It’s that time of year again when we resolve to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. We all have different resolutions, but they all tend for fall into five categories:
Get Healthy
Get Financially Fit
Self Improvement
Improve Family/Relationships
Improve Your Community
Get Healthy
This is the most common category that our resolutions fall under, with losing weight being the most popular. Our goal may be to lose 20 pounds, get rid of that gut or to fit into those jeans in the back of our closet (it’s been two years since we put those on!). We may decide to join the gym, diet for a month or change our eating habits to get and keep that weight off. We may have a fitness goal. The plan may be to get to the gym three days a week or walk/run fifteen miles a week. Maybe we are finally going to run that marathon!
Giving up or cutting back on one of our vices is another one of our most common resolutions. For those of us who still smoke, this is when we decide to give that up. Quitting drinking or drugs is another vice we try to get rid of as well. For some of us, caffeine may be our drug. This year, we are going to skip that third cup of coffee.
Get Financially Fit
Finance seems to be on all of our mind this time of year. We’ve all just spend more money on the holidays than we wanted to and are reviewing our finances from the past year. What happened to all that money? This coming year, we are going to save more money, spend less, pay off our debt, and get our finances organized so that we know where all that money went. We are going to setup a budget and stick to it!
Self Improvement
All of our resolutions fall into this category for the most part, but we have specific goals to make us better. We want to get rid of those traits that we don’t like; we are going to stop procrastinating and be more patient and relaxed. We are going learn to play the guitar, finally. And we are making resolutions to go back to school and learn something new. We all have something about ourselves that we are going to improve.
Improve Family/Relationships
Spending more time with family and those that we love has always been important and at this time of year, we want more of it and we want quality time together. We want to stop arguing with our spouse and enjoy “Date Night” with them. We want “Family Night” with our kids once-a-week, breaking out the cards or monopoly. Talking to Mom every week and taking Dad out to lunch once a month is another one of our goals.
We are going to touch base with all of our friends more frequently. What has George been up to lately, we are all going to find out.
Improve Your Community
We all want to make a difference in our community. We resolve to volunteer more time to help out at the local library reading to children, picking up trash at the local “Clean the Park” event or helping out at the local senior center.
Our vision isn’t local anymore either; now we are trying to improve our planet. With global warming and environmental issues at the forefront of our everyday lives, we are resolving to do our part to improve our planet. Buying/using “Green” products is high on our to-do list. We are planning on buying hybrid cars, products with environmentally friendly packaging and energy efficient light bulbs. We are also resolving to change our habits by driving less, lowering the heater and taking shorter showers to use less water.
Let’s hope we all follow through on our resolutions and improve life for each and everyone of us. Whatever your resolution is, good luck!
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Top Resolutions for the New Year
Can American Businesses Survive In The Global Economy?
The American economy can go either way according to most newspapers and television commentaries. The experts say that we have a 50% chance of going into a recession while some say we have almost no chance. Trying to decipher their confusing messages can be difficult. That leaves most American businesses unsure of what the...future holds for them. Are they still going to be able to compete or are they going to suffer a slow and painful decline downwards. The best way to answer that question and determine how to improve the business environment is to look at the American businesses strengths and weaknesses.
Success and failure is all about strengths and weaknesses. When we rationally see the strengths and compare them against the strengths or weaknesses of other countries we can better determine our chances of success. It is almost the same as when you bet on two boxers one of which has endurance and the other one quickness. The one you feel will win depends in part on how you see the situation. If you feel the quickness will take out the opponent in the first few rounds then he is the better bet but if you feel that the two boxers are going the distance then endurance counts.
Looking at the American business world and comparing it to the challengers you can also see better who is going to win in the end. We know that the world is a high-tech place where efficiency and cost matter. The one who produces the cheapest products is likely to win as long as their products have reasonable quality and don't break down often. With Chinese cheap products and America's high quality both countries will need to come closer to the middle.
Strengths of American Businesses:
High Technology: Powerful and growing businesses require email, Internet, cell phones, computers, robots and more. The technological advances of the U.S. are difficult to surpass and few countries even come close. American businesses can grow simply because they can manage different international locations as though they were a block away. Few foreign countries can do this. In addition, America also has the ability to develop and implement modern technology like robotic arms and complex systems that increase productivity.
