Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Way It Works. - Douglas Castle

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The Way It Works.

Dear Friends:

The way it works ("it" being the essence of all things important in life), is not what the way we were taught. In an increasingly distraught world where established systems are rapidly de-stabilizing...in a time where we are suffering the leaden depression associated with repeated disillusionment...in a world of turbulence, spinning ever-faster and more erratically, we might just have to look at things in a new way.

It is no longer sensible to adhere to the childhood warrior philosophy of "divide and conquer."

For most of us, it is now the time to "unite and dominate." When old ways of thinking fail us, it is time to modify our approach to dealing with life.

Faithfully,

Douglas


Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Braintenance: Word Power and Food For Thought - Douglas Castle

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BRAINTENANCE - WORD POWER AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Dear Friends:

1. The following terrific new research subjects and vocabulary words come to us through http://www.dictionary.com/ . Have a look at them - Growing your word power is an important part of keeping your mind agile.

2.  Ponder this: After a long series of recurring patterns, how can we identify which is the actual originating cause of the pattern, and which is the effect?

3.  Ponder this: In the current world economy, which might be the better of these two strategies for the survival of individuals and smaller business enterprises, and why?
  • Divide and conquer; or,

  • Unite and dominate ?
If both strategies have merit, under which circumstances would a person or a company be advised to use each of them?

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Friends & Colleagues: Douglas Castle will be missing (and even more out of touch than usual!) from 6/17 - 6/23. Please keep a light on.

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Friends & Colleagues: Douglas Castle will be missing (and even more out of touch than usual!) from 6/17 - 6/23. Please keep a light on.




Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

GICBC - The Time Is Now

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SUPPORT THE GICBC MOVEMENT

It is time to be a part of something world-changing; something that Matters. Let's MAKE the future together, instead of waiting for governments, banks and monopolists to “SAVE” us. Please show your support and be a part of the GICBC Movement. Join our Facebook Fan Page at http://bit.ly/GICBCfanpage . Read on:    


GICBC*:  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

United, organized, and democratically self-governing, each of us will be secure, stronger and more prosperous. Working together collaboratively, our resources will grow exponentially, and we will achieve limitless accomplishments and success.

Through Membership in the GICBC, we will each reclaim our lost power…the power to control our own destinies, to realize our dreams and to build the future on our own terms.

Acting harmoniously, and joining our hearts, our hands and our minds, we become far greater than the sum of each of our Members – we have the voice, influence and towering presence of a Giant. And we need no longer be at the mercy of any institution with self-proclaimed authority over our lives, our freedoms and our fortunes.
-----
*Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community.

It is crucial for initiators, innovators, entrepreneurs and emerging enterprises to join the GICBC (Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community) Movement by 1) becoming a Member of TNNWC [you are invited to join for free] at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC  and to show your support for the freedom and the growth of Human Entrepreneurial Potential by 2)  becoming a FAN on our Facebook Page at http://bit.ly/GICBCfanpage . Learn much more about the GICBC by visiting http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com  -- just use the navigation tool and click on GICBC.

Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.
 

Sunday, June 13, 2010

News On Anti- Aging Programs at 06.13.2010

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NEWS ON ANTI-AGING PROGRAMS at 06.13.2010

This article was originally posted on LINKS 4 LIFE (http://lifelinksiep.blogspot.com/) by Douglas Castle on June 13, 2010.

NOTE: The information which follows is NOT intended to be, nor should it be construed by the reader as medical, healthcare, or nutritional advice. Before embarking on any system of exercise, and nutrient protocol or taking any medications (whether prescription, over-the-counter, or nutritionals, you should consult your principal heathcare practitioner to determine whether or not the action that you are contemplating would be appropriate for you, specifically, in considering your personal health conditions, possible negative side-effects associated with taking medicines or nutrients in conjunction with what you may already be taking either by prescription or over-the counter.

The US FDA has not passed on or endorsed the merits of taking any of the medications or nutritionals described in the article, not has it declared them as either safe or effective for the purposes indicated.  Neither LINKS 4 LIFE nor the author of this brief article endorse or warrant the effectiveness or safety of any of the substances described herein.

