Bright Activity

It is usually fairly easy for classroom teachers to distinguish the students who are on-task from those who are not. Those on-task students tend to be those who are using their time productively towards completing assigned work. These students tend to listen closely to teacher instructions so they may be able to accurately complete the assignment. Generally, on-task students work quietly and purposely during the allotted independent seat work time. However, there are usually a small number of students in the same classroom who tend to be off-task a majority of the time. These students may be quietly avoiding work completion, or they may be actively pursuing other interests in a manner that is disruptive and noticeable. Regardless of the nature of off-task behavior, these students are showing some amount of inattention and under performance in the classroom. Although a few of these off-task students may have a genuine impairment observed as ADHD, many other students may struggle with inattention due to other reasons. These latter students show ADHD-like symptom as a result of alternative conditions which can effectively interfere with classroom learning.

The most common disruptor to learning in the classroom is low motivation, weak work-study skills, poor organization, and inefficiency of time usage. These students tend to be average to low academic performers who will consistently have difficulty producing a volume of high quality work. Fortunately, their work efforts will improve with additional monitoring and reinforcement offered by the classroom teacher.

Aside from these less efficient and under motivated students, there are usually a smaller number of students who are purposely avoiding work completion. The inattention and off-task behavior of these students easily mimics the core symptoms of ADHD. These students are often targeted for ADHD evaluations due their under performance in the classroom. There are number of alternative conditions that can demonstrate with ADHD like symptoms. These include mental health disruptions resulting from divorce, child abuse, death and loss, family moves, parent unavailability due to occupational travel, sudden traumatic experience, or even dysfunctional parenting. Although these disruptors generally tend to be temporary in a child’s life, they can still introduce high amounts of stress that can easily disrupt attention and learning in the classroom.

In addition to these emotional disruptions, there are other mental health conditions that can occur in addition to ADHD, or perhaps be mistaken for ADHD. These conditions are outlined by Mary Fowler in a publication of the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (April, 2002):

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) – A pattern of negative, hostile, and defiant behavior. Symptoms include frequent loss of temper, arguing (especially with adults), refusal to obey rules, intentionally annoying others, blaming others. The person is angry, resentful, possibly spiteful, and touchy. (Many of these symptoms disappear with AD/HD treatments.)

Conduct Disorder (CD) – A pattern of behavior that persistently violates the basic rights of others or society’s rules. Behaviors may include aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, or serious rule violations.

Anxiety – Excessive worry that occurs frequently and is difficult to control. Symptoms include feeling restless or on edge, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.

Depression – A condition marked by trouble concentrating, sleeping, and feelings of dejection and guilt. There are many types of depression. With AD/HD you might commonly see dysthymia, which consists of a depressed mood for many days, over or under eating, sleeping too much or too little, low energy, low self-esteem, poor concentration, and feeling hopeless. Other forms of depression may also be present.

Learning Disabilities – Problems with reading, writing, or mathematics. When given standardized tests, the student’s ability or intelligence is substantially higher than his or her achievement. Underachievement is generally considered age-inappropriate. [Note: Children with AD/HD frequently have problems with reading fluency and mathematical calculations. AD/HD learning problems have to do with attention, memory and executive function difficulties rather than dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia, which are learning disabilities.]

Fowler goes on to describe ADHD as still the most commonly diagnosed behavior disorder of childhood. The core symptoms must reflect inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that consistently disrupt one or more life areas and are developmentally inappropriate when compared to the chronological age of the child. To successfully evaluate, a professional must examine the number of symptoms present, the severity of symptoms, and the extent of the disruption evident in two or more critical life areas. In essence, the professional diagnostician must attempt a comprehensive assessment that evaluates the child globally. In so doing, the alternative diagnostic conditions can be differentiated from a true presentation of ADHD.

