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The Beauty of Alcohol

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:58:32 +0000

Erin was surprised at Chuay Gahn, “This is just nuts being over here. It’s totally different than I ever expected. While we were over at Sook Jai, we were thinking, ‘God, how boring their tribe must be.’ I never would’ve expected any of this. I was really amazed.”

I think it’s kind of funny how teenagers and 20-somethings think people older than 30 just shut down at a certain point and start being zombies. I ask my students, “So when do you think you’re going to change and stop being youthful and stop listening to new music and trying new things?” They always say, “Well, I won’t.” And I say, “Now you understand.”

Sometimes, though, people drink a lot less when they get older and so their tolerances for alcohol dramatically lessen. We see Jan chugging, tripping over herself, and Brian being the life of the party before he achieves true party success – puking his guts out.

Brian said to the shocked members of Sook Jai after Jan crashed against a heap of pots and pans, “Don’t worry, guys. This is Jan every night, so don’t worry about it.”

Brian tunes up his guitar and sings something that I think was a Rolling Stones song (their lyrics make absolutely no sense to me):

“What you feel about me and I
(STRUM)
see you here and there by the
(STRUM)
same time for sure
(STRUM)
what’s going there same time
(STRUM)
I don’t really give a damn…”

Ted helped Brian through his puke moments to which Ted commented, “The situation just basically reaffirmed our bond with each other. Not only with alliance members but also as friends.”

Then we saw Brian slurring strategy with Ted via nightcam on the beach. Ted was impressed, “It was amazing that he still had that strategy in his mind even though he was drunk.”

I once helped a girl through puke moments. I held her hair out of the way, off of the porcelain god. I rubbed her back and basically tried to console her as much as I could. She thought that I was the sweetest, most considerate person. But all I was doing was trying to make sure she didn’t puke all over my floor and in her hair and clothes because that would’ve stunk up my whole apartment for days.

Should Members Pay for Unused Months

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:46:15 +0000

Should members be required to pay dues for unused months at your club? That was the question posed to you in the September 2011 WebRant, which brought one of the most enthusiastic responses to this forum to date (and why we have elected to start with this issue in this newly formatted column).

While many of you said yes, some of you offered a few exceptions, such as medical reasons, extended travel or going away to school.

And some of you said no, citing that your business is better because you offer such flexibility in your memberships.Finally, some of you said it depends, such as it depends on the contract or the member’s circumstances.

Most of you would agree, however, that whatever your facility’s policy is, your members should be well-informed, and should sign a contract upon joining that clearly states that they know the rules about dues payments. For more specific incites, read on.

Lifestyle Important Determinant of Heart Disease in Women

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:21:25 +0000

For years experts have advised the public to improve heart health by making various changes in diet and lifestyle. Numerous studies indicate that either not smoking, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less saturated fat, or getting regular exercise can lower heart disease risk. Now researchers report — in the July 6 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine — that a combination of these lifestyle changes can significantly lower the risk of heart disease in women.

The researchers, led by Dr. Meir Stampfer, from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School, reported on the effects of various lifestyle characteristics on the risk of heart disease in over 80,000 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. Women in the study were registered nurses, 30 to 55 years old at the beginning of the study in 1976. Subjects reported on their health status and lifestyle characteristics by questionnaires every two years for 14 years.

Researchers assessed the impact on heart disease risk of such characteristics as smoking status, body mass index — or BMI, an index of fatness — alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet quality. To evaluate diet quality, the investigators devised an index that took into account the subjects’ consumption of cereal fiber, certain fatty acids from marine fish, the B vitamin folate, trans-fatty acids, the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats, and glycemic load. Earlier research suggested that each of these dietary factors might influence risk of heart disease.

The researchers found that the most important risk factor for heart disease was cigarette smoking. Women who smoked more than 15 cigarettes per day had a risk of heart disease that was 5.48-fold greater than that of nonsmokers. “Even smoking one to 14 cigarettes per day tripled the risk,” the investigators noted.

