If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on the right side of your mouth and if you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on the left side of your mouth.
To make half a kilo of honey, bees must collect nectar from over 2 million individual flowers
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water, when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Each year 2,000,000 smokers either quit smoking or die of tobacco-related diseases.
Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals
Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years
The song, Auld Lang Syne, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
7 Tips on How to Set Goals
1. Decide what you really want to achieve in your life. What is the most important to you? What things will make you happy?
2. Write your goals. Writing will help you to increase the implementation of your goals. Set realistic, clear goals. Clearly defined goals will help you to stay motivated. Motivation makes a big influence on our goals.
3. Set a deadline for your goals. Make a note for how soon you would like to achieve those goals.
4. Clearly realize "why" you want to achieve those goals. Strong knowing why you want to reach your objectives increases motivation.
5. Make a list of things what you will have to do. What things will help you to reach your objectives? Make a clear and consistent plan of things you will have to do. This will help you to focus on what is the most important to you and what can help you to reach your objectives. Take action.
6. Identify the skills you will need to develop. What skills you need if you want to reach your goals successfully? Try to identify them and then develop those skills.
7. Recognize resources that can help you to reach your goals.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6041420
2. Write your goals. Writing will help you to increase the implementation of your goals. Set realistic, clear goals. Clearly defined goals will help you to stay motivated. Motivation makes a big influence on our goals.
3. Set a deadline for your goals. Make a note for how soon you would like to achieve those goals.
4. Clearly realize "why" you want to achieve those goals. Strong knowing why you want to reach your objectives increases motivation.
5. Make a list of things what you will have to do. What things will help you to reach your objectives? Make a clear and consistent plan of things you will have to do. This will help you to focus on what is the most important to you and what can help you to reach your objectives. Take action.
6. Identify the skills you will need to develop. What skills you need if you want to reach your goals successfully? Try to identify them and then develop those skills.
7. Recognize resources that can help you to reach your goals.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6041420
Monday, March 28, 2011
Pirates hijack tanker with Pinoy seafarer
A Filipino seafarer and 28 colleagues were taken hostage after pirates hijacked a crude oil tanker in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden on March 28, 2011. The European Union Naval Task Force Somalia (EU-NAVFOR) said MV Zirku was hijacked some 250 nautical miles southeast of Salalah in the gulf's eastern part. The UAE-flagged and Kuwaiti owned vessel was on its way to Singapore from Bashayer (Sudan) when it was attacked. The vessel was attacked by two pirate skiffs firing RPGs and small arms. The MV ZIRKU has a crew of 29 (1 Croatian, 1 Iraqi, 1 Filipino, 1 Indian, 3 Jordanians, 3 Eqyptians, 2 Ukrainians and 17 Pakistanis).
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/216406/pinoyabroad/pirates-hijack-tanker-with-pinoy-seafarer
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/216406/pinoyabroad/pirates-hijack-tanker-with-pinoy-seafarer
SOLDIERS WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES
"I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death."
General Douglas MacArthur
General Douglas MacArthur
Friday, March 25, 2011
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Managing Through Tough Times |
| Let strategic thinking propel your actions, not fear. |
That the world around us is shifting in terms of the economy and our markets is not in question. What is questionable is how we address the challenges that face us. It is too easy to bunker down, close the hatch, and take a month by month view of the situation. However, this would not be the most opportune approach.
Focusing on immediate or short-term survival is crucial. But coupled with that is the need to have mid-range and long-term, at least five to ten years out, views that will ensure a balanced strategic approach moving forward. Too often long-term growth, or even sustainability, is sacrificed for short-term survival or gain. To take actions to keep the doors open now, only to close down in 12 months time does not make good business sense. A strategic approach would be to address immediate issues, together with long-term concerns, so the two strategic action plans are implemented simultaneously. Let strategic thinking propel your actions, not fear.
If in survival mode, a company has to take all the necessary measures quickly and decisively in order to ensure that the immediate pressing needs are met, especially with regard to access to capital and the presence of positive cash flow. The retention of existing customers becomes pivotal.
If a company is in maintenance mode, it does not mean it can continue with business as usual. There needs to be constant striving for continuous improvement; whether that means focusing on cost reduction, taking customer service to the next level, enhancement to technologies or processes, optimization of resources, or finding the next new idea.
Sometimes in a downturn, there is the opportunity for an organization to be in a growth mode. This is the time to test new ideas, create strategies to greatly differentiate your company and its products or services in the marketplace, go after market share, or manage the risk while pursuing new approaches.
To fully navigate through the tough times, the focus needs to be both outward and inward. Looking outside your company means focusing on your customer base, choosing new markets, creating strategies, and following through with communication. Source : http://sergaygroup.com/Smart-Talk/Managing-Through-Tough-Times.html |
How long will MSC be the Goliath in shipping?
According to Containerisation International (CI), MSC has overtaken Maersk Line as the world's biggest shipping line, in terms of vessel capacity.MSC has a total teu capacity of 1.84 mil;
Maersk Line has a total teu capacity of 1.82 mil.
In the tight segment these two giants are moving in, the difference is not that much. In fact, if Maersk's sister companies Safmarine and MCC Transport will be accounted for, Maersk will be bigger than MSC by 9% in terms of capacity.