By George Gallegos, Ph.D.
http”//www.youadditup.com/

George Gallegos is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the Sate of Colorado. He has maintained a private practice for over twenty five years during which time he has developed a long developing expertise with ADHD children. His current work with ADHD assessment and identification is conducted cooperatively with a large pediatric practice. Dr. Gallegos has more recently developed a 78-item test for ADHD entitled the ADHD Pre-Diagnostic Assessment (PDA). The PDA is an ADHD test for parents to use when initial concerns arise about their child. The PDA is intended as a primer measure when considering the possible need for a professional evaluation. The PDA can be used to discriminate essential factors that are predictive of ADHD or alternate conditions that interfere with classroom performance including learning disabilities, sensory integration dysfunction, developmental delays, or emotional/behavioral problems.

A bridging loan is a short term finance that is used to bridge the gap between a buy and a sell transaction. It pays for your new property before you sell your old one. Once you sell your old property, the proceeds can be used to repay the bridging loan. It can also be used to finance a business. If you have applied for a business loan, you can take out a bridging loan to run your business until you receive the business loan.

A bridging loan is a secured loan which is secured against a commercial or a residential property.
As we have already discussed, a bridging loan is a short term loan that is used to fulfill short term personal or business needs. The loan period of bridging loans ranges form a few days to a few weeks. The maximum loan period of a bridging loan is two years. The good thing about bridging loans is that they are easily available and can be arranged within a short period of time.

The rate of interest on bridging loan is very high. You should get it only for the purpose of bridging the gap between two transactions. Once you get it, you should repay it within a short period of time because of high interest rate. If you take out a bridging loan, make sure that you repay it as per the loan terms, otherwise the property that you offer as a security may be repossessed by the lender. The rate of interest depends upon the credit rating of the borrower and the value of collateral.

If you are taking out a bridging loan to purchase a new property, then make sure that your old property gets sold quickly otherwise your interest burden would be very high. You must try and sell your old property as soon as you get a bridging loan since the sale proceeds of the old property will be used to repay the new property. Bridging loans can also be taken out by borrowers who have a bad credit history. The rate of interest on bad credit bridging loans is even higher. You must consider every aspect of a bridging loan before applying for it.

Author:

The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the
finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Apply-4-loans as a finance specialist.
For more information please visit =>http://www.apply-4-loans.co.uk

The notebook computer industry has gone from strength to strength in recent times. Taiwanese companies have said component scarcities will affect deliveries this year due to the enormous demands. Laptops have been a growing industry year on year for a number of years now and it looks set to continue. It’s a fast changing industry that is witnessing new trends all the time.

There seems to be a lot more variation and availability of gaming notebooks these days. Because of the increasing production and quick shifts it means expensive parts are less in price than a couple of years ago. Gaming performance on notebooks is pretty adequate considering the factors involved so if you need mobilility they give a good option. With the new found performance also came along more streamlined chassis. Speed of desktops should infinitely be a step ahead of notebooks but its still encouraging to see. I feel gaming laptops are always interesting to hear about because they are constantly pushing the boundaries on portable technology.

Performance notebooks are commonly custom built to the customers spec. With bigger brands you normally don’t have a clue what they put into the notebook computer. With that in perspective you normally get to specify the cpu, memory, storage and os. Pre configured laptops are made for common activies and not upto doing more intensive activies. Mass customisation of laptop computers has got past this dilemma. I like that idea that there are a lot of small sized companies offering great service for custom notebooks. I surely feel this is a prime thing that goes in favour for buying a laptop thats made to .

Ample amounts of funky notebooks are being released in the near future. The latest trend along with those mentioned seems to be cheap ultra portables. A number of resembling devices have already been released at a fast pace. In my opinion the market would adjust well to a 15″ version modelled on the same fundementals. I believe getting an attractive price mark is a big roadblock in all this. Surely the technology is here. It would not surprise me to see miniture gaming notebooks in the next 5 years time. New notebooks are normally top secret before launch so theres no knowing what new ideas we’ll see.

