Why Become a Leader?
In an effort to move up the corporate ladder and achieve a higher salary everyone seems to be striving for a management position. Aside from the fact that it offers greater financial compensation and status few people know why they would want to be a manager. Many technical professionals are not really interested in people anyway, they are interested in technology. Many find dealing with people just a necessary annoyance.
I certainly was of that opinion. However, an interesting change took place. The more I learned about leadership and the way people behaved, the more I found them fascinating. My interest grew to the point that I now find people far more appealing than technology.
For those of you who have not been convinced that motivating and leading people is worth your time here are a few reasons that you might want to consider:
• Leadership is a valued skill
• Leadership gives you the ability to accomplish more
• Leadership allows you to progress up the corporate ladder
• Leadership give you skills that will last a lifetime (timeless skills)
• Leadership gives you skills that can be transferred outside of the IT/IS department
• Leadership give you the ability to help others grow
• Leadership is a much more effective people management technique.
Leadership Skills Enable Individuals to Reach Superior Positions
Most organizations do not provide financial compensation for technical staff at levels as high as management. The ability to lead, motivate, and communicate are valued higher than the ability to accomplish something that is technical in nature. You can argue whether this is an appropriate policy or not; however disputing it is most likely not going to change it. If you want to progress up the corporate ladder in your organization and move to higher salary ranges, you need to take on leadership roles; and do a good job of it.
To view the embedded image please visit:
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Leadership Gives You the Ability to Accomplish More
What if I could show you how you could take the very valuable skills that you have and multiply your productivity with them? What if you could perform several of them at one time? Sound impossible? Not with leadership!
How much time do you spend performing tasks that really don’t require your complete personal attention? Are there any tasks that you perform that could be delegated? Any responsibility of yours that you do not have to perform yourself can be delegated. You may argue that you alone have the technical expertise – well, it’s time to start using your time more wisely by training someone else.
Delegating as many tasks as possible gives you more time to share your knowledge and lead your team. Your team will be able to accomplish more as you guide it and you will indirectly accomplish more than you could by attempting to perform all of the tasks on your own.
To view the embedded image please visit:
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Leadership Allows You to Progress up the Corporate Ladder
People often have the misperception that by making themselves indispensable they are protecting their job (and possibly career). There is probably no other place in corporate culture where this attitude is more prevalent than in the IT and IS departments (my background). IT/IS staff are known for creating legacy systems that are so complicated and poorly documented that they are the only ones who could possibly maintain them and therefore, have job security.
Trust me; having gone through a particularly brutal corporate bankruptcy I can assure you that nothing provides you with job security.
Making yourself indispensable does not protect your job, but it does have another effect; it will stagnate your career. There is no way that an indispensable individual is going to be promoted out of his current job; after all, there is no one to fill the job after his promotion.
If you want to make sure that you are seriously considered for a position when it becomes available within your organization make sure that someone else can do your current job. This begins with cross training and matures into delegation; both skills of a leader.
Leadership Gives You Skills that Will Last a Lifetime
If you want to be hot in a technical community then you have to keep current with the technology. Technology continues to change at faster and faster rates; which causes skills to become obsolete, also at faster and faster rates. The tools of the early to mid 90s are barely mentioned compared to the current technologies. How much will current skills be valued five to ten years from now?
Although continuous learning is an admirable pursuit (and it certainly is one of mine), wouldn’t it be nice to learn some skills that won’t lose their value several years from now when the technology becomes obsolete. Leadership is such a set of skills. They never become obsolete and you can continually build upon the foundation of your knowledge.
To view the embedded image please visit:
[http://www.EffectivelySpeaking.Com/leadership/why_become_a_leader.htm#figure_3]
Leadership Gives You Skills that can be transferred Outside of Your Department.
Your specific area is a great place to work; however it is only one of many areas available within corporations. Although some of your area specific skills are transferable most of them are not. For example, being able to re-partition a hard drive does not help you in managing a customer service centre (unless it is a support centre at a hard drive manufacture). Being able to lead a team that routinely re-partitions hard drives however does give you a lot of the skills necessary to lead a customer service centre.
