Monday, October 5, 2009

Why Goals Don't Work

I was talking to a friend of mine this morning about her financial goals for the year. After listening to her for a few minutes, I interrupted to ask how she felt about those goals.

There was a long pause. Finally, I asked if I could share my thoughts about goals - why I don't set them for myself, and why I think they're terribly limiting and frustrating.

By the end of the call, she was in tears, and I nearly was. I had been in the right place at the right time for her, and had helped her see a new way of approaching her business, her clients, and her whole life - a way that felt scary, but spacious and even inspiring in ways that traditional goal-setting just can't achieve.

Are you ready to try something new? Here's what I shared with her; I hope it will be as inspiring to you.

Goals are like Boxes
When you were a kid, it was fun to play in big packing boxes. But squashing your life into one is a very different feeling. And that's what goals do.

I've observed over and over again, with myself and with clients, that setting goals creates limitations - and panic! Once a goal is set, you immediately start thinking about it; you can't stop thinking about it. Everything you do is focused on achieving the goal. My friend saw all her potential clients as walking dollar signs- not very comfortable for her or for them!

"How will I meet my goal? What happens if I don't succeed? Will everyone think I'm a failure?" Then, as my friend commented this morning, there's always the "Oh, I didn't really mean that" thing that happens when a goal starts to feel unreachable.

On the other hand, when you finally reach your goal you think, "Ahhh... I achieved it. Now I can relax." And you put your feet up and take a deep breath. Whether you do this literally or figuratively, you've stopped. What amazing things would happen if you kept going? You'll never know.

An Invitation to Be
So I asked my friend, "Who would you be if you weren't so focused on financial goals?"

There was another long silence, but this one was full of electricity - I could almost see the exclamation marks flying in her thoughts. Finally, she said, "I don't know!"

"I've asked myself that question before," she added, "but it's always been what would I do. I never thought of asking who I would be."

When you start with an intention to be something special, to be more of who you really are, the goals you might have set are nothing compared to what you'll actually receive, accomplish, and experience. Just as I've seen people box themselves in with goals, I've seen them set themselves free with an intention to be.

The more powerfully you set the intention, the better. Set an intention that stretches you, that pushes you out of your habits, that makes you feel nervous and vulnerable. Set your intention with commitment and heart, even when it frightens you.

I know someone who was always giving. Immensely generous of spirit and in action, she felt threatened and vulnerable in receiving. When she set an intention to be someone who receives as well as giving, she knew it would be challenging. What she didn't know was how amazingly rewarding it would be. She received gifts of friendship, service, joy, peace, and love that have changed her life forever, in ways she could not have imagined.

And all she did was set the intention - and then she noticed whether she was being in alignment with that intention.

What will you be?

(c)Grace L. Judson

Helping professionals who loathe corporate politics and want to lead with integrity and compassion.

About the Author

I'm Grace Judson, the founder of and driving force behind Svaha Concepts.

Feeling trapped between your career goals and your loathing for "playing politics"? You can remain true to your values and integrity and still be politically savvy. For more information or to access my free resources (including my free workbook "The Five Deadly Shoulds of Office Politics that Maul, Mangle, and Murder Careers (and what to do about them)," please visit Svaha Concepts' website.

Dealing With Condensation

Last winter I had a major problem with condensation which was especially prominent under the bay window in the living room and the built in wardrobes in the front bedroom. I spent some time researching the causes of condensation and found that ventilation is key. The built in wardrobes were especially bad because they were located on a North facing external wall. They were also full of clothes and the when the doors were closed there was no ventilation.

Last winter I stripped the wallpaper in the built in wardrobes because it was covered in black mould and smelt musty. I bleached the walls and painted them with an anti-condensation paint. This did get rid of the smell but the walls were so cold that the anti-condensation paint didn't make any difference. When the warm air in the bedroom hit the cold wall within the wardrobe there was no stopping the water vapour from appearing.

