I’ve been a fan of Leo Laporte’s for some time now.  I remember his from his Techtv days, which is why I recognized the name originally when surfing through iTunes and downloading podcasts, but I’ve kept listening to his when I’ve stopped my subscriptions to many others because of his integrity.

I don’t know him personally, but I often feel like I do.  I listen each week to at least 4 of his shows: TWiT (This Week in Tech), Macbreak Weekly, Windows Weekly and relatively new to his lineup, TWiG (This Week in Google).  Generally speaking this amounts to 5.5 hours per week of listening.  I would describe it as “listening pleasure”, but the term seems too trite to me to work here.  Not only does Leo and crew offer their take on the news, the funny aside and “rat hole” (for which there is a jingle), but also transparency.  Unlike so many other information outlets (I’d call them news, but it isn’t exactly that anymore) Leo makes sure to let the listener know everything about his business operation, past and current ties and contributors are not asked back when they take jobs that would create a conflict of interest or would be promoting a product.  Leo evens discusses his business plans while they are in the making.  His candor is impressive and enlightening.

Over the past months he’s been discussing whether or not he should continue taking personal donations from listeners now that advertising pays for the cost of his operation.  (He only takes advertisement from businesses he uses and believes in, by the way.) He talked at length on shows about how he wanted to honor those who contributed money to help his start the TWiT network, but also didn’t want their money to be contributed if it wasn’t needed.

He came up with the perfect solution.  Now those who would to keep a personal connection with TWiT and Leo can be even more intimate.  The donations will be the only thing to feed the “Chief TWiT’s” salary. He writes in his post today:

“Not any more. From now on you’ll pay me directly with your contributions. I won’t take a penny out of the operating funds.Think of your contributions as a tip jar. If you like what I’m doing with TWiT I hope you’ll contribute $2 a month (or more or less depending on what TWiT is worth to you). If you are unhappy with our direction, you can cancel your contribution completely. Believe me, I’ll notice. Your contributions will have a direct impact on how TWiT is run – because they’ll have a direct impact on my personal bottom line.”

He won’t go broke this way.  He explains that his radio show provides him with enough personally to pay his bills, but he’ll still notice and be willing to use what comes his way.

The tip jar idea is apt.  What if CEO’s of large companies–who have more than enough–are paid though a public referendum on their job performance.  They won’t go bankrupt either way, but it would increase the quality of services provided.

Click here to read Leo’s entire post and please take note of the final paragraphs.  In typical Leo style he tells readers as he often tells listeners how to unsubscribe to any automatic payments they may have set up through Paypal.  Leo wants the best for his listeners.  He shows it again and again, which is why listeners want the best for him.

Watercolor by Nancy VanReece - "Creative Direction"

Over the course of the last 28 years, my work has been all about advocating creative opportunities for my community to achieve it’s potential.

25 of those years 1982-2007 I worked in the music business – all of it: Marketing, Promoting, Managing, Advocating, Soliciting, Encouraging, Guiding, Buying and Selling, Licensing and Negotiating.

When I jumped off into the non-profit sector it worked out well.  I was able to take my understanding as a painter and my experience working with musicians and lawyers into a new sector.  Bringing creative and practical business practice to a non-profit organization was a good thing.  As a business person, I could speak “the language” of the potential donor easily.

I learned quite a bit the last three years.  I learned that “development” means “fundraising” and that customers were not always the folks that paid for the product. It was, and remains, a fascinating sector of our commerce.

I also learned a lot about social media strategy and community building and the new, always evolving, 21st century tools of marketing, communication and sales. A lot of these things are excellent resources to lead me into the next adventure.

I may remain in the non-profit sector. I might go back to the music business. I may be painting and  putting together marketing and social media consulting work for a season.

One thing I know; I will always be looking at art and listening to music for divine creative direction.

“I’m saving all my lovin’ for someone who’s lovin’ me…” Gloria Gaynor

“There’s a cry asking why, I pray the answer is up ahead , ’cause I know where I’ve been… there is a promise we must make, worth the risk and the chances we take. There is a a dream in the future..’Cause just to sit still would be a sin.” .. Hairspray Soundtrack

             Over the years, there have primarily been about a half dozen writers and theologians that have influenced my thinking.  One of these was Martin Buber in his book I and Thou.  Buber’s world of theology is one of relationship.  These relationships are intertwined between ourselves, others and God.  This trinity of relationship is circular in that he states that in order to know God we must come to know ourselves and we must learn to know others as the You. And as we begin to know each of these we grow in our relationship with each.  When taken intentionally the You becomes the sacred You which he calls, Thou.  This sacred relationship with you becomes I-You and cannot be separated.  We no longer see persons merely as Its that we objectify and that we use and then cast off after we have gotten from them what we want.  

