Oh, down the rabbit hole we go!

I finally got around to doing the photoshoot I had planned for ages. Me and Annu woke up at 5 am to catch the perfect morning light.. well of course.. we did not. So instead we took our bikes to Variku forest, dragging along 20 kilos worth of stuff - stuff we used to make the set, extra clothes, accessories, jewellery, blankets etc. and found ourselves in direct sunlight, in the middle of a field, with the temptemperature of 30 degrees celsius. Needless to say those were quite difficult conditions for a photoshoot. But it was a lot of fun. And I must say that Annu was such a brave little bunny because I can get kind of crazy when it comes to photographing someone, you can say I'm a perfectionist, so working with me is not always fun and games. The gorgeous tights that I based the whole theme of the photoshoot on, are from Welovecolors.com. so be sure to check out their wonderful selection of tights, leggings etc. But do enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

(I used Canon EOS 400D, 50mm lens, tripod, Canon remote controller RC-1 and PhotoshopCS3 for the pictures)

"And when you wake, you'll have cake with all the pretty little horses."

I'm actually wearing this shirt backwards - the lace detail should be on the back, but I like it better this way. :)
You can also find this on lookbook by clicking here.

Do Your Managers Act Like Beta Fish?

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Over the past week, our office has been fortunate to have a visitor. This visitor is none other than a lovely beta fish owned by the son of our VP/CIO Tom Kuhne. Named ZoZoBo, this little addition to TBC’s family inspired me to write a new blog post about the lessons we can learn from beta fish, also known as
“Siamese fighting fish.”

Originally dark colored fish living in the rice paddies of Siam (now Thailand), selective breeding has developed the vibrant and colorful fish sold in American pet stores today. These fish are perfect for beginners, as they are extremely hearty and entertaining when they flare their fins. But who knew they offered lessons on office leadership? Follow along to explore the negatives and the positives when it comes to being an office “beta.”

The Bad

Betas don’t play well with others
Beta fish don’t work well with other fish. They have to have their own tanks and can’t be put with other fish. Beta fish, when included in aquariums with other fish, are aggressively dominant. If they are forced into an interaction with another fish, they’ll kill it—or at least beat it up until the other fish is severely distressed. They will become the “Alpha Fish” at all costs, and create a culture of fear within any tank housing any other fish besides the beta.

Think about your work environment. Does one of your superiors or co-workers act like the “beta fish” at the office? Does he or she assert dominance in every situation? A quick way to figure this out simply is to ask, “How many other employees has this person made cry? Are the majority of people in our office scared of this person?” Finally, ask “Does this person work well in teams, or are they overly aggressive when it comes to ideas and decisions?” These are good ways to figure out if you are dealing with an office “beta fish.”

They Freak out when threatened
One of the attractive things about buying a beta fish is their tendency to “puff up” when threatened. I’ll admit, I’ve enjoyed putting my finger up to the side of the tank to watch ZoZoBo puff out his gills, beautiful fins, and tail to display his impressive size and beautiful colors. The reason behind this is because he feels threatened by my finger/a mirror/anything that looks like it could be another fish. He is extremely territorial, and is willing to fight at the drop of a hat if he feels threatened.

How do your managers react when they feel threatened by people, ideas, or situations? Do they automatically “puff up” and become aggressive and defensive? Or do they take a moment to assess the situation and use others’ input to come up with a sensible solution? Good managers won’t react like a beta—they will logically determine the best answer using the resources they have around them—including other people.

The Good

They are curious and observe the people around them
Betas are curious creatures. They like to observe the things around them, and have been documented by beta researchers (sounds like an interesting job…) to “watch” their human caretakers. They can even be trained to respond to basic hand motions, i.e. Human holding their hand over the tank= I get food so I need to come to the surface. While simple, these observations can be seen as extraordinary for fish, which on average have a 10-15 second memory (or so my biology teacher told me).

Thinking about your management team, do they observe their employees? What about your organization’s culture? Could they tell you the name of the intern in the corner under the staircase? What about the current state of your secretary’s ailing mother? Or how your coworker likes his coffee in the morning? A little bit of observation goes a long way. Connecting to people by knowing specifics about their life, likes, and dislikes will allow you to create more meaningful bonds as well as evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and productivity.

They can Survive Pretty Much Anything
I had a beta fish in college. This thing lived through everything—and I mean EVERYTHING. Its bowl was located next to a window that got frigid in the winter and very warm in the summer. I dropped it into the sink when I was changing its water. My boyfriend at the time dropped it a second time while I was changing its water. One time I accidentally filled its bowl with hot water instead of room temperature water. This fish also regularly made a 7-hour road trip up the East Coast whenever I needed to go home—usually he looked a little pale afterwards, but he always bounced back. One time I left it at school over a break, and it survived. Basically, this thing was SUPERFISH.

How well do your employees bounce back after a crisis? Can they handle unusual situations, or do you as a superior have to step in to ensure chaos does not ensue? You want employees who can weather the storms of the economy, office life, and the industry. Sure, they might need a little recovery time after a crisis, but they should be able to regain their color and come back with knowledge that will make them more vibrant employees than ever.

The fish that inspired this post

We’ve enjoyed our time with little ZoZoBo, and are still entertained by his antics. There is something relaxing about watching a fish—albeit an aggressive one—swim around. Maybe your office should invest in a beta; not only is it a great way to zen out your office community, but it’s a daily reminder of how and how not to act in the workplace.

Watch Movies This Weekend to be a Better Leader!

We all remember school days with substitute teachers.  In my high school, it meant that we had a relaxed class period (unless your teacher left a mound of worksheets) watching movies relevant to the class.  If it was history class, we were usually left watching some sort of colonial American movie; if it was biology, we watched documentaries on estuaries or tearjerkers on genetic diseases, i.e. Lorenzo’s Oil.  But where were the movies about developing leadership skills necessary for the workplace? 

The answer is that most of the time, leadership skills aren’t covered in typcal high school classrooms.  So here is my pitch to teachers: next time you show a movie in class, show one of the films featured below and talk about the importance of leadership.  It is often overlooked, and it is such a vital skill in the workforce.  And my advice for everyone else?  Watch these movies.  You get an excuse to lie on the couch all day for the sake of personal development—what could be better than that?

