Halo 3 Sells an $170 Million On Launch Day
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Outsourcing is All About Customer Service
The article entitled Competing with Overseas Outsourcing focuses on the importance of customers and how companies could do to emphasize on its importance. Here are the things which companies should include in their checklist including their outsourcing deal:
On-time delivery
Quality of the finished product
Safety/health of the work environment
Productivity
Satisfaction level of the customer
Regardless if its outsourced or not, customers should be given importance because the business is all about them. If they would not be prioritized, then the negativity could be visible to the company and their business deals.
Euonymus planipes
Thank you to Douglas Justice for both today's photograph and accompanying written entry. – Daniel.
Euonymus planipes is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Korea, northern Japan and eastern Siberia. According to the USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) website, one of the common names is “dingle dangle tree.” Sure it is. The name planipes means “flat stalk,” referring to the flattened petioles of this species. Euonymus species are often difficult to differentiate; many have similar looking leaves and a number share the flattened petiole feature, for example. Identification of Euonymus species can be problematic without careful examination of the overwintering buds and particularly, the ripened (i.e., open) fruit. Features of the fruit that are necessary for many identifications include the shape of the capsule and the colour and vestiture of the seeds. The pure white seeds of E. planipes show an incomplete covering by a fleshy orange aril (all Euonymus species have arillate seeds). The aril is rich in fats and is a reward for birds that disperse these seeds. Note that each seed hangs by its funiculus from the placenta of the fruit wall.
Euonymus are generally excellent garden plants (where they aren't invasive weeds), but it is worth noting that all parts are considered to be poisonous. The Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility reports that two horses were fatally poisoned after ingesting shoots of European spindle (E. europaeus) and that children are attracted to the fruits of that species and have become “quite ill” after ingesting seeds. The toxic compounds present include a digitalis-like cardiotoxin (evomonoside) and several alkaloids. Birds evidently get around any toxicity by quickly passing them. Most American references rate Euonymus spp. as Class 2 (minor toxicity) plants; i.e., “ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea. If ingested, call the Poison Control Center or your doctor.”
Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry
My mom and I went to see that and had to sit in the darkened theatre for 15 minutes afterward to pull our sobbing selfs together.
Once we got out of there my mom said "that's a bunch of hooie - when you are married you say "sorry" all the time!"
Well, whether you believe the movie or my mom, there are times when you have to say "no" and the second thing out of your mouth is "I'm sorry."
Why do we do that? When someone asks a favor or requests that we work on a committee or do a project for less than our regular price - why do we follow up "no" with "I'm sorry?"
Are we really sorry?
What are we sorry for?
Leo Babauta of Freelance Switch offers 8 Essential Strategies for Saying No and number 8 is just that - don't say I'm sorry.
8. Never say you're sorry. Again, you have to respect your time. If you apologize, you are sending the message that you are doing something wrong by saying no, that somehow you don't have a strong right to say no. It's very tempting to apologize, I know. We often say things like, "I'm sorry, but ...." or "I wish I could, I'm so sorry" just because we're uncomfortable giving an outright no. But again, you are sending the wrong message.
Save your "I'm sorry" for when you really mean it. Like when your teen asks to borrow the car keys. hahaha.
Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer
Carmel's Concours-by-the-Sea
An "insanely busy week of classic car nirvana" is how Autoblog's Frank Filipponio describes the affair that I now refer to as the Monterey Classics Week. With the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as a centerpiece, it comprises seven non-stop days of major auctions, vintage racing at Laguna Seca, the Concorso Italiano, the "Tour," automobilia and art shows, The Quail, and, well.... the list goes on. For me it's all a bit much, driving motel prices through the proverbial roof and saturating the viewer with so many classic automobiles that nothing leaves a lasting impression.
