Are You Truly Poor, or Simply Broke?

เขียนโดย montana | 23:45

Legendary Hollywood producer and filmmaker Mike Todd once quipped, "I've been broke many times, but I've never been poor."

It's one of my favorite quotes, because it fits so many of us.

During college and graduate school, which seemed to last forever, I was usually without a lot of disposable income. But my eyes were always fixed on the prize, finishing my classes, getting good enough grades, and graduating.

I knew my financial embarrassments were at best, temporary. Someday, I kept telling myself, I'd dedicate my energies to living a more lavish life.

And I can say I've done precisely that, more than once!

But in between, I've also struggled. It's normal.

Someone wise said a full life requires thousands of mistakes, and I'm on my quota, so far. But I'm not poor, and I've never been, except when I have:

(1) Taken my eyes off of the prize, or I've forgotten to set an inspiring goal;

(2) Lost, or at least misplaced my enthusiasm;

(3) Accepted other people's goals as a substitute for my own;

(4) Succumbed to the worst myths of all that I'm too-this or too-that, to succeed; or

(5) Compared my progress in life with that of others, who are richer, more famous, or perhaps even more talented or intelligent (which in a better mood, I'd dispute).

You're about as rich as you think you are.

If you doubt this, consider what those who survived the Great Depression used to say:

"We were all poor back then, but nobody knew it!"

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Your Accident Case - How Much is it Worth? $500 Or $170,000?

เขียนโดย montana | 23:42

After more than twenty (20) years of handling personal injury cases and recoveries in millions of dollars, this Author has not produced a magic crystal ball that can determine the value of accident (tort) cases that insurance adjusters are willing to pay.

In other words, the value of your accident case is determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on various factors including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Seriousness of bodily injuries sustained;

2. Loss of earning capacity;

3. Amounts of past, present, and future medical bills;

4. Amount of loss of earnings;

5. Insurance policy limit of the responsible party;

6. Amounts of property (vehicle) damages to all vehicles involved;

7. Reputation of your attorney in aggressively prosecuting your case, including jury trial, if warranted;

8. Propensity of the insurance adjuster to make reasonable or low-ball offers of settlement;

9. Generosity or stinginess of the jurors or judge deciding your case in litigation;

10. Persistence of your attorney in securing higher settlement or award (in uninsured motorist claims);

11. Merits of your claim or case as to liability;

12. Percentage of your fault (contributory negligence);

13. Apportionment for pre-existing medical condition; and

14. Your need of money from the case.

(1) Seriousness of Bodily Injuries, (11) Merits of Claim, and (6) Amount of Property Damage:

A fender bender from a rear-end collision of low impact with minimal property damage may elicit a $500.00 offer for any bodily injury claim, in addition to the repair on the vehicle.

The prevalent policy of almost all insurance companies in offering $500.00 settlement for bodily injury claims in low-impact collision (property damage of less than $1,000.00) seeks to discourage bodily injury claims, especially in common rear-end collisions.

But serious bodily injuries (more than just the common soft-tissue injuries from sprain and or strain), with admitted liability by the other party's insurance carries and large property damage (car totaled or more than $5,000.00 in repairs) merit much higher value of bodily-injury damages for medical bills and pain and suffering.

Indications of the seriousness of the bodily injuries include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Emergency room treatments;

2. Open wounds;

3. Fractures(s);

4. Loss of consciousness from the accident;

5. Sustained, constant pain for over six (6) months;

6. Lengthy medical treatment (over six (6) months); and

7. Positive orthopedic and/or neurological findings by specialists from indicated tests.

(11) Disputed Liability, (12) Contributory Negligence, and (13) Pre-existing Medical Conditions:

An intersection accident is a red flag for insurance adjusters to dispute liability. Who ran the red light? A traffic collision report is not conclusive on liability. The need to obtain names, addresses, and telephone numbers of eye-witnesses favoring your version of the incident cannot be over-emphasized.

Insurance adjusters who admit liability would minimize damages to their insured by pointing out contributory negligence on the other driver, such as:

1. Moving too fast for the condition of the road/freeway (California Vehicle Code 22350);

2. Not wearing seatbelt (California Vehicle Code Section 27315);

3. Following too closely (California Vehicle Code Section 21703); and

4. Making unsafe change of lane (California Vehicle Code Section 21658); and

5. Being inattentive or negligent in operation the vehicle.

In slip and fall cases, defenses of open and obvious danger, failure by the plaintiff to prove notice of a dangerous condition by the premises owner, as well as pre-existing medical conditions are commonly asserted by the insurance adjusted and defense counsel.

(5) Insurance Policy Limit, (10) Persistence of Attorney, and (8) Propensity of Insurance Adjusters:

The Insurance policy limit plays a large role in determining how much money your case is worth. For example, the average driver has a $15,000 per person / $30,000 max limit for damage done in car accidents. On the other hand, commercial vehicles can have policies from $150,000 upwards. Accidents relating to commercial vehicles have a great potential for large winnings.

Next, the persistence of the attorney makes a large impact on your case. This is not a place to skimp on attorney fees. A good attorney can pressure the insurance companies to settle for much more than a indifferent attorney.

Finally, the insurance adjusters themselves may be swayed with the details of the case. Accidents with families, children, and couples yield more emotional sway than single passengers. Adjusters may be willing to put up less resistance in such case and be more willing to settle for the maximum coverage.

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Wooden Toys Can Educate and Amuse Most Kids

เขียนโดย montana | 23:31

Most wooden toys that you remember being popular years ago are still common today, just with some added improvements. This means that you will likely be quite familiar with some of the toys your child enjoys, allowing you to locate their favorites quickly. Learn about some of the best wooden toys on the market before you make any decisions on what to get for your child.

Building blocks are still as popular as ever, and they are known for keeping children of a wide range of ages entertained for hours. These simple wooden toys come in different amounts, so you can start with a basic set of building blocks for young children, and progress to larger amounts for older kids that clearly enjoy these toys. Some also come in sets that are meant to build specific objects, such as a castle. Most building blocks available today range in size, meaning that even younger children can play safely with these wooden toys, as long as they are larger than the usual blocks. Additionally, some come in different colors, taking a break from the basic wood appearance.