General:
Lord of the Rings—Sacrificing oneself for the good of the group; accepting leadership responsibility.
Apollo 13—How skill and dedication can save even the most doomed operations
Braveheart—The power of rallying those around to you battle injustice.
Band of Brothers (a miniseries, but it’s a favorite)—Depending on each other to accomplish extraordinary things.
Stand and Deliver—Explores the importance of believing in others/ how persistence can help overcome difficult backgrounds.
West Wing— Ok, so this was a TV series, but it is too good to leave out. It’s also great example of how to manage people with egos in high-stress situations.
Dead Poets Society—This classic is about inspiring young people to be “powerful individuals,” by teaching them to think for themselves and be self-reliant.
Lean on Me—This film about a failing New Jersey high school provides the simple message: “Don’t blame your backgrounds. Don't blame the Establishment. Blame YOURSELVES. Don't lean on excuses, drugs, crime, or anger. LEAN ON ME...and learn.”

For Kids…or the Kid in You
Toy Story—Sharing leadership with another; teamwork mentality.
The Lion King—Overcoming perceived failure and uncertainty to become a leader.
Happy Feet—Embracing one’s unique strengths and trusting your gut to create change.


Sports Movies
Remember the Titans—Overcoming adversity and stereotypes through teamwork to become an inspirational coach that initiates cultural change.
Invictus—Using unconventional methods to unite teams (in this case, a country) in turmoil.
Hoosiers—A tale of redemption, overcoming obstacles, and fighting inner demons to become an inspiration for your team.
Rudy—How hard work fighting adversity can help you become an inspirational leader.
Miracle—The importance of coaching each individual on a team to fulfill their unique potential.


Examples of Bad Leadership:
The Godfather—A good example showing that leaders shouldn’t use violence or fear tactics to accomplish their goals—it will backfire.
Star Wars (IV-VI)—Darth Vader’s harassment and torture (and execution) of his subordinates would definitely count as bad leadership.
Office Space—How a boss SHOULDN’T act in the workplace.  Basically, a boss should do the opposite of anything Gary Cole does.
Nine to Five—Another movie where people should aim to do the opposite of anything Dabney Coleman’s sexist and arrogant character (the boss) does.




Special thanks goes out to the members of The Booth Company’s Boulder headquarters for their input, suggestions, and friendly debate about what makes a great leadership movie.

Post VI in theTask Cycle® Series: Cabin Pressure and Reinforcing the Performance of Others

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Well folks, here it is: The final post in our Task Cycle® series. We’ve had a great time writing articles about the Task Cycle in terms of ice cream, DIY home projects, monster-sized river fish, and elementary school students, and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading them.  For those of you who may be tuning in for the first time, be sure to check out our other Task Cycle® articles.

Today, we’re going to be addressing the final phase of the Task Cycle®: reinforcing the performance of others.  Once you have completed all other steps of the cycle and your purpose has been achieved, you  must reinforce the performance of other contributors.

What do we mean by this?  Haven’t you worked hard enough the past few months, working with coaches and continuously monitoring and adjusting your own progress? You just got the hang of this “personal development” thing yourself—who are you to advise or praise others?

The best way that I could come up with to explain this is by starting on a plane.  Every time an airplane takes off, the flight attendants give their “what to do in case of an emergency” speech.  They tell you where your flotation device is, how to escape using the floatation slide, and what to do if an oxygen mask dropped down from above you due to loss of cabin pressure (ALWAYS put the mask on yourself first, then assist those next to you).  These types of emergency situations could be solved by the assessment of the crew combined with the aid of on-board tools and emergency equipment.

Your personal development was your emergency.  You (or someone else around you) decided that there was a need for some sort of assessment and coaching.  You could either A.) Comply with the coaching process and improve, or B.) Refuse to comply and possibly be fired for your lack of skills and productivity.

If you’ve made it this far through the process, we’re going to go ahead and assume you received assessment and coaching.  You’ve learned how to approach a specific issue, and you’ve gotten to the point where you have the skills needed to expand your personal development.  Let’s take a minute to flashback to the airplane scene: after the flight attendant instructed you of a potential problem (loss of cabin pressure) and how to fix it, (putting on your facemask—but don’t worry if the bag doesn’t inflate all the way) she also advises you to help those around you.  You know what to do, and even though this may be your first airborne emergency, in those twenty-or-so seconds you have developed the skills needed to direct and help others. 

Do you see where we are going with this?

Even if you aren’t completely through the intricacies of the process of professional development, (or readjusting your face mask, to continue the airplane analogy) you can still help and instruct others.  Take the frail elderly woman sitting next to you in seat 11D.  You throw on your own plastic face mask, breathing in the cold air, and even though it isn’t completely comfortable, you assist her in securing her own before finishing adjusting your mask for comfort. 

It’s the same process with executive or leadership development.  At this point in the Task Cycle, you have learned the necessary skills and are taking the steps critical to continued personal development.  Maybe you’re not totally comfortable with your changes, or maybe you are still working to perfect some aspects of your skills. You can still help others achieve their highest potential by giving advice and supporting their efforts.  Give them some encouragement!  A note, a simple “I see you are working hard to improve,” or even a high-five can work wonders.  Don’t forget to give them the positive reinforcement you were given by a mentor, coach, superior, or friend. 

And just in case we scared you with the airplane analogy: it’s extremely uncommon for an airplane to lose cabin pressure.  It is very common for employees to need leadership development.  I’d plan for the latter.

But I can't help it now, looking for faces in the clouds.

I had a lovely weekend - I escaped the noise and the heat of the city and spent two days at a friend's country cottage. We swam and took the boat out, a real summer paradise.
Most of these pictures were taken at 6 AM in the morning, because it was too hot to sleep. But now it's back to work for me. And I wanted to thank all of you for the lovely feedback I got on my illustrations. :) But do enjoy!

( CanonEOS 400D and 50mm lens were used for the pictures)
Bright eyes - Lua

Lady Gaga's Leadership Lessons

If you haven’t heard of Lady Gaga by now, you have officially been living under a rock.  She has successfully taken on the traditional world of Top-40 pop and come out on top—in a big way.  So why are so many people drawn to this woman whose wardrobe is—to say the least—extremely unique?  And how on Earth could this relate to developing leadership skills?

