tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52931355845097533592024-03-15T16:33:46.701-04:00JolleyTrailsFollow me on the trails through life - money, survival, books, and other interesting stuff.Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-53792251750270921272013-09-27T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-27T00:00:03.966-04:00A New Life for an Old Dell Dimension DesktopI recently acquired an old Dell Dimension 4300 desktop from the 2001 era. This old computer was running Windows XP and when it booted up, I was presented with a password protected user log in. Por fin! (Finally!) I ran to my box of computer supplies and found a disc labeled Windows XP password recovery or hacker or something. A friend had given me the disc and I'd never had occasion to use it before now.<br />
Unfortunately, the disc failed. Ahhh...<br />
No worries. Google is my friend and helped me discover that booting into Safe Mode will get you in with administrator privileges sufficient to modify the user accounts as needed. Nice.<br />
<br />
I played around with the machine, but ultimately decided that short of a fresh install of Windows XP Home, to which I did not have a handy installation disc. The product key was taped to the side, but I wasn't in the mood to go through all that, especially when I had a Ubuntu 12.04 LiveCD lying around just begging to get installed somewhere.<br />
<br />
The LiveCD disc was left to beg a little longer. I read up on the web that the minimum requirements for 12.04 were probably a bit too much for this old heap. Not to be beaten, I ran back to my box of computer supplies and pulled out an even older LiveCD I picked up years ago: Ubuntu 5.10.<br />
<br />
I promptly installed Ubuntu 5.10 and then went to work to see if I could install OpenTTD.<br />
<br />
This Linux n00b quickly found out that Linux is 'super easy', but only if you're recently updated. I read through numerous forum posts and toyed with the idea of what it might take but retreated to the 12.04 disc instead.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that the 12.04 installer was incapable of recognizing the hard drive. Weird. The 5.10 installer had no problem, and while running in trial mode the 12.04 environment could detect and mount the hard drive. However, as soon as the installation process was started in 12.04, the hard drive was not listed as available installation targets. (Only my USB drive was recognized.)<br />
<br />
Back to Google.<br />
Turns out, Ubuntu comes in several flavors. Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Lubuntu to name a few. I quickly settled on Lubuntu. But, again, another road block, I'm running low on blank CD's!<br />
No problem. That's why they built tools like 'unetbootin'. You can use it to put/install/write/make? your .iso files onto a USB flash drive and then you can go to your target computer and tell it to boot from your USB device instead of the optical drive. Hurray! See this HTG post for more details. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/13379/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-9.10-usb-flash-drive/<br />
<br />
Oh, no! This old machine doesn't have the option to boot from USB.<br />
No worries. Turns out they built another tool, called PLoP, to solve this problem as well. See this HTG post for more details. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16822/boot-from-a-usb-drive-even-if-your-bios-wont-let-you/<br />
<br />
Success, right? Not so fast. The troubles kept coming. In fact, I almost posted this question to the askUbuntu forums while I was trying yet again to install Lubuntu 12.04 via the alternate installer, for the second or third time.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Linux n00b. I have only used Live CD's in the past for various things. These are my first install attempts.<br />I
have a 2001 era Dell 4300, to which I successfully installed Ubuntu
5.10, as the live CD for 12.04 appeared too sluggish. (These were the
two discs on hand.)<br />I decided that 5.10 was a bit too outdated to be able to do what I wanted (install openTTD). <br />Hoping
to get a lighter desktop I then sought for Lubuntu 12.04. Rather than
burn another CD, I used unetbootin and plop for boot from usb support.<br />However,
the installer for Lubuntu 12.04 failed to detect my hard drive, similar
to this thread. <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1608255" target="_blank">http://ubuntuforums.org/<wbr></wbr>showthread.php?t=1608255</a> ( same
results from the ubuntu 12.04 disc, too.) During a live session the
hard drive is visible. Start up the installer, however, and only the USB
drive is listed as available locations. <br /><br />I then went and
downloaded the alternate installer for Lubuntu and tried again. However,
now I think I'm getting Bug#658865.
<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/658865" target="_blank">https://bugs.launchpad.net/<wbr></wbr>ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/<wbr></wbr>658865</a> The
solution listed there is to start the live session and make the file
change and then launch installation. This doesn't work for me since the
installer on the desktop version doesn't detect my hard drive. <br /><br />If
someone can illustrate how to upgrade Ubuntu 5.10 to Lubuntu 12.04 -
that would be great. However, after spending all day on this, I'd also
like to know how to be able to install Lubuntu 12.04. </blockquote>
<br />While composing the question, I also figured out that you'll have much better luck, like I did, if you don't have a USB keyboard attached to the computer you are trying to use PLoP with to boot from USB. It just doesn't support USB peripherals at this time. Ohhh, see, it helps if you read all the instructions first.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Turns out, I was able to try installation again, this time with a ps/2 keyboard and successfully navigate through installer and things worked. So, I never posted the question I composed above. Almost though.<br />
<br />
Oh, and Lubuntu 12.04 works great! Many new adventures in Linux are just waiting to be discovered! Well...first things first. I have to go download openTTD now. <br />
<br />
<br />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-60585693837388576282013-09-25T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-25T00:00:09.234-04:00How to Scan for Windows Viruses using LinuxApparently, lots of people have this question: How can I use Linux/Ubuntu to scan for viruses on my Windows hard drive?<br />
And yet, lots of the forums are filled with people praising Linux for its lack of viruses and the lack of the need for virus scanners. Well, that's nice and all, but it doesn't answer the question all that well.<br />
Luckily, HTG (HowToGeek) answered the question and they did so very well.<br />
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/14434/scan-a-windows-pc-for-viruses-from-a-ubuntu-live-cd/<br />
<br />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-11636192177387374592013-09-23T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-23T00:00:00.577-04:00Upgrade Your Hard Drive Without Re-Installing Windows AgainThis is another tech support post where I'm just recording my notes for future reference.<br />
A desktop computer running Windows Vista again, but this time, the desire was to just swap out the hard drive with a newer one. How do you do that if your computer originally shipped with a recovery partition and didn't ship with discs? What if you really do not want to re-install Windows again?<br />
<br />
Luckily, there exists a simple solution. I almost took the more risky solution though. Both solutions that I considered (among several other options) involved Linux. Yeah, you're guessing it. I was reading up on the 'dd' command. Which, surprisingly, is nicknamed 'disk destroyer' because so many people get it wrong. Yeah, that's enough to pause and make you think twice.<br />
<br />
What is the 'dd' command? It's essentially a command line tool that does what more expensive tools like TrueImage will do for you - clone your hard drive. And that's exactly what I wanted to do. I used a LiveCD for Ubuntu 12.04 and was nearly convinced I had the correct command. Instead, I went and burned a CD with CloneZilla on it and took that route instead.<br />
<br />
If you are going to use CloneZilla, do yourself a favor and boot into BIOS first to verify which disk is which, or look at the disk physically and take note of it's serial number because CloneZilla will likely identify your disks this way. I didn't do this first and had to stop the process and start over because my two disks were very similarly named WDC (Western Digital). Getting it wrong in CloneZilla is just as bad as getting wrong with the 'dd' command in your linux terminal.<br />
<br />
CloneZilla worked great. The new hard drive is happily in its new home and thinks it shipped straight from the factory. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-24269994860590592402013-09-20T21:39:00.000-04:002013-09-20T21:39:06.290-04:00Inspiron 1545 Problems Booting Windows Vista<div>
A friend recently asked me to help fix a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop that would no longer boot into Windows Vista. There were a few files that the friend did not want lost either. What follows are just some of the notes that I took while surfing the web that helped me in my efforts to restore this laptop to working condition. </div>
<div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
How to recover your Windows Installation from the recovery
partition when you have no windows installation currently on your drive,
or when you get the Bootmgr is missing, or you've nuked your drive
using the Ubuntu LiveCD. </div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/vista/vistarecovery.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.goodells.net/<wbr></wbr>dellrestore/vista/<wbr></wbr>vistarecovery.shtml</a></div>
</blockquote>
<div>
I actually did use the Ubuntu LiveCD to find and recover any personal files as my first order of business. Using the LiveCD I was able to expand my fledgling Linux skills a bit more and explore the contents of the drive. I found the files and saved them off to a USB stick for later. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I used all the drive diagnostic tools, available from BIOS to Windows repair, to check out the drive because a particular error was coming up and several Google searches were indicating that the actual hard drive might be flaking out. </div>
<br clear="all" /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Error code 1000-0142...unit 4....Drive Self Test Failed..status byte 75.Is this the indication of a bad HDD?
<br />
That means the <span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;"><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">file </span><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">system</span></span> is corrupt and there may be <span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;"><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">bad </span><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">sectors</span></span> on the <span>hard </span><span>drive</span>.<br />
<br />
Try this:<br />
1. Boot the computer with the <span>Windows </span><span>disc</span>.<br />
2. At the "<b>Welcome to Setup</b>" screen > press <b>R</b> to start the <span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;"><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">Recovery </span><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">Console</span></span>.<br />
3. When prompted type "1". (if you have a multi-boot computer, select the installation you want to repair.)<br />
4. When prompted > enter the Administrator password. If there is no password, just press ENTER.<br />
5. Now you should be in the <span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;"><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">recovery</span></span> console.<br />
6. Type <b><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;"><span style="font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important;">chkdsk</span></span> c: /p /r</b> > press <enter>.<br />
7. When the disk check is done: Type <b>Exit</b> > press <enter>.<br />
8. Take the <span>Windows </span><span>disc</span> out and reboot.<br />
<br />
If that doesn't work the hard drive has to be replaced.
