Linear students learn leadership skills | Shreveporttimes | shreveporttimes.com

Linear students learn leadership skills | Shreveporttimes | shreveporttimes.com

Linear students learn leadership skills

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Chaelyn Newton, an eight-grader, speaks with other students from Linear Leadership Academy during the Leaders for the Future student service learning leadership development program conducted by Bonsting/Leadership Development, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. / Jim Hudelson/The Times

Written by

Mary Nash-Wood

Leadership is more than just a part of Linear Leadership Academy's name.

Principal Sheryl Nix said that's one of the many reasons she was so excited her school is the first in Louisiana chosen to participate in the nationally recognized Bonstingl Leaders for the Future program, a service-learning program designed to create tomorrow's leaders in communities around the country.

Through a grant from State Farm Insurance, John Jay Bonstingl, creator of the program, spent Monday and Tuesday at the middle school training about 80 students on what it takes to be a true leader and arming them with the tools and skills to create their own projects designed to make their schools and communities better.

"This gives kids the opportunity to experience something they may have never done before and to play a proactive part in the bettering of their school and the community in which they live," Bonstingl said. "Amid all of the concerns about testing and standards, that's really the missing piece in much of American education."

During the activity, students divided into teams and made plans for projects ranging from early morning tutoring on campus to beautification ventures.

"As adults, so often we assume kids will be looking for ways to increase recreational time or are thinking of how to better their time outside of school, but so many of the kids I've seen over the last two days have wanted to do things to better their education and improve their school," Rep. Patrick Williams said. "This proves our students are actively thinking about their future and how to make their community and their school a better place if given the chance."

Justice Mitchell, an eighth-grader at Linear, said she enjoyed getting to work in her group and think of ways to improve student achievement in her school.

"We want to make our school better, so our project is to create a study hall for each grade during the day to give the kids with better grades a chance to tutor students that aren't doing so well," she said.

Bonstingl will be back at the school in four weeks to check on the progress the students have made on their projects and offer any additional advice students may need to make their projects a reality.


Rich Notes: This is the third time I have seen working results of what Jay helps children find in themselves. He is amazing, but the kids, are the real winners here. If any of you can find some folks that would like to see Jay work at a school in your area, please let me know. By the way, some of you will recognize the bald head showing at the bottom of the picture.

Rich

The Great Courses

The Great Courses

If you are looking for a great way to advance yourself, this is it. Collage based lectures on many subjects, in audio format, for your MP-3, DVD format, or even down loadable video format. I think at last count I had taken 87 courses from these folks. I listen while I walk, drive to work, even sitting on airplanes, or riding on buses. You can bone up on areas you are already familiar with, or broaden your horizons with new areas. I have taken courses on speaking, writing, history, physics, even jazz and classical music. I think you can safely say I have taken every course they have on philosophy, and psychiatry.

If you are in between jobs, or just want to be ready for the next big opportunity, this is a great way to prepare.

Solyndra – Illuminating Energy Funding Flaws? | Plugged In, Scientific American Blog Network

Solyndra – Illuminating Energy Funding Flaws? | Plugged In, Scientific American Blog Network

Government funding of new energy innovation, is often a good idea, but funding an energy business is not. Japan tried this to get out of there financial crisis, much like ours. It really started with a housing price bubble, but then Japan tried to buy their way out. Part of buying there way out was to first invest in High Definition TV innovation. Then like our Solyndra problem, they financed the promotion and factories for High Definition TV. They spend billions, just to find that the free market chose another version of High Definition TV. Virtually all the Government money went down the tube (as they say).

The key is financing new innovation is great, in fact most of what NASA actually did was test and try new technology, but when it was time to go to market, NASA have a technology transfer program, as does DOD, and other Government programs. This is where the idea is often given or licensed to private industry for them to go out and get financing , based mainly on the business plan of the company. If it looks like a profit center, then venture capitalists put up their money for manufacture, and go to market. Some times it works sometimes it does not, but it is not government money. The risk is all on the companies involved, which means they keep a critical eye on the business, and cut losses if it does not look like it will work. There was very little risk in the Solyndra deal, in fact virtually none, if it had worked those same people taking the 5th would be multi millionaires, if fact it is still to be seen if they are millionaires anyhow since they used the Government money to pay their salaries for the time the company was running.