            Even though we do not have the intensity in a casual meeting as we would with our lover or with our children there is still sacredness that exists and that is expressed in our living into the You of the other and that affirms their worth.  He further states that this recognition of sacredness comes from our personal feeling of You’ness that comes from our recognition that God sees us as You’s and not Its.  The implication is that we cannot turn off this attitude.  If we are in commerce or other kinds of work all day long and we treat people as Its we can’t go home and turn it off.  The tendency is to treat family and loved ones as Its.  And somewhere along the way we begin to see our own worth defined as being an It.  We are what we can earn, what service we can perform or what we look like.  Our value is defined by what we have, what we can produce and what power we can exert.    Institutions, comprised of humans can begin to see persons as customers or voters or aggregated or disaggregated groups.  The sheer numbers institutions work with tend to categorize persons into Its. 

We obscure the You in us through the language we use, the lenses we view one another and the distance we place between us, thus creating an atmosphere that defines persons as Its.   The world of  the I-You defines us in a different way.  Even in casual or commercial relationships the criteria of I-You is based on respect and seeing God’s image in ourselves and the other.  It recognizes that in all relationships God can be present, if we allow it and recognize God’s presence in those moments. 

            This is more than the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.  It goes beyond that.  It states, “do unto others as they would want to be treated and what would it look like if God were present in those moments of relationship?”

            Even in the business world where there is a drive to please the customer, our focus still tends to be one of treating persons as Its, and ultimately only to benefit the bottom line.  In education we have shown our concern for the child with special needs and yet have spent little effort on recognizing and accommodating children that learn differently and at different rates of speed.  Government bureaucrats may be the worst offenders of creating a culture isolating persons as Its.  With the additional realities of a more complex society, it becomes incumbent on us to find better ways of acknowledging persons as Yous rather than Its. 

In the past twenty years businesses and institutions have endeavored to humanize relationships and acknowledge persons as Yous with the implementation of mission statements.  Mission statements according to Steven Covey and other advocates of the mission statement are to live into primary principles such as loyalty, honesty, integrity, respect and fairness.  Often the unspoken inference was that if the institution lived by these principles, the company/institution would flourish and because it was more responsive to human needs would be more efficient and/or profitable.  This was a good beginning but unfortunately many institutions just stuck the mission statement over in the corner and paid little attention to it.  The mission statement was more of a creative writing exercise with little reality.  Employees would think it more of a joke than an important document to be lived.  A mission statement that had high sounding ideas such as, “”We treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves….We do not tolerate abusive or disrespectful treatment. Ruthlessness, callousness and arrogance don’t belong here.” (Enron mission statement) obviously missed the boat somewhere.   Another fallen company World Com had this mission statement in 1988, “Our objective is to be the most profitable, single-source provider of communications services to customers around the world.”  Even the IRS has a mission statement. “Provide America’s taxpayers top-quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all.  I suppose my favorite is Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway,  . “He who walks with The Fools grows Foolish.”  Looking at the Enron and World Com mission statements that says it all. 

It’s also true that in order to make mission statements work, those who are supposed to being living into those mission statements (including management)  have to periodically reinterpret and reexamine and internalize the core principles of the mission statement.  Otherwise the organization begins to live into another informal mission that can be off the mark and potentially destructive.

Jonathan Sacks in his book The Dignity of Difference suggests that one way to overcome our isolation is through covenant.  It’s not about making everyone the same in beliefs or temperament.  It’s about celebrating difference and by covenanting with others  and even with our institutions.  He states that “The great covenantal relationships between God and mankind, between man and woman in marriage, between members of a community or citizens of a society—exist because parties recognize ‘it is not good for man to be alone’.”  He further asserts,  “Covenant occurs when two individuals or groups, differing perhaps in power, but each acknowledging the integrity and sovereignty of the other, pledge themselves in mutual loyalty to achieve together what neither can achieve alone.  Covenant is the use of language to create a bond of trust through the word given,  the word received, the word honored in mutual fidelity.”  Our United States Constitution is a covenantal document.  Mere words won’t make it work.  It only works because enough of us believe in what it stands for and have covenanted with one another to make it work. 

