Thursday, February 28, 2013

Wyoming Officials Feud Over Who Calls Shots on K-12

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
State Superintendent Cindy Hill has filed a constitutional challenge to a new law stripping her of most authority over education policy. —Miranda Grubbs/Wyoming Tribune Eagle/AP

When Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead signed legislation last month that rendered elected Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill mostly powerless, she did more than file a lawsuit to fight back: She announced the next day that she would run for Mr. Mead's job in 2014.

The decision to effectively end Ms. Hill's power over the state's public schools illustrates the perils and complications, both political and practical, of a plan legislators initially approved two years ago to overhaul Wyoming's education system.

The move has also shaken up the state's political environment, as Mr. Mead joins the ranks of governors who, in recent years, have moved to consolidate their authority and influence over education...

Already have an account? Please login.

Pampered Puppies

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

Obama pushes preschool programs in Georgia trip

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — President Barack Obama's ambitious plan to expand preschool programs comes as one of every 13 students already in Head Start classrooms is at risk of being kicked out unless lawmakers sidestep a budget meltdown.

Obama was set to talk about enlarging early childhood education programs such as Head Start during a stop Thursday in Georgia. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, meanwhile, told senators on Capitol Hill that pending budget cuts could be devastating to current students and could hurt the nation's economy for years to come, if students aren't learning now.

"We're trying to do a lot more in terms of early childhood education, not go in the opposite direction," Duncan said. "Doing that to our most vulnerable children is education malpractice, economically...

Already have an account? Please login.

Newtown families formed obligations ties with police troopers

HARTFORD, Conn. (not) statement, as the family are in Sandy Hook school psychologist concerning Mary Sherlach have his death, Orlando Soldat '' Lonny '' Key who was changed into his car and other personal belongings. Went after her husband and daughters for a meeting with the President, saying the door from the family home were with him have adopté her husband, Bill Sherlach, said Key like a fee at the funeral.

Details Key in and families ended in day the funeral service, but only officially. Like most in him collegues troops chargé family victim massacres Newtown charges him with, he was living in close contact with those it helps in a few days more.

'' We liaison, Lonny soldat Soldat Key, now is and for ever they will be part of our family, '' Bill Sherlach said. '' At all times I do phone calls, '' as you do, ...

Already have a account? Please connexion.

Bennett: Fla. needs 'Plan B' for FCAT replacement

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A "Plan B" is needed in case the anticipated replacement for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, fails to materialize or is delayed, the state's new education commissioner said Monday.

The State Board of Education also received a letter from Gov. Rick Scott pitching his proposal to give all teachers a $2,500 pay raise. At least one member, though, said she'd prefer to see raises awarded on merit rather than across the board.

Education Commissioner Tony Bennett told the board that within the next couple months he'll present a contingency plan in case the FCAT replacement is sidelined or delayed by problems that...

Already have an account? Please login.

Court remplace Florida teachers discipline du

Detasyon TALLAHASSEE, Florida (not) statement A three-judge panel said Florida education practices Commission in discipline a teacher County Miami-Dade on a ...

Already have a account? Please connexion.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ohio Psych test in school what had can

CHARDON, Ohio (not) person a judge who had psychiatric test for a 18-year-old who have been charged with was shot three students to killed in a ...

Already have a account? Please connexion.

School board asks county for $145 million more

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The unified school board in Memphis and Shelby County has approved a $1.3 billion budget for...

Already have an account? Please login.

Miss. Bill to help children with speech disorders

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House passed a bill Wednesday to help...

Already have an account? Please login.

Senators don't. begin to confront school safety new

HARRISBURG, Not. (not) statement Pennsylvania County mulling this Senator can do about school safety where cul de sac elementary Connecticut have a complicate ...

Already have a account? Please connexion.

LA Unified to spend $50M on computing devices

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Unified school district will spend $50 million in bond funds to equip every student at 47 schools with...

Already have an account? Please login.

Bill would let students leave guns in locked cars

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana lawmaker says students should be allowed to leave their guns locked in cars at school...

Already have an account? Please login.

Consider these 4 Communications Styles When Delivering your Next Presentation

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

You may be presenting to a group from within the same industry or even department, but that doesn’t mean everyone in your audience has the same preferred communications style. Different people have very different ways they prefer to give and receive information. Which means that the kind of delivery that engages some people may send others in your audience scrambling for the exits.  One of the big challenges when presenting to a mixed group is correctly adapting your communication style so your whole audience stays focused on what you’re saying.