You may be thinking, “I would never want to be in customer service.” But wouldn’t it be nice to pursue other career options if opportunities present themselves and they turn out to be a fit for you.
To view the embedded image please visit:
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Leadership Gives You the Ability to Help Others to Grow
Some would argue that helping others is not something that they value; that it does not help them directly. This is obviously faulty thinking. Have you ever had someone assist you? I doubt that there is anyone reading this that has not benefited from the kindness of someone else. So why should someone feel justified in not wanting to help others even if he does not see a tangible benefit
In addition to the fact that helping people is the right thing to do there are many indirect benefits that you will gain from helping others grow and develop.
• It is a learning experience for you too. As you help others progress you will be gaining new skills yourself.
• You will build loyalty; loyalty that will manifest itself at the most surprising times. You will have a team that is willing to go the extra mile when it is needed rather than taking the attitude that it isn’t their problem and punching out at 5:00 pm.
• You will build friendships. As I mentioned in previous articles, there is often resentment towards newly promoted leaders. However, if you look after your employees rather than try to control them, they will both respect you and like you. Personally, I would much rather work with people who want to work with me than those who do not.
• You will build respect. Respect is something that is earned, not demanded. People will abide by your authority if they have to, but they will only do what is absolutely necessary. Earn their respect and they will go the extra mile to make sure that the job is done well.
• The organization will benefit. As your team grows stronger under your leadership the organization will realize the benefits.
• It is motivating not only for your team but also for you to see them grow.
Leadership is an Effective Motivation Technique
If you use any of the management techniques that involve controlling, berating, driving, criticizing, or insulting to motivate them, you are going to discover something important about them. You staff is not going to change their ways! You may get them to conform while you are yelling at them, but stop the negative motivation techniques for one moment and they will resort to their original ways.
Is it them? Are they slow learners? Are they stubborn? You teach them, you show them, you correct them, but every time you turn your back they relapse and return to their original behaviour.
Of course not! It is clear that the motivational techniques you are using are ineffective for the long term.
Here is one of the most important concepts that I know. The only way to get someone to do something is to make him want to do it. You can approach this in several ways.
• One way is to make their life so unpleasant until they do what you want and will eventually follow your orders. Although this technique may get quick results in the short term it is highly ineffective in the long term. Take away the unpleasantness and you have taken away the motivation for them. Every time you turn your back (or go away) the unpleasantness for preventing their return to old habits also goes away. The benefits for doing things your way also go away. The team returns to doing things the way that they are most comfortable with; thus appearing slow or stubborn.
• The other method is to inspire the team to want to perform the task. Motivate them; not only to do the task, but to also do it with quality and distinction. Once they are inspired it doesn’t matter whether you are standing over them or 5000 miles away; they will perform the job with excellence in either situation.
To view the embedded image please visit:
[http://www.EffectivelySpeaking.Com/leadership/why_become_a_leader.htm#figure_5]
Obviously this is just some of the reasons you might want to develop leadership skills. Each individual’s reasons may be different. The important thing to remember is that leadership skills give you many positive results for your efforts – regardless of the result that you are currently seeking.
Make the effort now to learn leadership skills and start reaping the results.
Easy Approval Credit Card Applications With a Bad Credit Score
I can still remember seven years ago when I applied for an American Express card online. It took more than one month for me to get approved. Nowadays it’s a lot different. With instant approval, you usually receive notice via email of your acceptance within seconds of completing an online card application. If you have a good to excellent credit record you can even get an easy approval credit card with guaranteed 10,000 limit or an easy instant approval student card, but what happens if have a bad credit score? Are you doomed to pay all your purchases in cash? Certainly not so don’t despair.