 She’s a creative thinker and a role model for innovative thinking:
No one can say that Lady Gaga doesn’t think outside the box.  From a dress made out of Muppets to a full-body red-lace getup, she creates an atmosphere that encourages thinking in a different way.  After seeing her walk down the red carpet, suddenly walking around holding a Christmas star seems totally logical.  How do you develop creative thinking in your workplace?  By encouraging an environment that values creative and original thinking, you promote innovation in the workplace, which leads to bigger and better ideas in every aspect of your product or service.

She takes risks:

• She takes risks in areas not crucial to her work. Creating the “Haus of Gaga” enabled Lady Gaga to go out on a limb to promote fashion, design, stage props, and costumes for her shows.  She could have taken the traditional route, contracting out for concerts and performances, but because of her love of fashion and creativity, Gaga invested her time, money, and energy in creating her empire.  So what do you love?  Is there something that you have always wanted to try, but were too afraid to fail?  Now is the time.

•  She uses her team to find ways to improve business: In creating the “Haus of Gaga,” she created a strong team of designers, artists, and set managers to aid her in achieving her overall vision.  She utilizes individual talents on her way to creating her performances.  How do you utilize the resources and talents available to you in your workplace?  Is your secretary a great blogger?  Give her the keyboard and the keys to your social media world.  Does your sales manager take great photographs? Have him in charge of snapping company photos for promotional materials or the end-of-the-year slide show.  Utilizing the talents available to you will create a more efficient work place, as well as create a sense of pride in completion of small “special tasks.”  An added bonus: allowing employees to utilize the creative side of their brains can stimulate creative thinking, which is key in the innovation process.

She’s a skilled communicator:
Lady Gaga has her unique role as a visual and performing artist perfected.  Every appearance or production is connected by her calculated actions and words, be it at a red carpet affair or on a talk show.  I can remember the first time that I watched an interview with GaGa on Ellen, and I remember thinking how it seemed like every word that came out of her mouth was so effective.  Just that one interview gave me a solid awareness of her work as a musician. Her magic comes down to the fact that GaGa plans her verbal and visual communication with fans and industry professionals, and always stays on message.  So how do we apply this to our everyday work life?

• Lets start with a presentation.  Make sure you understand what is going on in your industry at the time.  It sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes life gets in the way of research.  Ensure you establish goals for your presentation.  How do you want to come across?  What information do you need your audience to know at the end?
• Repeat things.  Most songs have a chorus that reiterates the main points of the song.  We can do the same things in presentations to make sure our point gets across.  The important thing is to make sure you are not too repetitive—rephrase major points without beating your audience over the head with them.
• To ensure clarity in your presentation, ask your audience to reiterate the main points.  This will show you what messages got across, as well as refresh the presentation’s main points in the minds of your listeners.

She’s just plain interesting:
Ok, so we’re not recommending that you wear full-body spandex to work.  That will most likely get you fired, and then there would be no reason for you to read our blog. What we are recommending is that you make yourself interesting.  By interesting, we mostly mean human.  Your co-workers and subordinates will appreciate your leadership much more when they can relate to you on a personal level.  So clip up a picture of your three chow-chows.  Start a conversation with your newest hire about your mutual love of white water rafting.  Wear a tie with dancing lobsters to show your love of seafood (there is a great one here http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__90153_____14629_13054). Better yet, wear a bowtie—it makes a fashion statement while still being work appropriate (unlike most of Gaga’s ensembles). Gone are the days when the hard-edged boss ruled the office with an iron fist while sipping brandy during lunch with clients.  HR professionals and leadership professionals alike now know that offices with strong communication channels and a supportive team of coworkers striving for personal and workplace development is better not only for the individual employees, but for the business as a whole.  By connecting to your coworkers on a “non-work” level, you will create personal bonds that encourage all of you to work harder towards a common goal.

Why is Vps Better Than Shared Hosting

If you plan to start an online business or if you already have one, you will know that there are many different web hosting plans out there - each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The cheapest is very popular shared hosting with hundreds of websites all shares a single, very large hard disk. But this kind of hosting is not always suitable for all sites, especially for high traffic sites because it is not always possible to isolate each website from other sites sharing the server. The really big sites use dedicated servers. A company. A server.

Between these two options is virtual private server or VPS. VPS is cheaper (much less) than a dedicated or private server, and offers more freedom and more opportunities to a growing online business than shared hosting. With a Virtual Private Server receives any web hosting account its own operating system. Users can these components without affecting other users on the same physical machine because they work within their own virtual server. In addition, a VPS hosting environment can be readily scaled to more vigorous physical hosts as demand rises. In the long term, VPS hosting to a reduction in the total cost of ownership.

VPS is not suitable for every site owner. Some people want a low to moderate traffic website host and were satisfied with the degree of control that a web hosting control panel like cPanel or Plesk. These people will prefer Shared Hosting for its perceived simplicity and ease of use: they are generally no Linux system administration experience and are not interested in picking up something. Others are developed from their shared hosting account or are not happy with site performance (30-second download times) it is definitely time to move to a VPS account. A good web hosting company can help you migrate from your shared account to a VPS account with no crashes or problems.

VPS should I? If you are planning to expand, offering more products and services, then consider a VPS plan, even as a start-up. The difference in price between a good shared hosting plan and a good VPS plan is negligible in the whole blow-buck equation.

These are the main advantages:

PERFORMANCE

Shared server accounts are always dependent on the performance and good behavior in neighboring accounts. If one account violates their terms of service and sends a mass-mailing of spam, it will load on the server and a negative impact on the performance of all accounts on that server.

VPS are guaranteed funds. A customer cannot run away with a large share of resources. To implement reliable and predictable service. If you're a bad neighbor VPS, they often affect only their own accounts, each account will appear as a separate server on the Internet. They will not be able to get your memory when you need it, get your server blacklisted, etc.

High customizability

Virtual Private Servers are feature rich. They are functionally equivalent to a dedicated server. Some programs require that certain ports and / or protocols be opened or closed in the firewall. With shared hosting, custom firewall configurations are not recommended for security reasons. In VPS, custom firewall configurations, due to a breakdown of clients.

With a VPS, you can close ports using iptables function.

You have your own IP address.

You have root access.

Freedom to reboot your VPS at any time.

