Minggu, 27 Desember 2009

2009 Wind Down Of Enhance Life

Every year, during the last week of December, I have something similar to the Oscars on EnhanceLife, with one minor exception. You don't need to be a Hollywood celebrity or wear a glamorous outfit to attend!

Here goes..

Leave a comment and make your vote count!

And before you leave your seats...
I want to thank all of you who visit Enhance Life and have supported me throughout the year. I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with much happiness, good health and prosperity.

Related Posts

Jumat, 18 Desember 2009

Goals Begin Behaviors. Consequences Maintain Behaviors

Note: A colleague of mine shared with me via email. I thought that this would be useful to you, thus decided to make it a post on EnhanceLife

"Once there was a bright young man who was looking for an effective manger. He wanted to work for one. He wanted to become one. His search had taken him over many years to the far corners of the world." Finally he met the One minute Manager who shared the secrets of "one minute management". He was neither autocratic nor democratic; neither tough nor nurturing. He taught three secrets of the one minute management to the young person. We also going to learn them.

"People who feel good about themselves produce good results"

Secret #1 : One minute Goal Setting


The first secret of the three is "One minute Goal Setting". It is about making sure that we know what good performance is. One minute manager sets each goal and its performance standards with his subordinates in a paper with less than 250 words, something can be read in less than one minute. Once a while people can spend a minute and read the goal and see whether the behavior matches the goal. We certainly have this in our OPM process.

Goal setting is so important so that the people can feel that they are achieving. When you go for bowling and if there are no pins standing, would you ever roll the ball? When there are pins but if they are covered with a paper screen, you would try rolling and might hear some sounds which makes you happy. But you would not enjoy the game much. So the manager responsibility is to make the pins visible and then there is no doubt that the people will enjoy the work.

Secret #2 : One Minute Praising


"Help People to Reach Their Full Potential. Catch Them Doing Something Right"

Most often manages catch people when they do something wrong. They are watching behind the paper screen so that they can see the pins well. They would say that you missed eight pins instead of telling that you hit two. The second secret of one minute management is "One Minute Praising". People should told right from the start that you are going to let them know how they are doing. Once a good work done people should be praised immediately and it should be specifically about the particular work and not a general praise. Just spend only one minute for this. Tell them how good you feel and let them feel it and encourage them to do more of the same.

Secret #3 : One minute Reprimand


"We are not just our behavior. We are the person managing our behavior"

The third secret of the one minute manager is "One minute Reprimand". Sometimes really bad things happen and then, you need to go for one minute reprimand. As in the previous secret your should do this immediately. Divide your minute into two. In the first 30 second, tell what went wrong and tell how you feel about it and let them also feel it. During the second half you should remind them how valuable they are to you and to the organization. Reaffirm that you condemn the behavior but you value the person because the person is not just the behavior. Finally agree not to repeat the same.

"The best minute you spend is the one you invest in people"

"Everyone is a potential winner. Some People are disguised as losers, Don't let their appearances fool you"

The most important lesson we can learn from this book is,

"Goals begin behaviors. Consequences maintain behaviors."

Finally our young guy became an effective manager by learning and practicing the above secrets and came up with a new principal.


Related Posts

Selasa, 01 Desember 2009

7 Reasons Why Things Don’t Get Done

Reasons Why Things Don’t Get Done
It’s been almost a month since I last wrote a post on Enhance Life. This is by far the longest period I have gone an post update! Truth be told, I had several unfinished drafts that needed a bit of tweaking before I could publish them. But for some reason, I just couldn’t focus or feel passionate about the topics I had previously written. This resulted in me having to write a post from scratch, which took more time than I imagined!

And that’s where the title of this post stems from. I’ve read a lot about “how to get things done” and improve productivity. But despite all that well meant advice, sometimes, you just don’t get things done! So today, I thought of exploring a couple of reasons, why we don’t see the results we want at the end of the day.

1. No clear goals

Without a specific sense of purpose, it’s impossible to effectively manage and organize your priorities. If you don’t have a clear idea of where you want to go, any road will take you there!

2. Lack of priorities

The best to do list ever written is useless if it hasn’t been prioritized. Most people naturally work on the easy or fun things first. They may cross off majority of their list, but miss the most important items.

3. No daily plan

Beginning your day without a plan of action is a formula for spending all day doing the wrong things. It invites anyone and everyone to interrupt your activities. You will passively allow unwelcome intrusions, because you’ll have no way to defend yourself.

4. Procrastination

It sometimes seems like a good idea to put things off for tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day. But it catches up with you!

5. Personal disorganization

No matter how organized your priorities are or how effective your daily plan is, you may be losing irretrievable time searching for things that are lost in the messes on your desk, in your files, closets and even your car!

6. Perfectionism

Are you unable to complete and release an… until its perfectly done?
Can you still see ways for something to be done better? Even if you can’t see anything, does it nag you that there must be something you overlooked?

7. Interruptions

Your day can be going according to schedule until a friend drops in or a game of warcraft commences. May of these occurrences can be eliminated, those that can’t, MUST be controlled.

Related Posts

Selasa, 03 November 2009

3 Steps To Achieve Better Self Discipline

Achieve Better Self Discipline
I have come across many occasions where part of me wants to engage in a productive activity, such as working on a blog post, cleaning etc. However, at the same time, another part of me wants to watch some television, may be eat some chocolates or do anything else to avoid doing something I consider productive! I am sure you can relate to similar situations.

Self discipline is one of the most important and useful inner powers in everyone's life. It has always been considered an essential tool for success, in all areas of life.

Self discipline can be learned and developed like any other skill. Sadly, only few take any steps to develop and strengthen them in a systematic way.

This is an area I am trying to develop myself and I turned to, Self-Discipline In 10 Days, Going From Thinking To Doing, a book by Dr.Brooks & Dr.Goldstein.

