Solar News on Yahoo -- Holy Hot Hello

I was pleased to catch a note going past on my Yahoo news last week about the Vatican setting up solar equipment on some of its buildings. According to this post by Matt James, the first building to become solar effective will be the Pope Paul VI auditorium. That is just the way things ought to be.

Then, this morning there was a note from Hank Green about the world's first solar cell phones. A company named Hi-Tech Communications, ltd located in St. Albans, Hertx, UK is releasing a solar cell phone for $510. Kind of pricey, but we all know how the market works -- demand and production can change that.

My grandkids got those little crank-up flashlights in their Christmas stockings.

I was so impressed with the news about the One Laptop Per Child (http://www.laptop.org/) program being promoted by Nicholas Negroponte. "Our goal: To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves."
Darn, I want one of those little green crank-up computers!

Read more at the other http://barjdcommunications.wordpress.com/

Copyright Infringment is Lazy and Dumb.

I wrote a post describing how to refer to someone else's work at the Active Rain network.

The post How it Goes 'Round at the Copyright Mulberry Bush for a Dipsy Doodle was written in response to a post written by Lenn Harley, outlining the laws around copyright infringement and information on how to avoid it. Lenn's comments were applicable to Active Rain members and other situations where people cavalierly use the content on the Internet created by someone else. Often the content is passed off as that of the copier.

Read more here: Eight-Twenty-Two

Revolving in the Revolution

A couple virtual whizzes, Heather Jacobsen and Becki Noles got together with an idea that would be a strong resource for virtual assistants and other admin. professionals, with the emphasis on VAs. This Big Idea grew into the Virtual Assistant Revolution (the REV). The Big Idea -- the REV is so important to me that it has it's own RESOURCES page on my website.

The logo for the Revolution speaks volumes! We are Revolutionary in our concept for developing our virtual assistance businesses. We Revolve around the idea of building strong, productive businesses and relationships through "the Rev."


Heather and Becki wrote out a program that is incredibly pro-Active for the membership. They accumulated information resources that are part of the membership and available to all members from day one. The entire membership si committed to sharing what they can with other members either through an outright donation of their information or some fine discounts for members. Members are go-getters with an accumulation of information and experience to share with one another or new people who are developing their history.

I gain regularly from an excellent, informative, to-the-point newsletter from the REV. I gain from seminars and indepth training sessions scheduled for members. To accommodate time zones and WORKING ( working is the foundation of what we do), access to most, if not all, of the educational and informative workshops and seminars are provided through transcription of recordings or notes.

Virtual Assistant Revolution members offer comments on questions and information in a courteous, professional manner that includes a healthy dose of humor. The entire atmosphere is charged with pro-active energy for the development of virtual assistant businesses. No one can do it for someone else, but an energetic network is healthy stimulation for me or you to pursue and achieve goals. I appreciate this 'working' atmosphere on the REV. I enjoy the give and take of a frothy network as much as anybody, but I find that my time and energy has to be aimed at the benefit of my business most of the time. I recommend membership in the Virtual Assistant Revolution to meet this need.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about the Virtual Assistant Revolution or need help with your subscription.

