photo credit: 10ch

I remember how back in the day, during writing and composition classes, we learned how to ‘brainstorm.’ We started out in the center of our page with one subject/word with a box around it, and then drawing long and short lines around the object we’d connect the word with synaptic fibers of related meaning. This new web of ideas brought the previous subject to life, and possibilities for new angles, storylines and other cerebral ventures were never the same.

Then we grew up and found word processing, hyper text, hyper links, hyper-everything. Everything seemed so much faster and easier.

But we know that all humans (not just men) are visual animals. Despite the smart, sleek and savvy ways hypertext can teleport the viewer from one idea to the next, it doesn’t beat the need for flowcharts, graphs, and mind mapping tools. The good news is that with the hybrid of both hyper and visual elements, combined with the collaborative connectivity potential of the internet, we get everything in one online application.

Sure, mind-mapping sounds a bit more civilized, but it’s essentially brainstorming that’s easier to navigate.  I was inspired to include this list of resources upon reading PBS MediaShift’s Roland Legrand’s post about different ways mind-mapping tools can be used in the newsroom (thanks Bob). Aside from story ideas, these mind-mapping tools have huge cross-networking and idea development applications for team brainstorms, program and campaign planning, client collaboration, due diligence checking, and the list goes on. Online timelines allow for chronological listings of campaign elements, project updates, links to sites, etc. for a more visual diary or blog. Pie charts make it easier for clients to view where their money went, or to map page impressions and other quantifiable data.

Below is a mashup of a variety of bookmarks, but special thanks goes to WebTools4u2use at Wikispaces.

• Gliffy Draw, share and edit flow charts, diagrams, technical drawings.
• Scriblink An online collaborative whiteboard
• Thinkature Collaborative whiteboard with chat
• Twiddla Team whiteboarding and virtual meeting
• Best4C Online diagram tool that allows you to create, edit and share charts
• ChartAll Easy to generate graphs of all kinds
• Chart Tool Generate graphs, flowcharts, bar charts, pie charts, line charts, bubble charts and radar plots.
• DrawAnywhere Generate flow charts, organizational charts and diagrams online.
• FlowChart.com A collabortive flowchart creation tool.
• Graphic Organizers Generate custom designed graphic organizers
• LovelyCharts Drag and drop diagramming tool
• LucidChart Collaborative flow chart tool. Most recent version is always published.
• NYTimes Visualization Lab “create visual representations of data and information using data from today’s news.”
• Swivel Upload and explore data through charts and graphs
• Tablefy Create charts to help collect and compare data. Cells can contain images, sounds, video, text, etc. Publish online or embed in your own webpage. Search through tables others have created as well.
• Verifiable “Turn any set of numbers into an explanatory picture.”
• Bubble.us Create notes and create mindmaps online. Collaborative tool.
• CoMapping
• DropMind
• Exploratree a free web resource where you can download, use and make your own interactive thinking guides.
• FreeMind Open source mind mapping software written in Java
• Glinkr Collaborative mindmapping tool.
• IMindi
• MeadMap Organize, take notes, diagram, collaborate on research
• Mind42 (mind for two) Collaborative mindmapper
• Mindmanager Web
• MindMeister A collaborative online mindmapping tool. (one of top five)
• Mindomo Another collaborative online mindmapping tool
• ReadWriteThink Webbing Tool Find lesson plans for using this tool here .
• Spinscape
• Text2Mindmap
• WebofWeb
• Webspiration Web-based collaborative tool that integrates outline and diagram formats–from the people who make Inspiration and Kidspiration
• WikiMindMap Map relationships between wikipedia terms–good research starter
• Wisdomaps “A wisdomap has three ares: a mind map, articles and resources. Combining these areas creates a powerful format to organise information in an uncluttered way.” Up to 3 maps free.
• WiseMapping Online mindmaping tools
• Capzles An interactive multimedia timeline builder: videos, mp3s, blogs, photos; then share and see what others have created.
• CircaVie Build a timeline with your own photos, videos, text…and then share, rate and comment! Or view those created by others.
• Free Timeline Generate a timeline and embed it in report or webpage
• Make Your Own TImeline SImple timeline generator for elementary students
• MnemoGraph Timelining tool
• OurStory Save images, stories, videos in a collaborative timeline and then share online.
• OurTImeLines Personalized timeline generator
• Simile Powerful timeline generator
• ThisMoment.com A combination slide show, video sharing site, photo sharing site, timeline, blogging, scraobook and map mashup.
• Timeline Explore, create, share and discuss timelines
• TimeRime Make and/or explore timelines using visuals, text and more.
• TimeToast Create timelines. Share them on the web
• Archimy Generate 3D graphs online.
• ChartAll Easy to generate graphs of all kinds
• Char tTool Design and share your own graphs online and for free. Supports a number of different chart types like: bar charts, pie charts, line charts, bubble charts and radar plots.
• CrappyGraphs Create line graphs and Venn Diagrams that tell your story. Review examples others have created and post yours online.
• Create-A-Graph and Create-A-Graph Classic from the National Center for Educational Statistics offer tutorials and five different kinds of graph and chart makers for kids. (one of top five)
• eTutor Graphing Calculator
• Fooplot Online graphing calculator
• GraphJam Create any kind of graph. Examples will get your creative juices going and tickle your funny bone, too. Similar to CrappyGraphs.
• Holhi Line graphs, pie graphs, scatter plots, Venn diagrams, and more.
• Many Eyes a tool for visualizing data; ” visualizations provided on Many Eyes range from the ordinary to the experimental.”
• Pie Charts Quick and easy pie charts – 2 or 3D
• Swivel Upload and explore data through charts and graphs