The first alternative for people with bad credit score is to get a “secure card.” There are some major card issuers which requires applicants to make a deposit or what we call “secure cards.” If you have a bad paying history, the most logical thing to do is save a little money to be used later on to “pre pay” a card. A secure card is a no credit card because the amount you can charge against the card is determined by the amount of your deposit. If you deposit, for example, $5,000, then you can charge up to $5,000 only. Hence, there is no actual “credit” being extended. Typically, these cards are marketed as no credit credit cards because of the fast, easy instant card approval.
The second alternative is to search for a “bad credit credit plastic” and find an easy approval unsecured credit, but they should try to resolve their bad credit issues and prevent further damage to their credit score.
While there are plenty of bad credit credit plastic choices available, they can do more harm than good if not used wisely. This is one way for a consumer to repair his damaged reputation by making up to date payments on his bad card and eventually upgrading to the real credit card in the future. And also a bad card charges a higher interest rate because of the increased risk to the issuer.
The third option is to apply for a debit card. Debit cards are cards that can be used depending on how much money the user transfers to the specific card. Consequently, the risk of running up credit card debt is nil. There are also no finance charges to contend with, only minimal fees for application, start-up and ATM card.
Credit cards for bad credit score were designed to rebuild credit that had been damaged. For those with no credit or poor credit there are secured credit cards, bad credit credit cards and debit cards but there are also unsecured cards that can be used for this purpose. These cards generally come with low credit lines (around $300) and additional fees. This kind of card will not allow you to on shopping sprees but it will certainly help you restore your damaged credit history. If you’re disciplined and pay all your bills on time you can ask for a credit increase after a while with an end goal of upgrading to an easy approval credit card with guaranteed 10,000 limit. Isn’t that wonderful? But in the meantime let’s concern ourselves with finding easy approval credit card applications with bad credit score.
What’s the Difference Between DS3 and T3 Bandwidth?
Don’t be confused about the difference between DS3 and T3 circuits. These terms are really synonymous. Instead you should focus on what they can do for you…and the best scenarios for application.
Digital Signal (DS) is a system of classifying digital circuits according to the rate and format of the signal (DS) and the equipment providing the signals (T). DS and T designations have come to be used synonymously so that DS1 implies T1, and DS3 implies T3.
A DS3 line (also known as a T-3) is an ultra high-speed connection capable of transmitting data at rates up to 45 Mbps. A DS3 line is equal to approximately 672 regular voice-grade telephone lines, which is fast enough to transmit full-motion, real-time video, and very large databases over a busy network. A DS3 line is typically installed as a major networking artery for large corporations and universities with high-volume network traffic. Other example applications include large call centers, enterprise wide VoIP and IP PBX systems, Internet service providers, research labs, video conference centers and software development companies. A DS3 is the second fastest, non optical connection offered in North America. A DS3 line is comprised of 28 T1 lines, each operating at total signaling rate of 1.544 Mbps.
DS3 circuits provide businesses and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with up to 45 Mb/s of dedicated Internet connectivity. This is an ideal solution for users who have outgrown their T1 connections and are in search of unlimited, high-capacity access. A DS3 line actually consists of 672 individual channels, each of which supports 64 Kb/s. DS3 lines are extremely high bandwidth connections into a carrier’s backbone. They typically include SLAs (Service Level Agreements) that guarantee uptime and performance.
The DS3 signal itself is composed of 28 DS1 signals and is constructed using a two-step multiplexing process. First, the 28 DS1 signals are multiplexed into seven DS2 signals. Second, the seven DS2 signals are multiplexed into one DS3 signal. Each multiplexing step uses bit stuffing to handle the different input frequencies. Overhead bits provide alignment, error checking, in-band communications, and bit stuffing control information.