You can also personalize services such as web, mail, database, panels, domains and much more ...

The only restriction is that you are unable to install your own kernel. This is due to the nature of how a VPS work.

SAFETY

Shared hosting is inherently difficult to achieve complete. If an account on a shared server is broken, the criminal damage to the entire server, which prolonged outage. If a spammer gets the server to get blacklisted with Spam organizations, this effect on other accounts that produce legitimate mailings until the server to the whitelist.

VPS accounts are insulated from each other, to minimize the risk of unauthorized access by hackers and other customers. Isolation of your account also reduces the risk of being hit by a DoS attack that was intended for another.

Scalability

Virtual private servers are inherently scalable - whether you are a minimal allocation to run a simple e-mail server or virtual private network end-point or a webserver with enough resources to an extensive database applications and support heavy traffic, there is always a VPS hosting plan for your needs. Additionally, you can at any time simply downgrade or upgrade your service with little or no downtime!

UNLIMITED SITES

Another advantage of VPS is the ability to handle many sites. You do not run into problems with hardware components, even if you performed a dozen different places. Your access to server assets is assured through the use of server-side software such as Apache Virtual Hosts and VPS packages similar. VPS hosting plans are a bit more expensive than shared hosting. But with more and more sites come on line (about 6,000 per day!) VPS offers better value for your dollar server if you host as many sites as you want. When considering VPS plans, the monthly cost of amortization of the number of sites you expect to create. You will quickly see that VPS monthly costs are consistently lower than shared hosting on a per-site basis.

There is one small disadvantage of VPS for some people. VPS = more responsibility. This means that you are responsible for much of the software installations, maintenance, site security and many other tasks that come with online purchase. If you do not know much about server side administration may VPS a bit more than you want to take for yourself. It is something to look forward to a farm expert if you're unfamiliar with the continuation of a VPS, but you still need power and control of the VPS.

The solution - get a managed VPS provider will take care of things for you, and you can fully focus on the content of your website.

What is the Best Website Builder According to Website Builder Review

The internet is full of free and trial software for building websites. The problem is to decide which the best website builder is for your purposes. Some are ideal for business websites, while others are more suited to hobbyists or small businesses who simply want a web presence. The following are some of the best website builder programs, according to reviews online. What is a website builder? A website builder is simply software that helps anyone build a website without technical things to learn, such as encryption. There is a wide range of home builders in the market. Some are free or relatively cheap and some cost a pretty penny. The decision about what uses will depend on your budget and what your website will be used. Some customers have received the good reviews are available online for free or in an attempt to include:

• Yahoo Web Hosting Dit gebruiken provides easy to design templates you can adapt to every business. There is no software to download, but this online site builder also works well with other site-builders such as Dreamweaver and FrontPage. The system supports most video applications, blogging, PayPal, maps and forms for visitors to gather information. Yahoo server has an impressive 99.99% uptime record for his host websites and also offers remote backup, among other important security features.

• Homestead Homestead gives users more than 2000 templates to choose from, and are professionally designed, which instantly builds credibility. Each template can be customized with logos, text and graphics. Forbes Homestead included in its "Best of the Web" list, saying: "A website builder tool for the technically unsavy. Drag and drop software lets you create a Web presence with a minimum of pain." Homestead offers a free trial period and arrangements for less than $ 5 a month. Internet marketers are particularly interested in Homestead Searchlight package a sophisticated website promotion tools.

• Site Build It! Site Build It! (SBI!) Is a fully integrated Online Business Building System. The start site construction process much earlier in the overall process that starts with a keyword research, including site construction, hosting and online marketing tools. With more than 100,000 customers, SBI! Also has an Alexa ranking in the top 1000. Customers are often almost fanatical in their approval of the SBI! And much of their success stories on the site. SBI! Claim that their clients are in the top 3% of revenue producers on the Internet. It is important to recognize that many of the website builders, while advertised as free are not free. Being able to see some of these builders you register to host your site with a particular company to use and offer software for free. Some are only free for the trial period so be sure to read the fine print before you start building your site, or you may end up losing your hard work without prior notice. Do some preparatory work before a final decision on which program is the best website builder.

How to Setup Drupal for Multiple Sites

Drupal is a very powerful open source content management system. And one of the most attractive features of Drupal is that it will allow a single Drupal code base that is Can multiple sites, each with its own individual configuration installed.

But unfortunately, the guide from Drupal office site on how to configure this feature is not ready enough, and beginners may be lost during it. In the following, we will step by step guide to set it up:

Before we begin, you must have a successful installation of a Drupal Bijvoorbeeld, if you still do not follow the installation guide from Drupal official site to get it setup. Here we will focus on how to add another domain to a Drupal installation.

Create a new database and database users for the second domain (lets call as "domain2.com)

Grant full privileges to database user created in step 1)

Create a subfolder "/ sites" directory called "domain2.com" will look / sites/domain2.com /. Do not use www in sub-directory.

Copy / sites / default / default.settings.php to the new folder / sites/domain2.com/settings.php (do not forget the "remove default. The filename)

Setup of the add-on domain for "domain2.com" in your web hosting account. For a shared hosting environment, domain2.com will refer to a directory "/ home/username/public_html/domain2.

Delete folder "/ home/username/public_html/domain2"

Create a symbolic link to the main site as "/ home/username/public_html/domain2", same as above.

Launch the domain2 in browser, will be launched Drupal install, go through the system by following the instructions on the screen. You have a new web site setup on the same Drupal code base.

The Importance of Building a Professional Web Site

There are several requirements in building a professional website. The best part of building a website is that all you need is free on the Internet. There is no need for a huge amount of money to spend on expensive software and programming manuals. Plus, there are lots of simple tutorials to help novice designers.

However, some basic computer skills required as access to a personal computer, Internet access, a free HTML editor is a major web design tools and of course a place on the Internet to the website.

Building a professional website offers many advantages, provided that the course objectives and clearly defined. The objectives will focus on the content and design of the website. More and more people are building personal websites for business, social, cultural and other purposes for which they are significant not only to consider for themselves but also for encouraging others.

Skills and knowledge of web development can help and assist in developing career and business. Most companies now days are a part of their business online, not just their debrief to build extra lighting, but also to business information with other companies deled. The use of Internet communication has become a valuable tool for most businesses and entrepreneurs.