(this list is also posted as a static page on http://oakbeat.com/maptools)

Sure, new privacy settings allow for one to ‘group’ friends into categories and modify groups’ access to photos, applications, etc.  But an integral part of the streaming comes from wall posts and status updates, which aren’t individually customizable, although even if they were, that would be a heinous amount of work unless being on Facebook is your job description.

Seth Godin I think makes an excellent point in this one clip of his talk at the Amex Open. I think we all understand the need to be in tune with the mainstream interest, follow and be followed, the transparency imperative, capture and resonate with your audience, be authentic and have a personal brand, etc. (To see all of his clips, visit his post here).

But, when does the cell phone become a speakerphone, and where do you draw the line between the need for a ‘following’ and the need for meaningful relationships?

I feel compelled to clarify – I am not saying that not all relationships are meaningful. Of course they are. Every person is a stakeholder in some way, shape or form, including (and especially) competitors. But I don’t believe that being transparent and establishing goodwill with the public through transparent and authentic dialogue is mutually exclusive with privacy. You can be private and transparent. It’s a gray area at times, but I think one thing is clear – some things are not everyone’s business.

Plus, it sharpens the message, catering to your target audience. And that’s different from ’spin.’ It’s understanding that one’s soccer coach voice is different from her mother of two toddlers voice is different from her voice as a finance executive. You could call it privacy, you could call it courtesy… or you could call it just smart messaging. After all, if Bill Gates as an individual were 100 percent comprised of just the identity of Microsoft, that would be unfortunate – I’d hope he has another life too. Everyone should.

[If this is the case (understanding this is a hypothetical), and he was truly trying to carry a torch for meaningful relationships, what a missed opportunity for him to embed that soundbyte into his quotes. It's a lesson we all need to learn.]

photo credit: bsstahl

photo credit: unbarriofeliz

As a married female, I know that “sorry” will suffice for some blunders but not all. After all, “sorry” has a wide range of sentiment when it comes to admitting guilt – in fact, sometimes “sorry” is not so much about admitting wrongdoing as much as it is a courteous supplication of sympathy for one’s percieved hypersensitivity, patience or lack thereof. What exactly does “I’m sorry if you took it that way” mean, after all?

Similarly, in today’s world where “high touch” is no longer just a tactile reference, “We apologize for any inconvenience” just doesn’t cut it, at least with businesses that still need to “touch” consumers. Last week, one of the world’s largest online retailers, Amazon, covertly started deleting previously purchased copies of Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 from consumers’ Kindle devices, while refunding their purchases, due to reasons of the illegalities of the original third-party download source. Bloggers were enraged, as I’m sure were many a Twitterers as well.

But what I think will be remembered are the words of validation given from Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO today. In a statement on a forum, he wrote:

This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com

A couple things:

Not really sure what the no-show was about from our guy Jeff for the earnings call – dodging investor and analyst criticism? Perhaps. But he did recognize the constituency most important to him and his shareholders – the consumer. And sure enough both consumers and online media slowly started to show their acknowledgement of his humble apology (”if you really need a hug, we’ll be here”), stated accountability, and promise to use this as a learning experience to ensure a better handling of such incidents in the future.

Note I didn’t write “apology and regret.” I can’t count how many times I’ve seen clients’ attorneys finalize letters stating “We apologize for the inconvenience” or “We regret to inform you.” We regret it happened. Of course you do. So does the consumer, probably more so than you. But, are you admitting your wrongdoing, that it shouldn’t have happened and how this will actually fuel the fire for better consumer service in the future?

Attention attorneys and PR folk who know this tune so well: I have to pause here for a minute to dwell on an interesting but evolving dynamic – the will of legality/legal ramificiations vs. the will of goodwill establishment (that’s a tongue twister). A sincere apology for a fact that occured, or an expression of regret that it occured under your watch, will not help fuel a pending suit but is more likely to mitigate ill-willed sentiment harbored by consumers. I think there is a multi-faceted and eerie effect that such a validating apology has on the individual who feels victimized by an organization when one is used to self-righteous 800-pound gorilla corporations weilding their lobby dollars as they please – a weird sense of awe, paired with validation… and the cherry on top is the double-whammy of a humanizing-and-associating effect the spokesperson has on the end individual – If I were you, I’d feel the same way. That’s essentially the gist of it in a nutshell. I’m sorry, we screwed up. If I were you, I’d feel the same. NOT, I’m sorry that you feel that way. (because I wouldn’t have?) Despite the similar syntax, the meaning (and feeling) are polar opposites.

