Frolic: It’s Happy Hour!

Living away from home for 15 years has taught me that there is no place like home. It is for that reason that we are looking at real estate in Rochester NY. My kids are getting older and Rochester has so much to offer I want them to experience the wonderful small town feel and wonderful summers that I grew up with. Rochester has a great community feel and offers so many things to see and do. As a potential home owner I am excited to know that I will be able to get a nice house for the money and I’ll feel at home.

Rochester NY has some beautiful older homes as well as some newer construction available. The best part about real estate in Rochester NY is that it offers such character and charm. This is a part of the country that is not as effected by the current trends. There is a wonderful sense of community and pride for the area. I have lived in Rochester for several years and the only thing that I had to get used to was the long winters. The weather is generally colder from Thanksgiving thru mid-April but then the most beautiful spring and summer begin….

One of the most powerful leadership tools available is the ability to facilitate a meeting or a work session. Too often, these gatherings are a disorganized jumble of unprocessed ideas that leave participants frustrated and feeling that “nothing much got accomplished”.

Effective facilitation is simple. With a bit of practice, anyone can learn how to do it. There are 10 key steps to becoming a master facilitator:

1.Prepare in advance. Put yourself in the role of a participant and think through the logical elements that need to come together in order to achieve the desired outcome.

2.Define the meeting objective. Finish the sentence: ‘the purpose of this meeting is….”. Make sure that you and everyone else is clear what the expected meeting outcomes are.

3.Set your time parameters. A startling amount can be accomplished in an hour if you know that’s the time frame. Pay attention to the clock.

4.Define a set of questions that lead logically to the desired outcome. As you’re preparing the questions, work your way through the possible answers. This will help you define the next question.

5.Record feedback. Use a flipchart, digital projector or some other public recording device so participants can see, discuss and revisit their answers. While modern technology is great, flipcharts have a significant advantage in keeping the process leader front and center, and in control of the meeting.

6.Keep the process moving. Don’t dwell on any topic for too long. Frequently, the best thinking comes fast and early - belaboring an issue is seldom worth the loss of momentum.

7.Get contribution from everyone. Don’t let participants hang back in the weeds and don’t let any one person dominate.

8.Listen hard. Don’t be afraid to recast a participant’s perspective in simple terms that everyone understands. This will make you a hero. Be respectful of the participant and their input and insure you’ve recast their thoughts accurately.

9.Learn some simple voting techniques. Sometimes it’s necessary to prioritize ideas or action plans. Getting participants to do their own prioritization, then capturing their ranking and adding up their votes is a simple, effective way to get group consensus.

10.End by summarizing agreements, next steps and who’s responsible. That way, things will get done and no one will leave the meeting feeling that your meeting or work session was a waste of time.

Effective facilitation significantly increases the value of group meetings. It saves time and increases the quality of output. With some logical thinking, preparation and practice, anyone can become a great meeting facilitator.

In 1983 Jim started his consulting career with CMA Consulting. However, what goes around comes around, and several times as a consultant, Jim has found himself in charge of a company he’s working with. Currently that includes a small, fast growing software company that is harnessing the internet to revolutionize insurance claims processing.

Through Boardroom Metrics Jim offers CEO Coaching and Management Consulting to all types of organizations. He provides significant insight on management, governance and technology issues faced by executive management.

The S710 has been a a real money spinner for HTC having been amazingly popular with consumers. For the money the HTC S710 is basic but functional. HTC have done a outstanding job on the functional design of this handset.

