Although the 2005 hurricane season is finally over, the intense
beating our southeastern coastline and its residents took still
has us shaken. Many of us are also starting to connect the dots
between global warming and the more intense hurricane activity we
are experiencing, such as with Katrina this past year. Even to a
layman, logic dictates the warmer air and water temperatures may
have something to do with what appears to be a change for the
worst in hurricane acitivity along our Atlantic coasts.
Unfortunately, research indicates these suspicions may not be
unfounded. According to information gathered from the PEW Center
on Global Climate Change in Arlington, Va., due to the effect
global warming is considered to have on the intensity of
hurricanes we may have more years such as we experienced in 2005.
In addition, the center predicts this may be the case for at
least the next decade or two.
The PEW Center reports because of the link between higher ocean
temperatures and hurricanes, there is speculation that hurricanes
will increase in frequency or intensity in a warmer world, with
higher wind speeds and greater precipitation. In other words,
even though studies show the frequency of hurricanes has not
increased on average over the long term, scientists believe that
global warming will result in more intense hurricanes, as
increasing sea surface temperatures provide energy for storm
intensification.
Higher ocean temperatures may also increase the likelihood of
hurricanes tracking through the Caribbean or making landfall on
the U.S. east coast. Although the phenomenon is not yet
completely understood, a track of unusually deep and warm water
appears to have led Katrina directly to the Gulf Coast when it
struck.
In addition, a recently published MIT study provides the first
data analysis indicating tropical storms are indeed becoming more
powerful over time. The following statistics recorded by the
National Hurricane Center seem supports this data.
The NHC describes the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season as having
had “well above-normal activity,” and it predicted even greater
activity for 2005. With the season at its end, the past year has
exceeded those expectations, as well as all previously recorded
activity for a single season.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30. An
average season produces 10 tropical storms, with six becoming
hurricanes, two of which reach sustained wind speeds at or above
100 miles per hour (i.e. category three or higher). This is based
on a long-term average, but there are variabilities from year to
year.
As of Nov. 22, 2005, the following activity has been recorded:
** 24 named tropical storms for the first time since systematic
record keeping began about 150 years ago;
** 13 hurricanes, with seven major hurricanes;
** The most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic
basin (Wilma);
** Three of the six most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the
Atlantic basin (Katrina, Rita, Wilma);
** The first time three category five hurricanes have ever been
recorded in the same year in the Atlantic basin;
** The most destructive hurricane in U.S. history (Katrina).
The PEW Center informs although the average number of hurricanes
between 1995 and 2005 is probably unprecedented, we have not seen
a long-term increase in hurricane frequency during the 20th
century overall. Instead, we have seen periods of high-hurricane
activity that last for several decades, followed by decades of
low activity. (The 1920s-30s and the 1950s-60s were active
periods.) In 1995, we entered and are currently in the latest
natural phase of high hurricane frequency, which i
Laurie Huffman is a reporter for several northeastern Ohio
newspapers owned by Dix Communications. She won two awards in
2005 from the Ohio Newspaper Association for best feature and
best overall news covera
1. Retrain your self-talk, to remove selfish from your vocabulary and replace it with self-care. In order for you to take care of the people you love you need to take care of yourself first. Friends, family, loved ones look to you as a model, make sure to model self-care, taking time to play, relax, and read. This is especially important for parents; this will give your children the confidence to have the same healthy behaviors.
2. Give yourself time for delays and unexpected events. When mapping out your day add an extra hour cushion to your schedule. This extra time will keep you stress free and running on time if some of your appointments are delayed, or if you run into someone you haven’t seen in a while, so you can enjoy a spontaneous conversation without the guilt of running behind schedule.
3. Balance out your commitments. A great way to cut down on a hectic schedule is to balance out all new activities by removing an old activity. Don’t add anything new, work, classes, volunteer activities, etc unless you first remove something from your schedule to balance it out. This will help you to let go of projects and time wasters that no longer serve you.