Another type of wooden toy strives to teach children the basics of shapes, color, and hand-eye coordination. Wooden shape sorters have been popular for years, and feature a wooden tray with several colored shapes that must be placed in the corresponding space. Young children can usually spend hours playing with toys like this one, and are likely to learn from them, too. A similar product is made of the same features, but comes with a small mallet to allow children to pound the shapes into the correct slots. This is great for kids with lots of energy to burn.

The same concepts are often learned when children play with stack and sort boards. This type of toy not only demands that kids focus on the different shapes and colors, but also requires them to organize and stack them properly. These wooden toys can provide hours of fun for young children while teaching them color and shape recognition, as well as organizational skills.

Most wooden toys are widely available and within nearly anyone's budget. They have the added bonus of typically being quite educational, and most are also traditional. This means that they do not rely on batteries or newer technology to work, and are also known for being durable so that they last years. Therefore, most wooden toys found on the market today make great gifts for kids of many ages, whether you want to teach, entertain, or both.

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Law School Admission Essay - Three Key Attributes

เขียนโดย montana | 23:15

What do Law Schools look for in application essays?

The admissions committee at any law school looks at your application (which includes transcripts, LSAT scores, recommendations, and personal statement), they essentially seek the answer to one single question: Can this person succeed at this school, and will he actually make a good lawyer upon graduating?

However, as the admissions committee members get to your essay, their focus shifts from objective to subjective analysis. For instance, often admissions officers say that they look to the essays to feel that they've come to know a real human being, his personality and character. In this subjective setting, officers often say that they look for someone they feel that they know, understand, and most importantly, spend three years of the law school with.

These are the three essential ingredients of a successful law school admission essay:

1. Writing/Communication Skills

A no-brainer when it comes to admissions essays. As an attorney, you are expected to have above-par, even exceptional communication skills.

The admission essay, thus, is a perfect platform to showcase these skills.

Of course, your essay doesn't have to appear as the work of a future Pulitzer prize winning author, but as a future lawyer, judge, or politician. The ability to present ideas skillfully is the essential to success in the legal profession, and good writing is a very strong indicator of these communication skills.

At the J.D. level, good writing skills are expected in a candidate. A typo, a single grammatical mistake, a factual error - little, oblivious mistakes could cost you a spot at a law school. While a beautifully written essay won't singularly get you inside a law school, a poorly written one might cost you the admission.

The admissions officer basically looks at the essay and asks: Does the candidate have a strong command of the English language? Solid writing style and organizational abilities?

Provide the answer to these questions, and you'll have one foot inside the college door.

2. Motivation

The admissions committee expects your essay to answer an obvious question: Why?

Why do you want to apply to this college and not that college? Why do you think you'll make a good addition to our student body? Why do you think you'll make a good lawyer?

In other words, the committee is looking for your motivation to getting into the law school.

Did you decide on a whim, or because you made a drunken bet with your friend that you could get into law school. Or maybe you want to impress your family, or perhaps its been a lifelong dream of yours to be an attorney.

In other words, your reasons for getting into law school, thus, have to be strong enough to support your application. A drunken bet with friends will not actually cut it, nor will an artificial reason like impressing family/girlfriend/etc.

The law school wants to know that you really want to get inside, that you really want to be a lawyer.

Your single, individual goal in the essay, thus, is to prove to the admissions officer that you belong to their school, that you've worked hard to get this far, and that you'll continue doing so once you get inside. That you're committed, motivated to be Juris Doctor from your chosen law school.

3. A Real Person

As mentioned earlier, above anything, the admissions committee members seek out character and personality in the essay. In other words, the committee members want to believe that they are reading the personal statement of a real, live human being.

The admissions committee has never seen you. They haven't ever spoken to you. Whatever they know about you is what is recorded in your transcripts, factual information in your application, and most importantly, what is written in your personal statement.

The personal statement, thus, becomes the window to your personality, your character. Its the way you communicate with the admissions officer, woo him, in fact. When asked, admissions officers will often give you varied advice (be honest, be unique, etc.), that all essentially means one thing: Be Yourself!

This is, in a way, the exact same advice you would be given while dating.

Imagine the plight of the admissions officers: thumbing through countless stacks of essays, all boring, all penned down mechanically. Then, when he comes across a beautifully crafted essay that speaks to him, connects to him, interests him, you can be sure that he will start leaning in your favor.

Combine all these elements, and you'll have a winner of a law school admissions essay on your hands, one that can charm the hardest of admissions committee and bag you a seat at that law school you've been eying since your undergrad days.

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For Some, True Wealth Means Freedom From Money

เขียนโดย montana | 23:00

I've always felt that those who criticize money, who deride people who have amassed it through their own toil and brains, don't know what they're talking about.

Before they condemn those who succeed in obtaining it, they should try it out for themselves.

Make a fortune or two, and then weigh in with an opinion as to which condition you prefer, wealth or its alternatives.

Having money is just one measure of wealth, anyway. There are people who arrange not to need money, and I believe they can also be considered "rich."

For example, take a college professor who is provided free or subsidized housing at a private university's ocean-facing campus. He enjoys a multi-million dollar view at a fraction of the price.

And while he doesn't own anything and he achieves no traditional price appreciation, his asset, the use of the dwelling, does become a more valuable perk with each passing semester.

He doesn't have to kill himself to earn the mortgage money on a similarly situated, private residence, located across the street. He can do what he loves, be a teacher, and not need big money to have an amazing life and lifestyle.

There are other examples of people who are rich, without having any money of their own.

The curator of a beautiful, small gem of a museum spends most of her waking hours surrounded by beauty. She eats in a subsidized cafeteria, drives a car paid for by her organization, and travels far and wide, expenses paid, to acquire more art for her employer.

By having money, officially wealthy people don't have to worry about the need to make money.

If you can figure out how to take a vacation from money, then you've joined this fraternity, by unlocking the real benefit to being wealthy.

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Getting the Largest Law School Scholarships

เขียนโดย montana | 22:54

Going to school to become a lawyer is not cheap. Especially after you consider that you have already paid out for four years of college. Luckily there are scholarships available that can help you pay for your schooling. Not many graduate programs have scholarships available. However, these law school scholarships are open for anyone at any level in their schooling.