</enter></enter></blockquote>
(I think I found the above on http://www.techsupportforum.com/)<br />
<br />
Ultimately, I reached the end of my time to troubleshoot and attempt fixes and just set it to restore from the factory partition. I know, lame, but that's all the time I had to devote to this issue. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-24337194377081267452013-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:002013-05-28T00:00:03.168-04:00Take FiveTake Five is a concept, an idea.<br />
It was born during my early college days and was partly inspired by a
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GPTCR8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003GPTCR8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">great jazz song</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003GPTCR8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
of the same name. (Although, the version I listened to was original to a group of university students that went by the name, In One Ear.) Below is the hand written notes that I saved from that day.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I feel stressed a lot of the time to accomplish many things and feel bad that I do not complete those things of which I feel are also important to me. Some of those things include the following:<br />
Piano, Trombone - Personal Talents<br />
School<br />
Scripture study, Institute classes - Spiritual<br />
Roommates, Work, Friends, Dating - Social<br />
Exercise - Physical<br />
<br />
Now that I write them down, I see they incorporate all aspects of a well rounded life - and yet I find myself running first to accomplish first my homework. And it never ends, and I hardly have time for it - so how can adding more help? But will i have really reached my goal and feel satisfied if in the end my goals were left alone by the wayside?<br />
<br />
I do not believe so. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GPTCR8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003GPTCR8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003GPTCR8&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So, if I can just "take five" maybe I can achieve my goals with faith and hope and trust in help from God. I believe if I "take five" and then work diligently I can produce results and pray that my intellect can be enlightened to work quicker, more efficiently.<br />
<br />
Work. Be obedient. Be more like a missionary. Plan and then work towards that goal by properly scheduling your time and developing Christlike attributes.</blockquote>
<br />
I came back to this concept and revisited it again a few years later.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Today is Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday. I was just thinking how good it would be to wake up and study the scriptures and kind of fill this personal spiritual low when it occurred to me. I thought of how improbable it would be since I am home, family is home, I have commitments, etc. If only I had a few days without the world... but that is what made me realize that the one important principle is not to just strike it rich, get it all at once, but rather stay the course, little step after little step, mundane, boring, but always steady. What am I saying? If it be our level of spirituality, time spent with a certain activity - studying reading to kids, etc, or money and debt - these all need one principle to achieve success - A little everyday - constantly.<br />
Winning the jackpot or sweepstakes or receiving an inheritance or having that one day may seem nice but you cannot grow spiritually all in one day, you cannot read all the children's stories to your child on one day, you cannot practice for one day and become great, you cannot pay off your debt in one day - and believe to be happy.<br />
It is that little five minutes so mundane and almost seemingly worthless that is applied each day after day after monotonous day that we stick with it and though it all that journals are written, debts are paid, time is cherished, and we grow. God sent us to live a life here on Earth - not just experience an instant. </blockquote>
I share this in the hopes that you, too, can find five minutes in your life and apply it to that goal that is almost forgotten, to striking out into a new area and trying something new, to sharpening the saw, to read to your kids, to do whatever it is you wished you could do more. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-60572531198730022782013-05-21T00:00:00.000-04:002013-05-21T00:00:03.216-04:00Zig Zag Book ReviewFrom the introduction:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Creativity doesn’t always come naturally to us. By definition, creativity is something new and different; and although novelty is exciting, it can also be a little scary. We’re taught to choose what’s familiar, to do what’s been done a thousand times before. Soon we’re so used to staying in that well-worn rut that venturing into new terrain seems an enormous and risky departure.</blockquote>
<br />
I mentioned this before, we’re afraid of change. It frightens us. However, embarking into new territory need not be feared, but rather practiced. Keith Sawyer, the author of
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118297709/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1118297709&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Zig Zag: The Surprising Path to Greater Creativity</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1118297709" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
declares that practice is all that is needed to become a more creative person. From his own creative works, “Creativity did no descend like a bolt of lightning that lit up the world in a single, brilliant flash. It came in tiny steps, bits of insight, and incremental changes.” All his experience has been distilled into eight steps. In fact, after reading through this book once, I feel like it is meant more as a go to resource, like a home remedy book for writer’s block, or perhaps it could be the Schaum’s Outline for your Creative Genius class next semester.<br />
<br />
The eight steps that you can practice daily to encourage more creativity in your life are these:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118297709/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1118297709&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1118297709&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1118297709" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
1. Ask<br />
<br />
2. Learn<br />
<br />
3. Look<br />
<br />
4. Play<br />
<br />
5. Think<br />
<br />
6. Fuse<br />
<br />
7. Choose<br />
<br />
8. Make<br />
<br />
The reason why I liked this book, is because it motivates you to stretch yourself. Don’t be content to travel the same rut. Experiment. Find out what life is like outside the rut. What does it look like? How does it alter your concentration? The book is filled with examples of successful creativity based on the application of the methods and practices that are detailed with each step.<br />
<br />
This book is a wonderful resource. Don't bang your head against the wall anymore. Learn how to be more creative today and how to practice until the ideas just flow to you. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-5710955599651431102013-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-13T18:52:55.036-04:00Wait: The Art and Science of Delay Book ReviewWait: The Art and Science of Delay, by author Frank Partnoy, is probably the perfect book to read as a follow up to
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316010669/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316010669&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Malcolm Gladwell's Blink</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316010669" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />,
my review <a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2013/04/blink-book-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1610390040/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1610390040&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Wait</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1610390040" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</i> is another book about decision making. Whether you are a CEO of a
billion dollar company, or just going out with friends, we all could
benefit from a better understanding of what impacts our abilities to
make decisions. <br />
<br />
Partnoy, acknowledges, Gladwell's recent book, but criticizes his emphasis on thin-slicing being only two seconds long. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Stop
for a moment now and think about the idea of thin slicing. When we thin
slice we detect patterns in an event even if we see only a narrow
portion of that event. The key to the concept is that we reach a
conclusion even though we don’t have the full picture. Thin slicing is
driven by the unconscious system because it takes the lead over the
conscious system in decisionmaking during such a short period. <br />
<br />
But
thin slicing is almost never about just two seconds. In fact, not even
the titles of the leading articles on thin slicing are about two
seconds. The revolutionary paper by Ambady and Rosenthal is entitled
“Half a Minute.” John Gottman’s coauthored study of video tapes of
couples is called “Predicting Divorce Among Newlyweds from the First
Three Minutes of a Marital Conflict Discussion.” Minutes, not seconds."</blockquote>
<br />
Despite
the criticism, the concept is sound. More recently, Ambady and other
coauthors defined a thin slice as “any excerpt of dynamic information
less than five minutes long.” <br />
<br />
Lest I lead you to believe this
book is just written in retaliation to Gladwell, let me address some of
the other points that I found relevant and interesting. <br />
<br />
To which I must say that any author that quotes <span id="goog_304842593"></span>Douglas Adams<span id="goog_304842594"></span> gets a gold star in my book. <br />
"One
of the main reasons why “<a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2010/01/ultimate-hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy.html" target="_blank">Don’t panic</a>” is such valuable guidance is that
the sudden onslaught of fear we label panic can seriously interfere
with our ability to decide on the best course of action. Panic makes it
difficult for us to use logic or reason. Panic shuts down our conscious
system 2 and leads us to rely on our primal automatic system 1. Relying
on system 1 is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if we are
experts." <br />
<br />
Partnoy also graciously assuages my guilt of
procrastination. "active procrastination is smart: it simply means
managing delay, putting off projects that don’t need to be done right
away. In contrast, passive procrastination is dumb, equivalent to
laziness."<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1610390040/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1610390040&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1610390040&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1610390040" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
Some final notes related to our working lives. <br />
"A
second approach is “event time,” where we continue doing something until
we finish or some event occurs. For example, you might start work, not
at 9 a.m. (clock time), but after you finish breakfast (event time)."<br />
<br />
"Efficiency means going fast; effectiveness means being complete, even if it takes longer."<br />
<br />
"If
we are motivated to accomplish something important in our work, we will
be willing to wait decades and understand that jobs we start might not
be finished until after we are gone. Hourly pay eats away at this
philosophy and ultimately makes work less fulfilling."<br />
<br />
This last
quote is especially interesting if you consider grandiose achievements
of our world. When you read that, what came to mind? I thought about the
architectural wonders that took years or decades to create, Notre Dame,
Statue of Liberty, or even the iconic LDS temple in SLC. Each was a
massive undertaking, but well worth the wait. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-36811503917430712172013-05-07T00:00:00.001-04:002013-05-07T00:00:10.349-04:00Blink Book ReviewYou are definitely missing out if you have not yet read a book by Malcolm Gladwell. His writing style is easy to follow along and he takes you on a journey that masterfully explains his thesis. Have you ever wondered about your unconscious ability to make 'snap' judgments? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316010669/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316010669&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316010669" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, is a book that explores the concept of 'thin-slicing' and understanding how much information affects our ability to make good decisions.<br />
<br />
Malcolm Gladwell has also written <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316346624/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316346624&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316346624" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316017930/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316017930&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Outliers: The Story of Success</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316017930" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I read Outliers first, but apparently didn't post my review of it yet. Both Blink and Outliers are investigative stories. Gladwell presents his thesis through the exploration of several different examples.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316010669/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316010669&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0316010669&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316010669" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
For example, in Blink, you will read about how months of careful research was worth less than a first impression when trying to validate the authenticity of an ancient Greek sculpture. The psychology behind 'thin-slicing' is that often times, when faced with a decision and available information to aid us make that decision, less is more. Less information may be better. In today's digital age, "we have come to confuse information with understanding". Heaping on the information is not always the best course of action. We need to understand our unconscious mind and what parameters are needed to make it work efficiently.<br />
<br />
Blink uncovers how Dr. Gottman can reliably predict marital success based on only 10 minutes or less of conversation, why speed dating works, how a severely hindered Paul Van Riper could defeat an otherwise impressive and omnipotent US military during war games, how doctors can avoid malpractice suits and predict and care for heart attack patients better. For example, there are plenty of factors at play in our lives that might be related to our risk of heart disease.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"All those extra factors certainly matter in the long term...What Goldman's algorithm indicates, though, is that the role of those other factors is so small in determining what is happening to the man right now that an accurate diagnosis can be made without them. In fact - and this is a key point in explaining the breakdown of Blue Team that day in the Gulf - that extra information is more than useless. It's harmful. It confuses the issues. What screws up doctors when they are trying to predict heart attacks is that they take too much information into account." </blockquote>
<br />
Blink also explains how tragedies related to police work occur, and more importantly how they can be remedied. Interestingly, as a method to explore the tragic shooting of an innocent person in a rough neighborhood, Gladwell first takes his readers on a field trip to educate them about autism. Autistic people, apparently, miss the emotional cues, and focus on objects. In high stress situations, we need to be able to slow down so that we can still unconsciously thin-slice the faces of people to understand their intentions.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The best example for correcting our snap judgments was revealed when discussing musical auditions. By removing information from the audition, in this case, placing a visual barrier or screen between the judges and performer, better judgements of ability could be made. This simple act alone is credited with the rapid rise of women performers in large symphonies around the world.<br />
<br />
If I decide to keep on book on my bookshelf, it tends to be the hardcover version. However, the paperback that I checked out from my local library has a very nice bonus in the form of a very nice afterword by the author. In his afterword, Gladwell explores the book's theme and answer's your questions.<br />
"And what Blink is - what all the storeis and studies and arguments add up to - is an attempt to understand this magical and mysterisous thing called judgement."<br />
"From experience, we gain powerful gift, the ability to act instinctively, in the moment. But - and this is one of the lessons I tried very hard to impart in Blink - it is easy to disrupt this gift."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=7&r_by=patrickjolley%40yahoo.com" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Trade Books for Free - PaperBack Swap."><img alt="Trade Books for Free - PaperBack Swap." height="125" src="http://www.paperbackswap.com/images/icons/weblog_icon_125_125_1.gif" width="125" /></a>
"When should we trust our instincts, and when should we consciously think things through?" Read the book. I think it is good enough to go on my wall right next to my copy of Outliers. However, I will specifically be requesting the paperback version from <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=1&r_by=patrickjolley%40yahoo.com">www.paperbackswap.com.</a>Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-28338318081587005532013-04-30T00:00:00.001-04:002013-04-30T00:00:08.322-04:00Battleground Rhino a For Benefit EnterpriseI recently saw an interview on TV promoting a new Animal Planet series: Battleground Rhino Wars.<br />
They caught my attention because I thought they said Battleground 3. (I've not played it personally although I think it looks cool. Besides, I'm more of a strategy and sim gamer: <a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2010/08/simcity2000-screen-shots-and-building.html" target="_blank">SimCity 2000</a>.) I digress...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BR5NPJK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BR5NPJK&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BR5NPJK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BR5NPJK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BR5NPJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BR5NPJK&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Battleground Rhino Wars</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BR5NPJK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
features four United States Special Forces members training with local South African anti-poaching corps to defend the rhino. The poachers are out to get one thing - the horn - that's all. In fact, poachers have wounded an rhino and stripped its horn while it still alive, leaving the rhino to suffer and die from infection.