Women with the lowest risk of heart disease had the following characteristics:
a high dietary quality score according to the researchers’ index
more than 5.5 hours of activity “strenuous enough to build up a sweat” each week
a BMI under 23
never smoked
consumed more than 10 grams of alcohol per day (slightly less than one beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits)

Only 3 percent of the women in the study exhibited all of these characteristics and this group had a risk of heart disease that was an impressive 83 percent lower than that of all the other women combined.

Even when women had only some of the favorable characteristics, significant reductions in risk were apparent. For example, nonsmoking women who had high diet scores, engaged in moderate-to-vigorous exercise at least 30 minutes per day, and had BMIs less than 25, had a risk of heart disease that was lowered by 76 percent. And nonsmokers who also had high diet scores and engaged in moderate-to-vigorous exercise at least 30 minutes per day, lowered their risk by 57 percent even if their BMI was less favorable.

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Innovation Personal Training

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:04:25 +0000

Meeting the needs of both employees and management can sometimes seem a difficult task. Still, sometimes looking “outside the box” can help to see possible solutions. “Innovations are expected at the Cooper Fitness Center,” says fitness director Phillip Youngblood, “so we continually have to be creative in developing new ideas.” Finding a way to motivate personal trainers to work as a team while, at the same time, generating additional revenues forced Youngblood to look outside the fitness industry and into the world of business. The strategy worked; after consulting with business professionals in the local community, the Cooper Fitness Center revised a business incentive plan and brought it to the fitness industry.

The Personal Training Incentive Plan was designed to increase personal training revenue beyond budget, as well as to give trainers a true awareness of their contributions to the bottom line. “We felt the need to reward trainers who worked harder, but we wanted to control the level at which they were rewarded on a monthly basis, rather than a flat salary increase,” explains Youngblood. “This was a great tool to enhance training revenue and meet an ongoing need for ‘more money.’ It is nice to be able to meet that need with a program that pays for itself.”

The Personal Training Incentive Plan allows trainers to receive bonuses as a reward for their teamwork toward a goal. To qualify for bonuses, trainers must meet the minimum number of sessions per month, which is set at 27. Bonuses are based on 50 percent of net revenue, after expenses. This amount is divided, percent-wise, between qualified trainers. The more sessions and revenue a trainer generates, the higher percentage of the excess dollar amount the trainer receives.

Upon turning in payroll on a weekly basis, a spreadsheet is posted on the club’s network. Each trainer has a numerical code related to their revenue, and can see what they produced financially for the last week, as well as the entire month. Trainers are able to compare their totals to other trainers’ totals,and tothe total revenue, then see what their bonuses will be if the department beats its goal.

This innovation allows the Cooper Fitness Center to meet the expectations of both the trainers and management; trainers are rewarded financially, while management reaps the benefits of exceeding budget. From April through August 2001, the trainers received more than $17,000 in bonuses, and the club’s 2001 budget for personal training revenues was exceeded by nearly $70,000 in gross revenue. Over and above revenues, the program has created a sense of camaraderie among the trainers, who are more focused on personal training as a whole, rather than individually.

In addition to being pleased with their paychecks, employees are just plain happier. “Morale and attitude have both improved, because employees respond to positive feedback,” explains Youngblood. “It shows [staff] that we recognize hard work, and that we acknowledge an employee when they go above and beyond expectations.”

Incentive plans are having a positive impact on more than just Cooper’s personal training staff. “Other departments within the facility have initiated a similar program to help increase revenues,” says Youngblood. Nonetheless, he notes that there is always room for improvement. “We plan to make minor adjustments that will allow us to reward higher performers within the plan,” Youngblood says. “We also plan to implement a system that allows all of the employees to physically see the awards going out, [such as] mock checks [and] public recognition. We realize that, with an incentive plan, the foundation can always stay, but there will be ongoing changes to help it stand the test of time.”

