The Rare Gang

For me, living in Morelia was a very rewarding experience. It was certainly far different than what I had been used to in the United States. When I went there in 1997, technology existed, however, technicians were at times limited in their knowledge compared to their counterparts in the United States. Therefore, on occasion, computer equipment did not work as well as what I had been accustomed to. And, computer services were much more limited. For instance, when I first arrived at Centro Mexicano Internacional (CMI, my school in Morelia), there was one computer available 10 to 30 minutes a day to students for email services. If I wanted additional time and services, I had to go rent one of the two or three available computers at a local cyber café a few blocks down the street from CMI.

Now, I could have felt disheartened like some of the American students at my school, however, I viewed it as an interesting challenge. Instead of reading emails during my available computer time, I would download them, print them, and read them later. Then, I would hand write out any replies I wanted to send, type them up on a non-internet computer in Microsoft Word. Afterwards, I saved them to a disk, and the next day cut and paste my replies into my emails and sent them during my 10 to 30 minutes of computer time.

Morelia’s Transportation System

Welcome to the world of the Combi, Morelia’s at times challenging bus system! Consisting of a fleet of VW buses, the normal capacity is 15-18 people. However, it was not unusual to see more than 20 people sandwiched into every nook and cranny of the Combi. It was times like that that I really hoped everyone had used their deodorant. The nice thing is that Combis went virtually everywhere and one never had to wait very long for another in the event of missing the previous one. And, with such closeness, it was impossible not to get to know fellow passengers. I met many wonderful people that way. There were times, however, I must admit I broke down and took a taxi when I felt I needed my space. That was alright too, though, because as long as one negotiates the price prior to starting out, most trips are quite reasonable. For instance, in 1997, I could ride pretty much anywhere in El Centro (downtown) for anywhere between $2 and $3. Even longer trips across town were generally never more than $8 to $10.

Most generally, I felt safe riding in either mode of transportation. One Combi experience I had, however, was a bit tense (funny now, not too much then). I decided to take a scenic tour around town one day. For most of the trip, there was one other person besides me and the bus driver. He sat up in the front seat with the driver and got into an intense political discussion that eventually turned to the subject of Gringos. It was obvious neither of them cared much for the fact that Gringos were living “south of the border.” I sat quietly listening, hoping that I was dark skinned enough to resemble one of them. By that time, my Spanish was good enough that I could hold my ground in most conversations. I felt tremendously relieved, though, when the driver looked over at me and said “you are from Brazil, right?” I didn’t actually say yes, but I managed a quick remark in my limited vocabulary of Portuguese, enough to satisfy him and his friend at least. After that, I confined my Combi trips to shorter runs and more crowded buses.

Getting Used To Living On “Mexico Time”

The first time I taught an English class on a Saturday, I was exposed to the concept of doing things on “Mexico time.” Saturdays classes were always a bit more relaxed than ones during the week as most school administrators were gone. Students as well as teachers let their hair down a bit more than usual. I generally was not as strict about breaks as I had to be during the week, so, 5 minute breaks on occasion turned to 10-15 minute ones. It was alright, though, because we almost always got through all of our assigned material. Now, lunch break was a different matter. The first time I let my class take off for lunch, they went off by themselves. It was supposed to be a one hour lunch break, of course. Well, 1:00 PM turned into 1:30, 1:45, 2:00. Finally, a little after 2:00 my class returned. When I asked one of the students what happened, one of them said “sorry teacher, we were just on Mexico time today.” So, after that, I went to lunch with my class and kept them together as a group. Instead of feeling penalized, they loved it. And, I used the time to teach a few lessons not in the book.

My Students

While at CMI, I taught classes of all levels, from beginner to advanced, from nios (children) to adultos (adults). I even got called upon to teach a class in linguistics to a group of teachers. My favorite class of all, I must say, was a group of 10 to 12 year olds. At first, I was not sure I would survive with all the antics that they pulled on me. Most of them wanted to play in class and rarely ever do their homework. Now how does one appeal to a 10 year old to get them to stay to task? Well, I commended them for how intelligent they were. Then, with the more difficult ones, I mentioned how nice it would be to meet their parents and report on their “progress” in my class. Now, the latter choice worked. After that, I never had a bit of trouble. In one of our last classes I asked each of my young charges to write about their favorite place, person, or thing. One of the girls, about 11 at the time, really touched my heart. She got up to describe her favorite person. “My favorite person is my English teacher David. His Spanish is not always the best. But, he is a good teacher and I love him.” I think I had a lump in my throat about a mile long that day.

