Shopping Product Reviews

Only pencil and paper can do more for content creation

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A few years ago a friend of mine looked at my calculator (one from high school first grade) and commented:

“You know Albert, that calculator in your hand is more powerful than the computer that put the first man on the moon.”

I was about to go speechless. I had barely moved my grades up my nose with him, while the “less fortunate” peers saw new horizons!

Then you could tell he had my attention. And now I hope to have yours as well. But there is much more to this story.

You may have noticed that the convenience of having all this help can work against your ability (and willingness) to engage critically with ideas, puzzles, and other thinking tasks. Why would you when you could only google it?

But here’s the problem.

As with the illustration that my friend did, what he described to me was that while I viewed my calculator as an aid, he showed me that I should look specifically as a tool. This tool could not do more than what I set out to do. I had set limits on him and it would only serve me to the extent that I was willing to push those limits.

Very recently I applied that approach to my writing. After spending the better part of 2 hours staring at my computer screen doing pointless searches, I decided to take a 30 minute pencil and paper break to generate a content outline.

In about 10 minutes, I had outlined the general structure of this very article, and so many other interesting nuggets emerged that I will have to cover those elements in a later post. What a return on the time invested: 10 minutes in silence for what he had not achieved in 2 hours! I wonder how many others have had a similar bite.

He highlighted the creative process.

I discovered that these are key characteristics of the flow that occurs when you disconnect from the tools and release your creative human element. These don’t necessarily happen chronologically and it feels like chaos of thought at times. Don’t let that get in the way. You can always connect the dots later, but don’t lock them so they don’t land on the page in the first place.

  • Ideas and knowledge
  • implement
  • revision
  • deliver

IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES

Begin by writing random words on a blank sheet of paper. It may seem silly at first, but you will soon start to see connections and patterns with what you are writing. At this point, your INSIGHT is developed. This is where statements start to mean something to you, even if they seem unrelated at first. The words “Milk” and “Sand” you wrote may make you think of a place you visited or inspire a recipe of some kind. This will vary with all your various interests, but once the creation process begins, the unknown things start to become a reality.

IMPLEMENT

This is where you follow that strange train of thought. Say that our example word “MILK + SAND” reminded you of a pleasure visit to the ranch at your grandmother’s house. Write down what you felt or what knowledge it brought you. Did she bring you a tune that you once sang with her? Hmmm out.

At this stage, just follow what is coming your way. With this, you are exercising your creative freedom and getting out of the “I won’t rock the boat” compliant mode.

What if all this comes to nothing?

Some of these processes will seem very fruitless, I must say. But notice that you have these channels open again, now you can recognize when you are being creative and stop being afraid of it. It will feel more natural and you will get better too.

REVISION

This is where your more conservative side comes out to assess the good (and weird) you’ve been doing. Hopefully this is where you say:

“Wait, I’m not going to make a sand and milk shake, am I?”

Here I would agree with you. The compost pile outside may like it, but it may not do you much good.

The review stage is where you filter out the weird, the obviously correct, and those moments of genius as well.

DELIVER

This is where you can act on your idea, now concept. Write about it, do it, design it. This is where her cell-sized creativity has grown into a grown person and she’s ready for a ride, a run, a flight to the moon.

So you can do it too!

It will feel strange, but it might as well go from looking at the moon to standing on it. If your classmates think you are crazy, yes you are! So finish what you started so they can really appreciate how crazy your idea was!

Sports

Specializing at an early age will stunt your growth, not enhance it

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According to USA Hockey, colleges and universities across the country are recruiting talented and skilled ice hockey players even before they start high school. Verbal compromises are being made between prospects and perennial powerhouses like the University of Wisconsin. Talented players who don’t want to take the college route are opting for the top youth system in Canada and then turning pro at the age of 18 or 19. There are a growing number of very young players in the National Hockey League, with a handful of them becoming captain of their professional squads as Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. The emergence of young athletes taking on key roles in the elite circles of Division 1 and professional sports makes younger players seem like specialization is the way to go. Ice hockey is not the only sport that identifies talents at unusually young ages. Top soccer colleges are finding players just starting high school. A lot can be said about an athlete’s physical and mental development in high school and college. Schools like Yale University will not consider a young recruit for their college sports because they realize how much a 14-18 year old can change mentally. Academic integrity is as important to them as athletic performance. Therefore, making a guarantee four years in advance does not appeal to them. They want to see where that candidate will be in the future before making commitments. What happened to waiting and buying the best? We don’t elect presidents 4 years before they are sworn in, why should we choose which jersey an athlete will wear before we get there? If you keep the competition to play close to the actual time they will, the path to getting there will be more about process and development.

