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Again, history is on the path to repeat itself in American Politics. It seems like for 2 different reasons America’s citizens have felt the need for a third party in politics. Either they believe in one or two political issues that they feel are not given a big enough role in either of the two big parties platforms or they don’t believe in anything and are annoyed with how democracy and debate work to solve political issues in society.

The green movement in American politics showed that the first of the reasons for forming a political third party actually are useful way of having an impact on politics. The main reason the American political system has only two parties is the ballot setup and how political elections are won. As we all know, it takes a majority or 51% of the vote to win most elections in politics and 51% of the state’s citizens votes to win all of the state’s electoral college votes.

The majority system in politics pits two candidates against each other and gives no incentives for only winning 15% of the votes. The contrast to the American political system is Great Britain, which has a proportional system. Because of this system, politics in Great Britain are different at their core from American politics. In a proportional political system, if there are 10 seats available and a political party wins 20% of the vote then they win 2 seats out of 10. I’m sure you can imagine how this influences the whole art and strategy of politics in this system.

Ok so what is unity and what do they have to do with all of this?

Unity08 on the surface is trying to sell itself as the party of the people and uses polls and catchy marketing to try to convince people to join their cause. They are a wannabe third party that has no core issue(s) that are not covered by the two major parties. They actually claim that they take on the more crucial issues rather than the somewhat important issues that don’t actually affect people.

They show base for their support by citing a polls that show the American public agrees with some things that are totally unrelated to a third party in politics. Things such as dissatisfaction with the way the country is headed and polarizaton. Also they polled on hypothetical questions of a different unity ticket and probably asked whether they agree or disagree with the idea. Good political pollsters know that people are always more likely to agree on any question when given the choice.

Ok now what do they have to do with third party politics? Well technically, they claim they do not want to be a third party. No No….They want to influence the big 2 political parties by giving them a wake up call. Oh it gets much better than this. They seem to contradict themselves a lot. They don’t want to leave their political parties but they want a moderate candidate or one person from each big political party to join together and run under their ticket.

So on some of their crucial political issues of national debt, nuclear proliferation, health care for all, and the disappearance of the American Dream they just want one candidate from each party to come together and run?

Ok Ok….Slow me down if I am wrong about this but is their differences on how to go about these issues what makes America the model democratic republic? Did our founding fathers not set our political system up with just that clash and debate?

I feel like I am under the Capitol Dome looking at the painting of Thomas Jefferson apparently stepping on John Adams toe and unity asking Mr. Jefferson if they could shake him up and then to embrace Mr. Adams like his political best friend. The political founding fathers setup the American system on the ideals of Newtonian physics where 2 political parties would both butt heads and the equal opposite reaction would end in a balance.

You cannot expect to take bits and pieces from each different approach given by the major parties, throw them into a blender and out comes the perfect solution. Most moderates in politics today hold views on political issues that are held by both political parties. However, they are affiliated with a certain political party because they believe in their core platform.

Finally, if unity08 plans to have one prominent member from each party on their presidential ticket for the 2008 political elections then how do they decide which party holds the President and which one holds the Vice President. I feel like I shouldn’t need to say this but unity08 makes it out like they do not see the huge difference in power between those two political offices.

So my final thought is this…The main founders and backers of unity08 are in this thing for exactly one reason. *Drumroll* MONEY. Plain and simple. Unity08 said they are seeking an advisory council from the FEC to see if they can be considered not a political committee. This means they do not want to be bound to FEC rules. Also nothing states that they are a non-profit and therefore I have to wonder whether they are not just a for-profit company.

Finally, one of the main founders bio on their webpage states this…

‘Hamilton Jordan, Atlanta, Georgia. Carter White House Chief of Staff, writer, investor; focused on for-profit and non-profit start-ups; most importantly, father of three.’

This could mean nothing but it sure sticks out…investor;…for-profit and non-profit start-ups. Also, most of these former political people would not have wasted their time on this if they couldn’t control the cut they’ll make as consultants for unity08.

hmmm…This thing smells of scam and unrealistic dreams that not only contradict the founding fathers political setup for America but are also bad for America. The 2 party system is and will always be the best system for America. Does America need political advocates and higher citizen engagement? Of course! Conflict and honest debate is the best path to the perfect solution.