Now fast forward to 2013, when the expected delivery of Maersk's first of ten Triple-E vessels* come in, with a capacity of 18thou teus each.
How long then will MSC be able to maintain its lead? Will they actively compete for the title as World's Biggest Shipping Company?
*(Can somebody please comment if he has any idea how many ports in the world are structurally ready for these mega-vessels?)
Edu del Agua
Managing Change
Change is hard. New Year's resolutions almost always fail. But at The Energy Project, we have developed a way of making changes that has proved remarkably powerful and enduring, both in my own life and for the corporate clients to whom we teach it.
Our method is grounded in the recognition that human being are creatures of habit. Fully 95 percent of our behaviors are habitual, or occur in response to a strong external stimulus. Only 5 percent of our choices are consciously self-selected.
In 1911, the mathematician Alfred North Whitehead intuited what researchers would confirm nearly a century later. "It is a profoundly erroneous truism," he wrote, "that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them."
Most of us wildly overvalue our will and discipline. Ingenious research by Roy Baumeister and others has demonstrated that our self-control is a severely limited resource that gets progressively depleted by every act of conscious self-regulation.
In order to make change that lasts, we must rely less on our prefrontal cortex, and more on co-opting the primitive parts of our brain in which habits are formed.
Put simply, the more behaviors are ritualized and routinized — in the form of a deliberate practice — the less energy they require to launch, and the more they recur automatically
What follows are our six key steps to making change that lasts:
1. Be Highly Precise and Specific. Imagine a typical New Year's resolution to "exercise regularly." It's a prescription for failure. You have a vastly higher chance for success if you decide in advance the days and times, and precisely what you're going to do on each of them.
Say instead that you commit to do a cardiovascular work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m., for 30 minutes. If something beyond your control forces you to miss one of those days, you automatically default to doing that workout instead on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Researchers call those "implementation intentions" and they dramatically increase your odds of success.
2. Take on one new challenge at a time. Over the years, I've established a broad range of routines and practices, ranging from ones for weight training and running, to doing the most important thing first every morning without interruption for 90 minutes and then taking a break to spending 90 minutes talking with my wife about the previous week on Saturday mornings.
In each case, I gave the new practice I was launching my sole focus. Even then, in some cases, it's taken several tries before I was able to stay at the behavior long enough for it to become essentially automatic.
Computers can run several programs simultaneously. Human beings operate best when we take on one thing at a time, sequentially.
3. Not too much, not too little. The most obvious mistake we make when we try to change something in our lives is that we bite off more than it turns out we can chew. Imagine that after doing no exercise at all for the past year, for example, you get inspired and launch a regimen of jogging for 30 minutes, five days a week. Chances are high that you'll find exercising that much so painful you'll quit after a few sessions.
It's also easy to go to the other extreme, and take on too little. So you launch a 10-minute walk at lunchtime three days a week and stay at it. The problem is that you don't feel any better for it after several weeks, and your motivation fades.
The only way to truly grow is to challenge your current comfort zone. The trick is finding a middle ground — pushing yourself hard enough that you get some real gain, but not too much that you find yourself unwilling to stay at it.
4. What we resist persists.
Think about sitting in front of a plate of fragrant chocolate chip cookies over an extended period of time. Diets fail the vast majority of time because they're typically built around regularly resisting food we enjoy eating. Eventually, we run up against our limited reservoir of self control.
The same is true of trying to ignore the Pavlovian ping of incoming emails while you're working on an important project that deserves your full attention.
The only reasonable answer is to avoid the temptation. With email, the more effective practice is turn it off entirely at designated times, and then answer it in chunks at others. For dieters, it's to keep food you don't want to eat out of sight, and focus your diet instead on what you are going to eat, at which times, and in what portion sizes. The less you have to think about what to do, the more successful you're likely to be.
5. Competing Commitments.
We all derive a sense of comfort and safety from doing what we've always done, even if it isn't ultimately serving us well. Researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call this "immunity to change." Even the most passionate commitment to change, they've shown, is invariably counterbalanced by an equally powerful but often unseen "competing" commitment not to change.
Here's a very simple way to surface your competing commitment. Think about a change you really want to make. Now ask yourself what you're currently doing or not doing to undermine that primary commitment. If you are trying to get more focused on important priorities, for example, your competing commitment might be the desire to be highly responsive and available to those emailing you.
For any change effort you launch, it's key to surface your competing commitment and then ask yourself "How can I design this practice so I get the desired benefits but also minimize the costs I fear it will prompt?"
6. Keep the faith.
Change is hard. It is painful. And you will experience failure at times. The average person launches a change effort six separate times before it finally takes. But follow the steps above, and I can tell you from my own experience and that of thousands of clients that you will succeed, and probably without multiple failures.
Tony Schwartz (Harvard Business Review)
Our method is grounded in the recognition that human being are creatures of habit. Fully 95 percent of our behaviors are habitual, or occur in response to a strong external stimulus. Only 5 percent of our choices are consciously self-selected.
In 1911, the mathematician Alfred North Whitehead intuited what researchers would confirm nearly a century later. "It is a profoundly erroneous truism," he wrote, "that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them."
Most of us wildly overvalue our will and discipline. Ingenious research by Roy Baumeister and others has demonstrated that our self-control is a severely limited resource that gets progressively depleted by every act of conscious self-regulation.