To make it easier, we distilled it down into four basic default communication styles people can fall into. These are not personality types; this deals specifically with how you like to give and get information. Here’s a brief description of each default communication style:

The Intuitive type refers to those people who are not terribly emotional, but who are quite free form. Intuitive types don’t necessarily like things to flow from A to B to C and so on. They like to cut to the chase, so it’s best to skip directly to the end: what’s the real value you are bringing this person today? If you can get the Intuitive types in your audience to buy in on the end result right away upfront, you’ve got a much better shot at getting them to listen to all the other stuff you’ve got to say.The Analytical type refers to those people who prefer things unemotional but linear. These are your “just the facts” kinds of people. They don’t want to hear a lot of warm-and-fuzzy feeling words, so don’t waste the Analytical-type communicator’s time by telling them you understand their pain; instead just give them the numbers and data they need and want.The Functional type refers to people who generally like their communication to be emotional and linear. These folks like to have control of the process so it’s always best to move in a linear fashion: from A, to B, to C and then follow through right to the end. If you try to skip around in your presentation or jump to the enticement of your “wow” finish, you risk losing the attention of the Functional-type communicator.The Personal relater is both free form and emotional. These are the folks who want the warm-and-fuzzy emotional approach.   So feel free to dive right into all the details such as: Who else is going to be involved/ how getting involved will make them “feel”/ who else they will touch by getting involved, etc.  You can’t just come in and dump a bunch of facts on personal-type communicators, even if they are startling facts. These folks are still going to need a more interpersonal connection.

Even from these brief descriptions of the four communications styles, the conundrum is obvious: they all want something different. The good news is that, by knowing what the 4 types are, you can plan your next presentation knowing you need to hit all 4 types in your delivery. And we’ll teach you how to do that in our upcoming live webinar The Secrets of Killer Presentations.  But here’s a quick little take away secret you can start using now:

When great speakers present to a new or unknown audience, they assume all four communications styles are present. And there’s a certain order they present their information, in order to communication to each style. They begin by addressing the Intuitive types, then they speak to the Analytical types, then to the Functional types and they close by speaking to the Personal types. We see this often in presidential speeches or wherever there’s a mixed audience of preferred communication styles. Working in this order, from the Intuitive to the Analytical to the Functional to the Personal addresses attention span: Intuitives have the shortest attention span, then the Analyticals, then the Functionals and the Personals have the longest attention spans.

An expert in aligning goals and people to create thriving organizations, Mark leads one of the world’s largest studies on leadership and employee engagement.

Mark’s award-winning work has been featured numerous times in publications including The Wall St. Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Washington Post. His media appearances include CBS News Sunday Morning, ABC’s 20/20, Fox Business News and NPR. Mark has lectured at Harvard Business School, Yale University, University of Rochester and University of Florida. Mark is the author of five books including the McGraw-Hill international bestsellers, Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your People to Give It Their All and They’ll Give You Even More and Hard Goals. Mark’s most recent book, Hiring for Attitude, reflects the team’s latest research and insight into how hiring decisions can align with engagement goals and culture characteristics.

Leadership IQ’s turnaround, culture change, and performance enhancement through employee engagement work has been recognized in a diverse set of industries including healthcare, financial services, energy, manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality. From his roots as a turnaround specialist, Mark created Leadership IQ to address problems in performance before they hit the bottom line.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Senate passes early high school graduation bill

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — More gifted Idaho high school students are one step closer to having an expedited path to one of the state's public universities under a bill...

Already have an account? Please login.

Are You Making Fitness Harder Than It Needs To Be

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Fitness doesn't have to be that hardHave you ever looked at someone else and thought “they make it look so easy”? Or, you look at others and you think “no fair, I am working way harder than them and not getting the results they are getting”. There might be a reason. You may be making fitness harder than it has to be. The damage may have started before you ever began working out. So, it may not be about how hard you are working now, but what led up to where you are now that is giving you such a beating.

Laziness: Disinclined to work. Slow moving, Idle. Sluggish. Slothful

lazinessLaziness is very interesting to me. It’s not like anyone would want to be called sloth, yet we all have had our own battle with laziness at times. Have you ever thought how hard we actually work to be lazy?

I think of all the times I have dropped something, all because I was carrying too much to avoid making multiple trips. The final result is often more work than if I just did things the right way the first time. Some of the things we do out of pure laziness can be just plain silly (like the person in this car rolling his trashcan to the street). Actually, it’s not silly, it’s really kind of stupid.

We do it with fitness too. I have worked way harder than I needed to at the gym when I’ve been lazy with my diet, simply because I’m not doing the work I should in the kitchen to manage my calories properly. Again, the lazier I am, the harder I have to work.

don't wait until it's too lateProcrastination is the same way. Just think of all the unnecessary stress we would have if we did everything we should do when we should do it. We wouldn’t be totally freaking out to meet a deadline because we waited to the last minute to do the work. Our priorities would be in order, and our life would be so much more fruitful.

Unfortunately, we often wait long enough for things to get even WORSE before we start working to make them BETTER. For some (like this cartoon) it ends up being too late. We say “tomorrow” day after day, but as each day passes, we have fewer fewer tomorrows ahead of us. Time is always running out.

Procrastination: To put off. To delay.