Building a professional website is one way to generate extra income. This additional revenue is the result of publishing interesting pages that attract many visitors for goods or services, or even buy ad space on the website purchase.

Nevertheless, it seems that some web owners do not really fully understand the benefits arising from building a professional website, because there are a large number of poorly designed websites that look just on the internet with meaningless details which does not contain clear objectives filling.

Building a professional website is very important to a company a good image. To know exactly the purpose and objectives of the site, visitors to the website to understand. Mood is also an important factor to consider in building a professional website. The atmosphere depends on the theme of the site and must be maintained all throughout the area.

Textual content is also a role in building a professional website. The contents of the site must be able to add value and to visitors with relevant information to entice them to visit our site again. The content is written based on the objectives of the website. Never forget to check the spelling and grammar double, because there is no room for mistakes in building a professional website.

Creating content in a professional website is very different than writing a newspaper. The difference lies in the use of multimedia features. Graphics, music, videos and photos will also be included on the website to make it even more interesting. However, it is important not to exaggerate the other site is no longer effective in maintaining interest visitors. Apart from using too many graphics can slow the download time and when this happens web visitors are expected to leave and never come back.

How to Calculate Cost for Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the next term of web hosting, if one must be aware of. That means that within a certain period the volume of data across the wire transfer. General term for a month. The backbone providers and wholesale data center calculation of web hosts monthly or annually according to the assigned amount of bandwidth for them. Also, the costs aged consumers in light of web hosting plan. The amount of bandwidth used by them 'website.

It is difficult to calculate the bandwidth used by the sites because of the presence of variation between the different web hosting companies. In the case of the average Web page size as the photo and all is 50 Kb then web site can be viewed 20,000 times, for a foreign average hobby website that is just more than enough. If only one visitor visits average 4 pages per month means that the site has 5,000 unique visitors per month.

Providing bandwidth usage while downloading.

Working on simple web pages will use less bandwidth, but the large amount of bandwidth used to download the file and the same as in the case of downloadable audio files, PDF files, flash files or video files. A website can only earn up to one thousand downloads, if they have an Adobe. PDF 1 megabyte and bandwidth of one gigabyte. This does not need the html to PDF files download.

Video files consume more space as only a few seconds of video can be displayed with one megabyte video file. A video file in just half hour presentation will consume more than 200 megabytes in size, so that a gigabyte would only five downloads to enable its visitors. The monthly bandwidth requirements will depend on the purpose of the website.

Selling on bandwidth, a common feature in web hosting web hosting industry in the industry on the sale of bandwidth is quite common due to the fact that most people tend to use under their allotted bandwidth per month. With this in mind most web host providers plan their price accordingly. In general, companies will shut down if they use the maximum bandwidth allocated to them each month. Users will be hosted website with thousands of other websites if he opted for shared hosting account. Providers become involved in your site if they are told that your website consumes large quantities of sources of their start. Customers should go for a dedicated server, so the maximum resources for their website. Planning leads to know about the claim.

The customer may complete picture of the required bandwidth if he knows how to manage his hosting accounts. After proper planning dedicated server should be chosen, so if consumers are planning a lot of multimedia including video, music and large quantities should flash powered pages then no problem arises afterwards. If a user does not fully reflect the amount of bandwidth required by the website and with less amount of money he must look to an economic enterprise that may well accompany him. Consumers should be aware of the cost of bandwidth in the package, he will be. A large amount of bills waiting for the end of the month, if the conduct which was earlier a dollar per mega byte, now has more than 20 gigabyte bandwidth limit. You must keep in mind the cost factor in determining the bandwidth.

Leadership Friday: Profile of Ben Cohen, Co-Founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

What could be better...more on Leading with Ice Cream.

Our story comparing the Task Cycle® to ice cream was so successful, we decided to stick with the theme in writing our leader profile for the month of July. What other great American business leader would we profile besides one of the founders of the creamy classic Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company?  Read on for insight on how he became a leader in sustainable business practices.

Born March 18, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York, Ben Cohen was interested in ice cream from a young age.  His parents say that he would mix various flavors together and add candies, cookies, and other food items into the “custom flavors” he produced on a regular basis.

He attended Calhoun High School in Merrick, NJ, where he met his future business partner and fellow ice cream lover, Jerry Greenfield.  During his high school years, Cohen worked as an ice cream truck driver before he headed off to Colgate University.  Struggling with school, he dropped out a year-and-a-half after enrolling, and returned to what he knew: ice cream.  Cohen later re-enrolled in Skidmore College, the University Without Walls, and finally NYU to study art therapy, and paid for his education by doing odd jobs such as working as a McDonald’s cashier, mopping floors at a local store, taxi cab driver, and pediatric emergency room clerk.  After settling on a job working with emotionally disturbed students by using art therapy, Cohen began to again experiment with making his own ice cream. 

In 1978, Cohen and Greenfield invested $12,000 in a dilapidated gas station in Burlington, VT.  Originally wanting to start a bagel shop, they switched to ice cream because of the lower startup costs.  Cohen and Greenfield used a variety of non-traditional and recycled materials to renovate the building, including scrap aluminum from the local newspaper’s printing factory. 

College students loved the combination of fresh milk, creative flavors, and chunks of anything that meshed well with ice cream.  Cohen and Greenfield’s venture was so successful that they rented out an old spool-and-bobbin shop to begin distributing their unique flavors in pints.  They marketed to mom-and-pop stores around the area.  In 1981, Ben & Jerry’s expanded its distribution and opened its first franchise in Shelbourne, VT.

Soon, Ben & Jerry’s developed into a nationwide phenomenon.  As profits skyrocketed, Cohen looked for ways to give back to the community.  He helped create the Ben & Jerry’s foundation in 1985 as a way for the company to become involved with community projects. He believed that “"Business has a responsibility to give back to the community from which it draws its support.” Cohen allotted for 7.5% of all Ben & Jerry’s profits to go towards the Ben & Jerry’s foundation.  Today, the Ben & Jerry’s foundation donates to many causes, including scholarship foundations and playground builds, and especially to organizations focusing on environmental action.

