card9

Tips To Help Improve Your Public Speaking Game

card9 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:27:35 +0000

Public speaking involves people who in one way, are waiting to receive some information about the topic at hand. When you prepare to make a speech to people and meet your audience, you should pay attention.
Some people have no problem with speaking in public because they are good at it. Politicians and college professors are usually naturals and do not mind speaking in public. Some people are terrified of speaking and public and if they are forced to give a speech, they tend to start shaking because they do not like public speaking at all. This should not be a problem since there are ways to deal with the fear of public speaking.
If you are about to put on a speech, your apparently at a period in your life time that people actually care what your thoughts are, this means in general, the audience wants to get in your head and acknowledge your talent in your selective field. Whoever listens to you will probably want to learn from you. While these people will be thinking about you, you should not be thinking about them. Sure, the only people you should think about are the people that you know that are in the crowd. Also, you should be thinking about the person that will profit from your philosophy and get to him especially. Even profit on the ones you fear.
If anything, preparation should be one of the key things you do. It is easy and is the fruit of success in any type of field you might want to be in.
You also want to know what your audience knows, what they need to know, and what you can say to make them pay more attention to the speech you are delivering. Knowing your audience is a good start. Your audience will want to know your every thought if you keep them interested at all times.
Now before you go on a stage and do your speech, you want to rehearse your speech over and over, in front of relatives, parents, or in front of the mirror. It is evident that you do not have all the time in the world to make your speech flawless, but, there is a reason to do all of this. You want good timing and you want to perfect different spots of your speech by changing the tone in your voice or the speed you say your speech at. All of these things will make you a way better speaker than you are and it will help you plan speeches better. Always have confidence and have a strong start. Listen to yourself while practicing for the speech to make sure you are doing all of these things. Let people see your confidence and if you do this right, your audience will be hooked on your speech.
You must always have a good entrance and a good beginning to your speech. Make sure your poise and do not rush yourself, even if you are under a tight schedule. Do everything clam and collective. Show everybody that you are in a totally different zone. Make sure they fell that you are a powerful speaker. Pick good opening words and trust that you are going to do well.

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Story-Telling Basics – 7 Powerful Steps to Telling Great Stories!

card9 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:17:14 +0000

Throughout time, the greatest orators and teachers have illuminated their lessons by telling powerful stories. Story-telling is a great way to engage your audience and show them how your topic, point or lesson relates to them specifically. Unfortunately, not everyone is born a great story-teller, and some stories are better than others. Follow these 7 steps to deliver great stories every time!
1. Know your audience and make sure your story is appropriate
When telling stories it is really important to know who you are telling them to and have an idea of how they might react to them. Age group, professional level and culture are extremely important factors; make sure your story is appropriate for your audience. Even when you are telling a “tried and true” story, what might be appropriate and funny for one group, could be distasteful and unacceptable for another. Take care when choosing the topic of your story and the language you use to deliver it.
2. Make your story easy to relate to
The topics of stories should be broad enough that anyone can relate to them. This tactic is also used in stand-up comedy. The funniest comedians take every-day situations that everyone experiences and make light of them. This is what a good story does. It has a plot that everyone can relate to, a subject that is simple, straight-forward and illustrative of the lesson. If you’ve chosen the right story and delivered it correctly, you will actually see the light bulbs going off above your listeners’ heads. If you have to say, “I guess you had to be there,” you have not told a clear and effective story!
3. Write out your story when presenting for the first time – and cut it in half
I have seen way too many speakers go on and on about things where I just want to stand up and yell, “Can you make this long story short?” When you plan to tell a story for the first time, write it out the way you want to present it – and then cut it in half. Remember the KISS philosophy: Keep it Short and Simple. Give us the nuts and bolts and nothing else. Sometimes story-tellers get wrapped up in the details, usually because they experienced the situation and find those details relevant. But usually the details of what you were wearing at the time and where you bought that outfit are not adding to the lesson or plot of the story.
4. Have a clear link between your story and your lesson
A story is only worth telling if it has an obvious link to the subject being taught. We all know from common conversation how annoying it is to listen to someone’s long-winded story just to wonder at the end of it why it was shared. Effective speakers have a very clear link between the moral of their stories and the topic at hand. If this link is missing, the story is useless, and your listeners are left wondering what it was for.
5. Engage your listener by engaging the senses
A good story-teller engages all of our senses. We might listen to you tell a funny story about ice cream, and that will be enjoyable, but what if you could make us taste that ice cream, feel its creamy consistency on our tongues, visualize the mess that’s made all over your face as a child, and so on. That’s what will make your story great and memorable.
6. Be aware of audience cues when telling your story
As a speaker you should always be aware of audience response. The attentive speaker will always know when the audience is losing interest and make appropriate changes to the delivery of the story, the language being used, the topic or even the final moral or punch-line. Different audiences won’t always react to the same story the same way. No matter how well you do your homework, you can still run into problems. Be flexible and have a back-up plan if your story isn’t going as well as planned.
7. Deliver your story with some feeling!
The key to an amazing story is in its delivery. A passionate story teller will get a much more enthusiastic response from the listeners than a boring one! Use variations in pitch, volume and intonation to make the story interesting to listen to. Be sure to pause at the right times for dramatic effect, and pull the audience in with mystique and excitement.

