Garret

Time to get a bit personal. I have this recurring nightmare where I am trapped in Scrutton Street in London.

It is always 9.30 in the morning. It is a cold, misty morning, and I am stuck behind a desk in a dreary office. Various zombies are going about their business, and I am tapping away at a computer keyboard when suddenly a vision appears. It is an old and grey man, obviously on his last legs. But the shock is always terrible when I realize the vision is an older version of myself. I never get used to it. The vision stares at me and I begin to shake. He speaks to me, "Michael, you must leave this place of horror. Leave now." I speak to the vision, "I can't leave. I'm stuck here." The vision becomes angry and speaks again, "You must leave. Leave, or end up like me. I was young once and had everything to live for. Then I fell in with the wrong crowd. They were office workers and they destroyed my life. Leave! Run from this hell of computers, phones and photocopiers!" But I am paralyzed. I can't get out of my chair. I scream at the vision, "I can't leave! I'm trapped!" Then I wake up in my bed, drenched in sweat, and realize I am not wasting my life in Scrutton Street. The relief is overwhelming.

What does it all mean? Will I really become like that vision? No. No. I am far away from Scrutton Street, and I will never return.

Michael Fowke writes at moneyistheway.blogspot.com

Your child is away at college and lives with three roommates, each with their own vehicle. They frequently borrow each other's vehicles to run to the laundromat, get a pizza or go to the student union to socialize. Chances are good they are insured on their parent's personal auto policy, but do they have liability coverage if they hit a pedestrian or cause an accident? Here's another common situation. Your business provides a company vehicle for your business and personal use. You have a personal auto policy for your other vehicles, but will your policy provide liability coverage for the car supplied by your company?

It would pay to have a look at your personal auto policy and see if coverage is afforded in these situations. If you look deep enough into the policy language, specifically in the liability coverage section exclusions, you may find text that reads: 'B. We do not provide Liability Coverage for the ownership, maintenance or use of:' (jump to subsection 2) 'Any vehicle, other than "your covered auto", which is: a. Owned by you; or b. Furnished or available for your regular use.' (policy language from 2005 ISO PAP)

Exclusion B.2.b, 'Furnished or available for your regular use', is where the danger lies. In the above situations, your college student has multiple vehicles 'available for his/her regular use', and your company vehicle is 'furnished for your regular use'. Liability protection has been specifically excluded via the B.2.b policy language. What happens if you cause an accident? God forbid, what if you injure or kill someone? You might be envisioning that nice retirement nest egg flying out the window.

There is a way to plug that coverage gap and afford liability protection for those autos that are furnished or available for your regular use. There is an endorsement available for the personal auto policy called Extended Non-owned Coverage for Named Individuals (PP 03 06). This endorsement eliminates the regular use liability exclusion and will provide liability coverage to those named on the endorsement. Other situations where this endorsement may be needed would be fleet cars, boyfriend/girlfriend vehicles or family vehicles.

If you discover this exclusion on your personal auto policy, and your insurance company does not or will not offer the Extended Non-owned Coverage endorsement, you can also fix the coverage gap by having a Named Non-owner policy. This solution will cost more than the inexpensive Extended Non-owned Coverage endorsement, but it will provide coverage for those vehicles that are furnished or available for your regular use.

The author is a licensed property/casualty insurance agent in Nebraska. His Nebraska insurance agency is an independent agency specializing in farm and agricultural risks, personal lines and commercial lines. He also provides online marketing and insurance agency websites for other independent insurance agencies throughout the United States.

"An expert is someone who lives more than 50 miles out of town and wears a tie to work." - Bryce's Law

INTRODUCTION

The need for outside contract services is nothing new. IT-related consultants have been around since the computer was first introduced for commercial purposes. Today, all of the Fortune 1000 companies have consultants playing different roles in IT, either on-site or offshore. Many companies are satisfied with the work produced by their consultants, others are not. Some consultants are considered a necessary evil who tackle assignments in an unbridled manner and charge exorbitant rates. For this type of consultant, it is not uncommon for the customer to be left in the dark in terms of what the consultant has done, where they are going, and if and when they will ever complete their assignment. Understand this, the chaos brought on by such consultants are your own doing.

IT consultants offer three types of services:

1. Special expertise - representing skills and proficiencies your company is currently without, be it the knowledge of a particular product, industry, software, management techniques, special programming techniques and languages, computer hardware, etc.