Leaping Lizards - or -- The Life of a VA

And how sometimes support people get tangled up in the turning world. Support people are a wonderful resource. I prefer some with a sense of humor, who know what they are doing, who don't assume that I am making up my problem. This isn't a demand from me -- support people must have eternal patience. When we were first getting on the Internet, the frustration of getting a connection led almost everyone I knew, including ME to sessions of meltdown. I observed that when getting an Internet account, one had to fight, fight, fight, scream at the support people, weep, fight, fight, fight, then the thing would just work on its own without any clear understanding of what changed.
This week, I spend many hours on Monday with multiple support people on a popular contact management service. I was so tired and getting grumpy. When DH wanted to go visit some other people, I said I just wasn't up to it and stayed here in the office, calling Support. Fortunately, I did that and also I changed to a roam phone so I could pace the floor while talking to Support.
The dog, an eighty to ninety pound bundle of terrier intentions, experienced a broken collar which left him just having to run about checking things he ordinarily must leave be. Checking the areas around my small tomato plants in small pots awaiting the garden. Checking like getting ready to toss them from hell to breakfast.
While Support is doing his IT stuff, I am on the porch, snarling at the dog. " Come HERE! Duke! Stop That, Get out of there, Come HERE." Oh good, I caught him and can haul him into the house. Support is still sort of the edges of this call. Duke heads for his digs in the laundry room and releases the lizard he had caught around the plants. A lizard somewhat the worse for wear. Support cannot be left out of the scene now because I'm trying to get ahold of the lizard with a shopping bag glove to get rid of it. competing all the while with Duke who wants to chase that lizard. But, lizards have little claws and I'm goosey. I dropped it.
I just kept trying to kick it away from Duke, while I learn that nothing like this has ever happened to Support during a call! His question, after I told him how big the dog is, was is the lizard big too? Fortunately no.
I really like having the lizards in the hostas and didn't plan to harm this one. Duke has no judgment and no conscience. The lizard kind of came apart. Now, I'm thinking Support is going to have expanded experience of me throwing up because that tail squirming on the kitchen floor just grossed me OUT! I had to have the conversation take a break while I got my shopping bag glove lined up so I could get ahold of the pieces and toss them outside because it was just making me sick.
Support and I finished our testing, did not solve our problem and said good night. Just another day when you live in your office with big dogs and wildlife.. Lizards have a weird smell.

Bringing your Computer into Daylight Savings Time Earlier

How will your office address daylight savings time at several weeks earlier than usual? Does the time change affect your work hours, or do you work by the Sun?
Daylight savings changes and your computer are entwined in decisions you need to make in the next few days. Getting ready isn't as much of a challenge as you might think.
If you bought a new computer with Windows VISTA installed, the March date for daylight savings time to take over is covered.
Systems using Windows XP and 2003 systems can go to Microsoft to get a patch which will set your machine up to work with the new dates. If you have automatic notices for downloads, this patch has already come to you. Automatic downloads and install have it working for you already.
I do not care for automatic downloads and install, but when I was snooping around about information on Vista, somehow, my computer got switched over to automatic anyway. I've been kind of distracted and haven't gone in to change that. I just want to look at the downloads. Some of the patches for better gaming, etc. aren't anything I need on my system because they don't apply, for example.People using older systems, such as Windows 98, will have to make the changes themselves.
MAC users, you can learn details about many operating systems at the Apple site and these Documents. The Daylight savings time changes are on systems released in Feb of 2006.
I do not care for daylight savings time. I know clocks are a concept of mankind and government, but REGULAR time is my time. When I have to leap ahead that hour and lose the sleep, it takes longer every year for me to balance. DH says leave it just the way it is, one way or another. I would prefer to stay with REGULAR time. I just feel better when the FALL BACK day comes and I can get to MY time.

Marketing for Small Busineses with Paul DelFino and Mansfield Chamber

It's a New Ball Game in Every League -- Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Marketing Luncheon

Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a winter (indoor) picnic luncheon on February 14, 2007. The program was a marketing presentation by Paul Delfino. Business/members which were directly involved in production included Mansfield Community Center catering team, Engrave-A-Crete and Xanadu Games, LLC.

• 
  Paul Delfino, of Opportunity, Inc presented models for marketing to give businesses specific tactics that are available for marketing
  
• media advertising
• visability
• understanding the need of the target market
• layered marketing to provide more than one product or service to an already satisfied customer
• WORD OF MOUTH -- currently the most effective and valued resource for information (That's marketing)

The statistics for success and ideas for application were part of the peppy program.

Delfino is a good presenter. He got his point across concisely and clearly; kept the audience attention, but didn't race ahead of their comprehension.

Not all of the tactics will apply to every business, but every one took something away that had possiblities for application in that business's marketing program.

The primary media focus for Wednesday's presentation was the Internet and technology available for businesses to use when marketing their product or services either to the local customer or to the long distance client. Internet tools such as a website that benefits the visitor, blogging (weblog) for comment and elaboration on the product or service, using online news releases, RSS feeds and podcasting to deliver information, email newsletters and advertising material.