So to end let me say, unity08, no thanks.

here’s a link to their site. I feel like it is doing them a service but for my readers that don’t know what I am talking about I feel I must.

Jonathan D. Rhyne

Editor of The Right Minded Elephant
http://rightmindedelephant.blogspot.com

The Internet is perhaps the easiest medium of transferring files, especially files that are large in size. This has been made possible by the system called File transfer Protocol that is more popularly known as FTP. The files you transfer could be anything from documents and designs to games and music. There are various providers of FTP Hosting services. All the services provided by the different providers are not identical. The features keep varying from service to service.

Sending files via email is another common way of transferring files. It depends on the individual user to decide which medium he/ she wants to opt for in order to transfer files. However, more than ones personal desire the decision would depend on his/ her requirement. For a proper understanding of this we need to take a look at the pros and cons on both FTP sites and email services.

Allowed file size

Firstly, the primary advantage of FTP over Email is that through FTP you can easily send files irrespective of their size. It is not reasonable to send a huge file through email. Certain email services allow certain file sizes. If the file crosses the size limit you will not be able to send it. However, if you do not need to send large files you do not need to invest in FTP services. An email service should suffice for your needs.

Reliability and Speed

Another advantage of FTP sites over email services is reliability. Even if email services allow large files there is no guarantee that the files will be transferred properly. The file you send and the file the recipient receives may not be exactly the same. The file may not reach the recipient at all. Hence it is more dependable to use a FTP site for sending files that are larger than 1 MB. The transfer and download facilitated by FTP sites are much faster too.

Access to files

When an FTP service creates an account for you, you are given a huge storage space. You can create various folders and upload your files as per your convenience. Through email you can send files to either an individual or the same set of files to all the people you want to. It is difficult to send different sets of files to different groups of people simultaneously. In case of FTP services you merely need to give the user name and passwords of the respective folders to the people you want to grant access of the files to.

Security

When you send a set of files to a group of people via email you cannot restrict any individual’s access to a few files. However, this is possible in case of FTP sites. Each folder that you create in your FTP account is guarded. In other words, you have a separate user name and password for each folder. Hence, people with the knowledge of a username and password will have access to that particular folder. Thus, we see that the provisions for security are better in case of FTP sites.

File Transfer

In case of email the transfer of files is only a one-way transfer while in case of a FTP site it facilitates two-way transfer of files. FTP allows files to be transferred to and fro between the FTP server and the FTP client. However, email allows the transfer of file in a one-way system only. The file is transferred and not downloaded. It is accessible only on the browser. This is another issue that needs to be considered while deciding whether an email service or FTP site is appropriate for you.

Encoding and Decoding

ASCII text is the only type of text that an email service is tailored for. It is not capable of handling files of any other type of text directly. In order to handle other types of file it has to be first converted to the binary code and then send via email but as an attachment. However, in case of FTP sites you do not need to worry about converting the text data and then later decoding it. All types of files can be managed with equal amount of ease. Nevertheless, if you do not require downloading or transferring files, besides the one with ASCII text, it is not necessary for you to use FTP sites. An email service will be sufficient for you.

Cost

Another factor that needs to be borne in mind, while debating on the issue of which service to choose, is the cost. If you do not really need the benefits offered by FTP sites then it is better to go for email services. FTP services come in exchange of a price. The costs of the services are different for different FTP hosting providers. Certain providers offer packages on a monthly rate while some other offer packages on an annual rate. There are some providers who offer free trials for a specific time period. However, once that period is over the normal charges apply. On the other hand taking a look at email services will show that most email services are free. The ones, which have monetary implications, come for an extremely reasonable charge. Nonetheless, considering all the merits of FTP it can be concluded that the cost involved is quite nominal and the service if cost effective.