Everyone has something they are putting off. Think of what your something is and replace it every time I use “this” in a sentence.

procrastinationTo delay means you will eventually have to do “this”. You think you can choose, but really you are fooling yourself – and making life harder.  You can do “this” now, when you have more time left to get it done, because there is one thing I know - you are younger today than you will be tomorrow. So, if doing “this” NOW is most definitely better than tomorrow, tell me again why in the world you are putting “this” off?

In the world of fitness, there are no shortcuts. Yet, most people will choose to attempt a shortcut before they ever attempt to get fit the right way. They put the PRO in PROcrastinate.

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4

My Take: This one is easy to understand. Lazy people want – but never get. It’s interesting to me that it doesn’t say “the hard worker” is richly supplied, it says “the diligent” will be richly supplied. Unfortunately, I think many people work very hard at times, but they are aren’t steady or consistant. This is a great reminder of how powerful consistency is.

I see this in the gym all the time. People are so impatient. They work SO hard in bursts, but they lack consistency. Like I’ve said before, it’s not about what you do today, it’s about what you can repeat daily. Everyone can do something amazing at times, but can you keep repeating that day after day? That is what success requires – consistency, dedication and constant correction to stay on the right track.

“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24

My Take: This one is particularly interesting to me. It implies that people who actually avoid work, are going to likely end up working hard (probably even harder). If you think about it, this applies to every part of our life – relationships, our spiritual life, our job, and definitely to our health. After years of being lazy and lacking discipline in their diet, a person can have a wake up call, and then it IS much tougher for them than other people who has been working on it all their life.

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Arrest made in connection with schools lockdown

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — A 23-year-old Kona man has been arrested after several schools on Hawaii's Big Island were...

Already have an account? Please login.

Senate panel sacks Tebow bill for 2nd year running

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The so-called Tebow bill — legislation that would allow home-schooled children to play varsity sports for teams at public schools they choose not to attend — has been thrown for a loss in Virginia's Senate.

Del. Rob Bell's bill failed to emerge from the Senate Education and Health Committee on a 7-8 vote Thursday as scores of home-school children and their parents waited for hours in a cramped legislative meeting room.

Advocates for the legislation argued that the taxes they pay that support public education entitles children whose parents opt to teach them at home entitles them to high school interscholastic teams for organized sports such as soccer,...

Already have an account? Please login.

Passion on both sides of Oregon tuition debate

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers heard passionate appeals Wednesday from people on both sides of the debate over providing in-state tuition for young immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children.

A state House committee could vote by the end of the week on whether to advance the measure to the full House of Representatives.

Students considered Oregon residents pay about $20,000 less per year at the state's largest universities. Illegal immigrants pay the higher tuition rate charged to...

Already have an account? Please login.

7 GIF that will make you love animals even more

I like animals better than people.  Sometimes I wish I could communicate with them.  The first thing I would do is find e famous dogs and tell them that they have become a YouTube sensation.  Then they bark and lick their balls not giving a shit about all the money they could make.  After that they will pursue something.

RAM owns two drunken Russians

One of my favorite things about this site is the video that I get to post drunken Russians.  Have you ever been to a sheep?  You don't really have to laugh, because that shit hurts.  Even the guys from Jackass doesn't think it is too funny.  But drunken Russians?  Zero fucks this.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Good Intentions, Poor Results: Are You Delusional?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

It’s day four out of my five common reasons why people’s good intentions don’t turn into good actions. Today it’s all about the person who truly doesn’t understand why they aren’t getting the results they want. Hopefully, I’ll help someone out there in this situation. Now, let’s tackle the beast!

hungry-womanThis person has the best intentions out of everyone. They workout and they think they eat healthy, but they just can’t lose the weight. This person looks for every excuse in the book besides the possibility that they are doing something wrong. They use menopause, bad knees, busy schedule, slow metabolism, health issues, personal issues, and every other excuse that could possibly explain why they aren’t losing weight. When it likely isn’t any of those issues at all. This person will never ever get results until they quit looking for an excuse, and start looking for a solution to the problem.

Often times, people eat healthy, but too much. They eat healthy “most” of the time, but not enough of the time to get results. A big eye opener for a person like this is counting calories. Someone should never eat 1200 calories a day and NOT lose weight, but most people have no idea how many calories they are really eating. And, if someone does indeed have a medical condition causing them to not lose weight, it is extremely rare. Key word: EXTREMELY. Most people who have blamed a lack of weight loss on a health issue, are not being honest with themselves or the doctor.

As common as the eating issue is the exercise issue. People are misinformed when it comes to what exercise really is. Many people will consider walking the dog exercise, or

Solution: This person has to crack down a bit harder on their diet and count calories. 9.99 times out of 10, they will lose weight as soon as they start counting calories and grasp what they are actually eating. They also need to workout more regular, and purposeful. This person may have been misinformed, and just needs more education and guidance. The more knowledge this person gains, the fewer excuses they will have – and the faster they will reach their goal.

Get more tips: Read…
Problem #1: Can’t seem to start
Problem #2: Motivation Issues
Problem #3: Hopelessness

good intentions

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Panel advances idea of appointing SC schools chief

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The governor could appoint South Carolina's education chief under legislation advanced...