<br />
<br />
One of my favorite authors, Douglas Adams, who wrote The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, <a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2010/01/ultimate-hitchhikers-guide-to-galaxy.html" target="_blank">my review</a>, also wrote about his travels to Africa where he wore a rhino costume to raise awareness and funds in support of Save the Rhino International. Below is a small excerpt about this experience, from his posthumous book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345455290/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345455290&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0345455290" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I only spent a week on the walk. I didn't get to climb Kilimanjaro, though I did get to see it. I was very sorry not get to go up it, though having seen it, I have to say that I wasn't very, <i>very </i>sorry. I did get to see one rhino, briefly, out of the thousands that used to roam in this area, and I wondered if it had any sense at all that all was not right with its world. Human beings have been on this planet for a million years or so, and in that time we have faced all sorts of threats to our survival: famine, plague, warfare, AIDS. Rhinoceroses have been here for 40 million years, and just one threat has brought them to the brink of extinction: human beings. We are not the only species to have caused devastation to the rest of the world, and it must be said in our favour that we are the only one that has become aware of the consequences of its behaviour and tried to do something about it." </blockquote>
We've tried to do something about it. And now it appears that Animal Planet is also supporting this cause in an interesting way. Here is a for-profit company engaging in for-benefit work. As long as there are enough viewers to generate a profit, this company will provide a positive benefit to the world.<br />
<br />
This idea of <a href="http://hbr.org/2011/11/the-for-benefit-enterprise/ar/1" target="_blank">for-benefit companies</a> has been growing slowly. Traditionally, when dealing with taxes, there are two types of companies: For-profit and Non-profit. But what about a different company that is still engaged in profitable activities which evolve from socially beneficial themes? They don't qualify as a non-profit and so cannot take advantage of the tax breaks, yet they are also not strictly a for-profit corporation. It's this blending of the two that opens up a whole new sector in our economy worth investigating.They are also known as <a href="http://www.bcorporation.net/" target="_blank">B corps</a>. B corps use the power of business that to solve social and environmental problems.<br />
<br />
Personally, I hope that Battleground Rhino Wars is widely successful and that it runs for many seasons. Capitalism will protect the Rhino as long as we all tune in to watch the
show. What are other scenarios where we can deploy/employ retired
soldiers to solve a social or environmental issue?<br />
<br />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-25659679230141830332013-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:002013-04-23T00:00:00.116-04:00Technical Analysis DeMystified Book ReviewI like the idea of Core and Explore investing. If you're not familiar, the approach is to safely invest the core of your retirement, +85% into low cost index funds across an <a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2010/03/etfs-and-lazy-portfolios.html" target="_blank">appropriate asset allocation model</a> that fits your age and risk level. The small remainder is set aside to allow you to flex your personal investing prowess. It is not money that you use to bet the farm, but money that will allow you to try your hand and test your knowledge. Your type of exploration can be fundamentalist driven or technically driven.You can still buy index funds, it's up to you.<br />
<br />
I lost a chunk of my Explore fund with the demise of the market in 2008; and due to my inexperience and lack of sufficient study. I was disheartened, but not broke because my Core was still intact and chugging along just as it should. I am now in a position that I want to begin working proactively in my Explore fund once again. Note: This is not due to recent market sentiment and the major indices reaching new highs, but rather the re-establishment of the cash in my Explore portfolio. While I love the idea behind ShareBuilder and their automatic investing plans - it is also wise to consider transaction costs. I've read that transaction costs should not be more than 2% of any trade. If you invest at ShareBuilder, at a $4 automatic trade, it is suggested that your minimum buy order should be $200, otherwise you're losing too much to transaction fees. But I digress...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071458085/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0071458085&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0071458085&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
I checked out the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071458085/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0071458085&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Technical Analysis Demystified: A Self-Teaching Guide</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0071458085" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Constance Brown. Because of my previous investment history, I was already vaguely familiar with some of the technical indicators that are available to help you examine a stock chart and understand and predict the price movement therein. Nevertheless, I knew that I didn't know enough. It should be
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0071458085" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
understood that Technical Analysis differs from Fundamental Analysis. Technical Analysis is the study of the charting and claims that the chart will hold all the price information you need to trade. Trading based on chart analysis and price projection is known as market timing. Warren Buffett doesn't follow this method. His method is that of company valuation, the Graham number, P/E, and a long term buy and hold approach. I recently reviewed <a href="http://jolleytrails.blogspot.com/2013/04/trade-off-book-review.html" target="_blank">a book about Buffett's investing style</a>.<br />
<br />
Constance Brown, however, has written
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-author=Constance%20Brown&linkCode=ur2&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AConstance%20Brown&tag=jolley-20" target="_blank">several books</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
about Fibonacci analysis, the Elliot Wave Principle, and more in depth books than this beginner's guide, Technical Analysis Demystified.<br />
In fact, there are so many technical indicators that are covered in this book that it feels like browsing the buffet line - endless choices but not enough time to really sample any one sufficiently to form an opinion about, let alone establish any appreciable skills.<br />
The technical indicators covered in this text include several from
momentum, breadth, and sentiment. The author stresses that a trade
should have two of his three non-correlated methods giving permission to
enter the trade. <br />
<br />
For the novice trader, this book will open your eyes to another dimension of trading. The author, graciously, is not a hyped up salesperson trying to convert you. While profitable trades are set up and explained, caution and understanding and risk assessment are all equally stressed. The author quizzes your intent to make a trade.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Do you have confirmation in other stocks in the sector?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Do you have permission from your indicators at a key support or resistance level? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Can you find evidence to support your opinion in other makrets that correlated? Can you establish a postion risking less than 3 percent of your portfolio? Do you have a minimum 3-to-1 win-to-loss ratio?"</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
I think this was a very worth while read. And while I probably won't be using astrological events as part of my technical analysis toolbox, I did learn that using two oscillators, such as a fast stochastic indicator and a slow moving-average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator, provides only one market analysis approach, not two. Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-50701657576754238352013-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:002013-04-16T00:00:02.342-04:00Warning: Following this Advice Will Vastly Increase your Credit Score Rating!This is a guest post by Ethel Wilson. Short bio is included at the bottom. <br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.027211507044732297" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Warning: Following this Advice Will Vastly Increase your Credit Score Rating!</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You’ll
find many so-called experts on the internet claiming they can boost
your credit score rating – for a fee of course. The last thing you need
to do if your credit rating is low is to spend more money! The methods
these companies and individuals use don’t always work either. Many of
their methods are short term fixes designed to cheat the system. Like
any shortcut there is risk involved, and these “fixes” often come back
to haunt you in the long run. You can repair a damaged credit rating
yourself; it’s neither difficult, nor complicated. It does take a bit of
discipline and a little time (not as much as you might think), but the
following methods have been proven to greatly increase your credit score
rating. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132823497/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0132823497&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0132823497&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0132823497" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pay your Most Recent Past-Dues:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The
very first thing you should do is to pay all past due payments on your
accounts that most recently fell a month or so behind. The reason for
this is that; the more recent a late payment, the more dramatically it
will lower your credit score rating.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apply for a Credit Report Adjustment: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once
you have brought you past due accounts up to date, your next move is to