            As I read these words by Sacks it seemed a bit naïve.   Don’t we live in a secular world with its relativism and isolation?  That might be true but he gives us something for those of us who have been raised in the tradition of the Book to strive for.  And in our tradition of a democratic and republican government we see that covenant will work. Can it be that we can continue those traditions with covenantal relationships in other areas of life.  What would our world be like if we strove to be in covenantal relationships with persons and institutions?  And how would that affect our ethical behaviors? 

            Hmmm…..maybe that’s too much to dream about.    But, if we wanted to try, where would we begin?

Hi there.

My name is alia. I usually use a lower case a in my name on the web because I like the way it looks.

That is a random fact about me. See we already know each other a little better! While I may not get to know you (that is if I don’t already know you), you will definitely get to know me. I’m hoping to turn this space into a place where I talk about things that I find – usually on the internet – that interest me. Usually when I come across something that I enjoy I bookmark it. You don’t want to see my bookmark list. It’s scary even to me. Even though there are folders and sub folders. Let’s just not talk about it anymore.

The previous posts are the few blog posts I’ve made during the post-secondary part of my life. Future posts will be a little different in tone and hopefully more informative/entertaining to hear. So thanks for joining me in my adventures in blogging and hopefully you will find some cool and interesting things.

a.

WHat could McDougall do better than any other church?

What are some key words you think about, when you think about the teachings of Jesus and the life of McDougall?

What is the heart of what Jesus Christ teaches?  Is there a particular Biblical passage or story that reflects this?

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was on the road speaking, and then spent Thanksgiving with my family. Those plates of turkey and mashed potatoes get distracting!

My current aim with this project is to provide you with new and usable content approximately twice a month. I also plan to post relevant links and anecdotes as they pop-up.

Please check back on Friday for a new article.

Part 1: Take Time to Make Time

The countdown is on. It is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Celebrating Jesus.  Come to earth as a baby for me and you! Over the years, our celebration has come to include SO MANY things….. family and friends, meals out, gift giving, evenings in, shopping, cleaning, decorating, baking, cooking……….. and the list goes on…….In the midst of it all, life doesn’t stop. So, HOW Do we fit it all in.

Plan first. Do second.

You have heard it all before. Make your list. Check it twice. I would like to add a third step. Cross off your list (before you DO it!).

Most of us shop too much, bake too much, cook too much, eat way too much, plan too much, and generally wear ourselves out. At a time when we want to slow down and appreciate what Christmas really means and enjoy those around us, we so easily clutter our minds and our time with so much busyness.

Truly, this bit of advice, to cross off some things on your list, will save you time and energy, and help make time for all those things and people in life this are most important to you.

As you are making your plans this year, take a few minutes to really consider what is important to you and your family.Take a few minutes to, in essence, create a mission statement for your holiday season. A good mission statement will succinctly define what you and your family are trying to accomplish and what you value. It will provide you with a vision as you are planning.

As you think through your own mission statement, simply ask yourself what you really want for the holiday season (and what you don’t want!).
Personally, I want:

To draw closer to God and understand the meaning of Christmas
To have sweet time with my family
To be able to give and serve more to those in need
To slow down and put aside my “To Do” list
To catch up with old friends
To enjoy and appreciate the simple pleasures of the days

I don’t want:

To get caught up in the shopping frenzy
To spend $ we don’t have
To be too busy and over-scheduled

Take a few minutes to create your own “holiday mission statement” and use it as you are planning for the weeks to come.

As you are making plans, think through what traditions you have and why. Make a list of them. From decorating to Christmas caroling, from serving to gift giving, from spiritual life to family gatherings.
Keep those traditions that you love, and be willing to let go of those you don’t love or have outgrown. Families and people change! We tend to begin new traditions as our families grow. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of feeling like you need to continue every tradition that you ever started.

Next, Include Your Family. Share your list with your family. Ask what is important to them. You may be surprised!

Now it’s time to look ahead and come up with a plan that is both realistic and simplified. Take time to make time for those things and people in your life that are most important to you.

Have a blessed and organized holiday!

Greetings, world!!

I hope this day finds you doing something you love, experiencing beauty and joy and that you find something that makes you laugh or smile here. Thank you for coming.

Thank you especially to the good people over at Soul Food Cafe. This action (setting up a blog) is inspired, not in small part, by you.  I only hope to be able to emulate just a little of the openness, honesty, creativity, courage and warmth of your examples. And to use this as an opportunity to learn, to share, to gain courage and to give something back in return.  Thank you.