The S710 has support for 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 . The S710 has an integrated 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video camera. If you use the Internet on the move, you will be pleased to know a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE), compatible browser is included. The battery supplied with the S710 is a Standard battery, Li-Po 1050 mAh,. Regarding the all important battery cell usage the HTC S710 has 7:00 talk time and 175 hours standby time. Regarding the the display the mobile handset is supplied with a 2.4 inch screen, which, considering other possibilities you could get for the price is an average display. The display type is TFT, 65K colors. Polyphonic, MP3 ring-tones are enabled on the HTC S710 along with a vibration alert . The S710 weighs 120 g which is acceptable for a phone in its price bracket. Colour wise the HTC S710 comes in, Black and Silver. We found the S710 very compact. The HTC S710 comes equipped with bluetooth, making the majority of devices compatible. Additionally the S710 has:

Although this is a pretty recent model, there are already much more advanced phones available. It is therefore fairly easy to find a real bargain on the S710.

There are numerous incentivised deals available on the internet to savvy phone customers. For instance, using a site that allows you to compare mobile phones you may see a free line rental deal.

Gaming laptops used to only be brought from niche manufacturers. Basically as I remember they were never the hottest selling notebooks but as they were more significantly expensive they were the greatest cash making products. Despite that everyone probably wanted one. Had you been a power hungry user they were just the best laptop computers you could buy. I would get very excited by them however I knew I could not go out and buy laptop computers at the prices they were going for. As the massive computer manufacturers spot the potential revenues in gaming notebooks, the industry is evolving.

Bringing their well known names into the sector would probably allow them to charge higher prices. It is an ideal opportunity for them to get back gross markup as the markup on mass market notebooks are so minute these days. Why would potential buyers buy laptop computers like this? I guess big companies have the marketing money to teach them that. I wonder whether this would be the demise of smaller resellers? This one time premium technology is basically going to be targeted at everyone now. I reckon prospects will trust the bigger manufacturers more if they buy something costly.

The companies latest notebooks are receiving a large amount of accolades as being the best laptop computers from the press. In my view the smaller resellers essentially act on this if they’re to exist. I guess people that get these kinds of systems prefer to be able to configure their laptop. Usually many evaluations of the tech specs will be done and the techies can tell what the better laptop really is. For this kind of niche, the components are usually more important ahead of the looks.

All consumers agree that its a great change. In the end the price will decline more and more customers would be able to purchase such superior technology. I say that with a feeling of uncertainty however. Technology is always getting better and the latest laptops will normally be expensive on release. Competition usually makes companies to design improved products and provide greater value so that sounds hopeful.

In my last article I talked about how football and sports bars are a great way to meet quality guys. Before you hit the bar, it helps to know a little about the game, how it starts, and what they are trying to achieve. The offense is where you can watch for the strategic plays and learn lessons in planning that apply as easily to your career as they do on the football field.

Starting the Game

Before each game, the captains from each team and the referee meet at the center of the field for the coin toss.

• The winner of the coin toss has the option of starting the game by kicking the ball to the other team or receiving the kickoff from the other team.

• The game begins when one of the teams kicks off to the other.

• The receiving team must catch the ball and try to advance it as far forward toward the kicking team as possible.

• The play ends when the player with the ball is knocked to the ground (tackled), runs out of bounds, or makes it all the way to the kicking team’s end zone (touchdown).

• The spot where the kick returner was tackled becomes the line of scrimmage. The line of scrimmage is a term for the place the ball is spotted before a play is run.

• Once this starting point is established, the offensive squad of the receiving team will come in and try to move the ball toward the opposition’s end zone.

Offense

The offense is the team that has possession of the ball and is trying to score by moving the football down the field towards the end zone. There are two ways to move the football: running or passing. The offensive team has four attempts, or chances, to move the ball ten yards. These attempts are called downs. Once the ball has moved ten yards or more from the starting point of play, the team gets four new downs to try to move the ball another ten yards. If the ball doesn’t move ten yards forward in four downs, the other team gets possession of the ball (the offense also has the option of kicking - punting - the ball to the other team on the fourth down).

There are two ways to score points while on the offensive side of the ball. One is to kick the ball through the goal posts at the back of the other team’s end zone, which is called a field goal, and the other is to run or throw the ball into the end zone, which is called a touchdown. A field goal is worth three points and a touchdown is worth 6 points. Immediately following a touchdown, the team gets to attempt a kick for an extra point. This is similar to a very short field goal. Following the kick, the possession of the ball moves to the other team.