PR folks have been talking about the imperative of building relationships for years, some even have their own branded concept of the relationship apparatus. But to get to the marrow of it – consumers need to like you to trust you, and when they like you, they’re less likely to file legal action. Ask Malcolm Gladwell. But if you don’t admit to your wrongdoing, they will never really trust you again. This will always be the big legal-PR dilemma of goodwill establishment, and the reason why I believe that law should be used as a tool to fix crises but never the orchestrating strategy. (And quite frankly, nothing makes one look guiltier than the overexhausted “no comment” remark).

If you are in the business of selling to consumers in today’s economy, your behavior should address the tireless question, Why should I (still) spend my money with you? In Amazon’s case, Bezos had the right answer. If he is being earnest (if), he is saying, Because they saw their actions in our shoes, they are a better company now through it all.

Yeah, yeah. It’s all back down to that one A word again, Authenticity . But it’s a huge step from last decade’s buzzword, Transparency. Transparency is showing reality. Authenticity is being real, but more importantly, keepin’ it that way.

Technorati : amazon, corporate communications, crisis, kindle
Del.icio.us : amazon, corporate communications, crisis, kindle
Zooomr : amazon, corporate communications, crisis, kindle
Flickr : amazon, corporate communications, crisis, kindle

As this debate on health care rises in intensity, I felt compelled to post. Some people say that the health debate is second priority to the economy issue, but it’s kind of the same issue in a way. It’s the same issue because people can’t afford medical treatment they desperately need. What economy issue is greater than the issue of not having enough money to save your own life, or the life of your child or your spouse?

At the same time, hearing more about healthcare being associated as a “human right” challenges me as well – for various reasons. I think it is probably best expressed in my comment to a blog, owned by a person I have deep respect for leading the message on the desperate need for health reform. My comment is below. Stone me if you will, but despite our dire situation, no, I don’t believe healthcare is a human right, because it’s kind of offensive to those out there who are literally being treated like animals.

oakbeat // Apr 5, 2009 at 12:26 pm Your comment is awaiting moderation.

At the grave risk of being stoned, may I dare state that I don’t agree with your tagline – I don’t believe Healthcare is a Human Right.

I do believe it’s a Civil Right. As a citizen of the United States, yes. And I believe that it’s an unbelievable tragedy that I think we’re like the only developed nation in the Western Hemisphere that does not offer free healthcare to all of its citizens.

But a human right? The only reason I was compelled to point this out is because human trafficking has been a conviction in my heart as of late. There are more slaves now today than ever before – six year-old girls sold as sex slaves and being taught to use child language like “yum yum” for oral sex and “boom boom” for traditional sex, catering toward mostly American tourists. In India, child slaves are cheaper than cattle. I believe the figure was something like 27 million slaves in the world today, a multi-billion dollar industry and more and more of them smuggled into the United States.

Sorry I just had to get it off my chest because I do believe that human rights (the right to be treated human) and civil rights (the right to be treated as a contributing member of a society that can afford to take care of its needy and sick but cannot due to the greed and power-mongering evil within large corporations today) needs to be differentiated.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that Sicko hasn’t spoken to me. It has. It had me floored, and I realized that a lot of my God-given talents have been misplaced and I want to do more to be a voice for some of these patients who cannot find resources to be a voice for themselves. I feel that is my calling if I can make a difference.

But only because I feel it’s abominable for greedy executives at large health care companies to suck the life (literally) out of the underprivileged so that they can be fat, rich and happy, and that our nation in order to have hope in the future need to establish for our future generation a society of community awareness and understanding that being blessed means that you need to be a blessing to others, not vice versa. And for those who have spent so much of their efforts to help others and in return get smacked in the face like those 9-11 workers who literally were told after weeks of being on ground zero because they were saving more American lives and ended up with permanent lung disease, the government’s response: “we never asked you to help us, why should we help you.”

That’s like if someone was maimed for running across the street to save my baby girl’s life from being hit by a car and then me saying, “Oh, I never asked you to save her life.”  Times thousands.

The fact that we pay so much in taxes and contribute as honest workers in this country to be abused by the wealthy and powerful who use fear as a paralyzing weapon of control is yes exemplified through the horrific health care system we live in today. If you are an American Citizen you deserve to have the civil right for free health care based on need and not based on ability to pay – absoulutely, that is the very least the government can do.

But human rights? I have to honestly disagree.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Five Former Slaves Who Are Changing the World (takepart.com)
• Sex slavery exists in U.S., too (msnbc.msn.com)
• Former teen sex slave on ordeal (msnbc.msn.com)

It’s something that everyone defines differently. I’m sure you’ve heard millions of varieties based on different values.

I’m going through one of the most difficult times in my life, and I can’t say I can think of anything that will be more of a challenge even later on in life (although, see now it’s gonna happen because I said it wouldn’t).

