The LuxMob Info Tags

VoIP service providers are now offering videophone at the lowest price we’ve seen on the VoIP service market. The tremendous drop in prices will see more individuals and SMB’s investing in this affordable futuristic way of communicating.

VoIP services are fast becoming the way to communicate worldwide and with the recent drop in videophone and service plan prices many individuals will be able to get a taste of the future at cost-effective prices. Today’s videophone offers more clarity than ever before and at a lower cost.

The videophone has become popular for conferencing with geographically challenged offices in real-time and for lawyer firms in taking depositions. I expect to see more videophones in offices in the next few months and individuals adding videophones as a practical conversational communication option to there current telcom arsenal.

Watch for the VoIP service field to grow in great leaps and bounds in the next year along with more important features being established such as emergency 911 and 411 services. The last few weeks have seen the FCC take a closer look at the VoIP industry, along with other consumer groups which is a plus for consumers. Consumers should see the lower level providers fade away and the tier 1 VoIP providers battle it out for the best technology and lowest price plans. Some providers have already added a Regulatory Recovery Fee to cover the cost of the new obligations being imposed on the VoIP providers, but, don’t expect prices to go up much. VoIP services are still the most economical way of communicating today.

So, go out and enjoy the VoIP services and try out the videophones at affordable prices.

Scott Sowle

If you would like more information on VoIP services and videophones please visit: http://altabroadband.bravehost.com

In my work as a webmaster I have to consider the search engine friendliness of the sites I work on. Sometimes I feel lucky being a native swede, since the competition for swedish words is a fraction compared to english. Recently I was updating a site that sells stamps. (The kind that goes ka-dang and makes an imprint on paper. Not the small papers you lick on the backside and put on envelopes.) Since the swedish word is ’stämplar’ I do not have to compete with the word ’stamps’ and my work is so much easier! Sometimes it is a good thing to be a swede…
Torbjorn Reidarsson
http://www.itrab.se
Webmaster for Stämplar, not stamps.

About the Author

Torbjorn Reidarsson is the founder and owner of ITRAB, a webconsultant business based in Linkoping, Sweden. He is the webmaster for sites like Stämplar hos Stämpelfabriken, Website Templates and ITRAB

You know what it is like to gather with the family and friends
during the holidays. Sometimes these gatherings can be joyful,
exciting and pleasant. Other times they can be filled with
expectations, family obligations and stress. Add to that stress,
the pressure of holiday baking, gift buying and wrapping, travel
arrangements and decorating, and you have multiple layers of
tension.

Here are 5 great steps you can easily do to reduce your stress
during the holidays, saving hours of headaches, tense muscles and
family tension:

• Clean early. Schedule time ahead to get the house cleaned and
  organized. Prepare space for any company you may be hosting and
  organize your kitchen for baking.
• Make lists. Take the time to write out a list for each family
  member and their role in the holiday plans. When everyone has
  their own clear list of tasks, tension is reduced. List the
  holiday shopping, the baking schedule, the calendar of events,
  etc. Pre-planning will save hours of stress and tension that
  happens when things sneak up on you.
• Rest. Take little ‘time-outs’ for yourself during the day. If
  you have a hectic day of shopping planned, schedule break times
  for a cup of tea, a bite to eat and time to rest your feet. If
  you’re spending the day cleaning, baking or wrapping, plan 10
  minute power naps in between. It will add to your productivity
  and you’ll feel more energized to complete the tasks more
  quickly.
• Give and Receive. The holidays are about giving and you’ll
  spend time shopping and giving to others, but make sure you spend
  time receiving and accepting gifts, compliments, love, etc from
  others. Receiving replenishes your supply of energy. Always
  giving to others can leave you feeling empty and drained,
  therefore more susceptible to stress.
• Eat healthy and exercise. Just because the holidays include
  sweet treats, it doesn’t mean you should fill up on them. Sugar
  increases your stress level. Your body needs a balanced diet of
  healthy food and regular exercise. If you find yourself drinking
  more caffeine, staying up late or spending too much time online
  shopping, then you’re not getting enough exercise or drinking
  enough water. Your body is feeling the tension and is responding
  with stress-oriented messages.