A Personal Mission Statement for this Blog

In an effort to start off on the right foot and with a clear intention, here is my mission statement (surely to be updated as time goes on:)):

To begin to take writing seriously as a daily practice, as a way of reflecting, learning, and listening to heart and soul, to the part of me that wants to drum, sing, howl at the moon and dance naked under the stars, the part that longs to be out in the wild, digging in the earth, and wandering;

Through this to come to understand better some things about life, about myself, about what is truly important and what can be discarded, what is essential and what only confuses things; to gain direction and a greater clarity and sense of purpose; to communicate and share with others, alike or different, and both inspire and be inspired;

And through all this, to be changed, stripped down, rebuilt, challenged…and to emerge a different person, a better person.. as often as necessary, though it may be painful, and myself afraid.

Hope you all have a wonderful adventure of a day. Thank you.

Siobhan

This small time blog is set up just as an insight to my photography work which has mounted over time, and also to celebrate the old technology; cameras which use film. This blog celebrates the Holga camera, a cheap hunk of plastic, which produces some of the best and most characteristic photographs to date. A whole main section of this blog will focus on my work with a Holga, and also reference other photographer’s work with the fantastic invention.

Take some time to browse this site, it’s early days right now, but hopefully the ball will start rolling soon, and this blog will be a valuable addition to my growing portfolio.

I as I approach my goal of being a  modeler and texture artist in the game industry, I realize many aspects of myself have changed to compliment my choice. Looking back at the timid, straight-laced girl from three years ago; it’s hard to pin point how I made it this far.

Reflection as brought me to the idea that there are three key elements in which every prospective game industry employee should consider. The first is cooperation. It is very unlikely, let me rephrase that, there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that advancement is an option without teamwork. With the heavy “apprentice/mentor”-esque learning style found in the game industry, you have to give to get and, no matter how many books you read, you will never truly advance without the help of those around you. The second element is dedication. This is true of any form of success, but I’ve found it to be especially necessary for me in pursuing modeling and texturing. Having only a background in 2D art, I experienced an extreme learning curve and overcame a lot of obstacles. Third, is passion. If you’re interested in this field you know what I mean.

My mission is to provide a company with an adaptable set of modeling and texturing skills to reflect and enhance the style of their choosing. I hope to bring innovative ideas to the table and continue to learn and grow through my experiences. I flourish in a dynamic environment and value a creative work flow. Motivation inspires motivation and I would love the opportunity to help catalyst the creativity of a team.

Those who know me well, know that I have a hang-up about unions. Perhaps they had a real purpose in the days of the Industrial Revolution when America was coming out of the agricultural age, but they have no useful purpose today, than to promote socialism. They were a tool used to boost individuals from agricultural serfdom to the industrial middle class.  On the political side, unions were used to elect Democrats. My Dad, who was forced to join a union when he worked for the railroad was told how to vote by union bosses. Eventually,  American workers abandoned unions as a tool because unions no longer  function to their benefit in this society

Today, unions are a business. Their goal is to make money, and  to keep union bosses employed. Many times, unions are in the pocket of the management. They know the management position is right, and the unioin is left with a “take it or leave it” proposition. Much of the export of  US industry to foreign countries is the result of union demands making business more expensive  to work in. Unions also demand more pay for less work.  Very often, the negotiated work rules have no reason, and offer a company less flexibility. For example continuing to demand a coal-shoveling fireman on deisel-electric locomotives. Too many union/management relationships are adversarial in nature. Instead of building a relationship that will foster a “together we will prosper’ attitude, it is a “we’ll take you down before we give in” credo. 

Last week, I read an article about a Boy Scout who built a hiking-biking trail as his Eagle Scout project. Having served in the BSA for twenty five years, I thought he picked an remarkably ambitious project. He might become an Eagle Scout as a result, because with his leadership, he completed the project. His Eagle Board of Review has to determine if he met the requirements of  an Eagle class project.  Meanwhile Allentown benefits.

The Service Employees International Union argued that the work should have gone to fired union employees instead. Did the SEIU or their members conceive the project? Did they take it before  a Scout board of approval? Did they get  permits from the park district? Did they plan the work? Did they recruit people to work? Did they lead the workers, and arrange for removal of the trash? The SEIU leaders who filed the complaint against Allentown, PA  got paid. The Boy Scout didn’t, nor did his recruits. I guess the SEIU calls him a SCAB.   

