DO NOT VOTE for Ron Kirkland - Obama and Kirkland accede on Healthcare - VOTE FINCHER

www.westtennesseeconservative.blogspot.com Ron Kirkland and Obama agree on government healthcare bill that forces insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. ( mikeslaterradio.com ) Obama and Kirkland both know that this sort of mandate will raise insurance premiums for everyone. DO NOT VOTE FOR DR. RON KIRKLAND PLOW CONGRESS! - SUPPORT STEPHEN FINCHER

Related : Insurance Finance Overview Heights Finance

Mediocre Attitudes and the Downfall of Greatness

It all started innocently enough as I was looking for casters. I had this idea for a piece of exercise equipment and decided to build a prototype but I needed casters - those swivel wheels that go under office chairs, carts, etc. I had to ask three sales clerks where to find them in the big box hardware store before the third clerk actually looked in the computer to figure out where they stocked them. Reluctantly, I purchased four casters from them. It turns out that it wasn't just the service that was lousy. The casters were too noisy, not smooth enough and they marked the floor.

Next day was a visit to Casterland - a store that deals only in casters. They had exactly what I was looking for. I brought them home, installed them with great success. I should have gone to the specialists in the first place. The service was better and the product was top notch. The shopping experience was outstanding. Lesson learned. Oh, and the casters weren't more expensive. They were less expensive than the big box hardware store.

Then that night, while watching an episode of Hell's Kitchen on television, it struck me that out of all of the burned scallops, raw lamb, overcooked steaks, forgotten garnish, raw halibut, contestants sweating in the food and a general willingness to attempt to sneak substandard food past Chef Gordon Ramsay that it dawned on me: one of these very mediocre finalists is going to be head chef at Araxi in Whistler, BC. Are you kidding me? (Araxi should be concerned about this kind of marketing on their behalf.)

You don't even have to be good. You just have to be lucky enough to qualify for the show in the first place. No one on the show seems outstanding in any sort of way. All of them seem to buckle under pressure. All of them have their good nights and their bad nights. The only thing that seems to be consistent is their collective inconsistency. And yet, despite their overwhelming mediocrity, one of them is going to win the big prize. All that's required is to be best of mediocre. There is no contestant who is a clear front runner. They are all equally mediocre.

While reading a blog post from Seth Godin recently, he made mention of a Washington Post columnist recently laid off because his blog posts didn't get enough web traffic. In the old days, when people read newspapers, there was no way to tell which columns readers were reading. But in today's digital age, a simple hit counter tells the tale. In today's digital age, you can't skate by by just being mediocre. Are newspapers about change? You bet they are. Reporters and columnists are going to have to start writing what we, the customer, want to read - giving us, the customer, what we want instead of just spouting their opinions and not being concerned whether or not we are reading it.

A recent trip to Best Buy illustrates how mediocre service has become. I was looking for a simple desktop microphone for a computer that plugs in through a USB terminal. I asked one of the associates. His reply, "I don't think we sell those."

I asked him if there was someone he could ask to which he turned and did exactly that. He returned several moments later claiming, "No we don't sell those."

His department supervisor happened to be walking past at that moment and I turned to her and asked if she could point me in the direction of desktop microphones that plug-in through a USB terminal. She reached past me down to the bottom shelf and pulled up the very microphone I had been looking for.

I turned to the first sales associate and simply said, "I guess you do sell these."

His reply, "well I asked someone and they said we didn't."

This would have been a great opportunity for the sales associate to simply make the customer happy. All he had to do was smile, apologize for his error and move on. But he didn't. It was more important for him to be right than it was for the customer to be happy. That is so incredibly mediocre. Any organization is capable of doing that and sadly, most do. Best Buy finished below mediocre in that instance.

Then, this morning on the LinkedIn bulletin board came this answer to a question: "There is what is called the 20-80-20 rule of management. 20% of people will hate you no matter what. 80% will have no opinion either way. 20% will love you no matter what."

Is it just me or can you do the math as well? It adds up to 120% doesn't it? The question was answered in this way by a self-professed MBA. He used the letters right after his name in his profile. He seemed proud of his MBA. Sure, we can cut the guy a little slack for making an honest mistake but here's the problem: he didn't check his work before he submitted it. That's a mediocre effort. How many other times does he submit his work without checking it? Putting that answer out in front of millions of people without checking his work made him look sloppy - sloppy with an MBA. That's mediocre.