In order to make change that lasts, we must rely less on our prefrontal cortex, and more on co-opting the primitive parts of our brain in which habits are formed.
Put simply, the more behaviors are ritualized and routinized — in the form of a deliberate practice — the less energy they require to launch, and the more they recur automatically
What follows are our six key steps to making change that lasts:
1. Be Highly Precise and Specific. Imagine a typical New Year's resolution to "exercise regularly." It's a prescription for failure. You have a vastly higher chance for success if you decide in advance the days and times, and precisely what you're going to do on each of them.
Say instead that you commit to do a cardiovascular work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m., for 30 minutes. If something beyond your control forces you to miss one of those days, you automatically default to doing that workout instead on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Researchers call those "implementation intentions" and they dramatically increase your odds of success.
2. Take on one new challenge at a time. Over the years, I've established a broad range of routines and practices, ranging from ones for weight training and running, to doing the most important thing first every morning without interruption for 90 minutes and then taking a break to spending 90 minutes talking with my wife about the previous week on Saturday mornings.
In each case, I gave the new practice I was launching my sole focus. Even then, in some cases, it's taken several tries before I was able to stay at the behavior long enough for it to become essentially automatic.
Computers can run several programs simultaneously. Human beings operate best when we take on one thing at a time, sequentially.
3. Not too much, not too little. The most obvious mistake we make when we try to change something in our lives is that we bite off more than it turns out we can chew. Imagine that after doing no exercise at all for the past year, for example, you get inspired and launch a regimen of jogging for 30 minutes, five days a week. Chances are high that you'll find exercising that much so painful you'll quit after a few sessions.
It's also easy to go to the other extreme, and take on too little. So you launch a 10-minute walk at lunchtime three days a week and stay at it. The problem is that you don't feel any better for it after several weeks, and your motivation fades.
The only way to truly grow is to challenge your current comfort zone. The trick is finding a middle ground — pushing yourself hard enough that you get some real gain, but not too much that you find yourself unwilling to stay at it.
4. What we resist persists.
Think about sitting in front of a plate of fragrant chocolate chip cookies over an extended period of time. Diets fail the vast majority of time because they're typically built around regularly resisting food we enjoy eating. Eventually, we run up against our limited reservoir of self control.
The same is true of trying to ignore the Pavlovian ping of incoming emails while you're working on an important project that deserves your full attention.
The only reasonable answer is to avoid the temptation. With email, the more effective practice is turn it off entirely at designated times, and then answer it in chunks at others. For dieters, it's to keep food you don't want to eat out of sight, and focus your diet instead on what you are going to eat, at which times, and in what portion sizes. The less you have to think about what to do, the more successful you're likely to be.
5. Competing Commitments.
We all derive a sense of comfort and safety from doing what we've always done, even if it isn't ultimately serving us well. Researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call this "immunity to change." Even the most passionate commitment to change, they've shown, is invariably counterbalanced by an equally powerful but often unseen "competing" commitment not to change.
Here's a very simple way to surface your competing commitment. Think about a change you really want to make. Now ask yourself what you're currently doing or not doing to undermine that primary commitment. If you are trying to get more focused on important priorities, for example, your competing commitment might be the desire to be highly responsive and available to those emailing you.
For any change effort you launch, it's key to surface your competing commitment and then ask yourself "How can I design this practice so I get the desired benefits but also minimize the costs I fear it will prompt?"
6. Keep the faith.
Change is hard. It is painful. And you will experience failure at times. The average person launches a change effort six separate times before it finally takes. But follow the steps above, and I can tell you from my own experience and that of thousands of clients that you will succeed, and probably without multiple failures.
Tony Schwartz (Harvard Business Review)
RH bill fight may damage Church
Not cowed
As a form of religious censure, excommunication is used “to deprive or suspend members in a religious community.” Sanctions include exclusion from taking Holy Communion, a widespread practice among churchgoers in a Catholic country, which has one of the highest attendance in Holy Mass in the world. In most Catholic countries, Mass-going has been alarmingly falling, much to the concern of the Vatican.
The threat has been denied by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in a face-saving back-off after Mr. Aquino told off the bishops he was not cowed by their threat and that he was firmly reiterating his position.
“We are all guided by our consciences. My position has not changed [since the election campaign in May],” Mr. Aquino said. “The state’s duty is to educate our families as to their responsibilities and to respect their decisions if they are in conformity with our laws.”
The issue has polarized Filipino Catholics and apparently reignited dormant Filipino anticlericalism spawned by the abuses of Spanish friars during the Spanish colonial rule.
Here are some important things to remember during earthquakes:
- Be prepared!
- Make sure the following are in your office table or near your area: bottled drinking water, non-perishable food (easy open canned goods, etc), first-aid kit, torchlight and battery-operated radio with extra batteries, cell phone with extra battery;
- Educate family members / co-workers how to turn off electricity, gas, etc.
- Identify places in the house/office that can provide cover during an earthquake.
- Identify a friend as your family’s emergency contact. The address and phone number of the contact person/relative should be with all the family members.
- What to do during earthquake!
- Go under a table or other sturdy furniture to take cover. Be prepared to move if your cover moves.
- If no sturdy cover is nearby, kneel or sit close to the floor next to a structurally sound interior wall. Place your hands on the floor for balance.