For tangible tools that can be useful to businesses, DelFino demonstrated the value of a disk to take presentation material away for future reference. He had CDs of the program and extra information prepared at Xanadu Games, one of Mansfield's newest technological businesses. Delfino used the marketing freebie of a special date to present a long stem red rose to every lady in the audience--a Valentine gesture to remember.

Mansfield, MO Chamber hosts Marketing Speaker Paul DelFino

The Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Winter (Indoor) Picnic Lunch featuring nationally known speaker Paul DelFino.

The Topic will be "Marketing - It's a New Ball Game in Every League".

The first fifty people who accept the invitation will be guests of the Chamber and can attend at no charge. After fifty, there will be a $10 charge for the lunch and presentation. Please use the link below for contact information.

You can learn more at Paul DelFino -- Marketing - It's a New Ball Game in Every League

Geocaching Three -- Ethics & History

Given the hide and seek quality of geocaching, the early hiders and hunters set up some rules to help geocachers avoid being dangerous to themselves, other partipants and the public. The online geocaching websites have guidelines for setting up a cache. The guidelines vary among the groups; guidelines can be found at Geocaching.com and at Terracaching.com.

Diplomacy and savvy have to be used to avoid being noticed by the general public (muggles). An ethical hider will take this into account so the hider and later the hunters don’t cause alarm. On occasion, people have been approached by law enforcement and questioned.

While not specifically connected to all geocaching, the principles of Leave-No-Trace reflect how some hiders and hunters feel geocaching should be done.

Originally, geocaching was called GPS stashing and similar terms. On May 20, 2000, Matt Stum suggested changing the term ‘stash’ to ‘cache’ because of negative connotations connected to the word ‘stash’ and further suggested naming the activity ‘geocaching’. It has been working.
Today, literally hundreds of thousands of sites are located in numerous countries all over the planet and registered one of the various websites.

Geocaching Two - Variations on the Treasure Hunt

Variations of Geocaches:

The basic, traditional cache consists of a container with a log book and trade items.

Multiple caches, working like the old time treasure hunt wherein each set of coordinates contains directions to the next until the final location where the log book and treasure lie.

Offset: Similar to the multiple cache except for variations in the stops. The coordinates may lead to a sign with digits on it such as a date which match the coordinates for the next location

Mystery/puzzle: A puzzle must be solved which will give the cacher the necessary information to be able to set up the coordinates.

Letterbox Hybrid: Geo-caching was developed from Letterboxing an activity which has been in practice about 150 years. Letterboxing depends upon clues being deciphered to identify landmarks. Or the clues are hidden in a story to be found and compared for the coordinates. Devoted letterbox hunters carry their own rubberstamp to mark the logbook and keep a personal logbook.

Virtual: Coordinates for a spot that doesn’t lend itself to sheltering the treasure box. A photo of you at the site, plus an email to the cache hider with pertinent information such as the wording or date on a nearby sign. Benchmarking has the hunters locate a survey market set up by the U.S. UGS. Earthcaching doesn’t contain the traditional treasure, but is verified by naming geological information such as nearby fossils or the local environment.

Webcam: Again, no physical treasure box but the coordinates lead to a public webcam. In lieu of signing the log book, the hunter can be required to get their image from the webcam to verify the find.

Locationless/Reverse. This works more like an old timey scavenger hunt. The directions are to locate something such as an old barn (any old barn) The hunter records the coordinates for the find, take a picture if possible and logs the find. Usually, hunters are not allowed to log the same location as a legitimate find.

Moving/Traveling. As with the basic geocache, the coordinates lead to the treasure. The hunter logs the find, trades trinkets and hides the cache in a different location. Certain ‘traveling’ toys in caches could come under the ‘moving’ description

Event: A gathering attended by geocachers is ‘salted’ with temporary caches for the vent only. The term event cache can also be used to describe the event, such as Cache-In Trash-Out Events where the hunters gather to clean up trash in an area as a coordinated activity, either locating little hidden caches or recognizing the location of the event as a find. Geocaching.com or TerraCaching.com or Navicache.com are just a few of the websites that can help you find out more about geo-caching and having fun with some of your technology.