2. Extra resources - for those assignments where in-house resource allocations are either unavailable or in short supply, it is often better to tap outside resources to perform the work.

3. Offer advice - to get a fresh perspective on a problem, it is sometimes beneficial to bring in an outsider to give an objective opinion on how to proceed. A different set of eyes can often see something we may have overlooked.

Whatever purpose we wish to use a consultant for, it is important to manage them even before they are hired. This means a company should know precisely what it wants before hiring a consultant.

ASSIGNMENT DEFINITION

Before we contact a consultant, let's begin by defining the assignment as concisely and accurately as possible; frankly, it shouldn't be much different than writing a job description for in-house employees. It should include:

1. Scope - specifying the boundaries of the work assignment and detailing what is to be produced. This should also include where the work is to be performed (on-site, off-site, both) and time frame for performing the work.

2. Duties and Responsibilities - specifying the types of work to be performed.

3. Required Skills and Proficiencies - specifying the knowledge or experience required to perform the work.

4. Administrative Relationships - specifying who the consultant is to report to and who they will work with (internal employees and other external consultants).

5. Methodology considerations - specifying the methodology, techniques and tools to be used, along with the deliverables to be produced and review points. This is a critical consideration in managing the consultant. However, if the consultant is to use his/her own methodology, the customer should understand how it works and the deliverables produced.

6. Miscellaneous in-house standards - depending on the company, it may be necessary to review applicable corporate policies, e.g., travel expenses, dress code, attendance, behavior, drug test, etc.

Many would say such an Assignment Definition is overkill. Far from it. How can we manage anyone if we do not establish the rules of the game first? Doing your homework now will pay dividends later when trying to manage the consultant. Assignment clarity benefits both the customer and the consultant alike. Such specificity eliminates vague areas and materially assists the consultant in quoting a price.

SELECTING A CONSULTANT

Armed with an Assignment Definition, we can now begin the process of selecting a consultant in essentially the same manner as selecting an in-house employee. Choosing the right consultant is as important a task as the work to be performed. As such, candidates must be able to demonstrate their expertise for the assignment. Certification and/or in-house testing are good ways for checking required skills and proficiencies. Also, reviewing prior consulting assignments (and checking references) is very helpful. Examining credentials is imperative in an industry lacking standards. For example, many consultants may have a fancy title and profess to be noted experts in their field but, in reality, may be nothing more than contract programmers. In other words, beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.

Ideally, a consultant should have both a business and technical background. True, technical expertise is needed to perform IT assignments, but a basic understanding of business (particularly your business) is also important for the consultant to adapt to your environment. This is needed even if you are using nothing more than contract programmers.

In terms of remuneration, you normally have two options: an hourly rate or a fixed price. For the former, be sure the work hours are specified, including on-site and off-site. Many clients are uncomfortable paying an hourly wage for an off-site consultant. Under this scenario, routine status reports should be required to itemize the work performed and the time spent. However, the lion's share of consulting services are based on a fixed price contract. Here, the role of the methodology becomes rather important. Whether you are using "PRIDE" or another Brand X methodology, it is important the consultant and client both have a clear understanding of the project's work breakdown structure, the deliverables to be produced, and the review points. From this, an effective dialog can be communicated in terms of managing the project. Further, the methodology becomes the basis for the preparation of estimates and schedules.

After examining your candidates, it now becomes necessary to balance the level of expertise against price. Sure, a senior person can probably get the job done in less time, but perhaps the costs may be too high for your budget. "Expertise" versus "expense" becomes a serious consideration at this point.

Whomever is selected, it is important that a written agreement be prepared and signed. The agreement should reference the Assignment Definition mentioned above and any other pertinent corporate verbiage. Very important: make sure it is clear that the work produced by the consultant becomes your exclusive property (not the consultant's). Further, the consultant shouldn't use misappropriated work from other assignments. Finally, add a clause pertaining to workmanship; that the consultant will correct at his/her expense any defects found; e.g., defective software, data base designs, etc.

MANAGING THE CONSULTANT

The two most obvious ways to manage consultants is by having them prepare routine status reports and project time reports. Such reports should be produced on a weekly basis and detail what the consultant has produced for the past week and detail his/her plans for the coming week. You, the client, should review and approve all such reports and file accordingly.