Line rate: 44,736,000 b/s
Signals: 7 DS2 signals = 28 DS1 signals
Overhead bits:
56 bits total/frame
F-bits (framing) 28 bits/
M-bits (multiframing) 3 bits/
C-bits (stuffing) 21 bits
X-bits (message) 2 bits/
P-bits (parity) 2 bits/
Data bits between overhead bits 84
A DS3 connection is comprised up of two monthly charges: the local loop and the port charge. The local loop charge is the cost of the circuit provided by the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) that allows DS3 access into the carrier’s network. The loop charge is based on the distance from the customer’s location to the edge of the carrier’s network; the farther the customer is from the network, the more the loop will cost. Nearly every carrier prices loops differently so it is in your best interest to price DS3 service with several providers to ensure that you get the best deal.
DS Internet Access is the ideal solution for businesses that require high-bandwidth access at a reduced price. Whether you host high-traffic Web sites, support Web hosting or need high-capacity bandwidth on an as-needed basis, there’s a level of DS3 service (Full or fractional) that will meet your needs. Fractional to full DS3 or T3 circuits run from speeds of 3 Mbps up to 45 Mbps.
For customers that require more bandwidth than a T1 line can provide but do not yet require the capacity of a full DS3 line, a fractional DS3 connection is the ideal solution. A fractional DS3 is similar to a full DS(T)3, only with some of the channels turned off. This reduces the total monthly cost and provides additional capacity that can be turned up in a matter of days. Unfortunately, the DS3 (T) loop is still required for this service.
If a full DS3 line is more bandwidth that you really need, it is also possible to get Fractional DS3, which gives you a portion of full DS3 bandwidth at a lower cost. Of course, DS3 is also available in multiples to increase bandwidth, similar to bonded T1 service.
DS3 service can be deployed for a wide verity of applications. The most common uses are DS3 point-to-point, DS3 internet, DS3 frame relay, DS3 voice and DS3 VPN. The pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier, location of service and the application for which the connection is being used. Visit DS3 Bandwidth Solutions to obtain current “real time” rate quotes for your location.
Working Capital Factoring Univerisal Car Seat Digital Electronic Safe
10 Reasons to Go to College
Life is full of options and choices. The choices we make shape our future. As we stand at the cross roads after high school we must have the right vision to make the decision to go to college.
1. A college education secures our future. The number of employment opportunities is greater and statistics reveal that most leaders are college grads.
2. If you have a college education you will make more money which in turn will enable you to have a better lifestyle. If a high school graduate earns US$ 34,303 annually, a college graduate will earn US$ 56,334, and a person with a professional qualification will net at least US$ 99,411.
3. It is not just earnings. A college education makes you a rounded person. It shapes your communication skills, expands your knowledge base, makes you methodical and organized, and exposes you to a whole new world of learning.
4. People with a college education have better value systems and are healthier. They are able to guide their family positively.
5. College can help you qualify in fields you are interested in. So if you are an innovator, inventor, or healer, or artist you can train in the specific field and qualify.
6. According to experts, college graduates are self confident, have greater knowledge of governance, are less likely to become criminals, are emotionally and financially secure, make better partners and parents, and have a deeper understanding of human nature.
7. College instills a deep sense of right and wrong and is they very essence of a democratic world.
8. Education opens the doors to many things like multiple jobs, career choices, the chance to further education at any point in life, and the option of teaching others what you have learnt. Be it a child, family member, or a poor person you meet.
9. College education is an investment in you that yields much more than Wall Street investments.
10. College educated citizens will ensure the continuing success of the “American Dream.” The ability to see the right path and work for peace and prosperity.
Students according to Jose Marti a patriot are the very ramparts of a nation and the strongest advocates of freedom. Education creates a conscience and as a result a better human being. College education eventually becomes a legacy for future generations. Most succeeding generations of college educated people go to college themselves. The value of a good education becomes ingrained in their genes. Huge stones can be moved with muscle power but it is brain power that tells you how to move it and what can be done with it.
The 10 Most Common TV Problems That Aren’t
In this report we will concentrate on the “problems” seen by customers with their equipment. We see these kinds of things all the time here in the shop, and hopefully this information will save you an unnecessary trip to the shop.
Problem # 1: Can’t get channels above channel 13 Your TV is in the “air” mode. To remedy this problem, you must either autoprogram your TV, or set your unit to the cable mode in the menu.