Ten years ago, it was thought that athletes needed more time to develop and gain competitive advantage. In ice hockey, graduate programs (PG years) in high schools and youth teams were common staples to attract the attention of competitive college hockey programs. It was thought that to gain an advantage, it took time to develop physically and mentally, as well as to gain the experience of playing with other like-minded athletes. When you knew you had a long road ahead of you to reach college and career ranks, specializing in your sport at age 12 wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Parents, coaches and experts worried that applying too much pressure at a young age to perform and excel could cause players to burn out prematurely.

Performance development coaches like myself believe that while players should focus primarily on two sports, their programs should incorporate the skills and abilities necessary to perform well in up to 10 other sports or activities. Even if you don’t play baseball, ice hockey players have the ability to go to a batting cage and hit a high percentage of pitches. Hockey players who can play baseball well will have better reaction times on the ice and will be better able to react to pucks in flight from a high shot or when fielding a bad pass. Similarly, playing soccer is great for the development of a budding ice hockey player because many highly skilled players are very good at carrying and handling the puck with their feet. Whether your main sport is baseball or ice hockey, you can learn a lot by playing other sports such as tennis, soccer, football, etc.

The spectrum is wide with respect to what parents think their children should do. Some want their children to be like Sidney Crosby and will force them to specialize at age 8 and others want their children to just have fun and do whatever they want for as long as they want. Both approaches are bad. Specializing or being distant is bad. The key is to keep intensity, focus, stimulation, and vigor high with expectation and pressure low. Young athletes must be taught discipline, passion, love of training and sport, and heart. The road to interuniversity and professional sport is long. The people who make it and stay there are the ones who love the unglamorous looks, the long road trips, the sweat, the low pay (the pay for most professional athletes is not like ARod), the relentless schedule, and the inherent uncertainty that it entails. It comes from a profession that is so fluid, where one day the best team wants you and the day the other team that will look at you is the farm club with the worst team.

Success comes from love for what you do, whatever it is. The day it becomes work is the day you know it might be time to consider a new path. Athletes who play for glory will be prepared for a rude awakening. The athletes who can weather adversity and overcome it through hard work and concentration are the ones you know really love what they do. The Tampa Bay Rays baseball team’s turnaround shows outstanding determination, will, and passion to improve and surpass themselves. They didn’t care about playing as well as timeless powerful teams like the Boston Red Sox. They played the game the way they knew best and defined their run to the World Series in their own way and on their terms. The way they went from the worst team in the major professional baseball leagues to the runner-up in the World Series is an example of how individual athletes must approach their development. You cannot go out and be alone to win. Unfortunately, raw desire is not enough to get there. You must be willing and able to do hard work that is not appreciated or valued. By doing so, you put yourself in a better position to start doing it right.

As a sports development coach, I am useless to the person who just wants to play in a recreational league and get the fanfare when he scores. When someone is ready to work hard, put in long hours, and sweat, I am the perfect person for them. I will help you get where you want. What I do has no glamor, more than the satisfaction in myself, knowing that I had a role in helping an athlete demonstrate his capabilities to an audience. I do what I do because I have a love and passion for sports.

The key to professional happiness is to specialize in a commitment to hard work. Anything else you do to get ahead will come later. Don’t worry about the nods you’re getting at age 14 to play college sports. Keep your head down and focus on getting better. A lot can happen in high school. If you keep your options open at 14, you’ll have more to turn to when you’re 18.

If you specialize in soccer at age 14 and it doesn’t work for you, you won’t have anything else to turn to. If you play multiple sports and perform well in a couple of them, if one doesn’t lead to a salary or fame, maybe the other will. The more options you have, the less pressure you will feel to excel in one, which will make it more enjoyable. Nobody wants to think that everything depends on how you do in one thing.

Keep your options open and have fun, but remember that you won’t get better without trying too hard. So decide what your priorities are, and then move on from there. If you don’t want to break a sweat or do the things necessary to improve your game, don’t expect to play to the next level. There is nothing wrong with playing pickup games. You have to be honest with yourself about your skill level and desire to put in the time to do it. Sidney Crosby, Eli Manning, Tom, Brady, Michael Jordan, and other teammates didn’t get where they did simply because of life. They evaluated their abilities and accordingly decided where they wanted to go. Once they did that, they worked tirelessly to make sure they got there. That due diligence is why everyone stood out in the professional arena.