4. No is not a bad word, in fact, it’s not only a complete sentence it’s a great stress reducing word. There is no need to justify or explain when you say no to someone’s request. Just give them a friendly smile thank them for including you and tell them you can’t do it this time. If you are having trouble getting used to saying no right away, tell the person you need some time to think about it, then call them later and decline to be involved this time.
5. Maximize your commute and errands. If you have errands to run for business or home combine them to one trip. Make doctor’s appointments for yourself or your family members back to back and see if you can get appointments first thing in the morning before the doctor is running behind. Order you business supplies online to save time, most business supply websites can store your most frequently ordered purchases in a file so all you have to do is select the item you want and have it delivered with just one click.
6. Improve your home environment one room at a time. Even if you have the budget for a complete makeover, remodeling and redecorating can be very time consuming and stressful projects. Try working on just one room at a time. Pick a few rooms in your house that you enjoy the most and spend most of your time in when your home. Select your favorite and create an environment that is pleasing to the eye and gives you comfort and positive energy. This will give you a haven in your home and the encouragement to tackle another room when you’re ready.
7. Being spontaneous is a very exhilarating feeling that gives you a real sense of freedom. Make sure to leave time in your life every week to be spontaneous. Cutting things out of your life that are time zappers and stressful will also give you the energy to be spontaneous. Keep at least two weekends a month free from scheduled activities. Then you can decide to take a short trip, have a date with your partner, a special family event, or kick your feet up and do absolutely nothing and feel wonderful about it.
8. Highlight those time wasters. Instead of just making up another long to do list so you can beat your self up about all the things you didn’t and couldn’t possible have accomplished in one day. Make a realistic to do list. Put the things that are most important to YOU on the top, then next to each item list the amount of time you think it will take to get it done. This will help you get your important things done and show you where your time wasters are.
9. Under promise and over deliver. This is very useful in business and in your life. By selecting reasonable deadlines you avoid the stress of crunch time, use your time effectively and you will be able to finish ahead of schedule giving you satisfaction for a job well done and turned in early.
10. Define what life and work without stress would look like to you. Describe what your ideal schedule is, what leisure activities you want to do and who you want to spend time with. By creating a detailed image of what a stress free schedule looks like, you can begin to take the steps necessary to clearing out the stress.
About The Author
©BZ Riger-Hull.www.in-spiros.com For valuable free articles, assessments, & practical success toolsmailto:A1@smartautoresponder.com Certified as a Success Coach, “Four Agreements” Facilitator, & Tele-Course leader We help you communicate powerfully, reduce stress, Strategically Attract success, & increase your financial well-being.
bz@in-spiros.com
Copyright 2006 Geoff Morris
In America today, one of the most talked about topics is the
epidemic proportion of obesity amongst the population, and with
it, the actual health of the nation. In CNN Presents, there is
even a whole section called ‘Fat Chance’ (the next airing is
February 5 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. ET). http://imnosey.com/fp .
Although there is a whole industry dedicated to diet control,
weight loss programs, exercise programs, this is really like
putting the cart before the horse.
We all know how difficult it is to start - let alone maintain -
a different, almost alien, style of existence, even though we
fully understand the dangers that being overweight will bring
us. Heart problems, diabetes, damage to the body joints through
carrying excess baggage everywhere, are just a few of the many
problems generated ” let alone the associated millions spent
in extra health care repairing this damage.
In fact although much aligned for being ‘false’ you very rarely
see many successful Hollywood style actors carrying tremendous
amounts of fat, unless it is deliberate.
Why they should be maligned, it is difficult to know, as they
should be treated as role models to many of us. But they don’t
just magically get these lean, muscular looking bodies ” there
is a price to pay, and that price is discipline.
Discipline not only in their dietary habits, but also in how
they ’sculpt’ their bodies. How do you think that actors may
appear as skinny runts in one epic film, and then in the next,
have a completely different body shape? Contrary to popular
belief, it’s not down to the makeup studio, but by darned hard
work, and a dedication to meet targets, change habits, and have
a goal that they are aiming for, which is usually a monetary one
(although egos may have just a little bit of influence here).
