Editor

Posted 9:05 AM by Allen Gagle
The Results Are In... And yes our system is still in disarray.....

Would you recommend your brand?

Dan - 83%

Apple - 79%

Dell - 71%

Evesham - 63%

Gateway - 56% *

IBM - 55%

Viglen - 51%

Fujitsu-Siemens - 48%

Mesh - 46%

Compaq - 43%

Hewlett Packard - 40%

Tiny - 28%

Packard Bell - 26%

Advent - 25%

Time - 14%

* Gateway has since exited the market.

How reliable is your brand?

Compaq - 89%

IBM - 89%

Apple - 86%

Dell - 86%

Gateway - 83%

Packard Bell - 83%

Dan - 80%

Evesham - 80%

Hewlett Packard - 80%

Mesh - 79%

Tiny - 77%

Fujitsu-Siemens - 75%

Time - 72%

Source: which.net

Posted 11:20 AM by Allen Gagle
Body Solutions ~

Does it work - What IS Body Solutions?

A detailed investigative report...
By: The Editor

I am a young man who has struggled with my weight for a long time, my weight became an issue to me about
when I was 16. I have tried every diet known to man, all sorts of exercises and listened to books from people
who were obviously quacks. Now I will share my experiences.

I have just started Body Solutions, it cost me $78 to get started, and that didn't even cover other phases
such as the pills or shake form. So it is too early to brag any success stories.

I have always been suspicious of these little "Patented" labels, and we always take for granted that such a
label is a "good" thing, but since I have a patent consultancy on the side, I decided to look up there patents
and see exactly what they are bragging about...

The first one is Patent: 5,428,072 --->
A method of enhancing weight gain and feed efficiency in an animal which comprises administering to the animal a safe and effective amount of a conjugated linoleic acid.

Now, reading the description, what I would infer, is that the "enhancing weight gain" doesn't sound like something positive
in a weight loss product... Starting to look suspect now eh?

Lets look further...

BTW The product this is in reference to, is the liquid that you ingest at bedtime...

The main "secret sauce" to this mix is the following - MarkCHROM (obviously a Chromium P. reference)
COLLMark (?), LEANMark (Linoleic Acid?), CLA, MarkALOE (Aloe Vera), FOSMark (Phosphate?).

We can now see a clearer picture of this diet cocktail. Whether or not it is Miracle Dust or Snake Oil,
remains to be seen.

The next patent quoted is very wierd... Patent 5,430,055 --->
The culture ATCC 74256 and its mutants are capable of producing zaragozic acid A and other squalene synthase inhibitors. The compound of formula I herein may be prepared from culture ATCC 74256 and is useful in the treatment of fungal infections, and inhibition of squalene synthase, and protein farnesyltransferase.

Treatment of Fungal Infections? For a diet product... Interesting....

The next patent quoted is more promising... Patent 5,428,072 --->
A method of reducing body fat comprises administering to the animal a safe and effective amount of a conjugated linoleic acid. Methods of preserving or increasing the animal's body protein by administering the conjugated linoleic acid also are disclosed.

Now this a patent that should be quoted first on the label... Although all this "tested on animals" stuff is a little less than
comforting.

We will continue our investigation, and keep posting on here weekly as we discover more about this product.

Posted 1:08 AM by Allen Gagle
http://www.gamefaqs.com/

This site is great for getting help on beating video games, I have tried them all - and this is the only
site that actually had help for Floigan Brothers, which was in the Forum aka The Board section.
Excellent resource for obscure/new games that other sites don't even list.

Posted 9:06 PM by Allen Gagle
Leading Your Employees in Times of Crisis.
By: Greg Smith

Management consultant Greg Smith says the way you TAKE CHARGE of your employees in these difficult times could shape the future of your company.

Chicago, IL (October 2001) In the days and weeks since the terrorist attacks, the American workforce has been on an emotional roller coaster. People have fallen to terrible lows of fear, grief and depression, risen to mountain top experiences of national patriotism, and fallen again. On and on it goes. While no one knows the outcome of our current situation, one fact is indisputable: the out-of-control emotions of our employees will have an impact on our organizations. How can business leaders lead in the wake of this tragedy?
That is the question that management consultant Gregory P. Smiththe president of Chart Your Course International and author of Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High-Turnover to High-Retention (Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2001, ISBN: 0-7931-4553-8, $19.95) has been pondering.
No two people will respond to these events in exactly the same way, says Smith, a military veteran who truly speaks from experience. Some may seem unaffected, others may exhibit out-of-the-ordinary behavior, still others may react in dramatic ways. In offices across the United States, employees have walked off the job out of fear. One person e-mailed me and said his employer fired him because he failed to show up for work the day after the attack. The employee's excuse? He was depressed. What a terrible thing for an employer to do!
Smith believes managers have a critical role to play in these uncertain times; indeed, how managers treat their employees today will continue to resonate tomorrow. Just as the United States is forming a strategy to combat terrorism, he says, managers need a strategy for helping their companies get through the current crisis. He offers the following 10 stepswhich he has organized under the acronym, TAKE CHARGEfor managing, motivating and leading your employees in a radically changed work environment:

T - Target fears and anxiety. Employers who act appropriately and provide a supportive workplace will go a long way toward improving retention and loyalty after life begins to return to normal. People traverse a span of emotions during crisis situations, beginning with their individual safety and that of their family, moving on to the safety of their friends, and finally experiencing concern about their job and their financial security. Managers should have plans to address each of these concerns in order of importance.

A - Accept the fact that performance and productivity will drop. People respond differently in crisis situations. Expect to see difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, requests for sick leave and increased absenteeismall normal responses. People will need to talk more, a natural aspect of dealing with tragedy. The more they talk, the healthier the organization becomes. Sincere expressions of concern and help with simple, daily tasks will go a long way toward improving productivity.

K - Keep communication open. Information is powerfulan energy source. Meet with staff members at all levels to express grief, as well as to promote available resources and other services. By using grief focus groups and town hall meetings, you can go a long way toward helping people deal with the crisis. Keep Web sites updated and provide a place for people to watch or listen to the news at the workplace.

E - Educate managers and supervisors. Front-line supervisors and managers should be equipped with the resources, information and authority to assist employees as close to the front-line as possible. Unless you work in a small organization, avoid centralizing this responsibility. Many companies have alienated their workforce by giving one person the sole responsibility to approve schedule changes and sick leaves. Centralizing causes employees to face long lines, unreturned voice mails and greater frustration, alienation and anger.

C - Calm, confident and reassuring leadership style. Dont underestimate the importance of your personal leadership style. In times of crisis, a heroicstyle of leadership becomes important. Managers should attempt to compartmentalize their personal fears and feelings. Follow the examples of Mayor Giuliani and President Bush, both of whom have done much to gain the confidence of the American people.

H - Help those in need first. First and foremost, make no assumptions on how people feel in a time of crisis. Some individuals may need professional assistance so be sure they understand how to access the employee assistance program (EAP). Family members and employees activated for military service are particularly vulnerable. Identify employees who have family members in the military and know which employees are in the reserve and National Guard. Insure that they know that, by law, employees activated for military service will be guaranteed a job when they return from active duty.

A - Allow people to display their emotions-People are as diverse as their emotions and they display them in different ways. Allow them to display flags, momentos and other forms of patriotism. Let them know it is OK to cry and that anger is a natural part of acceptance and recovery. (Some truly caring companies always make provisions for their employees spiritual and emotional health. In Smiths new book, he tells about Interstate Battery Companys employment of a full-time chaplain to assist people with grief and other emotional issues.)

R - Restrict negative behavior. Even though anger is a natural part of this process, make sure you draw the line to prevent actual abuse, harassment and verbal venting toward other people. Make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that behavior of this sort will not be tolerated and will be dealt with in the strictest terms.

G - Get people to focus on a higher calling. The purpose of terrorism is to have an impact on the greatest number of people. Terrorism inflicts psychological damage on peoples self-worthit violates them and attempts to rob them of control over their life. Managements role is to give control back to people in order to focus, to motivate them toward a cause where they can feel they can make a difference. Therefore, getting employees to help with a charity, donate blood or to focus on something that gives them a feeling of control will motivate people to move on.

E - Expect and plan for recurrences. Most terrorist attacks and crisis are over and done with quickly. This wont be true here. With military deployments and the possibility of war facing Americans, the psychological trauma will be with us for a long time to come. Keep your disaster plans and emergency notification rosters updated. Prepare yourself for what could be a long and emotional campaign facing America.

Embracing these ten steps is not only the right thing to do, says Smith, it is the smart thing to do from a business standpoint.
Remember, in the opening scene of the movie Gladiator, how Maximus rallies his soldiers with the words What we do in life echoes in eternity? he says. Well, the same is true in the workplace. Your employees will remember how you treated them during this highly emotional time. If you want your company to be a place the best and the brightest will want to work in the future, you must be very careful what you do in the here and now. Just be aware that this crisis could be a test not only for our nation, but for many of our companies and careers.

###

Greg Smith is the founder and president of Chart Your Course International, a management development firm located in Atlanta. He is the author of Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High-Turnover to High-Retention and the publisher of the Navigator newsletter. He is formerly a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and was a consultant to the Army Surgeon General. He served during Operation Desert Storm and was involved with managing the aftermath of other terrorist attacks involving military forces overseas.