Some men have a hard time keeping a hard on and some gals have very long sex drives, meaning it will take the female an extraordinarily long time to come. Because of this contrast in sex drives, love making can often become a frustrating and undesirable session. That’s why stubby dildos can often be helpful. If the gent shoots early in the session, or even if the female just takes longer than her partner, he can continue to penetrate the gal with the slim dildo. That way all sexual fun does not have to stop. It gives him substantial time to recharge his energy and also helps the gal horned up. Consequently when he’s prepared to come back into the love making session, the chick will still be aroused enough to accept him.

Your most erogenous area is your brain. And as much as numerous girls will not admit this, the penis is an ancient symbol of power, no matter how massive or little, it is still associated with fertility. Penetrating your woman with a thick dildo can only make a fantasy of power play reality.

Some ladies savour the sensation of feeling full in their vagina or anus. Whenever a marital toy such as a thin dildo, penetrates the vagina or back passage, the muscles contract around it. Abounding females see the tightening of the above mentioned muscles to be incredibly enjoyable. Looking for the a great orgasm then get Adult and Sex Toys.

I am a Webmaster and Editor of an online women’s magazine and I love my job. Like most other savvy webmasters, my days are taken up with tweaking pages, adding content, reading all the newsletters I subscribe to, and the myriad other little chores we webmasters get up to during the day – taking coffee breaks, playing with the cat, twiddling our thumbs and thinking up grandiose new schemes to rocket us into the filthy-rich category.

So most of the time I exist in my own blissful little webmaster world, oblivious of the murky waters that lie just below the wafer-thin surface of my otherwise peaceful, ethical and righteous vocation.

But scratch the surface – and mark my words, you don’t have to scratch it very hard – you’ll find a whole other dimension under your fingernails. Like climbing through a portal, you are presented with an alternate universe. A grotesque, disturbing, degrading smutty world of um, how shall I say it? utter degeneracy. What I’m talking about is the OTHER side of the Internet – the side where every fetish, every indecent, humiliating and obscene notion ever dreamed up by us humans is catered for.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a knockabout, shoot-from-the-hip kinda gal simply that likes my coffee straight up. I’m also a firm believer in the notion of “whatever gets you going is fine by me”, as long as you stay out of my territory. I AM NOT a bible-thumping wowser by any stretch of the imagination.

But therein lies the problem – this OTHER Web World that is constantly shoved in my face, whether I like it or not. To paraphrase Peter Finch in the movie ‘Network’, “I don’t want to take this anymore!” And the reason I don’t want to take this anymore has nothing to do with any quaint notions about my delicate femaleness, or the fact that I’m a wife and mother, or that I consider myself to have gathered a few brownie points throughout my life. It’s because in the offline world I wouldn’t have to put up with the murkiness.

Sure, I understand we human beings are a pretty mixed bag and have all sorts of foibles and fetishes, but they are usually catered for behind closed doors, in back alleys or wrapped inside plain brown paper packages delivered by the UPS guy. They ARE NOT and SHOULD NOT be on display every couple of days when I check my junk mail for misdirected emails. They SHOULD NOT be on display when I inadvertently mistype a URL and end up on a page with animals participating in activities human nature obviously never intended, and they SHOULDN’T be available when I (in my naivete) type a simple word like “woman” into Wordtracker.

But the point that saddens and frightens me the most is that as an adult I can deal with it and move on, but what about our children? My son is at an age where I have no doubt he either has or will very soon be looking up porn images on screen when he thinks I’m not looking (don’t kids realize mothers have eyes in the back of their heads?) Sure, we’ve had the mother/son talk about it and what it all means and it’s degrading to humans etc etc, but am I being a wowser (or even worse – a hypocrite) by begging him not to do it? Gosh, I’d be happy – although frightfully embarrassed – to go out and buy him a plastic wrapped girlie magazine before I’d give him my blessings to search porn on the Internet.