Do Hgh Supplements Work

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:42:34 +0000

The HGH Supplement: Treatment with an HGH supplement is quite a new idea. The human growth hormone, also known as HGH, is a hormone that is found in its natural state in people’s bodies. Produced in the brain’s pituitary organ, HGH is responsible for a number of vital functions. First and foremost, the human growth hormone maintains the human body’s youth and strength; it helps fix cells that have been damaged, and is often considered a type of fountain of youth. The HGH Supplements available will assist in boosting a person’s levels of HGH, letting them reap the innumerable fabulous benefits this hormone provides.

HGH Supplement Benefits: There are a number of benefits from using the HGH Supplement. Know that most people who take human growth hormone opt to take pills. In years past, it could only be taken via injections, making it much less desirable. HGH Supplements can safely be consumed today; more and more people are resorting to this practice to improve their health and to feel younger.

The HGH Supplement has done good things for many people. One such side effect is enhanced weight loss regimens. Further, it has been demonstrated that supplementing your diet with a human growth hormone supplement boosts your strength and drive, allowing you to derive more pleasure and benefits from your workouts while enhancing muscle growth. The HGH Supplement helps to prevent your cells from degenerating – it interferes with the body’s muscle degradation process, making it possible to maintain muscle tone that is more youthful for many more years.

How The HGH Supplement Works: Generally speaking, the HGH Supplement starts to work where the human body stops working. During the early stages of your development, your body naturally produces a sufficient supply of the human growth hormone; that’s why you will see in young people a youthful glow, for example. Unfortunately, after people reach 30 years of age, the amount of HGH found in the body falls dramatically, sometimes up to sixteen percent each year. When used properly, The HGH Supplement can stabilize and even raise a person’s HGH to a more youthful level.

Many researchers think The HGH Supplement is equivalent to a medical fountain of youth; because the human growth hormone can help the body keep its youthful healthiness, maintaining levels of it high in the body really can impede – and even halt – many negative signs of aging. Factoring in the additional benefits of tremendous weight loss and increased sexual fortitude, HGH Supplement is truly a very important addition to any person’s diet and health regimen.

What People Use the HGH Supplement?

It is not a surprise that professional athletes seek out HGH supplements because of the enhancing properties that it contains. When weighed against the inconvenience of taking the supplement by injection, which is the way it was administered in the past, the HGH Supplement of today is quite simple to use and make a part of your health care routine.

Bodybuilders and athletes are not the only ones who use the HGH supplement, though; a lot of everyday people use it to enhance their daily life and health as well. In fact, recently the human growth hormone has started reaping the benefits of being accepted as more “mainstream,” as people begin to catch on regarding its ability to undo the effects of aging.

Is the HGH Supplement really effective?

Human growth hormone has been the subject of an astounding amount of research. Research has shown that a quality HGH supplement – one with a reasonable dose for the human body in its composition – can be very effective for the body. HGH Supplement development is backed by years of research, and millions of people consume it daily and enjoy its benefits.

Note, though, that you will not see instant results when you take the HGH supplement. Your body needs to build up the hormone over time, so the results won’t appear overnight. Older people will take more time to see the effects of the HGH Supplement. This is due to a decrease in HGH levels as we age. It can take a while to stimulate your body into synthesizing more of its own natural HGH, but it can be very much worth the wait.

Overall, however, HGH supplement represents a fine complement to a healthy way of life. The research backs up the claims of the companies that market this supplement. Consuming HGH is a scientifically proven way of reducing the effects of aging, whether it’s to increase strength, stamina, or any other factor.

Political Digression, Part 2

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:36:42 +0000

Anyway, Helen sucks for wanting to vote Brian out just because he has money. That’s like going to a chess tournament and hearing, “Anyone who makes a lot of money has to let your opponent win.”

Merged Tribe Divided
They return from the reward challenge, name themselves Chuay Jai (for a second time), create a flag (decorated with each person’s handprint), and rethink their strategy. Some people stated that the person who’ll be voted out now is the person who is the most annoying.