The most important thing to remember, regardless of whether you are in law school or leaving high school is filling out the FASFA. The federal government has a wide range of scholarships, grants and work study programs that can make your college experience more affordable. Most states require that you fill out the FASFA if you want to be able to get any financial aid from the school or the state locally. Filling out the FASFA does not take a long time, just a few short forms about your earnings, demographics and you are done.

The next step in finding a law school related scholarship is to search online. There are many different online search engines for scholarships. They can provide you all the details on the money available as well as the restrictions on it. These search engines are also great for people who do not know where to look for grants for law school. Law school scholarships are available for people who are going into their law schooling or are currently enrolled. They can provide the cost of your classes, whether in part or in full. Do not forget to check for these awesome deals.

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Get the Answers To These Questions Before You Get A Divorce

เขียนโดย montana | 22:50

Q. What should I ask a prospective a lawyer?

A. Before you hire a lawyer to take on a divorce case, be sure to ask them the following questions?

- Where did you attend law school?

--Do you know my soon to be ex-spouse? Do you know their lawyer?

--How many divorce cases have you handled throughout your career? How many of these cases have gone to trial?

--Have you handled custody disputes or financial settlements?

--Will you have plenty of time to devote to this case or do you have others coming up that will be a higher priority for you?

--Will you personally deal with all aspects of my case, or will also have an associate on the case? If so, when will I be able to meet with them, and what level of related experience do they possess?

- What are your fees, the hourly billing rate, and how do you expect payment? And, do you charge a retainer, and if so, how much?

- What are your regular office hours, and what is the easiest way to get in contact with you?

Q. What is a divorce mediator and should I consider employing one?

A: A divorce mediator is used to handle issues such as child custody and the separation of marital assets, and to explain the applicable divorce laws in your area. A mediator is an unbiased party, usually a lawyer or counselor, who helps to facilitate compromise between spouses without the need for litigation in a courtroom.

Q: How do I approach the subject of our impending divorce with the children?

A. Its always best to be as honest as possible with your children. Obviously this doesn't mean sharing all the intimate details of the situation with them. Frame your words in as simple and gentle a fashion as possible. Older children are generally already acutely aware that their parents are unhappy together, even if you have done your best to avoid arguing in their presence. Young children though, may be quite shocked by the news, so handle the situation with patience and delicacy.

It's crucial to convey that they have absolutely nothing to do with the end of the marriage, and also to explain that both parents will still love the children unconditionally even if they aren't in love with each other any more.

Q. What happens after the divorce?

A. Everyone will handle life following a divorce differently, depending on their personality and mindset, the circumstances of the divorce, and whether or not the decision was mutual and expected or sudden and unforeseen. You may feel depressed, angry, or deeply relieved.

Try to meet new people, learn new and interesting things, and make a fresh start of life as far as possible. Keep stress in check and treat yourself well.

Remember that in life, every experience can be an opportunity to grow wiser and stronger.

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The Advantages of an Online Law School

เขียนโดย montana | 22:45

The unique features an online degree from a law school offers have made it a popular choice, especially for professionals busy with work and without the time or the resources to attend a regular law school. While nothing can replace a solid education at a top tier school, online law schools do a very good job of delivering great value that can help you immensely in advancing your career.

Let's take a look at some of the advantages that online law schools have to offer:

1. The Ability to Study Anywhere

This is easily the most obvious, and the most attractive feature of an online school. Professionals who are busy with their career and have neither the time, nor the resources to attend a regular school can benefit greatly from attending an online school. You can study from anywhere: your bedroom, the office, the local coffee shop as long as you have access to a computer.

2. Flexible School Hours

Since you don't have to be physically present at the school, you can study as per your own schedule. Maybe you have a job, maybe you run your own business, maybe you are a housewife with two kids, whatever your situation may be, with an online law school, you can set your own schedule of study. You of course have to be present when group discussions take place online, or when your instructor hands you any lessons, but on the whole, online schools offer tremendous flexibility.

3. Value for Money

A typical education at a top tier law school can set you back by more than a $100,000. An online school, since it does not have to spend as much on infrastructure and physical employees, is comparatively cheaper. This, along with the benefits mentioned above, make it a great value for money.

A law degree from a traditional college is still the best option when it comes to getting a law education. However, the constraints of time and the demands of a job or family do not afford this opportunity to everyone. An online law school, in such cases, can be a very effective way of advancing your career.

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Discovering the Concept of Law School Rankings

เขียนโดย montana | 22:40

Law is, for many students aspiring to become lawyers, an intriguing thing to study. If you don't have a passion for the law and how to use it to win in court, help people, or bring justice to your own ideals, then going to law school may not be for you. Law school is more than just a place to practice law, it's a place where you learn all about the current laws on the books as well as all the cases before, that were won, that have changed the law or created new laws. Many laws are formed due to winning cases in the judicial system and when your fighting a case in court you need to know which cases inspired the new laws or laws you want to show gives your client their rights.

What law school you go to will determine both your success and comfort in studying to pass the bar. All law schools perform pretty much the same function of helping you pass this exam, however, they don't all function the same way or with the same rules. Some schools have a prestigious background and have trained some of the best lawyers in the world, while others do a good job but simply haven't earned any notoriety for whatever reason. The politics of law school rankings is that the schools that are ranked higher than others may not be any better or worse than the ones that ranked lower, but they are ranked due to many things that may actually give you a better chance at success.

The law school rankings system is designed to "grade" several areas of law school internal curriculum such as how well their classes are set up, difficulty level, teaching staff, and more. These rankings are often relative to the person or persons doing the actual grading and shouldn't be taken as "law" when it comes to picking a school. This should simply be a way to see which schools have decent programs that may help you. You may find a school that ranks lower to be more comfortable and having an easier curriculum than one that ranks higher. In the end it is a matter of personal choice, comfort, and what you're looking for. Many ranking systems take this into account and don't rigidly rank the schools so much as the internal workings so the particular parts of the program mean more than the overall school, which cannot be ranked fairly anyway against other schools as each school has its strengths and weaknesses, but each have their unique characteristics.