The key to take away from this article is that you need more determination than skill. Most importantly, you need more love than determination. Therefore, you need more love than skill. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it won’t matter how much skill you have because you don’t want to keep doing it. Being focused is different from specializing. Play a lot of sports. Get active in many different things. Do it because you love it. You can decide later which one will allow you to do it in college or professionally. You will benefit more from playing other sports and training for those sports than you will spend all that time training for just one sport. My program is so effective because despite his focus, I expose him to movements and exercises common to other activities, making him a more well-rounded and balanced athlete.

Stay tuned for more articles from DSWAthletes, owned and managed by Derrick Wong. We write about everything related to sports. We want to help you get where you want to go and enjoy both the process and the result. We will help you stay focused and in good shape.

Tours Travel

Tips for selling your home for the best price in a slow market

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How long is too long? In a dry market, a selling period of six months to a year is not unusual. Look at recent sales reports for similar homes nearby to determine a reasonable sales interval. In a hot seller’s market, a home that hasn’t sold in a month indicates a problem. In either case, there are several steps you can take before placing the white flag.

  • Record your home, inside and out, and view the tape as a prospective buyer.. Is the lawn weed or is the garden bare? Is your house neat and impeccably clean? Spotlessly clean homes sell faster than ones that seem overly inhabited or show an abundance of the owner’s personality.
  • Take a second look at your listing price. Visit open houses in your neighborhood. Are similar houses priced lower? Sales prices may have dropped since your first comparative market analysis. In a hot market, if you haven’t sold your home in a month, chances are you’ve overvalued it. If you reduce the sale price, consider a figure slightly lower than other comparable homes if you are interested in a quick sale.
  • Do whatever it takes to stay away from home during screenings and open houses. The presence of sellers makes it difficult for potential buyers to take their time or speak openly with your partner and agent. Leave a few goodies to make potential buyers more comfortable: drinks, nuts, cookies, anything that doesn’t lose freshness or make too much of a mess.
  • Pay close attention to the comments of the projections. Feedback can guide you in making home repairs, toning down your decor, making landscaping improvements, and the like.
  • You can offer buyers benefits such as cash bonuses, closing costs, or lower your interest rate to lower monthly payments. You could also consider owner financing.
  • Neutralize your color scheme. Most buyers prefer pale, neutral colors that make it easy to imagine a new home as their own. Houses with white exteriors are the best sellers; for interiors, try whites, off-white, or pale grays.
  • Expose hardwoods and polish until shiny. It’s amazing how many buyers won’t even look at a home without hardwoods.
  • If you have dogs, cats, old carpets, mold, or smoke problems, a potential buyer is likely to be offended by the smell. Ventilate the house and invest in an air cleaner and deodorizer to remove odors. Another option is a cleaning product with live enzymes that consume the odor-causing agents and permanently remove the odor.
  • Staging your home is one of the best ways to sell your home in the fastest and cheapest way. The staging sets the stage throughout the home to create immediate buyer interest in the property. The way you live in your home and the way you sell your home are two different things. One idea is to pack several large pieces of furniture and as much clutter as possible in each room. Don’t just move to another room or garage, rent a storage space and take it out of the house before you show it off.
  • Pay attention to lighting. Make sure light sources are clean. Cleaning them is not pleasant, but the bright light will pay off. You can even increase the brightness factor of your rooms by adding brighter light bulbs or adding accent lamps or cabinet lighting. Make sure to open the curtains and raise the blinds. For the best effect, use a balance of natural, overhead, and table / floor lighting.
  • Try to readjust your sights. Determine the lowest price that seems acceptable to you and consider anything else as the icing on the cake. In a long-standing dry market, you may even have to sell at a loss, so it’s important to take all offers seriously. You don’t want to alienate a potential buyer who has solid financing because you’ve set your sights too high.
  • If the market is down, consider offering a commission increase or a bonus to your listing broker as an added incentive. If you sweeten the boat for your agent, modify your listing contract to reflect the change and make sure it is added to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) book; Buying agents will also be inspired to give your home extra attention.
Arts Entertainments

Chris Benoit – Killer of His Own Legacy

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Due to the terrible weather and flooding here in the UK, I have been without an internet connection for several days, but you won’t need much of a guess about what my page would have been, Chris Benoit.

For those UK fans unaware due to a lack of internet connection and lack of UK coverage or fans anywhere in the world who have yet to find out on Monday, Chris Benoit was found dead. Unfortunately, the tragedy is not complete there, as before Benoit took his own life, he took his wife Nancy (some of you will remember Nancy as a Woman in WCW) on Friday and, most disturbing of all, her son Daniel, just 7, on Saturday. Benoit is believed to have killed them both under the influence of steroids, but at this time that is not yet proven. Chris Benoit hanged himself on Monday.