Here are a few highlights….
Self-discipline is:
Becoming aware of your subconscious resistances to action, then overcoming those resistances.

The process of coordinating your conscious and subconscious psychological elements.

1. Accept Ownership for Your behavior

This should not be confused either with blaming ourselves or justifying behaviors that are inappropriate. Acceptance implies that we assume responsibility for our actions. We don’t resort to realizations such as “He made me angry”, “She was very persuasive, and that’s why I did such a foolish thing.”

2. Think before you act- Become a proactive problem solver

When I read that one, my reaction was “ya, right.. .. easier said than done.”. Most likely, we all have occasionally acted without thinking. At times it may be adaptive to do so, such as when we instinctively jump out of the way of an incoming car. At other times, no hard is done by an impulsive action.

3. Be consistent, not rigid

We often witness this in people whose mood on a particular day determines their behavior and their level of self-control. Their response to similar situations varies based on how they are feeling at the moment, rather than on the reality of the situation.

Time is the one indispensable ingredient of accomplishment. Everything you want to achieve requires time. The only way you can get enough time to do the things that can really make a difference in your life is by conserving time that you would normally spend somewhere else. You are surrounded by people and circumstances that waste your time and undermine your effectiveness all day long. Only by practicing rigorous self-discipline can you free yourself from these thieves of time.

Related Posts

Selasa, 20 Oktober 2009

Network Your Way To Success: 7 Practical Tips

Any successful person will no doubt testify that in addition to their technical and professional capability, their ability to establish and develop effective/lasting relationships is critical, to success.

Harsh Truths: Why Relationships Are Critical For Success

1. Whether it's “getting that first big break”, landing the job, winning the promotion, gaining the sale, [your list here] …. you NEED to get cooperation and help from other people.

2. People are more likely to help their friends than strangers.

3. When it comes to choosing a supplier or business partner etc., Most people prefer someone they know and trust.



Your ability to be charming, to be a genuinely likable and pleasant person, will open more doors for you, than any other quality.

In theory, building good relationships and connecting with people is easy. In reality, we all know relationships can often seem like fragile things. It’s often built and destroyed by the actions we take.
Here are several practical tips to help network your way to success.

1. Take Initiative To Be Helpful.

Too many people wait for others to go first. They adopt the attitude, “When and if you do for me, I’ll do for you.”

Take the initiative. It doesn’t have to be too time consuming on your part. Give them leads that may help them. For example, connect people to other people who may be a resource to them.
Why? What better way to build strong relationships than by giving something of value to other people.

2. Don’t Be That Person, People Want To Avoid!

Many of us have people in our lives that we can't stand. Some would swear that they are just about everywhere! If so, it’s likely that you would try to avoid situations where you would be forced to deal with people such as these. Don’t let that person be you!

3. Stay True To Your Commitments.

This seems simple enough. However, how often have you experienced people doing the exact opposite? I have experienced this times. As a customer, I get told the work will be done tomorrow, and then it is not!
Set the right expectations with others and then live up to those expectations. If for some reason you are unable to meet these expectations, keep others informed in advance so that they won’t feel let down at the last minute.

4. Build An Impeccable Relationship With Your Boss

The relationship you have with your boss can be a major factor in determining your destination on the career ladder. It can be a wellspring of growth possibilities if nurtured properly or a career minefield if left to go sour. Thus, developing a good relationship with your boss is your best job skill and highly useful one, no matter where you work.

5. Exhibit Total Professionalism

Never participate in gossip or in discussing the business of coworkers behind their backs. People will trust you and know that what they tell you is safe in your hands. Alliances only work when trust is present.

6. Fine Tune Your Communication

The ability to communicate in an informal and friendly manner is essential for every aspect of a person's business, social, and personal life.
So, make an effort to improve your diplomacy, style, pitch, vocabulary & tone.

7. Don’t Forget Your Roots.

You are what you are today because of your family, friends, schools, previous jobs, and places you’ve lived.
Let the people that matter to you most know that you need them. Let them know they’ve helped or inspired you. Offer your gratitude and attention for their contributions.

If you leave it all behind, you lose touch with an integral part of you.

Related Posts

Rabu, 07 Oktober 2009

Are You Practicing Being Unhappy?

You probably read the headline twice. You might have wondered whether the author of this post has made a mistake in writing the headline or think this post is plain ridiculous!

Of course you won’t “practice” being unhappy; at least not intentionally. But what do I mean by “Practicing Being Unhappy”?
Suppose, for argument’s sake that your goal was to be as unhappy, frustrated, and stressed out as possible. What would you need to do? The only way to guarantee that you would success would be to think lots of unhappy, angry, stressful thoughts. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to be as unhappy as you’d like.


This works because our thoughts are closely linked to our state of mind and the way we feel, we need to think negatively before we actually can feel that way. If you don’t believe me, give it a try. Just try to get upset right now without first thinking about something that upsets you.

We are always thinking, every moment of the day. It just that we’re not always aware that we are doing so. Thinking is a bit like breathing in the sense that, until you read the word “breathing” just now, you probably weren’t aware of your breath. Thinking is like that too. It goes on and on, whether we are aware of it or not.

The problem is, if we’re not aware of the link and connection between our thoughts and the way we feel, our thoughts can and often do encourage us to feel bad. This in turn, makes us act out in negative ways.

If you can catch yourself thinking negatively and drop those thoughts, then often you can snap yourself out of a negative state of mind simply by realizing. That doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be easy, but it sure helps to get you back on track!

Related Posts

Selasa, 29 September 2009

Fast Start Guide To Enhance Life

Enhance Life started with my first post Welcome To Enhance Life, way back in 26th September 2006! Can't believe I have been blogging for 3 years!