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Was it Self-Defense?

เขียนโดย montana | 22:35

I went to school with a tank of a young man. He played football and wrestled, and he was my pal.

Fairly quiet, he was a great audience, laughing easily, especially at jokes that had a tone of menace to them.

To those that didn't know him, like a feral animal, he emitted something that made him a spirit to encounter only at a distance.

Whatever that aura was, it had worn off by the time he graduated high school and became one of our town's entrenched homeless. I heard he had killed one of his ranks in a turf battle, another street-guy.

When that news was delivered, the first thing that came to mind was his Cheshire grin, signaling he knew more than he'd ever tell, and no force on this earth could ever make him tell.

That quality made him someone you could count on, the type of guy you wouldn't mind having in a foxhole next to you.

Years passed, about a dozen, when I got a call from a mutual friend. He informed me that our killer had done it again.

Same M/O-he stabbed and mortally wounded a homeless confederate.

There is a memorable Oscar Wilde line, which says, roughly: "If you lose a parent it is a misfortune. Lose two, and it looks like carelessness."

My old pal was looking suspiciously careless.

He avoided incarceration for the second killing, and a few years after that, I inconspicuously observed him panhandling in a seaside park.

Looking very healthy, and even youthful, he had obviously beaten the odds that peg a homeless person's life expectancy at less than five years.

Nothing about him signaled his pugilistic past.

He seemed very comfortable in his skin, at peace in this tourist filled venue on a sunny afternoon.

I have attended high school reunions where I've mingled with The Night of the Living Dead, souls that didn't have a trace of the mercury or ice water that still pumped though my buddy's veins.

Did he murder those two guys? Were there others I didn't hear about, unreported victims?

Or was it a matter of repeated acts of self-defense?

Who knows?

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt--and a very wide berth.

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Southwestern Law School - The Previously Known Southwestern University School of Law Or the Beans

เขียนโดย montana | 22:31

Southwestern Law School is a private educational institution that opened its doors in 1911. Unlike most other schools, this one has no affiliation with any undergraduate institution. The founder, John J. Schumacher, established this as a non-profit institution that would give women and minorities the opportunity to study law. This is the oldest school in the state of California. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is ranked in the third tier of law schools by US News.

This school has a student faculty ratio of 14.4 with students from every state and many countries around the world. The ratio of men to women in the student body is 50:50, with 38% being in the minority status. In this student body, there is a reported 35 different foreign languages that are spoken fluently. The 25th to 75th percentile of the student body GPA is 2.96 to 3.48 with the LSAT scores between 153 and 157.

The facility has 50 full time professors with over 33% women and 20% from a minority race. The programs they teach are Moot Court Honors Program, Negotiations Honors Program, and Trial Advocacy Honors Program. They also support clinical programs that include the Children's Rights Clinic, Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, Street Law, and Youth in Transition to name a few.

Notable alumni members include Tom Bradley, Marcia Clark, Chris Bahr, Donald Sterling, and the 14th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Howard W. Hunter.

The Southwestern School is a place where everyone is given the same chance for success.

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Is Your Company Learning FAST Enough?

เขียนโดย montana | 22:10

Despite the fact that I've published well over 1,000 articles and am the best-selling author of 12 books, and I can boast having earned 5 college degrees, a tectonic realization made me shudder, recently:

I AM NOT LEARNING FAST ENOUGH!

Here are some of the accompanying insights:

(1) The speed with which I learn, the velocity, is perhaps more important than what I learn. For instance, I've always been what I consider to be a lucky researcher. Plunk me down in a library and within mere minutes I'll not only find what I came in for, but also more important items that I didn't know existed. Or, to put it another way, I can undertake to learn A, but I'll stumble upon Z in the process, and that will make all the difference. Speed enables me to sift through lots of silt and inevitably I'll find gold, or who knows, diamonds, even if I'm in a less than ideal place.

(2) If you're slow to learn, you'll be reluctant to adapt. In business, sloth at best means a s-l-o-w death.

(3) Learning NEW things ushers in the ABANDONMENT OF THE OLD, a necessary condition to innovation and breakthroughs. Or, as a glib baseball coach once said, "You can't keep your foot on first, and steal second!"

(4) Feedback loops are not naturally occurring in many fields, and especially for entrepreneurs and the self-employed. We have to seek them out and develop them, even if it feels like we're forcing information from people. Every day should involve some explicit "polling" of customers. "How did that set of audios work out for you?" and "How are we doing?" should be constantly asked, and we should listen especially for what information ISN'T immediately forthcoming.

Every few years yet another soldier emerges, blistered, tattered, and paranoid, from the underbrush on an island in the Pacific, only to be informed that World War II ended more than 60 years ago. Here, he has been waging battles against enemies that have been friends for more than a half-century.

The picture in his head has been hopelessly out of whack with the "reality" of the surrounding world, but without information, how could he know that?

Make sure you're in a position to learn as fast as possible!

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Walk Your Way To Fitness!

เขียนโดย montana | 22:05

Whether you believe humans were born to move along upright or to crawl on all fours, we know at this point in our development that walking is one of the most natural exercises we can do.

Yet all to few of us, especially in the West, where the car tamed the land, are using this natural capability to its fullest advantage.

If you want to begin exercising, or add a nice bit of spice to an existing program, try walking for these reasons:

(1) It's inherently non-competitive. Unless you speed-walk, you can take your time, setting a thoroughly natural or challenging pace, as you please.

(2) It's portable, and even if you're staying in a concrete jungle, as I have on many business trips, a shopping mall will probably not be far away, and the hotel lot may actually be perfect, even providing a modicum of surveillance and security.

(3) You'll never have to wait in line! Unlike those trendy machines at gyms, your feet and shoes are always ready when you are.

(4) The endorphins, those happy-attitudes swimmers in your brain, will still tickle your fancy if you take a leisurely stroll or you speed up the clip.

(5) You'll be able to think and generate new ideas, and if you're like me, passively problem-solve at the same time.

Above all, it's truly easy.

So, start today, and I know you'll please yourself!

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What Do You Do?