I feel like I am in one of those John Grisham movies. Every time Walter’s ears perk up and he starts growling downstairs at our entryway, I panic and look for my cell phone.  I try my best to sleep more than two hours a day, and I’ve lost 30 pounds since December (actually, THAT’s a perk).

But through all of this, one thing which became more clear and sharper in focus is the definitions of Life and Success.

IF, THEN:

IF, If Life is tangibly measured by hours (time) quantitatively, and by thoughts/priorities (such as relationships, values, etc.) qualitatively,
THEN, Success = having full control of the hours in your day and having your actions and activities work towards reflecting and fortifying your priorities.

Ha! I think I might be on to something! It sounds like something I would read somewhere!

photo credit: Clyktose

I couldn’t tell for the life of me… whether this was one of them. I posted this in my “Reading Picks” list but had to share here too for my journal log.

Revenge versus Indifference: The Virtues of Letting it Go

There is a lot anger these days toward all sorts of villains associated with the meltdown.  And I certainly got plenty mad at the AIG executives and a lot of those financial services CEOs.  But I have tried to remind myself that getting angry and obsessed with avenging others isn’t very healthy.

Yes, there are times when justice demands it and when fighting back creates feelings of control.  Indeed, when it comes to fighting back against assholes, my favorites stories include Jason Zweig’s tale of the abused airline employee who sent the culprit’s bags to Nairobi (even though he was going to LA), Sue Sherman’s story (see the post about Jason’s story)about how she taught new bus drivers in Ann Arbor to save-up an “accident” for revenge against an asshole driver during Christmas time, and my favorite about the radio producer who got back at her food-stealing boss by putting some Ex-Lax laced candies on her desk.

But it is also important to remember the downsides of revenge include — as you can see in Getting Even, a classic and well-documented effect is that it can fuel a vicious circle of revenge where each party feels as if the last act of revenge needs to be avenged, and each side travels through life being harmed and then harmed — without the score ever being settled.

Full article here

This is the guy who wrote the HBR-raved book “The No Asshole Rule” and champions the imperative that a healthy workplace doesn’t just make ethical sense it makes business sense. If you are reading this from a Facebook link and are hence on my Facebook list, PM me on Facebook and I’ll mail you a copy if you’re interested. (I know I’m teased about this before but I’m a dork like that. I buy books in multiples when I think there’s a message or story, or when something’s just really good. Like this one. Or Merle’s Door. Merle’s Door rocked my world).

I’ve been hit too many times in the last year with signs – how is one to determine which ones are signs and which ones are just, for reference?

Can we always trust our judgment?

photo credit: photomequickbooth

This is an unexpected-but-I-had-to-share-now post.

So my friends know that as of recent, the entire topic of Human Trafficking has been tugging at my heart. Eager to know what stats there are in my local area, I Google “human trafficking Orange County.”

This catches my attention: http://bit.ly/M3LtJ

OK so I think this guy must be an expert on human trafficking in the OC. And I think cool. And so I visit the org site, called STRIKE: Slavery & Trafficking Remediation Intervention Knowledge & Education -
http://bit.ly/wNtmb

And I proceed to learn more about this guy through his profile: http://bit.ly/11KkWA

And then I noticed all of his speech venues and realize that they’re mostly public orgs and if he just weaved in an ‘oppression at the workplace’ theme into his curriculum also, he’d generate more training revenue from the private sector, particularly with the economy and work environments getting tough. Here is the previous clients list: http://bit.ly/WNO1E

So then I’m like OK I should write this guy an email since he’s open to suggestions and tell him about the employee oppression thing, as more people need to be motivated to be talking about it, and somehow it’s somewhat of a personal issue for me. And I think that the very sad reality is that the right stories and messages don’t get told because money still makes the world go around, so the only people who are talking about the important stuff are the people who are not so invested in money, unless you’re so famous that you sell books; the point is that there is no money in telling a true story (I suppose literally too, case in point the print media industry) – yet ironically the biggest money is in telling stories to get others out of trouble or to help Companies sell items that cannot sell on their own. So I am about to write this email, but I realize he’s probably like a full time CPA right. So I decide I should email both his org email and also his regular email. So I search for him by name.

Here is what I get:

Larry Gassin.com: Training Individuals & Organizations To Experience The Power Of Success By Design
“ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER WHO WILL HELP MAKE YOUR NEXT MEETING OR EVENT A BIG SUCCESS – AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS GLAD THEY ATTENDED?

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MASTER OF CEREMONIES TO HOST YOUR EVENT WITH PROFESSIONALISM, WARMTH AND AN ENTERTAINING ABILITY TO TASTEFULLY CONNECT YOUR PLANNING, PURPOSE AND PEOPLE?