If Benoit had died in a car accident or from an overdose, he would now be writing a wrestling eulogy counting one of the greatest in-ring artists of all time and a true professional, a man whose advice to Angle, Bret Hart and Eddie Guerrero will live as classics of all time and who has serious claims of one of the biggest Wrestlemania main events of all time (with Shawn Michaels and Triple H). However, circumstances make everything Benoit accomplished within the squared circle obsolete. By killing his own wife and son, Benoit too, at least for me, also killed his wrestling legacy.

Some may feel that what happened outside the ring should have nothing to do with how wrestling fans remember Benoit, but I cannot share these views. I may be a huge wrestling fan, but first and foremost I am a father and I cannot think of a crime worse than killing your own flesh and blood, no matter the circumstances.

During the bad weather and no internet connection in the last few days, I have seen many old wrestling tapes on many of these where they fight with Benoit. With each of these matches, I found myself only able to watch several minutes of the fight and then, getting ahead of myself, I could no longer watch it. Even one of my all-time favorite matches with Benoit versus Kurt Angle from the Royal Rumble was impossible to watch.

No doubt WWE will be asked questions once again, after all steroids seem to be involved in another WWE Superstar deaths, but this time I feel like it would be hard to blame that door. If everything we’ve been told so far turns out to be the truth, then Benoit and Benoit alone is the only person responsible, on steroids or without steroids. People who excuse their actions and blame steroids would do well to ask themselves this: If someone they don’t know killed a loved one of theirs, they would, except as an excuse, I highly doubt it.

It’s annoying that so many good memories are destined to be abandoned, but sadly it will be so for this writer. My heart goes out to the Benoit family and friends and hopefully for wrestling fans this is the last tragedy in a long time to hit them, it’s a shame Benoit destroyed his legacy in his path.

Technology

Revolution in RPM

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Record players in the early 1920s introduced the concept of a home audio system. It was the birth of the modern two-channel hi-fi stereo system that incorporated polyvinyl vinyl records and, when played on turntables, provided decades of listening pleasure until the advent of the cassette player. After more than fifty years, this sound quality seeks to be revived by the return of the turntables, with much adaptability to enablers of modern sound systems such as mp3, compact discs, etc.

Why the return?

Maybe it’s the stock of thousands of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or vinyl records from those years that contain some precious audio tracks that would be lost if not played again or converted to a modern format.

To enjoy the hidden nuances of the two-channel hi-fi system through the most advanced technology of modern turntables.

To create a new market for LPs or long play records as vinyl records are also known. Listening to analog sound production is getting a lot cooler than digital.

What are the characteristics of a modern record player?

The old stylus on the turntable system plus features like a built-in speaker, a headphone jack, a USB port for archiving songs on your computer, and RCA lines on your home theater system.

What should we look for in a good record player?

A silent turntable is the best or the one that does not produce noise and only lets the music through.

Manual mode does not detract from sound quality, which can be compromised if more hardware is added to make the player automatic (starts with the push of a button)

USB output

Built-in phono preamp

An arm with adjustments to fit a variety of phono cartridges. A good quality pencil and cartridge to capture every bit of music from the grooves of your record without damaging it.

Adjustable feet

Motors that are physically separated from the socket to avoid unnecessary vibrations.

A smaller number of speed variation specification (less than 0.25%)

Playback speed range: should be available between 33 1/3 and 78 (45 rpm included). Remember that 78 rpm would require a different stylus.

How do you buy them and what is their price?

Like most things today, turntables are available online. The best sites are those that sell turntables from different manufacturers, so you can compare prices and features and choose the one that suits you best. DJ-oriented turntables are more robust and offer features like good pitch setting, high torque, and true tracking.

Most turntables under $ 100 offer the 33-1 / 3 and 45 rpm formats only, although there are a few exceptions. Less than $ 100 also come with AM / FM radio, headphone jack, USB cradle, etc.

At higher prices, it has better high-torque direct motors, creative handmade design, built-in speakers, wooden turntables, etc. DJ turntables cost more than $ 200. The more expensive, the quieter the turntables become.

Near the $ 1,000 range, the turntables come with full carbon tone arms and superior belt-drive machines with stainless steel bearings.