Already have an account? Please login.

Are You Making Fitness Harder Than It Needs To Be

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Fitness doesn't have to be that hardHave you ever looked at someone else and thought “they make it look so easy”? Or, you look at others and you think “no fair, I am working way harder than them and not getting the results they are getting”. There might be a reason. You may be making fitness harder than it has to be. The damage may have started before you ever began working out. So, it may not be about how hard you are working now, but what led up to where you are now that is giving you such a beating.

Laziness: Disinclined to work. Slow moving, Idle. Sluggish. Slothful

lazinessLaziness is very interesting to me. It’s not like anyone would want to be called sloth, yet we all have had our own battle with laziness at times. Have you ever thought how hard we actually work to be lazy?

I think of all the times I have dropped something, all because I was carrying too much to avoid making multiple trips. The final result is often more work than if I just did things the right way the first time. Some of the things we do out of pure laziness can be just plain silly (like the person in this car rolling his trashcan to the street). Actually, it’s not silly, it’s really kind of stupid.

We do it with fitness too. I have worked way harder than I needed to at the gym when I’ve been lazy with my diet, simply because I’m not doing the work I should in the kitchen to manage my calories properly. Again, the lazier I am, the harder I have to work.

don't wait until it's too lateProcrastination is the same way. Just think of all the unnecessary stress we would have if we did everything we should do when we should do it. We wouldn’t be totally freaking out to meet a deadline because we waited to the last minute to do the work. Our priorities would be in order, and our life would be so much more fruitful.

Unfortunately, we often wait long enough for things to get even WORSE before we start working to make them BETTER. For some (like this cartoon) it ends up being too late. We say “tomorrow” day after day, but as each day passes, we have fewer fewer tomorrows ahead of us. Time is always running out.

Procrastination: To put off. To delay.

Everyone has something they are putting off. Think of what your something is and replace it every time I use “this” in a sentence.

procrastinationTo delay means you will eventually have to do “this”. You think you can choose, but really you are fooling yourself – and making life harder.  You can do “this” now, when you have more time left to get it done, because there is one thing I know - you are younger today than you will be tomorrow. So, if doing “this” NOW is most definitely better than tomorrow, tell me again why in the world you are putting “this” off?

In the world of fitness, there are no shortcuts. Yet, most people will choose to attempt a shortcut before they ever attempt to get fit the right way. They put the PRO in PROcrastinate.

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4

My Take: This one is easy to understand. Lazy people want – but never get. It’s interesting to me that it doesn’t say “the hard worker” is richly supplied, it says “the diligent” will be richly supplied. Unfortunately, I think many people work very hard at times, but they are aren’t steady or consistant. This is a great reminder of how powerful consistency is.

I see this in the gym all the time. People are so impatient. They work SO hard in bursts, but they lack consistency. Like I’ve said before, it’s not about what you do today, it’s about what you can repeat daily. Everyone can do something amazing at times, but can you keep repeating that day after day? That is what success requires – consistency, dedication and constant correction to stay on the right track.

“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24

My Take: This one is particularly interesting to me. It implies that people who actually avoid work, are going to likely end up working hard (probably even harder). If you think about it, this applies to every part of our life – relationships, our spiritual life, our job, and definitely to our health. After years of being lazy and lacking discipline in their diet, a person can have a wake up call, and then it IS much tougher for them than other people who has been working on it all their life.

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Free Fitness Motivation for Your iPhone

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Motivational lock screen wallpaperIN.  YOUR.  FACE!

You should always keep your goals right in front of you. If you don’t, it’s easy to stray. I swear, something I think I need to post them on my forehead to keep me on track. I need a constant reminder that I CAN do this, that it IS worth it and that I WILL succeed – as long as I stick with it. Well, now I can, and YOU CAN TOO!

How many times do you look at your phone? More times than you probably want to admit. It’s scary how often we are on our phone – so why not use it to motivate us, to keep us focused, and to challenge us to stick to our fitness routine or diet?

I recently turned one of my photo mantras into wallpaper for my lock screen on my iphone. Every time I open my iphone, it reminds me who’s boss – and encourages me to stick to my plan. After posting the screenshot on my facebook, I got some good feedback, so I decided to make a few for YOU!!

I have created 120 motivational mantra pictures. However, they were created in a square format for easy sharing on instagram, facebook, twitter, etc., so they have to be recreated to fit the slender rectangular iPhone screens. CLICK HERE to view them all.

Comment below and let me know what mantra you think I should make next. The following motivational wallpapers are made for the iPhone 4 – and I’ve got more in the works. If you can’t adjust this layout to fit your phone, let me know what phone you have so I can help! :)

Be sure to subscribe to this blog to be the first to get the latest information, news, tips and motivation!