Last week I thought to myself - "I need to do something about this condensation before winter arrives". Not knowing what the solution was I took a trip to B&Q and had a look around for anything that might have helped and there it was - 'Warmaline wall lining', basically a roll of polystyrene that you use just like wallpaper which provides an amazing insulation from the coldness of the wall. I added three layers in all just to ensure that it worked and to my amazement the walls have been consistantly warm. Not only does Warmaline insulate the wardrobe it also stops your clothes getting cold which in turn stops and damp and mould growth on the clothes.

http://victorianproperty.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Ark of the Covenant - Purpose

Hold on to your hat! Here comes one of the most, incredible stories of ancient technology, which ranks alongside the use of atomic forces and the 'Lost Chord'. Needless to say the editors of Scientific American who denied the Wright brothers had achieved airborne flight for months after Kitty Hawk won't or wouldn't believe this 'doozy'. I think it is a very good explanation that is part of something even more fantastic which explains the existence of accurate maps from over ten thousand years ago. But I also think these maps might have been the work of Mungo Man or the De Danaan they worked with.

The other possibility that would explain their existence relates to Lhasa and a spacecraft which Churchward as well as Bruggers The Chronicles of Akakor recounts from such things as the Lhasa Record which may only exist in the Akashic. If you have a better explanation I'd like to hear from you. Is it not important to explain such proven anomalies? Especially when they integrate with things we don't want to admit about man's far more advanced nature in ancient times. If we have blown each other apart before or created hyperviruses such as what killed the Mammoth (A current research underway by the American Museum of Natural History thinks it can be proven such a virus killed many large animals and that humans were the carrier.); does it warrant asking our leaders if they knew these things or why they didn't tell us? We are certain that our knowledge is not exclusive or even complete in these matters. Yet perhaps few people know how many disciplines and areas of how lives are under such oppressive control.

The maps themselves are dealt with under the Portolan Maps entry in greater detail and at this point we think it relevant to our discussion of the ARK to bring the Pyramid into the possibility of advanced prior civilizations on earth. Michael Bradley is a map expert and a good scholar whose work we have quoted before.

"Centre of the Earth's Land Mass, etc.

This is an important concept and I will explain to the best of my ability. It will be easier to appreciate somewhat better the truly significant placement of the Giza complex.

First let's consider two squares. One is 100 square units (miles, kilometres, or whatever) in area, the other twice as large, 200 square units in area.

{He illustrates two squares with pyramids on top from an overhead perspective with a line connecting the centre points or apex of the pyramids. Under the smaller square are 10 units and under the larger square is the figure 14.85 units. The 100 and 200 unit figures as mentioned are further repeated further under these two squares.}

We will find their respective centres by drawing diagonals. Where the diagonals intersect is the centre of each square. Together, these squares represent three units of the largest common denominator--100 square miles. So we'll draw a line, divided equally into three parts, between the centres of the two squares. Since one square is twice the size of the other, we will mark off two of the equal parts towards the larger square. This is the centre of their combined areas, given their distance apart. If they were closer together, or further apart, the point would fall elsewhere. Please note that this point is above the centre of the small square but below the centre of the larger one. It is a true geometric centre of the two areas that are separated by this given and arbitrary distance.

It is possible to ascertain the area of an irregular shape, although it is much more difficult to do than using squares.

The largest continent, Eurasia, happens to be about twice the land area of the American continents. These continents are separated by oceans. One can divide the separation into three equal parts, just as above, and find the 'centre of these two land masses.'

Taking this point, we can calculate Africa into the picture the same way. Africa is about 25% the area of Eurasia and the Americas combined. Therefore, the distance from Africa's geographic centre to the Eurasia-Americas' centre will be divided into five equal parts (i.e. the '4' represented by Eurasia-Americas, and the '1'(25%) represented by Africa's area). Marking off four of these five divisions towards the Eurasia-Americas centre, since this centre represents a combined land mass four times as large as Africa, will yield a new point, which is geometric, in this case 'geographic', centre of Eurasia-Americas-Africa combined. If we continue this process with the remaining large and small land masses--Antarctica, Australia, Greenland, New Guinea, Java, Sumatra, etc. --we will eventually arrive at a 'centre of the earth's land masses.' It will be as accurate as our method, plus the arbitrary inclusion of ever smaller islands, will make it.