Perhaps the SEIU should redefine what it’s mission statement is and what it stands for; “The desecration of the basic human values that make our country great.” They fill that requirement exactly.

Richard C. Warwick

Title: Founder and President
Parent Company: The Warwick Group

MISSION STATEMENT

Throughout his 34 year career, Mr. Warwick has been a trusted advocate for consumers and investors in the banking, brokerage and insurance industries

He is passionate about cultivating long-term relationships with each and every client and their families.

Rick believes that the most important thing that he can do for his clients is to provide them with an investment strategy that focuses on long-term success.  Strategies that will help each of them achieve their own unique financial goals.

His passion for the financial-services industry has resulted in long lasting relationships with his clients.

Rick regularly meets with them to ascertain their needs and to provide them with suitable recommendations.

Rick is committed to setting the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity and plays a crucial role in the development and implementation of all company investment programs, strategies and designs.

Rick also believes that clear and concise communications coupled with ongoing needs evaluation is indispensible in maintaining client satisfaction and long-term investment performance.

Rick works diligently to provide asset allocation recommendations to clients that are suitable for each investor’s unique financial situation, goals, risk tolerance and investment time horizon

As a Financial Advisor, Rick works closely with each client to help eliminate the emotional side of investing, which can frequently derail a disciplined approach designed to meet long-term objectives.

As a financial advisor, Rick understands that success is not only measured by your financial well-being, but is also about your confidence and your comfort level in how you are building toward your future.

In a world where market conditions and the economic climate can change swiftly, Rick emphasizes a flexible approach to client financial plans.  An approach that can evolve with you and still respond to changes and challenges that are a natural part of investing each investor’s unique financial situation, goals, risk tolerance and investment time horizon

Rick has more than 30 years experience in the investment industry. Prior to The Warwick Group, Rick held positions at a number of major Wall Street firms and banking institutions.

For greater potential success, Rick recognizes how crucial it is to have a clear mandate on how to best utilize different investment strategies to the benefit of each client’s investment objectives.

He believes that investors often look only in one direction — backward — instead of forward, when making financial decisions.

Although markets will react differently to outside influences (economic indicators, earnings reports, geopolitical events, etc.), investors are more likely to meet and exceed their goals when they rely on active management to help ensure their portfolios are properly positioned.

He has dedicated his time and resources to provide testimony and constructive proposals for reforms in the securities industry and legislation for full financial disclosure as well sound accounting and fiscal policy.

Rick understands the importance of analyzing each client’s current financial situation as well as their personal goals and risk profiles. He believes that balanced professional management is the key to helping each client along their path to success

Rick effectively communicates his firm’s investment philosophy, economic and market outlook to clients.

Despite Mom’s vote of confidence and my own bright-eyed optimism, not everyone is on board with this. Of course not Professor Science my charming betrothed who is eagerly awaiting cupcakes, but certain eyes have rolled, certain judges have dropped gavels, and then there’s Vimh. Vimh, short for voice in my head, (think Scrubs, not Psycho) often gives me my harshest criticism. I think this goes for everyone though, not just aspiring baker/bloggers.

In any case, here are some of the doubts I’ve had myself or had flung at me:

Weren’t you planning…on law school? Well, yes. I was planning on law school. Truthfully, I’ve never been 100% on that idea. My freshmen ethics class kept me up at night, I can’t imagine having to sleep while considering all the cases in those books. And yes, I know there’s nothing telling me I have to do criminal law, or family law, or corporate tax law. And yes, I know lawyers to fantastic things for people – I’m nothing if I’m not behind our constitution and the 4th, 5th, and 8th amendments. I just don’t think I could do it, and what’s more, I don’t want to do it.

Keeks, you’re a great cook, why on earth do you think you need to go to culinary school to start your own business? There’s a little more to it than that. I’ve already tried to get my own business started, and though my business plans were solid, the banks were not behind me. Going to school will give me a chance to refine my techniques, gain professional connections, and polish my résumé.