Risk, makes people pay a lot more attention to what the company is doing, venture capitalists do a lot of study on how much risk they are taking for the investment. They still make mistakes, but that is part of the risk, which is part of why the tax rate in lower on them, since they are taking risks. In fact if you want to add jobs reduce the tax rate these folks pay, and let them invest more.

It is coming out that a lot of people knew this company had problems, even before the money was given to them, just the fact they could not get non government funding tells you it was flawed. If it was a good business plan, investors would have been all over it, trying to get a part of the company to make money. Parts of the problem, had nothing to do with the development of the factory, even thou it looks like even this was not done with risk of profit in mind, it was the market. Someone else could make it cheaper, and so much cheaper that even if this process was better, it could not compete in the market.

But this is not the first time, we are spending a fortune on some bio fuel process, that never will be profitable, in some cases it takes more energy to make the fuel than it will provide.

I think we will go green, and it will happen faster and faster, but not because the government funded in, it will be because it is where the market will take it. I think any reasonable engineer will tell you combustion engines have almost reached the end of there capabilities. Any device that uses one type of movement like the up and down of a piston then coverts it to another movement like rotation driving gears and wheels in inefficient. Electric motors develop only one type of movement, rotation, and can even use rotation to conserve energy as well. It has to win in the end, how it get the electricity is the only question. The market knows this and will take care of it in its own way.

Rich

A Little Deception Helps Push Athletes to the Limit - NYTimes.com

A Little Deception Helps Push Athletes to the Limit - NYTimes.com

This is a fact, that if we did not know better, we can do better. Our mind is what limits us in most situations, even solving problems, our mind limits our solutions. Neural Linguistic Programing, is one key to getting past this. Each of us can fool our own minds, by simply stating the ridiculous, that we can do something, our own mind says we can not do. Stupid statement on its face, but once you figure out that your mind is influenced by what you say, do, and listen too, it becomes able to go to the next level.

Try this, talk to your self, say what you want to happen, not what you do not want to happen in every situation. Your mind will correct you, but keep saying it, even record in on you phone and play it back. Your own mind will listen this, sounds stupid I know, but very slowly it will release the objection, perhaps a very little at a time, or sometimes, it gives you that aha moment, as it agrees with you that yes we can do that. Both are valid positive results, sometimes all you can take is a slow small change, but keep doing it.

Best of all it can not hurt, going into every endeavor with a more positive out look, shows in your talk, walk, and the way you project yourself. As you get better at it, it comes easier and faster, but like everything it takes practice.

Rich

MIT Researchers Create Vibration-Driven MEMS Energy Harvester | ECN: Electronic Component News

MIT Researchers Create Vibration-Driven MEMS Energy Harvester | ECN: Electronic Component News

This is a very interesting, technology of gaining energy from vibrations is getting closer to another question of the universe. Perpetual motion, vibrations are everywhere, even a rock has vibrations, of all the atoms spinning and changing inside it. This technology is no where near this of course, but the direction is interesting, sort of going after the energy of the atom, from a non, nuclear direction.

This will make everyone think?

Rich

Meditation Can Reduce Health Care Costs | Psych Central News

Meditation Can Reduce Health Care Costs | Psych Central News

In these times of economic worry, from job loss, to costs getting out of control, meditation can reduce a lot of the stress that comes with it.

I have heard a lot of folks tell me that it is worthless, most will then tell me, they can not do it. I hear everything from I am to smart, or I am this type of personality, A, B what ever. Time is often given as a reason not to meditate, actually you can go in and out of a meditative state in seconds with practice. But the most I hear is I do not know how.

There are lots of free help on the web and in a library or book store, everything from smells, to music, to spinning wheels, more attuned to hypnosis. Actually all can be a help, I would have to say the biggest help is the fact you are trying.

I will not go into all the methods here, but to say, the biggest problem I normally see is trying to hard. I will say that you will get better with practice, but if you sit in a chair, lay down on a bed, sofa, any place you can relax your muscles with out falling down and close your eyes, you are already helping yourself, with the positives of meditation. After that is more breath control, and mental relaxation, than anything else.

Gently, close your eyes and relax, by this I , mean once again to, gently relax. Think, gently, about your breath and breathing, slowly concentrate on taking slow steady breaths, that are deep, but not uncomfortable. Concentrate, gently, on a relaxed slow deep easy breath. think about nothing (as best you can, don't force it) but the relaxed breathing. Now try and do that for 3 minutes or 100 or 200 breaths, maybe only 50 or 20 breaths the first time. Don't worry about how well you did, or that you do not feel better, you did fine, and you are better.