And it’s not just porn we’re talking here, it’s all the other degrading, humiliating and, let’s face it, dangerous stuff we’re trying to tackle. I can’t quote figures or statistics because I dare not go there, but you only have to look at the percentage of acceptable versus non-acceptable phrases you uncover in a keyword search for a seemingly innocuous word like “business woman” to know this is BIG. This is BIGGER than BIG. And that’s with the keyword search tool Adult Filter turned ON. Heaven only knows what I’d be exposed to if I turned the filter off — and it makes me very angry.

So my question is : Where are the watchdogs? Unlike the offline world where controls and legislations supposedly keep us under control, who polices the Internet? No matter how dangerous, how cruel, inhumane, offbeat, grotesque or any one of a hundred other adjectives you may wish to apply, and no matter that its illegal or immoral in the real world, online it’s a free for all. Why do I and thousands of others like me, have to be exposed to this simply because I’ve chosen a fascinating career on the Internet? Is that the price we have to pay?

I don’t have the answers, heck, I don’t even fully understand the question. But what I do know is that the Internet cannot continue to operate as it has done and is continuing to do. When asked the question recently at a business meeting being held for Webmasters, “Where is the Internet headed in 5 or 10 years time?” I raised some of the points I’ve mentioned, to the shock and indignation of some members present. Like ostriches, I think they (like so many other webpreneurs who could make such an impact) would prefer to keep their heads firmly planted in the sand. The classic “if I ignore it I can pretend it’s not really happening” scenario.

So … where is the Internet headed in 5 or 10 years time? Beats me, but what I will say, without appearing to be an alarmist (or a crackpot!) is that without some form on controlling mechanism, are we going to end up with a ‘Lord of the Flies’ environment, with every man (or woman) a law unto himself. Or are we, as the decent, responsible and respectable human beings parading as Webmasters going to start a revolt against the revolting?

What I want is a Web that doesn’t inadvertently shovel that stuff in my face every day. Is that too much to ask?

There is talk that eventually the Internet will be divided into two parts – one area filled with the fascinating, cultural, engrossing and educational facilities currently available (maybe at a price?) and the other filled with, ahem, the OTHER stuff.

All I can say is I hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

Olivia Morrow is a freelance journalist, humorist and author and is the Editor of Savvy Women Magazine, an online lifestyle magazine for women who want to KNOW…the latest business and fashion news, women’s health issues, beauty, movie and book reviews, travel and lots more. Visit Olivia’s website at http://www.savvy-women-magazine.com

Bind together men’s uppermost pursuits and what you will bare is a mania titled a Web sportsbook. Can you think of anything that could imaginably be more imaginative. If you picture a troop of sports devotees cheering over their local sports heroes, and almost all the time wagers are announced tied in to the turmoil. So very keen to get a share of the excitement, onlookers typically try to figure who will make it the forthcoming meetup. All this evolves into a chummy little meetup known as Web sportsbook.

Yes, it may well sound quite habit forming instead sportsbook gambling is really just fun and to team up with your friends. Here, you can risk a a minute sum of mazuma and yet have an excellent time. Read on for a few select basics to help everyone get started sportsbook gambling.

In order to bet, you will want to drop by at a Web sportsbook, that’s to say a place which offers Web sportsbook. In the US, there’s four states where everyone can go for sportsbook gambling lawfully, but semi-legally you may go for it practically anywhere assuming that you can discover a bookie and you happen to be a legal adult. Included among the sports activities you have a choice of betting on are professional and, too, college basketball & football, pro baseball, pro hockey, and, too, dog and horse racing. You may choose to risk money on the overall result of a competition or game, on what round an opponent will be knocked out, and even if a tossed coin in a competition or game will come out either heads or tails.

The bookie outfit rely on the maths be of assistance to you arrive at a conclusion which sports heroes you may feel will make it. To start with, we have the balance, or specific points leverage tallied to a trailing contestor that is assumed to be defeated by a given number points. We’ll be able to choose between numerous classes of lays, the straight bets being the general favorite in sportsbook gambling.