Geocaching -- Fun with your GPS -- Tell your clients

Time to think about having some fun with your GPS. Listen and learn. About geocaching, an outdoor treasuring hunting game where your gps receive helps you natch coordinates to find friendly hidden caches anywhere in the world. Coordinates for the caches are posted online with clues about the location at websites such as Geocaching.com .

Typically, the treasure is a small plastic (keeping out water) container (the best ones come from the dollar store). Inside is a logbook, a pencil and some TREASURE, typically toys or trinkets or little $$$$ value. . When you find the cache, the deal is to sign the log book as directed, usually with the date; your name and city/state, and decide how to address the treasure. You can take a toy as a souvenir and leave a toy so the cache is supplied for the next hunter. Some people mark the log TN/LN when not taking or leaving a toy. That only works when you don’t have a five year old on the team who came for the toy swap. Then, you can note your find on the Internet. Treasure can contain ‘Travel Bugs’ or Geocoins, the travels of which are logged and tracked online.

Occasionally the treasure hiders go over the top and have a 5 gallon bucket or larger container. But, the ones we’ve hunted tend to be micro-caches. Some caches have been as small as film canisters.

Virtual geocaches are noted; finders take a photo (it is nice to have YOU in the picture) which is then posted online at a geocaching website.

Geocach-ers have to watch out for ‘muggles’, the uninformed and uncooperative. Muggle or ‘geo-muggles’ don’t appreciate the caching game. When you are finding, you need to keep a low profile and carefully replace the cache without ‘them’ seeing you. THEY have been known to vandalise or steal caches.

My daughter and her family have searched out caches in several states. The one hunt I was able to participate in was going to be a no-brainer. We almost didn’t find it because we thought it would be easy to find in a small area. Sometimes your mom’s and your grandma’s arrogance pays off. When we finally READ all of the clues and paid attention, then followed the right path, the five-year old got to see his FIRST box turtle and found some ‘lost’ Easter eggs.

Missouri VAs -- your clients may benefit from this SBA training

Human resources have a viable and valuable place in the office and corporate environment. Maintaining a communication between employers and employees has business advantages when measured against the costs of training for new employees, the losses during the learning curve or during the time when an employee is getting ready to move on. There are legal issues to consider in the successful office as well. When these issues are avoided by employers the gain is more impressive. When all of the gears work together, the business benefits, thrives and can keep workers.

The Missouri Small Business is scheduling a series of seminars regarding some of the legal issues to be dealt with in human resources: HUMAN RESOURCES LEGAL ISSUES SERIES – Personnel Law – Hiring & Firing (Feb. 1, 2007); Establishing Essential HR and Record-keeping (Feb 8, 2007); Personnel Law – Common HR Mistakes and Hot Topics (Feb 15, 2007). .

The prices are reasonable at $99 a session or $267 for the entire series, a nice discount. You can learn more at the Missouri Small Business Development Center in Jefferson City. (http://www.sbdc.missouristate.edu/) or calling 1417-836-4639 View a FLYER with more information, particularly contact information.

Virtual Assistant -- Can you hack it?

Virtual assistant, don't dare become complacent!

Learn new skills as often as you can. Stretch yourself to look for things that would help a client you have now or things that would appeal to a potential client.

Some wonder how long till that first client gets on the bus. So much depends upon the marketing you've done before you even hung out your shingle. I know some VAs who filled their roster in a month. But, they had been laying groundwork and networking with people who would need and who wanted their services much earlier.

While you wait, if you must, invest time and money (as you can) in your skills. Volunteer if you can because it does keep your hand in. When you have a chance to sit in on a session of an internet or computer skill that will help your target market, jump at it. Then, you won't be playing catch-up when the client calls.

You will be experienced and will be able to hack it.

Won't you please borrow my ear?

As I prepare for a remarkable 2007, I commit to lending you an ear or eye as may be appropriate.