WELL, YOUR SEARCH IS OVER”

link: http://bit.ly/FHOtM

In addition under this brand, he has given workshops including the following topics:

• The “Set and Get Your Goals” Workshop
• Construct a Powerful Three-Year Vision
• Harness the Ability to Make Powerful Change
• Retreat to Jump Ahead – Planning the Time to Plan
• Financial Control for the Entrepreneur or Service Professional – Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse to Make Sure the Patient Will Prosper
• Develop the Habits of Success for Consistently Producing Extraordinary Results
• Champion the “Best Season” of Your Business and Personal Life For a Year That is “Better Than Ever”!
• 10 Key Strategies – Proven to Create More Profit in Less Time

… But that’s not all. He’s also “the Coach of the Executive Business Gym:  Tools to Accelerate the Growth of Your Business!”
http://bit.ly/19o2e6

An excerpt from his “Meet the Coach” profile:

While at the then largest of the “Big 4″ firms, he was selected as one of eleven firm members nationally to develop a special litigation consulting practice and was integrally involved in a variety of major historic litigation matters including U.S. v. IBM and U.S. v. ABC, CBS. He has also served as an expert witness in business litigations. While head of his own firm, he successfully competed on numerous occasions against Big 4 and large regional and local firms for new clients, including a high-tech subsidiary of DuPont Corporation and some technology innovation enterprises, winning the clients.

So then I’m like, Who IS this guy?

And he’s a zealous terrier at that. He wrote the following Ezines article (ezine is like the voluntary contribution magazine open source info portal where you submit your own stories as an “expert:”

3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself

The 2008 election will surely be known as one of the most memorable, albeit longest election campaigns in history. For some it seemed to drag on forever and many desperately waited for the campaigning to be over.  I know some who seem to have even “closed their eyes” and hoped it (along with the financial crisis) would all go away. But for those who kept their eyes wide open, they learned lessons that provide keys to creating and capturing their own success.

Nobody disputes that President-elect Obama ran the most powerful and skillfully crafted campaign in memory and had a brilliant team of coaches and advisors to keep him on track and on task. Yet 3 words continually used to describe him by media friends and foes reveal the basis of success of what many reflect was a most unlikely candidate, let alone winner – focused, disciplined and confident. Examining these 3 keys and applying them – or getting help to develop them – can totally change your business and personal life.

From the inception of his campaign, Obama consistently demonstrated an amazing focus – a clarity of vision and purpose that guided his mission, his message, the kind of candidate he was and the way in which he responded, adapted or chose not to respond to circumstances. Everything he did was designed to keep that vision in sharp focus which maintained motivation to persist. At the basis of all great success is a focus fixed on a clear vision, and it’s clear that he held that vision for some time. It didn’t begin with this campaign but rather, the campaign sprung from that vision.

If I heard it once, I heard it dozens of times – he was described as “extremely disciplined.” Anchored by the focus of a powerfully clear vision, discipline becomes much easier, even natural. Such discipline drives execution of strategy, which is critical for success. Poor plans magnificently executed will trump the best plans not executed – every time. What shone through that discipline? Years of disciplined study of influential and charismatic leaders as well as years of practice emulating them. Discipline seems a decision this candidate made long ago.

Confidence is contagious and invites others to join in – especially if they are struggling with uncertainty or fear. I was struck by several commentators’ remarks at the President-elect’s victory speech, which were something like: Considering the massive and mounting crisis that he’s walking into, he seems remarkably confident of his ability to step in and take charge. Everybody likes to deal with a winner and confidence is one of its hallmarks.

Focus, discipline and confidence – they were key winning factors to propel Obama to the White House. Make them the Winner’s Edge for you and your business!

Larry Gassin, CPA, is Co-founder and CEO of Advanced Coaching Solutions and is an author and speaker with over 20 years of experience as a professional business, executive and leadership coach. His passion is pointing people to the power of their potential and helping them reach maximum achievement.

He has led his own consulting, tax and accounting firm where he successfully competed against Big 4 and large regional and local firms for new clients – including a high-tech subsidiary of DuPont Corporation – winning the clients’ business. He’s gained in-depth entrepreneurial experience as the President and CEO of an energy systems technologies company he founded that has done business with customers across the nation.

He states, “Hope is great. But hoping that things might change directions on their own isn’t the best way to lead your life and build your business. It is unpredictable, unfulfilled, and unreliable.” To contact Larry, or for more info, visit: http://www.advancedcoachingsolutions.com or http://www.larrygassin.com For his Winner’s Edge Newsletter with T.I.P.S. on leadership, success, maximum achievement, goal-getting, time management, sales, customer service and more email: winners_edge@aweber.com To protect your privacy you’ll receive a confirming email. Just reply and you’re set.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Gassin

Two things that kill me:

1. He quotes himself in his own boiler. 2. He writes out at the bottom how to cite his articles, MLA style, APA style and Chicago style:

* MLA Style Citation:
Gassin, Larry “3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself.” 3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself. 17 Nov. 2008. EzineArticles.com. 30 Mar 2009 <http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Great-Keys-of-Obamas-Success-and-How-You-Can-Use-Them-For-Yourself&id=1700896>.