- Violent motion could cause doors to slam and flying objects could cause serious injuries, so do not stand in doorways.
- Stay away from windows, mirrors, bookcases and other unsecured heavy objects.
- If in bed, stay there and cover yourself with pillows and blankets
- Do not run outside if you are inside. Never use the lift or elevators.
If outdoor:
- Move into the open, away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.
- Avoid places where there are loose electrical wires and do not touch metal objects that are in touch with the loose wires.
- Do not re-enter damaged buildings and stay away from badly damaged structures.
If in a moving vehicle: Drive or go to a clear area away from buildings, trees, overpasses, or utility wires, stop, and stay in the vehicle. Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.
Most of all, it is still best to always say a prayer wherever we go.
God listens even without an extra battery....
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize our emotions and then manage our responses to those emotions in a manner that enhancesour health and relationship with others. Basic guidelines to enhance our emotional intelligance are as follows:
1. Notice how you are feeling and be able to name the emotion. Be careful not to get confused between your thoughts and feelings. Notice the difference between and then use 'I feel' and 'I think' statements.
2. Notice how you judge those emotions.
3. Notice what situations typically evoke those emotions in you.
4. Notice the difference between your emotions and your outward responses to those emotions - what others would see you do and say. Ask yourself how you choose to feel about something and whether your behavior is aligned with that choice.
5. Realize that it is OK to have strong emotional reactions. It is what you do with those emotions that can be a problem for you and others.
6. Notice how long you retain those emotions. What changes them?
7. Notice what makes you happy and plan for those situations on a regular basis.
8. Notice how you make conclusions about other peoples' feelings. What are they doing or saying.
copyright -Authenticity Consulting LLC
1. Notice how you are feeling and be able to name the emotion. Be careful not to get confused between your thoughts and feelings. Notice the difference between and then use 'I feel' and 'I think' statements.
2. Notice how you judge those emotions.
3. Notice what situations typically evoke those emotions in you.
4. Notice the difference between your emotions and your outward responses to those emotions - what others would see you do and say. Ask yourself how you choose to feel about something and whether your behavior is aligned with that choice.
5. Realize that it is OK to have strong emotional reactions. It is what you do with those emotions that can be a problem for you and others.
6. Notice how long you retain those emotions. What changes them?
7. Notice what makes you happy and plan for those situations on a regular basis.
8. Notice how you make conclusions about other peoples' feelings. What are they doing or saying.
copyright -Authenticity Consulting LLC
Study: Worldwide auto production could drop 30% due to quake in Japan
You've likely seen plenty of news lately about how Japanese automakers have been affected by the March 11 earthquake in Japan, but what about the rest of the industry? The Detroit News reports that research firm IHS Automotive thinks that global auto production could drop by 30 percent, and nearly every major automaker will be affected.
The key to that dire prediction will be the speed with which Japanese suppliers can get back to making parts for the industry. IHS Vice President Michael Robinet reportedly told DetNews that if suppliers aren't online within six weeks, global vehicle production could drop by 100,000 units per day. With average total production sitting at 280,000 to 300,000 units per day, 100,000 represents about 30 percent of all vehicles built. Robinet adds that if parts don't start coming online quickly, automakers will begin feeling the pinch by mid-April.
Sobering statistics, indeed. We're thinking automakers are hoping Japan can rebuild factories as quickly (and miraculously) as it can rebuild highways.
Erik Pedrosa
Autoblog
systems and managing change
Simply put, a system is an organized collection of parts (or subsystems) that are highly integrated to accomplish an overall goal. The system has various inputs, which go through certain processes to produce certain outputs, which together, accomplish the overall desired goal for the system. So a system is usually made up of many smaller systems, or subsystems. For example, an organization is made up of many administrative and management functions, products, services, groups and individuals. If one part of the system is changed, the nature of the overall system is often changed, as well -- by definition then, the system is systemic, meaning relating to, or affecting, the entire system. (This is not to be confused with systematic, which can mean merely that something is methodological. Thus, methodological thinking -- systematic thinking -- does not necessarily mean systems thinking.)
Systems range from simple to complex. There are numerous types of systems. For example, there are biological systems (for example, the heart), mechanical systems (for example, a thermostat), human/mechanical systems (for example, riding a bicycle), ecological systems (for example, predator/prey) and social systems (for example, groups, supply and demand and also friendship). Complex systems, such as social systems, are comprised of numerous subsystems, as well. These subsystems are arranged in hierarchies, and integrated to accomplish the overall goal of the overall system. Each subsystem has its own boundaries of sorts, and includes various inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes geared to accomplish an overall goal for the subsystem. Complex systems usually interact with their environments and are, thus, open systems.
A high-functioning system continually exchanges feedback among its various parts to ensure that they remain closely aligned and focused on achieving the goal of the system. If any of the parts or activities in the system seems weakened or misaligned, the system makes necessary adjustments to more effectively achieve its goals.
A pile of sand is not a system. If you remove a sand particle, you have still got a pile of sand. However, a functioning car is a system. Remove the carburetor and you no longer have a working car.
Systems Theory: the transdisciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence. It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities, and the (usually mathematical) models which can be used to describe them.