A methodology materially assists in tracking a consultant's progress. As a roadmap for a project, the methodology takes the guesswork out of what is to be produced and when. Without such a roadmap, you are at the mercy of the consultant. Along these lines, I am reminded of a story of a large manufacturing company in the UK who used one of the large CPA firms to tackle a major system development assignment. The system was very important to the client, but lacking the necessary in-house resources to develop it, they turned to the CPA firm to design and develop it. Regrettably, the client didn't take the time to define the methodology for the project and left it to the discretion of the CPA firm. The project began and the CPA firm brought on-site many junior staff members to perform the systems and programming work. So far, so good. However, considerable time went by before the client asked the senior partner about the status of the project (after several monthly invoices). The senior partner assured the client that all was well and the project was progressing smoothly. More time past (and more invoices paid) with still nothing to show for it. Becoming quite anxious, the client began to badger the consultant as to when the project would be completed. Finally, after several months of stalling, the consultant proudly proclaimed "Today we finished Phase 1....but now we have to move on to Phase 2." And, as you can imagine, there were many more succeeding phases with no end in sight.

What is the lesson from this story? Without a methodology roadmap, it is next to impossible to effectively manage a consultant. The project will lose direction almost immediately and the project will go into a tailspin. The only person who wins in this regard is the consultant who is being paid regardless of what work is produced. Instead of vague generalities, you, the client, have to learn to manage by deliverables.

CONCLUSION

My single most important recommendation to anyone considering the use of outside consultants is simple: Get everything in writing! Clearly define the work assignment, get a signed agreement spelling out the terms of the assignment, and demand regular status reports.

I am always amazed how companies give consulting firms carte blanche to perform project work as they see fit. Abdicating total control to a consultant is not only irresponsible, it is highly suspicious and may represent collusion and kickbacks.

There is nothing magical in managing consultants. It requires nothing more than simple planning, organization, and control. If you are not willing to do this, then do not be surprised with the results produced. Failure to manage a consultant properly or to adequately inspect work in progress will produce inadequate results. So, do yourself (and your company) a favor, do your homework and create a win-win scenario for both the consultant and yourself.

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years of experience in the field. He is available for training and consulting on an international basis. He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

Copyright 2006 MBA. All rights reserved.

Find Reflexology Education in the United States and Canada. You've made the decision to pursue an alternative health education - so which route do you take? If you like bodywork treatments, then acquiring a reflexology education may be an ideal choice for you. If you haven't yet experienced a reflexology session, then try it out and see if this something you'd like to learn more about.

It is important to look for the appropriate reflexology education. For instance, if you are primarily interested in achieving a diploma in foot reflexology, a reflexology education in this course of study is specifically available. In addition, a number of reflexology education programs teach students about reflex zones in the hands and ears, and how to use applied pressure in these areas to relieve certain health conditions, too.

Other factors to consider when applying to a course covering reflexology education are how long will the program run? What is the tuition? Will you get hands-on training? Will you receive a certificate of completion or a diploma?

While most healing arts schools offering reflexology education include basic instruction in anatomy and physiology, some include added training in energy healing, holistic healing approaches, and introductory business and communication skills.

Today, numerous massage schools have begun offering reflexology education as part of the ever-expanding bodywork curriculums. In addition to acquiring massage certification and/or licensure, a great many of these natural healing schools have integrated certification courses in reflexology education as well.

Dependant upon the course in which you enroll, reflexology education and training can frequently be completed in less than a few weeks' time. However, there are certain holistic healing schools that provide continuing education classes in reflexology as well as reflexology certificate programs that can be achieved through ongoing workshops and seminars.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding reflexology education, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Reflexology Education in America
Copyright 2007
The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Resource Box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com, in association with CollegeSurfing.com - Educational Resources for Reflexology Education, Massage Schools, and other Healing Arts.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer or a disease process that begins when an abnormal cell is transformed by the genetic mutation of the cellular DNA and a cancerous cell develops in the area. This abnormal cell forms a clone and begins to proliferate abnormally, ignoring growth-regulating signals in the environment surrounding the cell. The cells acquire invasive characteristics, and changes occur in surrounding tissues.

Although mesothelioma affects every age group, most cases occur in people older than 50 years of age or those who have been exposed to asbestos for quite a long time. Overall, the incidence of mesothelioma is higher in men than in women and higher in industrialized sectors and nations, where asbestos is frequently used in building infrastructures.