Why don’t you experiment with it and enjoy the fun while you’re at it. Just be sure that you won’t get gripped and throw away your complete pension plan frivolously… For otherwise you will most likely find yourself grieving for it all your life… Get in on the best sports betting online web site action on the web!

Almost 5 percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. The latter developed in part by Knopper who has a visual impairment. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access.

The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Screen readers can be assumed to be able to access all display content that is not intrinsically inaccessible.

Access technology such as screen readers and Screen magnifiers enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. Linux distributions for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT such as screen magnifiers. The console-based Oralux Linux distribution ships with three screen-reading environments: Emacspeak, Yasr and Speakup. Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard & Magnifier for those with partial vision, and Microsoft Narrator, a simple screen reader. This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output. However functionality remains limited compared to equivalent desktop applications, the major benefit is to increase the accessibility of said websites. The primary audience for such applications is those who have difficulty reading because of learning disabilities or language barriers.

Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

While Apple Mac OS X includes VoiceOver, a more feature-rich screen reader. More and more, screen readers are being bundled with operating system distributions. There are also open source screen readers, such as the Linux Screen Reader for GNOME and NonVisual Desktop Access for Windows.

The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers. The open source GNOME desktop environment long included Gnopernicus and now includes Orca. A persons choice of screen reader is dictated by many factors, including platform and the role of organizations like charities, schools, and employers.

Nevertheless, using a screen reader is, according to some users, considerably more difficult than using a GUI and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. Recent versions of Microsoft Windows come with the rather basic Narrator. Web browsers, word processors, icons and windows and email programs are just some of the applications used successfully by screen reader users.

Screen reader choice is contentious: differing priorities and strong preferences are common. Most legally blind people 71 percent do not use computers. Comming year volunteer Anthony Loeff is writing about software for people suffering from blindness The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen.

(speed) n. 1. Mathematics & Physics. Distance traveled divided by the time of travel. 2. Business & Life. The ratio of results to time invested.

Speed is distance (results) divided by time, period. Some leaders confuse this with the “fool’s gold” formula: action divided by time. This is a costly and destructive illusion that produces one of two fatal results: either attempting to avoid speed altogether by deferring action, and becoming stagnantor “red-lining” the culture into a pattern of unbridled acceleration. So speed either becomes the great enemy, or part of the self-crafted mirage masking fundamental flaws in strategy, execution, or both.

Review any business periodical or annual report, and you will likely read about the virtues of rapid action or the wisdom of waiting. This makes for great copy, but when the anesthesia wears off, we’re left with a debilitating hangover and the sobering reality that action isn’t the problem or the answer: It’s all about Speed.

Life may be full of choices, but speed isn’t one of them. Speed is no more optional than gravity or evolution. Speed is part of every marriage, every friendship, every contest, every physical and emotional interaction on the planet. And without question, speed is a critical component of any business model. Ultimately, all business results are measured against the one constant in the universe . . . time.

Revenue is measured against time. Service is measured against time. Customer loyalty, production, earnings per share, debt, turnover, cost of goods sold, tax burden, gross profit, net profitany metric you, your employees, your leadership, or your competition can come up with, is inextricably tied to time. But we can’t manage time. If we are to increase speed, we have to work the other side of the equationthe results side. More specifically, we must identify and leverage those resources that create results.

Yeah, I know. Leverage is one of those “consultant” words we all get so tired of hearing. But it may be the only word that accurately describes exactly what a leader is supposed to domultiply force. In fact, if a leader can be likened to any inanimate object, then lever fits the bill.

Let’s face it, if a leader already possessed all the force necessary to achieve the objective(s), he wouldn’t complicate things by involving other people. And if the people already had enough force to accomplish the objective(s), they wouldn’t need a leader. So . . . it’s the leader’s responsibility to multiply force – - leverage current resources to increase the ratio of results to time invested.