Five disciplines to cultivate systems thinking, according to Peter Senge:
1) systems thinking
2) personal mastery
3) mental models
4) building shared vision
5) team learning
Twelve principles for managing change:
1) Thought processes and relationship dynamics are fundamental if change is to be successful.
2) Change only happens when each person makes a decision to implement the change.
3) People fear change it "happens" to them.
4) Given the freedom to do so, people will build quality into their work as a matter of personal pride.
5) Traditional organizational systems treat people like children and expect them to act like adults.
6) "Truth" is more important during periods of change and uncertainty than "good news."
7) Trust is earned by those who demonstrate consistent behavior and clearly defined values.
8) People who work are capable of doing much more than they are doing.
9) The intrinsic rewards of a project are often more important than the material rewards and recognition.
10) A clearly defined vision of the end result enables all the people to define the most efficient path for accomplishing the results.
11) The more input people have into defining the changes that will affect their work, the more they will take ownership for the results.
12) To change the individual, change the system.
Systems range from simple to complex. There are numerous types of systems. For example, there are biological systems (for example, the heart), mechanical systems (for example, a thermostat), human/mechanical systems (for example, riding a bicycle), ecological systems (for example, predator/prey) and social systems (for example, groups, supply and demand and also friendship). Complex systems, such as social systems, are comprised of numerous subsystems, as well. These subsystems are arranged in hierarchies, and integrated to accomplish the overall goal of the overall system. Each subsystem has its own boundaries of sorts, and includes various inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes geared to accomplish an overall goal for the subsystem. Complex systems usually interact with their environments and are, thus, open systems.
A high-functioning system continually exchanges feedback among its various parts to ensure that they remain closely aligned and focused on achieving the goal of the system. If any of the parts or activities in the system seems weakened or misaligned, the system makes necessary adjustments to more effectively achieve its goals.
A pile of sand is not a system. If you remove a sand particle, you have still got a pile of sand. However, a functioning car is a system. Remove the carburetor and you no longer have a working car.
Systems Theory: the transdisciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence. It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities, and the (usually mathematical) models which can be used to describe them.
Five disciplines to cultivate systems thinking, according to Peter Senge:
1) systems thinking
2) personal mastery
3) mental models
4) building shared vision
5) team learning
Twelve principles for managing change:
1) Thought processes and relationship dynamics are fundamental if change is to be successful.
2) Change only happens when each person makes a decision to implement the change.
3) People fear change it "happens" to them.
4) Given the freedom to do so, people will build quality into their work as a matter of personal pride.
5) Traditional organizational systems treat people like children and expect them to act like adults.
6) "Truth" is more important during periods of change and uncertainty than "good news."
7) Trust is earned by those who demonstrate consistent behavior and clearly defined values.
8) People who work are capable of doing much more than they are doing.
9) The intrinsic rewards of a project are often more important than the material rewards and recognition.
10) A clearly defined vision of the end result enables all the people to define the most efficient path for accomplishing the results.
11) The more input people have into defining the changes that will affect their work, the more they will take ownership for the results.
12) To change the individual, change the system.
3 Tips for Quitting Your Job
If you're thinking about leaving your job, remember that how you quit can be just as important as where you go next. Here are three tips for gracefully making your departure:
1. Be positive. When you give the news to your boss, avoid ranting and raving. You may feel better but it won't help your career. If you do have constructive feedback, schedule a separate meeting to discuss it.
2. Find your replacement. Don't leave your team or manager in the lurch. Do what you can to find someone qualified. Offer to stay on to help that person transition into the position.
3. Keep in touch. Don't sever all ties with the company even if you had a bad experience. Former colleagues and managers may be assets to you in the future.
Source: HBR adapted from "How to Quit Your Job" by Jodi Glickman
1. Be positive. When you give the news to your boss, avoid ranting and raving. You may feel better but it won't help your career. If you do have constructive feedback, schedule a separate meeting to discuss it.
2. Find your replacement. Don't leave your team or manager in the lurch. Do what you can to find someone qualified. Offer to stay on to help that person transition into the position.
3. Keep in touch. Don't sever all ties with the company even if you had a bad experience. Former colleagues and managers may be assets to you in the future.
Source: HBR adapted from "How to Quit Your Job" by Jodi Glickman
Performance Management
Performance management includes activities to ensure that goals are consistently met in an effective and efficient manner. It con focus on the performance of an organization, department, processes of a product or services, employees. But how can we honestly gauge our own performance? Performance management reminds us that being busy is not the same as producing results; that training, strong commitment and hard work alone are not results. The major contribution of performance management is its focus on achieving results. Performance Management redirects our efforts towards effectiveness and away from busyness. Everyone in the organization must be doing what they are supposed to be doing to ensure that strategies are implemented effectively; that systems and processes in the organization be applied in the right way to the right things.
MLC 2006: What is meant by the special status of Part B of the Code and why was it needed?
The status of Part B of the Code is based on the idea of firmness on principle and rights combined with flexibility in implementation. Without this innovation the new Convention could never aspire to wide-scale ratification: many of the provisions of existing maritime labour Conventions, which relate to the method of implementing basic seafarers’ rights (rather than to the content of those rights), have been transferred to the non-mandatory Part B Guidelines of the Code. Their placement in the mandatory Regulations and Part A (Standards) could have resulted in clear obstacles to ratification.