The information which follows was excerpted from a newsletter which I recently received from International Anti-Aging Systems, which is a seller of numerous purportedly nootropic and anti-aging drugs. Bear in mind that this information is provided as food for thought and for further reasearch only. No recommendations or healthcare suggestions are made hereby, and no endorsement of International Anti-Aging Sytems is made hereby. 
----------------
Build Your Own Anti Aging Program
What is the best way to tackle aging?

How can we prevent aging’s annoyances from becoming disorders and diseases?

We’ve done our best to simplify the answers for you by breaking down the protocols and products into 4 categories. We hope that you enjoy reading about this program and trust that you find great benefit from following its path. We all know that prevention is the best cure!

Due to the wide array of the theories of aging, it is best to “manage” your aging on several different levels. In order to simplify the process as much as possible, we’ve designed the ultimate optimal health pyramid. This comprises of four levels:
The ultimate optimal health pyramid visualizes the advantages of each stage, enabling you to “build” the strongest program for your own optimal health. In this way that the greatest long-term health benefits can be obtained.
Find out how to build your program here
-------------------
END NOTE: The original hyperlinks from the above excerpt are left intact for your further information and exploration. IAS does provide some interesting information about nootropics, cognitive enhancement and anti-aging, but this information has not be validated by any US or international medical or nutritional rating, legislative, evaluative or regulatory body. Some of the drugs discussed may not be legal for import into the United States or other countries - if you choose, upon you physician's or other primary healthcare provider's approval, to order any of the items, be certain that you know about the legality concerning the importation and use, in your country, of any of the substances touted by this publication.

Faithfully yours (and may you live long and prosper),

Douglas Castle


p.s. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
**********************************
Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Braintenance - Things to be frightened about.

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Dear Friends:

The answer to the last problem (last post) is 7.

Try this:

7 x 7 = 49

49 + 7 = 56

56/4 = 14.

...and we all know that 14 = 7 x 2.


----------------------------------------------------------------
AND NOW FOR "THINGS TO BE FRIGHTENED ABOUT."

The Great Divide Widens - The Deadly Three.

Dear Friends:

There have always been several unspoken but intuitively understood dividers between the "rich" and the "poor"...

1) The actual average wealth per capita amongst the rich versus the actual average wealth per capita of the poor;

2) The median difference (disparity) in actual average wealth per capita amongst the rich versus the actual average wealth per capita of the poor;

3) The number of poor individuals in a society versus the number of rich individuals in a society. 

In the wake of every financial catastrophe in history, each of the above three measures has increased. In simple terms, the rich become a smaller percentage of the population but with a tremendous increase in their collective and individual wealth, while the poor become a larger percentage of the population, but with a tremendous decrease in their collective and individual wealth.

Also, most of the "middle class" (the bedrock, social buffer and glue of most any civilization) join the ranks of the poor -- very, very few remain "middle class," while only the tiniest fraction join the elitist ranks of the rich.

NOTE: As the middle class fades away, so do longer-term economic prosperity and near-term social civility. The seeds of revolution and violent upheaval are sown with the elimination of the middle class.

I've done my duty. Now you've all been warned. Have a nice day.

Faithfully,

Douglas

Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Can You Solve This Problem? - Braintenance

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Dear Braintenance Pals and Gals:

Can you solve this problem? It just requires that you read carefully, and apply a bit of rudimentary algebra. It may seem tougher than it is -- everyone in my neighborhood is intimidated by squares and square roots. Don't be!

What number, when squared, increased by itself, and then divided by 4 will equal 2 times itself?

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
http://braintenance.blogspot.com/






Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Braintenance: Tricks to Remembering Numbers, Codes and Passwords

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BRAINTENANCE: TRICKS TO REMEMBERING NUMBERS, CODES AND PASSWORDS
 
Dear Friends:
 
Following is some information (quite valid and useful) excerpted from a credit card company advertisement. While I view credit companies as lawless thieves, opportunists and largely responsible for the economic crisis throughout the entire world (on my rating scale, they are one notch below heroin dealers), the tricks presented below are time-tested and proven effective.
----------------
 

7 Easy Tricks to Remember Numbers, Codes, Passwords

by Michelle Crouch
Friday, May 28, 2010

provided by

Everyone today wants you to memorize something. Here's how.