Ben & Jerry’s continued to find ways to cut down on waste and to be more environmentally friendly.  Upon building their first ice cream manufacturing plant, environmental efforts were heightened (also as cost cutting measures) by measures like recycling cardboard, plastic, and paper, banning sticky notes, and allowing pencils to be thrown away only when deemed “stubby enough.”  Soon, all food waste from the ice cream plant was fed to pigs at a local farm rather than being thrown out.  Ben & Jerry’s began producing flavors especially for certain causes, such as to raise funds for rainforest reforestation, protest Alaskan drilling, and to use brownie chunks produced by a company employing disadvantaged workers in New York.

Cohen, a self proclaimed “hippie,” resigned from the position of CEO in 1995 after years of overseeing the now-massive ice cream chain.  He remained on the Ben & Jerry’s advisory board, and has chosen to dedicate himself to speaking out about causes that impassion him.  He currently promotes green business practices, small-scale farming, and children’s health care programs.  In 2000, he was honored by the New York Open Center for his “leadership in pioneering socially responsible business.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images Via Daylife
Other Sources include:
Ben & Jerry's Corporate Website: History
Wikipedia
Evan Carmichael's Famous Entrepreneur

Wanna sneak a peek?

A tiny sneak peek of what I've been up to these past few weeks. All these illustrations (and more) are going to be on sale at my Etsy store - hopefully I can also find a company that would sell pretty canvas bags (with a reasonable price) so that I could make my illustrations into bag designs. Since these pictures are quite big - even bigger than A3, then I was also thinking of having some limited edition prints (A3,A4,A5) available (signed and numbered). I mostly use 2B and 3B pencil, black ink, newspaper clippings,watercolors and thick cardboard paper. I added a little video as well - hope you enjoy!

And If you have any questions or suggestions - perhaps you have a special request, or an idea what you would like me to draw or whatnot then just let me know in the comments below.

( I used 2B,3B pencils, watercolors and newspaper clippings for the illustrations, Photoshop CS3 for the bag designs, CanonEOS 400D for the  pictures and Windows movie maker for video. )

Post IV in the Task Cycle® Series: Maintaining and Adjusting the Process is like Ice Cream

We’re going to compare this phase of the Task Cycle® to something most people know and love:

Ice Cream.

Soft, creamy, chunky ice cream in any flavor your imagination desires.  Think chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, moose tracks, triple caramel chunk, rocky road, toffee—and my newest strange discovery, chocolate bacon (I know, bizarre, right?).  So visualize your favorite ice cream and hold it in your mind, because we’re going to spend the next few paragraphs enjoying it.

Granted, there are some of us who don’t like the effects that ice cream has on us, i.e. those of us who are lactose intolerant.  So for our friends who can’t eat ice cream, imagine this analogy with a nice cone full of sherbet or sorbet.  I prefer rainbow sherbet, but you may prefer a nice peach-mango sorbet.  It’s up to you.

We are going to explore the idea of Phase V of the Task Cycle®, which is “Monitoring and Adjusting the Process.”  We’ve talked a lot about setting up your development process, and stressed the importance of establishing a strong purpose and setting up a strong foundation.  In “ice cream terms,” establishing your purpose was determining your hunger and deciding on your flavor.  We’re at an old-fashioned ice cream shop—none of that soft serve stuff.  There are many flavors and topping choices, so determining your  best combination takes time and careful thought (and possibly some input from a friend!).  Your “foundation” is your ice cream cone (my favorite kind is a waffle cone).  When you received your cone, both you and the ice cream scooper probably checked to make sure that it was in one piece, and that no chunks were taken out of it.  You needed to make sure there was a strong foundation on which to place your ice cream.  With no apparent problems, you head out the door and into the outdoors, completely satisfied and ready to munch away. 

It is extremely hot outside.  Your ice cream begins to slowly melt, and you quickly move to lick around the cone where the melting is fiercest.  As you enjoy your ice cream, you must constantly monitor the cone for drips and adjust your hold to attack rogue melts.  Suddenly, your friend/mentor (who recommended the treat and helped decide your flavor) points out a problem with your cone—there is a hole in the bottom, and precious ice cream is dripping out of the cone and onto the street (and your new pants). 

Luckily, you have only made it one block from the ice cream shop.  You quickly head back, hoping for a solution that can save your ice cream.  After consulting with the girl behind the counter, she offers an effective tweak to the cone’s structure:  she offers you an M&M to place in the bottom of the cone to act as a stopper, preventing ice cream leakage.  You adjust your cone by taking off the ice cream, inserting the M&M, and replacing the ice cream on top.  After wiping off the several drops of melted ice cream from your pant leg, you are as good as new (even better, because now you have an M&M to look forward to at the end of your cone).  Happily, you head off down the street to your next destination with your friend/mentor with time to spare.

This extended metaphor is to explain in simple terms the reason for and importance behind monitoring and adjusting your development process.  If we had just ignored the drip in our cone, we would have ended up covered in melted ice cream and we would have lost about half of our sweet treat to our pants.  By the time we got to our intended destination, we would look a mess and have to spend time valuable time cleaning the sugary treat off of our pants.  And everyone knows that no matter how much friends may deny it to make you feel better, wet spots on your pants do make you look like you wet yourself.

By taking our friend/mentor’s observation seriously, we circumvented a major crisis and avoided personal embarrassment in the process.  A small adjustment ensured that we were able to continue to our next destination while enjoying our ice cream cone, now fully functioning. 

Apply this to your personal development process.  Continually monitor and adjust your hold on your development progress in order to catch any slip-ups or weak areas.  Let your mentor or another outside source make observations to help you.  Listen to them, and in the case of a foundational error, turn to an expert: an HR professional, a superior, a mentor, a co-worker, or a personal development coach.  They will have the experience to tweak your issue in a way you may not have considered.  Their help will allow you to stay on track without losing face or valuable time.  Remember, this is their job—they’ve probably handled something like this before.

And remember: after all of your hard work when you do achieve your personal development goals, reward yourself with a nice, cold, refreshing cone of ice cream.  Get two scoops if you want.  We won’t tell anyone.

What Does 3G Mean

Today everybody has a cell phone. Whether they are on a contract or a pay as you go tariff, the mobile phone has become an essential element for many people. This article will look at mobile phone history - and his future - to learn more about the now essential telecommunications device.