A meticulous calculation of such a 'centre' will result in a point directly on the meridian (longitude) of the Great Pyramid but 6' (minutes) south of the Great Pyramid--but there's only sand in that location. The Giza Plateau is the first solid bedrock on the correct meridian {And Archaeology Magazine had the temerity to suggest the builders were merely imitating natural landforms with the Sphinx and Pyramid in last months issue.}. It is 6' in error from the true centre.

Sixty seconds of 101.3 English feet = l' (minute) of arc, 6080 feet on the equator = 1 nautical mile, whereas one 'common' or 'highway' ('statute') mile equals 5280 English feet. A nautical 'knot' is one nautical mile (6080 English feet) per hour of time; it is a unit of speed measurement, not of static distance.

Sixty minutes = 1 degree of arc, or 60 nautical miles at the equator. The Earth's equatorial circumference contains 360 degrees or 21,600 nautical miles = 24,872.73 common or statute miles.

All this sounds deceptively precise! In fact, of course, standardization of the length of the English foot, and therefore of seconds, minutes and degrees of arc, was not accomplished until the 1750s--and the size of the Earth was not measured correctly at that time. Just as the French Academy made an error in fixing the length of the metre, which was supposed to be one ten-millionth part of the surface distance from the Earth's equator to either pole, because they couldn't measure the Earth accurately, so also the British Admiralty made inaccurate geographic measures. Nonetheless, these measures remain accurate enough for most practical purposes. Nowadays, units of measure are fixed by correlation to electromagnetic wave-lengths {Could the ancients have been able to attune with Gaia's earth energy grid and send signals along it to record the time taken for a bounce back or echo?}. Since 1966, for example, the metre has been fixed as a division of the wave-length of Krypton 86.

A glance at the U. S. A. F. 'Azimuthal Equidistant Projection' Map of the world {see illustration in our section} will show that it is centred 'near Cairo'--i.e., at the centre of the earth's land masses, as calculated above, and precisely on the meridian of the Great Pyramid-- but 36,480 English feet south of the Great Pyramid at the true centre, which falls in an area of sand. A property of Azimuthal Equidistant Projection is that a circle drawn around any given point will have a circumference incorporating points of geography that are truly equidistant from the centre of the circle--the airplane or ship. This is not the case with large-scale maps drawn on the common Mercator projection {John Dee studied with Mercator and achieved high status in this field.}, which gives accurate longitudes and latitudes of all geography but must distort the polar regions in order to do so. It is also not the case with the Phillips projection, used by the UN, which shows the land area of countries in true proportion to each other but must distort the longitudes and latitudes near the equator in order to do so. These distortions arise from the problem of transferring the curved surface of a spherical Earth onto a flat piece of paper--the best that can be done is to know, and to choose, the kind of distortion that best serves any given need.

The location of the Great Pyramid at the centre of the Earth's land masses, unless it is truly a coincidence, implies the following. First, its builders knew the geography and size of the Earth quite accurately because they could not otherwise calculate the correct centre of land - masses. Second, they chose Egypt because the centre is there {It would be quite coincidental that they were Egyptian as well.}, and this means that Ancient Egyptian civilization may have arisen because of lingering cultural influences as well as because of the supposed advantages conferred by the Nile. Third, the three pyramids of the Giza complex, including the Sphinx, were built by someone other than the Ancient Egyptians--unless we are willing to grant them advanced knowledge as well--but then we must contend with the various correlations at Giza that all point to 10,500 B.C. as the origin of the Giza complex {I'll grant this date or 2,000 years later for the Sphinx, as well as the whole complex being designed at this time. I believe the capstones were used before the final Pyramids were constructed. It would appear there were other pyramids built to imitate this 'GREAT' pyramid. The issue of the Brazilian pyramids is yet to be determined, and it is possible they are even more 'fantastic'.}. Either the three pyramids and the Sphinx were built by an unknown culture long before the beginnings of Ancient Egypt, now dated as about 3200 B.C., or the Egyptians themselves have a much longer history than we think." (13)