Had someone without an MBA made the same mistake we would have simply passed it off as though they had no idea what they were talking about. But this guy was an MBA. He should know what he's talking about. He should have checked his work. But he didn't because he gave a very mediocre effort. If you're going to live by the title you had better be meticulous. People are watching. But even with an MBA, "good enough" seems to be good enough.

And that's the problem in corporate North America today. Mediocrity is rampant. "Good enough" has become good enough. But there is good news: to be outstanding, all that is required is to be one step above mediocre. Anyone can win in that market. That should be encouraging news to any organization looking to be the best in their field.

But you have to want to be the best in your field in order to be one step better than mediocre. Sadly, most don't. And so they wallow in mediocrity just like everyone else. They accept mediocre performance from their people. They accept mediocre ideas. They accept mediocre management. They accept wallowing somewhere in the middle of the pack as okay. They train their people to be simply competent -- not outstanding -- just competent - and more often than not miss that mark too.

If your people are good but not great, if your management is good but not great, if your sales numbers are good but not great, if your attrition numbers are good but not great, if your safety numbers are good but not great, if your innovations are good but not great, if your service is good but not great, if your results are good but not great then you have a corporate culture of "good enough." Don't deny it. It's right there for everyone else to see. Your results prove it.

To go from mediocre to greatness requires the adoption of seven attitudes:

* the Attitude of Money, Security and Safety,

* the Attitude of Resilience,

* the Attitude of Connectedness,

* the Attitude of Gratitude,

* the Attitude of Service,

* the Attitude of Leadership,

* the Instigational® Attitude.

The difference between greatness and mediocrity is one step. Sadly, you probably won't make that step because where you are seems to be good enough.

Visit : Asbestos Insulation Heights Finance Cash Payment

Sovereign NZ TV Ad - More Claims - 30secs

Sovereign New Zealand - In life we love the ones who pay us in compliments, in love or in lollies. And Sovereign pays out more in claims than any other NZ provider. Humorous life moments, captured in framed pictures on walls, show us how we care for the special things in life - which Kiwis trust Sovereign to do, too. For more information about Sovereign talk to your adviser or visit www.sovereign.co.nz Voice over by Sir Michael Gambon Client Sovereign Marketing: Craig Waugh, Richard Allen Agency: TBWA\Tequila Creative Director: Guy Roberts Deputy CD/Writer: Corey Chalmers Account Director: Victoria Graves, Blake Crosbie Account Manager: Leila Roberts Agency Producer: Marg Slater Director: Summer Agnew @ Curious Producer: Seth Wilson, Tara Riddell @ Curious

Tags : Refinance Mortgages Information

Toyota Grand Prix Long Beach - Celebrity Race 028 - 041710 - PapaBrazzi Report

BLRock 995 - Toyota Pro Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California. Names like Chris Ashworth North Hollywood Toyota - Vice President, Jamie Bestwick BMX Rider, Adrien Brody Actor, Adam Carolla Comedian and Writer, Tanner Foust TV Host Pro Racer and Stunt Driver, Brian Austin Green Actor Director and Producer, Tony Hawk Action-Sports Athlete, Zachary Levi Actor, Jesse McCartney Singer Songwriter and Actor, Steve Millen Racing Champion, Marty Nothstein Drag Race Driver and Former Champion Cyclist, Dave Pasant Retired Insurance Executive, Megyn Price Actress, Keanu Reeves Actor, Christian Slater Actor, Tika Sumpter Actress, Jimmy Vasser 1996 IndyCar World Series Champion, Patrick Warburton Television and Film Actor, Jerry Westlund Charity Auction Winner. The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is an annual 10-lap auto race held each April since 1977 as part of the United States Grand Prix West, and later the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend at Long Beach, California. Since 1991, the event has raised money for "Racing for Kids," a national fund-raising program benefiting children's hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County. The TPCR pits celebrities against professional racers from various types of motor racing. From its inception until 2005, From 1977 until 2005, the drivers drove showroom stock Toyota Celicas. Since 2006, the Scion tC is the car used in the race. Celebrity contestants range from Hollywood's "A-list" elite, budding young stars and starlets, professional sports ...