Whether you are a man or a woman, many of us carry around in our
heads, that image of our perfectly shaped body, lean and
muscularly toned, and with very little evidence of layers of
blubber. It is a fact that every person has a ’six pack’ -it’s
just very difficult to see it when the equivalent of a Wal*Mart
shopping bag full of sloppy fat effectively smothers it
(although normally full of the best value shopping).
Unfortunately, unless you are introduced to some kind of
disciplined action, this image remains what it is - just an
image, and will die with you if you never get out of the
upwardly fatty existence you have chosen for yourself.
Now, one of the biggest, and most lucrative businesses to be in
at the moment would seen to be weight control, and
unfortunately, like everything else, the worried would-be weight
watcher can lose their shirt by trying this solution, then that
solution, then the next best thing solution. Because the one
major thing missing in all of these is the discipline, the self
control, the monitoring of what is going on. So many people jump
from what may well be a good solution to the next as they see no
perceptible results.
One person who seems to have got this disciple nailed down to a
fine art is a chap from the Mid West called Ryan Joyce. Ryan did
a lot research on weight lifting and body sculpting some five
years ago, and what he found was actually quite obvious.
Contrarily to what every fast-buck-company claims about their
so-called, “dieting secrets”, “miracle weight loss pills”,
“super supplements”, “special issue muscle magazines” and other
“schemes”, at this hour the majority of people trying to get fit
and build the body of their dreams are simply not getting it
done.
What was missing was a comprehensive control of what people were
doing. They would start off with the best of intentions, but
after a couple of weeks with no appreciable success - well- it
would be off to the next one.
Ryan’s approach was different. He spent a long time creating a
solution for his own body, and actually reduced his body fat by
over 57% in just over 12 weeks; this was a combination of
exercise, diet control, the use of some supplements, and one
heck of a lot of discipline.
He then tried this program on a number of people, by creating a
12 week day by day diary of events, and found that he could
reproduce results on others, as long as they strictly followed
his program. OK, his web site
(http://www.weight-lifting-routine.com) has a massive following
from natural body builders and fitness models, and aspiring
actors who need to have the latest ‘Ripped’ or ‘Shredded’ look.
(For those of you not in the know ‘ Ripped’ refers to ripping
off the fat and baring the muscles, Shredded refers to the
highly defined definitions of major muscle groups like biceps).
A lot of the success of this sort of approach is the ‘Peer
Pressure’ it invokes. Once you have achieved the body of your
dreams, you are not going to want to fill it up with cheap
processed and fried food any more. And we all know that peer
pressure is far more powerful than any Doctors warning about the
danger we face while wobbling around with our fatty, cholesterol
clogged arteries, with undue weight loads on our joints and
backs.
So ‘Get Ripped’, or ‘Get Shredded’, or whatever term you want to
use - but turn your body back into the temple it is, and give it
your full respect. You only ever have one, and you know what
happens to buildings that get neglected over the years.
1. Planning Renovations
Any project will be more successful, given well-defined goals. In every household project, the following three points can be applied:
FORM: What do you want it to look like?
FUNCTION: What do you want it to do for you?
COMPATIBILITY: What factors exist that might limit what you can do, and will the finished product look good on your house?
Once you’ve completed this part of your homework, it’s time to decide if you’ll built it yourself, hire a contractor, or be your own contractor and perhaps sub-contract some of the work. Sub-contracting may sometimes seem to over-complicate things and even look wasteful, but just remember - some jobs can look deceivingly simple until you actual get into the nitty-gritty of them. A general contractor’s job is to co-ordinate and orchestrate the whole schmozzle to completion.
2. Finding A Contractor
My card…The process of finding a good contractor is essentially the same, whether you decide to hire a general contractor, or one or more sub-contractors. The best reference for a contractor is word of mouth from a satisfied client. If you don’t know anyone who has had renovations or repairs done in the area you need, look for work trucks or signs in your neighborhood. Knock on doors, and ask the homeowners if they are satisfied with the work being done. Once you contact a contractor, ask for references, and follow through by calling their previous clients with a set of questions that will give you the information you are looking for.
