Thursday, 27. November 2008, 07:30:28
Both are emotionally charged feelings reserved for only a small number of people in our lives. Love may come before hate but hate is never followed by love. Hate usually involves critical analysis and judgement of the persons behaviour. Love is usually non analytical, non judgemental and without reasoning. Love is also elusive, so if you are lucky enough to have it, don't take it for granted. Hate is just a waste of mental energy.
Tuesday, 21. October 2008, 07:10:18
politics, Finance
What has caused the Financial Crisis?
Incentives, commissions and bonuses are the cause of the cancer that has spread throughout the economies world.
Why?
Because they shifts the purpose of an occupation from what is good for the Business and the customer to what is beneficial to the person receiving the incentive. Almost all Businesses that use incentives, commissions and bonuses as a major part of their pay structure have a bad reputation.
A Real Estate Agent who is paid by way of commission will not be focused on whether the Purchaser of a house is buying a suitable house that is within their price range. Because he is on a commission his main objective is to get the commission so he will say and do whatever it takes to make a sale, just the same as a used car salesman. This gets results, but not the best long term result for all concerned.
If the person selling the mortgage is on a commission their primary interest is to get the commission, if the Purchaser has an inadequate deposit or is at risk of being unable to maintain the payments, that becomes secondary. They will say and do whatever it takes to sell the mortgage. Greed and self interest prevale over ethics and job satisfaction everytime.
In contrast, when I took out my mortgage (in Australia) I had an extensive interview with my Bank Manager. He did not receive a commission, he concentrated on whether the property was valued correctly, my deposit was adequate and whether I could make the payments with plenty of margin to cover unforseen events. He did not want a situation where either the Bank or I were put at risk, so although he was working in the best interest of the Bank, he was also acting in my best interest. He was being as certain as he could be that a situation would not develop where I would default. He gained satisfaction from his job, not from an incentive payment. He did his job well and was paid accordingly.
A similar incentive debacle has happened with Executives and Directors of large Corporations. Instead of concentrating on what is in the best long term interest of the Business their focus is distorted by incentive payments. What can they do that will result in a bigger incentive payment becomes part of the decission making process; that may or may not be beneficial in the long term for the Business! Australian Executives have adopted this system from the U.S. with open arms. Do mature adult executives require an incentive to work? I thought that's what they were getting paid for - silly me. When I get my car fixed I don't expect to pay an incentive so the mechanic will do a good job. It's easy money for some executives when the economy is booming, but when things turn sour they soon vacate with their multi million dollar redundancy packages. I don't think anyone should be paid more than a million dollars a year, no one is indispensable. The top brass at Lehmann Brothers were certainly not worth the millions they were paid. Maybe it's time to at least limit incentives to say a maximum of 10% of wages (salary). We have a minimum wage, so how about setting a maximum.
To say that this economic crisis was unexpected is absurd, there were plenty of warnings over the past decade, both Business and Government chose to ignore them. Greed prevailed. It is a disgrace that ordinary workers are now having to pick up the tab.
Monday, 22. September 2008, 09:18:48
Communication, Joke, Finances, Marriage
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob , the next-door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $500 to drop that towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob , after a few seconds, Bob hands her $500 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.
When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $500 he owes me?'
Thursday, 18. September 2008, 08:53:57
politics, Prime Minister, president
Things to consider before voting
Honesty and integrity:- If the candidate lies or distorts the truth then they can't be trusted, so why would you want to vote for them.
Open minded:- Is the candidate tollerant of race and religion. Do they openly condemn other countries or are they willing to consult and negotiate differences of opinion. Are they single minded about their own country or religion with no tollerance for other peoples beliefs.
Communicator:- Is the person a good communicator with the people, can they explain clearly what they are doing and why.
Broad knowledge:- Are they well educated. Have they knowledge and experience on social issues that will affect the well being of the country.
How are they going to manage the countries finances.
Personal issues that may influence individual voting:-
A tax or welfare payment that may benefit you.
For or against personal weapons (fire arms).
For or against an aggressive defence policy.
For or against negotiations and consultation with other countries with an aim to avoid conflict.
The candidate has celebrity appeal.
Are they a good family person.
Are they promiscuous.
Have they had a drug or alcohol problem.
Have they participated in the defence forces.
Religion.
Racial background and social status.
Where do they stand on human rights.
A family history of voting for a particular party.
Friday, 29. August 2008, 01:13:49
Parent
Be a good parent
For people with children parenting is the most important thing they will ever do in their life and yet there are many who fail to do their best.
Most of all children need love and love involves commitment.
You have to be totaly reliable and dependable to answer their questions, to praise their acheivments, to support them and to stand up for them.
They have to be encouraged but not pushed. Allowed to grow at their own pace. Accept them as the individual they are. You can't force them to be something you want them to be.
Never put them down, certainly not in front of others. If you do, you can never take it back. Confidence is essential to well being, loss of confidence is a handicap. Putting them down will destroy their confidence.
There must be appropriate rules of behaviour that must be adhered to. Teach them how to share and have consideration for others. Don't expect others (Teachers, Grandparents) to do your job for you.
Behave yourself - don't forget you are setting an example to your children and they will copy what you do.
A common mistake is having too much negativity and not enough positives. eg. Don't do that - be quiet - stop asking questions - don't bother me, etc.. How long since you said something encouraging, an hour, a day, a week or can't remember?
Be observant - take note if they are down and out. Take them to a quiet place to talk until you find out the problem, then fix it or show them how to fix it. Don't let it go on for days or weeks to fester into something all out of proportion.
There is also a physical need, holding hands, a hug or a kiss at the appropriate time. An assurance that you are there for them no matter what.
When children grow up they will be living life in accordance with the values that their parents taught them, so it is essential for parents to do their absolute best. Failure to be a good parent will handicap the childs ability to lead a happy and contented adult life.
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