The one thing to remember is to focus on your goal of enjoying
the holidays and allowing it to be a peaceful season filled with
laughter and love. Remember to breathe, relax and loosen up.
Let go of any expectations of a ‘perfect’ holiday. Going with
the flow and ‘allowing’ spontaneity will lead to less stress and
more joy. The holidays are a great opportunity to gather
together and share. Just remember to share the good stuff- not
the stress!

© 2005 Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is an Intuitive Counselor who assists clients to create extraordinary transformations in their daily lives. Her work is uplifting, empowering and success-oriented. You can visit Jodie’s website at http://www.illuminationsnetwork.com for further information and to schedule a private intuitive session. You can also look for daily updates to her blog at: http://intuitiveinnovations.blogspot.com.

Publisher’s Guidelines: You may freely publish this article online, in email newsletters, or in print so long as the resource box and byline are in tact and all links are active. Author would appreciate a notification, but that is optional.

One of the greatest fallacies in the investment world is that real estate is the “best kept secret.” The fact is when it comes to making money from any kind of property, including short sales, lack of communication equals fewer opportunities. A more appropriate mantra would be “There’s strength (and money) in numbers.”

The Ohio Real Estate Investor’s Association (OREIA) has made networking for real estate investors a worthwhile, enjoyable, and profitable experience. When these investor groups get together and form a convention, there is no end to the knowledge participants absorb.

Convention attendees hear a number of speakers and there is always something new to learn. With each convention comes new ways to make money, a newly discovered negotiation twist, and even a little knowledge you wish you had when dealing with past clients. With over 1000 people present, the OREIA is a fantastic networking experience.

As a result of contacting and networking at OREIA, I have made deals that have translated into hard, short sale money. One of my favorite examples occurred when a mortgage broker called me to say that there was a house that needed a short sale. The problem was that the home and the owner were in Toledo and I am in Cincinnati. I did not hesitate when he asked me if there was anything I could do.

I knew that a number of my Toledo colleagues would be at the OREIA convention. After a discussion with them I have three interested people getting quotes on the property. We’ll be working the short sale together; I’ll be talking to the bank here in town, and over in Toledo they will eventually buy the property and complete any necessary repairs. They will have the discounted purchase price - short sale - they need and I will get something for my negotiations. This type of across state teamwork where all parties benefit would not happen without OREIA.

OREIA is not just about an annual convention and its networking possibilities. More importantly, OREIA members work hard all year protecting your right to invest in real estate and make it a viable source of income for the Ohio real estate investor. OREIA is active in working with legislators at the state level to help shape laws. Their goal is to keep the negative impact these laws may have on investors and their tenants to a minimum. OREIA wants to keep state legislators from over taxing the only source of affordable housing for a large group of people. OREIA is an Ohio real estate investor’s voice. While the association can’t prevent state legislators from placing regulations on property sales, they have made enormous strides in allowing investors to do business ethically while limiting government interference.

One example of OREIA’s work in action was the steps they took to help stop bad legislation against lease options at the state level. Lease options – a rent to own situation - help homeowners. They give them an opportunity to buy a house when it would be otherwise impossible. It is great to know that there are organizations here in Ohio and counterparts in Indiana and other states that look out for real estate investors in the legislative arena.

Ohio real estate investors are not alone. Real estate laws and practices change almost everyday, so having access to fellow investors makes it easier and more enjoyable to keep up with the changes. We have so much to learn from each other’s experience, and OREIA makes that learning and networking possible.