Mobile phones began life as a two-way radio, also called mobile platforms. These were installed in vehicles such as minicab, police cars and ambulances, but were not quite mobile phones when they are not normally connected to the telephone network. while the first mobile phones were permanently installed in vehicles, later versions, such as laptops, also known as bag phones, which can be used and can be used as a mobile or portable walkie-talkies.

The first generation of mobile phones are often 1G. These phones are analog devices that were introduced in the eighties and continued until being replaced by 2G mobile phones that run on digital networks. In fact, call themselves 1G & 2G systems use digital signals to connect the radio towers on the rest of the phone calls himself the voice during a telephone encoded into digital signals, while the 2g vote on 1G phones are not.

Second Generation, also known as 2-g mobile phones were introduced in the nineties. 2-G Phone systems were characterized by their use of digital transmission and the introduction of advanced and fast phone signaling network.

The birth of 2-g systems such as telephones moving from friendly 1g phones for small handheld products that are much more portable. This change was made possible by technological developments, including more advanced batteries and energy-saving electronics.

The second generation mobile phones several advantages than 1g lines. These include text messaging, which became possible on GSM networks initially and eventually on all digital networks. earliest machine-sent message was sent in 1991 in the United Kingdom. Earliest person to person text message was sent in 1993 in Finland. SMS messages quickly became the preferred communication and public now prefer sending text messages to place calls.

3-G stands for third generation mobile phone standards and technology. Follows 2G 3G mobile phone technology.

The birth of the 3-g technologies allows network operators like Vodafone to offer their users a wider range of more advanced services. They include video calls and wireless Internet access.

Although the 3-g successfully introduced worldwide have been questioned by both 3-g providers & users, consisting of expensive phones. Besides these, there are many different licenses.

Since the launch of 3-G mobile technology. People have been talking about 4g. 4G technology will mean for the future of mobile phones, creates the most advanced cell phones and the best service yet. actually one of the following services are designed for live streaming of radio and television programs to 3-g handsets is and shops, including real and Disney recently announced that it will offer services such as this.

Finally, the history cell phones, though much in the last few years, but also shows that they will go further.

The Origin Of The Cell Phone

Fifteen years ago seeing a cell phone is quite rare, and in today's technologically advanced world, almost everyone has a cell phone. Adults, adolescents and even children running around portable models of the phone.

The interesting history of mobile phone, you can create a picture of how the portable wonder became what it is today.

In 1843 named an experienced analytical chemist Michael Farady began exhaustive research into a position that can cause electricity to be found. He talked about his results and progress in the 19 st century science and technology have an overwhelming influence on the evolution of current mobile phone.

In spring 1865 a dentist named Dr. Mahlon Loomis was believed that the first person who was able to communicate wirelessly through the atmosphere. Between 1866 and 1873 transmitted telegraphic messages 18 miles between the tops of Cohocton and Beor Deer Mountain, Virginia.

Dr. Mahlon Loomis developed a way to send and receive using the earth's atmosphere as a conductor. He also launched pilots concluded with copper screens that were linked to the ground with copper wires. He received a $ 50,000 grant for research on Congress to continue his studies.

So in 1973, a former general manager of the systems division of Motorola, was Dr. Martin Cooper is believed to be the inventor of the first portable handset. Dr. Cooper was also the first person to make a call using a mobile phone to do.

In New York he gave a base with the first working prototype of a mobile phone, Motorola Dyna-Tac. He and Motorola took this technology to New York to the public.

Later, in 1977, went public telephone and public testing began. Chicago was home to the first trial of 2,000 people. After Chicago, later trials in Washington, DC and Baltimore, and then spread to Japan in 1979.

Usual techniques changed in 1988, were CTIA - Mobile Technology Industry Association - founded realistic goal for mobile services offering. Research on new applications of development was recorded.

In 1991, the Telecommunications Industry Association, a new standard with the creation of the TDMA Interim Standard 54: e

Mobile phones have a very long journey. Although there is a strong demand for mobile phones, it took 37 years for them commercially available in the U.S..

Wireless service was actually invented almost 50 years ago, so it's hard to believe that mobile phones are popular only in recent decades. There are currently over 60 million people have mobile phones.

Types of Generators

Generators used to produce electricity and they ensure that most of the essential appliances can be run as a blackout. Generators of different wattage capacities can be used in accordance with the needs of the individual. The choice of buying the right type of generator depends on several factors such as capacity, voltage ratings, fuel type, fuel consumption, noise, and can send the price - a sensible choice if you knew what to look for.

Stand By - Standby generators provide backup power in homes and offices and are permanently installed outside your home or office building. They are located in the electric circuits or home wiring. - The unit automatically turns itself on and off. They can automatically detect disruption of normal power and initiated within a few seconds. - Propane and natural gas provides a safe and long-term supply of fuel and is more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel. - Like any engine, a generator motor creates a lot of heat and needs a cooling system to prevent overheating. Standby generators can be cooled by air or water cooled. The biggest difference is that air cooled systems are louder and not as effective. Liquid-cooled systems are quieter and more reliable - and also more expensive to buy and maintain.

Portable - Portable generators are commonly used in places where no power supply, such as construction sites, camps, etc. These generators are sufficient to run appliances like TV, refrigerators, furnaces and sump pumps. - Portable systems are wheeled units that need to roll the generator outside, start it and connect it to a cable box Portable generators supply electricity to selected appliances through extension cords. - They are powered by gasoline, which can be difficult to store and transport during a blackout. Carbon monoxide is always a concern in the safe use of portable generators. - They are designed to be used in a short period of only a few hours in a row. As a result, they seem to be much smaller and cheaper.

A related aspect of the generator engine is how fast they run, measured in revolutions. Generators made for the U.S. market to operate in one of two speeds: 1800 RPM or 3600 RPM. 1800 rpm engine last longer and run quieter; 3600 rpm motors are smaller and lighter.

The Harmful Effects Of Cell Phone Use

In the last decade the world has seen a rapid growth of mobile phone users. All older adults to children at school seems to wear one glued to their ears, without understanding the potential health Ricks is associated with the use of mobile phones.