Shopping Conditions

Just like with the buses of Morelia, shopping areas can be overcrowded and a challenge. There was more than one occasion I experienced pushing and shoving (never violent though) to get through to a counter to purchase food or other items. A Mercado (Mexican market) is nothing like the grocery stores I had been used to in the United States. Of course, there are a few supermarket style grocery stores in Morelia that are similar, but, they aren’t near as much fun to go to as the Mercados. As I mentioned in one of my previous articles - one can purchase almost anything in a Mercado (hopefully all legal). I used to spend a lot of my free time walking all over El Centro to the various shops and Mercados. I remember buying things from CDs to leather goods to delightful foods I had never experienced before. At my favorite clothing store, Milano’s, I was able to buy an entire new wardrobe for less than $150. I found leather jackets and coats at a stall not far from the downtown library for $50 to $75 that would easily cost $400 to $500 in the United States. Morelia has some of the best bargains I have ever found if one is willing to spend the time and energy to look.

Conclusion

Living in a different country with a different language and different customs is not for the faint of heart. This is my point - living in Morelia is different than where you live right now. Some of Morelia is quite modern, other parts are not. One cannot expect conditions to be exactly the same as in the United States or other more modernized countries. But, if you have a sense of adventure and use common sense, you can have a wonderful time and some marvelous experiences. I did. I have memories that will last a lifetime. I met people, saw places and things, learned new things, lived and experienced things that I will always treasure.

When you go to Morelia, go with an open mind. Be willing to learn, live a different lifestyle, experience new things. Above all, use common sense and have humility. If you do, you will have fond, priceless, unique memories that will always hold special meaning for you.

About The Author

The author, David Wix, lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Mexico during 1997 and has degrees in history and languages. Currently he is working as an insurance broker in California. He has had articles published in his areas of expertise and is currently working on a couple of books to be published in the near future. Author’s website: http://www.dave-wix.com and http://www.travelwriters.com/davewix.

dave@dave-wix.com

Keeping your credit card debts in check should be your sole aim in life if you want to live a financially viable life, because if you don’t the fall out of having a lot of debt on your credit cards can start to affect other parts of your life.

As much as credit cards are a handy spending tool, they are double the trouble if they are not taken care of and can give you problems that you could never have imagined when you first applied for the card.

Though credit cards are becoming a must have tool to have in this day and age, to book things such as concert tickets and theatre tickets over the phone or to buy goods at cheaper prices on the Internet, what you have top remember is that a credit card has a higher than normal APR attached to it, than other debt such as Personal Loans and Mortgages.

There are though a few simple and common sense practices that you can apply to your credit card and the way that you spend on it.

Firstly you can try and be a little choosier on the purchases that you make, we all know how handy the credit card is to use on purchases that you don’t have the ready cash for, but to buy goods that your income can simply support is a bad practice, as it will only lead you in to debt interest charges being added to the already obscene cost of the item and by the time that you have eventually paid it off, there’s a new model out and the one you have costs less than half the price new. Lesson: Avoid temptation.

This first practice could then lead to you only being able to afford to pay the minimum payments to your credit card, this has to be avoided also as it will leave you paying off debt for many a year and for goods again that are either past there sell by date or already in the back of your council refuge truck. Lesson: Pay more than the Minimum Payment.

Always check your credit card statement for any phantom payments taken from your card, though not a regular occurrence, mistakes can happen and it will also let you catch any fraud being applied to your credit card account. Lesson: Don’t pay for something you haven’t bought.

There are few things that the credit card issuer will also change about your card and they can do so when they please, one is to raise your APR, if they do so be prepare to move to a credit card issuer who can offer you a better deal. Lesson: Switch to save.

Another is the raising of your credit limit, again when you are checking your statement check this as well, as the hope of the credit card company is that you get the false security of being better off than you are and that if the credit card issuer says I can have it, then I must be able to afford to spend it. Lesson: Stay within your means.

Keep on top of your credit card and don’t let it get on top of you, by doing this you will master the card, rather than the MasterCard getting the better of you.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb
For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and www.creditcards2go4.com

The majority of theories on how to pick up girls were compiled by guys who had problems with women and tried to get better. Therein lies the very nature of the problems with most theory. They all assume that you, going over to the girl, have less value then her. By assuming this, you’re forced to play a role of lower value. Why on earth are you assuming you are worth less then the girl? I don’t care how hot she is!