Ted takes some quality “Me” time and heads out into the canoe all by himself. The others (except for Brian) think that this is just the strangest, wildest, craziest thing a person could do and seem to have totally forgotten that he just saw his infant child for the first time in almost a month. Several people jump on this one little thing and now Ted has become a social pariah because he chose to do what everyone on that island wanted to do.

Clay and Brian discuss strategy. Jake and Ken discuss their need to align with at least one guy from Team Church Social. Jake approaches Clay. Clay hints that Ted may be the one to go now that he took his quality “Me” time and gives Jake the impression that Ken is no longer the target.

I think I figured out how Clay looks and acts when he lies. As he was yupping Jake along about how they could get together and form some sort of alliance to the end, his eyes were a little more open than usual and just sort of unfocused. And when he speaks, he’s usually more direct, his words are stronger. When lying or speaking to someone and not sharing his true thoughts, his words lose their oomph and conviction. I’m going to watch him more closely now that the tribes have merged to see if my theory is true.

Political Digression, Part 1

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:20:33 +0000

Plus, I am totally sick of hearing the Democrat spiel about how the Republicans give the greatest tax breaks to the top 1%. For the record, I am not a Republican, but come on people, do a little simple math. Of course the top 1% stand to experience the greatest savings in taxes. If a millionaire’s taxes are reduced by 2%, they’ll pay $20,000 less in taxes. For a family making $40,000, it’ll be $800 less. But because they’re paying so much more to begin with, the Democrats like to spin it so that it seems as though the rich are favored. They’re not favored. It’s just simple math and the Republicans are idiots for not pointing this out.

Plus, every single time throughout history the tax rates were reduced, the government took in more money. Why? Because businesses hired more people, people aspired to make more money, and there wasn’t such an immense desire to hire accountants to discover tax loopholes, to name just a few reasons. We hear all the time from the Democrats, “This tax cut is going to cost the government X millions of dollars.”

It won’t cost anything. A few years after the cut, the government will have more tax revenues. And again, why the Republicans don’t report these simple accounting statistics is beyond me.

Some quick numbers:
The top 1% wage earners ($313,469 or more) paid 37.42% of all 2000 taxes.
The top 5% ($128,336 – 313,469) paid 56.47% of the taxes.

In other words, more than half of ALL the taxes paid to the government comes from only 5% of the people. Another way of looking at it is, out of the 128 million people who paid taxes in 2000, 6 million ended up paying more than half of the bill. Yeah, that’s really fair. It’s like going to a really busy restaurant and then picking 6 people to pay half of everyone’s bill. Oh sure, they could probably afford it, but if I were one of those 6, I sure as hell would stop eating out.

Entrepreneurs must master on-line research

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:31:21 +0000

Some time ago, I came across a quote from futurist Lewis Perelman: “Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century.”

It is a statement that should be adopted with a vengeance as the founding philosophy for any small-business owner. In fact, it provides guidance on the type of skill that we should be prepared to master to ensure our success, regardless of the nature of the business: on-line research.

Think about what is happening in the economy. It is characterized by an increasing reliance on small business. The latest recession has made many big organizations unwilling to hire full-time staff. They know that the severance packages for the next recession will be excessive.

Yet they have no reluctance to hire people on a part-time or contract basis. As a result, many of us find ourselves working as consultants, offering our knowledge and skills to a hungry corporate sector.

Any entrepreneurs involved in this type of relationship with a number of big-business clients have no doubt discovered that they are providing services in areas where they may never have dreamed they would be involved. The nature of the entrepreneur today means scrambling from situation to situation, project to project, contract to contract. In order to survive, they’ve learned how to learn — they have developed the capability to take any topic or issue, and become conversant with it as quickly as possible.

That’s where the Internet comes in. I’m convinced that those who learn to harness its riches as a research tool will be the real entrepreneurial success stories of the next century, particularly as the economy and the world around us become more complex.

I’ve been involved in situations where in order to win or produce a client project, I’ve had to immediately immerse myself in an industry and the issues that surround it. I’ve had to learn, as quickly as possible, all I can about new technologies and new ways of doing business.