After that I will let the experts take over, but you are meditating, and you are helping yourself. You will hear about clear mind, empty mind, many words that are used to tell you that is a meditative state, they maybe right. But if you have been thinking a million thoughts a second, you actually may have come down to a thousand thoughts a second. That is all meditation is, slowing relaxing break, for a minute to how ever long you want or think you can do. Practice is nothing more that doing over and over, with out worrying about if you are doing it right.

More people have started their meditation practice in bath rooms, with the toilet as the relaxing seat. Not optimal, but if you are embarrassed, or not sure how it is going to look to even your family, great place to start. When I am going into an interview or be interviewed, I often still go to the men's room and relax for a second. I usually start with a short prayer, not needed, but it is my way. Slowing down my mind, relaxing and calming my body, gets me ready to do my best, at what ever the next task is.

With practice, you will be able to meditate better, but remember if you are already stopping for a second and countng and focusing on those breaths for 20 breathes, you are meditating and getting all the benefits of it. You hear about folks that slow down their heart rate, with meditation, happens a lot, ad it will happen to you, probably did, just hard to measure.

I some times teach this as a simple breathing technique, or way to increase your mental awareness for security training. I have taught executives on using it as a way to reduce stress, during violent incidents, like being held hostage, or being threatened. They normally tell me later that it helped them with other stressful situations, like big business deals, or other business actions they have to take. If you walk with me for a day, you will quickly notice me going in and out of a type of meditative state, during elevator rides, waiting in line, anywhere I want to take a break for a second.

I hope this helped, take a look on line there are lots of free help available, but just do it.

Rich

Lawyer says airport hoax suspect never claimed to have bomb | Reuters

Lawyer says airport hoax suspect never claimed to have bomb | Reuters

This story is playing out that the person had a mental, problem, but it really was a valid scare, and TSA was not at fault for their actions. This is the kind of thing we want them to flag. If not for the possible mental problem, I would say some charge against the person is valid, and in any case he should be added to the US Watch List, even if just off medication, it would appear he had the capability to make a device, and having a plane incident, like a bombing is not excused by a medical condition.

rich

Recognize Palestine AND Re-Affirm Israel as a Jewish State | Tikkun Magazine

Recognize Palestine AND Re-Affirm Israel as a Jewish State | Tikkun Magazine

I think Rabbi, Mike has this right, this maybe the only way to move this forward, and get out of the this stalemate. The US & the world needs to move this along, sitting in the same place just adds to problems on both sides. Each side lacks the political will to give in and give up something to make it to a finish line. It will not be the end of conflict, but it will move the process as nothing else has in years.

Rich

Regulation Nation: Drowning In Rules, Businesses Brace For Cost And Time For Compliance | Fox News

Regulation Nation: Drowning In Rules, Businesses Brace For Cost And Time For Compliance | Fox News

It is in the new regs a paragraph on how to dispose of lib balm correctly

This is why we can not grow business fast enough, what in the world is the Gov, thinking. This must be read

Fear Itself Is the Problem Holding Back Job Creation - Bank Think Article - American Banker

Fear Itself Is the Problem Holding Back Job Creation - Bank Think Article - American Banker

This the big issue in job growth, fear, does the Government know that a small business can not even develop a budget in many cases because no one fully understands the cost of new regulations. It is fairly apparent that even the Government does not under stand the costs involved. Not just health care but lots of regulations, that are mandated, yet no one knows who all they will effect. It used to be that a business could develop a business plan up to 50 employees with out having to worry about crushing regulations that the big boys have to face, then it went down to 20 employees, sometimes 12 employees, so it you have 5 folks working hard, and you are growing, you want to limit growth to 12, or 20 so that your budget is on target.

The the crux of this article is on the banks, I golf with bankers all the time, they laugh at the Governments moving more money to Small banks to lend out. They have lots of money, they just can not find businesses that can meet what looks like crushing regulations. Even the Banks have not fully been told what regulations are in effect, and what they can lend to who.

Lastly, many businesses started their companies with funding from credit cards, personal credit cards, since they did not have a track record for a starting business to get a company credit card. The new credit card rule that have been made to protect us, now make it so limits on cards are so low you can not fund enough to get a small business started. Unintended consequences, all these rules to help protect us small business, has and is killed small business growth, in may cases small business altogether.