Over the years, Enhance Life has accumulated hundreds of posts. Most of which you might have missed. This page is a one stop page, where I have tried to highlight the best posts, of all these years. Happy Reading...

Personal Development

Personal Finance

Productivity

Think Tank

Healthy Living

Rabu, 23 September 2009

Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer Survivors (Book Review)

Cruising through life.. everything is going well; graduation, career, wedding, children … You have a lifetime planned ahead.
Then suddenly, life takes a twist of its own.
It may be
a lump that can't be ignored,
irritating pain that keeps re-occurring
....
"You have Cancer" are words that no one wants to hear, yet every day families around the world hear these words, and fear the worst. From there onwards, life is not the same anymore.

In Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer Survivors (by Carolyn Rubenstein) you will find 20 such young adults who share in their own words, their experience with cancer. They describe how they discovered they had cancer, how they felt once they were diagnosed, how they treated it and continue to treat it, how life changed because of it, and what the future holds for them.

I found the book to be emotionally gripping. Each story is truly unique, with its own message and theme that contributes to many life lessons. It teaches us to appreciate life, be courageous and persevere in whatever circumstance. The experiences of these survivors, how they went through difficult times, overcame them and made something of themselves is truly inspiring and strengthening.

Perseverance not just for people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Reading this made me realize how wonderful life is and to not take each day for granted. This book and those who shared their stories within it reminds us that no matter what obstacles we encounter in life, big or small, we should never stop living your life to its fullest.

I invite you to watch the video, where Carolyn Rubenstein discusses her book Perseverance on NBC's Today Show.

Related Posts

Minggu, 20 September 2009

5 Must-Have Persuasion Fundamentals To Get Your Own Way

Persuasion Fundamentals
You have being trying to get your own way since you were a baby. Crying, smiling, banging your hands on the table.. primitive to be sure- but effective.

Fast forward several years…
Wanting to get your way may have others define you as persistent, stubborn, hardheaded, or some other form of being tenacious. But the bottom line of other’s perception is of you is the way, the manner by which, you choose to try to get your way.

1. Explaining What, why, and how

People start out skeptical. They want to know; what is this? Why will this work? Why do you want me to do this? Why are you asking me? What are you trying to accomplish? What will this mean to me? How will this affect me? How do I win?

Your ability to plausibly explain goes a long way towards getting your way.

2. Explaining what’s in for them

People are more likely to be persuaded if they see how they win as a result of following your lead or seeing it your way.

3. Your sincerity

Your conviction is part of their “buy-in-false” sincerity eventually shows.. and smells

4. Your believability

Are you making statements that others can relate to? That others find conceivable? Conceivable leads to believable.

5. Your questioning skills

This is one of your major keys to persuasion and getting your way. Not telling- asking, are you asking questions that relate to the other person? Questions about them, that make them stop and think, and respond in terms of you? Powerful persuasion starts with powerful questions. Ask their opinion. Solicit their expertise. Ask about their experience.

6. Your reputation precedes you

Reputation is so powerful, it can make getting your way an automatic yes if yours is exceptional or an automatic no if yours is “iffy”

No one single item from this list will complete the process. The more you master each of them, the more persuasive you’ll become, and the more you will get your way.

You will not get your way all the time. However, by polishing your skills, deepening your belief and developing a passion for what you want, you will get your way more often.

Related Posts

Senin, 14 September 2009

21 To-Do List Mistakes That Stop You From Completing Your To-Do List

to-do list mistakes
You use a to-do list to guide you; to plan and schedule what must be done. Having such a list is a great start, but do you get the satisfaction of ever completing your to-do list?

It’s frustrating.. and sometimes you wondering why?

On Writing …

1. You don’t always get the lurking items out of your head and onto the to-do list.

2. You are not clear about what you are trying to accomplish and why.



3. The to-do list does not reflect the most important task, you need to achieve for a given day.

4. The tasks are not properly broken down into sub-tasks.

5. Dependent tasks are not properly identified.

6. The tasks in the to-do list are too vague.

7. You have not “grouped” related tasks.

8. You haven’t prioritized the to-do list.

9. You don’t keep a separate list for each category (home, work etc).

10. You prioritize the to-do list incorrectly.

11. You keep adding new tasks continuously.

12. The to-do list is too long.

13. The to-do list is badly worded.

14. You have more items on your to-do list than you have time to do!

On Execution...

15. You get side tracked with distractions.

16. You don’t set time-lines on tasks.

17. Keeping track of the to-do list and updating it is too complex (electronic versions etc)

18. You don’t have the to-do list with you all the time and sometimes, unsure of what to do next.

19. You do tasks that are not in the list (that eats up your time!)

20. You don’t use your most productive hours, for demanding tasks.

21. You don’t review your to-do list regularly (morning, evening?)

Be ruthless… reexamine your to-do list. Are any of your mistakes listed here? Any more you would like to contribute to the above list?

Related Posts

Senin, 07 September 2009

Are Your Priorities Aligned With Your Schedule?

Sometimes we can get so caught up in whirlpool of day to day living that we lose sight of those things that matter to us, the most. (If you naturally start nodding to that sentence, keep reading!)

In his book, First Things First Steven Covey describes a lecture he attended on the topic of time. The lecturer took a large glass jar and set it down on a table with some small rocks beside it. He placed the rocks in the jar and asked the audience whether they thought the jar was full.

Everybody laughed and replied that yes, it was full. Then the lecturer reached under the table and pulled out a container of gravel. He poured in the gravel and shook the jar so that the gravel filled the spaces that had been left by the rocks. Again he asked the audience if the jar was full. By this time they had cottoned on, and replied no.