In today's digital society, we're constantly being inundated with new numbers: telephone numbers, credit and debit card numbers, ZIP codes, PINs, passcodes and more. Even if you program everything into your iPhone or Blackberry, it's still going to be easier -- and more secure -- to keep some frequently used numbers in your head.

Click here to find a low interest credit card

That's easier said than done. Unlike words, numbers can be particularly difficult to memorize because they're abstract. Case in point: Five years after my parents moved to their new home in Florida, I still can't remember their ZIP code. I have to look up the darn thing every time I send a card or package.

http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com

"Anything that has no meaning to you is tough to remember," says neurosurgeon Larry McCleary, author of "The Brain Trust Program." "If I say the word 'cat' and you've had a cat, or even if you've seen a cat, it will bring up all these memories of that cat and you'll remember the word, no problem. But most of us don't have any emotional attachment to particular numbers."

So if you want to remember numbers, you've got to find the meaning in them. We've talked to McCleary and other memory experts about how to memorize numbers, from four-digit PINs to your 16-digit credit card number. Here are their top tips:

Create Associations

We all have numbers that mean something to us: birthdays, anniversaries, a favorite NASCAR driver's number or the number of 10-cent wings you can devour on all-you-can-eat wings night. The secret to remembering new numbers is to find connections between the number you want to remember and the numeric memories that are already firmly lodged in your brain, says Scott Hagwood, who had to memorize 800 numbers in perfect sequence, among other tasks, to become the first American "Grandmaster of Memory." If you're having trouble coming up with an association for a number, try moving on to the next number, Hagwood says, since that may trigger a memory that you can use to link to the first number. For example, he says, "If I'm trying to remember 5817, but can't think of anything to associate with 58, I'll move to the number 17. As soon as I do, the song 'At 17' by Janis Ian comes to mind. As the music plays in my head, I imagine a now 58-year-old Janis Ian singing the song."

http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com

Break Long Numbers into Smaller Parts

The average person can hold only about seven arbitrary units of information at a time in working memory. But by "chunking" or organizing the items in some way, you can greatly increase your recall capacity, says Thomas Crook, author of "The Memory Advantage." (This is why phone numbers are broken into groups of three digits.) Want to see how it works? Try memorizing this sequence: 7814921945. If you interpret it just as a string of 10 separate numbers, you'll have a hard time remembering it. But if you recognize two meaningful dates in the sequence, you have only three chunks to recall -- and remembering it is no problem.

Look for Patterns

For longer numbers, look for relationships in the numbers. Do the first two add up to the third one? Do you see a sequence of odd or even numbers? Then use those patterns to create a story with the more arbitrary numbers. For example, if the number is 6700 0123, note the pattern "0123" and figure out how it can be remembered using 6700, Hagwood says. You could say something like, "Well, once I spend my credit limit of $6,700, I'll have to start over at zero and build it back up again one dollar at a time -- 1, 2, 3."

Learn Actively

Our muscles have better memories than our brains, so don't just think the number, McCleary says. Say it out loud at least three times. "When you say it, your brain has to tell the muscles of your mouth how to say it and your ear has to hear the words and pass them along," McCleary says. "It forces you to use a lot more of your brain." And don't stop there. Try writing the number down a couple of times, or even singing it to a memorable tune.

Repeat It

Once you've memorized a number, set a timer and think of it (and the associations you've made with it) again one hour after you've learned it. Research shows that one hour after learning something is the time when the memory is most vulnerable to forgetting, misinterpreting or degrading the event in some way, Hagwood says. Repeat the number again after 24 hours, then again after one week and finally after a month. "The idea is to repeat the information just as you are about to forget it, in expanding increments of time, so it sticks in your long-term memory," Hagwood says. "Whatever is left after 30 days you'll probably be able to hold onto.

Visualize the Shape the Numbers Make on a Keypad

A lot of people use this technique for phone numbers, but it's also useful for credit card numbers, PINs, ZIP codes and more, especially if you're a visual person, Dr. Crook says. It's particularly useful for numbers that form obvious patterns, like a straight line, an "X" or an "L."