Asbestos is the number one factor that causes mesothelioma. The term mesothelioma is taken from the word mesothelium, a protective thin sheet that covers the internal organs of the body, such as the lungs. When a person inhales asbestos, glass-like particles stick in the lungs, which eventually results to respiratory complications. After which, this develops cancerous cells.

More than 7,000 Americans have already been diagnosed and died from 1990 through 2001 with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is second only to cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death for industry workers in the United States. Each year, more than 1,000 Americans die of a malignant process.

Since most mesothelioma patients are working in the industries where exposure to asbestos is relatively high, experts deem it necessary to provide legal assistance to patients in order to obtain the right compensation. Lawyers and mesothelioma experts work hand in hand to bring out the best of everything in spite of the dilemma. Legal experts say that employers are accountable for the health and safety of their employees. Hence, they believe that mesothelioma patients should be given due reparations.

In Dallas, mesothelioma lawyers are especially skilled individuals who support the cases of people who have been detected with the disease. With this, they create a well thought-out case for damages. Lawyers for mesothelioma patients in Dallas work hard to identify feasible means of rewarding substantial financial support.

However, not all lawyers for mesothelioma cases in Dallas were created equal. They may all sound the same but they are varying vastly from one another. In fact, experts say that choosing a lawyer for mesothelioma cases in Dallas is a very personal choice. It is imperative that you should feel good about the person representing you in court. That is why it is important that you find the best lawyer for your mesothelioma case.

To do that, you must learn to identify the factors you need in a lawyer for mesothelioma case in Dallas.

1. Investigate

Before choosing a lawyer for mesothelioma case in Dallas, it is best that you investigate well. This would include making background checks about the lawyer. There are so many lawyers in Dallas and anyone can claim his or her expertise when it comes to mesothelioma cases.

By investigating, you should be able to identify if that lawyer is already an expert in mesothelioma-related cases. The length of time needed in handling the case is good enough to prove expertise; frequency of handling such cases are important as well.

2. Knows mesothelioma cases by heart

To get a good side on the case, you must have a good mesothelioma lawyer with you. Lawyers for mesothelioma cases in Dallas know what it means when they really have to do their job.

Skilled lawyers for mesothelioma cases in Dallas know the complex quality of the privileges and reimbursements. In this way, they will be able to give you the best advices regarding claims and benefits in connection to the gravity of your case.

3. Find a "no win, no pay" lawyer

Hiring the services of a lawyer for mesothelioma cases in Dallas can be very expensive. No wonder why many people with mesothelioma die without being able to reimburse or claim benefits due to them.

However, some lawyers are willing to render their services and propose a "no win, no pay" policy. In this way, patients do not have to pay anything if they lose the case; once you are able to get your damages, they will receive with whatever percentage you have agreed.

All of these things boil down to the fact that hiring the services of mesothelioma lawyers is important so you can get the right claims for you. However, hiring the right lawyer is far more important than anything else is.

For more complete information on mesothelioma please go to:
http://freemesotheliomalawyer.com/dallas-find-a-lawyer/
http://freemesotheliomalawyer.com
http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

What exactly are social networking sites?

What are the dangers?

Making a fool of yourself.

Child abusers making friends with kids.

Bullying.

Keeping you and your kids safe:

Dont let young kids use social networking sites.

Dont add unknown people to your friends list.

Dont meet up with people you meet on the Internet.

Remember that people arent always who they say they are. Dont put your personal information on your site. Tell people what you are doing. Report abuse.

Top tips for kids

1.Tell your parents what you are doing. 2. Be careful with your mobile 3. Dont give anyone your school name 4. Dont meet up with internet friends 5. Tell someone

6. Report it 7. Dont let bullies win 8. Dont respond to nasty emails 9. Could it embarrass you? 10. Be nice even if theyre angry Top tips for parents

1. Get involved 2. Dont go overboard 3. Agree on the ground rules 4. Put the computer in a main room 5. The internet is part of school life 6. Parental control software 7. Chat and instant messaging 8. Be careful about plagiarism and homework 9. Bullying on the internet 10. Report abuse when you see it

This is a FREE resource toward securing your privacy and pc online. This article is an extract from my blog on Free PC Security, which is freely available to all. There are no hidden costs or affiliate links.

Privacy, safety and security is a major concern for everyone online, moreso with the rapid growth of social networking sites which are not fully moderated or controlled.

Don't put your children or yourself at risk.