Power Supply: China is attempting to get its hands on as much natural resources and energy as possible. The U.S. is also doing this but is much further in the game. While the U.S. is moving towards alternative energy supply and thinking beyond fossil fuels China is still trying to accumulate basic energy. American businesses have no problem with black outs, rolling power outages or a lack of energy. This is a benefit because their environment becomes predictable.
Strong Law Enforcement: It may seem silly and out of place but a strong law enforcement system helps to keep the business environment fair and equitable. When businesses can be cheated when making partnerships, employees embezzle and politicians bribed there is lots of risks built into the environment. Businesses want to know there is a deterrent and opportunity to regain what is lost through unfair practices. You will find that China as well as most nations outside of Europe or the U.S. has difficulty curbing crime.
Sound Fiscal Policy & Self Adjusting Markets: American policy makers have been generally concerned with how well the economy is doing. The democratic system allows the population to remove senators, presidents and congressmen out of office when they are not producing results. Therefore, a single politician can complete little damage in a single term. When small mistakes happen the markets can adjust themselves by offering something new that makes money. For example, if people demand companies to reduce pollution then these consumers will gravitate towards clean businesses while leaving the rest of the businesses behind.
Weaknesses of the American Business:
Poor Public Education: The American education system is declining and children are falling behind much of the world in terms of science, languages, math, and more. The advancement of these core subjects are important for the improvement of society as the new high-tech world will need scientists and technology workers like never before. However, as we keep allowing skilled workers to immigrate our school systems are falling behind only because there is little direction and lots of politics.
High Labor Costs: Workers are cheaper then they are in other countries. The problem in the U.S. is that companies aren't getting what they are paying for. The average high school graduate is barely able to grasp the concepts of a manufacturing business let alone work within it while the government raises the minimum wage. A Chinese worker is able to press a button like the American worker but for about 1/10th the cost. Only productivity will make the American worker worth his/her wages.
Taxes: American businesses pay a lot of money in taxes while companies from other countries may pay a lot less. The taxes in American businesses are simply extra overhead that must be pulled from the cost of the product. In a tight economy where people don't want to pay extra the cheaper products (with less tax burden) will win out. Have you ever wondered what happened to the television and radio producers in the U.S.?
International Policy: America has come to mean, "bully" to many people overseas. To thwart America's power is a sign of resolve and fashion. As our politicians continue to play favorites with countries that violate international law, demand compliance with American desires and try and finagle other countries its reputation declines. A bad reputation means that both international businesses and whole countries may not only distrust us but prefer to do business with someone else.
Thursday, 27 December 2007
Convicted But Innocent
Most of us likely sleep easier when we're told that a violent criminal terrorizing our neighborhood has been apprehended. But would we sleep as well if we knew that that person was actually innocent? Would we sleep as well if we knew the real criminal was still at large, just waiting for an opportunity to offend again? And if this criminal...wasn't alone but was accompanied by thousands of others?
Our pleasant slumber has become a nightmare.
Unfortunately, this nightmare is all too real.
Organizations like 'Truth in Justice' and 'The Innocence Project' estimate that 5% to 10% of the U.S. prison population is factually innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. (Figures in other countries are likely to be similar.)
In mid-2006 the U.S. Department of Justice put the population of federal, state, and local jails at about 2.2 million. Even using the conservative estimate of 5%, that would mean more than 100,000 of those are innocent. Again using DOJ figures, 50,000 of those may be serving time for violent crimes they didn't commit.
Do the math. For every innocent person behind bars, a guilty person still walks among us. 50,000 violent criminals, with no one pursuing them because, as far as the authorities--the police and the courts--are concerned, the crimes they committed have already been solved with the guilty safely behind bars.
To put a face to these figures, consider James Curtis Giles. James served ten years in prison for aggravated rape, then another ten years as a registered sex offender. His true crime? He happened to have a name similar to the man eventually identified as the likely real assailant, James Earl Giles.
Or consider Anthony Capozzi. Anthony served twenty years in prison for rape while the biological evidence that could have exonerated him sat forgotten in a hospital drawer.