* APA Style Citation:
Gassin, L. (2008, November 17). 3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Great-Keys-of-Obamas-Success-and-How-You-Can-Use-Them-For-Yourself&id=1700896

* Chicago Style Citation:
Gassin, Larry “3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself.” 3 Great Keys of Obama’s Success and How You Can Use Them For Yourself EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Great-Keys-of-Obamas-Success-and-How-You-Can-Use-Them-For-Yourself&id=170089

He probably uses all of this to promote his own CPA business in front of his clients.

Despite the folksy mumbo jumbo and the “hope is not everything but it’s great”-type rhetoric, I gotta give it to the guy.  Plus, I’m not saying he doesn’t know his stuff. That’s not my job or business to determine that, and just because his messages are a little mixed doesn’t mean he isn’t good at what he does. I don’t know the guy and I don’t want to make assumptions. But what I do know is this: We need to all learn from his guts and efforts.

And my next question is,
What in the world are the real experts doing?

So my conclusion is that the real experts are too busy doing their jobs that they don’t have time to tell their own stories, and then when the market gets taken over by these types of Dr. Phil/Tony Little Gazelle/Campy CPA dude, we complain, we complain…….. but honestly, we should be doing better with our marketing.

I’m not kidding.  The guy knows he can point average Joe consumer to the Ezine article and he’ll look very important. Omg. So at the end of the day, what is the difference between this guy and you, if you are also a CPA?

The world knows more about him the way he wants them to know, than they do about you.

Do something for your personal brand today.

Anthem promises to make amends but Blue Shield says it’s not obliged to follow guidelines.

By Lisa Girion
11:25 PM PST, February 17, 2009

Two of California’s largest insurers have been selling health coverage intended to be a safety net for the state’s sick and jobless at premiums that exceed state-issued rates, in some cases by thousands of dollars a year.

Two other companies — Aetna and Health Net — uniformly adhere to the state-issued rates. But a Times investigation found that Blue Shield of California’s premiums are as much as 55% higher. And those charged by Anthem Blue Cross have been as much as 36% higher.

The rates affect more than 13,000 people with Anthem coverage and more than 6,000 with Blue Shield policies.
When the higher rates were pointed out to Anthem, the company said it had erred and moved swiftly to make amends. In contrast, Blue Shield defended its rates. It said it was not required to follow the state-issued rate structure because the company did not believe it was legally binding. It also said it reports its rates annually to the state.

Regulators acknowledged that they had not scrutinized these premiums for years. But they have recently opened investigations.

The coverage at issue was established in 1996 by the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. A key goal was ensuring that people who lost their jobs were able to remain insured. HIPAA works in tandem with COBRA, a federal law that extends job-based group insurance coverage, entirely at the individual’s expense, for up to three years after a person leaves or loses a job. (COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, the 1986 law that created the program.)

Under HIPAA, insurers must offer their most popular coverage options to people whose COBRA coverage has run out, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

The higher premiums charged by the California insurers, which vary by the policyholder’s age and region, add up. For example, Blue Shield’s monthly premium for a family of four in Los Angeles with a 40-year-old primary policyholder is $1,461. That’s $401 a month, or $4,812 a year, above the cap.

Anthem’s 2009 monthly premium for the same family was $1,356 — $296 a month, or $3,552 a year, above the cap.
In response to The Times’ findings, Anthem initiated a review and discovered errors in its rates, spokeswoman Peggy Hinz said.

So far, Anthem has determined that it has been overcharging enrollees ages 60 to 64 since 2006. Anthem said it appeared others had also been overcharged, and it was reviewing charges to all members since 2006. The company is sending letters to members who may have been overcharged and has promised reimbursement for overpayments, with interest. Anthem members with questions may call (800) 636-8991.

Blue Shield, on the other hand, stood by its rates and maintained that it had done nothing wrong.

“We think we are obeying the letter of the law, and there’s never been any indication that we aren’t,” spokesman Tom Epstein said.

Blue Shield, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, said that even with the higher rates it lost about $7 million on its HIPAA coverage last year and expects to lose up to $20 million on such policies this year.

“It’s been a pretty consistent money loser,” Epstein said.

For consumers, HIPAA coverage is expensive even under the state-issued rate structure. People without pre-existing conditions can obtain cheaper health insurance on the open market. Those who buy HIPAA coverage tend to have continuing medical conditions that most insurers would otherwise refuse to cover.

“These are people typically with pre-existing conditions — serious health conditions — who absolutely need health insurance and healthcare but are blocked from the marketplace,” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough).
Even people with minor medical blemishes find themselves in need of HIPAA’s guaranteed coverage.

One 63-year-old woman in the Bay Area tried to buy insurance on the open market after her COBRA coverage ran out four years ago. But she was rejected for what she called “piddly reasons,” including maintenance chiropractic visits and the use of Fosamax, a widely prescribed drug that helps bones absorb calcium. She ended up with a HIPAA policy through Anthem.

Even with Anthem’s promised rate rollback, she will pay more than $700 a month for her HIPAA coverage — too much, she said, for a policy with a $1,500 deductible.

“It’s very onerous,” she said in an interview. “I need it in case of utter disaster.”