Adam Hobach is a Network Engineer with ‘InstantFTPsites.com’. You can learn more about ‘FTP Hosting’ services online at http://www.InstantFTPsites.com

© 2006 InstantFTPsites http://www.InstantFTPsites.com You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the ‘Author Biography’).

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#111 – North Texas Mean Green 2-9 SU; 4-7 ATS

Fargo’s Take Last year was a tough pill to swallow for the Mean Green faithful as it went from being the four-time defending Sun Belt champion to finishing in last place in the conference with a 2-5 record. Total offense and total defense were equally as bad but things should definitely be better in 2006. The running game is healthy and a defensive switch to the 3-4 will improve its horrid rushing defense from last season. Everything will depend however on the play of the quarterback and the bad news is that there is no set starter in place yet. Of its five conference losses in 2005, three were by a field goal, another by four points and the last by a touchdown. It shows that while competitive, it didn’t have what it takes to win those close games and that comes back to the quarterback. Things can only get better for North Texas as it should use last season as a learning experience and go from there.

Returning Starters on Offense – 9 The running game was a huge disappointment last season as the offense had not only one but two former national rushing champions with Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas. Cobbs is gone but Thomas is back and he is back healthy as hamstring problems limited him to only 361 yards last season. In order for the offense to prosper, the running game needs to regain its 2004 form because the quarterback situation is not getting any better. Daniel Meager started all 11 games last season but threw for only 941 yards and four touchdowns. Another sophomore, Matt Phillips, will be pushing him for the starting nod. The receivers are some of the best in the conference but it won’t matter much if no one can get them the ball.

Returning Starters on Defense – 6 While the offense couldn’t run last year, the defense couldn’t stop the run as it allowed 220.9 ypg which ranked 114th in the nation. The linebackers are the strength of the defense this season so those rushing numbers should decrease as long as a formidable defensive line is put into place. The new scheme alone should knock a good chunk of those yards off. In the defensive backfield, things could be a little dicey. Teams didn’t need to throw much on the Mean Green last season for obvious reasons but that could change this year and with an unproven and extremely young secondary, we could see a reversal of what occurred last year. Overall, the defense isn’t going to improve that much.

Schedule The three top teams in the Sun Belt from last season all host North Texas and that is discouraging news for the Mean Green. They do however get Middle Tennessee, Florida International and Florida Atlantic at home to make up for it. This team never shies away from a tough non-conference slate and that is the case again this season with games at Texas, Tulsa and Akron. The last two might not look intimidating but both should win their respective divisions within their conferences. Home games against SMU and Louisiana Tech round out the non-conference schedule.

You can bet on… North Texas will try and re-establish itself as one of the best running teams in the country simply because it has no other choice. Run and you win, if you don’t you lose plain and simple. If the young quarterback(s) can take a big step this year, North Texas can win the SBC but that is a big if and that is why this is still a middle of the conference team. Fouts Field used to be an intimidating place but a 0-5 SU record and 1-4 ATS mark last year took away a lot of luster. Thus, we could see some small numbers in home games once again but possibly see the results reversed this season if they can rediscover the formula for winning.

Matt Fargo is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers
League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Matt_Fargo.htm.

Whether you choose to do you your formal photographs prior to the ceremony or immediately afterwards, you’ll find that these formal group photographs will become some of your most treasured memories in years to come. How your photographer organizes these groupings will have a great effect on the outcome of these photographs. There are a number of different philosophies when it comes to photographing families, bridesmaids and ushers and the biggest obstacle facing you and your photographer are the time constraints which are an unfortunate part of the wedding day.

This is where having a gameplan will be of great benefit. It has been my experience that a ‘formals’ session will typically last anywhere between forty minutes and one hour. Clock-watching becomes a necessity because everyone involved in your wedding day has a job to do, and running late is never a good idea. Your function director will generally have a pretty tight timeline regarding seating your guests and getting dinner on the table. Timely completion of your formal photography session may prevent the burning of 250 plates of Chicken Cordon Bleu, and there’s nothing worse than dry, overdone chicken!