Stop protecting us so much, and we will take the risks needed to grow. The whole issue of corporations that make to much money is that we take risks, sometimes they make a lot of money, sometimes they fail, so when they do make it, they deserve what they can make, to payback all the times they failed. But if you do not let the small business take a risk, then it will never grow fast enough to get the US out of this problem we are in.

Risk has a bit of fear in it, but the real fear is that why try and take a risk, when the Government is just going to penalize the small business for making it.

Rich

Learning To Ask The Right Question - Forbes

Learning To Ask The Right Question - Forbes

This looks to be a great book, just the article is very helpful, and should be used in grades 1-X now.

How to dress for a job interview, by J Bank.com

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50 Inspiring Entrepreneur Startup Quotes | inspirationfeed.com

50 Inspiring Entrepreneur Startup Quotes | inspirationfeed.com

Here is a great way to go into the weekend, recharge and come out suited up and ready to go on Monday. Short slow week, has ended now it the time to prepare for the future, here are some great quotes to get it started.

CounterTechnology's Channel - YouTube

CounterTechnology's Channel - YouTube

In this run up to 9/11 we are already getting some higher threat traffic. One of the findings of the 9/11 commission was that our best security was in the strength of our people. Every one of us is another set of eyes and ears to see the threat as it develops, we are the big security net that will catch the bad guys before they can attack. Here is a short video on how to best do that. But remember find the non emergency number for reporting suspect activity now, do not wait until it is time to report. But if it is happening dial 911, and report it. Please have a great weekend, and be safe.

Rich

Want a Home-Based Job? Expert Tips To Help - Forbes

Want a Home-Based Job? Expert Tips To Help - Forbes

To prevent life style changes from cramping your dreams, many are looking to part time, or as I call in fill time home based businesses.

For those out of a job, and just want to keep the hand in and also fill out that resume with something other than blank space can also find the home based job a big plus. Even if it is not going to be your life's goal, it will provide you with new potentials, and as we know any job gives you a lot more confidence walking into an interview than not having one.

Learning how a business operates has taught more of my employees, about the real costs of doing business, than any school, or cost cutting memo's I could issue. Once you have had to make money with fixed costs of products, you learn the real cost of management, marketing, training, all of it. I find they make great employee's, it is like business management 101, they also know more about their worth and how to make themselves worth more to the business. That gives me one of two options, pay them more, or let them find work with my competitor.

All and all a great read, it will give you more options, and perhaps a better chance of reaching some goal, you have had floating around in your head, but could not pin a plan to.

Rich

Going Green will Happen, But let the Market Place Do It

There are so many new developments out there in some phase of gaining or losing market share.  When you see things like this Solar Firm going bankrupt this week, the right and the left both make a big deal of it. 

Bottom line, it was a bad investment, that never could have gotten normal investment funds, because of it.  But the Government stepped in and made funding happen.  So production lines that from what we know now even the managers of the firm knew would not be marketable at a cost that would make money.  So we backed a losing proposition with US money.

The US is not the only one, that has tried this to stimulate business growth.  Japan, who had a housing & building meltdown many years before the US problem, tried to solve there problems with stimulus money. What Japan backed was not green, to early for that name, it backed high definition TV.  They worked with the technology firms to make one of three competing developing High Def TV protocols the leader, and then funded it.  It was not what the market chose, virtually all money funded was lost.

Which takes us back to the green jobs, let the market place choose the winner,  The same mistakes may occur at times, but the money is the venture capitalists, not the taxpayers.  The solar power company could have closed earlier , re tooled to be competitive, or made some other market adjustment. 

When markets see the need, someone will fill it, they may lose money on it, or lose money for a while on it, but it is the risk of the market, when the Government funds it there's no incentive to work to midnight for a year to make it work.  You simply stop and walk away it is the Governments money. 

We will move to more green products and jobs, it is a fact of life.  Business is seeing that if we use a hot bulb, it requires more air conditioning to cool down the office.  If we can get the power consumption of the building down to a low enough rate, then we can actually run the office on some days from a cost effective array of solar panels during the day.   Which makes the business cheaper to operate, which gives the owners the options of lower costs to consumers, or getting higher profits. 

The business will probably choose to take the higher profit at first, until the competitor goes green, and has the same costs.  The second business can decide that market share is the way to go and lower the cost of the product, which can only make the first business to lower the cost of his product to match, and get some market share back.  This back and forth continues, and the free market continues.
Rich