contact the creditors who are responsible for reporting late payments
regarding your credit score rating. Request that they make a good faith
adjustment to delete the late payment information from your credit
history files. Not all creditors will cooperate, but asking politely and
reminding them that you will continue to be a valued customer, may
convince a few to work with you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pay Collections Agencies that Will Wipe the Slate Clean:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> If
you have any accounts in collection, pay those off where the collection
agency will agree to delete any references to those accounts from your
credit history. It is important that you make it clear from the outset
that it is a condition of paying off the debt in full. You’ll be
surprised how many agencies will cooperate just to clear the account
from their books. This strategy can raise your credit score rating
drastically in only a few months.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spread Debt Around:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s
better to have several cards with mediocre balances than to have one or
two with a zero balances and another with a very high balance or
completely maxed out. Try to spread the debt around so that none of your
cards has a balance of more than 40% of your limit. An effective and
fast way of raising your credit score rating is to ask the creditor to
increase your limit, thus lowering the percentage of your balance. Keep
in mind however that you must maintain that ratio going forward to
maintain the points you earned by doing so.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Make Sure Your Credit Limit is Reported:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> If
your creditor does not inform the credit bureau of your accounts
limits, this negatively affects your credit score rating. The reason for
this is that because no limit is mentioned, the system the credit
bureau uses to calculate credit scores assumes the account to be maxed
out. Your credit score rating could be suffering simply because a
creditor has failed to notify the credit bureau of your limit, not
through any fault of your own. You could have a lower score than you
deserve, so this step is well worth taking.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apply for a Credit Card from a Major Bank:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Of
course the best way to improve your credit score rating is to maintain a
good credit history over time with a major bank. This is especially
true of credit cards issued by them. If you don’t have one, get rid of
all of those department and retail store cards that do little to help,
and much to harm your credit score rating. They have a much higher debt
to limit ratio, and consequently affect your score adversely. Qualifying
for a credit card issued by a major bank automatically increases your
credit score rating dramatically. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ethel Wilson is a financial and credit specialist with 12 years experience in the banking, credit
scores, and financial industry. She has advised countless
clients on how to improve their credit score rating. She shares the
best of her credit score information as a contributor and editor of </span><a href="http://www.creditscoreresource.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.creditscoreresource.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-49849001728245366422013-04-08T00:00:00.000-04:002013-04-08T00:00:06.001-04:00Household AA Battery Recycling<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416967893/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416967893&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1416967893&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>I recycle. Sometimes, I've
even been accused of being a tree-hugger for my green ways. However, I'm
an engineer, not an environmentalist. In fact, it seemed odd to me that
more people didn't realize that "Going Green" wasn't really about
saving the environment. It was all about the money, which had the added
benefit of saving the environment. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416967893" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
CFL bulbs, rechargeable batteries, we all love them for the money
they save us, until they're worthless and then, in the great American
fashion - We chuck 'em.<br />
</div>
<div>
Your remote control forces you to watch the same channel all night long, the clock on the wall runs slow, your daughter's princess piano has mercifully fallen silent. In the end, all those 'AA' and 'AAA' batteries are headed for your trashcan.<br />
</div>
Why? Why do we throw away so much stuff that still has intrinsic value? Simple: It no longer has value to me.<br />
<br />
It's also very easy to answer that question if you consider the trade-off between fidelity and convenience. </div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081IOK86/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0081IOK86&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0081IOK86&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>Think
about it. You're sitting at your desk at work. You hold a piece of
paper in your hand that is suddenly worthless to you. A trashcan sits
immediately below your desk and the Paper Recycling Bin sits clear
across the office next to the printer. Where does the paper go? <img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0081IOK86" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div>
Convenience: trash can, back to work.<br />
<br />
Fidelity, after
endless marketing ads, news stories of extremist tree-huggers chained to
trees, guilt about global warming and your carbon footprint, and razed
rainforests in the Amazon, etc... Fidelity offers you the rich
experience of knowing that you've done your part at the high cost of breaking your
concentration and flow so you can stand up and walk to the recycling
bin.<br />
</div>
I believe that more people would recycle, or recycle more, if it was simply more
convenient. People that don't care about the environment happily
recycle when the opportunity to do so is as easy as throwing it in the
trash.<br />
</div>
How many of you recycle old batteries? </div>
You don't.
Even though they are worse than throwing paper in the trash, you chuck
them and religiously recycle your paper because you have a place to put
the paper. Where are you going to put two old "AA" batteries? <br />
<br /></div>
Armed with this knowledge, I set up a method to give
people I work with everyday the opportunity to recycle their old clock batteries, cordless
phone batteries, flashlight batteries. I grabbed a cardboard box,
printed off some pictures from the internet and instantly created a
Battery Recycling Center. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar_bU6SeNFLnVKB7q5Hy82NqQrFcg_GDHosKrya7RhWB_uOm-0n7_nXx9fC925vJ9tngmAwlQRkhZsREJ9BbB_rwaYoihQIyt2-RYYpeNishd97iIfIv3Semuvl54l-e0Wkl7XQO0IBdd/s1600/0303110946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar_bU6SeNFLnVKB7q5Hy82NqQrFcg_GDHosKrya7RhWB_uOm-0n7_nXx9fC925vJ9tngmAwlQRkhZsREJ9BbB_rwaYoihQIyt2-RYYpeNishd97iIfIv3Semuvl54l-e0Wkl7XQO0IBdd/s1600/0303110946.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
I placed this Battery Recycling Center in our
workroom and was amazed at how quickly this little box filled up.
Batteries of all types were dumped in my box. Double AA, triple AAA, C,
D, cell phone, laptop, cordless phone, camera, drill, etc. I was
astounded at what one little box had just diverted from the local
landfill. <br />
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
Even if you did save those old remote
control batteries, where can you responsibly dump that toxic waste? I
didn't know, and suddenly had 20lbs of Ni-Cd, and Lithium batteries that
I didn't know what to do with. I tried, but failed when I learned that
Home Depot and Lowes's will accept the large rechargeable batteries that
go in power tools. Their bins, however, state that they do not want the
common place batteries. </div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.staplesadvantage.com/solutions/working-together/recycling-programs.html" target="_blank">Staples!</a> And you only thought they were good for recycling your old ink cartridges. Staples has a program called <a href="http://t.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/easy-on-the-planet/recycling-and-eco-services.html" target="_blank">Easy on the Planet</a> and they gladly accept your old batteries.(Note: After researching the corporate website online, it states only rechargeable batteries. However, my local Staples was eager to take my box full of assorted batteries, alkalines included. Check with your local Staples.) </div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br />
I'm
an engineer and I tend to frown on inefficiencies. Engineers like to
solve problems and do things cheaper, better, faster. Thank you Staples
for being a convenient method for the average consumer to recycle common
household batteries. <br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jolleytrails.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-5979530823220771842013-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:002013-04-01T00:00:12.349-04:00Trade Off Book ReviewTrade-Off written by Kevin Maney<br />
"Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don't"<br />
"The Ever-Present Tension Between Quality and Convenience"<br />
<br />
This
is a great book to read because it opens your eyes and understanding to
things that are already present around you. Things that you might have
had impressions about, or figured out if you happened to be studying
them, are laid out clearly so that you can begin to benefit from the
knowledge immediately.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385525958/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385525958&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0385525958&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385525958" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
The premise of this book is exploring the
concept of the Fidelity Swap: the trade-off between the fidelity of an
experience and its convenience. Listen to an MP3 (super convenient) or
go to a concert (very inconvenient but a rich experience).<br />
<br />
In the
world of business the fidelity swap is key to success. You strive for
high fidelity (think Bose) or high convenience (think Wal-Mart). If you
strike out to achieve both, you end up chasing a mirage which ultimately
sinks you because you are neither convenient, nor high enough fidelity.