Problem # 2: Channels won’t change, can only get 1 channel This is similar to problem #1. Your TV needs to be autoprogrammed again using the menu.
Problem # 3: TV has a funny looking menu, looks like an ad This unit is in what is called the “demo” mode. Contact the manufacturer and if they are of no help, call us and we’ll be happy to walk you through the process of getting rid of it.
Problem # 4: There’s a black box blocking the picture We see this all the time. You TV has been accidentally placed into the closed caption mode. To clear this problem, bring up the menu and turn the closed captions off.
Problem # 5: I can’t view certain channels on my TV This is usually a password or parental lock problem. If you have forgotten your password, you may be able to access the menu by using the factory default password that you’ll find in your owner’s manual. If this doesn’t work, then you may have to contact the manufacturer for help.
Problem # 6: I don’t have sound on some channels, spanish or the weather report on others This is another one we see a lot of. You unit is in the SAP or separate audio program mode. Access the menu and set the audio to normal, standard, or stereo.
Problem # 7: My TV just quit working This could indeed be a real problem, but maybe not. If you have cats or small dogs, do they hang out behind the TV a lot? If so, check and see if they have damaged the power cord or pulled it just far enough out of the wall to allow it to lose contact with the wall outlet. If this is not the case, carefully move the set out from the wall and smell the carpets and look at the back of the set for signs of wetness. If you find this, your pet is urinating into the set and has caused your unit to shut down. Unplug it and take it to the shop as soon as you can.
Problem # 8: No picture, all I get is snow The first thing to do here is to verify that everything is hooked up properly, and that the signal source you want to watch hasn’t been changed. If you find no problem here, then you may have a cable box problem, or your satellite provider is down. Contact your company for details on any problem you might be having and don’t forget to log on to their website for current information if you can’t get through by phone.
Problem # 9: My remote doesn’t work verify this by checking to see if you can turn on the set with the panel mounted power button. If this works and the set operates normally, then all you may need to do is change the batteries in the remote to restore operation.
Problem # 10: My TV doesn’t work right since my son/daughter started playing with it Kids seem to have a real understanding of electronic gear, and some of them (my son included) love to monkey around with the menus. Some of them will even add their own passwords and setup their own access codes. It’s rare that they can do any real harm so make sure that they tell you what they’ve done so you’ll be able to enjoy your own programs.
I hope this list of the things we see everyday will help you to enjoy you TV a lot more, and save you money and time. Thank you and have a great day!
By W. Braverman
American Biophysics Mosquito Magnet Liberty D80 Nikon Injury Prevention
Burglary Facts and Statistics
Quick Facts: Burglary Statistics
What is considered a burglary…
Burglary is defined as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as a burglary. Burglary is categorized into three sub classifications: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report 2005
Burglary Facts and Statistics…
* Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of all crime in the United States
* In 2005, law enforcement agencies reported an estimated 2,154,126 burglary offenses-a 0.5-percent increase compared with 2004 data.
* An examination of 5- and 10-year trends revealed a 1.8-percent increase in the number of burglaries compared with the 2001 estimate, and a 14.1-percent decline from the 1996 number.
* Burglary accounted for 21.2 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2005. The average dollar loss per burglary offense in 2005 was $1,725.
* Of all burglary offenses in 2005, 65.8 percent were of residential structures.
* Most (62.4 percent) of residential burglaries in 2005 for which time of occurrence was known took place during the day, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
* Among burglaries of nonresidential structures when time of occurrence was known, 58.0 percent occurred at night.
* A burglary takes place in the U.S. every 14.6 seconds according to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program Crime Clock.
* According to the FBI Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January-June, 2006, “burglary offenses showed an increase, up 1.2 percent from the 2005 level.”
* Overall, in about 84% of all burglaries, the offender gained entry into the victim’s residence or other building on the property.