I’ve had to prepare myself to undertake “just-in-time knowledge,” and have adopted a mindset that I’ll use the Internet as a key ally. To do so, I’ve invested a lot of time learning how to do effective research on-line.

There are many people who complain that they can never find what they are looking for on the Internet. But they have little right to protest. Ask them about their methods, and they’ll sheepishly admit they spend but a few minutes looking for something before giving up.

They’ll say they never read the help screens on the search engines they use in order to learn how to do a more targeted search. They have never invested more than a few hours to learn how to effectively search on-line, and they dismiss the whole thing is a waste of time.

They have an astounding impatience with the wired world that will never allow them take true advantage of the bountiful resources on the Internet. The information is out there — those who know how to discover it and interpret it will excel in the new economy.

Research is paramount to everything the entrepreneur does, and that extends far beyond the Internet. Entrepreneurs should take the time to venture into the reference section of their local libraries, and discover the wealth of information that can used for marketing, business planning, market research or other purposes.

If learning is what many of us will do for a living in the next century, we had better take the time to truly learn how to learn.

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Promotion, Sales & Marketing

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:46:11 +0000

Developing a promotional campaign that actually brings in new members is a difficult task. But, such a challenge didn’t stop Women’s Fitness Center from creating and implementing its Member Profile Series, an advertising campaign that focused on the success stories of its members.

The goals of the campaign were to enhance market awareness of the uniqueness of the facility, and to spend a consistent percentage of the club’s monthly revenue on advertising. Women’s Fitness Center wanted women in its community to know that it has members of all types: new, veteran, older, younger, larger and smaller. In addition, the center wanted to advertise its wide variety of schedules and goals.

The advertising campaign featured a different member of Women’s Fitness each week in the local newspaper. The top of the ads read “We’re Every Woman” so readers saw these members as “regular” people. Appearing with the member’s photo was a brief bio that included name, age, occupation, date joined, beginning goals, goals accomplished, exercise philosophy, favorite exercises and favorite aspects of the club. Profiles included stories of women who were exercising to help relieve and live with arthritis pain, back problems, smoking cessation challenges, breast cancer, postpartum weight problems, heart disease and stress. Stories proved to be inspirational because they reflected the members’ personal points of view.

The campaign was successful in attracting attention and developing an image for the fitness center. Readers of the ads have contacted the center and commented on how they look forward to reading each week’s profiles. (Profiles were numbered as a series so readers knew to watch for them on a regular basis.)

Women could relate to and feel connected with the members featured in the profiles because the members were just like them.

Since the ad campaign began, the center has set new records in the number of walk-ins, informational telephone calls and new membership sales. In March 1998, the center recorded a 70 percent increase in new members compared to the same month a year earlier. In April, the center recorded a 13 percent increase in revenue. May showed a 49 percent increase in new members, and June and July showed increases of 63 percent and 140 percent, respectively.

Women’s Fitness Center has reached new heights as a result of its We’re Every Woman profiles. The center has touched the heart strings of the community and established a way to connect with the public. They’ve proven that image really is everything.

Aerobics Making the Student Connection, Part 2

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:01:34 +0000

Are you in touch with your students?

Students are the judge and jury regarding the quality of your aerobics program, so it’s critical you stay informed of their needs and wants. The classes you offer should be directly associated with your clients. As their expectations change, so should your class schedule and services. Here are some suggestions for opening effective lines of communication:

* Install a suggestion box and answer each one in a monthly feature of your club newsletter or bulletin board.

* Ask the instructors to be available after class for comments.

* Conduct “How are we doing?” surveys.

* Mail a questionnaire and a complimentary pass to customers who don’t return.

* Organize a small panel of customers to meet and discuss the aerobics program’s strengths and weaknesses.

Randomly select students and ask them how they feel about the program. Keep a record of attendance to measure the success of individual classes.

Don’t stop asking your customers what they want. Let them know they matter by giving them a voice and assuring them they will be heard.