Deb McMillan, OPHP, CMI, is a real estate investor and writer living in Hamilton, Ohio. She has written a home study course on Short Sale Success Systems, which teaches investors how to get deep discounts from the bank when buying pre-foreclosures. She has been investing in real estate since 1986 and buying, selling, and teaching short sale strategies since 2000. In Deb’s home study course and seminars, you’ll learn how to talk to sellers to get them to do what is necessary to save their credit. In addition, you will become familiar with bank negotiation strategies that will lead you to incredible savings when buying real estate. You will also learn about bankruptcy and what you can and can’t do once a homeowner files. That, and so much more knowledge that will help close your deals awaits you! Log on to http://www.shortsalesqueen.com for more information and a free report.

Shark Cartilage-

It evokes horror in the mind of people on the beach, the triangle shaped tail fin. It is this very aquatic animal’s cartilage tissue that we call shark cartilage. Its contribution to the formational of the skeletal system is vital. A translucent elastic tissue it composes most of the skeleton of embryonic and very young vertebrates. Post a process of calcification it transforms into bones and makes a fully developed skeletal system.

There are three types of cartilage tissue-
Fibro cartilage- It is found between the back bones and is of the strongest types.

Hyaline cartilage- It is a grisly elastic tissue covering the moving end of bones, it also connects the ribs to the breast bone and supports the nose also the windpipe and a part of the voice box.

Yellow cartilage- This is the most elastic of the three and is found in the external ear, Eustachian tube and throat.

Uses of Shark Cartilage

Forms of Use-

Powdered form of shark cartilage- It is available as bulk powdered form and is generally for oral consumption on mixing it with water or fruit juice. It can also be taken through a rectal retention enema. Another form that powdered shark cartilage is available in is gelatin capsules or pressed into caplets which are taken orally.

It was believed in the earlier times that sharks did not have cancer. So it was believed that taking shark cartilage could work against cancer. Tests conducted on humans so far show that shark cartilage does have some efficacy in controlling growth of tumor cells. There was a study conducted in some humans with macular degeneration and it has shown positive results however more concrete experimentation is required to propound theories.

Side effects and potential dangers in using shark cartilage-

People with allergies to chondroitin or glucosamine should avoid taking products containing shark cartilage. People with allergies to sulfur should also be careful before taking shark cartilage products as they could be sulfated.

People consuming a shark cartilage product called Neovastat did show side effects in spite of using it for about four years. The person consuming shark cartilage could suffer mild stomach discomfort dizziness and fatigue. It has also been observed and is considered in theory that slower wound healing and irregular heartbeat can occur in people taking shark cartilage. Shark cartilage can be considered an occupational safety hazard in facilities using it.

Precaution- Consumption of shark cartilage in any form is not advisable to pregnant women and breast feeding mothers.

Interaction of Shark Cartilage with Drugs-
Shark Cartilage containing products are rich in calcium. So if taken along with any drugs containing calcium or calcium supplements it can increase the level of calcium in the body leading to problems like irregular heartbeats, decrease the growth of blood vessels and healing of wounds.

Interaction of Shark Cartilage with other Herbs and Supplements-
Shark Cartilage can lower blood sugar levels and if taken with glucosamine can increase them. A health care provider should closely monitor the intake of shark cartilage.

usage
The dosage mentioned below is according to scientific journals or traditional usage
Adults (18 yrs or older) - Extract of ground cartilage- A dose of 80-100 gms per day or 1.3gms per kilogram of body weight.

Children (younger than 18 years) – they should avoid taking shark cartilage as it can hamper normal growth.

Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult aspect of any manager’s job and the reluctance to ‘grasp the nettle’ when performance or behaviour issues emerge is certainly a concern in many organisations. But at the end of the day that is what managers are paid to do and not doing so will certainly affect service, team morale, sales and ultimately the bottom line.