Colin Richards

Free PC Security

http://cotojo.wordpress.com

Cell phones can capture video images and quickly be uploaded onto a myriad of sites. This technology has the capability to turn all citizens into reporters. An example is the recent hanging of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. According to CNN, one or perhaps two security guards recorded the execution on a cell phone. Within 24 hours the footage was available worldwide. Events that would not previously be available to the public are now freely distributed. Seemingly no one and no event is safe from the prying eyes of cell phones, camcorders and digital cameras. These, when uploaded, sometimes within minutes of an event taking place, are accessible worldwide. It is beyond the scope of this paper to address privacy concerns, which was not such a predominant issue prior to the rise of the Internet. Nonetheless, we must keep in mind that these trends may change the way we act in public, increase our cynicism towards traditional news and exponentially decrease our personal privacy.

The rise of blogs has also made it possible for anyone with Internet access to air grievances, give opinions and share information with others. According to Caslon Analytics, an Australian Internet research company, the Pew Internet and American Life Project states that as of July 2006, 12 million American adults have blogs. This represents approximately eight per cent of U.S. adult Internet users. In addition, 57 million American adults read blogs, which represents 39 per cent of U.S. adult Internet users. Apparently the percentage is low compared to South Korea, which has approximately a quarter of its online population writing blogs. Blogs are one of the latest communication devises that makes access to information, opinions, photos, video, music and current events almost instantaneous.

The article was produced by the writer of masterpapers.com. Sharon White has many years of a vast experience in management essays writing and Macbeth essays writing consulting. Get free samples of essays, coursework and comparative essays.

We all got into this with the image in your head of us sitting on a computer, or talking on the phone, while our little ones are happily and quietly play with their toys under our desks. That may happen every once in a blue moon, but usually, when you really need to get something done, your kids all of a sudden demand your undivided attention. Here are a few ideas on what to do with your kids when you really need to get something done.

1) Trade play-dates with other moms in your area. One afternoon the kids play at your house, the next at hers. You get the idea. Not only does this help you out on the days that they are at someone elses house, but also on days that they are at yours. Youll be amazed at how much more you get done, when they are keeping each other company.

2) Check with the churches and daycare centers in your area. Some of them provide a mother day off program once a week. You can leave your child in a safe place for a few hours, while you run some errands, work on a deadline or make your important calls without interruption.

3) Create a stash of toys and movies that you only bring out in work emergency. Since these are new to your child, it should buy you at least a little uninterrupted work-time.

4) Create a play area within sight of your work area. Youll get a lot more done if you dont have to jump up and run all the time to make sure your kids are fine.

5) Kids love to help and imitate you. Create a little work area for them. A small table and chair next to yours can be their desk. You may want to keep some paper and crayons handy. If they have a leap-pad or one of the toy laptops, keep it at their desk and they can come to work with mommy.

6) If your child is old enough have them help you by stuffing envelopes, filing papers, reorganizing your desk drawer. Encourage them to write an article for you, or teach them some basic html and have them create a personal or family website. Draw on your experience in your wah job or business and get them involved.

7) Trade Time OFF with your spouse. If he takes the kids to the park, while you get some work done, youll keep them busy later, so he can wash the car, change the oil, watch a ballgame or whatever else your significant other likes or needs to do without the kids.

8) Just ask your kids to give you some time to work. Offer to take them to the park, the Mall, Chuckey-Cheese, or wherever else they like to go once you get your stuff done. Then make sure you follow through, or this wont work the next time.

9) If everything else fails, ask Grandma, or friend or neighbor you trust to watch your kids for a few hours. If you use this only once in a while theyll be glad to spend some time with the kids.

Try to plan ahead as much as you can and get work done while your kids are in school, taking a nap or at night after they have gone to bed. Days that you have to fall back on these tips should be the exception, not the rule. If you find yourself falling back on them almost every day, you may want to consider rearranging your schedule, cutting back on the amount of work you are doing, or, if you can afford it, get a in-house nanny for a few hours a day. A more cost effective solution would be to hire a teenager to keep your kids busy for a few hours after school in your house. Look at your options and decide what works best for you and your family.

About the author:
Susanne is a partner of http://www.WAHMWannabe.com, the one-stop online WAHM shop. WAHMWannabe offers home business comparison, business tools, work-at-home related articles, a unique WAHM marketplace, message boards, and a whole lot more. Be sure to stop by and check out what's new, as WAHM resources are added constantly!