However one new event has been added to the calendar that sounds appealing if only because it's free. The first Carmel Concours came to life on August 14th after six years of hard work by organisers Doug and Genie Freedman and judging by Frank Filipponio's Autoblog photo gallery was clearly a success. He tells us that about 130 collector cars from the 1946 to 1971 period were lined up along fourteen blocks of Carmel's Ocean Avenue, there for anyone to view during a casual stroll. The focus is on vehicles not usually seen during Monterey Classics Week. When a concours can attract the likes of a Cunningham CR-4 (above) you know it's got to be good so let's hope the Carmel Concours remains approachable and unpretentious in years to come.
[photo: Frank Filipponio]
Beat the Meter Maid
Someone got a bright- check that- BRILLIANT idea to create a new parking meter- the parking meter calls YOU when the meter's running out of time- giving you the chance to hustle out the door with change in hand to feed that meter and beat out the ticket! What's even cooler about this meter is that it takes debit and credit cards too!
The patented, state-of-the art, PhotoViolationMeter-, or PVM-, was created by Photo Violation Technologies Corporation, and is causing quite a frenzy with its user-friendly features. These "smart meters" are installed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Niagra Falls, New York and also enduring a test run in parking crunched San Francisco.
"On-street parking is a critical factor for cities to promote business and tourism locally so it must be easy to use and offer conveniences for the customers," says Fred Mitschele, President and CEO of Photo Violation Technologies Corporation. "That's why it's vital for municipalities to invest in user-friendly solutions geared to the future."
Here are some of the main features of the PhotoViolationMeter- (PVM) that make it so convenient
Large start button
Greets users with welcome message
Large, backlit, easy-to-read LCD
Every Way To Pay-: 12 coin types, credit cards, ATM/debit cards, smart cards, pay-by-phone
No-Fine- feature
Grace Period- feature
Regulation Notification- feature
Pay Your Fine- feature
Calls to notify time is running out/accepts additional payment
While parking meters have historically been a source of aggravation for drivers and enforcement officials alike, the innovative PhotoViolationMeter- can make life easier for everyone who uses it.
Check out www.PhotoViolation.com
Carlina acaulis
Yesterday evening was only the fourth time since the beginning of April when I've had the opportunity to photograph in the garden — a somewhat worrying statistic for me. I've been fortunate enough to be able to travel this summer, but not being out in the garden often enough to observe the seasonal progression has been a bit disappointing.
Stemless carline thistle or dwarf carline thistle is native to the mountainous areas of central and southern Europe. The epithet acaulis means “without a stem”, but as you can clearly see in this photograph, this plant certainly has one. That suggests that this is either subspecies simplex (a stemmed subspecies of the plant) or a garden hybrid with Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex as part of the genetic mix.
In addition to the usual edibility (a globe artichoke substitute!) and medicinal use information often detailed in the Plants for a Future database, the entry on Carlina acaulis lists another use: weather forecasting. PFAF cites a reference that suggests the dried flowers of Carlina acaulis can be used to measure humidity, whereas the mature flowers of a plant will close prior to a rainfall. I'll have to keep a closer eye on them to verify the latter....
More information can be found on Wikipedia, including a photograph of a plant with a sessile (acauline) flower. A botanical illustration of Carlina acaulis is available via Thomé's Flora von Deutschland.
Google offers embeddable maps
Exciting news though !
Learn sustainability from the pros
It's not an easy task. Wouldn't it be great to have a pro help you along?
You're in luck. First and foremost, there's Sustainable Life Media. SLN is a new online community dedicated to helping businesses connect with other businesses in order to further their quest for innovative sustainability.
Next you have the Sustainable Brands '07 conference in New Orleans, September 26th through 28th. The conference will feature speakers from today's leading sustainable brands, such as GE, Aveda, BP, and others. Plus a few successful startups, and tons of other information to help your brand reach the top and really make a difference.
If you ever wanted someone to literally hand ideas to you, then you just can't pass this up!
A circle of friends
Trusted Opinion lets opinions of people wheigh heavier the closer they are to you. Your friends' opinions carry the most weight. The opinions of their friends (your friends-of-friends) carry less. Your friends-of-friends-of-friends still less, and so on.(Webware)
Sounds like a good idea to me. Who do you go to when you need advice ? Your friends.
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