Source: Crime in the United States 2005 Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation Release Date: September 2006
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
Where Burglars Enter a House…
One survey in Pennsylvania showed that 81 percent of residential intrusions occur through the first floor.
34 percent of burglars entered through the front door;
23 percent through a first-floor window;
22 percent through the back door;
9 percent through the garage;
4 percent entered through a basement;
4 percent through an unlocked entrance;
2 percent through a storage area;
and only 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor.
A study in Connecticut showed that 12 percent of burglaries occurred through an UNLOCKED door and that in 41 percent of alarmed homes that were burglarized, the security system was not turned on.
What Are TMP Files and How Can I Delete Them?
Files ending with the extension TMP are frequently found on computers. So what are these TMP files? Well, as the file extension might suggest, they are temporary files. These files are typically created by applications to store some form of temporary data, in a permanent form than RAM, on your hard disk. TMP files are commonly produced either when a program can’t allocate enough memory for its tasks, or as part of inter-process communication.
Modern operating systems usually employ a virtual memory system, where if a program exceeds its allotted memory space usage, it can provide the application with part of the hard disk space as a substitute for memory. Programs which use large amounts of data, like video editing software, may need to create many TMP files. TMP files are usually deleted automatically by their parent application (the software, game, application) which created them. However there may be instances where these files aren’t removed from your computer and end up taking unnecessary space. This happens particularly either because the parent application crashed during runtime, or because the program’s developer forgot to add the necessary code to delete TMP files when finished using them. TMP files tend to accumulate over time and take up a lot of disk space.
All this said, I have to add an important note: not all TMP files are safe to remove. So how do I know when a TMP file can be removed or not? Usually it is safe to assume that if a TMP file is several weeks or months old, you can delete. You can check the meta data to know when the file was created or last modified, by right clicking on the file and choosing Properties. For example when you are using a word processor and have the auto-save option enabled, the application will most probably create some form of temporary file to store the content of the document you’re working on in some pre-defined location in your hard disk.
Other temp files as they are usually called, are created by the Windows and its default applications. One well known default application which creates hoards of temporary files is the Internet browser. Whenever you access a webpage, buy from an online shopping cart, access your email, your browser is transparently saving and caching some data pertaining to the action you’ve taken for various reasons. One of the reasons is for optimizing your web experience and loading the web-pages you visit the most frequently faster.
Temp files which are created by default Windows applications are usually stored in a few pre-defined locations in your hard drive mainly C:windowstemp folder. For these reasons there may be temp files, unbeknown to you, scattered in various locations all over your computer. The easiest way to remove temporary files created by Windows and its applications is to use the Disk Cleanup service.
Topics For A Parent Workshop
Let’s face it–choosing the right topics for a parent workshop can successfully motivate parents to attend your events. If you are a counselor, educator, father or mother interested in facilitating a parent workshop that provides the tools for raising responsible, happy and compassionate children, then this article will help steer you in the right direction. Having been in the parenting education field for over a decade, I’m happy to share with you what has worked best for the participants in my parenting workshops. I also share some tips from moms across North America who have used my book When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You as a guide for their own study groups and workshops.
Today’s Hot Parent Workshop Topics
Here are the top 10 topics for workshops that parents want and need:
1. Self-care and balancing work and home
2. Developing self-esteem and confidence in children
3. Choosing an approach to discipline that works
4. Homework and music lesson challenges
5. Chores and developing responsibility
6. How to have a good marriage (or in some cases, a good divorce)
7. Bullying and how to foster compassion in children
8. Sibling rivalry and favoritism
9. Allowances and money
10. Temper tantrums, communication and conflict
If you are looking for dynamic, useful, fun topics for a series of parenting
workshops or parent study groups, I suggest checking out the following books:
- STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) by Dr. Dinkmeyer and
Dr. McKay
- Positive Discipline by Dr. Jane Nelsen
- My When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You
(a favorite with moms).