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How to Monitor Your Cash Flows With A Cash Flow Statement

card9 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:12:17 +0000

A cash flow statement is a financial reporting document displaying the cash outflows and inflows of a company on a monthly or quarterly basis. This report reflects the effects of changes to the balance sheet and income accounts on the cash position as well as analyzing the operating, investing and other financial aspects of the company. When analyzed, the cash flow statement helps assess the short term capability and practicality of the company as to whether it will be able to fulfill its obligations to pay its bills or not.
Those who may be interested in studying the cash flow statement include:
- The accounting department
- Creditors and other lenders who need to assess the repayment capability of the company
- Investors who will judge whether the company is economically sound and viable
- Contractors and would-be employees who need to know whether the company will be able to fulfill its financial obligations
Companies that have limited fluid assets and which are just beginning operations are most in need of cash flow statements because they may be vulnerable and may experience cash shortfalls in spite of having healthy Accounts Receivables balances.
It is important to design a good cash flow statement that will translate the accrual basis of preparing an income statement as well as the balance sheet back into cash basis. The importance of this method is underscored when considering the fact that cash basis statements help in analyzing the actual amounts of cash flowing in and out of the business. Though the accrual basis may accurately reflect the company revenue and expenses the cash flow statement will additionally map out what happens when changes to the balance sheet are made. There are four different kinds of cash flow statements:
- Net cash flow statements that reflect operating activities. The generation of cash inflows and outflows that reflect the daily operating behavior of the business and includes cash received from customers, cash paid to suppliers and employees, and operating expenses, interests as well as taxes, and cash income received from dividend payouts.
- Net cash flow statements pertaining to investing activities. Mainly reflects the sale or purchase of equipment.
- Net cash flow from financing actions. Inclusive of common stock, short or long term loans changes as well as paid out dividends.
- Net changes in cash as well as marketable securities. To check whether the calculated amounts of increases or decreases in cash and marketable securities as arrived at from the above three points are in tune with those reflected in the balance sheet to help ascertain if the calculations were correctly made.
Though there are a number of different people interested in viewing the cash flow statement, each wanting their own perspective of the business, this financial statement is most important to management, lenders, tax officials and investors. The importance of this report is that it reveals the entire picture about the business and this is very helpful as it will reveal whether the business has enough cash or not to meet its obligations.
With cheap cash flow statement documents being available for as low as US$10 it is indeed a bargain to purchase one and use it for one’s business instead of going through the hassles of preparing one from scratch. These prepared documents usually take into account the various needs of different businesses and can also be tailor-made to suit individual needs.

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Don’t Sign Up With Any Web Host Until You Listen To This…