This is especially true of the rapport versus attraction theory. The theory is: assuming you have two glasses that you need to fill attraction and rapport, the attraction glass must be filled before she will pay attention to your rapport. Well this theory suffers greatly from ‘my rapport isn’t high enough value for her to listen to.

What your saying is that you have to WORK for her ATTENTION. By thinking this, you PLAY into the role of having less value. Let me put it to you this way, if you are a nerd and you walk over to a hot girl and she says “bug off,” you’re probably going to turn around and walk away right? Then your going to come up with strategies to make her pay attention. Now what if you were better looking then Brad Pitt, had more money then Donald Trump, and she said that. You would probably laugh. And she would respond differently because you responded differently.

You see all the outer problems stem from internal responses. What you believe shapes your reality. And if you believe you need to fill an attraction glass- that you need to fight for her attention you are falling into the frame that you are inherently NOT good enough.

Well my friend, this is BASED on FALSE assumptions that you are not good enough and therefore must get her interested. If you assume anything at all- instead assume she loves to hear your rapport and get to know you. All people WANT- NEED to be loved. they just have filters. You should assume your better then the guys she filters out, and laugh away any resistance. Why bother juggling and dancing, and doing all kinds of routines just to get her attention. Respond differently to resistance, respond with confidence and you can forget the two glass theory. How you respond to her should MAKE her interested by displaying a stronger reality.

Like my business partner Cameron Teone always used to say- it is like the scene in the Matrix where Neo must jump across the buildings. He can’t do it until he truly believes. Well, I am telling you to believe in yourself and knock over the attraction glass. You DON’T need it. It is a theory born from insecurity.

All you need is rapport: confident rapport. So what’s the difference between insecure rapport and confident rapport? It comes down to your inner beliefs. Do you believe she’s going to listen and like what you have to say about yourself. You should. In fact she should be hanging on every word you say because you believe she needs you. If you have that inch of doubt, that means you believe she isn’t ATTRACTED to you, and you need to build the attraction then. But what if you didn’t have that doubt? Girls can smell confidence, and they can definitely detect any insecurity. They will see the confidence you have in yourself when you are straight forward and you just assume they will like you. And they WILL respond positively. Remember an inch of doubt and you’re dead in the water.

The next big question is how can I get this confidence? Well… see us at a workshop.

Seth Parker

Seth Parker has written an ebook about dating which will soon be at Fidentia’a website

He is one of the instructors who teaches dating confidence to men in live workshops.
http://www.fidentia.org

If you are anything like me, you’d probably like to have a
website on the Internet but you just have no idea how to go
about it. All this talk of web hosting, bandwidth, disc space,
and other jargon can cause one to say, “This is too complicated
and technical, I just wanted to have a place to put all of my
favorite skateboarding photos, cool information on ramp designs,
and the best places to skate!” To get a website on the Web you
have to go through a web host. The question is how do you find
the web host for you?

If you type ‘web host’ into your search engine like Google you
will get thousands of sites. Hit on one of these and like any
product on the market you will see all sorts of persuasive
propaganda to incite you to use their company; that is if you
can decipher any of the technical jargon that only
computer-heads can comprehend. Some web hosts offer free
business cards with an account; some probably offer free
watches…like all consumer industries you the buyer must beware.

I’m a writer so I’ll use the analogy of a writer’s journal. The
journal I like must not be too big or small in book size. It
also must have a good amount of space allocated to each day,
again not a whole page but not just a few lines. Of course I
also want it to be cheap but of a good quality that won’t fall
apart while I’m using it, and I hope it would last for
posterity. I just want the diary, some nice pictures in it are
O.K. but unnecessary especially if it adds to the price.

It’s the same with a web host and web site scenario. You want to
get the right deal for you, enough space and enough access to
the public that you wish to associate with. As a novice who
doesn’t understand all the jargon this can pose a problem. Are
you an individual, small business, blog, or a big time
corporation? What do you need and how do you get it?

As far as I can tell the web hosting business is a lot like the
fast food business. The big corporations have strict guidelines,
will offer you special deals, and have monthly ‘cheeseburger
specials’. But, I’ve always been more interested in the ‘Mom and
Pop’ small time diners who have that real caring human approach.
You know you are a customer and a person, not just a number on a
sales receipt. I believe the hosting companies are the same.