Ideas for a Parent Workshop Series
Below is an example of a fifteen-week course based on my book and successfully
used by many mothers’ study groups. Each week of the course focuses on one
chapter of When You’re About to Go Off the Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids with
You and covers the main topics listed below. Each chapter of the book ends with
a summary and suggested homework activities to make your role as facilitator
even easier.
Week 1: Could Your Approach To Motherhood Be Giving Your Grief?
How to choose the best discipline approach for you, why you’ll want to
discipline without spanking, and how to receive the respect you deserve.
Week 2: How A Mom, Like You, Can Find Guilt-Free TLC
Why you don’t want to be a mom who does it all, how to bust stress with simple
techniques easily, and how to manage your time so there’s time left over for
you.
Week 3: “Get A Life!” – For The Sake Of Your Kids
How to reignite your own dreams, practical ways to have greater joy in your
life, and getting back into the driver’s seat of creating your best life.
Week 4: How To Utilize Your Community to Raise Your Child Well
How to attract great friends, get the support you need, and the essential “life
trips” you’ll want to take your kids on.
Week 5: Give Everyone In Your Home What They Want, Including You
How to establish trust in your home, how to run a family meeting no one will
want to miss, and simple family rituals that can connect the whole family.
Week 6: What Every Mom Ought To Know About Solving Sibling Rivalry
How kids from the same family can be so different, favoritism and what to do
about it, and the best way to stop sibling fights from driving you crazy.
Week 7: How To Get Your Kids To Do Their Chores Smiling
How to get the chores done without nagging, what are age-appropriate chores, and
a discussion about paying children for doing their chores.
Week 8: How To Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem 10-Fold!
How you can make or break your child’s self-esteem, what are encouraging phrases
that you can immediately use to boost confidence, and the top 10 ways to
encourage your child.
Week 9: How To Keep Your Sanity In Times of conflict
What to do when you or your kids mess up, how to choose your fights wisely so
the entire family doesn’t lose, and how to learn a special time-out that works
every time for children of any age.
Week 10: How To Give Your Child Choices That Won’t Haunt You Later
How to use choices that inspire your children to want to be well behaved, how to
set effective boundaries, and how to say “Yes” to your children while still
getting what you want.
Week 11: Consequences That Save A Mom Time and Frustration
The two types of consequences that work to get the best from your children, how
to remind without nagging, and how to use teachable moments to provide your
child with wholesome values.
Week 12: How To Master The Tough Stuff From Tantrums To Sex
What to do when your child lies, how to get easily your kids up in the morning,
and how to motivate your kids to do their homework–and much more!
Week 13: Daring To Deal With Dads
How to forgive for the sake of your kids, how to support and motivate a dad who
is involved with his kids, and how to deal with a dad who just isn’t there.
Week 14: Your Kid’s Allowance – It’s Just “Common Cents”
How to give allowances that teach life skills, how to stop being your child’s
personal ATM machine, and how to delegate new money tasks to your kids that
naturally teach budgeting and appreciation for what they have.
Week 15: Is Your G-Spot A Big Part Of Your Life
How to bring spirit into your family, how to shrink your problems to a
manageable size, and how to rekindle your faith during the tough times.
Please note that you can easily make this 15-week course into a shorter workshop
series by combining chapters or by choosing to focus on topics that particularly
stand out for you and the group.
Whatever topics for a parent workshop you choose; make certain the event is
enjoyable (neither a therapy session nor a lecture). Get input from your group,
have fun and, together, enjoy learning the tools that can unleash the best
within your parent participants–so they can unleash the best within their kids.
Chinese ATVs Are Junk – Or Are They?
Many people have a certain conception that all products that come from China are cheap junk put together by a one-armed peasant. Okay, maybe not the one-armed peasant thing, but the rest holds true in most Americans’ minds. So you may be asking is it true…does China put out only crappy products? The answer is of course not.
Just because you have had cheap remote or something made of plastic with the logo “made in China” stamped on it, doesn’t mean that all products that come out of China are junk. You would be surprised to find out how much of your own stuff was actually made in China for companies like GE, Panasonic, and others. Everything imaginable comes from China these days.