Convert Numbers to Words or Images

If you're ready for more advanced techniques, consider assigning the numbers 1 through 9 a letter equivalent: A=1, B=2, etc. So if your new PIN number is 2737, say, you'd convert it to the letters BGCG. Once you think of a sentence with those letters, such as "Bad Guys Can't Get," as in "bad guys can't get this number," you'll be able to recall it more easily.

Competitors in memory competitions, such as Hagwood, take it one step further. Hagwood has created an image or an action for each number from 0 through 99. So 23, for instance, makes him think of Michael Jordan and 43 represents the UNC Chapel Hill mascot, a ram. "To remember a long number, I just tell a story with those images in head," Hagwood says. "It may seem like a lot to remember, but the more you practice, the better you get."

OK, so now that I've got the tips, I decide to give them a try with my parents' ZIP code: 34201. I don't see any patterns in the numbers, and they don't form a memorable design on a keypad. I try creating chunks: 34, 342, 01, but none of those numbers have any meaning for me. I ask Hagwood for advice. "Type the numbers into Google and see what comes up," he says.

I do it. "34" brings up with nothing. I type "342" -- another dead-end. Then "201." Bingo. All sorts of websites referencing "2010" come up. That's easy enough to remember. Now I've got to figure out how to tie it to the first number, 34. Hmmm, my brother is 34 this year. That's it! To remember the ZIP code, all I have to do is recall this sentence: "My brother is 34 in 2010." Piece of cake.

But will I still be able to remember it an hour from now, and next week? The odds, experts say, are on my side.

 
Douglas Castle
Join my TNNWC Group, LLC collaborative business community (GICBC) at no cost by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.
 

Thursday, June 3, 2010

INDECISION: The Costliest Course Of All. - Ponder This.....

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INDECISION: The Costliest Course Of All.
Dear Friends:

If you do not make decisions, you will experience your life at the whim of others who will decide for you. If you cannot make decisions, you have no business being a manager or a leader. If you repeatedly demonstrate indecisiveness, you will lose your influence, your effectiveness, and your following. If you surrender your power of choice to others, you will not only lose your power permanently, but you will be looked upon as someone who was not worthy of power from the very outset.

A leader who permits himself or herself to be led by his or her subordinates, is not a leader, but a puppet, and will eventually be seen as such.

This is NOT a post about politics. This IS a post about leadership.

Here are some examples, right from the White House:

1.     United States President Obama permitted the US Fed, under the reign of Ben Bernanke, limitless, unsupervised lattitude to bail out failing financial institutions (failing due to their own ineptitude, avarice, sense of entitlement, 'creative accounting', government incest and toothless legislation, regulation and law enforcement) by issuing them unprecedented sums of fiat money without any significant strings, for which the US taxpaying public will ultimately have to pay with real earnings from real productive activity. Imagine rewarding bad behavior, flooding the market with currency backed by a bankrupt government's "promise to pay", and then punishing the victims of the crime (the depositors, borrowers, pensioners, smaller businesses and  individual taxpayers) by making them use their labors to reimburse an overextended government for rewarding the guilty?

To date, this money has not seen its way into the economy, jobs creation, small business lending or any type of productive stimulus. It has found its way into the wallets of some ruthless executives, and into more market speculation and other dangerously risky things -- the things that caused the damage in the first place.

Did this president inherit a damaged, indebted economy and a heat map of military efforts and policing all over the globe? -- yes he did. Perhaps that was former US President Bush's heavy-handed legacy. But while Bush will be remembered (regardless of your personal politics) as an aggressive, arrogant leader, he will be remembered as a president.


2.       The BP offshore oil tragedy -- an environmental and economic disaster to make Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez look like parking tickets -- presented an opportunity for a president to be a leader, and coordinate the efforts of the federal agencies and forces and the Louisiana government to grap BP by the pipe and force it to contain its spills...to demand that it pay every single penny associated with the cost of the cleanup, and to fine it daily for every spilled barrel.

Who is leading the cleanup? BP. A president abdicates decisiveness and enforcement power at a great loss to his own perceived leadership, but also at a loss to the ecology and economy of the entire United States. Fining BP could absolutely help narrow the federal budget deficit, while also encouraging BP to own up to its own negligence, duplicity and greed and pay the price. Who will pay (aside from the democratic party in terms of positioning)? The US Taxpayers.