The offensive team has several players in different key positions:

Quarterback

The quarterback is the team leader who really gets the offense moving. He is the only player that touches the ball on every offensive play, regardless of running or passing strategy. He throws the ball for a pass or hands it off for a running play. Sometimes the quarterback will even run with the ball himself. Quarterbacks don’t have to be large, but most have magnetic personalities and display clear leadership qualities.

Wide Receiver

This position is mostly used to catch passes from the quarterback. They don’t need to be big, but they definitely need to be fast. Jerry Rice is probably one of the most famous wide receivers in football and he could certainly teach the energizer bunny a thing or two about staying power.

Running Back

It’s a dangerous job, but someone’s gotta do it! Running backs take the hand off from the quarterback and run as far as they can before getting tackled by the thugs on the other team’s defense. Their goal is to gain yardage and they take a beating doing it.

Full Back

These guys are crucial to a good running game. They can run like a running back, or block for the running back, giving him a chance to get further down the field. Just like the running back, these guys take a pounding.

Tight End

To clear up a common female misperception, this position has nothing to do with the fit of the uniform. Tight ends are multitalented players who block, catch passes and provide protection for the quarterback.

Offensive Line

There are usually five players on the offensive line. The typical offensive line has a center in the middle who hands the ball through his legs to the quarterback at the start of each play. There are two guards, one on each side of the center, and two tackles who play on the outer edges of the offensive line and are usually the biggest players. The offensive line’s mission is to block for the running back on a running play or protect the quarterback from the defense on a passing play. These are the big guys on the offensive team who usually weigh in at around 300 pounds.

In the final article I will cover defense and overtime, and you’ll be ready to talk some serious football. And, don’t forget to read the sports pages!

About the Author:

When not watching football, Jessica Hardwick is building a startup, SwapThing.com that changes the way people exchange goods and services through the Internet. http://www.SwapThing.com is a site focused on building a strong swap community online. The ShareThing program helps non-profits get access to item & cash donations as well as volunteers and professional services.

This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute it, as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is included, and that the links above is intact.

Trading requires time in a couple of ways. The first is the time dedicated to developing a trading system. This can be thought of as a one-off thing, but in reality it is more an on-going process. Once a system is in place, time is required in terms of monitoring the markets for signals, executing transactions, and managing positions. How much time all these different elements require depends on the trading system. The trading system, in turn, needs to take in to account the amount of time the trader has available. This article discusses the considerations which go in to helping one determine
their best trading timeframe.

The first question to be answered is how much time each day/week/month (whichever is most appropriate) can you dedicate to the various requirements of trading and managing a trading system? Different trading styles require different time focus. As a rule, the shorter-term the trading, the more specifically dedicated time required. A day trader, for example, runs positions which are opened and closed during the same session. This normally means a lot of time spent watching the market for entry and exit signals. An intermediate or longer-term trader who holds trades for weeks or more does not have to dedicate the same amount of time to watching the markets. He or she can usually get away with only spot checking from time to time. Of course there is a whole array of possibilities in between. Knowing where you fall in the spectrum of possibilities is an important part of developing your Plan.

At this point it is also important to consider distractions. There is a major difference between having 6 hours per day of uninterrupted time to watch the markets and having 6 hours of time during which you will be making and receiving phone calls, having meetings, and otherwise not being able to focus on the markets and make trades when required. In the former case one could day trade. In the latter, however, day trading would probably be a disaster as the trader would most likely miss important trading situations on a frequent basis. This sort of thing needs to be taken in to account.

The basic decision one has to make is in what timeframe the trader can reasonably expect to operate on a consistent basis. The individual must be able to do all the data gathering, research, market analysis, trade execution and monitoring, portfolio management, and any other functions required of her or his trading system. That means a trading timeframe has to be selected which allows the trader to handle all of these duties on a consistent basis without the kinds of disruptions which can cause poor system input from the user, and therefore poor system performance.