You’re too smart to waste your potential in a kitchen! I think this one is supposed to be a compliment. But aren’t I also too smart to waste in an office? Too smart to work retail? Too smart to be a teacher? Too smart to get married and have kids? Why no, I’m not. And neither are you. Don’t be so stuck up. First of all, what exactly would you like me to do? Write symphonies or books of poetry or dissertations on political theory? No, thank you. And all intelligence aside, I can’t imagine a place I’m better suited for than the kitchen. There’s nothing smarter than being happy with what you’re doing. Further, pastry is effectively edible chemistry. I’ll make crystals and explosions and protein reactions! Quarter of a teaspoon off and the whole thing fails. I have a lot to learn from this endeavor

Why can’t you commit to something already? Have you not been listening? I am committed to this. I’m going to learn proper and I’m going to have my own business. Honestly, this profession is the one I’ve held on to the longest. While other little girls were reigning as princess over their dolls, I was forming patties out of grass clippings and fallen leaves and playing restaurant with Mom. Ask her, she’ll confirm it. She probably even has pictures.

Well then why didn’t you go to culinary school fresh out of high school? Plenty of reasons. Culinary schools typically don’t have football teams for one. I wanted the classic university experience, especially considering the non-traditional high school I went to. What’s more, if nothing else I have two solid liberal arts degrees to fall back on. Further a good round education is just good for building a person. I’ve grown so much since I graduated high school that I can’t imagine that I’d be anywhere near to this maturity level had I forsaken my university experience.

You’re never going to be able to afford this. I have fully embraced the student loan. Also this whole program will cost me less than a single semester at even the cheapest law school.

So there you go. I hope some of those doubts have been settled. And if not, that’s too bad. Some people will never be pleased and some don’t want you to live your own life. If you have more doubts, please feel free to keep them to yourself.

Brainstorming for Corporate Identity.

Tagline, Slogan, Mission Statement, About Us and stuffs like that is brain-juice draining.

Luckily, I had the comfort a FREE Ice Blended Caramel Coffee to help me get thru the difficult times

Throughout his 34 year career, Mr. Warwick has been a trusted advocate for consumers and investors in the banking, brokerage and insurance industries

He is passionate about cultivating long-term relationships with each and every client and their families.

Rick believes that the most important thing that he can do for his clients is to provide them with an investment strategy that focuses on long-term success.  Strategies that will help each of them achieve their own unique financial goals.

His passion for the financial-services industry has resulted in long lasting relationships with his clients.

Rick regularly meets with them to ascertain their needs and to provide them with suitable recommendations.

Rick is committed to setting the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity and plays a crucial role in the development and implementation of all company investment programs, strategies and designs.

Rick also believes that clear and concise communications coupled with ongoing needs evaluation is indispensible in maintaining client satisfaction and long-term investment performance.

Rick works diligently to provide asset allocation recommendations to clients that are suitable for each investor’s unique financial situation, goals, risk tolerance and investment time horizon

As a Financial Advisor, Rick works closely with each client to help eliminate the emotional side of investing, which can frequently derail a disciplined approach designed to meet long-term objectives.

As a financial advisor, Rick understands that success is not only measured by your financial well-being, but is also about your confidence and your comfort level in how you are building toward your future.

In a world where market conditions and the economic climate can change swiftly, Rick emphasizes a flexible approach to client financial plans.  An approach that can evolve with you and still respond to changes and challenges that are a natural part of investing each investor’s unique financial situation, goals, risk tolerance and investment time horizon

Rick has more than 30 years experience in the investment industry. Prior to The Warwick Group, Rick held positions at a number of major Wall Street firms and banking institutions.

For greater potential success, Rick recognizes how crucial it is to have a clear mandate on how to best utilize different investment strategies to the benefit of each client’s investment objectives.

He believes that investors often look only in one direction — backward — instead of forward, when making financial decisions.

Although markets will react differently to outside influences (economic indicators, earnings reports, geopolitical events, etc.), investors are more likely to meet and exceed their goals when they rely on active management to help ensure their portfolios are properly positioned.

He has dedicated his time and resources to provide testimony and constructive proposals for reforms in the securities industry and legislation for full financial disclosure as well sound accounting and fiscal policy.

Rick understands the importance of analyzing each client’s current financial situation as well as their personal goals and risk profiles. He believes that balanced professional management is the key to helping each client along their path to success

Rick effectively communicates his firm’s investment philosophy, economic and market outlook to clients.

1) Reach UP!  Many Christians stop growing spiritually because they do not make an effort to personally spend time with God. James 4:8 - ”Draw near to God and he will draw near to you…” God is waiting and longing for you to fellowship with Him today! Are you striving to take your next step spiritually?

 2) Reach IN!  You would be surprised at how many Christians (children, teens, and adults) are discouraged for one reason or another and are looking for someone to come alongside of with an encouraging word. Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying.”  Who could you “reach in” to today via a note, text message, e-mail, face to face, etc?