Home Kitchen

Instructions for removing a shelf from the kitchen cabinet

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Kitchen cabinet shelves are very convenient for storing kitchen accessories. Shelves are useful so that you can store things that are not used regularly in the cabinets for future needs and keep your kitchen clean. Without shelves, your kitchen looks like a mess with things on countertops, shelves, tables, etc. The shelves need regular maintenance. They suffer damage over time and need to be repaired or replaced. Generally, two types of shelves are used; adjustable shelves and permanent shelves. Each one has a different way of installation.

Required material

– Reciprocating saw

– Fold lock

– Flush cutting pliers

– Flat pry bar

– Hammer

Steps to remove the kitchen cabinet shelf

For adjustable shelves

1. Clean the area around the shelf that you want to remove. If the shelf contains items or accessories, remove them.

2. Raise the shelf and rotate it diagonally. Raise one side higher than the other; This will help you clear the cabinet opening. To release the shelf from the cabinet, you need to press the clip that holds the pins and shelf in place. You can usually simply press the plastic or metal flap on top of the pin to release the shelf.

3. Remove the shelf from position carefully. Do not drag or hit the shelf across the cabinet opening. Dragging or hitting can damage the surface.

For permanent shelves

1. Permanent shelves are installed in several ways. You have to inspect the installation of your shelf. Some rest on the horizontal corridor attached to the bulkhead or side panel of the closet. Some are simply glued or nailed to the outside of the cabinet bulkhead.

2. Gently tap the front lower edge of the runner with a hammer to remove the shelves. You may need a pry bar to gently lift the shelf out of the runner. Shelves are usually glued or nailed to the runner, so you may need some force to remove them from the runner. Repeat the same process on all remaining sides to clear the shelf from the cabinet.

3. Take a flat pry bar and use it to remove the fence from the sides of the cabinet. Place the edge of the pry bar in the seam behind the runner. Hit it with a hammer from above to widen the gap in the seam. Remove the lever from the cabinet panel. Keep prying until the runner is free enough to remove.

4. Take a hammer and tap the shelf near the bulkhead to remove it from the cabinet. Keep tapping until you see the junction between the cabinet and the shelf begin to widen. Once the seam is wide enough, remove the shelf from the cabinet bulkhead.

5. At the end, use jaw locking pliers to drive out the nails and loosen the bulkhead. You can also cut them with a pair of flush cutters.

Tip

– You can cut stubborn shelves in the middle with a reciprocating saw for easy removal.

Auto

Woodsball Winning Strategies

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For some players, it’s all about the team. Showing up with the latest, best, fastest and hottest paintball guns and accessories is a big part of the excitement. In the Woodsball setting, realistic paintball rifle replicas, camouflage uniforms, and tactical vests definitely add an element to the game that is appealing to many. Active and ex-military, law enforcement officers and all the men who enjoyed playing “army” as children are drawn to this type of paintball. Dressing like a soldier and wearing totally authentic gear makes it possible to fully immerse yourself in the setting, adding to the fun and intensity of the game. While all of the cool gear is great for sparking interest, it’s the intricacies of the wooden ball that keep players wanting more. If you want to win, you will quickly find that there is much more to it than just accessories; Woodsball is a game of strategy and skill.

As in speedball competition, your team will be defeated each time the opposing team has a better strategy. Even if the skill level of your players is better, it will still be much more difficult for you to achieve your goals if you cannot put it all together with a winning strategy. If you play on the same field all the time, it is easier to develop specific game plans that you can practice and do well. Strategies include player movements, different attack plans, and methods of getting the opposing team to react and put / keep them on the defensive. When you play a familiar course, you can incorporate aspects of the course into your strategy; for example, forcing the opposing team into an ambush or bottleneck trap. When you are playing on a new field and are not familiar with the layout of the field, it is very smart to arrive early and walk before playing so that you can develop strategies as you go and prepare. If you don’t have the opportunity to do this, the minimum basic strategy you should have anyway is for your team to be organized so that players have specific roles to play. Once this is established, they can react to each other and strategize on the fly if necessary.

Playing on a field you’ve practiced on and considering your “playing field” will give you obvious advantages. Regardless of this, you should have known strategies that your team has developed that can be used wherever you go. An example of this would be a maneuver called ‘flanking’. Flanking occurs when your team goes up and down the field and huddles so your opponent has nowhere to go. This strategy is most effective when your team has more players than the other team. If your opponent has the same idea, flanking won’t work, but the idea is to be well versed in certain moves like this so that you can try it out on whatever field you play. Another move type strategy is ‘rush’. Running your opponents is effective in Capture the Flag games. There are many ways to rush your opponent and the exact way may depend on the layout of the field. The general idea is for the majority of your team to spread out and run towards the target (flag, bunker, fort, etc.), overwhelmed by fire from all directions. Meanwhile, one or more members of your team pursue the main objective while the opposing team faces the onslaught of your players.