To begin a new scientific journal published in 2007 entitled Long-term mobile phone use and brain tumors, concluded after evaluating the results of many studies on the use of mobile phones in more than 10 years have shown an increased risk of acoustic neuronal and glioma. Adds that the risk is highest for ipsilateral exposure, meaning tumor on one side of the brain where phone mostly held.

Researchers behind the magazine says that most studies to date on mobile phone use and brain tumors usually performed at a sufficiently long latency. This report provides an excellent journal reviews of other studies and documentation for handling errors, systematic bias and mathematical errors in these studies.

Argument on studies of short-term recall of mobile phone use is used, is well supported by evidence that the actual use of mobile phones is usually underestimated by users and slightly overestimated by heavy users that the strength of data intercom studies. Similarly, if results show an increased risk of glioma and acoustic neuroma from several other studies on the use of mobile phones in more than 10 years supported their conclusion.

Also included a second study published in 2006 with three researchers in Sweden have an increased risk of malignant brain tumors into groups depending on the use of mobile and wireless phones for more than 10 years. Like the aforementioned survey, also researchers in this report mentions the so-called weak long trials is their short latency.

Evidence of error in surveys, for example, Danish interphone study where much data entry error had occurred because of difficulties in understanding words Galioma patients from paralysis, is justified. They claim that their methodology for assessing the use of mobile and cordless phones by questionnaires to more sensible.

Moreover, interesting evidence brought up in this magazine for a full REFLEX study is important to mention here. The REFLEX study, which tested for genotoxic effects in cells exposed to high frequency electromagnetic fields on the SAR (whole body Specific Absorption Rate) levels between 0.3 and 2 W / kg signs. Increase in single and double strand DNA break choromosomal find abnormalities were observed in fibroblasts and the intracellular increase of free radicals in HL-60 cells.

Information from the REFLEX study combined with data from their own research, Swedish researchers concluded that the current allowed SAR 2 W / kg in Europe is inappropriate.

Conversely, it is important that our readers know that the maximum SAR level in the U.S. and Canada has a limit of 1.6 W / kg (FDA).

Finally, a magazine published in 2007 mobile phone and risk of glioma was five northern European countries, shows mixed results. These special surveys findings were based on a combination of data from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Southeast England, where mobile phones are widely used for at least a decade. This study looked at reasonably large group of people. All patients with a glioma in 2530 and 6,581 controls had participated in this study.

Yet it is surprising to know that their conclusions are not so clear as in the previously mentioned studies. This study claims to be an increased risk of glioma are among groups most at risk. Neither they found no significant correlation between categories with duration of use, years since first use, cumulative number of calls or cumulative hours of use.

They also claim that no increased risks when analogue and digital phones were tested separately. But this study found a series of tests on a possible link. This link between the reported ipsilateral use 10 or more years ago associated with significantly increased risk of glioma, and there was a growing tread with years since first use on the ipsilateral side.

Finally, we recommend that consumers seek information about what SAR level their mobile phone user. SAR information is easily found in instructional techniques and materials shipped with the phone or can be found at many sites. We advise consumers to mobile phones which operate at the lowest possible value of SAR, and try to use cell phones while driving or in a hands-free headset for mobile phones to invest until there is greater use of absolute proof has been obtained.

Leadership through the Eyes of a Tennis Ball: Tips from Wimbledon

Leadership development is like a tennis match: you can’t do it by yourself unless you’re interested in hitting a wall


With a new Wimbledon winner recently crowned, we encounter an opportunity to look at leadership through the eyes of a tennis ball.  Wimbledon, a tradition since 1875, has hosted some of the biggest names in tennis history.  Tennis is a mental sport that requires discipline, dedication, and focus—much like time spent in the office.  So what connections can we draw from Wimbledon to leadership development?  Plenty:

Pick a winning partner
In doubles tennis, it is important to have a partner who can help achieve your goal of winning the match.  In leadership development, it is important to pick a partner who can help you achieve your goals of personal development.  By “partner” we mean a couple of things.

1.)    A great evaluative tool.  Playing at Wimbledon with a shoddy racket would create a serious disadvantage to the person using it.  Using a racket matching your needs gives a more accurate picture of your playing abilities. Personal development is the same: using an instrument that will not fully evaluate your skill set will present you with a serious disadvantage.  To truly see where you need to improve, evaluation is key.  This is why we like 360 degree feedback so much.  Three-sixty degree feedback provides the opportunity to acquire information from those around you to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity.  We tend to fool ourselves on self-evaluation surveys, so allowing others to take part means a more honest look.

Choosing a tool provider is important, too.  Make sure that the company you chose has a record of success and can provide both survey validation as well as comparisons to industry norms.  Without anything with which to compare yourself, how will you know where you fall?

2.)    A companion who can keep you on track. This person is your “check” if they see you engaging in “backsliding” behaviors.  They can push you to run the extra mile, encourage you put forth that extra bit of effort, or help you up when you slip and fall.  They will be your companion while running that last lap, chanting your name as you cross the finish line—and making it easier to achieve your goal.

Partner with a good coach
Any consistently successful sports team has a great coach behind them.  The coach will ensure the functionality of the team, and will give crucial observations and feedback that will ensure the continual growth of the team and its players.  Finding a good coach is important for personal development as well.  A good coach can interpret individual strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities for advancement and honing of certain skills, and prioritize certain areas of development over others.

Practice! 
The saying goes, “Great leaders are not born, they are created.”  Creation of a great leader—as well as a great sports player—requires lots of practice.  Some skills will come easier to certain people; some skills will be more difficult to acquire. Practice will ensure that no matter how fast you learn, you will achieve your goal.

Play to win
Don’t approach personal development half-heartedly.  You will get out of it only what you invest into it.  Before starting a personal development plan, make sure you are aware of the work you will need to put in to achieve your goals, and then attack them with vigor.

After-the-match recap
Re-evaluation as to how far you’ve come is key.  At TBC like to follow up our 360 feedback with what we call 720 feedback®.  720 Feedback® provides a comparison of a participant's results over a period of time, often 12-18 months. This comparison informs participants of their developmental progress and gives them an opportunity to update and change their individual development plan.  Because to truly get the most out of a personal development plan, one must keep a continual watch on their skills and competencies to ensure they are actually improving.


The next time you stumble across a Wimbledon match on TV, take a moment to look closer at the players, the coaches, and their tools.  They have become their best by using the best—are you?