 3) Reach OUT!  Let’s be honest . . . many Christians have lost the passion and desire to witness to lost people. We are ashamed of being a Christian (more like embarrassed), we have lost our love for unsaved people because of our selfishness, we are too busy to witness because of our “Christian schedule.” Acts 1:8 - ”…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem [locally], and in all Judea [regionally], and in Samaria [nationally], and unto the uttermost part of the earth [internationally].” Are you seeking to proclaim the wonderful truth of the gospel around the corner and around the world?

 Tell me how you reached up, in, and/or out today. I would love to hear from you!

Mediation is at the forefront of dispute resolution in an age that requires a better way for satisfaction of society’s escalating civil problems. We can no longer take the time to wait  for trials to come up on overloaded dockets. Then deal with all of the problems that create even more delay. Just to name a few of these: availability of witnesses and  experts, costs that impede and frequently block just results. The list goes on.

All of my professional life has been focused of trial practice. The challenge has been my joy. But it is no longer an effective way to serve clients. When mediation first emerged I was skeptical. After all, I thought, we mediate every case when we negotiate  cases by phone and as we move through trials. But this was usually a lot of sword rattling and bluster. Often not effective. And satisfactory results were difficult to come by.

Where the help of a third party as a referee is employed frequent bargains are usually the rule rather than the exception. Indeed as I review the mediation experience that I have participated in, I can think of no failures, or at least very few.
And so I have decided to offer my services in the hope of making a contribution to the administration of this wonderful method of achieving justice.

Mission: “The task, together with the purpose, that clearly indicates the action to be taken, and the reason therefore,” as defined by the dictionary.

In other words, a personal mission statement encompasses passion and purpose. It defines your core principles and ideals for life. A personal mission statement takes time to develop–weeks, months, sometimes years.

Mission to some, is the same as purpose; however, there are differences. The mission is created with the end in mind–the big picture.  Whereas purpose is our reason for being on the mission. Purpose can change throughout the journey of life. Yet, with both together, they are like peas in a pod–producing healthy fare for life sustenance.

A personal mission statement can be crafted in many ways. For example, your mission statement may contain a couple of paragraphs, a few lines or be a list. Check out  this template that can help you get started writing yours.

I’m still working on mine. How about you?

If you have a personal mission statement, blog or insight on the subject, please comment and link, so together we can share in your experience.

Until later, see you around the path!

A few weeks back I posted about the change to MicroMash’s Pass Guarantee. In that post, I mentioned that I would periodically discuss issues that affect or impact our students or our business. This post will be the second time I discuss a bit of the behind the scenes, day to day operations of MicroMash. In an effort to keep the length of this post reasonable, I’m introducing the discussion today with follow up posts once a week for the next couple weeks.

As mentioned in the previous post, I have been with MicroMash since July 2009. The first thing I did when I came aboard was to sit down with every employee to discuss what we did well and what could be improved; how we operated, and how we wanted to operate; what our products were and how they were priced – typical immersion therapy for any new executive joining a business.

During those initial meetings I learned that MicroMash was operating without a formal mission statement, and I resolved to change that as quickly as possible. Formally defining who we are and who we want to be quickly became job #1. I suspect a number of you are scoffing right now because you consider a mission statement nothing but corporate bureaucracy. I strongly believe (in both a business and a personal context) that “if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything”. We all need a touchstone, a guidepost to ensure we are focused on the right things (even companies), and a strong, well thought out mission statement provides a company and employees with direction; it ensures we are focused on the right issues; it also helps us avoid distractions that do not fit our mission. By defining what you are and what you want to be, you also define who you are NOT and what you will NOT do.

As a precursor to drafting our mission statement, I asked all of the members of our team to consider companies that they loved doing business with. What is it about those companies that make them different? What need do those companies satisfy? Why do you enjoy doing business with them? We spent a few hours reviewing a diverse assortment of companies such as Zappos, Netflix, Southwest Airlines and many others. We also looked at companies that we hate doing business with (I won’t name names here) so we would know what practices to avoid. We took pages and pages of notes which helped us focus our thinking even further. The actual mission statement came together pretty quickly. We were left with a bunch of what I call “value” words that could have impacted our values statement. I asked the team to vote on each and we compiled them in order of the number of votes. What follows is the official MicroMash Bar Review Mission Statement and Values Statement:

Mission

MICROMASH is a trusted partner to time-pressured bar exam takers. We provide a convenient, flexible, easy to use bar study program that ensures you pass the bar exam of your choice. GUARANTEED!