Directions: Click on the photo you want to use below. A larger version will open in a new window. Right click on the photo to save (or touch and hold to save on your phone). Then go to Setting > Brightness & Wallpaper > Wallpaper > Camera Roll (and choose photo). Move and scale if needed (it should fit perfectly), then click Set > Set Lock Screen. Now you are good to go! Enjoy!

I AM A WINNER

FAT WILL SURRENDER

IF UR STRUGGLING

I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Big Presentation Coming Up? Make it Your Best One Yet

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

A Q&A with CEO Mark Murphy

There isn’t a presenter alive that doesn’t want their audience absolutely riveted; sitting on the edge of their seats with rapt attention. Yet, the reality in most presentations is that the audience is sitting back, kind of relaxed and spacing in and out.

Here Leadership IQ CEO and best-selling author, Mark Murphy, shares some ways anyone can deliver a killer presentation.

Q: You say storytelling is a critical element in delivering killer presentations that really catch and keep an audience’s attention. How does that work?

MM: It’s all about dopaminergic response. Basically, when something really interesting, like a good story, happens, the brain starts to light up. And if the story is really exciting, the amygdala gets involved (that’s what you want) and says, “Wow! This is fascinating stuff! I’ve got to start activating some of the other chemicals in the brain—we’ve got to pay close attention to this!” So it goes and starts activating dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter for highly pleasurable things, highly attentive things.

And whoa! Once dopamine gets involved people really start to pay attention. Plus dopamine helps sear whatever it is folks are experiencing (in this case, your killer presentation) into their memory so they don’t forget it. So a great story is a way of getting the brain to say, “I am really engaged with this. I don’t want to miss a word that’s being said here. I am going to remember every word I hear.”

Next time you’re listening to someone else’s presentation, pay attention and see if you experience any moments that leap out at you and just get seared into your brain. Where you walk out of there quoting something you just heard to everyone you run into that day. If you don’t have that kind of experience then it is likely that the person speaking didn’t get anywhere near activating anything beyond your prefrontal cortex. They didn’t get into your limbic system, and they certainly didn’t excite your amygdala.

Q: So what’s the secret to telling a great story that excites the amygdala?

MM: There are a number of different ways to tell stories that really get people’s attention. Here’s one that uses an unexpected twist. Imagine you began a presentation by saying, “Six months ago, we upgraded our servers. Our website visitor capacity doubled. Our website loading speed tripled. And our profits dropped by 80%.” You can do something like that. Take your audience in one direction and then all of a sudden take them in a totally different direction. That’s one of those things that will make people’s heads spin a bit and get them to think, “Wait a minute, did I just hear what I thought I heard? I better start listening more closely.” You can also tell stories that build an emotional connection or introduce a startling fact.

Q: What’s one big thing to avoid when giving a presentation?

MM: Narcissism. When you talk about others more than you talk about yourself, that’s good. But when you talk about yourself more than you talk about others, that’s bad. But that can be challenging in some presentation situations. Leadership IQ teaches presenters to apply the Narcissism Ratio which is a little check that signals when it’s time to tell a story or to talk about somebody or something other than yourself. That way you don’t spend 20 minutes talking about all of the awards your company has won – something about which your audience probably doesn’t care. And it directs you to talk about something about which they do care, something that’s really going to activate them and get them on the edge of their seats.

To apply the Narcissism Ratio to your next presentation, keep track of how many times you say “I” or “me” versus the number of times you say “customers” or “employees” or “you” or “they” or anybody other than you. It takes some practice, but it’s really quite an effective way to keep your finger on the pulse of where your presentation is going as it happens. That way you are always on track and making sure your  audience stays fully engaged.

For more tips on delivering memorable presentations, join us for our upcoming webinar The Secrets of Killer Presentations.

A professional corporate writer with over 20-years’ experience crafting just the right words for executives to use in challenging situations, Lyn is a passionate and adept qualitative researcher. Her seasoned skills as an interviewer make her quick to identify the unique attitudes and behaviors that define an organization. Lyn’s extensive expertise in public relations and persuasive communications translates strongly in her contributions to Leadership IQ’s custom-training programs.

Good Intentions, Poor Results: Are You Delusional?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

It’s day four out of my five common reasons why people’s good intentions don’t turn into good actions. Today it’s all about the person who truly doesn’t understand why they aren’t getting the results they want. Hopefully, I’ll help someone out there in this situation. Now, let’s tackle the beast!

hungry-womanThis person has the best intentions out of everyone. They workout and they think they eat healthy, but they just can’t lose the weight. This person looks for every excuse in the book besides the possibility that they are doing something wrong. They use menopause, bad knees, busy schedule, slow metabolism, health issues, personal issues, and every other excuse that could possibly explain why they aren’t losing weight. When it likely isn’t any of those issues at all. This person will never ever get results until they quit looking for an excuse, and start looking for a solution to the problem.