The special status is reflected in the following agreed set of questions and answers:
Is Part B of the Code mandatory?
Answer: No.
Can Part B be ignored by ratifying Members?
Answer: No.
Is implementation of Part B verified by port State inspectors?
Answer: No.
Does the ratifying Member have to follow the guidance in Part B?
Answer: No, but if it does not follow the guidance it may – vis-Ã -vis the competent bodies of the International Labour Organization – need to justify the way in which it has implemented the corresponding mandatory provisions of the consolidated Convention.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Incredible photos show inside of world’s ‘most dangerous’ volcano
For scientists, sometimes the best way to study a volcano is from the inside out. That's exactly what volcanologists Dario Tedesco and Ken Sims did when they descended deep into Nyiragongo, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Because of its location in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where constant warfare has raged for decades, Nyiragongo has barely been studied by scientists.
This lack of knowledge could prove catastrophic for the city of Goma, located at the base of the volcano -- according to Tadesco, an eruption could potentially transform the city of one million into "a modern Pompeii." By coming face-to-face with boiling lava, Tadesco and Sims hoped to gather data that could help predict an eruption.
Intrepid photographer Carsten Peter was there to capture incredible photos of their journey.
If a major eruption were to occur, molten lava could be the least of Goma's worries.
If a major eruption were to occur, molten lava could be the least of Goma's worries.
Nearby Lake Kivu is infused with methane, and the force of an eruption could trigger a cloud of deadly gas to rise over the city.
BIGGEST RORO EVER!
The Wilh. Wilhelmsen group has just launched its latest vessel, ‘Tønsberg’, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Designated the “Mark V”, the vessel is the largest of its kind, with a length of 265 metres and offering a cargo volume of 138,000 cubic metres over six fixed and three hoistable decks.
Four Mark V vessels will be delivered to Wilh. Wilhelmsen and its partner Wallenius Lines. The second vessel will be delivered in August and two in 2012.
The entire cargo hold of the ‘Tønsberg’ is arranged for customer’s high and heavy cargo such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and harvesters.
With a width of 12 metres and safe working load of 505 tonnes, the vessel’s stern ramp offers customers the possibility to ship larger units, and the clear height of the main deck, 7.1 metres, is also a record for this kind of vessel.
Cargo can also be loaded on the weather deck, which has a ramp from the deck below. Three decks can be hoisted by electric winches to provide maximum flexibility and utilisation.
Following the global trend towards greater environmental friendliness, the Mark V will use 15 to 20 percent less fuel per transported unit than its predecessors, thanks to a optimised hull form and a number of energy saving features such as the streamlined rudder design and duck tail. In the engine room a turbo generator produces electricity from the waste exhaust heat.
A Unitor water ballast water treatment system avoids harmful transfer of microorganisms to the sea. All fuel oil tanks are also protected to minimise the risk of leakage in case of grounding or collision.
MV Tønsberg will commence service in the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ round-the-world trade.
10 Ways To Help Kids Cope With The Disaster In Japan
1. Provide accurate information. There’s no need to give all the details, but use the opportunity as an age-appropriate teachable moment to provide information.
2. How much information is too much? Give simple answers to questions. Filter the information that they won’t understand out.
3. Provide reassurance and validate children’s feelings. Show them you care and tell them you are worried too. Kids find comfort in knowing that their day-to-day world is intact. Stay as much on schedule as you can.
4. Should you let your child watch tsunami news coverage? That’s up to you. If you chose to watch the news, it is advisable to watch it with them. Even older children who have access to a multitude of media information need to be monitored. Just being available to answer their questions and provide a chance to discuss the images, makes children feel safer. Most TV news programs tell you when scenes are graphic. Opt not to watch those with children. Keeping the news on 24/7 will only heighten children’s anxieties.
5. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way. The U.S. Geological Survey has a site that explains the magnitude of earthquakes in terms that children can understand.
6. The New York Times shows amazing satellite photos from the tsunami site. By moving the slider from side to side on the comparative images, older children can see the changes before and after the disaster.
7. Share an uplifting story. Even though this tragedy is so horrific, children find solace in hope. A hopeful story such as the one from the Wall Street Journal about a man who has to leave his two dogs behind, but comes back to find them safe, provides hope. Tell them about how the Save The Children organization is establishing “Child Friendly Spaces” to give children a safe place to play with their friends, while allowing parents to focus on other priorities.
8. Lead by example. Children want to help too. If kids feel that they can help alleviate the suffering, it will make them feel less hopeless. If you are donating money to help with relief efforts, involve your children in the decision-making process. They may want to designate their donation to go to children and animal related relief organizations.
9. Teach children about Japanese culture and discuss why it is important to respect and understand about the traditions of others. An understanding of a global community in times of need can be comforting.
10. Give them a hug. It goes a long way.
Just think how big the payoff would be if every parent takes this horrific tragedy and uses it to encourage global awareness, empathy and a giving spirit in their children.
Source: Ronnie Citron-Fink, a writer and educator. http://www.care2.com
2. How much information is too much? Give simple answers to questions. Filter the information that they won’t understand out.
3. Provide reassurance and validate children’s feelings. Show them you care and tell them you are worried too. Kids find comfort in knowing that their day-to-day world is intact. Stay as much on schedule as you can.