Values

We want our customers to view us as:

• High Quality
• Reliable
• Great Service
• Easy to use
• Knowledgeable
• Convenient
• Modern
• Innovative
• Good value
• Interactive

The new mission statement was officially adopted in late July 2009, so we’ve been living with it for a while now. I have it as my background on my laptop, in an attempt to remind me daily what we are and what is important to us. As anticipated, it has guided many decisions we have made since July, impacting dozens of situations and customers. In future weeks, I’ll be sure to share with you the ways in which the new mission statement has affected both MicroMash and our customers. In the meantime, please feel free to share your MicroMash experiences (both good and bad) in the comments section below. Tell us what you like about doing business with us, and what you would change if you were in charge. We LOVE feedback from customers because it is the basis of our improvement. Cheers!

Does technology have a mission?

Pleasure is not a mission – to achieve pleasure you are at your mission’s end. If technology is designed to make things more pleasurable, does it then have a mission?

By asking this question, we can all discover what technology is all about. It seems to be a freeflow of beauty being twisted into new forms, something without goals but with people.

This may seem strange… It is. But if you look at the vast array of gadgetry, there is no overall purpose. None of it wakes in the morning and has an objective. You might think that a car could have the mission of transporting to and fro. No. It gives pleasure to the driver and passengers. As this pleasure is not good enough, the driver opts for a destination.

Deeply philosophical!

Firstly, I’d like to apologize for not posting recently. As a student, I have constant work; on top of that, I started two new books this week (Stephen King’s On Writing, and Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina), and started making a better website.

The week didn’t come without production– I finished On Writing, added a few thousand words to my work-in-progress, and got quite a bit of work out of the way just in time for turkey day.

However that’s no excuse. I admit I’ve become slightly lazy, and for that I’m sorry. You’ll be happy (or apathetic) to hear that I’ve taken preventative measures against this sly laziness. A list of new guidelines for my production is taped to the wall above my desk. I’m looking at it as I type this.

The Rules: At least two posts a day on PtP. 4 pages filled in my journal. Read for an at least an an hour. Write 2k words on the computer. Watch no more than 1hr of television.

I’m sure these guidelines will help me. As an avid gym rat, I’ve become pretty adept at following a routine, and this kind of structure always spurs me.

So yes, I need to become more strict. That’s not the end to my introspection, though. I also thought about why I temporarily lost interest in my blog. Sure, it was only a couple of days, but when I write every day, there has to be a reason I didn’t post. It’s because I was losing interest in the subject matter, simply.

I love literature, but I’m not as big a fan of the industry. Sure, a lot of the news out there is interesting, but it’s already covered. I found myself scanning NY Times or the New Yorker or google just to find things to publish. That’s fine for certain articles, but not for the majority. Virtually creating carbon copies of articles that already existed was taxing. I created this blog to have express my opinion, in a fresh way, on a subject I care deeply about. Typing out another magazine’s slant just isn’t that.

So, with that in mind, I’ve rediscovered my goals and roots. From now on, there will be a lot more creative writing. Initially it’ll all be from me, but I encourage any of my readers to submit by e-mailing me. On that note, my readership has grown steadily since the founding of this blog, and I only expect it to continue to do so. So don’t be shy to submit and get a wider readership. I’ll write reviews of every piece I get.

However, the news component of my blog isn’t gone. This blog is on literature – contemporary and classic, electronic and print, dynamic and constant– and literary news is a big part of that. I’ll release a weekly list of new books. I’ll release a daily page of literary news links, so you can read it straight from the source, and I don’t have to copy. I’ll also post examples of daily conversion, book reviews and general think pieces. I’ll also keep the Time Machine and Daily Quote section.

This blog started off as a documentation of literature’s conversion into electronics. That hasn’t gone by the wayside, though it will be handled differently. Read: a lot more interviews, a lot less opinion. I’ve found there’s only so many articles that I can do on the kindle and google books before they become stagnant.  If you write or read at all, (any old Joe) and want to be interviewed, email me.

So that’s about it. With my self-inflicted rules, new goals, and dynamic posts, hopefully this blog will be even more fun to read and write.  That’s it. Thanks for reading.

Wrap Up:
Submit short stories or request interview– e-mail me at Pagestopixels@gmail.com

God Save the Books and Blogs,
C. Harder