Kodak fell into this trap. Starbucks did, too, it was an experience, it
was expensive, but then it pushed expansion so hard, and sought the
convenience of being commonplace. Compact Starbucks stands were nothing
more than a glorified vending machine, not a special customer
experience.<br />
Apple's iPod went this route. It was first exclusive, and
ended up ordinary. Without the development of the iPhone, Apple today
would be a very different company.<br />
<br />
<br />
The dynamic portion comes
into play when you consider the effect that technology has on
continually pushing and expanding the limits of fidelity and
convenience. A high powered cell phone might be high fidelity when it
first launches, but then as technology improves, it quickly is surpassed
and overcome. Innovation is the key to keeping a business moving
towards either more convenience or higher fidelity.<br />
<br />
<br />
Exploring another example involving IBM and the server business, was this quote.<br />
US Hardcover, pg 145<br />
"Some
competitor can always uncover a market just below your fidleity--at
good-enough fidelity," Wladawsk-Berger said. "If they discover
good-enough fidelity that's way down in cost, they'll kill you. It
happens all the time. At IBM, it put pressure on us to either continue
to differientiate by improving fidelity, or contininuting to innovate
oto offer fidelity oat lower prices--or exit that segment of business
and move on. The question often becomes, 'Showuld we go up, down, or
exit?'"<br />
<br />
Should you read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385525958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385525958&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don't</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385525958" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
? Definitely, if you are in
business, either by yourself as an entrepreneur or are in any level of
management. It's important to understand where your product or service
fits in the market and to properly understand the difference between
convenience and fidelity (quality). The book describes numerous examples
of success and failure in a compelling way that keeps the reader
interested throughout.<br />
<br />
If you've read this book, please share your thoughts in the comments below.<br />
<br />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-9393850864483712012013-03-26T00:00:00.000-04:002013-03-26T00:00:08.406-04:00Warren Buffet Invests Like A Girl Book Review<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Warren Buffet Invests Like A Girl</div>
tagline: And Why You Should, Too</div>
Author: Louann Lofton</div>
8 Essential Principles Every Investor Needs to Create a Profitable Portfolio</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
This was my first book specifically about Warren
Buffet. I've perused some of his annual shareholder letters and I've
read articles online, but never a book with his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MXC2FE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007MXC2FE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">image on the front
cover.</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007MXC2FE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</div>
Louann Lofton works for <a href="http://www.fool.com/">www.fool.com</a> and outlines the research that
emerged about the differences in characteristic traits of men and women
and how it affects investing behaviors, and consequently their rate of
returns. This through lower trading volume(lower costs), longer time
view, patience, less overconfidence.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MXC2FE/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007MXC2FE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007MXC2FE&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007MXC2FE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
Warren Buffett's investing characteristics are shown to mimic those
of female investors and is credited with the reason for his phenomenal
success. Additionally, there are several interviews with prominent
female
fund managers interspersed throughout the chapters that add real life
examples of the principles being discussed.</div>
Warning:
Reading this book may elevate your desires to do your own research and
try your hand at picking individual stocks for your investment
portfolio.</div>
But before you run away, thinking that it is blasphemy to consider
investing in something besides a low-cost ETF or index fund, remember
the idea of the "Core and Explore". </div>
With the "Core" of your
portfolio, i.e. a significant portion 85% to 95%, do the low cost asset
allocation with your select ETF's and be happy. You'll be diversified,
you'll get market returns, and all is well because you are exercising
restraint because you know that you aren't smarter than the rest of the
stock pickers out there. </div>
Take the remaining 5% to 15% and "Explore" with it. Warren Buffett
didn't become the Oracle by investing in safe, low cost funds. He
researched and bought valuable companies that would benefit him in the
long run. Try your hand. You might win some, you might lose some. And if
you lose, it won't be your entire life savings.</div>
The above principle was touched on briefly in the book, and
I've seen variations of it posted before. I like this idea, and have set
aside 5% of my portfolio to allow myself to try things out. It's a
great learning experience. The key, and the book highlights this, is
that when you buy stock, you are buying a piece of that company. Warren
Buffett wouldn't consider owning shares of a company for only a few
days, or even months. He's focused on the future earnings of that
company. Additionally, he would never consider an investment without
first becoming intimately acquainted. Research, research, research. If
you find a company that is trading at a bargain, it will be the research
that will give you staying power if that stock price dips further in
the short term. You know you're not taking a risk, because you did your
homework.</div>
<div>
I found this quote particularly instructive. <br />
<div>
US Hardcover, pg91</div>
...Buffett said, "You can't do
well in investing unless you think independently. And the truth is, you
are neither right nor wrong because people agree with you. You're right
because your facts and reasoning are right. In the end, that's what
counts."</div>
Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-11108386878907649322013-03-19T00:00:00.000-04:002013-03-19T00:00:01.228-04:00Rework Book Review"Ignore this book at your own peril." Seth Godin<br />
<br />
That's the tagline on the cover of the New York Times Bestseller, REWORK by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. <br />
<br />
I
didn't want to risk the peril, so I read it. And if you're intrigued
about entrepreneurship, blogging, productivity, the path to success,
etc. then you'll probably like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307463745&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Rework</a>, too.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307463745&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307463745&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307463745" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
Overall, this is a
great bathroom book. My wife laughed when I told her that, but it's
because the chapters, if you can call them that, are only a page or two long
at most. The book consists of over a hundred nuggets, ideas, truths,
rules, that are succinctly explained. In fact, this review is likely an
infraction of the "less is more" mentality of the book already. <br />
<br />
You
don't have to sit down and read straight through, or as fast as you can
go. In fact, it might be better to take it piece meal and take the time
to ponder the concepts and how you might apply them to make your life
or business more awesome. <br />
<br />
There are lots of great things to learn, but I'll just highlight four that stood out to me.<br />
"No time is an excuse"<br />
We
all whine that we don't have time to be wonderful, we don't have time
to write that novel in our heads, we don't have time to exercise. Don't
quit your day job yet, they advise. Instead, drop an hour of TV or World
of Warcraft, stay up an hour later, not all night. "Once you do that,
you'll learn whether your excitement and interest is real or just a
passing phase....When you want something bad enough, you make the time -
regardless of your other obligations." <br />
I think authors like <a href="http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rachelle J. Christensen</a> who is a Mom first and an author second is a perfect example of this. <br />
<br />
"Make tiny decisions"<br />
"Big
decisions are hard to make and hard to change....Instead, make choices
that are small enough that they're effectively temporary. When you make
tiny decisions, you can't make big mistakes."<br />
This is the try it out
mentality. Stop thinking so polar or binary. It's not an all or nothing
game changer. Test it out and see what happens on a small level and go
from there. <br />
<br />
"How to say you're sorry"<br />
"A good apology accepts
responsibility. It has no conditional if phrase attached....Here's
another bad one: 'We apologize for any inconvenience this may have
caused.' The 'may' here implies there might not be anything wrong at
all."<br />
Own up and be sincere. <br />
<br />
"Take a deep breath"<br />
This was
one of my favorites because it addresses the fact that people are
afraid of change. Change means stepping away from the known. This is
important to understand in business or in family relationships as well. <br />
"People
are creatures of habit. That's why they react to change in such a
negative way....So when people complain, let things simmer for a while.
Let them know you're listening....You'll probably find that people will
adjust eventually. They may even wind up liking the change more than the
old way, once they get used to it."<br />
Just consider US Presidential
elections. It has become increasingly difficult to oust a sitting
President. People know how bad it has been for the last four years, but
the idea of change scares them more than the known, or what they are
used to and so they accept the status quo of another bad four years. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307463745&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20">Rework</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307463745" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
is a good read. You'll like it. And if you happen to be in management -
you're employees will love you' if you learn anything from this book.
:)<br />
<br />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-56735649341153741172012-09-10T00:00:00.000-04:002012-09-10T00:00:00.264-04:00How to Hustle a Neighborhood Business for New CustomersThere are lots of tips and tricks to make your small business grow and earn new customers. But what do you do if you're in a small town? <br />
I was intrigued to view the following methods put in place by the small town where the company I work for recently moved to when they changed the location of our base of operations and set up shop in a new town, a small town.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001UK9CS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0001UK9CS&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0001UK9CS&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>I was surprised by the number of visitors we received in the following weeks after our open house. Lots of people came by dropping off resumes as expected, but what surprised us all was a load of gift baskets delivered. Each employee received a basket of goodies put together by the local businesses. The bank provided a branded mug. The local hardware store provided a blank key. A baby store provided a unique coupon. Etc.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0001UK9CS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
We were new in town, and our neighboring businesses brought a warm welcome to us and intimately shared with us how they might share their services with us: future customers.<br />
Perhaps it was the great work of a chamber of commerce. But several co-workers found some new places to conduct their business via a simple gift basket.<br />
They hustled to get our business as we set up our new business. And new business is the life blood of any business.<br />
The summary and bottom line is you need a great product or service and then you need a method for attracting new customers. There are endless ways to find new customers, however, not all methods are created equal. The most successful business that participated in the gift basket was a restaurant that served lunch nearby and provided a coupon for a free something. We were able to sample the quality, risk free, and ultimately returned many times more during the lunch hour. Some of us even returned in the evening with our families and friends to share the great food with them.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OT8GD0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000OT8GD0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000OT8GD0&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000OT8GD0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
Once you find a proven strategy for finding customers, it's best to focus on that one method. However, it's important not to miss the one time unique events as well. In this case, I believe it was the power of the connections, the chamber of commerce, which could be a network of your own kind in other circles, that brought about the successful neighborhood welcome campaign.<br />
<br />
Look around, how might you help a business, even one unrelated to yours, achieve success when you both work together? Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-78537851749833410822012-09-07T00:00:00.000-04:002012-09-07T00:00:02.983-04:00Zombie Apocalypse Disaster Kit with Links<div class="subtitle">
<br /></div>
There are many lists of useful items that would go well in your disaster kit. Things like, water, duct tape, and bandages, all belong in your (Hurricane, Flood, Earthquake, Tornado, or Zombie Apocalypse) Disaster kit. But what I really needed, was a complete list with links to the best products. This is my attempt at that list. (Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. Items are all in the top #100 of their category. Ideas for list items taken from the CDC and from FEMA.)<br />
<br />
<ul class="checklist">
<li>Water—one gallon per person, per day (3day supply for evacuation, 2week supply for home)</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040QLTH8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0040QLTH8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Single Bottles</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VSEGCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003VSEGCQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One-Gallon Container</a></li>
<li>Purifier <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R2ND6O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000R2ND6O&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tablets </a>or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026OKYPE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0026OKYPE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bottle</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Food—nonperishable, easytoprepare items (3day supply for evacuation, 2week supply for home)</li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071BTJPI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0071BTJPI&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0071BTJPI&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FPY7B0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008FPY7B0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">72 hour kit meals</a></li>
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014EL48S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0014EL48S&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Food bars</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049M8I22/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0049M8I22&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flashlight</a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0071BTJPI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li>Battery powered or handcrank radio (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071BTJPI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0071BTJPI&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NOAA Weather Radio</a>, if possible)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UXRXEG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002UXRXEG&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Extra batteries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00505C0T4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00505C0T4&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First aid kit</a> - (Stop the bleeding with a bit more variety, a bit more <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043X5WK8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0043X5WK8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Complete</a>)</li>
<li>Medications (7day supply) and medical items. (Stop the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BDUBRA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003BDUBRA&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pain, reduce a fever</a>.)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DSZVB8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004DSZVB8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Multipurpose tool</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036B89QC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0036B89QC&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sanitation </a>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8RE3I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E8RE3I&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">personal hygiene</a> (feminine, too) items (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KLY5CE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004KLY5CE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bucket toilet seat</a>)</li>
<li>Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent
medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports,
birth certificates, insurance policies) (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BF00VC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BF00VC&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keep them safe</a>)</li>
<li>Cell phone with chargers</li>
<li>Family and emergency contact information</li>
<li>Extra cash</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GCRWCG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000GCRWCG&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emergency blanket </a></li>
<li>Map(s) of the area (printed and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z9LI3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002Z9LI3C&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">protected</a>)</li>
</ul>
Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:<br />
<ul class="checklist">
<li>Medical supplies (hearing aids with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W7MC34/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000W7MC34&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">extra batteries</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00305GWR2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00305GWR2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">glasses</a>, contact lenses and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G0ML0A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001G0ML0A&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solution</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OCHMUE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OCHMUE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">syringes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050R7ZJC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0050R7ZJC&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cane</a>)</li>
<li>Baby supplies (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LENCUE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001LENCUE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bottles</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VIFCYU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VIFCYU&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">formula</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030VJ70K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0030VJ70K&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">baby food</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q8FFJS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Q8FFJS&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diapers</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019F3DN6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0019F3DN6&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Games </a>and activities for children</li>
<li>Pet supplies (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DXCVN6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002DXCVN6&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">collar</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DXAPE8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002DXAPE8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">leash</a>, ID, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018CICX6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0018CICX6&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">food</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015AFZZ4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0015AFZZ4&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">carrier</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PKM10C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000PKM10C&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bowl</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001WMFYH4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001WMFYH4&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Two-way radios</a></li>