Clearly there are many entries this impinges upon that we continue to develop. Before making another brief quote from his notes and then moving on to the ARK (An arc-transmitter that allowed large ships to send information back to the Pyramid for the mapping purposes.), I should address some other correlations with the Phoenician Pythagoras and his studies of the Pyramid. Some authors note the nautilus sea creature has a natural configuration of the mathematical concept or construct known as 'phi'. This is encapsulated in the Great Pyramid with its two complete tetrahedra. (Read Bucky Fuller's COSMOGONY or SYNERGISTICS for further insight.). Thales also had a Phoenician parent and he is credited by the Hellenizing Empire as the father of all sciences, but he studied the Pyramid and learned much about his limited knowledge from it. We have (and continue) shown the DNN of Homer and the Dana worshipping Scythians, Kelts and Iberian/Basque and Berbers are part of the Phoenician 'Brotherhood' that greatly pre-dates Pythagoras' 'brother- hood' or any Therapeutae and Great White Brotherhood. We are sure Churchward's Mu and the Mungo Man are connected with this conglomerate which will lead to Harappan and Easter Island connections to Kelts and many other enterprises from the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall.

"Pi is the ratio of a circle's diameter to its circumference, 1:3.14 or 7:22. Phi is the ratio of a line divided so that the length of the shorter segment bears the same relationship to the length of the longer segment as the longer segment bears to the whole undivided line, 1:1.618. This 'Phi' is sometimes called 'The Golden Section' {Key Masonic concept attributed to Pythagoras.} because there's something inaffably pleasing about the ratio. It was used by many Renaissance artists such as Poussin {Bradley shows how his art incorporated scenes and people of import and coded to give knowledge of when the family of Jesus or Merovingians were safely settled in places like Montreal and one might think another artist did the same when they were in America long before Columbus at Kingston where he has geologic core samples to show European influence.}, Michelangelo and da Vinci {An alchemist like his mentor - check 'The Dictionary of Alchemy' by Mark Haeffner.}; it occurs in abstract mathematics, as in the Fibonacci Series of numerical progression; it occurs frequently in nature, for example in the successive length of segments of the chambered nautilus." (14)

When I made my brief interruption earlier in reference to attunement with the earth energy grid and 'echoes' I was not being facetious. The vision Napoleon saw in the King's Chamber may relate to this through a time portal not unlike the 'Stone' that Michel de Nostradamus (who grew up near Rennes le Chateau) was able to glimpse the confusing potentials of the unsubstantial future we can change through creative, purposeful and FREE WILL. The kings chamber and the delta wave forms that a pyramid creates are part of the time structure and helical nature thereof (according to Al Bielek who has a time machine which a friend of mine has seen - more later). The possibility of what Bradley is about to say may have seemed even more likely than what I just wrote until the NEC labs at Princeton demonstrated 300X light speed last year (2001).

Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magzine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com

Concrete Basics - Home Repair Advice

Concrete is the most commonly used man made building supply on Earth. Six billion cubic meters are manufactured a year, in a $35 billion industry. This means there are pretty good odds that you'll eventually do something with, or be around something with concrete.

Weather and climate will affect your concrete. It is not wise to pour your cement in conditions that involve a drop below freezing before the cement cures, as this will prevent the cement from reaching its maximum strength. Likewise, if the humidity is too low, the surface of the cement can crack and produce weaknesses for weather to attack. All concrete will eventually crack to some extent, though this can be minimized by good design and selection of good reinforcement where needed. This does not mean concrete is a bad choice, as concrete structures have lasted thousands of years.

Concrete is used as a fire barrier, but while it doesn't burn, it can be damaged by heat. Once the temperature reaches or exceeds 300 degrees, the concrete is considered unsafe, and this can usually be detected by a pink, light gray or yellow-brown color. Discolored concrete should be replaced. For handyman style use, bagged cement is perfectly reasonable, and for convenience, there are pre-mixed bags with aggregate already mixed, just requiring water. These are very handy for small jobs such as setting a pole into the ground for a doggy chain or clothesline. This is usually too expensive for large jobs.