Why does this reluctance exist, why do so many mangers back away from confrontation? The problems and challenges that need to be overcome are many and the common reasons and ‘excuses’ for not doing so are as follows:

It is Risky – There is a worry in the back of the manager’s mind that discussions could turn into heated arguments and that they may open themselves up for harassment or bullying accusations. There is also a concern that team moral and motivation may be damaged by tackling an under-performer and that the team may even turn against the manager.

It is Complicated and Difficult– Performance and behaviour management is not straight forward, it is very seldom clear cut or black and white. It is ‘grey area’ stuff and often involves opinions, perceptions and subjectivity. As managers feel they cannot quantify and then justify their concerns clearly enough they do not attempt to do so.

It is Hard Work and Time Consuming – Many managers feel they do not have the time to sort out under-performers and that it is low on the priority list. “It is not worth the hassle” is a common comment to be heard.

Denial – Many managers are either blind to the fact that a person is under-performing or behaving unacceptably or they do not see it is a serious enough issue to address. There are even managers who believe that it is not their job to tackle performance and behaviour issues and that some day, someone will come along and do it for them.

Many of the aforementioned points tend to be excuses rather than reasons but there are a number of more important points that need to be taken into consideration:

Lack of Training – No new manager has any previous experience of performance and behaviour issues when they move into a manager role for the first time. New managers often inherit performance or behaviour issues from the previous manager and yet are not given relevant training for tackling these issues from the onset. Giving managers basic employment law training and the company procedures to read is not the ‘practical’ training they need and is certainly insufficient on its own. All managers need a thorough grounding in the use of the performance management tools and practice in their use. Job specs, probationary periods, reviews, counselling sessions, appraisals and the disciplinary procedures are all useful performance and behaviour tools when used correctly and at the right time. Yet this vital training is not made on someone’s appointment, often it is made later in their careers when much damage has been done.

Courage and Confidence – Doing something risky, difficult and complicated requires both courage and confidence. Unfortunately many branch managers lack both. Even if managers are given the knowledge and skill to tackle performance or behaviour issues, they will not do so without these essential qualities.

The problems and challenges are undoubtedly great and many may see the issue as un-resolvable however there is someone available to branch managers who can help them overcome many of the problems and challenges and that someone is their boss the Area Manager.

Guidance, Coaching and Support
The area manger is the only person who can guide, coach and support branch managers in the addressing of performance or behaviour issues. They can un-complicate the issues and help managers build a strong case for presenting to an employee. The area manager can also help the manager minimise the risk of harassment or bullying claims by ensuring the correct procedures are being used and that the managers say the right things in the correct way.

More importantly a good area manager will ‘encourage’ and give the manager much needed confidence. The area manager is the only one who can do this but unfortunately in many instances this is not happening and by not doing so area managers are unconsciously (or consciously) influencing a reluctance to tackle performance or behaviour issues within their branches.

Why is this happening?

Asking for support and guidance – Many branch managers are certainly reluctant to approach their area manager when they experience performance or behaviour issues within the team. If the matter falls into the gross misconduct category then managers will contact the area manager (and HR function) in the first instance. But for ‘grey area’ performance or behaviour matters they tend to keep the issues to themselves.
The reasons for this are as follows:

Many branch managers feel:

* The area manager may see it as a trivial matter and not important enough to bring to their attention.

* That seeking advice and guidance will be seen in a negative way by the area manager.

* The area manager will go into fault finding mode rather than helping find solutions.

* The area manager may start questioning the branch manager’s ability to do the job.

Many managers have in the past gone to their area mangers for advice and support on team performance issues but received such a negative, unhelpful reply that many were put off from ever doing so again, even when they changed to a different area manager.

There is also a feeling that area managers themselves do not know what to do either. “Bring me solutions not problems” is a common comment heard by branch managers when they have taken a ‘people’ issue to their area manager.