<li>Extra set of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ASG25Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008ASG25Q&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">car keys </a>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y6TCK0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Y6TCK0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">house keys</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000079XW2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000079XW2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Manual can opener</a></li>
</ul>
Additional supplies to keep at home or in your kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul class="checklist">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016SRA4Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0016SRA4Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0016SRA4Y&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OEKU0A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002OEKU0A&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whistle</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016SRA4Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0016SRA4Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Compass </a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0016SRA4Y" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YKBV2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002YKBV2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">N95 </a>or<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QX51LY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000QX51LY&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> surgical masks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019QXACO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0019QXACO&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nitrile exam gloves</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B5KAF0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004B5KAF0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matches </a>(strike anywhere are better, no need for the box)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OD76YE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002OD76YE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rain gear</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FH1G24/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FH1G24&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Towels </a>(this little thing is super absorbent)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YPZKY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002YPZKY&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Work gloves</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013HB5IK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0013HB5IK&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rope </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073TG77G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0073TG77G&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hatchet</a></li>
<li><span id="goog_1645983307"></span>Tools<span id="goog_1645983308"></span>/supplies for securing your home</li>
<li>Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJVVF2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WJVVF2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plastic sheeting</a> and/or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053R2MEW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0053R2MEW&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tarps</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013AX62K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0013AX62K&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Duct tape</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WCCL/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004WCCL&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electrical black tape</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011MIQUM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011MIQUM&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scissors</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009STDA6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009STDA6&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Household liquid bleach</a></li>
<li>Entertainment items</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009A6KQ4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009A6KQ4&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blankets </a>(more comfy than mylar)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00305GWR2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00305GWR2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Safety Glasses</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Z0H61O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007Z0H61O&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sleeping bags</a></li>
<li>Empty<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZTFW8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BZTFW8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 5 gallon bucket</a> and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M5SI2A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000M5SI2A&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gamma lid to reseal it</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GSYXHW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005GSYXHW&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garbage bags</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UU5K1E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UU5K1E&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shovel - folding</a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000UU5K1E" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V1WXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009V1WXY&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cargo straps </a></li>
<li>Lighting</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049M8I22/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0049M8I22&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flashlight</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUQFU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009PUQFU&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Two-Mantle propane lantern</a> </li>
</ul>
<li>Food Preparation</li>
<ul>
<li>Standard gas grill (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WOTUCI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WOTUCI&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">portable</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005OU9D/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005OU9D&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Camp stove</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008GKDW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00008GKDW&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dutch Oven</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000079XW2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000079XW2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Can opener</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Power </li>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004918MO2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004918MO2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004918MO2&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDXS0U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004MDXS0U&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Car power inverter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004918MO2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004918MO2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Generator</a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004918MO2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li>Solar chargers (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OHIYLW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004OHIYLW&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">portable electronics</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RJOP5Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001RJOP5Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">larger</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UXRXEG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002UXRXEG&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Batteries </a></li>
</ul>
<li>Fuel Sources</li>
<ul>
<li>Gasoline (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W9JN4S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000W9JN4S&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gas can/jug</a>) (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B68V6I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000B68V6I&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fuel life extender/stabilizer</a>)</li>
<li>Propane cylinders (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009XCFRE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009XCFRE&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">large-gas grill size</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002M8T4A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002M8T4A&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">small-camp stove size</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B3RH36/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003B3RH36&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charcoal</a></li>
<li>Wood</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQSTUQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BQSTUQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oil </a>(for your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YHPVWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YHPVWO&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lamp</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B5KAF0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004B5KAF0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matches</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Guides and Information</li>
<ul>
<li>Books </li>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400049628/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400049628&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1400049628&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400049628/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400049628&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead </a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400049628" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599219093/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599219093&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Army Zombie Combat Skills</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619491796/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1619491796&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boy Scout Handbook</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762740671/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0762740671&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook (Falcon Guide)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761563679/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0761563679&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1602392455/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1602392455" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. Air Force Survival Handbook</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Protection</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZ9MRY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001CZ9MRY&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pepper Spray</a> (for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002E6VAHK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002E6VAHK&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bears</a>, I actually carried some for a summer job)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YU9JNO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006YU9JNO&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ammunition </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPT684/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NPT684&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crowbar </a>- Gordon Freeman's very own from Half-Life </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Where to put all your stuff? </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00437TWK0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00437TWK0&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hydration backpack</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZTFW8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BZTFW8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bucket</a></li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Other Useful Items</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002XJ2OU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002XJ2OU&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b> </b>Israeli Gas Mask</a></li>
<li>Movies and TV shows to help you learn what will and won't save you</li>
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013FBS20/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0013FBS20&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0013FBS20&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MPEIF6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000MPEIF6&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Resident Evil</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VDDWEC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VDDWEC&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 28 Days Later</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005RUV714/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005RUV714&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Walking Dead </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017XD3OY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017XD3OY&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I am Legend</a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0013FBS20" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</ul>
<li>Games to help you brush up on your Zombie survival skills</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R0PLK2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000R0PLK2&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Half-Life</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025KZV7A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0025KZV7A&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Left 4 Dead</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00407F2BQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00407F2BQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plants vs. Zombies</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Pre-Packaged Disaster Kits</b><br />
<br />
Could you do better by just purchasing a pre-made bug-out bag? Maybe. At least you'll know what's inside if you build one yourself. However, it simplifies the buying process, here are two ready-made options.<br />
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00149VP14/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00149VP14&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00149VP14&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" /></a>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00149VP14/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00149VP14&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bag Style</a></li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00149VP14" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L2E7IA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003L2E7IA&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bucket Style</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
Do you have a better product recommendation? Let us know in the comments. <br />
<br />
<ul class="checklist">
</ul>
Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-11998736835512029042012-09-06T00:30:00.000-04:002012-09-05T22:54:11.397-04:00Avoid the ID10T ErrorYou may have heard it, or you may have been told that you were experiencing an ID10T error. And now that you see it written out, you immediately know that you do not want to experience this kind of user error. So, how do you prevent yourself from becoming just another ID10T error, or even several other well known<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_error" target="_blank"> user errors</a>?<br />
<br />
Look Twice.<br />
<br />
It's surprising how often some of the most frustrating problems are caused by NPI. Not Plugged In!<br />
<br />
This is especially true if you've recently ripped open your computer and are frantically troubleshooting what could be wrong during finals week. You're desperately trying different ideas, and suddenly...nothing happens. Wait! It was working, sort of, just a minute ago. What just happened?<br />
<br />
Oh, yeah, plug it back in.<br />
<ul>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006BBLNA8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006BBLNA8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Free Kindle Book" border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006BBLNA8&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jolley-20" title="Free Kindle Book" /></a>
<li>the power cord</li>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B006BBLNA8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<li>the memory card</li>
<li>the battery</li>
</ul>
<br />
Save yourself from receiving the ID10T label and check to see if your problem isn't just NPI. <br />
<br />
(The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006BBLNA8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006BBLNA8&linkCode=as2&tag=jolley-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindle version</a> of the book is currently free on Amazon)Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-21527972194996321032012-03-28T23:09:00.000-04:002012-03-29T01:15:03.184-04:00Deal: 8GB Class 10 Micro SDHC Memory Card with AdapterI try not to spam you too often with deals that I think are mildly interesting or fairly good. :)<br />
<br />
But, if you happened to be in the market for a new SD card for your camera - <a href="http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/71555/newegg-8gb-patriot-lx-series-class-10-micro-sdhc-memory-card-w-adapter-psf8gmcsdhc10?token=ADMBBQAAAAAHOT79dw" rel="nofollow">this one</a> might fit the bill nicely. <br />
I personally didn't jump on this deal because we just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TUQV0E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005TUQV0E" rel="nofollow">bought </a>a new 32GB card for our new camera. Yeah, our old camera died. :( So we had to upgrade. :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TUQV0E/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005TUQV0E" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B005TUQV0E&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jolley-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005TUQV0E" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
Anyways, the Class rating on SD cards is important when you start saving video and taking lots of high res pictures.
The higher the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital#Speed_Class_Rating">Class rating</a>, the faster the read/write times to the card. New cameras suggest at least a Class 4 or 6.
Obviously, the higher the Class rating, the more expensive the card. <br />
<br />
Another caveat to this deal is that you'll want to check out your
camera's maximum SD card size that it can handle. It won't do you any
good to buy this 8GB card and find out that your camera only can handle a
4GB card. Essentially, you'll pop it in, and your camera will only see
4GB instead of the true 8GB. It can be a bit difficult to find the
actual specs on max card size for your camera, so some searching may be
involved. <br />
<br />
The fact that the actual memory is just the microSD form factor
size is not an issue. Even if your camera only accepts the standard SD
form factor size, the adapter will not negatively affect performance
because it is just a direct connection pass through adapter. I just smile at how a standard was adopted and technology zoomed on ahead. <br />
<br />
This might be a good deal, if I needed more cards for my camera. I also thought it might work as an upgrade to my current jump drive, but then I'd need a USB adapter like <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139080" rel="nofollow">this</a>.<br />
Suddenly, it's not such a great deal. Too bad it didn't come with that
kind of adapter to begin with. Although, it's so tiny, it's hard to hold on to and not
lose. A friend of mine already lost his. <br />
And if I'm going to spend $12 on an adapter, I start to wonder why I didn't just go for a 17million and one card
reader, but that wasn't the original intent, so yeah, back full circle.
This might be a good deal if I wanted a smaller card...whatever.<br />
<br />
Final thoughts: The deal isn't so hot for some because of the rebate. Additional research on Amazon and Newegg also shows only average reviews. But, regardless, I hope the above information will aid you in your quest the next time you upgrade.Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-74341476857638741882011-10-24T22:27:00.000-04:002011-10-24T22:27:41.474-04:00Moonwalking With EinsteinMoonwalking with Einstein is a very thought provoking book. It's the
story of the author Joshua Foer, a journalist, and his journey from
reporting on the US National Championship to winning the event the
following year. The book chronicles how he set out to find an answer to
the question, "How can I improve my memory?"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159420229X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=159420229X"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=159420229X&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jolley-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=as2&o=1&a=159420229X&camp=217145&creative=399369" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
<br />
Personally,
I was intrigued by the book and found the style of writing much to my
liking. There is a lot of research and information that is presented and
explained via story. It reminds me a lot about how JD Roth from
GetRichSlowly was able to successfully blog about potentially dry topics
in personal finance: he tells a story.<br />
<br />
This book is
not a book on technique and specific practice regimens, but a treatise
on how our memories work, how memory usage has changed throughout time,
and the exploration of how practice can indeed improve memory skills.