Most sources of competitive advantage todaytechnology, talent, capital, intellectual property, even superior product — have an incredibly short shelf life. And when the grease gets hot (yesterday’s advantage becomes today’s norm) organizations can become extremely vulnerable.

Specifically, we’re at the mercy of three distinct populations keenly focused on their own survival and prosperity:

- Acutely perceptive employees who ultimately determine the organization’s level of discretionary effort

- Increasingly sophisticated and unforgiving customers

- Faster, more nimble competitors poised to create and fill the next void

Organizations that consciously manage and monitor speed (pair high velocity business practices with their other sources of competitive advantage, to meet more needs for more people in less time) strengthen their culture, grow their customer base, and dominate their market.

Leaders who neglect speed — fail to incorporate a systematic, deliberate process for increasing the ratio of results to time investedare Frying Bacon In the Nude . . .

It might feel good at first, appear very liberating, and even produce short-term gains. But without the right disciplines in place, we’re dangerously overexposed and very likely to get burnedeven permanently scarredby one or more of these three critically important constituencies.

High Velocity Leaders simply won’t take the chance. They understand the critical nature of speed, its role in meeting their market, and the key disciplines necessary for producing Better Results in Less Time.

Top performers in every arena consistently (relentlessly) commit themselves to the fundamentals. They religiously apply just a handful of basic principles that give them that slight extra edge. So it should come as no surprise that fast, agile companiesand the people who lead themexhibit a powerfully simple method of leadership thinking.

Specifically, they express, model, and reward five distinct disciplines. The 5 Disciplines of High Velocity Leaders:

SPEED®

S tructure
(repeatable processes and transferable tools for key tasks)

P ersonal Accountability
(taking, and expecting, personal responsibility for corporate results)

E mpathy
(understanding how and why a person/group thinks, feels, and acts)

E ducation
(establishing learning as a 24 / 7 / 365, job-critical responsibility)

D irection
(clearly communicating where we’re going and why)

Consider the common characteristics shared by all five:

- All are present to some degree in every companyincluding yours.
- All are unrealized to some degree in every companyincluding yours.
- Each has an immediate and direct impact on performance.
- All are as dangerous in their absence as they are powerful in their presence.

Combined, they strengthen (exponentially) any other form of competitive advantage we may possess.
And most importantly, all five are under our direct control: Simply put, they can and should be managed.

WHY SPEED?
Speed Kills (The Competition)

In virtually every industry, the first to market enjoys as much as ten times (10X!) the profit of its nearest competitor. More importantly, after this first leg of the race is over, the Law of Compensation kicks in. And with few exceptions, prosperity is distributed in direct proportion to the quantity and quality of service rendered. In other words, organizations that meet the most needs for the most people with an increasing “economy of motion” dominate their respective markets.

Speed Cures . . .

Speed, as a method of leadership thinking and a cultural mentality, displaces a variety of organizational pathologies. Like a powerful antibiotic, speed travels through the corporate bloodstream neutralizing the debilitating diseases of procrastination, apathy, confusion, malicious compliance, blame, and victim thinking.

The 5 SPEED® disciplines literally increase the organization’s metabolismtransforming the corporate body from a pot-bellied couch potato into a sleek, agile athleteteeming with vitality, armed with momentum, and uniquely “fit” to meet the rigors of an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Momentum is a natural by-product ofand increases or decreases in direct proportion tospeed. Momentum is the “wonder drug” of achievement. This intangible, yet powerful, resource allows athletes to play with pain, salespeople to endure temporary defeat, friends to forgive transgressions, and leaders to produce extraordinary results through ordinary people. Like compound interest for the diligent investor, momentum works while you sleep. It magnifies original effort and rewards consistent discipline.

Speed is Exponential . . .