The following are samples of questions that could be asked of any reference:
1. Did the job come in at the quoted price?
2. Did the job come in on time?
3. Was the work site left clean each day?
4. Was the quality of the workmanship satisfactory?
5. Was the quality of the materials used satisfactory?
It is always recommended that you talk to more than one company, so that you have a basis for comparison. Listen to their technical information, and note their customer relation skills. If the contractor doesn’t do a very good job of communicating with you before you hire him or her, there may be a higher likelihood of miscommunications during the work.
Sometimes the best companies will be very busy and you will have to wait for their services. Other times, good companies may have time slots between large projects that smaller jobs can fit into. Ask what the company’s schedule has been like for the past 6 months to a year. Reputable companies are usually busy all year round in any economic situation.
3. The Estimate, or Quote
Meeting the Contractors
Remember that the contractor you choose could be spending a lot of time in your home, so look for someone you feel at ease with. You should meet individually with each potential contractor. Be prepared to discuss products and designs; know what you want and how much you can spend. Take note if the contractors are on time, if they listen and answer questions, willingly give information about their company and their customers; and if they seem to have any aversion to your ideas.
The Estimate
This is where you’ll likely make your choice of contractor. Each potential contractor will present a proposal, including design and cost information. Review the estimates, ensuring that they accurately relfect your wishes, and make comments and/or any changes that are required.
How Are Jobs Estimated?
Work that involves structural changes to the home, custom designs, or enlargement of some of the mechanical systems is typically quoted by the job. It can be very difficult for a contractor to know exactly how much time an intricate custom job will take, particulary if a number of trades are required, and the different parts of the job are interdependent.
Get it in writing!Simpler, straightforward jobs are often quoted by the square foot. Examples are laying sod, painting, roofing, drywall or refinishing floors. The quoted price will typically be set to include everything (ie. labour, materials, travel, etc.).
Smaller jobs may also be quoted buy the hour, and if the job is fairly routine, such as installing addtional electrical outlets or drywalling, the figures are typically in line. In this situation you will pay the tradesperson for time, plus the cost of the materials used in the project.
The Final Design and Quote
If you have a contractor with good references and the estimate looks good, you now need to get a firm quote, including final designs. The design should include detailed specifications for the work and the materials to be used.
(Another option is to have an architect or designer produce the plans and ask the contractors to bid on the job, based on these plans.)
Make sure the final specs are accurate and reflect your wishes, and make your final comments and changes. After you accept the final quote, the cost of further changes will likely be added to the job. Ask how long the stages of the work will take, so that you can monitor progress.
4. The Paperwork
Cash is King, however…
… take care, lest the cash deal of the century turn into the mistake of a lifetime! One reason for cash payment is the avoidance of paperwork and taxes. Taxes and other legalities aside, the absence of contracts and permits can be extremely risky.
Ooh, I love to save money!Cash contractors often don’t pay Workers’ Compensation fees, and you could be held legally responsible for any worker injured on your property. If the contractor gives you the product warranty cards, you’ll be covered for defective materials provided they were properly installed, but don’t expect good follow-up service on a cash deal. You would also have difficulty supporting any legal actions without any paperwork. The overall quality of a project may be compromised in the absence of paperwork, and cash paid in advance (rather than by cheque) will be all but impossible to retrieve if things go sour.
Building, plumbing and electrical codes may require that all or parts of your project be performed by licensed tradespeople, and sometimes licenses are required to obtain the permits. If the tradespeople aren’t licensed, the contractor probably isn’t insured. And if your contractor isn’t insured, then depending on the nature of the job, neither is your house while he works on it.
The Contract
Agreements in writing are less vulnerable to miscommunications, than are verbal ones, and far easier to enforce. Some of the points included in a good contract are:
1. Full job description, including all aspects of the work; demolition, renovation, reconstruction and finishing.
2. Material specifications, including type, model, number, color, and size where applicable, and who’s supplying what.
3. Start and finish dates.
4. Payment schedule; 40/40/20 is generally acceptable.
5. Permits, and who’s responsible for obtaining them.
6. Clean-up and trash removal.
7. On site behaviour.
8. Change order clause: Have any changes to the original job specifications in writing with a requirement that you “sign off” any change before the work is performed.