A smaller hosting company will probably treat its users with
more honest integrity as well as having more flexibility in
dealing with your individual situation. They can often tailor
web site packages to accommodate exactly what you are looking
for as well as the ability to update them quickly when your
needs change.

My advice is to contact a few of the smaller companies. Look for
ones with good reputations or just arbitrarily email them and
compare results from different places. Which one do you feel
most comfortable with? Go for it; ask as many questions as you
can, see how the different hosts differ in their answers. Try
one; if it doesn’t work out try another, it’s really easy to
move around. Don’t be afraid, you’ve got nothing to lose except
the fear itself!

I find that so many of my clients are marketing avoidant when it comes to their sphere of influence. And yet statistics show that your sphere of influence can be the greatest source of referrals. This article show you how to dig in and get the ” gold.”

Tip 1: Define and Rate your Sphere of Influence

When is the last time that you took a good look at your sphere of influence? What is the total? What are the categories in that group? Do you have past clients, friends, acquaintances, people you hardly know? Before you do any thing else go into your data
base and group your sphere of influence in categories.

Do you know who in your sphere is likely to refer to you? Do youknow who in your sphere already works with another agent? How many have moved away? Start deleting the inappropriate ones.

Be sure to ask all of them this question at some point: “If you were buying or selling a home do you have a real estate agent that could help you?” If they say “yes” delete them. There is no point in continuing, they are not prospects. By keeping in touch
With your sphere of influence as we will describe below, you’ll begin to find out who is an A,B, C, or D.

A= someone likely to refer to you
B= someone who with a little more contact with you, would refer to you
C=Questionable
D= Delete

Tip 2: Send an Item of Value to your sphere each month

In my 10 years of coaching Real Estate agents to double their incomes , I am amazed at the fact that sometimes their sphere never gets a mailing. Or sometimes the mailing is not well thought out. I worked with a client today who admitted that the material she was sending to her sphere was standard and boring. We brainstormed about Items of Value that would be interesting, fun and unique. So far she has come up with recipes and inspiring quotes. What do you send to your sphere of influence?

Is it something you would want to receive and find valuable? If so, then I guarantee that your sphere will like it too. How many creative Items of Value can you come up with?

Tip 3: Overcome your blocks to calling your sphere

Everyone I have ever worked with resists calling their sphere.
They tell me things like

• “I don’t want them to think I want something from them”
• ” I’m afraid they won’t like me”
• “I don’t want to be like a telemarketer”

The list goes on, but I think you get the idea. What you need to understand is that you’re a giver. When givers give to other givers, they get back. So, in other words, if you send an Item of Value , you are giving, when you chat with them and listen to what’s going on in their lives, you’re giving again. So at the end of the call, say something like,” oh by the way, if you hear of anyone even whispering about buying selling a home, please give me a call with their name and number.” Then say, “l’ll be happy to send referrals to your business , as well . Guess what ? You’re giving again.

After doing these calls monthly (after your mailing of Items of Value) you’ll begin to know your sphere of influence and they’ll know you. You’ll begin to learn which ones are you’re A’s, B’s, C’s and which ones to delete. Then what will happen is that you’ll be in their stream of consciousness. So you’re the first one they’ll think of when they think of real estate. Don’t be surprised if you get referrals in the first few weeks.

Tip 4: Be in the right mindset

Don’t make these calls if you’re feeling anxious, upset or desperate. Remember, desperations doesn’t sell. So psych your self up in the right mindset. Think of your self as a giver and how happy they are going to be to hear from you. Tip: if you have been thinking negatively, switch your focus to what you are grateful for. That usually puts you in a much better mood to pick up the phone.

Tip 5: Make it a daily ritual

Just like brushing your teeth, calling some people out of your sphere of influence is essential. Even one a day is OK. Only call several times a day if you want your income to raise quickly.

Decide when to make your calls and keep at it until you’ve reached the people you were trying to call . Expect that several weeks after doing this, it will feel a lot easier. An extra perk is that you’re going to be deepening some great relationships and you’ll experience the same pleasure of calling them us as you would with a good friend.

For more information on powerful marketing tips and
tools, please visit Maya’s website:
http://www.90daystomoreclients.com While you’re there, get
your Free Audio Mentoring Session by clicking the first
button.