I like to start a photography session with the largest groups first. If you have a sizable wedding party they’ll appreciate the fact that you’ve completed their photographs and now they can go enjoy a cocktail and some hor’s doerves. Next I like to photograph the bride’s family and the groom’s, followed by any aunts, uncles, cousins and special requests. Finally, I can concentrate on the Bride and Groom and give them the attention they deserve without worrying about the ‘next’ shot we’ll need to take. At this point everyone is ready to be introduced into the reception hall, with nothing but free-flowing candid coverage for the remainder of the day.

If formal photographs are important to you, (and why wouldn’t they be) I strongly suggest that you create a list of the formal groupings that you wouldn’t want to miss. On such a busy and exciting day you’re likely to forget a grouping or two, and you certainly can’t hold your photographer responsible for missing a family photo if you never told him to take it! My photography assistant plays the role of ’second-string quarterback’, holding the clipboard containing the shot list and checking them off as we go. Another tip is to let those folks who you’d like involved in photographs know in advance that they’ll be needed. Remember, you may have less than one hour to get this done. You don’t have time to track people down and get them to the photography area.

Another possibility which works for some couples is to complete the formal photographs prior to the ceremony. I know some of you are cringing at the thought of breaking with tradition, but if you analyze the advantages you may find that this is an option worth considering. Obviously, a pre-ceremony photo session isn’t possible in all cases, but works particularly well when the ceremony and reception are taking place at the same venue. I’ll simply have the key parties arrive about one and a half hours prior to the start of the ceremony and then go through the groupings in much the same way as described above. The advantages here are obvious: Time restrictions have been eliminated, cocktail hour can now be enjoyed by everyone, including the bride and groom and best of all, no burnt chicken!

About the author:

Andy Heller is the owner/operator of Heller Photography, http://www.hellerphoto.com specializing in Boston Wedding Photography and social events throughout Massachusetts since 1987. He can be reached at 508-668-4277 or by email: andy@hellerphoto.com

Focus on using influence in positive ways. Misuse of the laws will only come back to haunt you in the long run. You might get short-term instant results, but your long-term future will be bleak. The tools outlined in this book are powerful and are not to be used selfishly. They should not be considered a means of gaining a desired result at any cost. Rather, you should use these tools to get your desired outcome only when it is a win-win situation for all involved.

Have you ever tried the same approach with a customer that your boss uses on you and had it bomb miserably? Becoming a Master Persuader requires more than mimicking other persuaders. You must not only fully understand the wide variety of persuasive techniques available, but you must also be ready to use the techniques best suited for any given situation. Acquiring this level of skill demands a commitment to watch, analyze, study, and apply the concepts of Maximum Influence.
Human nature is as varied as the colors of the rainbow. Human actions and thoughts are never perfectly predictable because each of us has different emotions, attitudes, beliefs, personalities, and traits. A beginner’s tendency is to find one persuasive technique that works and stick with that. Unfortunately, you cannot use the same persuasion tool on everyone. Depending on the situation and the techniques you use, people will agree with you, refuse to listen, or be indifferent to your efforts. The Master Persuader has many tools and can therefore adapt and customize them to suit any situation or personality.

The fable of the sun and the wind provides an excellent example of properly implemented persuasion. The sun and the wind were always arguing about which of them was the strongest. The wind believed he was stronger because of his destructive power in tornados and hurricanes. He wanted the sun to admit he was stronger, but the sun held fast to his own opinion and could not be convinced. One day the sun decided he wanted the matter settled once and for all, so he invited the wind to compete with him in a contest. The sun chose the contest carefully. He pointed out an old man taking a walk, and challenged the wind to use his power to blow the man’s jacket off. The wind felt this would be an easy contest to win and began to blow. To his surprise, each gust of wind only made the man cling more tightly to his jacket. The wind blew harder, and the man held on tighter. The harder the wind blew, the more the man resisted. The powerful blows of wind even knocked the man down, but he would not let go of his jacket. Finally, the wind gave up and challenged the sun to succeed in getting the man to take off his jacket. The sun smiled and shone radiantly upon the man. The man felt the warmth of the sun, and sweat began to appear on his forehead. The sun continued pouring out warmth and sunshine upon the man and, at last, the man took off his jacket. The sun had won the contest. This is an example of Maximum Influence at its best. If your attempt to persuade is a win-win, others will be eager to do what you want them to do. As you perform the exercises and techniques outlined in this book, you will notice powerful changes in your ability to persuade and influence others.