9. Arbitration: Aree how disagreements will be handled before the work begins.
10. Contractor’s insurer and policy number.
5. The Work MORE POWER!
Problem Avoidance: If you’ve carefully chosen your contractor, and made adequate preparations (including making the site ready for the trades people and workers), this part should be easy! The actual work should closely follow what was written into the contract, however you still need to monitor the ongoing project, and in some cases you’ll be required to make additional decisions. There are often unforseen difficulties, or you may simply wish to ask for changes as the work proceeds.
Site Preparation: Remove furniture and stored articles from the work area, and cover carpets and other items that may not be moveable. It is in your own best interest to make arrangements for storage, clean-up and refuse areas convenient to the work area.
Project Coordination: Effective communication is the greatest secret to successfully completing any project. Maintain regular contact with your contractor(s) so that the unexpected can be dealt with expediently.
Hidden Conditions: A thorough inspection performed in conjuction with estimation should preclude any major changes, however there are structural and mechanical conditions initially hidden from view, which even the most experienced renovator may not be able to predict. Be prepared to negotiate changes for “hidden conditions”.
What to do if a problem develops:
1. Bring all problems, perceived and real, to the attention of your contractor(s).
2. Is it major or minor? If minor, and the contractor is present at the time, discuss it and negotiate a resolution. If it’s minor, and/or looks like it can wait, start a list of minor observations that you can bring to his or her attention when appropriate.
3. Major problems should be dealt with immediately. If your contractor is not present at the time, make every effort to contact him or her as soon as possible. This may avert furtherance of the problem.
4. Given that your contractor responds satisfactorily, carry on. If not, try again and if necessary, write a letter. If you still don’t get satisfaction, look to a third party such as the Ontario Renovators Council or the Ontario Home Builders Association. These agencies should be approached only if you are certain that a resolution cannot be achieved with the contractor. Legal counsel should be an absolute last resort. There’s no use making a mountain out of a molehill, and thereby delaying succesful completion of the project.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
careful contractor selection + a good contract = successful job
Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.
Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.
“The Home Reference Book”
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won’t find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform.
It’s the first tool you should have around the house!
If you are a loan officer or mortgage broker on the market for
internet mortgage leads. Sometimes it may be better to go after
quality leads, as opposed to buying your leads in quantity.
If you are looking for internet mortgage leads in quantity, or
bulk, you will get a heck of a lot of leads for your money. But
for the most part, these leads you purchase in bulk, have been
recycled, or sold from lead company to lead company. Some are
even more than a year old.
If you choose to purchase your internet mortgage leads based on
quality, you will not be getting as many leads as you would if
you bought in bulk, but at least the leads will be “real time,”
or “fresh.” Meaning, you normally will be receiving the lead on
the same day the prospect applies.
But before you go ahead and open an account with an internet
mortgage lead company specializing in real time leads, do a
little bit of research.
Here are a few things to look for in a lead company:
Where do the leads come from?
Make sure the lead company you are considering owns and operates
the web sites from which they obtain their leads, this is pretty
much a guarantee that the leads will be same day fresh.
If a company works with affiliates or buys their leads from
another company, than most likely they will be a few days old by
the time you get them.
You also don’t know how many times the company the leads are
being purchased from sell to other lead companies.
How is their return policy?
Ask about their return policy, is it fair? If you receive a lead
where the contact information is wrong, the customer cannot be
contacted, you ask for good credit prospects and receive
prospects with 400 credit scores and no income, than you should
receive a refund or credit to your account.
The reasons for asking for a refund are not limited to what was
stated in the above paragraph. You have every right to request a
refund for any reason you believe to be reasonable.
When you purchase leads that are fresh, you will pay more for
them, so don’t be shy when it comes to asking for a refund.
What will it cost to start?
Look for a company that has a low minimum deposit requirement to
open an account.