Offering support and guidance

It is a fact that very few area managers actively encourage branch managers to talk about their ‘people’ issues or are prepared to probe below the surface to identify possible performance or behaviour problems that may be affecting the business. There are many examples where area managers have placed managers in ‘problem’ branches without preparing them for the issues they will face or helped or supported them once they have taken up the position. Basically they throw them to the wolves and then leave them to get on with it.

Another common issue is when the assistant manager of the branch is turned down for the manager position. Very few area managers are competent in explaining why an individual was not appointed and give excuses rather than valid reasons. This results in the new manager having to experience considerable hostility and resentment from not only their deputy but from many of the team also.

Why do many area managers not offer support or guidance or dig below the surface looking for performance issues? There are a number of reasons for this.

Unconscious Competence

There is a saying that “Good Management will result in good people staying and not-so-good people either improving or leaving. Where as Bad Management will result in good people leaving and not-so-good people staying and possibly getting even worse”.

During their time as branch managers, many area managers did not experience risky, difficult or complicated people issues. If they did, they often resolved them unconsciously. They just acted as good managers should, which resulted in the issues being resolved quickly. Ask any manager who is competent in performance or behaviour management “how do you do it or what do you do?” and you will probably receive a shrug of the shoulders and a comment like “I don’t know specifically, I just do it” (Unconscious Competence)

Unconscious competence is not acceptable at area management level as a key requirement of the job is to coach and train branch managers in performance management. Area managers can only fulfil this critical function if they know exactly what is to be done and how to do it. (Conscious competence)

Conscious Incompetence

Unfortunately there are area managers in existence who ‘know’ they are not personally competent in dealing with performance and behaviour issues and will go to great lengths not to expose this weakness to others. (Conscious incompetence) These area managers tend to encourage branch managers to not make waves, maintaining the status quo and to tolerate rather than develop. They certainly do not dig below the surface in a branch seeking ‘people’ issues that may be affecting the business.

One of the most disappointing comments I heard from a seasoned area manager when asked why he was not supporting his managers was “I am not allowed to get involved as I am the next step of the appeal process”.

A good measure of an area manager’s competence is to look at the performance and behaviour of the area manager’s branch manager team. It is pretty certain that if they cannot coach and encourage branch mangers in the tackling of performance and behaviour issues then you can be sure they themselves are not tackling branch manager performance or behaviour issues.

Possible Solutions

If a retail organisation needs to tackle performance or behaviour issues at branch levels, I believe they need to develop the skills and competence of performance management at area management level first as area managers alone have the authority and are the biggest influence on branch manager effectiveness.

Unconscious competent area managers need to become consciously competent so they can not only develop others but also develop themselves further. Conscious incompetent area managers need to admit that they are not effective in performance or behaviour management and be prepared to learn and develop the necessary skills. If they are not prepared to do so then they themselves need to be performance managed by the company. After all, Executives cannot demand that branch managers tackle performance and behaviour issues one moment and then not do so themselves when they need to. That isn’t leading by example

Anthony Dance is managing director of outlook management development, a retail performance management and management development organisation. He is also an accomplished speaker on the topic of tackling performance issues and has over 15 years experience within senior operational roles. Anthony can be contacted through his web site http://www.outlookretail.com

A lonely heart could just be one of the important factors that causes high blood pressure. In fact, a recent study shows loneliness can be as bad for your heart as being over weight or inactive. Could spending time with friends be the answer to lowering your blood pressure?

How Is Blood Pressure Affected?

When the University of Chicago studied a group of 229 men and women between the ages of 50 and 68 … they found something interesting. After eliminating all other factors, they found that those who lacked comradeship were more likely to have high blood pressure.

The blood pressure of the loneliest people in the study was 10 to 30 mm Hg higher than those who had companionship. Compared to this … losing 10 kg of excess body weight can reduce your blood pressure by 5 to 20 mm Hg … physical activity has been shown to lower it by 4 to 9 mm Hg.

This shows the importance of social relations in our lives. A big part of living a healthy life is enjoying good relationships with friends and family.