In most paintball games, moving towards the opposing team or towards a desired location is a necessary procedure. However, sometimes (but rarely) it is better to purposely adopt a defensive stance on the field. This plan is most effective when defending a fort or if your team is outnumbered. If the opposing team has 4 or 5 more opponents than you, sometimes it is best to surprise them by hiding and then wait for them to reach your location. Going to defense will sometimes allow a better view of your opponent’s movement, but this can also depend on the layout of the field. Keeping a view of your opponent will help prevent your team from being flanked or cornered. Defensive strategies don’t mean staying in the same place for the entire game; moving around is another key element to keep in mind for Woodsball. Staying moving is important to maintaining an advantageous position over your enemy, whether you are playing offense or defense.

For most movement strategies to be effective, your team will need to have some kind of communication procedure in place. Unlike speedball which is played on a smaller enclosed field, stage paintball is played on a much larger open field. Once the game starts, if your team has to part ways, they will need a way to communicate with each other so that they can work together to accomplish their mission. Without a good communication system, you will no longer be a team, but a group of loose individuals who go and do what they think is right at the time. This is easy to overcome by an opposing team that has a down system. Whether it’s a series of calls, messages streamed back and forth by a specific player, or even a silent throat mic system, they’ll need some way to talk to each other when / if they’re spread out or spread out in different locations. Whenever possible, it is best if your communication system is silent so as not to attract the attention of your enemy. Walkie talkies and / or throat mic systems work best for woodsball games played on large fields (and they make your game much more realistic too!).

While establishing a system of communication with your teammates is crucial, the method you choose should not compromise stealth. In Woodsball, stealth is a key element that must be incorporated into your strategy. Stealth movement is key to getting a better position and surprising your opponents so they are not ready for your attack. From silent communication to markers and silent paintball equipment, stealth should be a priority for as long as possible during a stage game. If your enemy can’t see you, they can’t hit you. Camouflage clothing to help you blend into your surroundings and remain invisible will keep you alive longer and allow you to hide better, even when coverage is poor. For this to be most effective, the correct type of camouflage will be important. Finding information about your playing environment is a good strategy so that you can match the correct camouflage colors / patterns to the local wildlife / playing field background. If you play in the fall, wear a reddish-brown camouflage. If you play in the spring, wear a lighter green camouflage. If you play in the summer, use a darker greenish color and, depending on your area, for the winter, use white camouflage or a very dark camouflage, if it is not snowing.

Digital Marketing

Review of ERP software for NGOs

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Change within any organization, whether as a result of internal or external factors, is inevitable. The ability to seamlessly adapt to change is an important key to maintaining sustainability, financial viability, and healthy growth. International and non-profit NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have unique challenges to face in the face of change, as they provide services and are accountable to large numbers of people and other organizations that may include:

  • Donors and funders
  • Concerned parties
  • Business partners
  • Government and private agencies
  • Program beneficiaries

Internal restructuring and evolving reporting criteria by external organizations, along with a host of other factors, can compromise an individual’s ability to comply with new reporting procedures. Today’s global marketplace can further exacerbate these issues as they typically span a number of different languages ​​and currencies that need to be taken into account. These “drivers of change” generally exceed staff resources and their ability to respond quickly to compliance issues such as:

  • Changes in tax filing requirements
  • New financing structures
  • Modifications in financing levels and / or procedures
  • Regulatory requirements adjustments

The growing demand for nonprofits and NGOs to be more transparent simply adds to the burden whenever internal changes occur. These changes, which are unavoidable, can be due to factors such as:

  • The implementation of new programs
  • Internal restructuring
  • Changes in general business procedures
  • New financial management initiatives

Organizations that undergo rapid and / or frequent change, either internally or externally, must be prepared to instantly adapt on a global scale without disrupting their day-to-day operations, while remaining transparent and accountable to organizations and companies. people they do business with.

The most successful international NGOs and non-profit organizations have come to understand the value of hiring a professional and fully integrated ERP (enterprise resource planning) system that enables them to effortlessly tackle each and every driver of change. .

When considering the implementation of an ERP system, organizations must first determine what they consider to be their main drivers of change. All identified scenarios must be addressed for the ERP system to be successful. The chart below shows, as a percentage, what most organizations anticipate as potential changes that would incur significant costs due to any necessary internal system rework.

Changes like these would normally mean that significant financial resources would have to be allocated to expensive external IT consultants. With a professional ERP system in place, organizations would have the ability to address these changes internally. This is a critical factor to consider as it would allow organizations to redirect more of their budgets to higher revenue generating projects.