Often times, people eat healthy, but too much. They eat healthy “most” of the time, but not enough of the time to get results. A big eye opener for a person like this is counting calories. Someone should never eat 1200 calories a day and NOT lose weight, but most people have no idea how many calories they are really eating. And, if someone does indeed have a medical condition causing them to not lose weight, it is extremely rare. Key word: EXTREMELY. Most people who have blamed a lack of weight loss on a health issue, are not being honest with themselves or the doctor.

As common as the eating issue is the exercise issue. People are misinformed when it comes to what exercise really is. Many people will consider walking the dog exercise, or

Solution: This person has to crack down a bit harder on their diet and count calories. 9.99 times out of 10, they will lose weight as soon as they start counting calories and grasp what they are actually eating. They also need to workout more regular, and purposeful. This person may have been misinformed, and just needs more education and guidance. The more knowledge this person gains, the fewer excuses they will have – and the faster they will reach their goal.

Get more tips: Read…
Problem #1: Can’t seem to start
Problem #2: Motivation Issues
Problem #3: Hopelessness

good intentions

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Kitsap school teaches environmental conservation

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — Forty-five feet above South Kitsap High School's athletic field, the 6-foot-long blades of a wind turbine turn gracefully in the breeze. The blades are flared at the tips, like aircraft wings, and the turbine head has a sensor mechanism allowing it to swivel with the slightest shift in wind direction for maximum power output.

The $60,000 turbine, obtained through a grant from the Office of Naval Research, has been running for about a month and has been a great conversation-starter around campus.

The OMG factor is one reason the high school's Career and Technical Education Department pursued the grant in the first place. The hope is that passing curiosity will grow into a hunger for knowledge about how it works, said Chance Gower, CTE instructional specialist, who wrote the grant proposal with...

Already have an account? Please login.

Miss. Bill to help children with speech disorders

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House passed a bill Wednesday to help...

Already have an account? Please login.

Free Fitness Motivation for Your iPhone

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Motivational lock screen wallpaperIN.  YOUR.  FACE!

You should always keep your goals right in front of you. If you don’t, it’s easy to stray. I swear, something I think I need to post them on my forehead to keep me on track. I need a constant reminder that I CAN do this, that it IS worth it and that I WILL succeed – as long as I stick with it. Well, now I can, and YOU CAN TOO!

How many times do you look at your phone? More times than you probably want to admit. It’s scary how often we are on our phone – so why not use it to motivate us, to keep us focused, and to challenge us to stick to our fitness routine or diet?

I recently turned one of my photo mantras into wallpaper for my lock screen on my iphone. Every time I open my iphone, it reminds me who’s boss – and encourages me to stick to my plan. After posting the screenshot on my facebook, I got some good feedback, so I decided to make a few for YOU!!

I have created 120 motivational mantra pictures. However, they were created in a square format for easy sharing on instagram, facebook, twitter, etc., so they have to be recreated to fit the slender rectangular iPhone screens. CLICK HERE to view them all.

Comment below and let me know what mantra you think I should make next. The following motivational wallpapers are made for the iPhone 4 – and I’ve got more in the works. If you can’t adjust this layout to fit your phone, let me know what phone you have so I can help! :)

Be sure to subscribe to this blog to be the first to get the latest information, news, tips and motivation!

Directions: Click on the photo you want to use below. A larger version will open in a new window. Right click on the photo to save (or touch and hold to save on your phone). Then go to Setting > Brightness & Wallpaper > Wallpaper > Camera Roll (and choose photo). Move and scale if needed (it should fit perfectly), then click Set > Set Lock Screen. Now you are good to go! Enjoy!

I AM A WINNER

FAT WILL SURRENDER

IF UR STRUGGLING

I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Sara Jean Underwood is the stuff that dreams are made of

Sara Jean Underwood is so fucking that it hurts. She is now 28, but probably most notably known for her work in Playboy Circa 2006-07. She also attacked the show some shitty B movies. She is 5 ' 3, weighs 103, and it measures in at-32 C-24-32 C 31-24-31. Follow her @ SaraUnderwood.

Iceland could become the first Western country to ban Internet porn-hard
Kate Middleton bikini baby bump Photo – Celeb Jihad
20 Greatest motivational quotes all the time – Cav

Train Like a Farmer

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

If you watched the SuperBowl, you probably saw the Dodge Ram commercial “God Made a Farmer”. It was a risky move. It wasn’t funny, it was’t shocking, but it was moving – and it was a huge success. Why? I think it’s because everyone respects a hard worker, and there is no doubt farmers work very hard. I think we can all learn a lot from a farmer, even when it comes to fitness. Why? Because life is all about working for a harvest.

In this commercial, Paul Harvey reels off a long list of traits and skills required to be a farmer.

god-made-farmerCaretaker
Early Riser
Hard Worker
Patient
Resourceful
Willing to Work Long Hours
Strong
Gentle
Caring
Focused
Does What’s Right
Won’t Cut Corners
A Good Roll Model

No wonder there are SO many references to farming in the Bible, and I think you’ll begin to see what we can learn from farmers when it comes to our fitness goals. Now, let’s dive in and get a little dirty! Want to?