เขียนโดย montana | 22:00

During a recent keynote speech at the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, I emphasized to a gathering of students and alumni that they should use great care when characterizing what they do for a living.

For instance, if you label yourself a writer, in some circumstances you'll be lucky to be paid a dollar per word, upon publication. That's not bad if your articles are syndicated widely. But if they are not, you're seeking starvation wages.

I mentioned one of my most successful "writings" is a conversational path that I penned a number of years ago. By my admittedly imprecise metric, it has been "performed" in more than a billion phone conversations.

Consisting mainly of a scientifically crafted four lines of text, about fifty words, it, along with the training programs I have devised to explain and teach it, has produced seven figures of earnings for me, and perhaps one hundred times or a thousand times more value for my immediate clients.

Imitators have latched onto it and have prospered with it, so much that I'm sure you have heard a variation of my text several times from your bank, mobile phone service provider, and utility company, to name a few common users.

My point is that I didn't craft this call path as a "writer."

I composed it as a consultant, keenly interested in raising the productivity and contribution of customer service personnel. My four lines redesigned the work of tens of thousands of people, making their conversations about 25% shorter, and measurably better.

This writing creates profits. It cuts costs. It retains customers.

How you characterize yourself and your contribution will inform to a large extent what you are permitted to do, occupationally, and how much you are paid for it.

As I stated, I trained people to use my script. That makes me a "trainer," correct?

But if I sell my services as a trainer I'll make a fraction of that which is paid to "consultants." And if I call myself a "teacher," I'll make less than a trainer commands.

A very helpful, seminal discussion on a related topic was launched many moons ago by one of my professors, revered management guru Peter F. Drucker. He asked executives to regularly consider and to reconsider this question:

"What business are you in?"

Railroads, according to Drucker, mischaracterized their mission as being in the rail business. That contributed to being eclipsed by trucking and by airlines.

Had they re-characterized themselves as being in the "transportation" business they might have adapted to changing technologies and booming demand.

"What do you do?" is a common ice-breaker that we ask and hear when we meet people. Your answer should be very carefully considered, because its impacts will do more than stimulate or impair that chat.

You could be unwittingly opening or narrowing your occupational and financial horizons.

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Danger in Front of Your Child's School

เขียนโดย montana | 21:55

Citizens are very concerned about potential dangers to children around schools. Sometimes the danger is closer than most people think. Careless drivers put more kids in jeopardy than the creeps that cruise around schools.

Are you one of the drivers who are always in a rush when dropping the children off at school? Do you run stop signs, park in the teacher's lot, or drive and drop like it's a one way street? Do you always have a cup of coffee and a cell phone in your hand? If you've answered yes to any of the above questions, consider yourself a danger to children, pedestrians, and other drivers.

I'm not sure if the current crop of drivers is worst than previous generations, or are other factors involved like over crowding, multi tasking, more young drivers, more old drivers or other reasons not mentioned. A day hasn't gone by that when taking my daughter to her elementary school, that I don't count at least a couple of serious road violations within the five minute trip.

My biggest pet peeves are:
3 point turns after dropping a student off.
Solution: Go straight and make 3 right turns and you'll be going the desired direction. You're creating gridlock by making cars wait for you in both directions. You might back up and run over a child with their parent
Crossing to the wrong side of the street by pulling up to the gate and letting your child get out from the drivers side.
Solution: This is straight out and out illegal and dangerous, and those who pull this move need to spend a night or two in jail.
Talking on a cell phone while dropping off a student.
Solution: Talk to your child not your friends or coworkers. Nothing is that important that it can't wait until after you've navigated away from the school. California Governor signed a law that goes into affect in July of 2008. Motorists are banned from holding their cell phones while driving unless they're using a headset, ear bud or other technology that frees both hands. This is a great start however the fine is a pitiful $20* for the first offense and $50 every time after, but none of the tickets will impact the driver's insurance. This is a joke; driving while holding a phone is dangerous. You're losing the ability to look over your left shoulder and making dangerous driving decisions. Especially when the other hand has a cup of coffee. As previously noted, you're not that good of a driver with two hands, driving with your knees is suicide.
Drinking coffee while dropping off a child.
Solution: Wait until you are out of the school zone for your next sip of Java. Get a cup holder and don't take a gulp until you're on the road.
Pulling into the teachers lot to drop off your child.
Solution: It's called the teachers lot for a reason, STAY OUT!
My # 1 Pet peeve is parents who park in the restricted bus zone. This area is for the bus to pull in to drop children off and pick them up. When you park there the bus needs to double park leaving young children to walk between cars which is dangerous. You are putting your desire for convenience of not walking half a block over the safety of other people's children. Also by making the bus double park cars need to go head on into traffic to go around causing more danger. It stops traffic and could cause a head-on collision.
Solution: Stop being so lazy and park further away. If you are running late then do stop drop and go or just have your child be late. The buses are for kids. If it was your child you would not want them to have to walk between cars that might not see them when they're getting off the bus. Also many of the buses transport special needs children who need to step directly on the sidewalk. If you are parking in the bus zone you are putting their lives at risk for the sake of your convenience. It is not only illegal it is morally wrong
.

When people break these types of rules they are not trying to be bad people but they are being completely self-centered. You need to think about more than your own convenience when driving to school and dropping off your child. If we can use common sense and follow a few simple rules, we can keep all our children safe as well as other motorists.

* Other new laws that are in or going into affect in California 2008 can be found at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/leg/leginfo_dl.htm

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Law School Know-How

เขียนโดย montana | 21:50

Getting into law school can be a very arduous task for aspiring students. You need to start as early as your freshman year in high school if you decide that being a lawyer is what you really want to do for the rest of your life.

Do not be misled by the rosy portrayal of a lawyer's life in TV or in the movies. In real life, lawyers would have 12 to 18 working hours, especially for those who are aspiring to be partners in their respective law firms.

In order to achieve your goal, first, you need to have the correct mindset. Here are some tips on how students can realize their lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer:

1. Know what you want, and how to get it.

First, reflect on the reasons why you would like to pursue this career. If you are just looking for the 'flash' or recognition of becoming a lawyer, remember that becoming one is sheer hard work. Just like in every profession, you need to give yourself into studying, then working as a lawyer.