My research on naturally lowering blood pressure showed … spending joyful time with friends is good for your health. Laughing with your comrades … joking with your pals … enjoying a fun time with your family … these times relax you and counter high blood pressure.

More Loneliness and High Blood Pressure

As our population ages and more people are living alone … loneliness and high blood pressure are on the increase. The first of the baby boomer generation are hitting 60 this year … a large group of people will retire and move away from their circle of workplace friends. Family and friends move, get sick, pass away … more and more elderly are feeling loneliness.

As household sizes decrease … as the number of people living alone increases … the risk of loneliness increases — and with it, the risk of heart disease.

Social relationships need to be replenished … you need to find new friends.

How To Avoid Loneliness

Get involved. Joining volunteer work and social groups allows you to make new friends. Getting out and about … being active in your community … it’s not only good for exercise, but also for social contact. It’s a great way to build your comradeship.

Join volunteer activities in your community. Help out with groups keeping parks clean … join in area patrols … take part in local blood drives … work on a campaign. Doing something for your community not only makes you feel useful … it brings you into close contact with others.

Take college night courses, join hiking groups, go on a tour … all are great ways to meet interesting people. Have fun and share a laugh.

Be open to new friendships … avoid being a lone wolf … avoid high blood pressure. Take this one step to protect your heart, today.

Kevin Riley reveals the factors that affect your blood pressure … discover more interesting facts at www.naturalbloodpressure.com

“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”
Martha Washington

Everyone knows that knowledge workers are important to an organization’s effectiveness. Leader, why don’t you use them? Why do managers make the same mistakes without ever involving the impacted employees? Executives are then shocked when their employees don’t buy into their latest management craze. My claim is that organizations don’t focus on long-term strategies. With fierce global competition, managers move toward the quick fixes for short-term gains without analyzing long-term impacts. I’m not suggesting that this approach is easy. Davis, author of Future Perfect,advocates a strategic approach for future planning in competitive environments. Davis explains, “In the industrial context, organization always lags behind strategy….That is a sterrible state of affairs.” If management fully utilized their employees who have personal contact with their customers, organizations could anticipate market changes sooner. Hamel and Prahalad, authors of Competing for the Future, state that one issue facing organizations globally is individual estrangement; this relates to workers’ levels of anxiety and disenchantment in the current marketplace. These feelings are a direct result of downsizing and of undervaluing employees during the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.

Therefore, I’m suggesting that applying long-term strategies will make organizations stronger, thereby creating an optimum environment where man and machine can coexist. Don’t get left behind globally. Start today!

References:

Hamel, G. and Prahalad (1994). Competing for the Future. MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Bennis, W. and Mische, M. (1995). The 21st Century Organization: Reinventing Through Reengineering. San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer & Company.

Davis, S. (1996). Future Perfect. Reading, MA: Addision – Wesley Publishing.

Wren, D. (2005). The Evolution of Management Thought. Hooboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information,visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org

I am a woman, but I am a person first. My gender, my sense of style and desire to look my best, deserving of compliment, and my search for connection do not make me a piece of meat.

I am a person first, but I am also a woman. I am strong because I must be, but I am also proud of that strength. By your male lack of commitment and responsibility you force me to be strong and I find I am thrilled with the well of strength I discover within myself. But upon my use of this strength, you call me “masculine”, “castrating”, and “bitch”.

I am a person and unless a man treats me as a person, there is no real future for us as a couple. Attraction and stubbornness might carry us through for a while, but eventually we will crave a life in which we are not discounted as cattle, chattel, or childish. I crave love, but I demand respect.

I am a person with dreams, desires, and preferences of my own. Do not feel you can decide for me with impunity. Do not give me presents that are what you wish me4 to have without taking my heart, my mind, my desires into account. You ask your women friends what women want when the women you chat up don’t fall at your feet when you throw empty come-ons their way. What do women want? Can you tell me what all men want? We are as diverse as men. We each want what we want and no two are the same.