Some companies require your minimum deposit to be $500.00, if
this is not an ideal situation for you or your budget, than look
for a company with a low minimum deposit around $100.00.
How is their customer service?
If you make an attempt to contact an internet mortgage lead
company via phone or e-mail, and they are unresponsive or slow
in getting back to you, than move on to the next lead company.
There is no reason or excuse for poor customer service. If you
find the customer service to be poor during your research, than
you can count on it to be poor when you have a problem or you
are requesting a refund.
The most important thing to consider when shopping around for
internet mortgage leads is the research. You work hard for your
money, so when you buy leads, make sure your money is well
spent. Good luck.
One of the most ominous problems which plagues humankind is huge swarms of locusts devastating the land as they eat their way thru human civilizations. But at least one online think tank member believes he just might have the answer to put an end to this disastrous challenge, which threatens mankind. Mr. Warren Power’s believes the answer is simple and sound. In fact the method he wants to use is harmonic, acoustic and sound wave technologies to stop the locust swarms in their tracks.
But what type of delivery system is robust enough to handle such a thing? Well, none exists, but one could be built if the money for research was available. Of course first things first, Mr. Powers will first have to prove it will work and then draw up some methods of delivery as these locust swarms can be in the ranges of 20 million insects and cover up to 20 square miles sometimes when most extreme, that is a lot of sound.
The power requirement of such a super sound system would need to be immense indeed and the sound would be too. It might be best to first shoot dust into the atmosphere to cause cloud cover so the sound stays in the valley or the battlespace you pick stop the swarm and you would need to pick specific terrain to do this too. Or use the cloud of the locusts plague itself as they black out the sky and shoot them from the ground up and thus taking out layer by layer as they fall. But if your array is on the ground then and the locusts fall on your device, it would break the directional sound waves, You know like sprinkling aluminum oxide flakes on radar antennas?
Although the details have not been worked out yet, Mr. Warren Powers may have just the answer to stop the devastation of Locust Plagues once and for all. Imagine this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
Imagine 24 hours from now doubling your website’s
effectiveness, getting twice the sales, twice the leads,
twice the sign ups, with the same amount of traffic! You
can do it for free in 15 minutes just by improving your
landing page conversion rate. Most people focus on traffic;
however your site conversion rate can dramatically increase
the bottom line and open many doors for you. Traffic comes
from a variety of sources (search engines, email lists, Pay
per click, etc.) but all of the traffic ends up at 1 place:
your landing page. By improving 1 of your traffic sources
you marginally improve website results, but by improving
your landing page, you improve the results from all your
traffic sources! It is strange that people will spend tons
of time and money on getting traffic and very little on
improving conversion rates; stop throwing your money away.
First we need to define 2 terms:
Landing page: The final page a visitor lands on before
they take your most desired action (buy, fill out a lead
form, optin for emails, etc.).
Conversion rate: The number of visitors that take your
most desired action divided by your total visitors. If 100
people visit your site and 3 sign up to receive emails, the
conversion rate is 3%.
100s of factors that affect conversion rate, the single
greatest factor being your page headline. The headline
answers 2 questions for the site visitor: “am I at the
right place?” and “does this apply to me?” People will read
less than 15 words on your site before deciding whether to
stay or not. The headline keeps the visitor on your site
and maximizes the most important part of those 15 words.
The headline has 1 task: it exactly matches your traffic
source phraseology. Does your page headline exactly match
the keyword phrase that caused the site visitor to click
through? You can accomplish this site headline, traffic
source harmony by using 1 of 2 methods:
Method 1. Dynamically generate the headline With some code
at the top of your page you can get the search phrase the
visitor used from the referring url given by the search
engine; then use that phrase as your page headline.
Method 2. Make multiple pages each tweaked for 1 popular
phrase. If you sold dreamweaver video tutorials,
You could go to overture:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion
and search on “dreamweaver”
You could then immediately see 3 phrases that account for
over 95% of the dreamweaver tutorial traffic: “dreamweaver
tutorial”, “dreamweaver training”, and “dreamweaver mx
tutorial”
By doing this analysis you realize 3 pages are needed, 1
for each of the most popular keyword phrases. If you use
adwords and one of your ad titles is “Dreamweaver
Training”, then you’ll send all of those clicks to the
“dreamweaver training” page. Depending on your traffic
source, you will direct the client to 1 of those 3 pages.