You may have this idealistic view as a kid that you want to save the world from the injustices that is why you would like to become a lawyer.

If you find yourself still passionate about this cause, there is no harm in pursuing your dreams.

More importantly, remember that once you decide on taking up law, you need to work very hard as a student.

2. Take off your rose-colored glasses.

You need to understand that not every student who takes up law ends up with a job as a lawyer once they graduate.

You will not necessarily end up as a courtroom hero saving an "innocent criminal" in this field.

You may find yourself dealing with real estate, corporate law, divorce cases, or even drafting up wills.

Prepare yourself for all possibilities because anything could happen.

3. Ask yourself, "Am I competitive enough?"

From the time that you send in your applications, to the time that you take the exam to be a licensed practitioner, there will be competition.

Applications for entry into law schools soar every year. What are your chances of being chosen and accepted as compared to thousands of other applicants?

Check the skills that you have and once you are confident enough that you can get into law school, then you have gone through the first step in achieving your goal.

4. Go to a university which has a record of getting a lot of students into law school.

It is safe to say that if you are a graduate of a school which "produces" a lot of great law students, then this should be a plus factor for you.

There are universities that help the students get into law school by providing mock exams and interviews, and also offer letters of recommendation.

5. Having a good grade-point-average (GPA) is not enough, you need to pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) with flying colors.

Maintain your GPA, and make sure that you perform well in the LSAT's. There are web sites where you can take practice tests at a certain cost. You may also enroll in a course that aims to prepare you for this particular exam.

6. Be an early bird.

Once you have decided on entering law school, make sure that you submit your applications way before the deadline. This should give you ample time to prepare.

Finally, you need to organize your letter of recommendations, transcripts and all the paperworks that you will need to get in.

You may seek the advice of a consultant, undergraduates or lawyers who have already passed the stage that you are now going through as a hopeful law school student.

If you combine hard work with determination and you prepare everything in advance, you will surely gain entrance to the prestigious law school of your choice.

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Law School Scholarship - They Are Out There, Just Keep Looking

เขียนโดย montana | 21:36

There is a law school scholarship for those that look hard enough. Many institutions of higher learning offer them not only to minority students, but to those that do not have the financial resources to pursue this challenging career.

If you have maintained a 3.7 grade point average as an undergraduate and desire a career in law, it is possible. There are many scholarships that do require a person to be of a particular race, but not all.

Yale School offers a number of different scholarships for those students that wish to be a part of their alumni. These include the general scholarship, Home Country / State Scholarship, Minority Scholarship, Prospective Applicant Scholarship, Special Scholarship, Summer Scholarship, and Scholarships for the Disabled Students. These types of scholarships are very common because the cost of a law degree is huge. A good number of these scholarships are funded by donations of previous recipients of them. It is a way of paying back those that have helped them and giving an opportunity to others.

If you are still stumped, then also include schools like Birmingham in England. They offer 2,500 pound scholarships for international students to attend their law school.

Since most law students are very intelligent, keep looking. There is a scholarship out there that can assist you with the enormous cost of obtaining a law degree. While you are at it, look into grants and fellowships from law offices. Many of the bigger ones sponsor bright students that are financially challenged.

The most important thing is not to give up when looking for a school scholarship. If you want it bad enough, you will find it.

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Jamie Gold - 2006 World Series of Poker Champ

เขียนโดย montana | 21:31

Jamie Gold didn't start out as a poker player. In fact, he started a career in the entertainment business at the tender age of 16, working as an intern for the prestigious firm of J. Michael Bloom and Associates Talent Agency in New York City.

After completing high school, Jamie attended the University of New York at Albany and graduated with honors. Afterwards, he immediately moved to LA in 1991 to study entertainment law at UCLA, and he quickly secured a job with ICM Talent Agency. He had become a full-fledged talent agent by the age of 21.

He later moved to Harter Manning Woo Talent Agency and began to develop his talent for finding young unknown artists and advancing their careers. In 1989, 1990, and 1991, he was selected as the only student teacher of The Graduate Theatre program at SUNY, Albany.

Within two years, he was the head of HMW's Motion Picture/TV Department, and in 1994 he co-founded the management firm of Gold/Bouchard. Always looking to improve himself, Gold started a new venture in 1996 called JMG Management.

Gold's list of current and former clients reads like a who's who of Hollywood: Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live, Fever Pitch), James Gandolfini (The Sopranos, Get Shorty), Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill), Brandy (Moesha), Donnie Wahlberg (Saw II, The Sixth Sense), Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives, Transamerica), David Straitharn (Good Night and Good Luck, LA Confidential), poker legend Johnny Chan, and many, many others.

In addition to his position as a top talent agent and producer, Gold is also a judge for several top industry awards shows such as the Cable Ace Awards, The Sundance Film Festival, and the Toronto Film Festival.

In 2005, Gold began playing in live-event poker tournaments on a regular basis. Remarkably, he won his first major No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament that same year, earning $54,225 at the Bicycle Casino. Over the next year, Gold would go on to finish in the money seven more times in California-held tournaments.

In 2006, Gold became the head of production at Buzznation and began working on several television projects (including one tentatively titled "The Unnamed Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker Show." He is committed to these projects through 2008.

At the 2006 World Series of Poker main event (No Limit Texas Hold'em), Gold demonstrated solid play throughout, leading the field in chips for the last several days of the tournament. He outlasted 8,772 other players to take home a record-setting grand prize of $12,000,000. At the final table, Gold personally eliminated 7 of his 8 opponents.

Dan Nassif busted out in the first 20 minutes of play when he went all-in with an ace and king, and the flop revealed an unimpressive five, three and two. Gold, however, was holding pocket twos, giving him a three-of-a-kind.

Gold next eliminated Swedish pro Erik Friberg, when Friberg went all-in with a pair of jacks. But, as bad luck would have it, Gold had a pair queens. To make matters worse, Gold hit another queen on the river.

Richard Lee was the next to be put out by Gold, as his pocket jacks failed to overpower Gold's pocket queens. Then it was Rhett Butler's turn, as he went all-in with pocket fours. Gold called with a pocket king and jack, then hit another jack for the higher pair.