Do you want short-term temporary results or long-term permanent results? Effective persuasion has lasting impact, but it requires dedicated study and long-term commitment on the part of the persuader. The Hierarchy of Persuasion sheds light on how the world uses different levels of persuasion, ranging from control at the most short-term level to genuine commitment at the long-term level.

Imagine the CEO of a large corporation calling one of his vice presidents to a meeting. At the meeting, the vice president is informed that he must raise $20,000 in employee contributions for a foundation the company is going to sponsor. The CEO is not concerned with the means the vice president uses as long as they result in a check for $20,000. Raising such a sum requires getting $100 from each employee–a daunting endeavor! The vice president considers the various ways he could accomplish this task. It would be both easy and quick to approach the employees using control. He could use physical force or threats on their life to obtain the money. This do-it-or-else mentality would get immediate results. The long-term impact, however, would likely involve rebellion, revenge, and resentment. What about coercion? Surely the employees would provide the requested donation if they were told doing otherwise would negatively affect their next job evaluation. Would this tactic get immediate results? Sure. Again, however, the long-term effects would be resentment, rebellion, and revenge.

The vice president decides control and/or coercion do not provide the best outcomes. Next he considers compliance. If he offered incentives, benefits, or rewards, it would be a win-win situation, right? Suppose each employee who donates $100 gets an extra two weeks of paid vacation. The problem is, once the incentive is gone, compliance will also disappear. He might get the $100 this time, but what about the next time he asks for a donation? This method is still only a temporary fix because the employees will be conditioned to always expect a reward for their compliance.

The vice president next considers cooperation. He could spend time with the employees explaining why this charity is so important and how it would be a great honor for them to participate. He could convince, encourage, or ’sell’ with logic, emotion, and information to donate to this worthy cause. Now, armed with the tools of effective persuasion, he’s onto an approach that will have lasting, positive results. As long as the employees feel he is telling the truth and acting in their best interest, they will be open to his proposal.

Finally, the vice president considers the top form of persuasion: commitment. If he has a great reputation and relationship with his employees, there will be mutual respect, honor, and trust. These conditions will enable the employees to comfortably make out their $100 checks. They know the vice president is a man of honor who would never ask them to do anything that would not be in their best interest. They can commit to him because they feel he is committed to them.

Commitment is the highest ideal of Persuasion because its impact is the most permanent and far-reaching. Your reputation as one possessing integrity, honor, trust, and respect will continuously inspire commitment from everyone you seek to persuade.

Appication Questions

Which forms of persuasion do you feel most comfortable using: Why?

Control – Force, Fear, Threats

Coercion: Pressure, Manipulation, Intimidation

Compliance: Incentive, Benefits, Reward,

Cooperation: Convince, Encourage, Coax

Commitment: Respect, Honor, Trust
Give an example of each C of persuasion you have attempted to use in the last 60 days.

Control – Force, Fear, Threats

Coercion: Pressure, Manipulation, Intimidation

Compliance: Incentive, Benefits, Reward,

Cooperation: Convince, Encourage, Coax

Commitment: Respect, Honor, Trust

For additional information on The Hierarchy Of Persuasion, go to Magnetic Persuasion and kick start your success!

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.

Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available!

If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://www.PreWealth.com and getting my free report ‘10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands.’ After reading my free report, go to http://www.PreWealth.com/IQ and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale!

A home equity line of credit can be a valuable financial tool; however, this type of home equity loan carries significantly more risk than a second mortgage. Here is what you need to know to minimize the risks for your home equity loan and avoid common mistakes.

A home equity line of credit works like a credit card. You can borrow against the equity in your home up to the limit approved by the lender. Your lender will provide you a debit card or checks to access your equity; your monthly payments are based on the amount you borrow. Home equity lines of credit come with variable interest rates so your mortgage lender will adjust your interest rate and monthly payment amount at regular intervals specified in your loan contract.