card9 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:31:36 +0000

Are you taking a chance or making a choice with web host to build your business?
You know very well that you are taking chance rather than choice!!
Having the right hosting solution can make all the difference in the world. But with thousands of web hosting companies in the market place it can be difficult to know which web site hosting companies truly provide a quality hosting solution.
Look at these tips before signing up any web host.
First of all make sure that knowledgeable system administrators are operating your hosting company’s technology.
Give attention to your shared hosting package. Are you thinking why you have to give attention? Simple have multiple connections to the Internet. Only Network redundancy ensures that if one Internet connection goes down, traffic can be re-routed through another connection.
It is important to find the fastest Internet connection possible. Since you are competing with other users for resources in a shared hosting environment, you should ensure that you have good bandwidth.
Prompt Tech Support: Only use a host that provides prompt and knowledgeable customer care. A dependable host should offer 24×7 toll-free technical support rendered by experienced and professionally trained technicians.
Auto-responder follow-up system: With this, you can create sequential follow-up e-mail campaigns that will help double or even triple your sales. This features helps you capture the names and email address of people visiting your website using a simple form that you can add to your web page. When people signup, they will get emails at regular intervals automatically. All future emails can be setup using this module.
cPanel: This is a graphical web-based web-hosting control panel, designed to make administration of websites easy. CPanel handles all aspects of website administration in its interface.
Purchase only what you need. Select a Web hosting solution that corresponds with your business needs. Only purchase services that your site will require to provide your specific content. Don’t sign up for an all-inclusive account with a hosting firm if you won’t use most of their services. This will unnecessarily increase your costs.
With all these, check whether your web host service provider included these features in your package:
1) Easy-to-use Web site design tools
2) Search engine advertising tool
3) Online Workspaces for sharing information
4) Web site reports
5) Company-branded e-mail accounts
Web Hosting is like a Mall. Make a right choice in picking a Mall to build your business. So try to find the right web hosting company that provides all the above benefits before signing up for an account.

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7 Clues That Your Partner Is Cheating On You

card9 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:23:39 +0000

Cheating is the worst form of destruction to your
relationship or marriage; it is already
considered a betrayal of the vows they took when
they got married. The discovery of the act of
cheating by the other half can either break the
marriage or make it stronger depending on the
strength of their love for one another.
Cheating generally means that you are not fully
satisfied with your current partner or you feel
that something is missing in the relationship. If
you were completely in love and happy within your
relationship, why it might happen that your
partner have an affair?
Trust is a big reason, not of your partner, but
yourself. Probably for some time you have sensed
something is different or questioned the change
of behavior in your partner.
Nobody deserves to be cheated on, no matter what
state your marriage is in and if you believe your
partner is having an affair now is the time to
check it out and do a little investigation just
to be sure.
Start by looking for the obvious things such as a
change in the way your partner dresses, a sudden
desire to look good, a change in work patterns,
an unusual interest in the gym, secrecy over
phone calls or emails, a loss of intimacy in your
marriage, lack of sexual interest or distance
between you that never used to exist. In the
worst case you may spy her.
A cheating wife can cause much emotional trauma,
not to mention the harm it could cause a family.
Here are some important clues that might help you
to find out if your partner is having an affair.
1.Changes in appearance and attitude. She has a
sudden preoccupation with her appearance. She is
more interested on how she dresses; go often to a
hair salon and even to gym, even if this wasn’t
her main priority before.
2.Lessened intimacy. If in the past you used to
share everything with your wife and then suddenly
she seems distanced and clams up when you try to
discuss intimate things, it could mean that she
has already distanced herself emotionally and
mentally from you. She is suddenly frigid and
loses any interest in doing anything with her
husband.
3.She’s being secretive. She’s no longer sharing
her daily events with you. She might avoid you
because she feels guilty. Don’t get paranoid and
suspicious, ask her if everything is ok and tell
her she’s been acting differently lately.
4.Disinterest in family. If your wife is no
longer excited to meet you at the door from work
there must be a problem here. Or when your
partner feels the sudden need to go out try to
find a reason to accompany her. If she comes up
with a reason that she had to go on her own push
the issue, not too much but just enough to see if
she becomes more uncomfortable.
5.Less arguing and fighting. She used to get
angry if you didn’t want to come out with her and
her friends, but now everything you do is all
right by her. Once upon a time, your every move
had to be premeditated, but now all the small
things you used to mess up aren’t enraging her.
This could be a good thing, but you wonder why
she no longer cares.
6.More phone and internet. In the last time she
speaks a lot at the telephone using a low voice
or whisper on the phone and hangs up quickly.
Maybe she set up a new e-mail account and doesn’t
tell you about it. Watch out because she might
buy a cell phone and doesn’t let you know. Ask
her if she is being true with you and if she
becomes accusatory then it is obvious that she is
cheating you.
7.She’s always late. In the past she never came
home late but now this happens more and more. Her
explanation is that she had to stay more at the
office because she has a lot of work to do. Or
she goes to the store and comes home four hours
later. This is really a reason to worry.
Cheating spouses often look and act guilty, give
a general feeling that something isnt right.
They try and avoid meaningful conversations, keep
everything at a general and non intimate level.