Even incremental shifts in speed produce quantum results.
At a distance of 100 yards, raising or lowering the barrel of a high-powered rifle by as little as 1/8th of an inch will alter the strike point of a bullet by as much as 4 to 6 inches on the target. Also, as in business, environmental variables such as the amount of gunpowder (new technologies, high-caliber talent) or windage (competition, economic recession) must be factored in to produce consistent results.

The skilled marksman, recognizing this, has a pre-determined plan for adjusting his sighting device a certain number of “clicks” to compensate for these variables as they appear. To take the analogy one step further, you’ll find that most sportsmen will use sandbags as a stabilizing device when initially sighting in their weapon. And when hunting game in the field, they will try to reproduce this advantage, if possible, by using a nearby tree or rock to prop their rifle up against.

Likewise, the five SPEED® disciplines stabilize our business practices. They help us guide and direct precious momentum to strike our targets accurately within an acceptable margin of error. Speed is not an additivenor is it a simple multiplier. Because it truly is an exponential variable, one small degree of speed advantage can compensate for otherwise insurmountable differences in other resources. By the same token, one small degree of speed lost can render any other form of competitive advantage useless.

Lessons From The Quick & The Dead:

In this age of advanced technology, rapid change, accelerated communications, and increasingly sophisticated customers, two distinct types of organizations are beginning to emerge: The Quick . . . and The Dead!

Like the fearless gunfighters of Wild West lore, anyone traveling in the fast lane must be keen of eye, steady of hand, and driven with steeled resolve. The road is narrow, and paved with stones (problems and opportunities) of every shape and size. On either side of the white lines lie fatal SPEED® Traps: business practices that destroy momentum, consume resources, and severely reduce the ratio of results to time invested. Between the ditches of this commerce autobahn are fast, nimble competitors, fickle customers, and wayward employees.

There is no other road to success, no 4th quarter shortcut to prosperity. Your only decisionyour only source of leverageis the extent to which you choose to preach, practice, and promote the five key disciplines of High Velocity Leadership . . .

High Velocity Leadership SPEED® CHECK:

S tructure
Do my people have repeatable, transferable processes for key tasks?
Have I clearly defined roles and responsibilities?
Have I created a culture that values structure as an implementation tool?
Am I personally using structured processes to achieve objectives?
Am I rewarding my people for using repeatable, transferable methods?

P ersonal Accountability
Do I hold people individually responsible for meeting company objectives?
When my people fail, do I hold them responsible for returning the learning to the
organization?
Have I created a culture that values personal accountability as a business tool?
Am I consistently asking myself “What can I do? / What could I have done?” when
planning strategies and evaluating results?
Am I rewarding people for taking personal ownership for corporate results?

E mpathy
Am I tailoring my management approach to reach a variety of communicating styles?
Am I helping my people customize their strategies and tactics to impact many different
“frames of reference” (mind-sets, points of view)?
Have I created a culture that values empathy as a business tool?
Am I personally investing the time and energy to understand my people before trying to
be understood?
Am I rewarding thinking/behavior geared to meet the unique needs of different
employees and customers?

E ducation
Am I effectively using new information to create new results?
Am I providing my employees with practical training that helps them drive our business
strategies more effectively?
Have I created a culture that values education as a business tool?
Am I personally participating in some type of learning activity on a regular basis?
Am I rewarding my people for engaging in self-development?

D irection
Do my people have a clear sense of where we’re going – and why?
Are my decisions and actions consistent with our stated goals?
Have I created a culture that values direction as an implementation tool?
Do I personally understand and agree with our direction?
Am I rewarding my employees for utilizing direction as a basis for making critical
decisions?

Stone Payton is a founding partner of MarketMate, a unique network of consulting and training firms dedicated to helping clients produce better results in less time. His new book, NEVER FRY BACON IN THE NUDE . . . And Other Lessons From The Quick & The Dead — available at www.stonespeaks.com/speedbook.html

Hampton Court Palace is sited to the south-west of London City, on the edge of the River Thames, boarded by woods & to die for private gardens. Hampton Court Palace, King Henry 8s spectacular river shore apartment is sited in well over four hundred acres of wood & private grounds.