When you apply for a home equity line of credit you will be charged many of the same expenses you paid when you took out your primary mortgage. Application fees, lender fees, appraisals, and closing costs will all have to be paid to close on your home equity loan.

The risks associated with a home equity lines of credit come from the variable interest rate that will change your monthly payment amount and the ease of access to your equity. Because you have a debit card you might be tempted to spend more money than you originally intended; if you often max out your credit cards you could find yourself with a maxed out equity line of credit when you only intended to borrow a few thousand dollars. Remember that your home equity line of credit is secured by your home just as your primary mortgage is; if you fall behind on the payments the lender could take your home.

To learn more about home equity loans and how to avoid common homeowner mistakes, register for a free mortgage guidebook using the links below.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of ‘Mortgage Refinancing: What You Need to Know,’ which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.

Claim your free guidebook today at: http://www.refiadvisor.com

Baltimore Mortgage Refinance

Health insurance plan are necessary for every person including married or single. These plans are more important than anything else as it protect you against any type of financial disaster including accident and serious ill.

Most of us think that health insurance plan pays our medical bill only. It is not so. It has become an inevitability to obtain an insurance policy for safety and security grounds.

While buying an insurance policy one has to see certain factors before choosing the same. As a safety policy, many companies insure its employers for a sizable amount. While buying an insurance policy, the insurance covered by the employer should not be taken into account.

The insurance policy covered by the employer is not adequate enough to meet the requirements for insurance throughout the life. One must have very good negotiation skills to buy a policy that have a high premium and dividend. One must not buy an insurance policy, more than the need.

The most common health insurance plan have been grouped into three main categories that include Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), and Indemnity or Fee-for-service Plans.

The factors that are more advantageous in buying a health insurance plan are financial protection, movable and immovable assets, and the number of dependants of the insurer. It is highly advisable to include all the dependents in your insurance policy, as it will cover them for the same benefits as the insurer.

The health insurance policy must be available for an affordable price and must have a very good insurance coverage. As different insurance companies pay different premiums, it is also advisable to get quotes from different companies before buying insurance.

One must buy an insurance policy after selecting a company that provides high premiums and dividends. After buying the insurance, the insurer must evaluate the needs of insurance periodically.

Following an active healthy life style will help you to keep control of medical bills. Even you can reduce the medical bill by selecting the low priced drug with no quality compromise from your pharmacy. One of the best methods of controlling the medical bills is to keep record of the medical bills.

It is always recommended to buy a health insurance policy not only for paying the medical bills but also to protect the individual and his or her dependents from any eventualities which may happen with no certainties.

If you find this information useful you should visit the site become Prospecting for insurance leads or Florida insurance adjuster license where you will find lots of interesting articles related to this topic.If you have an interesting article about car insurance,life insurance,health insurance or any kind of insurance you should send it to our Email address and you will get in return a link on the page your article will be published.We only accept original articles not published anywere else!

I’ve been researching the topic of procrastination, and I’m finding that it’s making me more frustrated than ever.

For some reason, I see procrastinating, putting off the doing of something, as a symptom and not as a malady in its own right.

For example, let’s say I’m procrastinating about submitting a course proposal to a university. Most of the literature says my sloth reflects a personality flaw, a bad habit, or perhaps the fear of failure, or even the fear of success.

Possibly, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that in this sort of circumstance I haven’t made a real decision about doing the class. Yes, I’ve developed the concept, planned it to an extent, done most of the marketing of it, but I’m putting off the paperwork because I’m ambivalent about it.

This ambivalence might be manifested in a different way. Let’s say I’m not certain I want to tether my future to that course, what I may do is price it at such a premium level as to force my sponsors to reject it if they are ambivalent, as well, thus confirming my suspicions that it may be a marginal concept.

If the outside world applauds my concept, I must be telling myself unconsciously, then it is meritorious, and worth a commitment on my part, but if it isn’t acclaimed, I’m better off doing something else that has more support.

