Saturday, September 17, 2011

Outsourcing and drop in standard

I went to Paris for a board meeting. The company arranged for me to be picked up at the airport. I was to look for a person holding a sign with my name.

When I arrived, I could not find the pick up person. I searched for him. He arrived 15 minutes later and was clearly not a local person. After driving for some time, he appeared to be driving me to the wrong destination. I checked with him and gave him the correct address.

I reported the matter to the hotel for investigation. Apparently, they have arranged the pick-up to a contractor who must have outsourced it to a third party (who used an immigrant to do the work).

This was probably done in the interest of brining down the cost or making a bigger profit margin. This has led to a drop in standard and quality. There is a need to have better control on outsourcing!


Petfinder.com's Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week Sept 17-25 | The ...

Our friend Jane at Petfinder.com told me about a very important week starting today, September 17, 2011. This week is Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week.

You might not know this, but some pets are thought to be ?less adoptable? than others. ?I would be considered a less adoptable pet because of my feline diabetes. ?But my parents don?t let my diabetes stand in the way of their love and affection for me, and I am super happy that they don?t. ?I am the light of their lives, diabetes or not.

But other cats are not so lucky and because of silly superstition, our black cat cousins are one of the hardest cats to place in a forever home. ?My brother Mercy is a bright eyed and shiny black cat. ?He is super sweet and we love him to pieces. ?When I hear that black cats were not being given a chance to go to a forever home I was super sad.

On a recent trip with the Iams and Eukanuba team, my mom and Flat Gracey, my stunt double, ?had the?privilege of visiting the Helen Woodward Animal Center and meeting the remarkable Mike Arms, the president of the center.

One of the adoption tips that Mike shared with us was near and dear to our hearts. ?Mike talked to us about the ?Adopt Me and My Shadow? event. ?This promotion pairs two cats together for adoption and yes, ?you guessed it, one of the cats is a beautiful shiny bright eyed cat like my brother Mercy.

Me and My Shadow Helen Woodward Animal Center

Me and My Shadow Adoption Event, Helen Woodward Animal Center

In fact, the cat on the left sure does look like me doesn?t she?

My next post, Generate More Feline Adoptions Tips from Mike Arms, ?will be talking more about our visit to the Helen Woodward Animal Center and the unique point of view that Mike offers to help increase feline adoptions by as much as 10% just by making small changes in the way the cats are displayed for adoption.

I hope that if you or someone you know is looking for a new family member, that they will consider taking home a loving pet that perhaps another person might overlook. ?I know that our Mercy was overlooked as a stray in the alley until my dad scooped him up and brought him home. ?He has brought tremendous joy into our lives. My grandma really loves Mercy. ?In fact he gets to have slumber parties at her house.

Thank you for helping our cousins in need.

Source: http://conservationcubclub.com/home/2011/09/petfinder-coms-adopt-a-less-adoptable-pet-week-sept-17-25/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=petfinder-coms-adopt-a-less-adoptable-pet-week-sept-17-25

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Buying a property on dual income

Many people depend on dual income to calculate the affordability of their property purchase. This is highly risky as any one party may lose the income, causing financial difficulty. Read this article.

Tip: when you use dual income to calculate affordability, you should apply a discounting factor for the dual income. I suggest a discount of 30%. You should take only 70% of the dual income to calculate the amount of the property that you can afford to buy. 

Buying gold bar at inflated price

Mr. Tee had a friend who introduced an attractive investment scheme to him. The friend, whom he trusted, told him to invest in a gold bar. It promised to pay 2% interest every 3 months. After 12 months, the company promised to buy back the gold bar at its full value. This allowed him to earn a return of 8% for 12 months. There is also a certificate for him to take out the gold bar from a trusted third party if the company did not honour the buy back promise.

At the end of the period, the company did not buy back the investment. Mr. Tee took out the gold bar and found that he had paid for the gold bar at a price that is 50% higher than the real value of the gold. He was not aware that the price, quoted in $ per gram, was much higher than the price in USD per ounce that was quoted in the world market.

Fortunately for Mr. Tee, the value of the gold had appreciated, so he did was somewhat compensated. But, he could have made a larger gain by investing in gold directly, rather than investing in this scam. The friend who sold the investment to him was honest and did not realise the scam. She had also invested her own money and found out later about the scam.

There are many investment scams of this kind. They distract the investor with some gimmick, such as an attractive yield and a buy-back scheme. There is usually a catch that the investor was not aware of.

The Art of the Online Marketing Scam

Amplify’d from webdesigndublin.org

Is internet marketing a scam? Is business on line in the “make money online” space totally corrupt or are there genuine, ethical business opportunities in internet marketing?





The good news is that it is possible to start your own business working from home in the internet marketing industry.