Pouring concrete, such as a sidewalk, requires several steps. First, figure out how much you need. This is determined by measuring the surface area and thickness to determine how many cubic yards you need, and this will tell you whether you can mix it yourself, or need to have it delivered. Then you build your forms. This probably involves digging, and laying 2"x4" boards to hold the edges of the concrete. 2"x2" boards should be used to hold those in place, pounding them deep enough that the weight of the concrete won't push the boards out of place.

You will almost always want to lay reinforcing material in the bottom, such as metal fencing materials. Ensure that you have everything square and at the proper level, as after you pour, it will be too late. Then ensure that all of the pieces are well secured with nails and clamps. Spray the site with later lightly, and pour. Tamp the concrete down, especially on the edges, and level the concrete.

Once it has set enough to support a 2"x8" board, use one as a straight edge to cut contraction joints. These should be every four to six feet. For sidewalks or narrow areas, this is sufficient, but for patios these should go in both directions. A pair of beveled clapboards can be used. Coat them with motor oil and place a nail into one. Insert them into joints on large concrete structures. As the concrete begins to set, the nail is used to remove one of the boards, and the other is hidden inside, leaving room for the concrete to expand or contract with the weather.

There are a variety of ways to surface the concrete, but remember that you must select one that will allow water to drain off of the concrete, as standing water is a major cause of damage to concrete. After you surface the concrete, it must be wetted down every 12 hours for the next three days, and protected from sunlight while it cures. Visit http://www.tipsonconcrete.com for additional tips.

For more information & a free newsletter visit our blog at http://myhomeimprovementtips.com.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Installing Molding For Interior Doors

When installing door trim, some carpenters begin with the legs(vertical pieces); Others prefer to hang the top trim first. Installing the top first has the advantage of offering precise control over the most finicky part of the installation, the miters. Once the top trim is up, install the legs one at a time, positioning each so that the miter is perfect. If you install the legs first, you'll have to fit the top trim on both miters simultaneously. Unless both miters are perfect and the legs perfectly parallel, you are bound to get gaps you can't close in your work.

Lay out out the reveal., The door trim is never flush with the edge of the jamb; typically it sits back from the edge by about 1/8th inch. The space, or reveal, leaves enough room for the hinge barrel and provides a margin of error if the jamb dips.

The frame on the prehung door is likely to have a layout line on it that marks the edge of the reveal. If you work on an unmarked door frame, set a combination square to 1/8 inch, and guide it and a pencil along the frame. Mark the reveal on both sides and above the door.

Measure and miter the top trim. First cut a 45-degree miter on one end of the top trim piece; hold it in place to mark the inside point of the second miter cut. Lay out the cut with a combination square, and cut it with a miter box.

Nail the top trim in place. To help position the trim, miter two scrap pieces of molding, and clamp them in place along the sides of the door frame. Cut and place the top trim and adjust as necessary to get a tight miter. Nail the top trim into the jamb. Leave at least 1/8 inch of the nails exposed in case you need to adjust the piece later. Use #6 finishing nails for the jabs and #8 finishing nails through the trim and into the studs.

Miter the legs. Mitering a piece to fit can be tricky. Make it easy on yourself by mitering the legs before you square them off. Then place the legs against the frame so they are upside down. This leaves the miter on the floor and the fulll length of the trim extending toward the ceiling. Mark where the tiop trim touches the leg and cut the leg quare at the mark.

Nail the legs to the door frame. Start at the top, holding the leg so the miter closes tightly, and drive a #6 finishing nail through it and into the jamb. Work down the leg, flexing it if necessary so that it aligns with the line that marks the framing behind the wall. Repeat on the opposite leg, and then set all the nails. To keep the corners tight, predrill and drive a #6 finishing nail at an angle up through the edge of the leg, through the miter, and into the header molding.