“The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.” Proverbs 20:4

fitness hard workThis is the epitome of the person waiting on a hand out. Whether they are trying to collect money at a corner, or trying every fitness shortcut and diet pill they can, the end result is never that great.

They don’t do the work “in the autumn” but they still are looking for a harvest in the spring. Sure, there are some people who are just down on their luck for a season, but often times people are just reaping what they sew – nothing.

I believe people can start “plowing” anytime and begin to reap the harvest they always wanted. It just requires a clear plan, consistent hard work, and follow through to the finish. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how limited you are, how poor you are or how many other excuses you have, you CAN do things now, no matter how big or small, that will positively affect your future.

The problem is, like any situation in life, it’s easy to get down in the dumps and think there is no hope. Whether it’s trying to find a job, trying to lose weight and get in the shape of your life, the task can seem overwhelming at first. The key is to just to concentrate on what you need to do TODAY. Nothing less, nothing more.

woman's absA healthy fit body requires work, but results don’t happen overnight. Unlike many other things though, a healthy body is something no one else can give you even if they wanted to. Someone can give you a place to stay. They can clothe you, feed you and give you money – but they can’t give you fitness. THAT is something you have to be willing to work for.

So, what are you going to do? Are you going to try to avoid the work, or put it off? OR, are you going to get started now and reap the harvest you deserve? Are you ready to train like a farmer.

will work for a fit body

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

McDannie Morning Muffins

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Click to visit the original post Click to visit the original post
I know, I know, I know.... say it with me, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day...."

We ALL know it - but tell that to the alarm clock buzzing, the pets needing fed, and the 17th time you've said "brush your teeth and put your shoes on!" Face it, the majority of us don't have the luxury of waking up and glamorously sipping a hot cup of coffee listening to the birds chirping.

NCLB Waivers Weaken Grad Rate Accountability, Study Finds

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Many states granted waivers from the No Child Left Behind law are relaxing or ignoring federal regulations designed to hold schools accountable for the number of students who graduate from high school on time, according to a new study released Tuesday.

When No Child Left Behind was signed into law in 2002, states used so many different ways to calculate graduation rates it was almost impossible to know how many students in the U.S. finished high school with a regular diploma in four years.

The U.S. Department of Education tried to fix that in 2008 when it established federal requirements for reporting and holding schools accountable for how many students graduate. But now, with 34 states and the District of Columbia granted waivers from No Child Left Behind, some are relaxing or ignoring some of those requirements, potentially allowing low-performing students to fall through...

Already have an account? Please login.

Tramp Stamp Tuesday

Happy Tuesday girls and boys.  I would like to introduce you to Amanda.  It is a new brunette, who is modeling for enticing Vixens and one of the first things I noticed was that she was Sporting ink.  A very useful addition to our weekly lower back tattoos all up.  It's almost hard to believe it's a week of 216.  This trip will not last forever, and damn, I'll miss when it's gone.

Have a nice Tramp stamp PIC, post should be? Dump a link in our Facebook group or drop us an email. Check last week, tramp stamp.

Father admits that shooting a drunk driver who killed his sons – heavy
Katy Perry flashes cleavage at the after party video – Celeb Jihad

Phat Babes from Fat Tuesday – Gunaxin
Ellen DeGeneres was 3 inches from Katy Perry boat – G Celeb

How to master your time – Caveman circus
Shatner on the Abrams directing episode VII: "it's now a pig" – passionate fans

Camille Piazza heat will melt you into puddle-Brosome
5 Cheeses to be made – Holy Taco

Cutest costume ever-Lulzshirts

6 hot women in science fiction fantasy movies – double Viking
Awesome Disney themed wedding (photo 19) – Ned Hardy

These camel toes make you weak at the knees (30 photos)

I love these things.  It's like getting a look at the sky without having to go through all of the grueling steps to get there.  In addition it's hump day today.  And what better way to celebrate hump day and then show some labia lovely lady lumps? Double L (patent pending).

Chris Dorner dead: top 10 things you need to know-hard
All kinds of Kate Upton Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photos – 2013 G Celeb

Courtney Ellis will be easy to get us over the hump – Caveman circus
Discover the 10 real-life cyborgs: the future is now – Double Viking

Rosie Jones and Georgia Salpa play their pants together – G Celeb
New trailer of oblivion-passionate fans

Bill Burr, Lance Armstrong – Holy Taco

Five awful Valentine's day gifts – Gunaxin
Proof that John Mayer is gay-Lulzshirts

Consider these 4 Communications Styles When Delivering your Next Presentation

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

You may be presenting to a group from within the same industry or even department, but that doesn’t mean everyone in your audience has the same preferred communications style. Different people have very different ways they prefer to give and receive information. Which means that the kind of delivery that engages some people may send others in your audience scrambling for the exits.  One of the big challenges when presenting to a mixed group is correctly adapting your communication style so your whole audience stays focused on what you’re saying.