You can achieve an immediate explosion of increased profits
by applying the same strategy to your websites. After
modifying your sites, you should see an instant 0.3%-0.5%
increase in your conversion rate, imagine an extra sale for
every 200-350 visitors!
Michael Cutter, PhD is a nationally known speaker, author,
and uses his rare problem solving abilities in a variety of fields. Some words that describe Michael are:
dad, husband, mind mapping, mensa, joint venture, mastermind groups, dream team, life long learner, money, reason for human existence, use strengths for success, ENTP, games, puzzles, audiobooks, video tutorials.
The Chicago Cubs are one of America’s most beloved teams despite
the disappointment that they bring to their faithful followers
year after year. The Cubs are hoping a key off season
acquisition of Juan Pierre, to replace the inconsistent Corey
Patterson in center field, will pay off. Pierre is a true lead
off hitter and more of a threat on the base paths than Patterson
which is definitely one of the things the Cubs were missing last
season as Patterson was striking out too often trying to hit
long balls.
My fear is that the Cubs didn’t get better where they’ve needed
to really get better for several seasons, the bullpen. The Cubs’
starters have been banged up over the past few seasons which has
prevented them from throwing as many innings as they need to in
order for this team to be successful. The bull pen has been
exposed countless times having to enter the game in the 6th or
7th. When a reliever enters the game, Cubs fans start to panic.
Derrek Lee is coming off a break out, MVP caliber, season. The
question remains if he’ll be able to duplicate it, as prior to
last season he was a .270 hitter over the last three seasons.
Although not at the rate his numbers jumped last season, they
have gone up each year over the last 3, which leads me to
believe he will be talked about as an MVP candidate again this
season and that last season wasn’t some kind of a fluke.
However, just as last year, Lee’s heroics won’t be enough to put
the Cubs over the top.
Because of the Cubs’ starting pitching, which has all the
potential in the world but has rarely seen the rotation on the
same page, Vegas often overvalues these Cubs, especially at
home. If you pick your spots, you can make some nice profits by
going against the Cubs as a home favorite. I would be wary about
taking them as an underdog and on the road in division games as
they play in the toughest division in the National League with
Houston and St. Louis.
I must confess that the idea for this blog was not mine. It was the idea of a good friend and business partner, Ian MacMillan.
Empowerment is a really hot topic nowadays. It has been for a while. It’s very popular for companies to be able to claim that they “empower their employees”. Everyone feels good about this. It sounds good after all, even if you’re not sure what “empower” means you almost feel cool to be able to say “I’m empowered”. What does it mean in the practical sense? Well, the theory is that you are given responsibility (read power). You are accountable for a specific set of deliverables. You are in control! I can tell, you feel good already don’t you(?).
So, that’s the theory, now for some practice. Many are cynics of empowerment, simply through common misuse of the word. Some might even say that Empowerment equals Abandonment. I don’t believe this but I do believe that it happens. In fact, I know it does from personal experience. So how do you know whether you’ve been empowered abandoned? To start with you’ll have a line manager who, previously, was a firm believer in delegation - this is always a good start. What has happened in recent times is that delegation has got a bad name. It suggests hierarchy. It suggests “Us & Them”, the management and the workers. Keen to dispel this way of working many have adopted empowerment as a direct replacement to delegation.
Empowerment is a good thing but it’s not something to be taken lightly. You, as the empowered, need support. You need someone to call when you want to check something. There’s nothing wrong with checking. contrary to popular belief it says nothing about your own ability to “grab the bull by the horns”, rather it shows that [a] you know that you’re not infallible and [b] you appreciate input from others. We’re all different. We approach decisions in different ways and it’s important to surround yourself with people who do think differently as this is the only way to ensure that you broaden your experience rather than deepen it.