By the way, nothing says a trader cannot operate in multiple timeframes. The point of this
assessment is really to determine the shortest timeframe realistically workable for the trader. He or she would then certainly be able to trade in ones longer-term than that base point. For example, just because one has the ability to day trade does not mean he or she cannot operate in a longer-term trade horizon.

One other thing to consider, especially where it relates to short-term activity such as day trading, is time of day. It is all fine and good if a trader has 8 hours of uninterrupted free time available during which to trade. What if that time is between 6:00pm and 2:00am Eastern, though? None of the primary US markets is open then, so the day trading options are a little thin for a US-based trader. (Forex might be an option).

It is also worth stating, as a final comment, that sometimes trading is not a good idea. We all go through spells in our lives when we are distracted by any number of things. This can be through illness, injury, family or relationship issues, or work-related stress. These tend to be temporary in nature, but nevertheless are a factor in our trading. If you cannot focus on trading the way you need toand by that we mean following your planthen no timeframe is going to be the right one. It’s perfectly fine to take time off and not trade.

John Forman is author of The Essentials of Trading (Wiley - April 2006), and a near 20 year veteran of trading and analyzing the markets. Visit Anduril Analytics to learn more about his trading, market analysis, and research activities and to find out how you can get a copy of Anduril’s free report on what every trader and investor needs to succeed.

If you are like many people, backyard birding is a hobby for you whether you actively encourage visits from birds or not. One way to attract birds is to put out suet — beef fat — and watch the crowds stop by and devour the treat. Suet is an inexpensive food source and should become part of your bird feeding program if you desire to attract a steady flow of birds.

Exactly what is suet? In short, it is beef fat. Yes, birds enjoy eating other animals…to a point. Most suet sold in stores or made at home contains this fat plus other important bird attracting ingredients including: peanuts, berries, shelled nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, millet, corn, and bread crumbs.

Suet can be purchased in small blocks and placed in a suet feeder or you can make it at home. No, I won’t take the time to share a “recipe” here with you, but some birders enjoy making the home grown variety.

You may find that purchasing a block and placing it in a suet feeder is your style. If so, prices can vary widely from about one dollar for a single block to nearly two dollars each. I have discovered that one of the local discount retailers sells suet in bulk; I paid eight dollars for a box of twelve, which translates to less than seventy cents per block.

Many people will tell you that suet should only be placed outside when temperatures are seventy degrees or lower. From personal experience I have learned that some suet can remain out regardless how hot it can get. Here in North Carolina, we have temperatures in the nineties for three to four months straight; birds have been flocking to the suet feeder without fail all summer long. Recommendation: the suet I put out contains sunflower seeds, millet, and corn. I would not put out suet with berries during summer months as it will spoil quickly.

So, how do you keep the squirrels at bay? Besides investing in a pricey suet feeder with high tech security functions, I have found a low cost way that may work for you. Specifically, you will need an “S” shaped hook that can be placed on your home’s rain gutter. Hook one side to the gutter and then place the suet holder [with suet inside] on the end sticking out [you may need a second hook on the suet holder itself to make it work].

This method works for me because the squirrels hate walking on my steep roof to reach the suet. Should a squirrel actually get on the roof, they would have to bend over backwards to reach the suet and then by holding onto loose fitting gutter shields. Of course, this won’t work for everyone, but it does for me. Experiment. You will find a way!

Once your suet is in place, birds should stop by within the hour. Birds observed at our feeder include: nuthatches, thrushes, cardinals, chickadess, blue jays, sparrows, wrens, flickers, woodpeckers, goldfinches, and robins. Yes, don’t let anyone kid you: robins will eat suet!

You can purchase a new suet holder for just a few dollars at mostly any retail store. Our visitors go through about two and one half cases per year, so for less than twenty five dollars annually I am able to set out suet and attract a wide variety of our flying friends. Not many hobbies can be as cost effective as that!

Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who enjoys birding in his spare time. Please visit his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com for samples of some of his work.

How do you like the title of this column? Doesn’t it sound like the title of a movie starring Michael Caine and Brenda Vaccaro? The Overwhelm Factor… Michael Caine’s a British agent dashing through the busy, rainy streets of London, yanking Vaccaro along with him while she clutches a manila folder chock full of Her Majesty’s Secrets. Big Ben tolling in the background, the furtive duo slips into Scotland Yard before the stroke of midnight, a terrorist bomb set to go off any second in the middle of Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Square. Reach the Yard too late and it’s curtains for the Queen Mum too, not to mention the entire British Empire. Yes, The Overwhelm Factor… from Paramount Pictures… coming to a movie house near you… this Christmas!

Well, surprisewe’re not talking about a movie after all, though you’ll probably wish I were. The Overwhelm Factor actually refers to a common stuck point all too familiar to too many professionals today. It’s that reeling feeling we get when the whole world around us begins crashing down on top of us. Too much to do, too much to know about, too much to keep abreast of. Too many projects, demands, accountabilities. Ka-ba-ba-boom! Sometimes, you eel pretty sure you just can’t take it anymore.

Fortunately, a simple solution is available. And it has to do not with maturity or experience or grizzled wisdom but the innocence of children. Yes the children will set us free, or at least their example. To fight off overwhelm, we’ve got to regress to our childhood, in particular very EARLY childhood. That’s right. Overcoming The Overwhelm Factor involves the taking of teeny-weeny baby steps.

Whenever an obstacle to career success rears up in their path, many otherwise crackerjack professionals throw in the towel and let said obstacle stop them point-blank in their tracks. While thinking nothing of taking on outsized, derring-do projects when asked (or ordered) to do so by their boss, they nonetheless operate far less aggressively when faced with a similar challenge/opportunity in their career life. They then push their career ambitions to the personal back burner, letting them slide. Might this depiction fit you?

If so, your own “Big Picture” efforts may be scaring the bazookas out of you, so much so that you end up doing nothing at all. So try this approach for a possible breakthrough: embark on a few baby steps! That’s one teeny-step forward, then you go… then another teeny-weeny teetering toddle next… then a third, and a fourth, and then… hey, nice work!… you’re on a roll!

When faced with seemingly overwhelming odds, whether in advancing your personal life or your career, what can seem like one impossibly enormous load can actually grow lighter simply by chipping away at it bit by tiny bit. As the age-old Chinese adage goes: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Begin yours with baby steps, knowing that together they will carry you a long distance and enable you to overcome what previously seemed overwhelming and insurmountable.

Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law firms, executives and companies into “thoughtleaders.” This article is an excerpt from his newest book “Beyond Reason: Questioning Assumptions of Everyday Life”.

Visit ==>www.thoughtleading.com for more info.

The dog is now quite happy after a nice long walk which set me thinking what it is that would make someone opt into your subscription on your landing page? For one, if it is a really good product that the visitor wants to see you are in a winning position.

In most instances though you will just have a slight curiosity when the visitor lands on your page and getting them to the point where they really want to give you their information will be up to you and your writing skills.

Here is a rough outline for you to apply on your landing page.

Break it up into these four words. Hey, You, See, So.

Where “Hey” is your headline. This is where you call the visitor. You grab their attention by stating a predicament they might be in or making a proposition.

“You”, is where you make the visitor part of what you are saying and leading into the subject matter of your page. This is also your sub headline which should be the lead out from your headline and the lead in to your subject matter.

See is the section where you will tell the visitor about the product reiterating or proving your headline and sub-headline. State all the benefits they can expect either through a review of the product if you own and use the product, or leave out your story and explain each of the main advantages proving your headline and sub-headline.