My Links : Home Financial Government Refinance

Your Chosen Perspective Changes Everything - Perspective and the Macarena

Monday through Friday of every week, I find a personal note from the Universe in my email inbox. Well, yeah, I know there are thousands of earth souls receiving this same message from Mike Dooley, the creator of Tut.com, but it's fun to believe the Universe is talking directly to me. So often the message of the day has been eerily timely... such as this one:

"Tell me, when you think of taking consistent action in the general direction of your dreams, Susan, do you imagine discipline, stamina, work, sacrifice, monotony, courage, and strategies, or are you thinking adventure, discovery, new friends, excitement at the crack of dawn, magic, surprises, fun, laughter, and, on occasion, the Macarena?

Cool! Me too, "HEY!" The Universe

PS. "Your chosen perspective, Susan, changes everything."

Well, that's a no-brainer. I choose door number 2! I didn't always feel this way. I thought the first scenario was what work looked like, and the second was all about play and never the twain would meet.

I had a real Aha moment when the Universe gave me this poke in the ribs last week. Especially the PS. "Your chosen perspective, Susan, changes everything." I realized I had been receiving subtle, and not so subtle, signs of this truth in my life lately.

A few months ago on a Sunday, I trotted out to my car to run a quick errand. The back passenger side tire was completely flat. I studied it carefully to determine if it had human help getting that way. Two years ago, also on a Sunday, I trotted out to my car to discover that both tires on the passenger side were completely flat and had been slashed with a knife. Random. Not a good feeling.

So, I called my insurance company for emergency roadside service and they arranged for a tow truck to come out. The cranky driver told me the tire stem had been deliberately cut and when I thought out loud "Why would somebody do that?", he said it was the neighborhood I lived in. What?! I tell you, this guy was snarky! I knew from my former experience that there was a tire center open on Sunday, so he only had to fill it with air. He was less cranky then and went on his way.

But by now I am upset. I am ranting and raving about the neighborhood and that I am going to move. I've had it with neighbors who would slash your tires for the fun of it. Or toss a drink cup in your yard because they are too lazy to dispose of it properly. Or let their dog do his business by your tree. Blah. Blah. Blah.

I got to the tire center and settled in for what I was told might be a long wait in a hard plastic chair. It actually wasn't all that long before someone came out and told me that the tire stem had NOT been deliberately cut, but had heavy wear on it from taking corners too close and rubbing on the curb. Oops... guilty. They didn't even charge me for fixing it. Wow. What a good feeling.

My perspective was flip-flopping back and forth like a fish out of water that Sunday. The good part was that I got it. I became totally aware that I choose my perspective. I'd worked up a good head of steam over something that was not even true and was ready to sell my house and move. I bought into the cranky tow truck driver's perspective.

My true perspective is that I love my house, I love my neighbors, I don't mind picking up the stray litter and tossing it, and sometimes a dog's gotta go when it's gotta go. No big deal.

Whether it's work, play or the everyday happenings of life, I am choosing the perspective behind door number 2:... adventure, discovery, new friends, excitement at the crack of dawn, magic, surprises, fun, laughter, and, on occasion, even the Macarena! How about you?

Visit : Lending Finance Tax Resolution

Sovereign NZ TV Ad - Trust - 15secs

Sovereign New Zealand - Trust - In life we only let those we trust take care of the things we love. And more Kiwis trust Sovereign than any other NZ provider. Humorous life moments, captured in framed pictures on walls, show us how we care for the special things in life - which Kiwis trust Sovereign to do, too. For more information about Sovereign talk to your adviser or visit www.sovereign.co.nz Voice over by Sir Michael Gambon Client Sovereign Marketing: Craig Waugh, Richard Allen Agency: TBWA\Tequila Creative Director: Guy Roberts Deputy CD/Writer: Corey Chalmers Account Director: Victoria Graves, Blake Crosbie Account Manager: Leila Roberts Agency Producer: Marg Slater Director: Summer Agnew @ Curious Producer: Seth Wilson, Tara Riddell @ Curious

See Also : Cash Advance Business Mortgage Origination

Academic Challenge - Benedictine, NDCL, Western Reserve Academy (2006) Part 1

Here's another Academic Challenge episode, this time from the 2005-2006 season. This is the Lightning Round. Does anybody else notice an error on Adam Shapiro's part during the last question? Western Reserve Academy buzzes in, then Notre Dame Cathedral Latin buzzes in, but Adam calls on NDCL. He's obviously not paying too much attention. Shame on you. Video remains the sole property of its respective owners. It is not for sale, and no challenge to ownership is implied. This video is uploaded for entertainment, educational, and historical purposes only and falls under Fair Use guidelines.

My Links : Bank Mortgage Rates Vehicle Finance Cash Payment