So, to draw to a close before the readers’ attention deteriorates too far Empowerment is good, Abandonment is bad. Consider your own situation and whether you’re comfortable in it. If you’re not, you need to change it. This means one of two things. Change it within the environment that you presently work or change yourself out of the environment in which you presently work. Note, you are in control of both of these. If you can’t effect the former then it’s either because you’re not the right person to do it, or the organisation isn’t right for the change. If the latter here then you need to heed the semi-hidden message here.
Sometimes, who must do what’s right for the organisation rather than what you think is right, perhaps what you know it’s right. No-one can move mountains, so don’t try. Focus your energies on something that is achievable, this benefits everyone.
About the Author:
My background and experience is mainly project management within diverse environments such as large corporate financial institutions, medium-sized technology consultancies and smaller start-ups. Having held positions including Operations Director (COO) and Head of Process Management, I recently decided that the time is right to take a calculated risk and leave corporate life for good…the entrepreneurial side of my character is prevailing.
My focus is on becoming an “Un-natural Entrepreneur”. I want to work with people and companies that have vision. I can offer key values and skills to help bring your ideas to fruition. If you are a “starter”, then I am your “finisher”. My approach to a challenge is to clarify, understand, problem-solve, develop and deliver.
To take an idea or concept through from its inception to its execution requires a consultative approach - a partnership. I am a rational and pragmatic thinker and can work within an existing management structure, or create a new management team through my extensive network.
If you are like many other traders, you have been eagerly
waiting for the release of Metastock 8.0 for one reason, and one
reason only, the reportedly redeveloped system tester.
Metastock`s one major flaw has always been its lack of back
testing capabilities, though previous versions of Metastock are
head and shoulders above the competition on other fronts. But
whatever criteria you use to trade with, be it moving averages,
candle sticks, fibonacci retracements, or any other trading
system, you`re going to need to back test it. Everyone needs to
thoroughly back test, or simulate, their trading system in ways
that can match the conditions you will be trading in. It`s
something all serious traders do.
Consequently, when Equis International (the makers of Metastock
8.0) announced “an all-new type of exploration that emulates
running system tests over an entire database of securities”, I
could hardly wait to get the Metastock 8.0 release.
While waiting to receiving my copy of Metastock 8.0 I began
building trading systems. By the time my copy of Metastock 8.0
finally arrived, I had around 20 systems ready for testing, and
couldn`t wait to try them out.
However, when I loaded up the software, I was in for a surprise.
It looked like nothing had changed. I thought maybe Equis
International had kept the same interface and added in greater
flexibility and some more features, but after searching in every
nook and cranny, I found next to nothing that was new. It looked
the same and, except for a couple of small changes, it was the
same!
Then I came to the System tester - now called the “Enhanced
System Tester”. This was my major reason for upgrading from
version 7.22. This is what appeared to be only real difference
between Metastock 7.22 and Metastock 8.0.
After fiddling around with the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System
Tester for a few hours, and testing my 20 systems, I reached the
verdict that I wasted my money on the new version of Metastock
8.0. Despite the supposed improvements to the Enhanced System
Tester it, like it`s predecessor, left a lot to be desired.
Even though the Metastock 8.0 Enhanced System Tester tests
multiple securities in one batch, it treats each security
independently of the others. Therefore, when Metastock 8.0 tests
the first security, it uses your predefined float and takes the
trade over the test period selected. Once that is completed, it
repeats the same process for the second security, using the same
initial float, with no reference to the first security.
In the end, you receive the same result that you would have if
you simply tested each security individually and added the
results together. Not only is this process dreadfully slow, but
the entire reason for testing your system is side-stepped. When
your finished all the explorations, the performance of your
trading system is still unknown!
The moral of the story is that if you already own Metastock 7,
don`t worry about upgrading to Metastock 8.0. Simply stick with
the version you have and keep your fingers crossed that Equis
International gets it right for Metastock 9.0.
David Jenyns, leading expert in designing profitable trading
systems, MetaStock website offers a huge free collection of
trading related tips and tricks. Gain free access now. Click
Here ==> http://www.meta-form
ula.com/subscribe