I’m pretty certain in most of my endeavors that I am right. My ideas, my plan of action, goals and other matters are perfectly clear to me. And of course these ideas, actions and goals are the RIGHT choices.

Oh, pardon me; is my foot on your disagreeing face uncomfortable? I didn’t notice.

NOT part of the plan for the future. Sure, I’m going to be pretty clear about what I am doing and what I perceive to be right. (I am genetically arrogant) But, my policy will not be one of assuming that if I ignore your disagreeing face, you will go away. My policy has no place for the intentional bad manners of closing people out or ignoring them as if they didn’t exist. If you catch me at the Supermarket while in a hypnotic shopping haze, please know it is not intentional.

Because, I know that you can see behind me better than I can. I may not apply your opinion or advice, but I recognize the value you offer when you make the effort to let me know what you see.

Because, I know there are no new ideas. You or someone you know has been down this path before. The things you have learned are of value to me when weighing my decisions. I once read that the best way to cross a mine field was to follow someone. Ignoring you to defend my idea turf as if I were the last to receive revelation would be just plain stupid.

Because exchange is a two way street. Just as you have valuable insights to share with me, I need to have your open ear, open eyes and open heart when I have something to contribute. What goes ‘round, comes ‘round.

Your presence in my world is part of my plan for a remarkable 2007.

Make Rain -- Weave a Tapestry

I have almost 20 years of real estate experience. I have held licenses in two states and provided consulting and administrative support to licensees. ActiveRain is a pro-active real estate community which is relatively new on the scene, but which has attracted a large number of vital people who are either actively marketing real estate or providing complementary or supportive services to the field of marketing property.

Active discussions continue daily about the benefits of blogging and building an e-network. When you leave posts in your blog and send them out on the feeds, you are building an ‘e-network’, getting a picture of how to do it BETTER, MORE, at OTHER PLACES until you have woven a mesh that touches more and more people. People with whom you can work to accomplish the mission of your niche, be it real estate marketing, services which bolster real estate marketing such as insurance, mortgages, closing, services which buttress the marketing program such as advertising, assistants and staff. Every resource that you can use to add to the weave of your community and connections helps you become more and more skilled at expression and at working with the people you e-know to build your business.

Caleb Mardini, Active Rain Staff, wrote eloquently about the weaving in Are you making rain? which reminded me of a note I received today about an article written by Peter D. Weddle. In the article, Weddle rethinks a term he uses – e-networking. Formerly, he thought of the exercise as electronic networking as compared to face time with other people. Now, he’s thinking of the activity as being so essential to anyone business, regardless of the field, that he renames the term “employment networking”.

As Caleb mentions, we have the option to be the one pursued by competition or the one left in the dust of invisibility by more assertive competition. There are many loss facets to this dusty prospect. Loss of listing opportunities, loss of buyer/lead contact, loss of opportunity to share something that we have solved and being of connecting assistance to someone else, loss of opportunity to learn from others.

We can take advantage of the chance ActiveRain gives us to turn those loss statements around to gain. Listing opportunities, buyer/lead contact, sharing experience to the betterment of the field, learning from the experiences of associates. And add relationships with fellow professionals, clients and customers.

When you build blogs, join blogging communities that feature your field of endeavor, such as real estate, you are ready to blog and weave, blog and weave, blog and weave your statement into a beautiful, professional tapestry of business.

Be Remarkable in 2007 - Dump the Soap Opera Secrets

Step up to the plate and be honest with your associates. “Don’t tell her, but.” Or “This is just between you, me and the doorpost.” undermines your team like nothing else you can think of.

Sure, there may be some trade secrets that you don’t just publish everywhere, but this is about dirty, soap opera politics that have people walking on eggs, full of distrust. No one works well when expecting to be shoved under the bus at any moment. If one has been shoved in my presence, my quality of work is going to suffer while waiting for it to happen to me.
If you work alone in your office, you will still have dealings with colleagues. Your reputation for sunshine will stand up well in your plans for a successful 2007 and on.