Successful ERP systems must give users the ability to tackle major reorganization and restructuring changes internally from their desktop without the need for costly reprogramming by IT professionals. Some of the more common problems that organizations should be able to address internally include:

  • The ability to compare newly acquired business functions within a single cohesive technology platform.
  • The ability to make changes to current methods of organizing or segmenting products.
  • The ability to implement processes, responsibilities and structural changes in departments of a divided nature.
  • The ability to make changes to a financial organization system while maintaining existing structures for comparison purposes.
  • The ability to move a cost center from one division to another.

There are three main categories that any ERP system must address in order for it to be a viable and profitable solution within any organization.

1. Responsibility – As mentioned above, NGOs and non-profit organizations are accountable to a number of people and other governmental and non-governmental organizations. They must be able to respond quickly to ever-changing requirements, as well as scrutiny from all relevant parties without having to employ expensive IT professionals and / or outside consultants. To achieve this level of responsibility internally, an ERP system must provide the following capabilities.

  • The ability to control access to data, complete with a full audit trail while ensuring data integrity through rigorous security protocols.
  • Quick access to real-time information to help improve critical decision-making in easy-to-understand business language that is relevant to those who receive it
  • Increase service levels by optimizing the way information is shared within the organization and affiliates.
  • Simplify various reporting requirements for all donors / funders with the ability to adapt to any and all changes quickly and easily.
  • Comprehensive responsibility for all grant expenses with respect to restricted grants

2. Transparency – It is imperative that users can see their financial situation through the Internet, at any time and from anywhere. All users must be able to monitor and identify KPIs (Key Performance Initiative) in easy-to-use dashboards available on the internet or mobile devices and relevant to their specific roles. (i.e., program / department managers, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief executive officer, project accounting and field office staff, etc.) Some of the factors that ensure a high level of transparency that an ERP system must address include:

  • The ability to monitor available funds (particularly those with specific restrictions). This will allow users to immediately determine if a specific program or activity is allowed and if funds are available before placing an order.
  • Have a wide range of ready-to-use reports available that can accommodate frequent changes in process procedures.
  • The ability to monitor each and every event, allowing users to quickly respond to any issues that require immediate attention.
  • Accessible full audit trails showing approvals and accountability at all stages of any process

3. Efficiency – Organizations can increase their productivity by eliminating manual tasks by simplifying administrative procedures through a single, visual workflow engine. As changes inevitably arise as a result of things like growth and reorganization; efficiency in administrative and other functions must remain constant. This continuation in levels of efficiency is commonly known as Post-Deployment Agility and is critical for organizations to remain viable. International organizations have the additional challenge of providing reliable, relevant, and accurate information to all employees, regardless of language, currency, and alternate time zones. Expert ERT systems will allow you to reduce or even eliminate third-party tools, as well as simplify maintenance agreements and IT environments through a single integrated .NET solution that supports all MS Office applications. Greater efficiency can also be achieved through process improvements such as:

  • Relieve staff of tedious and time-consuming, repetitive and manual tasks that are vulnerable to errors. This gives employees time to focus on higher value-added activities, more efficient cost containment, and superior program delivery.
  • The ability for employees to submit requests for goods and services, as well as to enter time and expense reports while checking budget availability.
  • Have a single file available that can store paperless approval processes and store scans of all relevant documents.

For nonprofits and international NGOs to fully benefit from any ERP system, it must provide comprehensive operational support along with strategic management solutions for organizations undergoing rapid and continuous change. The right ERP system must also provide a complete, integrated solution that is role-focused and can eliminate multiple separate internal and third-party business systems. Having the flexibility to add more applications when needed is another critical consideration when looking to implement any ERP system. Professional and dedicated ERP providers are constantly adding to their range of specialized plug-in applications to help users optimize their operational processes in an effort to make them more efficient, transparent, and accountable. ERP solutions must encompass superior post-deployment agility, wide-ranging and functional industry support, open access to information across the organization, while minimizing the total cost of change and ownership.

It is equally beneficial when users have the option of choosing a traditional installation, a client-server installation within their own IT environment, or a fully hosted solution delivered through a world-class data center that can be accessed through from a web browser. It is also important that organizations have options for fully integrated add-on modules as their needs dictate. Some of these modules may include:

  • Financial management
  • Asset Management / Field Service Maintenance
  • Planning, budgeting and forecasting
  • Automation of business processes
  • Procurement Directorate
  • Project billing and costing
  • Analysis and reports
  • Payroll and Human Resources

A critical value-added benefit of implementing the right nonprofit management software is the ability it provides users to quickly and appropriately adapt to each and every driver of change in a cost-effective manner. As with all financial decisions, an organization’s ROI (return on investment) must include all related expenses and produce positive long-term effects.