Some of the skills employed in memorizing decks of playing cards, scores
of random numbers, or other random trivia, in less than a minute
involve the image association and storing those images in a 'memory
palace'. While impressive, I wondered whether practicing this skill was
ultimately useful. Surprisingly, even the author, shortly after winning
the US National Championship, placing 13th overall in the World
Championships, Joshua Foer conceded that in today's world of
externalized memory storage, it's just easier to store that phone number
in your cell phone than your brain.<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg75<br />
What follows are just my notes that I took while reading that I wanted to save for myself.<br />
Without
time, there would be no need for a memory. But without a memory, would
there be such a thing as time? The more we provide our lives with
chronological landmarks, the longer our lives will seem. Our perception
of time is subjective. Sometimes time flies, other times the opposite is
true. "Our lives are structured by our memories of events. Event X
happened just before the big Paris vacation. I was doing Y in the first
summer after I learned to drive." The denser the web of accumulated life
experiences, the denser the experience of time. "Monotony collapses
time; novelty unfolds it." "Life seems to speed up as we get older
because life gets less memorable as we get older. Youth have a
continuous stream of new experiences, but each passing year converts
some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at
all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out...<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg 138<br />
Technological
gadgets have made it unnecessary to remember phone numbers, friends
birthdays, and even directions. They've changed the world, but they've
also changed how we think and how we use our brains. Writing, for
Socrates, was nothing more than a cue for memory. <br />
<br />
And
yet, for me, I've always held to the idea that I read in one of Tom
Clancy's novels - if you didn't write it down, it never happened. For
me, writing is the only reliable anchor that I can attach to my memories
so they don't get lost in all that grey matter.<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg 145<br />
The
history of books and the invention of alphabetical indexes, page
numbers, and table of contents as a means to navigating the immense
information stored therein. "As books became easier and easier to
consult, the imperative to hold their contents in memory became less and
less relevant, and the very notion of what it meant to be erudite began
to evolve from possessing information internally to knowing where to
find information in the labyrinthine world of external memory."<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg169<br />
Joshua
Foer also became a subject of research to a Florida professor, Anders
Ericsson. When Joshua hit a plateau on his speed times for memorizing a
deck of cards, Ericsson helped him learn about skill acquisition. Phase
one is the "cognitive stage", you're intellectualizing the task and
discovering new strategies to accomplish it more proficiently. During
the second "associative stage," you're concentrating less, making fewer
major errors, and generally becoming more efficient. Finally you reach
what Fitts called the "autonomous stage," when you figure that you've
gotten as good as you need.." You're OK with your current skill and stop
improving and were once thought the upper bounds of ability. The only
way to break free is to engage in a very directed, highly focused
routine, which Ericsson, who has studied the best in several fields, has
labeled "deliberate practice." "They develop strategies for consciously
keeping out of the autonomous stage while they practice by doing three
things: focusing on their technique, staying goal-oriented, and getting
constant and immediate feedback on their performance. In other words,
they force themselves to stay in the "cognitive phase." "When you want
to get good at something, how you spend your time practicing is far more
important that the amount of time you spend." "Indeed, the single best
predictor of an individual's chess skill is not the amount of chess he's
played against opponents, but rather the amount of time he's spent
sitting alone working through old games." "You have to analyze what
you're doing."<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg 202<br />
In these
pages, Tony Buzan's Mind Map was explained, and it reminded me of when I
was writing my research paper in my college English class. My professor
explained to me that after reading my paper she felt like the opening
scene in the Simpson's show when the cash register trys to scan Maggie
at the checkout with the groceries, but the computer is confused and
doesn't know what to do. Her advice to me was that I needed to go home
and read each paragraph and color code it to it's theme and then cut up
my paper and rearrange it so that it flowed better and made better
sense. I took her advice - and it worked! This was essentially the
groundwork of a mind map. "It's kind of an outline exploded radially
across the page in a rainbow of colors, a web of associations..." Tony
Buzan also said, "The art and science of memory is about developing the
capacity to quickly create images that link disparate ideas. Creativity
is the ability to form similar connections between disparate images and
to create something new and hurl it into the future so it becomes a
poem, or a building, or a dance, or a novel. Creativity<br />
is, in a sense, future memory."<br />
<br />
US Hardcover, pg 266<br />
He
had improved his ability to remember digits, playing cards, and yet
could still forget where he parked his car. His memory was the same. He
had new skills, but ultimately he "validated the old saw that practice
makes perfect. But only if it's the right kind of concentrated,
self-conscious, deliberate practice." "Remembering can only happen if
you decide to take notice." "Our memories make us who we are. They are
the seat of our values and source of our character... That's what Ed had
been trying to impart to me from the beginning: that memory training is
not just for the sake of performing party tricks; it's about nurturing
something profoundly and essentially human."Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-7762651414546359732011-03-28T00:00:00.036-04:002011-03-28T00:00:02.319-04:00Bankruptcy on the RiseThe Great Recession’s Impact on Bankruptcy Filings was originally written by Marilyn Bischoff and published in Idaho's Two Cents Newsletter.<br />
<br />
The National Bureau of Economic Research reports that the US officially entered into the recession in December 2007, with the recession ending in June 2009. However, those in the insolvency professions would argue that we are still in a recession. How has the recession affected bankruptcy filings for various demographic groups?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Personal-Bankruptcy/dp/1592579477?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Bankruptcy" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1592579477&tag=jolley-20" /></a>Bankruptcy petitioners are not required to disclose age, ethnicity, educational attainment, marital status, or current employment status. The Institute for Financial literacy, which provides bankruptcy prefiling counseling and post-filing debtor education, does collect demographic information from individuals participating in their program. The Institute provides services in-person, by telephone, and online. At the beginning of either service, participants are asked to voluntarily complete a demographic survey. In 2009 more than 52,000 clients volunteered to answer survey questions. The findings challenge some common assumptions about bankruptcy filers. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592579477" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592579477" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Age</span><br />
Almost 56 percent of bankruptcy debtors are between he ages of 35-54. An emerging tend is that the 55-64 and 65+ age cohorts appear to be experiencing an increased deterioration in the financial conditions and are filing bankruptcy at greater rates than in 2008. Ages 18-24, 2% filing bankruptcy; 25-34, 17%; 35-44, 29%; 45-54, 27%; 55-64, 17%; 65+ 8%.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkXdwC9ePBaXnBubZEVk0jr6-yrHzj7WEgFRa4qM2i-iTQSzdBK7qVWtED6wLOGRptH_SekjW5pahTYZmmEPggwsjpQoAjnxJnUsS8S-Bmnyr5mfd8kT2MpgZzMP4Td6uLKxikFcyqi5G/s1600/bankruptcy+age+chart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkXdwC9ePBaXnBubZEVk0jr6-yrHzj7WEgFRa4qM2i-iTQSzdBK7qVWtED6wLOGRptH_SekjW5pahTYZmmEPggwsjpQoAjnxJnUsS8S-Bmnyr5mfd8kT2MpgZzMP4Td6uLKxikFcyqi5G/s400/bankruptcy+age+chart.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Educational Background</span><br />
Bankruptcy rates of individuals with higher education continue to experience lower levels of bankruptcy, but during this recession their rates have increased. This change may suggest that this is a “white collar” recession, perhaps reflecting our economy changing from a manufacturing to a service/ technology base. Educational level: High school/GED degree or less, 42%; Some college or Associate degree, 38%; Bachelor’s degree, 14%; Graduate degree, 6%.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_2KusddQ3EtJ4l2broBPye185Rd-lQAgmbvFhlwIPyH20FDIy5SFG8uedphfTVBmLfK5Np8O7EvlEsLt5CWarD83DcWFtKtGVxRkXl7d_HFJMEEe_ohSwsa3D8WBBKOuNgTRJtC6yUd0/s1600/bankruptcy+education+chart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_2KusddQ3EtJ4l2broBPye185Rd-lQAgmbvFhlwIPyH20FDIy5SFG8uedphfTVBmLfK5Np8O7EvlEsLt5CWarD83DcWFtKtGVxRkXl7d_HFJMEEe_ohSwsa3D8WBBKOuNgTRJtC6yUd0/s400/bankruptcy+education+chart.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Personal Income</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As expected, lower income household are more likely to file for bankruptcy. Those earnings $30,000 or less made up 59% of filers; $30,000- 40,000, 15%; $40,000-$50,000, 10%; $50,000-$60,000, 7%; $60,000+, 9%.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYumGzoJn43OrlRmXf3aCiZTaXNEcofGuPk4xIaCLZ-SyYgZNkGJ9GqrCMPafwHDjIYjkK6gUnHTtgkUtQ4IlLW52fy90TA74p16JRx62SswWLa8JgRIAmFWqsS6kahDP91MdLlCW6EWij/s1600/bankruptcy+income+chart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYumGzoJn43OrlRmXf3aCiZTaXNEcofGuPk4xIaCLZ-SyYgZNkGJ9GqrCMPafwHDjIYjkK6gUnHTtgkUtQ4IlLW52fy90TA74p16JRx62SswWLa8JgRIAmFWqsS6kahDP91MdLlCW6EWij/s400/bankruptcy+income+chart.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Causes of Financial Distress</span><br />
The Institute asked clients to pick from a list of common causes of financial distress to self-describe reasons for their current situation. Clients were encouraged to choose more than one cause; therefore, the percentages equal more than 100%. Reduction of income was cited by almost 2/3 of respondents (65%). That, combined with overextended credit (74%), and unexpected expenses (55%), drove most filers over the bankruptcy precipice. Other responses reflect causes commonly cited in other studies: job loss (42%); illness/injury (31%); and changes in household composition: divorce (15%), birth/adoption (10%), death of family member (8%). Interestingly, retirement was cited by 8% of responders.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JspI3iIUDNWxtLMIIo9dwMq_L84M35pZSFaiTl67xavFlGSMfXg08fQgMAhj07QdQQvvHLMwAKYx3gwoP922xIBO9znqU4CVR-l7-w2t5dkN4QrB2Q4yo1235jS-znhntQ9f1StpoS6W/s1600/bankruptcy+causes+chart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JspI3iIUDNWxtLMIIo9dwMq_L84M35pZSFaiTl67xavFlGSMfXg08fQgMAhj07QdQQvvHLMwAKYx3gwoP922xIBO9znqU4CVR-l7-w2t5dkN4QrB2Q4yo1235jS-znhntQ9f1StpoS6W/s400/bankruptcy+causes+chart.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Linfield, L., December/January 2011. Class of 2009: The Great Recession’s Impact on the American Debtor. American Bankruptcy Institute Journal. Retrieved 12/14/10 http://www.abiworld.org/AM/ Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID= 62554&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russ-Berrie-Ceramic-Piggy-Bank/dp/B000GY78SC?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Russ Berrie Ceramic Piggy Bank, Blue" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000GY78SC&tag=jolley-20" /></a><i>Patrick's note: </i>I think the biggest thing to learn from this article is not who is going bankrupt, but possibly a key to preventing yourself from going bankrupt. Identify the most danger prone areas and then work to keep yourself out of those areas. Higher education and its corollary, personal income, is a major factor in preventing bankruptcy. However, the causes of bankruptcy demonstrate the wisdom in having a fully funded emergency fund to tide things over when life happens.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000GY78SC" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-29955795216488671752011-03-21T00:00:00.005-04:002011-03-21T00:00:02.314-04:00Free Credit Score - How to Get OneHow to Check your Credit Score, a guest post by Luke Erickson editor of Idaho's Two Cent Tips.<br />