A review is always a good option to use as the content for your landing page. If you are using a specific product and it has helped you to find answers or solve problems saving you time and ultimately money, you will have a passion for that product.

Now this passion is not the same as for ‘dearly beloved’ but I think you do get the point. Depends on who does the dishes of course. Well let’s not go off on a tangent and get back to the subject at hand.

When you write your review on the product tell a story, we all love stories, and if you don’t believe me ask your parents what they had to do before bedtime when you were small. We will never grow out of it, the story just becomes more refined.

Don’t be afraid to mention weakness, snags or something you had to go through to achieve success with the product, by doing so you will gain more trust from your readers because you are honest.

Sell them what you believe in and then offer them something in return for their email address like a guide to the use of the product, or a free video that you made on getting the most from the product. Use your imagination and put yourself in the visitor’s shoes, personally I would not go for the socks.

Use bullet points and white space and remember your content should be just long enough to create an itch; the sales page will do the scratching.

“So”, is your final analysis where you will reiterate all the main benefits in bullet points and a call to action. Do not forget, or be afraid, to ask. If you do not ask you will not receive. Well time to walk the dog again and get some inspiration, and maybe some coffee.

Indoor trampolines, also known as mini-trampolines, are small trampoline kits designed for children between 3 to 7 years old. They are available in many sizes but most of them are portable and smaller than regular trampolines. Average height is about 9 -11 inches off the ground and may be circular, rectangular or square in shape.

Since many emergency room-treated injuries are related to trampoline jumping, before letting kids use indoor trampolines (though smaller and look more harmless), all safety precautions should be taken. Adequate adult supervision is also imperative for all types of trampolines if it involves kids in the trampoline activity.

Indoor trampolines may also be used as a bouncing device by gymnasts or stuntmen to be catapulted into the air. Professional indoor, or Olympic style trampolines, have a webbed surface and are generally much more expensive. They also need folding down and are not suitable for outdoors. Other indoor trampolines may also be used as fitness and weight loss tools.

Popular Indoor Trampoline Models:

Nursery Trampoline: This indoor trampoline has a grip handle, and is designed to encourage children to exercise and keep fit. The model is suitable for outdoor use too. It is also equipped with a weatherproof mat and tubular steel frame with a durable coated finish. The padded cover around the mat cushions the frame and prevents children from stepping through the bungee cord for extra safety. Costs around $100 to $135.

Joey Trampoline: is designed to help kids learn balance and coordination with the assistance of a handlebar, which can be removed as the child gets older and bigger. It features 6 steel feet, anti-slip rubber pads, a powder-coated steel frame, heavy-duty jumping mat, and strong padded foam cushion frame cover for extra safety. Approximate cost - $60 to $70.

Child Sport Fit Trainer: Manufactured by Texas Trampoline, the jumping surface of this indoor trampoline is woven Permatron material, and has extra wide, deluxe safety pads that cover the frame and the springs. It’s an 8-foot square and 24 inches high trampoline which can also be used by adults who want to stay in shape. No additional tools are required for assembly. It costs around $600, and is one of the most expensive indoor trampolines.

Soft-Bounce Rebounder: A product from Needak, it has a surface diameter of 28.5 inches and a Permatron mat rebounding surface, with protective, spring cover padding, and is intended for indoor, aerobic use by adults. The rebounder comes in a folding or non-folding model. Purchase also includes a video, book, article, and a carrying bag. Costs around $120 to $180.

TP Medium Junior Trampoline: Features a detachable handle which can be used when the trampoline is used by more than one child. Designed to improve co-ordination, balance skills and spatial awareness of the child through play. Made from galvanized steel frame and tough mesh mat that allows rain to fall through. Costs around $60 to $70.

Bounce around Inflatable Trampoline: This is an inflatable bouncing trampoline constructed out of heavy-duty vinyl, which can be conveniently deflated after use. Great for kids who love to jump on beds. Approximately costs around $35 to $45.

Trampolines HQ offers articles and tips about trampolines and trampolining.