Have you Done Your Homework?

I believe that everyone that starts a business wants to be successful, otherwise why did they start there own business. I also believe that if you work hard to start a business that you should be rewarded and not punished for your success, your reward of course is a higher income. My question is this, should we as business owners be punished with higher taxes for becoming successful?
My wife’s uncle lost his job a few years ago. He was a hospital administrator before he lost his job. He then purchased a struggling company and turned things around. He works very hard doing jobs that aren’t very pleasant but he has become very successful and has made a lot of money. Should he be punished for his hard work with higher taxes?
We are all going to school right now to better improve ourselves and hopefully obtain a high paying job. We are currently working on mock companies, ideas which hopefully will pay off. The same lessons and questions that we learn with these mock companies can be applied to our real life situation. If our company becomes successful should we be punished? Or in other words, if we work hard as a group, should part of our grade go to another group and in affect lower our grade? No, I didn’t think so.
As some of you may have caught on I am talking about the current election we have. One candidate believes you should keep your hard earned money while the other believes that it’s better to take your success and give it to someone else. Now I’m not going to tell you which candidate believes what because that’s your job and the purpose of this blog. Do you know your candidate? Have you done your own research or are you relying on others? What are you basing your decision on, race, sex, party lines, peer pressure, or perhaps rumors? If you are basing your decision on any of the above if so why? We have an opportunity to participate in a process that not everyone in the world has and wouldn’t it be a shame to waste by voting for one of the above reasons.
All I ask is for you to do your own homework; search all candidates not just the two from the major parties. Look at their respective websites and don’t just go on hearsay. Don’t just go off of what your college professors say because they are human and can be biased as well. Research their public records after looking at their website to verify their clams and be weary of some blogs.
Now as a final passage I want to dispel two rumors that are out there. First Barack Obama is not a Muslim and those that say that he is are just trying to scare you. He turned to Christianity years ago, hence the whole Jeremiah Write issue. Second, the fact that John McCain does not use the internet is true; however what people don’t tell is the reason why. He can’t use a computer because of his injuries that he received as POW during the Vietnam War. Both of these examples have been exploited by both sides. Hopefully this will send you on your quest for finding the right person for you. Remember, don just think about your current situation but where you see yourself in a few years because how you vote will not only affect your current circumstances but your future situation as well.

Your Move Games' bad first impression: A cautionary tale

Back in June, a friend (hereafter called Bill) invited me to go to a gaming convention with him. Normally, this would be a big expense, but we could go on the cheap by working for a gaming company called Your Move Games.
Our jobs would be simple and relatively easy. We were to help the company set up and demo their product. Bill had already done this a couple times before, but it would be a first experience with me, which led to a couple of problems later on.

After a long but enjoyable trip (despite West Virginia), we arrived in Columbus only a little behind schedule. Having ventured further west into America than I'd ever been before, and being at my first gaming convention. I was elated. There was tons of stuff to do and see. First things first, though, so Bill and I dutifully made a beeline for the exhibitor's hall where I'd meet my bosses.

We got a lukewarm welcome. Nobody smiled, laughed at my jokes, or even looked me in the eye. I don't know why. Maybe it was because we were a little bit late and missed their set-up time. Maybe they weren't thrilled at having me around or paying our gas to get to the Con. Maybe these people were just plain unfriendly. In any case I certainly didn't feel welcome or appreciated, so I did what people usually do when they get that reaction from near-strangers.

I went the hell away.

Yes, after that initial meeting I went straight back, talked it over with another friend who was also attending the Con, and decided to share a hotel room with him instead of working for Your Move Games. It might not have been very professional of me to bail on them like that, but I wasn't about to spend my first gaming convention rooming with and working for people who didn't seem to like me that much.

I write this as a cautionary tale to any business professional who might hire somebody on a temporary basis, or indeed hire anyone at all. Everybody wants to be appreciated, even temps. So, even if you're only hiring somebody as a favor, even if you're only working with them for a week, be nice.

The cautionary aspect of this story hinges, of course, on Your Move Games suffering for their stand-offishness. I doubt they suffered much, but they did ask if I was available to help them during busy times. I wasn't. And, then, here I am, 4 months later, writing about the treatment I received. Why would any company want to risk that, when all I wanted was a hello to keep me happy?

Managing Stress Before the Flu Season

Stress is an extremely common factor in any workplace. What comes from stress however can end up being worse than the stress itself. According to a recent article I read on the CDC website, stress has been linked to many more serious conditions. It is know that stress weakens our immune system and makes us more prone to anything that may be going around at the time. Now studies suggest a link to conditions such as: cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, psychological disorders, injuries, cancers, and even ulcers.

Now that the flu season is rapidly approaching, we will be seeing more and more people absent from work. The flu is definitely something to take serious since it is highly contagious and in high stress environments this risk can nearly double. So I would like to remind people to please take it seriously! If you have the flu or any illness make sure you take the time to rest and recover before exposing your body to more stress than it needs.

Furthermore, make sure look out for the signs of stress affecting you. Common signs are of this are: headaches, trouble sleeping, stomach discomfort, trouble concentrating, and many more. Plus before the flu season comes into full affect start learning how to manage your stress before it becomes out of control. Tips can be found at the following article. Please take these into consideration and do your best to stay healthy!!

Article for consideration: Stress Tip Sheet