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All About Basset Hounds

card9 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:47:26 +0000

Why the long face? Well to start of with the Basset hound has a longer face than most dogs. They also have long ears in comparison to the rest of their body. They are a distinctive breed that usually weighs 40 to 60 pounds and stands about 14 inches. You will find that they are about any hound color from brown, tan, black, and white or a mixture of colors. You will find that their coat is coarse with short hairs and it is weather resistant. In other words they dont tend to get too soaked from rain, get too cold or too warm depending on the climate.
The Bassett Hound is one of the most pleasurable breeds in the dog groups because they are well behaved, affectionate, and they love to be sweet. One minor issue with this dog is the need to howl or bark. They tend to make noise even when there is nothing to bark at. Therefore you may see them as a great alarm system, but not a great guard dog. They tend to be very affectionate with strangers and other dogs as well.
You will find that they are quite lazy and peaceful despite the need to bark or howl. They also tend to be stubborn during training, but more on that later. First you will want to know they are better with older children. Their ears are extremely sensitive and they dont wish to be handled roughly by the younger set. As for intelligence they can be taught tricks with patience, but they are not the most intelligent dog.
Basset hounds need grooming daily. You will find they shed quite a bit so brushing and combing them at least once a day will keep this down. The basset hound tends to neglect the natural method of grooming as well as their toenails so you will need to spend a little time and care to get them in shape.
Part of the laziness factor is actually due to a tendency to overheat easily. They do need to have plenty of exercise, but it should be a moderate pace. Since they dont tend to run around a lot you need to help them stay healthy as part of the dog care package. You can certainly let them roam around a fenced yard, but again they do need a regiment of exercise to keep them healthy.
Training is one of the most important aspects of this breed. The basset hound tends to be sensitive and gentle so it requires patience and consistency to train them. You also need to understand that they are stubborn so it may take a little bit to get them motivated. They also like to go off and sniff around rather than be trained. Training should begin as early as puppy- hood to get the best results. You can train them out of the barking and howling for the most part, but that will take a bit of time and definitely some type of reward.
The basset hound is one of the best pets you can have when you consider the dog breeds available. They love to be around humans and other dogs even if they tend to be a little on the lazy side. You will find that affection, devotion, and tranquility are their best qualities as well as being someone to complete a family with children. They dont have any major medical issues, but you do need to remember their sensitive ears. In case of an accident with their ears you may need to seek your vet.

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Why Am I Not Rich And Wealthy?

card9 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:30:23 +0000

Is your financial situation in dire straits? You have always wanted to be rich and wealthy but you aren’t?Do you want to know what keeps you from attracting money and wealth?
Well, the answer to that last question may surprise you. The obstacle that is blocking you from wealth is most likely you yourself. Before you say, oh no, another one of those mumbo jumbo hocus pocus article, let me explain.
How many times have you said to yourself “I wish I will be rich” or “I hope to be wealthy someday?” You know what? That is wishful thinking. Why? You are just wishing and hoping. If you read between the lines of your thoughts, you are actually sending negative signals to your brain. You are actually telling yourself that you are not rich and to be rich is only a wish or a hope.
So what do you do? Well, since it is only a wish and a hope, you will not be doing anything, isn’t it? So if you are not doing anything to be rich, how will you be rich?
Furthermore, many people have negative vibes about wealth. That is why terms are coined to associate with rich people such as “she is filthy rich”, “he is rich because he probably would have done something immoral to accumulate his wealth” or “most rich people are jerks anyway.”
Let me ask you some hard but honest questions. Why is being rich filthy? Why can’t people accumulate wealth with their abilities and skills without doing anything unethical or immoral? Why do people think rich people are jerks when most of them are often very nice people and doing great services to the society at their own expenses?
Now if associate bad thoughts to being wealthy, then subconsciously, you will disassociate yourself with wealth and this will subconsciously sabotage the way you do things to accumulate wealth. In that case, how are you going to be rich?
So what separates the very wealthy and those who can hardly make ends meet is not just intelligence, hard work, education, skills, opportunity or luck. It is all about your belief system and attitude towards money. This is the theme hammered home on many personal development seminars, boot camps and books of world famous wealth creation coaches and gurus such as Anthony Robbins and Robert Kiyosaki.
So what are the belief system and attitudes of rich and wealthy people? The rich and wealthy never doubted that they can be rich. They know that they deserve to be rich. They believe that there is more than enough wealth to go around and so they do not hoard but contribute to the well being of their society at large. They know creating wealth must be fun and not merely hard work.
The rich and wealthy know that no one owes them a living, so they do not rant and grumble but roll up their sleeves to acquire what they want. They know that if they desire wealth, they can achieve and attract it and they are always grateful for what they have and what they will have.
Now can you see the difference in the mindset of the wealthy and the ordinary folks? There is a world of difference because the rich and wealthy do not sabotage themselves from getting rich through negative thoughts. So, if you are not rich and wealthy, then examine your thinking to see whether you have you have any limiting beliefs about money and being rich.