Race Scanning Tips & Hints

By Scott W. Lowry Editor, Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest

I’ve been scanning at the race tracks for almost 25 years. Long
before programmable, hand-held scanners, my first scanning set
up consisted of a big old Bearcat 250 mobile scanner duct-taped
to a huge 12 volt lantern battery. The whole setup must have
weighed 10 pounds and I had to lug it around in a big camera
bag! I guarantee I was the only guy in the stands at The
Milwaukee Mile listening to those USAC stock cars go round and
round in 1980! Things have changed a bit since then.

Estimates are that there may be more than 10% of fans at a
typical NASCAR event are “scanner equipped”. Race track scanning
has become so popular, it’s expanded well beyond the NASCAR
super speedways to the dirt tracks, drag strips, and even
Saturday night at the local short tracks. I’ve compiled a
collection of tips and hints to help you gain the maximum
enjoyment from you race scanning experience. If you have any
others to add, please send them along to me so we can share them
with others. Enjoy!

Why bring a scanner to the races? What can I hear?

Once you’ve experienced a race with a scanner, you’ll be hooked
forever. Scanning at the races adds that extra “dimension” or
layer to the experience. You’ll be able to listen to
conversations between the driver, his crew, and the spotters.
You’ll hear the race officials and safety crews. You’ll even be
able to monitor the “behind-the-scenes” action of the TV and
radio broadcast crews. IMPORTANT! One thing you may want to be
aware of regarding listening in to race communications, it’s not
necessarily for children! Emotions can run high during racing
action and quite frequently, the language can get a bit
“colorful” to put it mildly. You may wish to consider this if
you are easily offended by harsh language. What kind of
equipment do I need at the races? The two major elements of a
race scanning setup are the scanner itself as well as a noise-
reducing headset.

First- The scanner. What kind of scanner will you need? It
really depends on your needs or your budget. Almost any
hand-held scanner made will work at the races. They are
available with as few as 10 or as many as 5000 channels! Price
wise, expect to spend anywhere from as little as $75 to over
$400. The most popular frequency ranges are 150 - 174 Megahertz
and 450 - 470 Megahertz. There is some, but not much racing
activity in the 800 Megahertz band. Popular “racing” scanners
are the Uniden Sportcat 200 and 230, Racing Electronics RE-2000,
and the Radio Shack Pro 99. A couple of features that are really
nice to have are alpha-displays, which allow you to program the
driver name instead of just the frequency, and CTCSS or tone
function, which allows you to program a certain tone code on a
channel to help cut down on interference.

The second thing you’ll need is a good quality, noise reducing
headset. Racing is LOUD! Not only will a headset help protect
your hearing, but it will help you be able to hear your scanner
more clearly. They are available in several styles to suit your
personal preference. You can also get the small, foam, in-ear
type devices similar to what the drivers wear. Some other
accessories you might consider are a “racing” or stub antenna,
which will help reduce local interference, a leg strap to help
keep your scanner secure while watching the race, and a headset
splitter or a “Boostaroo” unit so you can bring a second headset
for your friend to listen in too. Don’t forget extra batteries!
Nothing worse than running out of “juice” halfway through the
race. Where can I buy a race scanning setup? You can buy a
complete setup as close as your local Radio Shack store. Some
specialized vendors who sell race scanning equipment are;

Racing Electronics http://www.racingelectronics.com Racing
Radios http://www.racingradios.com Race Scan
http://www.racescan.com Frequency Fan Club
http://www.racescanners.com

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to buy a setup yet, most of
these vendors offer rentals too. These vendors have trailers
offering equipment at most of the larger races.

OK, I’ve got my scanner and headset, now where do I find the
frequencies?

While you can find some information for free on the Internet,
most of it is outdated, incomplete, or just plain wrong. I
highly recommend purchasing up to date information from one of
the above vendors. It is well worth the few dollars it costs.
They have information on the national series such as NASCAR,
IRL, and Champ Car. Most of the newer scanners are computer
programmable. You can even bring those to the vendor trailer at
the track and get the latest frequencies loaded right into your
radio while you wait.