The big difference is what place in China made the product. If you are an ATV fanatic or just simply enjoy riding one from time to time, you may have come across a too good to be true deal that was an ATV for under $1000, sometimes way under. You see things like this all the time if you do a Google search for ATVs. People are selling ATVs for $399. How is this? To turn a reasonable profit on each unit after advertising, they must have only paid $50 for each unit. This is because they are buying the cheapest stuff possible from government owned factories. These factories hire unskilled labor and can really make a lot of mistakes.
Not all factories in China are like this. There are many that are privately owned and hire highly skilled laborers to assemble the products. These factories have very good quality control, and will fix things when problems arise. Not only that, but they are usually close in cost to the government owned factories. Sure they cost more, but for the extra quality that you receive, it is well worth it.
What are the benefits and setbacks of buying online vs. buying in a local dealership? Most name brand ATVs are sold in dealerships only. You hardly ever see Polaris, Honda, Yamaha, or other name brands being sold new online unless they are being sold by someone that simply bought one and is trying to sell it for one reason or another. They are not dealerships. This is because before the internet, the ATV companies set up dealer territories. Dealers could not sell to customers outside their territory, especially someone else’s territory. The cost for a name brand ATV ranges anywhere from $3000 to $11000, not including the helmet and any accessories you may purchase. Chinese-made models cost between $400 and $3000. They are considerably cheaper and can be a great deal if you choose wisely.
It seems that the only websites that are selling online are ones that sell Chinese product. The product is always cheaper than any name brand and usually has something like free shipping included. This is a huge benefit to buying online. Not only that, but sales tax is only charged if you live in the same state that the shipping warehouse is located in. The sales tax savings may not last forever, because the government is watching a lot of tax dollars go out the window, but due to a couple of court cases that said charging tax on items that were sold from another state was against the interstate commerce ruling, it is still cheaper to buy things online. So enjoy if you are a buying or selling on the internet.
Be careful which product you buy online. If the seller does not offer a 90 day or longer warranty on the ATV then you may be about to get taken to the cleaners.
Most online dealers will ship the product about 80-90% assembled. This is to reduce shipping costs. If you don’t understand how to assemble the remaining product then you will want to take it or have it shipped directly to a professional for assembly. Don’t assume that because you know how to change your oil, you will be able to assemble an ATV out of the crate, unless you have very good instructions.
The repairs are just like any other piece of machinery. Most Chinese models are copied versions of name brand ATVs, so you can even buy Yamaha parts, for example, to repair your ATV.
So if you choose to buy an ATV online, pick a good dealer. They can provide you with the quality you are looking for.
Am I a Genius?
So you are pretty smart and you are asking yourself if you are a genius? Well, you could very well be actually. About one in 10,000 people are considered at Genius Level and it depends on what you do with that genius that often determines if anyone will notice or not. Perhaps you have noticed as you are the best judge of you right?
Should you dwell too long on this question of yours, attempting to determine if you are or you are not a Genius? Well, here is a thought – You must forget about it. Genius is a label, it is like a plaque or certificate, it is given out by humans to other humans to prove that they are brilliant for knowing other brilliant folks. Forget labels, you need to get beyond that.
Still I can you now asking yourself in your mind; Am I a Genius? Perhaps you are skeptical? Maybe you think that you are a genius, but you just are not sure? Looking for a second opinion are you? Okay ask your mirror, you know what is inside and mostly likely it is not Intel in there. If you ask someone else if you are a genius then they are likely to say something like this:
Based on our dialogues I do not have enough information to answer this question. Currently I do not have enough information to reach a conclusion based on my definition.
And therein lies the real problem and that is that even the experts cannot agree on what a genius is or isn’t, everyone still arguing over definitions. So if you want to be a genius then start acting like one and be honest with yourself. The current definition I use is someone would have had to alter or change a domain of science, industry or way of doing things in society. So, are you there yet? What are you waiting for?