“Good” he replied. And he reached under the table and repeated the process, only thing time with sand, which went into the spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Then he asked what had been the point of the demonstration.
Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fir more into your life.”
“No” he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: If you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

Let’s try to relate this illustration to our lives..
The “rocks” are representation of the things that are really important to us. The gravel represents the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The sand is everything else; the small stuff. If we put the sand and gravel into the jar first, there’s no room for the rocks.

Are you putting the 'big rocks' first, or do gravel, sand and water dominate your life?

As Stephen Covey says, take care of the rocks first –the things that really matter. Set your priorities, the rest is just gravel and sand.

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. ~Goethe

Related Posts

Senin, 31 Agustus 2009

Decision Making On Money, Love, Work & Health: Why Decisions Errors Are Made

Decision Making
Decision making is something that happens throughout our day but with different degrees of importance, urgency and consequential outcomes.
Your life at this very moment is the result of every decision you have made along the way. There is no doubt how easy life will turn out to be, if we can make good decisions quickly and easily. But we both know that in reality decision making is not that clear cut!
Everyone makes wrong decisions sometimes or bad ones for that. I am sure you can recall moments where you said to yourself, “I wish I didn't make THAT decision”.
How many times have you heard stories about smart people making stupid decisions with their money? This happens all too often and baffles everyone. Have you ever wondered why intelligent, sensible people make such mistakes and rash decisions?

Guidelines, strategies that tell us how to make a decision. Sadly, it doesn’t always produce a correct answer. However, sometimes they are the reasons why people make the wrong decisions.

Given below are such 12 such heuristics, with reference to the book, Changing Minds In Detail. (A slight tilt towards psychology)

1. We Are Too Confident In Our Own Judgments

(Overconfidence barrier)Over confidence is feeling of exaggerated trust in someone or something, which is in decision making process, especially in evaluation of alternatives.

2. Our Moods Bias Our Judgments

(Mood-Congruent Judgment)When we are in a good mood, we see the world in a more friendly light, and our judgments are more positive. Likewise, when we are grumpy we evaluate things around us as being bad.

3. We Value Certain Gains & Try To Avoid Certain Losses

(Prospect Theory)We tend to value a gain, that is certain more than a gain that is less than certain, even when the expected value of each is the same. The opposite is even truer for losses: we will clutch at straws to avoid a certain loss, even if it means taking even greater risks.

4. We Are Reluctant To Pull Out Of An Investment

(Sunk-Cost Effect)We all know that we can reverse the past, and we can’t get back money or time that we already spent. But many people irrationally take sunk costs, time, money, or other resources which have already been spent and can't be recovered, into their decision making.

5. We Pay More Attention To Some Facts, Than Others

(Focusing Effect)When we are making judgments, we tend to weigh attributes and factors unevenly, putting more importance on some aspects and less on others.
This is typically due to factors such as stereotyping and schemas that we use that bring certain factors to mind and downplay others.

6. We Value More Highly The Things We Own

(Endowment Effect)The endowment effect, also known as “status quo bias”, is the phenomenon in which most people would demand a considerably higher price for a product that they own than they would be prepared to pay for it.

7. Agreeing With What Supports Beliefs And Vice Versa

(Disconfirmation bias)When people are faced with evidence for and against their beliefs, they will be more likely to accept the evidence that supports their beliefs with little scrutiny yet criticize and reject that which disconfirms their beliefs.

8. We Only Use Limited Logic In Decisions

(Bounded Rationality)We will try to logically understand things and make sensible choices. However, the world is large and complex, and we do not have the capacity to understand everything. We also have a limited time in which to make decisions.

9. We Prefer A Known Probability To An Unknown One

(Ambiguity Effect)When people make decisions, sometimes they have a good understanding of the probability of something happening whilst other times the situation is ambiguous, whereby the probability of the event is unknown. In such situations, people are more likely to choose the former situation, preferring a known probability over an unknown probability.

10. Recent Events Seem More Likely

(Availability Heuristic)We make a judgment based on what we can remember, rather than complete data. In particular, we use this for judging frequency or likelihood of events. Since we remember recent experiences or reports, then the news has a significant effect on our decisions.

11. We Base Decisions On Available Small Samples

(Biased sampling)When we need to make a decision and when we have very little real information about the subject in question, we will blithely base our decision on that very limited and hence biased sample.
For example, if we go to a restaurant for one meal and then someone asks us what the restaurant is like, we will give an authoritative pronouncement, based on that single experience.

12. Belief We Can Predict Random Events

(Gambler's Fallacy)I toss a coin and it comes down heads. I expect the next coin to be more likely to be tails than heads. It comes down heads. Now I am even more convinced that the subsequent coin will very likely be tails. If I am a betting person, I might double my bet each time, sure that I will walk away a winner.

13. Assuming Success Breeds Success

(Hot Hand Phenomenon)When a person succeeds at something then they are more likely to succeed in subsequent attempts, whereas the truth is that they are still governed by the laws of chanced.
Whilst there is some truth in this in that a person may be particularly fit or their confidence is boosted by an initial success, the 'Hot Hand' phenomenon goes past this where people make assumptions that are statistically inaccurate.

Has your decision making been influenced by the above heuristics? Was the outcome good/bad ?

Related Posts

Jumat, 28 Agustus 2009

Josef Fritzl - Other Cases of Abduction and Imprisonment of Adults and Children

HISTORICAL CASES OF ABDUCTION, IMPRISONMENT, SEXUAL ABUSE & MURDER OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN
By Parents and Strangers
Original Post: 11 June 2008 / Updated 28 August 2009

"History Is A Vast Early Warning System" Norman Cousins
But Only Those With An EDUCATION, Know This.....