As a state lawmaker in 2000, Speier wrote a bill to limit premiums because HIPAA policies had become so expensive that they in effect excluded the very people the coverage was supposed to help.

Speier’s law, which took effect in 2001, forbids insurers from charging more than the “average premium paid” by subscribers in the state’s high-risk insurance pool for coverage arranged through preferred provider organizations.

Shortly after the law was adopted, regulators met to work out implementation details — including how to figure the average premium paid, said Sarah Soto-Taylor, a spokeswoman for the state Major Risk Medical Insurance Program, which runs the high-risk pool.

The Department of Insurance and the Department of Managed Health Care “got us all together and they had discussions about what would be the appropriate way to provide this data to them,” she said. “The agreement, and historically what we’ve been asked to provide them, is this weighted average — weighted by the number of contracts [policies] for each region, each age range.”

Blue Shield’s Epstein said the company was aware of the state-issued rates. But, he said, the company developed its own method for calculating its rates almost from the beginning and never saw a reason to change.
In a 2004 e-mail to the state Department of Insurance, a lawyer for Blue Shield explained that, instead of the state’s weighted average, the company used a “straight average method” to calculate rates. The Blue Shield lawyer asserted that, under certain circumstances, “a weighted average will result in higher rates for everyone.”

But The Times’ analysis found that the opposite was true. Blue Shield’s premiums for 2004 and subsequent years were higher than the state’s weighted average rates for most consumers.

Epstein explained the discrepancy as an “innocent mistake” by a lawyer who told regulators in her e-mail that she was “not a rating expert.”

There is no evidence that the Department of Insurance responded to Blue Shield’s e-mail. And regulators have never taken action against an insurer over HIPAA rates.

But within the last several months both regulators became aware of variations in HIPAA premiums and opened inquiries, which are continuing.

“We really do view this with alarm,” said Lynne Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Department of Managed Health Care. “If people are being charged more than they should be, especially in this time of economic crisis, then the Department of Managed Health Care is going to be getting down to the bottom of it. And it could include an order to reimburse consumers.”

After its initial review, the department notified Blue Shield that its rates might not comply with the law.
The company defended its rates in a letter to the department, saying it had used a “straight average” for years and that regulators never objected.

Bryan Liang, executive director of the Institute of Health Law Studies at the California Western School of Law in San Diego, said the law did not allow an insurer to choose its definition of “average.”
Insurers have been allowed to “game the system by using whatever method they wish to push the premiums up, which is certainly not what the drafters or the Legislature intended,” Liang said. “The issue was affordability and a bright line as to what is allowed to be charged.”

Epstein said Blue Shield would recalculate its rates if so ordered.

“If our regulators’ interpretation of the law is that we should use the weighted average, we would switch to the weighted average,” he said.
lisa.girion@latimes.com

The Stimulus Plan: How to Spend $787 Billion – The New York Times

Aside from the fact that the movie ran more like a modern-day video game than a movie, without a complex plot, I found this movie to be highly disturbing for two reasons, neither of which are the obvious nature of the existence of human trafficking in the world.

One was the realization of our society’s oversaturation of indulgent stimuli and “entitlement gluttony,” that the entertainment industry demands stories that are actually mild versions of the harsh realities of life for many girls in third world countries, except that these girls don’t really have the benefit of being drugged because that would add additional expenses. Some are actually as young as six or seven years old. I couldn’t help but wonder – if this is what America is given for entertainment, what do people in those countries watch for entertainment (other than American films, probably not this one)? One certain thing is that this film was not shot in the same fashion as “Traffic” and other movies created in the dual interest of public education and Hollywood entertainment. No, this was pure thrill of the over-exaggerated reflexive skills of a former secret agent’s encounters with Eastern European gang members and the shock value of the dehumanization of young women in a censored and watered-down depiction of human sex trafficking, in its mildest form when compared with reality.

Two – the realization that this movie would have zero viewership potential and interests unless the main character victims of this human trafficking were Caucasian American young female tourists. As much as I would like to think that it would have the same effect to our audience if the girls were natives of these third-world Eastern European (or Latin American, African, Southeast Asian) countries, somehow I get a feeling that the shock value and the deliberate intent to stimulate the disturbance nerve within the American mass viewership would not sustain box office sales for a profit. Not to mention that it would be just a censored documentary and not a movie.

The question is , Why? Why have we morphed into a society where the harsh realities outside of our bubbles are then twisted into a way which resonates better with us and then sold to us as entertainment? And more importantly, since when have we been desensitized to basic human rights crimes, in a nation that invests millions in to advocacy for the rights of dogs, cats, retail interests, privacy, equal pay, universal healthcare, religion in schools, just to name a few? It’s not that we are ignorant of what goes on in the rest of the world – most people with a television and a computer are probably aware of “some kind of human trafficking out there.” It is that we know, but the story has to be offered to us on a skewed Hollywood-renditioned platter with a plot on top for it to trigger any kind of reaction or emotion (while still temporary during the two-hour show) out of us, and then the show is over – time to get back to real life.