Michael Binger took fourth place, as Gold's unsuited three and four turned into a straight.
Next, it was tournament pro Allen Cunningham's turn to exit, as his pocket tens failed to match Gold's pair of jacks.

The final two competitors were Paul Wasicka and Gold. Wasicka went all-in with pocket tens, but Gold made a pair of queens on the flop and eliminated his last opponent.

As a result of this win, Gold set a record for live tournament winnings and became the first person to earn more than $10,000,000 in tournament poker. Immediately following the win, Gold picked up a phone to share the good news with his father, who could not attend due to suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease.

Gold currently resides in Malibu, California.

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College - It's About the Ideas, Stupid!

เขียนโดย montana | 21:26

It's so easy to get swept up in the anti-college debates of the day:
Should tenure be abolished? Are the liberal arts necessary?

And at the top of the list, causing the most hand-wringing:
What can we do to tamp down the rising costs of a college education?

Let's remind ourselves of the reason we attend, in the first place. If your answer is "To qualify for a job," you're off base.

I'll share a story with you about the time I had a discussion with one of my professors, who was doubling as an undergraduate advisor.

"Why are you selecting this major?" he asked, which is a pertinent question.

"Because I want to get a degree and enjoy the process," I replied in utter candor. That was good enough for him, and without realizing the full import of what I said, I believe I uttered the magical words that unlock the fortress of wisdom.

College is not about qualifying for a particular vocation. There are trade techs that abound where you can learn about plumbing or electrical wiring.

Traditional colleges and universities, at least in the first two years of study, teach you to think by studying the great ideas of humankind. These concepts, articulated as they were by Emerson and Thoreau, by Freud and Pavlov, by Darwin and theologians, create the stuff of reflection and judgment that can serve us for a lifetime.

Listening to one's fellow students debating capital punishment in a speech class does much to prepare us to be citizens and leaders in democracies. We learn that the power to choose is accompanied by the responsibility to choose, wisely.

There is no other place quite like a university where ideas can be discussed as deeply, as meaningfully, and as thrillingly. Where else but in a student lounge can you see a Peanuts poster proudly displayed that shows Lucy and Charley Brown locked in dialogue with the caption that reads: "We don't get much done, but we have some great discussions!"

Speaking of plumbers, I went to school with one, and of all people we might think was a misfit in that milieu he was the opposite. He thrived, grateful for every morsel of knowledge he could retrieve to ponder as he plied his pickup to the next job. He was one of the best exemplars of "living in the moment" and preparing for the future that I have ever encountered.

I didn't keep up with him but I'll bet his years invested in the classroom paid off in tremendous satisfaction.

But did he earn more money with his degree?

If that question seems oddly out of place in this essay, it should. It is irrelevant.

The quality of life, and by that I would say nearly everyone's life, is improved with college study.

Price isn't value, and college isn't about money.

It's about the IDEAS, and about who and what we become in the process of pursuing them.

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Helping Students Out Legally

เขียนโดย montana | 21:20

Law school is tough. Being a lawyer is often glamorized in the television shows and movies, but most people do not have an idea how long it takes and the skills they need in order to become a good lawyer. Besides a four year pre-law college degree, there are three more years of law school, and then one has to pass the dreaded written bar exams.

Good communications skills are not enough. A good lawyer has to be eloquent and proficient in both speaking and writing skills. They must possess superior logical and critical thinking skills, especially when constructing arguments. They must learn how to read, research and analyze things quickly. But these are just the basics. If students want to specialize in a particular field of law, they can also benefit from other fields as well. For example, if a student would like to become a corporate lawyer, knowledge on accounting and business practices would be most helpful.

Perhaps the best thing about law school is getting hands on experience in terms of analyzing case studies and giving out legal advice. They conduct practice and mock and trials under the supervision of a judge or experienced lawyer. They have moot arguments and debates to practice their public speaking skills. They conduct clinics in which students can interact with the public and provide legal services or advice, especially for poor people who cannot afford a lawyer, and are ignorant about the law. In fact, a law clinic has been establish at Strathclyde University to meet these same objectives. This particular law clinic is run mostly by law students, under the supervision of a trained lawyer or solicitor.

To date, the clinic has received about six hundred fifty cases from outsiders, especially people who fails to qualify to receive legal aid, or those who cannot afford to pay legal fees. Now the clinic has decided to expand its services to help former inmates and to conduct advice sessions with solicitors for walk-in clients. Evening sessions are to be held at Glasglow, at the Mitchell Library. According to the head of the clinic, Professor Nicholson, not only are students learning plenty from the hands-on experience, but they are also doing a noble service to the general public who are in desperate of legal representation.
Likewise, legal facts and information can also be made available online.

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What to Do When You're Done With Your Law School Finals

เขียนโดย montana | 21:11

Pretty soon you will be finished with your law school exams.

Hard to believe, no?

But done you will be, and it's important to consider what to do when you get to the other side of your first semester finals. This will ensure that you will return fresh and ready to catch up.

1. Do NOT talk about finals

This is a killer for most students. It is also the most crucial. There will always be those students, those soulless law school whores that feel the need to talk about their exam answers. They should be murdered on sight. But since this isn't Iran, just stay away.

You can't change your answers. You can't know your grades for months. Just move the f*ck on. Know that you did the best that you could, and accept that as fact. Only bad things will come out of discussing your finals: you forgot to discuss 'X' issue, or your Erie analysis was off.

2. Do Not Oversleep

The urge to make up for all those hours of sleep lost during the first semester will be strong. But according to leading scientists, your body can't compensate (science daily). It takes up to two weeks for your body to return to a normal sleeping pattern following a disturbance in your natural circadian rhythm. If with nightmares about Torts & Civil Procedure exams haunting you for months (and sometimes years) later, it can take even longer.