Business

Learn from failure and confirm with success

admin

Both failure and success are good … if you know what their specific purpose is.

Of course we know that success is good, but why? Success is good because it confirms things for us.

Success confirmed our plans.

Success confirmed our decisions.

Success confirms our resources.

Success confirmed our strategies.

Success confirms our hunches.

Success confirms our teamwork.

Success confirms our risks.

Success confirms many things!

So when you are successful, ask yourself the following question:

What confirms this success in my mind?

Now what about failure? What is the role of failure and how in the world can it be GOOD?

The role of failure is to teach us. We learn from failure.

Failure teaches us that we must change our plans.

Failure teaches us that we must change our decisions.

Failure teaches us that we need to change our resources.

Failure teaches us that we need to change our strategies.

Failure teaches us that we must change our hunches.

Failure teaches us that we need to change our teamwork.

Failure teaches us that we must change our risks.

Failure teaches us that we have to change many things!

But at least now we know one more thing that won’t work! With each failure, we learn one more way to give up and focus on what may be the right way in the future. When we look at it that way, we set ourselves up for a powerfully successful future! So when you fail, ask yourself this question: What does this failure teach me?

Remember, success and failure are good. They can both be your friends … if you know what role they are going to play in your life. Learn from failure and confirm with success.

Relationship

7 strategies to prevent or delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

admin

Alzheimer’s is the progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain.

There is a lot of discussion in the elderly care community these days regarding Alzheimer’s disease. With advances in medical technology, people are living longer than in past generations. It seems that many people are able to move physically better, but they have more challenges with mental health problems like Alzheimer’s.

According to WebMD, the biggest risk factor attributed to Alzheimer’s is aging. Statistics show that one in eight people aged 65 and over has it. Genetics can be a factor in determining whether you will develop Alzheimer’s, but not a certainty. A smaller subset of people can develop early-onset Alzheimer’s in their 40s or 50s and, although rare, at a younger age.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but that is not the end of the story. Due to the increasing number of people developing the disease, some researchers are shifting their focus to prevention rather than cure. We are learning more about the strategies that can be implemented to prevent or delay the symptoms of the disease. These strategies listed below are lifestyle choices to keep your mind strong and last longer.

Sleep – A good night’s sleep on a regular basis is essential for you to function at optimal capacity. There are divergent opinions on the number of hours it takes to get a good night’s sleep. The range I see most often is 7-9 hours a night.

Nutrition and hydration – Mild dehydration has been linked to decreased brain function, so be sure to stay hydrated. Eating a heart-healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats will also protect your brain. Other antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries, walnuts, red potatoes, green tea, and blueberries, can help flush toxins from your system to protect important cells.

Exercise – Studies show that physical exercise reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 50 percent. Fitness coaches recommend 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times a week. This is not a hard and fast rule, do what you can when you can. The type and amount of exercise will vary based on your age, your current activity level, and your health. Take it in moderation. The idea is to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine. Little things like taking your dog for a walk, parking at the end of a parking lot, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator will help you move in the right direction.

Mental stimulation – Keep those neurons firing and producing new cells by learning something new. Take a class to learn a new language or to learn to play a musical instrument. Play board games, solve a crossword, or go online to find a website that has brain games or exercises. There are also many brain game apps to choose from on smartphones.

Vitamins, Minerals and Herbal Supplements – Vitamins B12, D, folic acid, fish oil, and magnesium are believed to provide healthy benefits for the brain. Studies on herbal supplements, such as ginkgo biloba, coenzyme Q10, and turmeric, suggested that they may also provide benefits for preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s disease, but you should speak with your doctor before starting a regimen of herbal supplements.

Reduce stress – Chronic or severe stress has a damaging effect on the brain. It can shrink cells and prevent the growth of new cells in the memory area of ​​the brain called the hippocampus, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Incorporate relaxation techniques into your daily routine, such as deep breathing, meditation, a walk in the park, or a relaxing bath.

Active social life – We, as human beings, are very social and we need interaction with each other. As we age, we can isolate ourselves for many reasons. Studies have shown that the more we interact with others, the better we perform on cognitive and memory tests. So stay connected! Talk to family and friends on the phone or social media. Join a group or association and meet new people. Get to know your neighbors.