Or consider Curtis McCarty who spent twenty-one years in prison--including sixteen years on death row--for murder. He was eventually exonerated by DNA testing, yet he should never have been convicted in the first place. Why was he? A forensic analyst intentionally falsified findings and destroyed evidence.
She was eventually fired for forensic fraud, but not before she testified in thousands of other cases.
Intentional misconduct on the part of police, forensic analysts, prosecutors, and judges is only one reason the innocent may be convicted. There's also misidentification by witnesses, lies told by informants and snitches, unreliable laboratory science, poor physical evidence, and simple incompetence on the part of defense attorneys.
We may be inclined to dismiss cases of wrongful conviction by the assumption that those so convicted must have done something to incriminate themselves, that if they weren't wholly guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted, they must have been guilty in some related case. We could assure ourselves that all we have to do to avoid their fate is to stay out of trouble.
If so, we'd be deluding ourselves.
James Curtis Giles was at a restaurant eating dinner with his wife when the home invasion and subsequent rape for which he was convicted occurred.
Curtis McCarty had the simple misfortune of being acquainted with the person he did not murder, but he spent half his life in prison anyway.
These cases, and so many like them, underscore the fact that anyone can be wrongfully convicted. Living a quiet life and minding your own business is no guarantee of safety ... or justice.
So what can you do?
Support organizations like 'The Innocence Project' and 'Truth in Justice'. Petition your local politicians to enact laws and procedures that limit the likelihood of misidentification or reliance on biased informants or unauthenticated forensic testimony. Don't jump on the guilty bandwagon that condemns an accused before there's been a fair trial. And remember that, even after a trial, when the verdict has been read and sentence has been passed, an accused may still be innocent.
Eco-Minded Skiers Take the Train
skip the long, annoying security checks at the airports and take the train instead.
It's no secret that air travel is less environmentally friendly than train travel. Eurostar train operators in Europe have decided to compete with airlines to transport travelers to The Alps.
Eurostar is the first operator in the world to offer 'carbon neutral' journeys for all its travellers - at no extra cost. Newly opened Ebbsfleet offers seven trains per day to Paris and five per day to Brussels. Trains travel as fast...as 186 mph, making your trip as short as possible. And as economically friendly as possible to boot.
Eurostar plans to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions by twenty-five per cent per passenger by 2012 with their 'Tread Lightly' plan. A train trip with Eurostar generates ten times less carbon dioxide than an airplane trip. In addition to generating fewer emissions, Eurostar plans to offset the emissions they cannot eliminate. Travellers who travel with Eurostar may not realize it, but they are making the environmentally responsible choice.
'We know that thousands of travellers want to be on the first trains on High Speed 1. We are expecting heavy demand from customers keen to enjoy even faster, shorter journeys to the Continent, and who want to see the stunning restoration of St. Pancras International Station,' says Eurostar's Chief Executive, Richard Brown.
Independent research commissioned by Eurostar has shown that a trip from London to the French Alps generates 24 kilograms of carbon dioxide per passenger. In comparison, a typical return flight London Heathrow-Geneva generates 191 kilograms of carbon dioxide while a round trip between Gatwick and Geneva generates 169 kilograms of carbon dioxide per passenger.
An increasing number of skiers are using high speed rail to ski in the French Alps. Since July 2006, more than 33,000 skiers, an increase of 43 per cent from the previous ski season, have used Eurostar to travel to the Alps.
Not only is it more environmentally friendly, it cuts back on transfer problems and lost baggage associated with flying. Travelling with Eurostar helps avoid lengthy coach rides and transfers travellers have to deal with when flying. Eurostar's stations, located high in the Alps, require only a short bus ride to resorts.
For skiers convenience, Eurostar has travel packages that include round trips to The Alps. Some of their most popular travel incentive packages include overnight travel on Friday night to arrive Saturday morning, or Saturday trips that allow travellers to take in the beautiful scenery along the way.
Eurostar also offers select packages at a slightly higher rate. These select packages offer slightly more roomy accommodations, meals and drinks served at the passenger's seat.
This ski season, weigh your options. The plane trip may be quicker, but then you have the worries of lost luggage, coach rides and transfers to and from the resorts. The train trip may take a little longer, but much less hassle.
Whatever mode of transportation you choose, have a safe and happy ski season!