Get on the EARLY track for a Remarkable 2007

Begin early when you aren’t so pressured by the beginning of a new year and all of the business ramifications that go with it. By the pressures of Holiday celebrations and stress, end of the ear work, seasonal health issues including light deprivation.

Identify three things (or more) that you want your business to do in 2007. Write these things down for they are your GOALS during the next year.

Look them over. There is one that needs to be done before the others; then a next one that needs to be done before the very last. Prioritize your list and choose which you know will benefit your business if it is accomplished first. (If you don’t have an eraser, scratch through changes and write AGAIN)

LIST your resources – yes you do have resources available that can be applied early-on to your goals. Recognizing these resources is your next line of action.

• Raw data from past business
• Accounts or memberships for services and tools
• Historical information about your business and/or field
• Reference resources that focus on your field (trade papers, magazines, trade case histories, trade directories)
• Staff (How many people will be available and how much of their time will be available for work on new ideas or projects?)
• Who do you know who has information that will help? How do you get up your nerve to ask them?
  

What might be roadblocks to your efficiency and success? Establishing a plan to eliminate or work around roadblocks before you encounter them is a useful exercise.

• Faulty or inadequate physical location or office structure
• Inadequate equipment
• Inadequate staff
• Competition
  

These are a few ideas that you can expand upon for your plan to have a REMARKABLE 2007.

Get started early and succeed on time.

Keep on Keeping on

We were tablemates at a banquet a couple weeks ago with a sensational couple in their 80s. They have had a small farm for many years, but just this year sold the last of their cows, each of which was a pet.

They were very articulate and interesting. But, what intrigued and encouraged me the most was when they shared that they REALLY enjoy playing FREECELL and they are working their way through the games. They are up into over 78000 wins!

Now, I play FREECELL and Spider Solitaire because it really helps me center. When things get hectic or I've finished a hard project and need a break before moving on, I 'treat' me to a puzzle. But, I have MANY losses because at FREECELL, I like to 'trap' the smallest card possible and have all the cards stacked up to make one connected leap to the top. This doesn't work out well for me in many games, maybe due to my decisions.

No matter what the motive for finishing the game or the style of approach, I want to keep playing FREECELL into my 80s too!

Repeat after me -- VOTE VOTE VOTE

We are coming up to another important election and opportunity to state our position on many issues all over the country.

In Missouri, there are state issues and local issues that are of grave concern to Missouri residents and deserve attention.

There are candidates who have agreed to spend their time and energy to particpate in our democratic-republic government form and make honorable efforts to express our positions and needs in the action of that government, local, state and national. These people deserve our respect enough to have us get ourselves out and about to state our choices and opinions and positions regardless of what those may be.

Thank goodness for elections -- the lifeblood of the media to sell ad spots to the candidates and issues. Remember Campaign spending could back the pay check of the one you love.

There is no please about it -- this is a demand. Next Tuesday, get off your duff and VOTE!

Blowing Missouri Smoke

Again, a regional, personal and political issue, but one I must state.

Smoking issue

I despise smoking. Smokers smell, they contribute to health hazards. In crowds, they make me smell in a manner that is most offensive when I get away from them; the odor hangs on and ruins my clothes, fouls my surroundings and belongings. (Wipe a wet cloth down the walls of the smoker home, or on the windows of the smoker car. Yech!) With all of the information about health in particular that has been daily available for the last 50 years, I have a really difficult time appreciating the intellect of someone who chooses to begin a smoking habit.

I understand the evils of smoking in terms of health and these days in terms of money. I have great sympathy with the people who think that adding four cents to a pack of cigarettes will keep young people from smoking. I am suspicious of the success future of such thinking, but they have my sympathy.

However, this is an amendment to the constitution. I cannot support a lifetime tag on the amendment of any constitution that addresses an addiction, a health issue and a small tax. This would have to be introduced in a different format to get my support. So, I will be voting NO next week and the smoking idiots can remember that if you play, you pay. Sure, your health care will cost Missouri neighbors, but you will be the uncomfortable one with the ravages of lung cancer or emphysema and with the shortened life. We will miss you, but it was, at the very base of things, your choice and you can choose.