4. Should you let your child watch tsunami news coverage? That’s up to you. If you chose to watch the news, it is advisable to watch it with them. Even older children who have access to a multitude of media information need to be monitored. Just being available to answer their questions and provide a chance to discuss the images, makes children feel safer. Most TV news programs tell you when scenes are graphic. Opt not to watch those with children. Keeping the news on 24/7 will only heighten children’s anxieties.
5. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way. The U.S. Geological Survey has a site that explains the magnitude of earthquakes in terms that children can understand.
6. The New York Times shows amazing satellite photos from the tsunami site. By moving the slider from side to side on the comparative images, older children can see the changes before and after the disaster.
7. Share an uplifting story. Even though this tragedy is so horrific, children find solace in hope. A hopeful story such as the one from the Wall Street Journal about a man who has to leave his two dogs behind, but comes back to find them safe, provides hope. Tell them about how the Save The Children organization is establishing “Child Friendly Spaces” to give children a safe place to play with their friends, while allowing parents to focus on other priorities.
8. Lead by example. Children want to help too. If kids feel that they can help alleviate the suffering, it will make them feel less hopeless. If you are donating money to help with relief efforts, involve your children in the decision-making process. They may want to designate their donation to go to children and animal related relief organizations.
9. Teach children about Japanese culture and discuss why it is important to respect and understand about the traditions of others. An understanding of a global community in times of need can be comforting.
10. Give them a hug. It goes a long way.
Just think how big the payoff would be if every parent takes this horrific tragedy and uses it to encourage global awareness, empathy and a giving spirit in their children.
Source: Ronnie Citron-Fink, a writer and educator. http://www.care2.com
STCW Guidelines
The International Shipping Federation (ISF) has launched a new edition of its comprehensive Guidelines on the IMO STCW Convention. The new edition has been extensively revised to take account of the substantial changes made to the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) by the IMO Diplomatic Conference in Manila, in June 2010.
“Since the 1990s, when the STCW Convention was previously revised, the training of seafarers has been substantially overhauled, and the 2010 ‘Manila amendments’ will hopefully consolidate this improvement in standards,” explained ISF Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe.
The new guidelines explain in detail these amendments, which cover everything from enhanced refresher training for qualified seafarers to the introduction of standards of competence for the new grade of Able Seafarer in both the deck and engine departments.
The 2010 amendments also introduce major changes to the IMO regulations concerning seafarers’ minimum rest hours, which are intended to prevent fatigue. Given their significance to shipboard operations, an entirely new section of the guidelines has been added to this edition to explain these new rules.
“The competence of seafarers is a critical factor in the safe and efficient operation merchant ships, and has a direct impact on the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment,” added Mr Hinchliffe. “Consequently it is imperative that the standards required by the STCW Convention, as amended in 2010, are put into effect as soon as possible. It is hoped that the new edition of the ISF Guidelines will help achieve this objective and ensure that the highest standards of seafarer competence will continue to be maintained worldwide.”
SOURCE: http://www.shiptalk.com
MAAP ties up with marine contractor Van Oord
MANILA, Philippines - The Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) will forge a partnership with world-class marine contractor Van Oord in establishing barge handling course for Filipino crew. This was firmed up following a visit by Peter Wander, International Crew Recruitment and Development Officer and Glenn M. Madrideo, Business Development Manager of Van Oord.
The partnership would focus on the use of Motion Bridge Simulator particularly with the Azimuth Control System (AZIPODS). Currently, MAAP has one Motion Bridge Simulator with built-in Azimuth Control Panel, three 120° Field of View Bridge Simulator, and ten Desktop Simulators. Van Oord and MAAP will use these simulator facilities to establish Split Barge Handling Course on their Filipino crew employed on Van Oord's Split Barge Vessels.
The purpose of this training is to get all split hopper crews acquainted with the maneuvering characteristics of the newly build 2800 cm³ Split Hoppers. MAAP said this is another first of its kind in the region that will cater the need for specialized training courses to which the academy has always been in the forefront.
Van Oord is specializing on dredging, offshore and marine engineering projects around the world. An independent private company with deeply committed shareholders, Van Oord tackles projects of every size and complexity. (EHL)
Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/maap-ties-marine-contractor-van-oord-20110324-094026-204.html (MB – Fri, Mar 25, 2011 12:40 AM PHT)
The partnership would focus on the use of Motion Bridge Simulator particularly with the Azimuth Control System (AZIPODS). Currently, MAAP has one Motion Bridge Simulator with built-in Azimuth Control Panel, three 120° Field of View Bridge Simulator, and ten Desktop Simulators. Van Oord and MAAP will use these simulator facilities to establish Split Barge Handling Course on their Filipino crew employed on Van Oord's Split Barge Vessels.
The purpose of this training is to get all split hopper crews acquainted with the maneuvering characteristics of the newly build 2800 cm³ Split Hoppers. MAAP said this is another first of its kind in the region that will cater the need for specialized training courses to which the academy has always been in the forefront.
Van Oord is specializing on dredging, offshore and marine engineering projects around the world. An independent private company with deeply committed shareholders, Van Oord tackles projects of every size and complexity. (EHL)
Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/maap-ties-marine-contractor-van-oord-20110324-094026-204.html (MB – Fri, Mar 25, 2011 12:40 AM PHT)
TRIALS...