The bad news is that the snake oil salesmen and women far outnumber the number of people you can trust in the industry.


internet-marketing-scam

Read more at webdesigndublin.org
 

Article Marketing to Promote your Website

Amplify’d from webdesigndublin.org

It seems to be the case though that Google has devalued a lot of back links from various article directories and article marketing is not quite as powerful a strategy as it once was.


But it should still play a role in the promotion of your website.


article-marketing


What is article marketing?


Article marketing involves a blog or website owner writing articles and submitting them to top article directories such as EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com, ArticlesBase.com for publication.


At the end of your article submission you will have a resource box in which you will encourage the reader to click through the link that you have placed in the box to bring the reader to your site.

Read more at webdesigndublin.org
 

Titans RB Chris Johnson cleared for full workload - Fantasy Sports

Through part of the Tennessee Titans' second half in their opening week game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Chris Johnson didn't even have a half dozen carries. After a bizarre game where the Titans didn't fully utilize their best player, there are reports out saying Johnson has been cleared to rush the ball as many times as possible. "Don't be surprised if he handles it 25 to 30 times against the Ravens," Titans play-by-play announcer Mike Keith said. FANTASY ANALYSIS: The Titans' bread is buttered by the hard work of CJ2K. This is no time to be shopping Johnson to owners. It's almost impossible to ensure you get equal value if you decide to trade him so just hang on and hope for the best. Tennessee has an average passing game on the best of days, so don't concern yourself about a possible big change to their offense. He had one bad game, so look for him to rebound.

Click to continue reading this fantasy sports article at FFToolbox NFL News and Rumors.

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Source: http://www.fantasysportsdish.com/titans-rb-chris-johnson-cleared-for-full-workload/

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Divorce in NC-North Carolina Divorce

Amplify’d from onlinedivorceforms.net

Divorce laws vary by state and should be referenced when deciding how to file.


divorce-in-nc


This is for all types of divorce in North Carolina; fault or no fault, summary dissolution, contested and uncontested, etc. If you are unsure what type of divorce you should file, you can search online or seek a free consultation with a local firm. (Check out California divorce forms and online divorce forms also)


Divorce law firms in Durham, Fayetteville, and Raleigh, among others, may offer a free consultation. The information you learn here could affect your filing method. Investigating all of your options can save time and money in the end. For those considering a separation, refer to the North Carolina separation laws.


divorce-in-nc1

Read more at onlinedivorceforms.net
 

California Divorce Forms

Amplify’d from onlinedivorceforms.net

Divorce can become quite costly, especially if both parties are not “willing.” However, the process can be made simpler and with more ease by knowing what legal papers you need to file.


california-divorce-forms


This information varies by state and divorce law. You can find free information and forms online. Even if this is an uncontested, summary dissolution, or a no fault divorce. You can file on your own or pay a lawyer. Check out joint child custody forms and online divorce forms also.


Do it yourself kit


A legal, do it yourself divorce kit, is available to those who wish to save some money and time. These kits typically include current divorce papers that are required by law in the state you reside. Some kits will also include extra information and guides to help make the process easier for you.

Read more at onlinedivorceforms.net
 

Travel Insurance NZ

New Zealand is an exciting place to travel. If you do not know a lot about this island country, a great way to learn is through travelogues. They can provide you with all kinds of insight into local hotspots. You will find details about places you should see or things that you should do while you are touring. A good travelogue may also include things that you should avoid and things that you should consider before you start traveling. Check out Mondial travel insurance and travel insurance Ireland too.


When searching for an insurance plan, you should consider getting one that will include extreme sports. This country offers a vast assortment of activities that may not be covered by your insurer. You might decide that while you are in the country, you would like to ski or perhaps participate in one of the many fabulous water sports. You may not be a dare devil, but you might want to play a round of golf or do some hiking in the rural areas.


travel-insurance-nz1

Read more at travelinsuranceirelandhq.com
 

Jason Gregoire hopes to impress at camp ? Jason ... - Fantasy Sports

Jason Gregoire wants to be in the mix for a potential roster spot with Winnipeg during training camp.

Click to continue reading this fantasy sports article at Rotoworld Hockey.

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Source: http://www.fantasysportsdish.com/jason-gregoire-hopes-to-impress-at-camp-jason-gregoire-w-winnipeg-jets/

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Life insurance - past and today

I have been asked many times about why I find life insurance policies to be a bad investment, when I had been selling life insurance for 30 years.

The life insurance policies sold during my time gave a yield of about 5% per annum. The expenses were low and high rates of bonuses were distributed to the policyholders. This was an attractive yield.

Today, the yield for most policies is about 2.5% per annum. This is unattractive when it is possible for the consumer to earn more than 4% per annum from other types of investments, e.g. in an index fund or exchange traded fund.

If you can find a life insurance policy that gives a yield of 4% per annum today, it is all right. But 2.5% is too low.