To trowel some bloody icing onto the ever-growing fecal cake, a leader gives executive orders and sees to their enforcement. This leader is a study in cajoling, compromising and begging. He should be issuing orders and expecting them to be carried out.

His ideals and agenda notwithstanding, a leader seizes the opportunity to exert power, lest he be seen as a toothless tiger. I did not care for George Bush, but the scrappy, pompous little king of the malaprop ("this is not rocket surgery...") with a wanton disregard and almost palpable disgust for either the interests of the middle-class or the Constitution (and the law in general) was a leader. He did quite a bit of damage to the United States' economy and to its international relationships with other sovereigns, but he was feared and respected.

The current President, Barack Obama, ideals and agenda notwithstanding, presents a whole new problem -- he is failing in his role as a leader, and many parties will be irreparably injured by his repeated inability or reluctance to act precipitously and immediately.
---------------

Given a choice, your average slave to the republic would rather have a fierce leader who makes decisions that create catastrophes than a benign, capitulative but well-intended leader who doesn't use the power which the People have vested in him.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Keywords, Labels and Terms: indecision, unenforcement, wavering, leadership, command skills, power vacuum, Articles by Douglas Castle, TNNWC Group LLC, Taking Command, posturing, positioning, confidence, fear, avoidance, palliative measures, ineffective compromise, procrastination, abdicating responsibility...


About Douglas Castle
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The National Networker Companies
Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.
The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.
The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.
Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.
LINKS 4 LIFE - Crisis resources.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

COMMUNICATE! - For Optimal Goal Attainment: An Extra Bit Of Work At The Beginning Can Prevent Lots of Wasted Time Later.

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Dear Friends:

To be an effective leader, you must be a skilled communicator. Giving orders that are either unclear or conflictory are very inefficient.

To be an effective implementer, contractor, employee or team member, you must also be a skilled communicator. If you misunderstand your role, responsibilities or priorities, you are doomed to fail at performing any task.

Communication between two individuals has several components, and none of them should be admitted in a business dialogue......and although it begins with the leader, the other party (i.e., the "initial listener") must, of necessity, participate:

1. The leader gives clear directives, the reason for them, and the end result that is expected to be accomplished;

2. The initial listener acknowledges by paraphrasing to the leader, what he or she believes he or she is to do. If the directives seem "out of sync" with the reason given for them, or the desired end result, NOW is the time to clarify points or make any observations as to any conflicts or possible means of improving efficiency. This acknowledgment gives the initial listener a chance to make suggestions, register concerns, and to let the leader know if he or she has been totally clear;

3. The leader either agrees, clarifies, or changes the directives to accommodate a suggestion made by the initial listener;

4. The leader sets up a schedule of times (throughout the process) to monitor and review the progress and process, to be certain that the work being performed is a) of proper quality and on schedule, and is b)  following the necessary trajectory to achieve the desired end result;

5. During the progress of the process, the initial listener should render feedback (assertively) to the leader in the event of any errors, anticipated problems, confusion, failure to meet a promised deadline or change in priorities due to changing or conflictory circumstances.

Frequent, candid communication is always crucial.

Clarity in communication (sometimes giving examples to demonstrate points) is always crucial.

Continuous feedback prevents veering "off-course, " stalling in the work effort, and compounding errors. 

If you have given a directive and there is silence from your initial listener, you have already begun to fail in your communications effort. Never take for granted that your listeners understand you unless they can paraphrase back to you (with vigor and enthusiam) what they are going to do.

***Oh, and listeners who depart your meeting to embark on their missions without any questions may not have any idea of what you want -- more likely, they are confused (and will work on a tentative, trial-and-error basis), have many questions (but are embarrassed to ask them), or are in a hurry to leave because they were bored by the encounter.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

About Douglas Castle
Douglas Castle - LinkedIn Profile 
The National Networker Companies
Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.
The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.
The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.
Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.
LINKS 4 LIFE - Crisis resources.
Follow Castle on Twitter 
Follow TNNWC on Twitter
Join Us: Become a Member of the TNNWC Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community (GICBC) at no cost. Click on http://bit.ly/TNNWC


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