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa
7 Signs You Have a Sleep Problem You DON'T Know About
1. You sleep poorly and wake with a bad taste in your mouth.
2. You toss and turn or wake up often to use the bathroom.
3. Your jaw clicks, pops, or feels sore, or your teeth are wearing down.
4. You move all over the bed or wake tangled in the covers.
5. You wake up with a dry mouth or horrible morning breath.
6. You sleep fitfully, feel exhausted all the time, and wake with a sore throat or neck pain.
7. You get a full night's sleep but feel groggy all the time or get sleepy while driving.
2. You toss and turn or wake up often to use the bathroom.
3. Your jaw clicks, pops, or feels sore, or your teeth are wearing down.
4. You move all over the bed or wake tangled in the covers.
5. You wake up with a dry mouth or horrible morning breath.
6. You sleep fitfully, feel exhausted all the time, and wake with a sore throat or neck pain.
7. You get a full night's sleep but feel groggy all the time or get sleepy while driving.
3 Steps to a more Happy and Successful Life
There are basically 3 basic steps you need to change if you want to have a more happy, fulfilled and successful life. The 3 steps are changing your mindset, changing your attitude and having the courage to take action to make the changes. If you follow these 3 steps, you would have more happy and successful life.
source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net/Article/3-Steps-To-A-More-Happy-and-Successful-Life/169474
source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net/Article/3-Steps-To-A-More-Happy-and-Successful-Life/169474
How FILIPINO's can help fight climate changes
The Earth Hour is meant to symbolize and increase awareness about the importance of personal action to help mitigate the effects of Climate Changes.
For this year's celebration, we urge 95 million Filipinos to take this personal commitment for the Earth.
Climate change is a global problem that needs mitigation, everyone has a role to play, it's not just the government or NGO sector's job, it's imperative on all of us to do our part.
If we can do the lights off for an hour, imagine what we can do to reduce our footprint if we make it a habit to walk and conserve water.
The country is at risk to 20 typhoons and over 20 earthquake events in a year, with effects set to escalate as climate change continues.
ACT WHILE ITS NOT YET TOO LATE.....
For this year's celebration, we urge 95 million Filipinos to take this personal commitment for the Earth.
Climate change is a global problem that needs mitigation, everyone has a role to play, it's not just the government or NGO sector's job, it's imperative on all of us to do our part.
If we can do the lights off for an hour, imagine what we can do to reduce our footprint if we make it a habit to walk and conserve water.
The country is at risk to 20 typhoons and over 20 earthquake events in a year, with effects set to escalate as climate change continues.
ACT WHILE ITS NOT YET TOO LATE.....
Monday, March 21, 2011
When an employee is considered to have abandoned his work
The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that an employee is considered to have abandoned his work only if the following two requirements concur: 1) the failure to report for work or absence without valid or justifiable reason; and 2) clear intention to sever the employer-employee relationship which must be manifested by some overt acts. Importantly, the employer has the burden to prove the employee’s deliberate and unjustified refusal to resume his employment without any intention of returning. (Harpoon Marine Services vs. Francisco, GR No. 167751, March 2, 2011)
Fears of Nuclear Reaction
After tsunami triggered the earthquake’ episode in the history of Japan, the country struggled to prevent nuclear crisis – considered the worst since the Hiroshima bombing. The incident triggered threats and fears to neighboring countries as well as the whole world as suggested by the Chernobyl, Ukraine explosion in 1986.
Nuclear radiation resulting from nuclear plants explosion have caused excessive alarms on several countries including the Philippines triggered by the impacts of enduring radioactivity from the Chernobyl incident heightened the crisis. The incident is being exploited through hoax messages despite efforts by the Philippine government to dispel public fears by declaring that there is no immediate threat from nuclear radiation effects. This shows the inclination of the public to believe false information and to fall prey to scrupulous persons who exploit the situation. On the other hand, the incident provides government agencies with the opportunity to address issues with credibility and authority.
Nuclear radiation resulting from nuclear plants explosion have caused excessive alarms on several countries including the Philippines triggered by the impacts of enduring radioactivity from the Chernobyl incident heightened the crisis. The incident is being exploited through hoax messages despite efforts by the Philippine government to dispel public fears by declaring that there is no immediate threat from nuclear radiation effects. This shows the inclination of the public to believe false information and to fall prey to scrupulous persons who exploit the situation. On the other hand, the incident provides government agencies with the opportunity to address issues with credibility and authority.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
When you want something..
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
-- Paulo Coelho
Occupational Health & Safety Assessment
OHSAS 18000 is an international occupational health and safety management system specification.
The specification is comprised of two parts, 18001 and 18002, and embraces BS 8800 and a number of other publications.
The standard follows the structure of ISO 14001, requiring top-level commitment to compliance with legislation, prevention of accidents, promotion of good health and continual improvement.
The OHSAS specification is applicable to any organisation that wishes to:
- Establish an OH&S management system to eliminate or minimise risk to employees and other interested parties who may be exposed to activities with OH&S risks
- Assure compliance with its own OH&S policy
- Demonstrate such compliance to the stakeholders
- Implement, maintain and continually improve an OH&S management system
- Make a self-determination and declaration of compliance with this OHSAS specification
- Seek third party independent certification of its OH&S management system
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