Some Aspects of the following Historical Cases are relevant to the Unfolding Story of Jaycee (JC) Lee (Allissa) Dugard. As We already know in the Case of the Abduction of JAYC33 L33 DUGARD, Phillip Garrido Is Using God/Religion/Angels To Manipulate Ignorant Fools and Divert Attention Away From Serious Heinous Sexual Crimes/Perversions. So did Josef "Immaculate Conception" Fritzl and Others. Well Josef's Wife Was called roseMARY.....

I have made reference to 33 above, in place of letters. Refer to my other blog HERE, which contains some examples of 33s in action elsewhere. Page Down.....

An Ordinary Couple To Irresponsible Outsiders Who Trust/Believe Anyone, In The UK
- Fred and RoseMary West's Story Below

A day was going to come when Garrido would Retire, enter the Public Eye with Maximum Media Attention, delivering Fresh Material to Hollywood, similar to the day when Fritzl arrived. Today Fritzl relaxes in a 5* Retirement Home (High Security (Mental) Institution) with maximum protection/security. No Deterrent, No Punishment, Just Maximum Protection. It Makes You Wonder......

There Were Similar Attitudes Towards Sexual Crimes Committed During World War II. They Refused To Prosecute Anyone For Sexual Crimes At Nuremberg. Refer To My Post: 4NAZI GERMANY - 'Forced Prostitution and Rape Cases Not Tried' At The Nuremberg Trials

*

JAYCEE (JC) LEE DUGARD
Born 3 May 1980, South Lake Tahoe, California

Disappeared On 10 June 1991, Aged 11

On 10 June 1991, Jaycee Dugard's stepfather Carl Probyn saw two people in a gray sedan, pull up to a bus stop where Jaycee was waiting and abducted her. Her stepfather was initially a suspect in her disappearance, and took several lie-detector tests.


Alleged Abductor:
Phillip Craig Garrido
(Born 5 April 1951, Contra Costa County, California, USA)
A registered sex offender who had spent time in Leavenworth Penitentiary following a 1971 conviction for rape)
Address: 1554 Walnut Ave, Antioch, CA

On 25 August 2009, Phillip Garrido brought two girls, ages 11 and 15, to University of California, Berkeley to distribute religious literature. A campus officer spotted the trio and ran a background check. After learning of Garrido's 1971 rape conviction, she contacted his parole officer. At a parole meeting the next day, Garrido brought the two girls in, along with a woman named "Allissa." They turned out to be Jaycee and the two children she had borne in captivity. Garrido and his wife (Nancy Garrido) were arrested on the spot, and Jaycee was turned over to police. On 27 August 2009, the woman was confirmed to be Jaycee Lee.

Law enforcement officers believe that Jaycee Lee Dugard was kept in outdoor sheds or tents in a hidden area behind Phillip Garrido's residence and was used as a sex slave for Garrido and his wife Nancy. Dugard became pregnant several times during captivity, bearing at least two daughters. According to law enforcement, Dugard was in good physical health, but neither Dugard or her daughters had been to school or had seen a doctor in the years since she was abducted.


News is Currently Breaking On This Story So Only A Few Links of Interest, At The Moment
FBI Kidnap File (FBI)
KCRA 3 - Full Video Interview With Phillip Craig Garrido - KCRA (USA)
Garrido kept an internet blog associated with God’s Desire church : Voices Revealed
Kidnap of Jaycee Lee Dugard - Wiki
They Slept In My Arms Every Night! : Sick boasts of kidnapper who held Jaycee Dugard for 18 years and fathered her two children - Daily Mail (UK) - 28 August 2009


***

TIME IS UP!

Common Sense Must Prevail Everyone......... As We All Know, Religions Have Had Ample Time (Centuries and Each Generation) To Invoke Their God Publicly, To Demonstrate To Believers and Non-Believers Alike, that A Superior Being Exists and Even Supports Their Religious Endeavours. No Proof Has Been Forthcoming. Unfortunately history has already proven, beliefs have often been cemented through conformity, coercion/persecution/bloodshed, tax evasion/avoidance strategies and hand outs.

Common Sense Must Prevail Everyone....... As a consequence, nobody should be surprised when they eventually learn about hidden elements within religions and external entities, who have pursued impersonating God and even arousing dark/evil elements through All known Methods to mankind, including the ancient practices of Human Sacrifice and Sacrificial Worship. We can not ignore the fact that these (religious) entities may also be acting on the Assumed Communications of Energies/Dark Forces in their environment, which they believe are relaying messages, through certain Events, People and Objects.

When considering the relevance of a Human Being's judgment in life, one must consider how many facts and how much evidence a person truly gathers and needs before establishing beliefs and passing objective fact based opinions. Unfortunately Religious People do believe Something based on very little/weak evidence. This Adolescent Attitude will naturally prevail in the delivery of judgment/opinions about other issues in their life including people, outside of religion. Into this group of Adolescent Judgers, also falls people who solely pass positive judgment based on appealing physical appearances, sexual attraction, status/wealth and preferred religious identity.



* * *

For The Purpose of Registering Factual Profiles for LEGAL REASONS/ACTIONS (Which I am Involved With Today) and for The Public Records in the UK and Abroad, Of People and Those Connected With Them, Responsible For Making False Missing Person Reports/Statements (including 9/11 - Refer To This Shocking Post : 9/11 World Trade Center Fraudsters, Scam Artists, False Victims; conflict zones, natural disasters, etc), OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE and intentionally delivering/Registering Diversionary Fictitious/Defamatory Profiles for Motives Of Silencing Factual Communications, even pursuing destroying employment, which always had the aim of Ensuring Past Crimes Of The Source(s) and Their Associates, Were not Exposed and Future Crimes (Real Harm, Injury and Death) Would Not Be Stopped, THIS POST PRESENTS INFORMATION, WHICH WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE IN 1994-1997.