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Is There A Book In You? Ten Points That Will Help You Decide

card9 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:08:53 +0000

The desire to have a book with your name on the cover seems universal – yet how many would-be writers really know if they have what it takes to succeed? Here are ten points that every beginner should consider.
Writing a book – and getting it published – is an ambition that is not hard to understand. Breaking into the ranks of published writers means that others, experts in the business, have decided that your talent is worth investing in. A book is a permanent thing: years from now you can take it down off a shelf and say ‘I did that’. It’s a solid, lasting achievement.
So, with this goal in mind, why is it that some writers get into print and others never make it? Of course you need to be able to write but it’s not always the ‘best writers’ that get published – sometimes it is those who have the greatest determination to get into print, or who are most businesslike in their approach to publishers.
So some qualities (other than writing ability) are obviously desirable; below are ten that every writer should possess. Read through them carefully and be honest with yourself. If you know (and you will know, deep inside) that on some points you are weak, work to strengthen that aspect of your writer’s persona. If nothing else, this will ensure that you are more capable as a person and the writer in you will grow also. The first point is, perhaps, the most crucial:
1. Determination. Let me be brutally frank. If you lack this quality you will simply not make it as a published writer. Remember that there are scores of people out there who are competing against you to get their own book published. Also, writing – especially novel writing – is hard and takes lots of time; most writers don’t earn much money and there will be plenty of people telling you to give up as it isn’t worth the effort. You must grit your teeth, tighten your belt and keep your nose to the grindstone. Nothing should matter to you more than getting your work published. Nothing! This is an absolutely core attribute for any writer – if it does not come naturally to you then work at it: take life coaching classes, read positive mental attitude books – anything to help your determination to succeed become an intrinsic part of you.
2. Support. This comes in various guises and means different things to different writers, yet the most important support is financial. Again it’s a stark truth: if you have a partner willing to bankroll you during the first hard years you are far more likely to get there than if you have the additional worry of wondering how you’re going to pay the rent. Perhaps the second most valuable support is that of being appreciated. If you have someone who knows how hard you work – and shows it – the difference can be crucial. They help through the blank, dark periods that all writers suffer, when self-belief can ebb away like wine from a cracked jug. On a more general level, some writers thrive in a chaotic environment, others need tea and sympathy. Whatever form it takes, you need support: never refuse it and let people know how important it is to you.
3. Presentation. Here I’m not talking about your work; I’m talking about you, the writer. Always, always think of yourself as a writer. Take lessons in self-assertiveness if you feel the need. It’s part of the self-belief system that you must instil within your character so that, when you sit face to face with your first publisher, they think of you as a professional, not a nervous amateur.
4. Knowledge of your market. Most writers are avid readers and publishers will expect you to have your finger on the pulse of your chosen genre – who’s hot right now? Whom do you consider the best in the field? Who’s beginning to fade? Ask yourself this: do you really expect to be taken seriously as a writer if you have little or no knowledge of other published writers in your field?
5. Rejection. Every writer suffers this – the dreaded ‘pink slip’ dropping through the door. For the aspiring writer this can be a very bitter pill to swallow yet you must learn to accept it. It’s not personal and it does not mean you cannot write. What it does mean is that this piece or work is either not right for this publisher or that you have sent it to the wrong one altogether. It can also mean that the publisher already has a full ‘book’ of this kind of work. So assess your manuscript, improve it if you can, make sure it’s the best it can possibly be – then take a deep breath and send it to the next suitable publisher. Never give up!
6. Habit. The habit of writing, that is. It’s very easy to start writing and then, a few days later, get side-tracked into something else, or your great-aunt Ethel calls round, or there’s a good movie on the television. You can always write later, can’t you? No. There lies the road to ruin as a writer. So prioritise your writing, write at certain set times that you let be known to all during which you can’t be disturbed. Get into this routine, stick to it mercilessly and it will soon become – habit. Surprisingly, it will to others also and they will then know that you are indeed serious about ‘this writing business’.
7. Subjects. Ideas for a book don’t often spring into your mind in one fell swoop. I have mentioned in another article the importance of your notebook and getting into the habit of always having it with you. Write things down that interest you – maybe an overheard conversation on a train, or an advertisment that strikes you as odd or interesting. Newspaper headlines sometimes offer headlines that are downright bizarre and an idea might spring from that. Try writing about someone you know well or admire – if you like a character yourself, chances are your readers will too! Use your notebook; never let it out of your sight. It’s your data mine for future work.
8. Creativity. Whilst it is true that a certain amount of imagination aids creativity, intelligent thinking also plays a significant part. The ability to present an old theme in a new way requires the creative spark to burst into flame, yet not everyone has the imagination of a Robert Heinlein or a J. K. Rowling. If you find imagination lacking then try thinking about how a situation can be presented differently – perhaps there never was a truer home for the old saying that ‘there’s more than one way to skin a cat’! How you put your ideas forward in your writing is entirely up to you but this is a vital part of your writer’s skillset – putting your work across in the way that is of most interest to your reader.
9. Targeting. If you write what people want to read, you’re halfway to getting your work published. It’s essential, however, that your would-be publisher understands from the outset where your work lies in relation to others within the same field. Tell him that if people like reading writer ‘A’ that he has published, you reckon he’ll like your work as ‘A’ has influenced you and your work exhibits style and content traits similar to ‘A’s’ best work. Maybe your book is a sci-fi work that has more than an echo of a popular TV series – make sure the publisher knows the viewing figures. Don’t ever be scared of presenting your case – it’s all part of getting into print.
10. Publishing. Try to realise that publishing is a business. Editors are responsible to their bosses for making money on the books they accept for publishing, not to make you feel good about writing a book. Study the publishers – what kind of books are they printing? Are they right for you? Are you right for them? The more you know about how a publisher might view your work, the greater are your chances of success.
Some may find these ten points a bit ‘uncomfortable’. Yet if you really serious – and I do mean really serious – about making a career from writing, or just getting that first elusive published piece under your belt, they should be the core of your attitude towards what you are doing as a writer, besides the physical act of putting words on paper. I wish you all success in your efforts – but in the end it is you alone who must make the effort in order to be a writing success!