All of this seems perfectly logical, and perhaps sensible. Why commit to actions for which there isn’t solid support, or that don’t portend profitability, right?

But the problem with this thinking is if you’re really innovating, you’ll be out of step with your peers, you’ll be seeing something that they are blind to, and winning them over, at least right away is unrealistic. You may have to do a lot of lobbying, risk taking, and leading in order to drum up even a little initial support.

All you have to bolster you at that point is the strength of your decision, however you arrived at it.

You’ve heard the expression that “confidence sells,” and it’s true, you need to manifest it if you hope to gain assistance, and you won’t unless you’re operating on a solid basis of belief in your own venture.

Procrastination is a tip-off that you don’t fully support the task that you’ve set in front of yourself to do, that on some level you don’t believe it is meritorious, or you suspect it is a waste of your time.

Until you go back and sell yourself on the value of accomplishing this task, you’ll spin your wheels, or seemingly idle away your time, or distract yourself with other things.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com & The Goodman Organization is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, ‘The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,’ published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to http://www.customersatisfaction.com

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#112 – Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 4-7 SU; 5-6 ATS

Fargo’s Take The Blue Raiders will have a lot of new looks in 2006 – a new head coach, a new playing surface, new uniforms and hopefully a whole new attitude. Winning has not been a theme in Murfreesboro for the last four seasons and that led to the departure of head coach Andy McCollum and the hiring of Rick Stockstill to take his place. Stockstill has been around a long time and has worked under some of the best head coaches around so he does bring in a winning philosophy. Middle Tennessee brings back a lot on offense and should be improved in that area. Defensively, it was one of the best in the country last season but there are a lot of holes to fill this year due to graduation and injuries. The Blue Raiders have been huge underachievers over the past few years as they were talked about as being one of the best but never got it done. It will take some overachieving this year to make it work. Academic penalties have hurt the incoming class so depth could be a big concern.

Returning Starters on Offense – 7 Middle Tennessee averaged only 19.1 ppg last season as it was held to 10 or fewer points on five different occasions. Senior quarterback Clint Marks returns and he has the game to be the best quarterback in the conference but has yet to prove it. He threw only eight touchdown passes a season ago and with numerous question marks at the receiver position, he will have to step it up to be more productive. The running game looks good with Eugene Gross leading the way behind a very experienced line. Stockstill is considered an offensive-minded coach but he has served as high as offensive coordinator only once and that was with the 2003 East Carolina Pirates who ended up being one of the worst offenses around. The difference is that there is talent here.

Returning Starters on Defense – 5 A repeat performance from last year’s defense is not likely as there are simply too many losses to deal with. The defensive line took the biggest hit as there is not a senior around on the two-deep chart. The secondary is also without a senior as well but it has one of the best cover corners in the conference with Bradley Robinson. Experience is also prevalent at the safety spots. Similar to what Idaho is implementing on defense this year, the Blue Raiders are also going with speed to make up for some of the shortcomings. While the defense won’t be nearly as good, don’t expect a huge drop-off either as there is still enough around to remain competitive.

Schedule Don’t expect too much success with the schedule that is on the plate of this team as it is brutal. Non-conference games at Maryland, Oklahoma and South Carolina are next to impossible as is a neutral site game with Louisville. It will come down to the Sun Belt slate and while it certainly is not a power conference, it doesn’t set up very well for the Blue Raiders. The four toughest games in the conference schedule are on the road but this team went 3-3 away from home last season (2-1 SBC) so winning on the road might not be a problem after all.

You can bet on… A win over Tennessee Tech is a guarantee unless Middle Tennessee decides to look ahead to its game at Oklahoma the following week. The Blue Raiders have not had a winning season in five years but they have won four or more games every season showing how close they were to being a very good team. They finished with a losing mark against the number and that was due to the difficulty of getting it done at home where they went 1-4 both SU and ATS. The four losses were by a combined 23 points, so reverse those and the Blue Raiders could be defending a conference title this season. They aren’t however and it won’t happen this year either.

Matt Fargo is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers
League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Matt_Fargo.htm.

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