If you love and respect your mother remember that she, too, is a woman, not a piece of meat of a convenience. Show all women the same respect you should show her until you, perhaps, find they don’t deserve it.

I, too, have sexual desires, but I will often choose to repress those to keep from ruining any possibility of a lasting relationship. Many women are turned off when your custom of desire causes you to treat them with no respect. You would be unreceptive to a woman who started off demanding this and that. We, too, dislike such treatment, especially when those demands are of a sexual nature. Ask – don’t demand or try to manipulate, and then respect our responses. No almost invariably means no. Depending on the situation, however, it might not mean never, so your treatment of me and the situation might determine when and if the no might turn into a yes, and force or manipulation are not the ways to my acceptance.

I am a person and my performance in the workplace is deserving of unbiased evaluation and payment equal to anyone else on my level of performance and responsibility. Whether I am a secretary or a CEO, I am deserving of my wages.

I am a person and I, along with many of my sisters, am in touch with my body. When we tell medical professionals what we are feeling, those explanations must not be discounted simply because we may not hold an M.D. If I say that I have pain here and I want to find the cause, do not assume that I am only whining. Do not overlay your expectations on the map of our suffering and disregard anything that just doesn’t fit. Listen to us with the same care you would use in listening to a man.

I am a person. I am young, old, black, brown, yellow, red, white, educated, uneducated, happy, sad, depressive, manic, impulsive, methodical, cunning, ingenuous, fat, thin, lovely, plain, but ever beautiful in life and spirit. Judge me only as you would wish to be judged. Love me for all of who I am – not the size of my breasts or the curve of my calves.

I am a person, but woven through my sense of self and the life I live is the wonderful, unavoidable fact of my female gender. I am a person who, inescapably, is a woman, but foremost, I am a person.

The author is a poet and playwright born in the foothills of the alps, but now living in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains with a crew of cats and opossums.

Classic thinking games are a great way to tune up your brain. You can use these mind games to help you increase your brain power and to get you out of your thinking “ruts.” Play them enough, and they’ll habituate you to using creative problem solving as a normal part of thinking about things.

Thinking Games For Groups

Group thinking games are especially good for long trips in a car. Have someone look out the window, for example, and randomly choose an object. Everyone in the car then tries to imagine a new way to make money with it. Common street signs become places to advertise, trees are sold with names, and a truck becomes a traveling grocery store.

Use the “change of perspective” technique as a problem-solving game. Just pick any topic, and see who can come up with the most unique new perspective. Could there be a world where jobs weren’t necessary? How would a virus define morality if it was conscious?

One creative thinking game uses a technique called “concept combination.” You simply combine random concepts or things in interesting ways, and see who has the best idea. A chair and a microwave? Maybe an easy-chair with a built-in cooler, microwave and television, or microwavable “couch potatoes” - a potato snack in the shape of a couch.

More Thinking Games

A lateral thinking puzzle you can try right now involves nine dots, layed out three by three. Connect them all with four straight lines, without lifting the pen or pencil from the paper. When you figure this one out you’ll appreciate the expression “thinking outside of the box.”

Many lateral-thinking puzzles use a scenario, real or imagined, with a selection of things you have to use to accomplish something. Imagine a ping-pong ball in an iron pipe that’s set in cement. The pipe sticks up three-feet high, and has almost the same diameter as the ball. Using only a box of frosted-flakes, and a t-shirt, and your body and mind, how many ways can you find to get the ball out of the pipe? You could also set this up for real, to know if a proposed solution will really work.

Many riddles are just mind games or lateral-thinking puzzles. You move laterally in your mind, away from your usual line of thought, to solve a riddle. For example, what did his friends do when the canibal was late for dinner? They gave him the cold shoulder, of course! Keeping your brain in shape doesn’t have to be a matter of serious study. Why not play some thinking games?

Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com