3. Ditch the energy boosts

This goes along with (1) & (2): drop the caffeine-enhanced 'beverages' you lived on for weeks. Between their over-usage and your lack of sleep, your body becomes dependent on this caffeine to stay awake. You'll need to ween yourself off of their usage if you want to have any hope of enjoying your holiday break. You can do this one of two ways:

1. Gradual weening process, relying on caffeine and 'study aids' less and less

2. Full Monty, ohmygodthissucks-style cold-turkey

The first is far more humane, but takes longer; the second will blow harder than Louie Armstrong, but will be over in 2-3 days. Me, I chose option (2): by the following Monday I was back to normal, but I wasn't a pleasant person to be around that weekend. Actually, I won the award for biggest Tool, but I digress. Choose wisely.

4. Allow Yourself To Crash

The weekend following your finals, you will be utterly exhausted. The exhaustion will be physical, but it will be considerably more so mental. Cramming your brain with useless facts for days on end will cause it to go on strike. So allow yourself the weekend to sleep in. As long as you want. Your brain needs desperate sleep to refill its restorative chemicals.

You will awake from your weekend long cocoon (and hangover, if I know most law students well) still tired physically (see [2]), but mentally more acute. And with less headaches.

Beware!

5. Begin healthy routines

It takes between 14-21 days to implement a new habit. This is the best time to begin some, as you'll likely have 2-3 weeks off in between your semesters. For me, it was to get into a good sleep habit, begin flossing (harder for me than you can imagine), begin a regular exercise routine, and sign up for Salsa lessons. Wasted opportunities include: eating right, starting yoga, taking regular naps, more sex. In my defense though, that last one was out of my control.

If you use this opportunity, you'll have several new healthy habits by the time your next semester ends.

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The Broken Worldwide Patenting System and It's Effect on Medical and Biotechnology Research

เขียนโดย montana | 21:06

Whether you are employed as a scientist or as a company do research anywhere in California, including cities where biotechnology and other medical science is being studied or where research takes place, especially the areas around cities such as San Diego, Irvine, Orange County, Los Angeles, La Jolla, Riverside, Fullerton, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and other cities where there are universities or large research projects taking place in the U.S. and throughout the world, you know that patent laws and patent licensing is acting as a barrier to medical and biotechnology research and preventing advances in science.

It doesn't take a California patent attorney or CA patent lawyer to say how the world's patent system is today acting as a barrier to medical and biotechnology research that could solve many of today's worst diseases and preventing breakthrough treatments, medicines and even new seeds for better crops.

A new report has come out after a seven year study and confirmed what most patent licensing lawyers, medical researchers and biotechnologists have known for years. The patent system in force worldwide is broken and preventing breakthroughs in science.

Without a means for sharing information, blocking patents are causing delays in developing advances in cancer medicine treatments and in the development of new food crops.

The report performed by a Canada based partnership cited as examples of medical advances being delayed as those of HIV/Aids drugs and cancer screening tests.

Of concern to scientists is an increasingly bare medicine chest of new life-saving medicines that are critical not just to the developing world but to the industrialized nations as well to address disease. New food crops are also lagging behind that could help address hunger.

And while stem cell researchers apparently patent the most, they collaborate least according to the report.

What happens is that "blocking patents" act as barriers to research and advances in biotechnology that could advance cancer treatment, new medicines and new crops.

When biotech firms race to file a "fortress" of patents around newly discovered genes, research by their competitors is effectively blocked.

Another example given by scientists is work on genes that cause breast cancer in European countries that has been held up by patents held on specific genes by one biotech company in the U.S. With patients in European countries unable to meet the cost of certain cancer screening tests, they have been effectively denied access to such tests.

A recommendation of the report is that companies should be allowed to form "patent pools" where they could cross-license their patented technologies without losing royalties from their patents. It is also recommended that governments develop other public and private partnerships to conduct joint research.

The criticism of the current patenting system is that it acts more as a barrier than as an incentive to research and the development of medical or other biotechnological breakthroughs.

When a patent office grants dangerously broad patents, entirely new areas of research, such as in the field of nanotechnology, can be cut off.

So long as intellectual property and patent laws act as a barrier from others utilizing and expanding upon one scientist's research, the laws will prevent scientists from making advances that can benefit mankind. This lack of sharing is preventing biotechnology from becoming the field that it once promised.

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Business and Academia!

เขียนโดย montana | 21:01

The driving factor of any university is to make the students understand the business needs of today and equip them for a better tomorrow. This means there has to be a constant inflow of feedbacks on "what" the business needs today and what it might need tomorrow. This philosophy works best when the time taken, to constantly educate the student of the business needs is very low.

Business needs are changing at a very high pace, so they expect the recruits to be up to date of the recent happennings. For this to happen the instructors at the college have to be on their toes, to understand the new activities. Once they get a complete understanding of the business needs they can very well mould and motivate the students to move in that direction.

A conventional thought could be one of, "why can't we achieve this by means of contact sessions between the students and professionals?" It is very much possible but, for all practical reasons its negatives outweigh the positives. We can schedule contact sessions every week or so. But for all practical reasons, all we could have is a couple of contact sessions over a span of 6 months. And we also expect the visiting professional to list out the business needs, which will be very much misunderstood by the students. Because the professional, presents from a businessman's perspective and transalting it, in terms of educating the students is completely a different task.

Let us take a typical example of a post graduate school: Iin the fast pace of technological advancements, whatever that is vogue today becomes outmoded tomorrow. So any education that teaches something that is outmoded is of lesser value. This pushes the schools to be agile, and flexible. This nimbleness will directly mould the students to adapt to the latest technology. So once the students are out of the schools, they are very much on their toes, with respect to latest technological shifts and conceptual business changes.

Let us take a classical example of Jack Welsh ex CEO of GE , he formulated a unconventional management philosophy that "When something is working, it has to be fixed". That is, when something is working, it is bound to die and it has to be fixed soon, before it falls apart. This was very much contradictory to the traditional adage " When something is working, do not touch it". This is a very valuable lesson in terms of management students. Because they are the people who are going to rule the world tomorrow, that means this shift in business has to be imparted to the students. And more than that, they need to be informed whether that principle holds good for any field.

We can also attribute pessimistice notions to this approach, such as, the instructors will not be able to do justice in handling both the streams (teaching and professional work). But there are many other options, such being a consultant etc, are available for the instructors to be in constant touch with the industry. It is just that they need to run that extra mile to do justice to the students.

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