it is good to know that there are some areas of the job industry that are actually growing, and have a need for new hires.

Workforce Solutions Alamo recently released a report that gave a list of 33 jobs that will need immediate and/or future hires. If you have ever thought of a career change or just desperately need a job, you may want to consider these fields:

Teaching assistants
Auditors
Accountants
Civil Engineers
Carpenters
Electricians
Dental Hygienists
Loan Officers
Insurance Sales Agents
Nurses

For a full list of the occupations most in-demand, see the full article. The good folks over at WOAI also released a recent article about "Hot Jobs" -- in this case, air conditioning repair.

First, the good news-- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s chief economist said that an end to the current recession is "just around the corner."

The bad news? He then goes on to say that there is a 15-20% chance that the economy will fall into a 'double dip' or second recession.

At first, it seems that 15-20 percent is a low number. But considering that the average chance of this happening is 5 percent or lower after a recession, you will see that this is an increase of 300-400% chance.

Is this more doomsday predicting, or a built-in excuse if the economy recovery is NOT 'just around the corner?' Read the full article at the San Antonio Business Journal to decide.

Ah, the Fourth is upon us, and so quickly! I don't know where June went to but July is here and it's time to celebrate Independence Day. Despite the scorching heat, there will be plenty to do in San Antonio for the Fourth of July.

Woodlawn Lake has their usual fireworks spectacular, but get there early, parking is a pain! I should know, I used to live two blocks from there! There will be lots to do all day from 10:00 a.m. all the way until 9:00 in the evening, with the fireworks starting right around sunset.

Lackland AFB will also have a fireworks spectacular that starts at approximately 9:45 p.m. Parking is free and so is the fireworks but you must be able to show legal, government-issued ID for each person coming in and proof of up-to-date insurance for base access. Again, parking and crowds could be an issue so get there early. No coolers, cameras or pets.

The Sunken Gardens Theater will hold the largest San Antonio 4th of July celebration. It starts at 8:00 p.m. and will feature the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra.

If you don't require fireworks to get your 4th party fix, try the Black Light Art Party. From their blog: "Celebrate Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio as the creatures who brought you the Black Light Art Party & Black Light Art Party: Transparent Spectacular return for a third year of fluorescent madness! Black Light Art Party @ The Calcasieu Gallery on Broadway! Michael Aaron Casares, Ernest Vidal & Gil Casares, Eneida Garcia and more display a vast array of new work as well as some memorable favorites from previous years."

Graffiti or 'tagging' as some call it is always a problem here in San Antonio. As far back as I can remember, it has been in and around schools, alleys and other areas with lots of clean wall space. Time and again, the city has tried to combat it with very mixed results.

Now a new proposal would fine the parents of those minors who are caught tagging walls. City Councilman John Clamp is a fan, as is the city of Corpus Christi, which has been suing parents of taggers for two years already.

Do you support this plan? Is graffiti a problem in your area? If it is, you can dial 311 and receive a free kit to help you clean up the mess that includes a bucket and paint to cover up the graffiti.

In honor of the passing of Michael Jackson, there will be a reenactment of the "Thriller" video at the Alamo today.

It starts at 6:00 p.m. so hurry and get down there! It should be fun to watch, although I have no idea what the parking or viewing situation will be like.

I am sure it is being filmed, so I will post a link to it as soon as one becomes available.

Did you know that San Antonio has their very own film festival? With the media spotlight always on film festivals like Sundance or Cannes, it's easy to forget that many major cities have smaller, more intimate affairs.

The festival is from June 25-28 and will have both daytime and evening film screenings that will cost $10 and $15, respectively. The festival will again be at the Instituto Cultural De Mexico - 600 Hemisfair Park.

For a full background of the San Antonio Film Festival and its history, visit their official website. Then if you decide you want to go, see the list of film screenings and decide what you might want to see.

Good news for students and parents of students! For the first time in a decade, school supplies will be a part of the upcoming August Tax Holiday!

The holiday runs this year from August 21-23, 2009 and will still have the usual array of items that are always a part of the program. But this year most school supplies under $100 are also included. Layaway can also be used as a part of the program.

For a full list of items that are included in the tax holiday, see the State Comptroller's Official site.