Is it because we have all become greedy, lazy and slothful individuals? I think not. Many of us do give – we give our time, money, prayers and efforts to the protection of fundamental “rights” of others – from gay marriage to workers’ compensation to health care, property values, mortgage loans and education. Some of us are tirelessly working away at a new bill, resolution, organization, speech, campaign or other effort to influence others to understand and “open their eyes” to the realities of the need to preserve people’s entitlements, to respect others’ views and opinions, to accept and embrace diversity. Even when we are not in the demographic category of someone discriminated against, we are offended. We are offended for them, but we are also offended for us, for our society, and feel an urge to speak up so that we can keep each other honest.

But our society’s sensitivities to our entitlements have become so sophisticated, precise and advanced that we don’t recognize those harmed which should be far more offensive. We’ve evolved from human rights, to civil rights and now a society of advanced entitlements (on which we champion the American brand), that we have lost sight of the heart that brought us here. We are so upset that homosexuals are not treated the same as heterosexuals, minorities are not treated like majorities, my paycheck is not the same as your paycheck, you make more so you should pay more taxes, my health is not treated the same way your health is, social security, an embryo’s right to life, a woman’s right to choose, a patient’s right to a brand drug over a generic drug – we are dizzy in this society where we bask in the gluttony of entitlements, that the notion that there are humans who are not treated like humans is beyond our ability to fathom. This occasional disturbance is treated with a salve of differentiation – but this is America, we are different. We deserve more, and we deserve better. But it happens here, too. It just somehow slipped through the cracks amidst the noise of other passionately debated entitlements to our people.

As Christians, the message is even more disturbing. Because the confines of citizenship, geographic location, nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, race – none of these demographics can be made as an excuse to differentiate.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”
2 Chron. 7:14 (NLT)

And I don’t even consider myself a human rights activist. I’m just a young professional Asian American married female, residing in my single family home in Orange County, California, with two Golden Retrievers, three cars and an online blog.

One day, we woke up and realized we had lost sight of what made us remarkable.   The Firsts we claimed long ago were taken over by “new and improved” variations, we were no longer able to compete with other countries on price, globalization and free trade paired with the advancement of technology, the accessibility of human and non-human resources and the evolution of communications.  So instead, power and money took precedence, and the absence of strong voices challenged for stronger communities was disguised as Tolerance.  And here we are today.

Barack Obama’s election and inauguration I believe is not just meaningful – it is critical, at this juncture we are in today.  For those who do not believe in God, this should be another sign.  Because this inauguration signifies a new dawn – not just for the middle class and blue-collar workers, but for all Americans, and for the rest of the world, to once again engage through the power and virtue of shared causes and principles.

There is a new American Dream.

A dream to dwell within a certain social richness required to create and cultivate a society that rewards people who help others, who are creative and have a burning and insatiable passion to learn more and do more, and be better for the improvement of causes beyond just their paychecks. People who at the same time understand what it means to be steadfast and persevere, to contribute and sacrifice for others, yet are quick, fierce and courageous when faced with challenges.  A dream for prosperity that is not financially-driven but purpose-driven, learning that a 40-hour workweek means that your time away from your family is only fairly spent when you do what you believe in. Prosperity is no longer an outcome, but an authentic joy in knowing that we have reached our own potential as human beings, and have helped our communities achieve theirs.

As a Korean American, I know that our parents had to be steadfast and persevere for their own future, for their own children, so that we were able to enjoy the fiscal and material luxuries we do today.  This generation needs to be steadfast and persevere for America’s future, for society’s future, and for humankind’s future, so that the America we know of hope, of dreams of radicals who challenge the status quo, will be restored again in this generation, and we will shine so bright that the world will once again look towards us and model themselves around the ideals we uphold that are practiced by the American people.

America will understand that individual rights and prosperity can only be enriched through social accountability – towards our environment, towards the next generation, towards our seniors, to everyone. The thread that connects us is the same thread that makes us great, the shared hope that like the environment, our social responsibilities must be preserved and nurtured if we wish to enjoy it for much longer, and if our children wish to enjoy it at all.

Despite what the skeptics say, it is possible.  It is possible because of an accumulated history and system of rights that our founding fathers and our predecessors had set forth for us to carry, paired with the unparalleled momentum of individual influence today, the mileage of one humble deed or one remarkable story through vast communications channels. We are more empowered today than ever before, because anyone can make a difference as long as they have the will to do so.  I believe there is a hunger.  A hunger for our people to be empowered for a cause, to be linked to a greater fabric of social enrichment that will help them utilize their individual commission for a greater purpose.  We just need a leader.

Back in 1776, we inspired the world with the American Revolution in a way that changed country men and women in France and other areas of the world to create their own unforgettable history.  We stand on the shoulders of giants, they say.  I say we stand on the shoulders of radicals – radicals who not only inspired others but perservered criticism for the betterment of humankind.

Let this inauguration be another marker for our future – a marker that will set us apart from the rest of the world, and create not just our own history but once again inspire other nations to take charge of theirs as well.