False Missing Person Reporters ALWAYS Have Something Evil/Sinister To Hide. Help These Liars Circulate False Reports and Obstruct Justice, At Future Risk To Your Families and Yourself, Especially When Someone is THEN Actually Harmed and Killed. How Stupid Are You, In Reality?


I Have Nothing to Hide About My Life - Do You?! I naturally would turn down a job with Warner Brothers Film Studios, UK.

*


HISTORICAL CASES OF ABDUCTION, IMPRISONMENT,
SEXUAL ABUSE & MURDER OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN
By Parents and Strangers

Paul Martin Andrews (born 1960) is an American rape victim advocate. In 1973 (13 years old) he was kidnapped in his native Virginia and hidden in an underground box by a known sexual predator, Richard Ausley for over a week in 1973. Shackled and left to starve, he was rescued by rabbit hunters eight days later.

Thirty years after his ordeal, he went public with his story and became an activist for bolstering Virginia law with additional funding for continued civil commitments for sex offenders after their criminal sentences end. In this case, Virginia did not get a chance to test its new Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators Act. Ausley's sentence was extended by five years after another victim came forward. Richard Ausley was never committed to a psychiatric facility. Instead, he was sent to a high-security prison for especially disruptive inmates and placed in a cell with a convict who had himself been molested as a child. Shortly afterwards in January 2004, Ausley was murdered in his prison cell.
http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2003/01/30/coverStoryBoxedInABoysLost.html



Sabine Dardenne (born 1983) is a Belgian woman who, at the age of twelve, on 28 May 1996, was kidnapped by serial killer Marc Dutroux while on her way to school. Dardenne was one of Dutroux's last two victims. She survived, but four other girls and an alleged accomplice named Bernard Weinstein were found dead on Dutroux's properties. Dardenne and 14-year-old Laetitia Delhez, who had been abducted a couple of days earlier, were rescued on 15 August 1996 by the Belgian police, two days after Dutroux had been arrested. Dutroux admitted to having raped them both and abducting them. Dardenne's ordeal in the basement of Dutroux's house lasted 80 days. On 22 June 2004, Dutroux received the maximum sentence of life imprisonment. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/apr/18/ukcrime.features11


Lydia Gouardo was born on 13 November 1962 in Maisons-Alfort, France. She is a French woman who was imprisoned for 28 years, raped, and tortured by her legal father (he was not her biological father) in their home in Meaux and Coulommes in Seine et Marne. The abuse took place from 1971 to 1999. Lydia gave birth to six children, having been made pregnant by her father. During her imprisonment, she escaped and phoned legal aid, but her father recaptured her in a family residence in Melun. She was finally freed in 1999 when her father died. Her mother was convicted for not reporting crimes she was aware of and also for sexual abuse against one of Lydia's children.

She said while she was tortured by her father, she was not imprisoned - but she was not allowed outside the family home and was often tied up in the attic. She still has scars from her neck to her ankles, mainly burn marks from boiling water or hydrochloric acid. She said she fled their home several times when she was young, but each time was brought back by police. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1314849,00.html



Natascha Kampusch (born 1988 in Vienna) is an Austrian woman who was abducted at the age of 10 on 2 March 1998, and remained in custody of her kidnapper, Wolfgang Priklopil, for more than eight years, until she escaped on 23 August 2006. Priklopil, having found that the police were after him, killed himself by jumping in front of a suburban train near the Wien Nord station in Vienna. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natascha_Kampusch





Charles “Charlie” Allen Keever (1980 - 27 March 1993) was a 13 year old boy who was murdered on 27 March 1993, in San Diego County, California, along with his friend, 9 year old Jonathan Sellers. The murder of both boys went unsolved for 8 years. In March 2001 a DNA database identified Scott Erskine as a suspect from the DNA found at the time of the murder. Erskine was already in prison for a rape committed six months after the boys murder. In 2003 Erskine went to trial on the charges of two counts of murder with the special allegations of sodomy, oral copulation, child molestation and torture and three counts of special circumstances: torture, sexual assault and multiple murders, he was found guilty. During the penalty phase one juror did not want to give Erskine the death penalty so the judge declared a mistrial for the penalty phase portion of the trial. In April 2004 a new jury was convened and they voted unanimously for a death sentence. On 1 September 2004 a California judge sentenced Erskine to death row and he was sent to San Quentin State Prison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Charlie_Keever

Sian Kingi
was a 12-year-old girl who, in 1987, was abducted, raped and killed in Noosa, Queensland, Australia. Barrie Watts and Valmae Beck, a married couple, were convicted in 1988 of the much-publicised crime and were each sentenced to life imprisonment.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/sians-murder-still-haunts-nation/2008/05/07/1210131039392.html


Polly Hannah Klaas (3 January 1981 - October/November 1993) was an American murder victim whose case gained national attention. At the age of 12, she was kidnapped at knife point from her mother's home during a slumber party in Petaluma, California on 1 October 1993. She was later raped and strangled. Richard Allen Davis was convicted of her murder in 1996 and sentenced to death. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/klaas/1.html





Kimberly Diane Leach, (28 October 1965 – 9 February 1978) was a 12 year old student at Lake City Junior High School, in Lake City, Florida, and the final and youngest known murder victim of Ted Bundy. Bundy was convicted, sentenced to death, and electrocuted by the State of Florida on 24 January 1989 for the murder of Leach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberly_Leach