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BAFE Fire Alarms: Paramount For Insurance Requirements and Brigade Response

card9 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:12:29 +0000

Fire Brigade Policy is set to change drastically and many businesses will find that they must pay to have their current alarm system replaced in order to meet their insurance requirements and to get Fire Brigade response in the event of a fire.
Even if you have recently had a brand new Fire Alarm installed to BS5839, unless the installer had BAFE accreditation, you may still find your insurance refusing to pay for fire damage.
The fact is that until an incident occurs, you will have no idea whether or not the alarm system you have chosen and paid for will do the job of protecting property and human life.
One way to be sure that your fire alarm is of the very best standard is to ensure that you choose a company who has BAFE SP203 accreditation.
What is BAFE?
Established in 1984, the British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE) is a non-profit making organisation, operating independent third party schemes of approval for fire protection systems and services.
There are a number of Standards but the one which relates to Fire Alarms is BAFE SP 203. To have this accreditation means that a company has been vetted by BAFE and that nothing will be left to chance. The design, installation and maintenance of the fire system will be of the very highest integrity.
BAFE SP203 has 4 modules which means that companies only have to become listed for the area or areas in which they operate. A company who only installs, for example, would register for the requirements of the installation section only, whereas a company who designs and commissions would register for the design and commission modules. This way, the scheme is flexible and its integrity is not compromised. The four modules are:
Design
Installation
Commissioning
Maintenance
When you are choosing a fire alarm installation company, make sure that you check that they are accredited for all of the modules. If not, you could find yourself having to use as many as 4 different companies to meet your insurance requirements and guarantee Fire Brigade response.
Legislation with regard to fire alarms will be changing shortly.
The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is introducing the need for a Unique Reference Number (URN) to be quoted whenever they are requested to attend to a fire alarm activation. These URNs can only be issued if a system is installed and serviced by a BAFE accredited company.
This is because, at the moment, Fire Brigades waste a lot valuable time and resources by having to attend to what turns out to be a false alarm. The CFOA believes to a degree that this is because of the poor standard of installation by non-regulated Fire Alarm companies.
By making it a pre-requisite that the Fire Alarm company demonstrates that it maintains the highest standards in all aspects of its operation, they believe they will virtually eliminate false alarm time wasting.
Put simply, if a fire alarm is not certified and maintained by a BAFE accredited company, the CFOA will not issue the URN and the Fire Brigade will not respond.
Another little known fact is that this requirement will be enforced retrospectively within the next few years for all fire alarm systems.
This BAFE certification for existing fire alarm installations can only be undertaken by a BAFE accredited company. Because it is probable that the whole system will need to be pulled apart to undertake the inspection, this could also prove to be very costly.
The inspection will include every detail of the system from basic design to the cabling and installation to ensure that it complies fully with all the relevant Standards.
By choosing a BAFE accredited company to install and maintain your Fire Alarm system, you can rest assured that you will not fall foul of legislation and the inevitable huge cost that will occur if you do not choose a BAFE accredited company.
BAFE accredited companies give the assurance that you will be given the most professional advice and the highest standard of installation and service.