Inducing the feeling of well over four hundred & fifty years of folklore, fancy dressed entertainers can be watched all through Henry 8th’s and King William 3rd’s incredible personal residences. The pictures, sounds & unpleasant smells of the stunning Tudor kitchens where royal occasions were arrange for Henry?s dinning room of over six-hundred individuals can also be viewed.

Hampton Court Palace has been divided into six routes or excursions. The Maze at Hampton Court Palace which is located on the Thames to the west of London City is in all probability the most cherished hedge maze on this earth. Visit Hampton Court Palace and enjoy the most famous hedge maze in the world.

Hampton Court palace has a grim heritage & is said to be controlled by lots of ghouls, including two of Henry 8’s past wives & a nursemaid to his children. Hampton Court Palace owners & workers will be at the ready to aid people to their designated state accommodation for a sparkling wine and canap?s welcome. Costumed staff will announce the evening supper & visitors will be called to go to their places for a splendid 2 course meal with hand-picked fine white wines.

Hampton Court Palace has 60 acres of ceremonial private gardens besides the 600 acres of royal woodland. The royal private gardens go back to the 16th Century, when the earliest Privy Garden was bedded between fifteen thirty & fifteen-thirty eight for King Henry the 8th.

We all want to feel good in our body, but let’s admit it, we also want to look good. The way we connect to our looks is part of how we feel, right? Well, one of the questions I get asked a lot by my private clients is, “How can I get rid of this puffiness around my eyes/in my face/insert trouble spot of your own?”. Of course, there are tons of products on the market that are telling us what to put ON these trouble spots, but you know that I am going to tell you that what you put IN your body is where it all starts.

Before we look at what can help to decrease puffiness let’s take just two
seconds to give service to what can CAUSE it: excessive sugar and caffeine. If
you swear you don’t really use either and you still find your self with bags around
your eyes: First, really double check the content of your food. Sugar is sneaky. It
likes to hide-out under other names and guises. Second, check with your own
practitioner or specialist to help you understand what is happening for you
specifically.

Now let’s look at four foods that will help fight inflammation for good!

1. Broccoli – is excellent for reducing eye inflammation. This great green
veggie contains double the vitamin C of an orange and just about as much calcium
as a glass of whole milk. Best to be bought (and used!) with bright, green florets and
firm stalks. **Extra Tip** Steamed al dente is the best way to go. Raw is
hard to digest. Cooked any other way and you lose all those great nutrients.

2. Grapes – when it comes to reducing inflammation we are really talking
about the juice part of the grape, but NOT store packaged grape juice. Grapes
contain vitamin A, B-Complex and C and relieve any swelling in the throat, mouth,
gums and eyes. (Grapes are done ripening once they are picked so choose a mature
bunch when buying!)

3. Hemp Oil – let me say right away that this is not marijuana being
talked about here. Hemp oil is loaded with our friends Omega 3’s (more than flax)
but also has what is called GLA’s (gamma-linoleic acid) which stimulate the growth
of healthy hair, skin AND reduce inflammation. Use on salads, baked root
vegetables and as a dressing. **Extra Tip**Don’t use it for cooking and
you are not getting the benefits if you take it in capsule form.

4. Job’s Tears – sounds like a magic potion, doesn’t it? It is actually a
whole grain! Before it is hulled it has a black, sturdy case which earned it the great
name. Once hulled, it looks more like barley. You may have even had it at one time
and thought you were having just plain old barley soup. This grain is wonderful for
cooling any inflammation and can also be very helpful for those suffering with
arthritis.

Heather Dominick, “The Energy Expert” is a nutrition and energy
specialist, with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather’s
primary focus is in helping others identify nutritional sources for increasing physical
energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your own 20
minute Energy Make-over, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses
on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net