* * *

The LINZ SISTERS, Viktoria, Katharina and Elisabeth, are three women who were imprisoned in a cellar for seven years from 1998 to 2005. They were imprisoned there by their mother, and are known as the Linz sisters because the crime took place in Linz, Austria. Their mother gained custody of the children following her divorce, at the age of 53. Afterwards, she suffered a mental breakdown. She withdrew the children, then aged 7, 11 and 13, from schooling, and imprisoned them in a cellar with no running water in near-total darkness. Her husband, a judge, was unable to see the children despite at least nine claims for access going before the courts. Over the period of their incarceration, the children developed an almost unintelligible language based on German. The girls were rescued only when police broke into the house after a neighbour, who had reported his suspicions several times, threatened a local council official with a lawsuit. On being rescued, the children were found to be severely malnourished and unable to tolerate sunlight. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21210531-2703,00.html


* * *

Maria Monaco, 47, was kept prisoner by her family for 18 years in a small town outside Naples, Italy, for having a baby out of wedlock. Her mother Anna Rosa Golino, 80, brother Prisco, 44, a farmer and sister Michelina, 54, a primary school teacher took action after she had an affair with a mystery man and got pregnant. On 13 June 2008, she was rescued by police after an anonymous tip-off. Her brother and sister were taken into custody, accused of detaining her. Police have questioned Maria's 17-year-old son whom they said was living with his grandmother and 'fully aware of the situation'. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1026429/Woman-kept-captive-filthy-bedroom-dungeon-family-having-baby-wedlock.html

Viktor Mokhov kept two Russian girls, Lena and Katya, in an underground cell for 3 1/2 years in Skopin, Russia. Mokhov abducted the two girls in September 2000, when Lena was 14 and Katya 17 years old, from a disco. He locked them into an underground room that he had built previously underneath the garage of his home, where he regularly abused them sexually. The older girl gave birth to two boys in captivity in 2001 and 2003, and was pregnant when she was freed. Mokhov transferred the two boys to an orphanage. During the last months of their imprisonment, Mokhov took the girls occasionally for walks outside their cellar during the night. The girls managed to hide a note inside an audio cassette their captor had lent them. This note was later found by a boarder in the house, and the girls where finally freed by police in 2004. Their captor was arrested and given seventeen years in a labor camp and two more in prison. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article417480.ece


Samuel James "Jimmy" Ryce (26 September 1985 – 11 September 1995) was a child that was abducted, raped and killed by Juan Carlos Chavez in Homestead, Florida, United States. In the fall of 1998, Juan Carlos Chavez was convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. Chavez was given the death penalty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jimmy_Ryce


Fusako Sano (also known by the pseudonym Sachiko Yamada) is a Japanese woman who was kidnapped at age ten by Nobuyuki Sato, and held in captivity for nine years and two months from November 13, 1990 to January 28, 2000. In Japan, the case is also known as the Niigata girl confinement incident. Sato is currently serving a 14 year prison sentence.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/01/29/world/main154723.shtml



* * *


Elizabeth Ann Smart (born 3 November 1987) is an American woman who was abducted from her Salt Lake City, Utah bedroom on 5 June 2002 at the age of 14. She was found alive nine months later on 12 March 2003 in Sandy, Utah, about 18 miles from her home, in the company of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee, who were indicted for her kidnapping but ruled unfit to stand trial. Mitchell was a polygamist who believed it was his religious right to have more than one wife, even by force. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Smart_kidnapping



LEFT Brian David Mitchell and his Wife Wanda Ileen Barzee





* * *

Eleuterio Soria is a 73 year old Argentine man who was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for keeping his daughter in captivity for 11 years and sexually abusing her. He fathered two children with her. Soria's trial revealed that he began abusing his daughter in 1992, when she was 12 years old. The following year she became pregnant by her father, prompting her mother to leave their home in La Matanza, a working-class Buenos Aires district. The family's five other siblings eventually left as well. The daughter, whose name was not released, had a second child by her father in 1997. She did flee on various occasions, but would return home after he threatened their two children — often at gunpoint. She finally escaped for good in 2003 and denounced her father to authorities.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jpJ4kNdpQOa6I-ck_N-h-Ex1omvQD90QC9C01


Colleen Stan is a 20 year old woman who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Cameron Hooker in Red Bluff, California in 1977. On 19 May 1977 Hooker kidnapped Colleen Stan a.k.a. "Carol Smith." Cameron's wife, Janice Hooker, assisted in the kidnapping. Stan was held in captivity for the next seven years. During her imprisonment, Colleen was tortured, sexually assaulted, and led to believe that she was being watched by a large organization called "The Company". Hooker had her sign a "slavery contract" supposedly from "The Company". He assigned her a new slave name, "K", causing comparisons to the Story of O. She was also led to believe that members of her family would be harmed if she attempted to escape. She may have experienced Stockholm syndrome. Hooker kept Stan locked in wooden boxes that he had made. One of the boxes was located under the bed that he shared with his wife. Hooker was sentenced to consecutive terms for the sexual assaults, which totaled 60 years. He also received 1 to 25 years for the kidnapping, plus a 5 to 10 year sentence for using a knife in the process. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/sex_slave/index.html


* * *


GREAT BRITAIN


Frederick West and his wife Rosemary West


Frederick Walter Stephen West better known as Fred West, was an English serial killer. Between 1967 and 1987, he and his wife Rosemary West imprisoned, tortured, raped and murdered at least 12 young women. The majority of the murders occurred between May 1973 and September 1979 at the couple's home in Gloucester.

Rose came from a family where incest was common. Even after the birth of her fourth child Rose's father, Bill Letts, with Fred's approval, would often visit the West's for sex with his daughter. In December 1972 the Wests carried out a sexual assault on 17-year-old Caroline Roberts (then called Owens), and Fred West raped her. But she dropped that claim, and the following month the Wests were fined for assault, but not convicted. Their only known victim after 1979 was their daughter, Heather, who was killed in June 1987 at the age of 16.