To make it easier, we distilled it down into four basic default communication styles people can fall into. These are not personality types; this deals specifically with how you like to give and get information. Here’s a brief description of each default communication style:

The Intuitive type refers to those people who are not terribly emotional, but who are quite free form. Intuitive types don’t necessarily like things to flow from A to B to C and so on. They like to cut to the chase, so it’s best to skip directly to the end: what’s the real value you are bringing this person today? If you can get the Intuitive types in your audience to buy in on the end result right away upfront, you’ve got a much better shot at getting them to listen to all the other stuff you’ve got to say.The Analytical type refers to those people who prefer things unemotional but linear. These are your “just the facts” kinds of people. They don’t want to hear a lot of warm-and-fuzzy feeling words, so don’t waste the Analytical-type communicator’s time by telling them you understand their pain; instead just give them the numbers and data they need and want.The Functional type refers to people who generally like their communication to be emotional and linear. These folks like to have control of the process so it’s always best to move in a linear fashion: from A, to B, to C and then follow through right to the end. If you try to skip around in your presentation or jump to the enticement of your “wow” finish, you risk losing the attention of the Functional-type communicator.The Personal relater is both free form and emotional. These are the folks who want the warm-and-fuzzy emotional approach.   So feel free to dive right into all the details such as: Who else is going to be involved/ how getting involved will make them “feel”/ who else they will touch by getting involved, etc.  You can’t just come in and dump a bunch of facts on personal-type communicators, even if they are startling facts. These folks are still going to need a more interpersonal connection.

Even from these brief descriptions of the four communications styles, the conundrum is obvious: they all want something different. The good news is that, by knowing what the 4 types are, you can plan your next presentation knowing you need to hit all 4 types in your delivery. And we’ll teach you how to do that in our upcoming live webinar The Secrets of Killer Presentations.  But here’s a quick little take away secret you can start using now:

When great speakers present to a new or unknown audience, they assume all four communications styles are present. And there’s a certain order they present their information, in order to communication to each style. They begin by addressing the Intuitive types, then they speak to the Analytical types, then to the Functional types and they close by speaking to the Personal types. We see this often in presidential speeches or wherever there’s a mixed audience of preferred communication styles. Working in this order, from the Intuitive to the Analytical to the Functional to the Personal addresses attention span: Intuitives have the shortest attention span, then the Analyticals, then the Functionals and the Personals have the longest attention spans.

An expert in aligning goals and people to create thriving organizations, Mark leads one of the world’s largest studies on leadership and employee engagement.

Mark’s award-winning work has been featured numerous times in publications including The Wall St. Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Washington Post. His media appearances include CBS News Sunday Morning, ABC’s 20/20, Fox Business News and NPR. Mark has lectured at Harvard Business School, Yale University, University of Rochester and University of Florida. Mark is the author of five books including the McGraw-Hill international bestsellers, Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your People to Give It Their All and They’ll Give You Even More and Hard Goals. Mark’s most recent book, Hiring for Attitude, reflects the team’s latest research and insight into how hiring decisions can align with engagement goals and culture characteristics.

Leadership IQ’s turnaround, culture change, and performance enhancement through employee engagement work has been recognized in a diverse set of industries including healthcare, financial services, energy, manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality. From his roots as a turnaround specialist, Mark created Leadership IQ to address problems in performance before they hit the bottom line.

Prospect federal grants Reignites kindergarten-assessment debate

A federal program grants all do to help States that kindergarten-enter assessments renouvellement debate among educators early children are under benefits and pieges...

Already have a account? Please connexion.

Roomba + dog shit = fun

This guy has his Roomba to clean installation of his house while he was gone. He also has a dog. Unfortunately the Roomba does not know how to avoid dog shit.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Iowa Senate OKs 2014-2015 school funding increase

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The dueling education priorities of Democratic and Republican lawmakers came into sharp focus Thursday as the Senate backed an increase in school funding and the House tried to pull back on the governor's education reform proposal.

The Democratic-controlled state Senate approved legislation Thursday by a 26-22 vote that would increase state funding for K-12 schools by 4 percent for the 2014-2015 school year. The measure would cost an estimated $114 million. Another aid bill of about $15 million mostly for teacher compensation, also was approved.

The Legislature is required to set school funding more than a year in advance, prompting the Senate vote. Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, who chairs the Senate education committee argued in favor of the move, saying districts need to know their...

Already have an account? Please login.

McDannie Morning Muffins

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Click to visit the original post Click to visit the original post
I know, I know, I know.... say it with me, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day...."

We ALL know it - but tell that to the alarm clock buzzing, the pets needing fed, and the 17th time you've said "brush your teeth and put your shoes on!" Face it, the majority of us don't have the luxury of waking up and glamorously sipping a hot cup of coffee listening to the birds chirping.

The most creative light switch, I have ever seen

Posted by: Jason 04:00 February 11, 2013

If only the inclusion of the girl would be easy.

Unfortunately, I could not read the content fromt this page.