<br />
Like a mighty king,this three digit number can seemingly grant our ultimate desires or dash them to tiny bits on little more than a whim or a missed payment. This number determines whether or not you can get a loan, including a credit card, a car loan, or a mortgage, and will also determine the rates that you will pay on these loans. Itis also reclusive and mysterious, rarely being seen by the common consumer. Instead it prefers to meet privately with lenders in back offices where your fate is unemotionally determined. Some zealous subjects have been known to pay tribute, by borrowing unnecessarily with the sole purpose of pleasing this number. In fact, this notorious number is not content to simply rule over its own kingdom, but also tries to extend its influence into other areas, such as insurance, rent, and even employment.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Credit-Score-Money-Whats-Updated/dp/0137016611?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Your Credit Score, Your Money & What's at Stake (Updated Edition): How to Improve the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0137016611&tag=jolley-20" /></a>Before I attempt to demystify this number, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. A credit score and a credit report are entirely different creatures. A credit report lists a detailed financial history of every single credit account that you’ve established or messed up in the last 10 years or so. Most people have 3 similar but different reports, all of which can be viewed FOR FREE by visiting annualcreditreport. com. A credit score, on the other hand, is a proprietary number that can usually only be accessed by paying a fee. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0137016611" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Now here is where it gets confusing. You actually have more than one credit score. The main score that lenders, insurers and employers will consider is the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score. But there are some alternatives to FICO scores, including Vantage scores which are done by each of the three major credit bureaus, and some financial institutions may even give you a credit score along with your monthly bank statements. Keep in mind that all of these scores are calculated differently, often times on different scales, and may or may not be an indicator of what a potential lender might see. I have seen cases where a credit score can vary by over 100 points for the same person.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Where can I get my score? </span><br />
As described previously, you can get your credit score from about a billion different websites, most offering it for free if you but merely sign up for a free trial of some unnecessary monthly service. As you can imagine it is all but impossible to break free from such an agreement. If you want just any old score, with any old agreement, then any old website will do. But if you want your FICO score, without strings attached, there is only one place I would recommend:<br />
<br />
MyFICO.com, but, surprise (to be read with sarcasm) it’s not quite that simple! Do not click the massive red button that says FREE FICO SCORE. As I will describe below, it’s not really free, again another solicitation for some unnecessary service. Find and select the “FICO Standard,” button for a one-time credit check for $19.95. Not cheap, but completely accurate. In addition to your score, FICO standard will give you a FICO score simulation tool which can tell you how your personal score might change given future changes to your accounts. At http://www.myfico.com/ FICOCreditScoreEstimator/ there is also a free FICO score estimation tool which gives you an estimated score that I found it to be fairly accurate.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Credit-Repair-Dummies-Steve-Bucci/dp/0470276738?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Credit Repair Kit For Dummies" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0470276738&tag=jolley-20" /></a>Aside from your FICO score, I would also recommend the “get credit score” button at the top right of your free credit report from annualcreditreport.com. This gives you a Vantage score for $7.95, which is becoming more accepted by lenders, and can be an indication of your true FICO score. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470276738" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Will checking my score affect my credit? </span><br />
According to the folks at MyFICO.com, “Statistically, people with six inquiries or more on their credit reports can be up to eight times more likely to declare bankruptcy than people with no inquiries on their reports.” Therefore, the answer is yes, checking your score will reduce your score by about 5 points, each time. Not a big deal if checking only once or twice a year. Also, don’t forget that many lenders will actually show you your score when applying for a loan.Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-55453752822353215312011-03-15T00:00:00.001-04:002011-03-15T00:00:05.901-04:00The Mission for NASA<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-We-Left-Earth-Missions/dp/B001BEK86A?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001BEK86A&tag=jolley-20" /></a>"The aeronautical and space activities of the United States shall be conducted so as to contribute . . .to the expansion of human Knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space. The Administration shall provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof."<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001BEK86A" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
-NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACT OF 1958Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-32037442931783012652011-03-14T00:00:00.002-04:002011-03-14T00:00:05.371-04:00Underwater MortgagesThis is a guest post by Luke Erickson the editor from Idaho's Two Cent Tips.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Home-What-Should-Worth/dp/1456365703?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Underwater Home: What Should You Do if You Owe More on Your Home than It's Worth?" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1456365703&tag=jolley-20" /></a>Recent estimates indicate that about one in every four Idaho homes is currently underwater. Well, it has been snowing a lot lately . . . You don’t have to boo me for that one, I’ll do it myself. The term underwater really refers to the instance when the amount you still owe on your mortgage is more than the current market value of your home. How can I joke about this topic—especially with such a lame joke? Well the lame part just comes naturally, but I can joke a little about this very serious topic, because for most people with underwater<br />
homes, there is still hope.<br />
Following is an article that illustrates the possible options you might choose from if you find your house underwater.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Stay put</span><br />
Don’t panic if you hear that you’re “underwater.” All that means is that you would lose money if you sold RIGHT NOW. But unless you absolutely must move right now, you may be able to recoup some or all of that lost equity. Additionally, consider renting your place out. Even if you have to rent your house out at a small loss each month, you may still be better off than any other alternative. Some lenders will work with you to renegotiate the rates and terms of your mortgage, whether you’re in a financial pinch or not. This sort of informal “in-house refinancing,” is fairly new, but some lenders (the smart ones, in my opinion) are working with their borrowers to avoid foreclosure and loss of current customers. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1456365703" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sell-House-When-Worth-Mortgage/dp/0470418613?ie=UTF8&tag=jolley-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How to Sell a House When It's Worth Less Than the Mortgage: Options for "Underwater" Homeowners and Investors" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0470418613&tag=jolley-20" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Negotiate an exit plan</span><br />
But, if you simply can’t stay put -- Your family no longer fits within the confines of your once spacious two bedroom house, you land a much better job in another part of the country, or your adjustable rate has become unaffordable, the next option is to attempt to negotiate an exit plan.<br />
A short sale is an agreement between you and the bank that you will make every effort to sell your house for as high a price as possible – no big deal, this is something you would do anyway – and in return the lender will accept the sale price as partial payment of your debt and forgive any debt for which you fall short. Hence the term, “short-sale.”<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1453612815" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0071635580" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470418613" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
A deed-in lieu is also an agreement with your lender, in which you simply hand them a deed to your residence<br />
with the understanding that you owe them nothing, or at least a reduced amount on the remaining balance, once the lender sells that house. These are forms of proactive foreclosures, if you will. Remember, any such agreement must be in writing to be valid.<br />
As far as your credit is concerned, a short sale, deed-inlieu, or foreclosure will all have similar effects on your<br />
credit score, reducing it by as much as 300 points, de-pending on how your lender reports it to the credit bureaus.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lender won’t negotiate?</span><br />
If your lender won’t negotiate, and you must leave your house, there are basically two options. Bankruptcy is a step to either liquidate your assets in return for forgiveness on your loans, as in a chapter 7, or is a legal<br />
restructuring of your debts so that you can afford the payments, as in a chapter 13. Neither option is pretty, and will destroy your credit for up to 10 years.<br />
Bankruptcy makes the most sense when you have additional unaffordable debt besides the mortgage. Or, just walk away - though this option has received lots of media coverage, and sounds pretty simple, it can be anything but. Walking away essentially means mailing the mortgage company your keys, and leaving your residence never to return. You may never hear from your lender again. But, on the other hand, in some states, your lender can still legally come after you for the difference you still may owe after they sell the house. This option will have the same effect on your credit score as a foreclosure.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jolley-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00021HB9U" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
Which of all these options is the right one? That’s sort of like asking whether it’s best to be punched in the gut or the face. Either way it’s going to hurt. But, I’ve always believed that those who try to do the right thing, whatever that may mean in this situations, will eventually be rewarded for it.Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293135584509753359.post-80692810626942877772010-10-18T00:00:00.002-04:002010-10-18T00:00:07.893-04:00You Cannot Multiply Wealth by Dividing it.<blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt;"> <div> <div><br />
<div> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div> <div> <div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span><span style="color: navy; font-size: 14pt;">“</span><strong><span style="color: #333399; font-size: 14pt;">You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."*</span></strong><b><span style="color: #333399; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
<br />
<strong><span>* Adrian Rogers, 1931*</span></strong></span></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote>Patrick Jolleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17784063388165143891noreply@blogger.com1