The new Uniden SC230 scanner comes with the frequencies for
Nextel Cup, Busch Grand National, Craftsman Trucks, Champ Car,
and IRL already programmed into it! For regional series, your
options are more limited. For Midwest fans, we have put together
the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest. It contains information
for local tracks as well as regional touring series such as
USAR- Hooters Pro Cup, CRA Super Series, and NASCAR Elite -
Midwest. Information on the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest can
be found at; http://www.racescanning.info

At The Track Tips

1 - Do as much as you can before you leave the house. If you can
get a hold of frequency information before the race, you’ll save
a ton of time by pre-programming your scanner before you get to
the track. Don’t forget extra batteries, paper and pencil to
take notes, and sunscreen. Packing a plastic bag to put your
scanner into in case of a sudden rain shower is a good addition,
too.

2 - Programming tip. One popular trick is to program the
frequencies so the channel number is the same as the car number.
For example, you would program Mark Martin, Car #6 into channel
6 on your scanner. That way during the race, if you want to
quickly switch to a particular car, you can just manually switch
to that channel. With the newer scanners with alpha displays,
it’s much easier to keep track of who’s who.

3 - Don’t try to listen to everything! At a big race, there’s
just way too much stuff going on. Pick the leaders or your
favorites and lock everything else out. It helps to have race
control in your scan list too. At the big races, you can also
listen to the TV and radio broadcast feed (MRN broadcasts on
454.000 Mhz). Some tracks will rebroadcast the track PA on
either a scanner frequency or a low power FM radio station.
These broadcasts will “lock up” your scanner though, since they
broadcast continuously. You will have to lock them out and
switch to them manually if you want to listen in.

4 - Get to the track early. If there is a vendor selling race
frequencies there, this will give you a good chance to check it
out or get your scanner programmed for you. Buy a souvenir
program. They will have the line ups so you’ll know who to
listen for.

5 - Practice and qualifying are a great time to verify
frequencies. Taking notes now will help you during the race.
Listen for the spotters and crew chiefs talking to the drivers.
You may be able to tell “who’s who” when passing or coming in to
the pits.

6 - When the drivers are getting into their cars before the race
is a good time to listen in for radio checks. Pace laps and
caution periods are also the time when radio traffic increases.

7 - If you’re using the search mode on your scanner to try and
find new frequencies, narrow your search to smaller ranges at a
time. The range of 450 to 470 Mhz will cover just about all race
communications. Some racing officials will use frequencies in
the 150 - 174 Mhz range. Even if you have an accurate list
already, you can usually find some new stuff by using the search
feature.

8 - Take good notes!

Using your scanner really adds a new dimension to the ‘racing
experience” and besides that, it’s just plain FUN! As you can
tell, race scanning might seem like a bit of a challenge at
first. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. I have
gone to a race with almost no information and, by using these
techniques, have found more than 90% of the field by the time
the race was over.

Happy scanning and see you at the races!

****************************************************************
Scott Lowry is editor of the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest.
He can be reached at scott@racescanning.info or his website at
http://www.racescanning.info
****************************************************************

Haryana Flood Control Board,which met under the Chairmanship of
Chief Minister,Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today, approved
floodcontrol schemes worth Rs 163 crore and these
includedschemes involving an investment of Rs 140 crore to be
implemented by the State Irrigation Department and of Rs 23
crore by the Public Health Department.These schemes also
included an investment of Rs 84crore to save the five districts
of Jind, Hisar,Bhiwani, Rohtak and Jhajjar, which formed a bowl
and have been suffering from the on slaught of floodsbecause of
their topographical problem. It was informed that Rs 20 crore
have been spent so far during the current financial year on
various flood protection scheme in the State. The Board also
approved on going flood protection schemes costing Rs28.50
crore. The Chief Minister, who reviewed the ongoing and new
schemes thread bare with the senior officers of the state
government, directed them to follow time schedule of various
projects and speedup the pace of work. He said that the people
in the state must feelthe change of work culture. He reiterated
thecommitment of the state government to make Haryana number one
state in five years and said that we all should work in a team
spirit to achieve the desiredtarget. He said that in case of any
problem they mightapproach the concerned Minister, Chief
Secretary,Principal Secretary to Chief Minister or even him.Mr.
Hooda directed that the committees headed by the Sub Divisional
Magistrates should be constituted in those areas where these
were yet to be constituted so as to ensure inspection of the
desilting works by the members of these committees. Such
committees haverepresentatives of Zila Parishad and Block
Samitis aswell as Panchayat. It is only after their inspection
report that payments are made to the contractors. While
reviewing new schemes, in case of Yamunanagar district, schemes
costing over Rs 4.76 crore were approved. Similarly, scheme
involving an investment of Rs 2.25 crore for Karnal district, Rs
1.93 crore for Panipat district, Rs 86.45 lakh for Sonepat
disctict,Rs 21.25 crore for district Jind, over Rs six crore for
Faridabad district, and about Rs two crore forMewat district.
The Board also approved schemesinvolving about Rs six crore for
Ambala district, Rs39 lakh for Panchkula district, over Rs 69
lakh for Kaithal district, Rs one crore for Kurukshetra district
and of Rs 17.97 crore for Hisar district. The Board also
approved schemes worth over Rs 16.40 crore for Rohtak district,
Rs 19.68 crore for Jhajjar district, over Rs 12 crore for
Bhiwani district and Rs4.61 crore for Rewari district.
Similarly, new schemes involving an investment of Rs 3.48 crore
were approved for Mahendragarh district.It was also informed
that the drainage schemes forwater logged area would be financed
under grants from12th Finance Commission for the districts of
Jind,Hisar, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Bhiwani these would costover Rs
63.37 crore. It was decided that all first priority schemes
would be completed with in two financial years.
Haryana@abcnewsnetwork
http://abcnewsnetworkharyana.blogspot.com/