In May 1992, West raped his 13-year-old daughter at Cromwell Street and filmed it, and then raped her twice afterwards. She discussed the incident with her brothers and sisters, who told friends at school. On 6 August 1992, the police decided to investigate, eventually leading to Fred West being charged with 12 counts of murder, with Rose as an accomplice. She was also charged with child cruelty, and the remaining children were placed in foster care. Fred confessed, retracted and then re-confessed to the murder of his daughter, denying that Rose was involved. Rose was not arrested until April 1994, initially on sex offences but later charged with murder. Further bodies were found and on 4 March 1994, West admitted that he had carried out nine more murders, including those of his first wife Rena Costello and Ann McFall.

Fred and Rose West were brought before a magistrates court in Gloucester on 30 June 1994. Immediately afterwards, Fred West was re-arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann McFall, whose body was found on 7 June 1994. On the evening of 3 July 1994, he was charged with her murder. On 1 January 1995, Fred West hanged himself while on remand in his cell at Winson Green. His brief funeral was held in Coventry on 29 March 1995. West was cremated with only three people present. Rosemary West was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Known Victims
1967 - Ann McFall (Scottish nanny and Fred's lover. Was eight months pregnant with his child). Body found in "letterbox field" near Much Marcle.
1970 - Rena Costello (Fred's first wife, also Scottish). Body found in "fingerpost field" near Much Marcle.
1972 - Charmaine West, 8 (Rena's eldest child). Body found beneath 25 Midland Road, Gloucester.
1973 - Linda Gough, 21 (seamstress from Gloucester). Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.
1973 - Lucy Partington, 21 (university student, from Gotherington, near Cheltenham). Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.
1974 - Carol Cooper,15 (schoolgirl from Worcester). Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.
1975 - Juanita Mott, 19 (from Newent, Glos) Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.
1975 - Shirley Hubbard, 15 (schoolgirl from Worcester). Body found beneath 25 Cromwell St.
1977 - Therese Siegenthaler, 21 (Swiss hitchhiker). Body found beneath 25 Cromwell St.
1977 - Alison Chambers, 17 (originally from Swansea). Body found in garden of 25 Cromwell St.
1978 - Shirley Robinson, 18 (lodger and Fred's lover. Heavily pregnant). Body found in garden of 25 Cromwell St.
1987 - Heather West, 16 (Fred and Rose's eldest daughter). Body found in garden of 25 Cromwell St.


PICTURESBOTH KILLED - Left Rena Costello (Fred's First Wife) & Right
Heather West (Fred & Rose's Eldest Daughter)









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_West / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_West

Senin, 24 Agustus 2009

Film Yourself, It’s The Only Way!

presentation film
A few weeks ago, I was invited to make a 2 hour presentation at a local university on “How To Develop a Plan to Boost Your Blog’s Profile and Readership Online ”.

I have been blogging for around 3 years and I felt I had good handle, on what to say and how to say it. I did research, prepared, practiced and was ready.

About 2 days before the presentation, I received a call from one of the event organizers. He asked, “Would you mind if we videotape your presentation?” I was flattered. I had never been videotaped before, and I told him that if I received a master copy, I would be happy to let them video me.



Fast forward to the day of the presentation
When the presentation was over, everyone applauded. I thought I did a great job.

Yesterday, I was handed the DVD recording of my talk. Last night, I popped some popcorn, called the cat, inserted the DVD, clicked on the machine, and sat back in my easy chair to watch “me in action”.

After 15 minutes of watching my 2 hour presentation, I was gripping the arm of my chair so hard that I couldn’t remove my fingers. In short, it was bad!
Mostly, there wasn’t anything wrong with the content. It was more to do with my hand gestures, the way I stood … (I could give a list of things here, but I want to save myself from any further embarrassment!)

I watched with pain for the next 1 hour and 45 minutes (even the cat ran away!)….

Then I watched it again! This time, I took notes.

I made a complete list of everything I did wrong, printed it out, and plan on carrying it for every presentation!

The moral of the story is if you don’t film yourself, you’ll never know how good or bad you are.

Recording myself gave me a reality (and a reality check!), and it provided a platform for me to learn and improve. Had my talk not been recorded that day, I would have never known the power of recording, and I would have walked away thinking I did a great job.

If I asked you how good you are, you would probably say, “I am pretty good”. I would respond and say, “Without a videotape, you have no idea”.

Related Posts

Senin, 10 Agustus 2009

Waiting Time Doesn't Have To Be Wasted Time!

waiting timeI left work early today so that I could get to my dentist’s appointment on time. I arrived 10 minutes ahead of time, only to find out that the doctor was running an hour and a half behind. Obviously, the staff never bothered to call and tell me the doctor was running so far behind! < Imagine my annoyance, when a load of things I could have done at work flashed through my mind!>

I didn’t have time to go back to office and come back, since the journey itself would have taken another hour. So, my only option was join the others in the waiting room. Most of them were sitting impatiently counting ceiling tiles, except for one lady. She had several small sheets of paper (looked like bills) around her, and she was writing on a checkbook. She seemed wrapped up in what she was doing and didn’t look as if she was bothered by the delay.

I was impressed by HOW she decided to spend her “waiting time”. Even more, I was inspired by her preparation. It was as if, she expected to wait a long time!



Unfortunately, I didn’t have my checkbook with me, to do something similar. However, I dug out my notebook and pen from my handbag, and started drafting this post…

Most of us don't see that waiting time as a cost to us; but it is. Minutes add up to hours and hours to days. As we spend time waiting, we end up wasting days of doing nothing but just waiting.
That’s not the only thing, how your waiting time goes affects your mood and productivity, long after the waiting time is over!

So, my message for you today is..

Realize in advance when you may be forced to wait.

Expect to be delayed; Expect to be waiting => Be Prepared


Some of us are better at dealing with that than others. What about you?
Are you the sort of person who is generally prepared for delays/waiting time?

Related Posts

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...