For professional mortgage help with lowering mortgages, extending your loan maturity date(s), getting Home Savers Loans, home improvement instructions and tips, please visit http://hstrial-oswingrant.homestead.com

Mechanic's Lien Source Book - Home Owner Advice

A mechanic's lien is a powerful device to enforce payment on a construction project. But is there a limit to the amount you can claim? What about damages for breach of contract?

I am not aware of any state which would allow direct or consequential damages to be inserted into a mechanic's lien. The reason is that such claims are strictly limited to the labor, materials, and equipment conferred to the project which results in some form of permanent improvement. Your damages, over and above the amount owed on the contract and change orders, would be outside this scope.

Here are some examples of damages which could not be included:

Loss of profits on other jobs. As a result of not being paid $10,000, you were unable to use that money to advance labor and materials for another large job you were just awarded. You had to turn that job down and lost a profit.

Lack of productivity. Assume there have been so many changes and miscommunications on the job, that you had to start, stop, mobilize, demobilize, expand, shrink, fabricate, re-fabricate, and change your work force and productivity. You have lost countless hours and had to pay your employees out of pocket. This is normally not included in the mechanic's lien.

Delay damages. You have been delayed in the start of the project as well as during the course of construction.

Extended overhead. The architect has made so many changes to that you have been on the job much longer than expected and have had to carry a substantial overhead.

It is important to remember that although these items may not be included in your lien, you can include them in a lawsuit or arbitration for breach of contract and consequential damages against the person you have your contract with.

Sue Malone
442 Diablo Road, Suite 137
Danville, CA 94526
Email: info@NationalLienLaw.com

Sue Malone is the owner of National Lien Law, a site devoted to contractor forms for use in the construction industry. For Mechanic's Lien Forms and more information on this subject, including free lien law summaries and time deadline tables for all 50 states, visit our website at: http://www.NationalLienLaw.com Or call (925) 899-8449 and ask for Bernie. All representatives are graduates of an accredited law school, but are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice. Please consult with a construction attorney if you wish legal representation.

2008 NationalLienLaw.com. All rights reserved.

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile - Easy Remodeling Technique!

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile remodeling is a great option for home-makers to easily redecorate any surface at home. When it comes to contemporary and easy DIY tiles, using this unique tiling technique is an alternative you should consider. Want to learn how it can help you redecorate your home? Read the following article.

Quick introduction

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile redecoration is made of a set of identical beach-stones fixed onto a sq/ft mesh backing. We may find that these panels are made of stones originated from various beaches and rivers from all over the world - mostly from S. East Asia. This tiling technique enables you to easily redecorate anywhere in the inside & the outside: Bathroom flooring and wall coating (including showers), kitchen surfaces such as countertops & backsplashes, patios, pools and even fireplaces.

Important benefits

Let's quickly summarize the main advantages and benefits of this unique technique:

* Can be used for virtually unlimited applications at home, in the office, in restaurants, hotels, etc.
* Can be used for dry surfaces as well as wet surfaces such as shower flooring or as a sink backsplash.
* Their surfaces are flush and in fact, are safer to walk on than most conventional hard flooring as they offer more traction to prevent slipping.

Valuable tips to go!

* Use a tile saw in order to cut stones to fit edges or corners.
* Most recommended grout is sanded grout - it is suitable for both internal and external use.
* Don't rush! - make a plan; make sure you know how to install these panels, even make a small trial first just to see that you can handle it with no problem.

We could easily find many other great benefits provided by this simple redesigning method simply because it provides virtually unlimited remodeling options to any space and surface at any size and location whether for interior or exterior uses.

Quick summary

It is considered as one of the best tiling choices for the average home-maker due to the fact that Backsplash For Bathroom Tile can be quickly installed with minimal required technical skills, and at low cost. If you wish to succeed with your first installation it is recommended to keep the above tips before you begin with installation.

Get creative! - Learn more about how you can easily decorate any surface at home or in the office with Backsplash For Bathroom Tiles.

Visit: http://www.homepebbletiles.com