Moving from staff into management for the first time is excitingbut it can also be scarey.

There’s so much you don’t know. Somehow managing looked so easy from the outside, but now you actually have to do it, you realize it’s more complicated than you thought. Before, you had certain tasks to accomplish and you knew you had the skills to do them. You still have responsibility for those tasks, but now you have to see that the work is done effectively by other people. That’s a whole new task in itself, and you’re not sure you’re up to the job.

You also find that it’s hard to concentrate on the planning that is such an important part of managing, because emergencies large and small seem to arise all the time and people keep running to you to resolve them. The expression “When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to remember you were trying to drain the swamp” might have been written for new managers!

In these early days, you must learn not to be too hard on yourself. Management skills are not built into our human DNAwe have to learn them as we go. Promise yourself you’ll learn at least one management lesson every day. Set aside a few moments at the end of each day to think about that day’s lesson and how you’ll use it to improve your management skills. Sometimes these lessons will be hard, but each one will give you something to build on if you are willing to learn.

Each day will bring you new challenges, new experiencesand new successes. It’s easy to forget the successes and focus on all the things that didn’t go so well, so I recommend you keep a diary of all your new experiences. Then, on those days when you think becoming a manager was all a horrible mistake, you can read over your diary and remind yourself just how far you’ve come.

Becoming a manager is a journey. Like any journey, it offers both good and bad experiences, enjoyable and not-so-enjoyable aspects, positive and negative events. Just take it one stage at a time, learn from each experiencegood or badand you’ll gradually find yourself becoming more and more comfortable in your management role.

Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker, trainer, consultant and author who has worked with hundreds of newly appointed managers and understands their special challenges. Visit www.TheManagersJourney.com and sign up for her series of free management skills teleseminars.

Are your customers asking for credit card processing services? If so, you may want to consider adding this service to your company’s Website in order to provide convenient payment methods that will bring back repeat business. Many companies today are moving more toward e-commerce, which means that if you want to avoid getting left behind, you should get ready to join the throng of professionals who are marching into the electronic age of doing business.

Although you may have relied on cash transactions up to now, you might find that is becoming more cumbersome to make correct change, accept checks that could bounce, and track delinquent payments, all while keeping track of each and every transaction. Farming out some of these tasks to hired help can be costly, which is why you may be able to benefit from credit card processing services. If you conduct business onsite at a primary facility, you can plug in a credit card processor and start taking credit payments immediately, which are far less likely to bounce than personal checks.

But you will first have to open a merchant account before establishing credit card processing services. Look for a longstanding bank with a solid reputation, one who currently offers merchant accounts to dependable business owners like you. Then be prepared to provide the required documentation that shows a stable credit history and a reasonable business plan that depends on credit card processing services. Upon approval, which can come within a few days, you will be able to purchase or rent credit card processing equipment and start accepting credit payments from your customers.