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Ancient Astronauts and Contemporary Skepticism

card9 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:49:03 +0000

Over the course of the past year, I closely assisted a colleague in writing a series of ten articles covering diverse aspects of my ancient astronaut theory. All ten of those articles circulated widely around the globe and view counters on many sites indicated plentiful readership, but feedback to me, or to her, from anywhere, was non-existent. There was neither criticism nor acclaim from anyone. Just silence. I was starting to think that perhaps no one in world wants to take ancient astronauts seriously.
In an attempt to make some progress, I decided to pay sixty dollars for a review of my ancient astronaut website. Of course, this was to be a review by skeptics; a review by New Age believers would be worthless. Their blog’s description was “critical reviews of paranormal claims on the Internet.” The intermediary granted them five days to perform their review but that has long since come and gone, and not a word from them. My website presents a vast amount of evidence and, in truth, I could not expect anyone to produce a good critical review in just five days. No one, including myself, would want to see quickly prepared and frivolous arguments, else I would make them look ridiculous in my counter arguments. Moreover, some of my evidence comes from Spanish-language sources and, to start, they would need time to verify that none of it is a hoax. They are welcome to all the time they need.
What to expect from this blog is uncertain. There are skeptics who are as narrow-minded in their thinking as their New Age counterparts, and then again, there are skeptics, like me, who objectively evaluate the evidence to arrive at the truth. Was there a real ancient astronaut? To help the skeptics answer that question, I will give them some ideas on how to refute my theories. Here, solely for space considerations, I will concentrate on the archaeological evidence, leaving aside ideas on how to refute the cryptology and theology evidence for another day.
My website reproduces engravings from the Tiwanaku civilization in Bolivia. One of those engravings depicts the alleged ancient astronaut as an aquatic with a three-pronged tail, with each of the three prongs ending in a pod. How do the skeptics refute that? Easy. They simply need to demonstrate that the shape of those pods resembles some form of animal or plant life to be found in that region. In other words, they need to find a terrestrial source for those engravings, otherwise my extraterrestrial arguments remain unharmed.
The timing of the Tiwanaku sky-god drawings coincides with the timing of the Nazca Lines in Peru, so the ancient astronaut of both places has to be one and the same. For Nazca, the skeptics will find many ready-made arguments, but I consider all of them weak. The mentality of the people of Nazca cannot be assumed to be unique in human history. It has to be demonstrated that people elsewhere also believed that the sun, moon, or sky-spirits had physical eyes that could observe ground drawings. Alternatively, it has to be demonstrated that the people of Nazca worshipped birds, believing them to have cognitive intelligence.
The recorded engravings on the cosmological Sun Disk, alleged alien artifact, may prove to be the biggest challenge for the skeptics. How are we to believe that the Andeans of the early sixteenth century a) knew that the Earth was round, b) knew that it was possible to orbit the Earth, c) knew that sunlight striking the moon could reflect back to strike a spaceship, d) knew that the dark clouds along the Milky Way contained stars within, and e) knew that water formed the basis of plant and animal evolution? Here the skeptics would need to find parallels in the history of western civilization. I look forward to their response.

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