Credit card processing services can be established at your company’s Website. You do have a Website, don’t you? If not, that is the second important step into the 21st century that your company needs to take. Hire a Web designer or sketch a few ideas yourself. It need not be fancy or sophisticated, but rather a basic outline of your company’s services or products along with basic operating information. Then you will need to register a domain name for a small fee and then pay monthly “rental” fees to post your site in cyberspace. Hiring a designer or someone to maintain and update your site will cost a little more, although often you can find a high school or college student who can do this type of work at nominal cost. When your site is up and running and your merchant account is approved, you are ready to open the Website doors to current and new customers for business. They can browse at their convenience and pay by credit card without human assistance at each juncture. You can make money and save money at the same time.

If your company is growing, your customers are asking about credit payments, or you want to move forward with your business plan, give some thought to opening a merchant account, setting up an attractive Website, and adding the convenient, customer service option of credit card processing services.

Shane Penrod is the founder of Merchant-Acount-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to www.merchant-account-quotes.com

Baby showers can be fun times. It may be one of the last times for the mother-to-be to enjoy a relaxing get together with family and friends. Once the baby arrives, things will be hectic. However, it may also be a somewhat awkward time if her family and friends do not know each other well. One of the best ways to break the ice between everyone is by playing a fun shower game! Baby shower games are generally inexpensive and just require a little planning. Here are a few examples of fun games you can play at the next baby shower you host.

Baby Photos

This is a simple game, but it can get everyone in the “baby” mood. Ask the baby shower attendees to bring a picture of themselves as a baby or toddler. Take each picture and post it on a large piece of poster board, assigning each photo a number. When all the guests have arrived, give each one a nametag so everyone knows everyone’s name. Then give each guest a piece of paper and let everyone guess who is who in the baby photos. The person who is able to identify the most baby pictures wins!

Baby Songs

Divide the party into two groups. Assign someone in each group to be the recorder and have them think of as many songs with baby in the title. Set a time limit of 5 minutes. Whichever team is able to list the most songs wins. To add more fun, make the losing team sing a song chosen by the winning team from their list.

Bottle Suckers

Some baby showers have men and women both attend, and this game is great for those type of showers. Fill one 4-ounce baby bottle with juice for each attendee. Have them all drink at once, timing them to see who finishes the fastest. It is good fun to see grownups sucking from a baby bottle. You can even trick the father-to-be by giving him a nipple with a small hole, so it takes him longer to drink the bottle.

Pillow Talk

This one is a little risqué, so if there are older relatives or men in the room, you may want to avoid it. However, if it is just the girls, it is super fun. Do not tell the mother-to-be what is going on, just have someone write down what she says when she opens each gift. Once all the gifts are open, have someone read back what she said, explaining that her comments are “what she said on the night the baby was conceived.” It makes for some hilarious innuendos!

Baby Food Tasters

This one gets everyone in the mood for the new little addition. Purchase ten jars of baby food - all different varieties. Print out a sheet that lists each flavor and post it somewhere in the room. Cover the bottom of the jars with foil and print a number on each one. All guests should have a plastic spoon, a paper plate, and a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Pass around each jar of baby food one at a time and have each guest place a small spoonful of the baby food on their plate. Have them taste it to try to guess what food it is. On their sheet of paper, have guests write down the number from the jar and what flavor that they think they are tasting. Sweet potatoes are usually hard to identify, so you might want to get a jar to try to fool everyone. Be sure to have your camera ready for the faces everyone will make when tasting the baby food.

Mom’s Waistline

This one is fun if the mother-to-be is not too sensitive about the size of her ever-expanding waistline. Get a roll of ribbon and ask each guest to pull out as much ribbon as she thinks it will take to cover the mother-to-be’s waistline. Cut off the ribbon and try it around the mom’s waistline. The guess who comes closest to the actual waist circumference wins.

Test Drive

If it is a pretty day and you plan to have the baby shower outside, this is an entertaining game to play. Set up an obstacle course in the yard, put a doll in the stroller and have each guest run the obstacle course. Time each guest, giving them a 5-second penalty for collisions and a disqualification if the doll falls out of the stroller. Whoever completes the course in the fastest time wins.

Many entertaining games can be played at a baby shower. Just be sure to bring the camera to record all the fun for the mother-to-be to enjoy for years to come.

Jennifer Barnett is a successful party planner providing valuable tips and advice on planning a baby shower that is inexpensive, fun for the guests with baby shower games, and choosing the perfect baby shower gift. Her numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight. Print her “Baby Shower Checklist” to help you plan and organize the upcoming event!