Emergency/Disaster - You can't predict ..but you can prepare

The house down the street is on fire. Would you know what to do?

The earthquake has passed — the ground has stopped shaking. Do you know how to search for your friends and neighbors?

The hurricane has passed. Do you know how to tend to your family's injuries?

When disaster strikes, you may not be home. Who will check on your family? Who will check for gas leaks? Who will take care of your pets?

Now is the time to get some training and prepare yourself with lifesaving skills. If you want really comprehensive training to give you the skills and self confidence to face an emergency, it's time to check out CERT training.

I am a CERT and a Block Leader in the city of Cupertino and I'm proud of it and as part of our ongoing trainings and exercises, just last month, on Oct 17-18, we conducted a citywide drill.

The purpose of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is to educate members of the community about disaster preparedness for natural disasters and other emergencies which may affect their area. The program trains individuals in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical response. Trained CERT members are prepared to assist in their neighborhoods or workplaces following an emergency before professional responders are available to help.

When a disaster occurs, first responders will be overwhelmed. This is when those with CERT training can temporarily fill in and meet immediate needs. When help does arrive, CERT responders can provide professionals with the information they will need to begin immediate aid to victims.

CERT team members may also be used in their communities to promote emergency preparedness and to help educate others. In some communities they have helped to install smoke detectors, teach the use of fire extinguishers, educate neighborhood watch groups, and much more. Immediately after a disaster they can assist with evacuation, coordinate collection and distribution of clothing and other donations, prepare food for first responders, answer phone calls for fire and police departments, and offer comfort at evacuation sites.

Check out Cupertino Emergency site and resources. Register for classes. Get trained. Get actively involved. Help your community be prepared for the emergency. Together, we can make a difference !

"The Last Lecture" - It wasn't about dying, it was about living

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." - Randy Pausch

At Carnegie Mellon University, a lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

"Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them.  More importantly, I have found ways, in particular the creation (with Don Marinelli), of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center of helping many young people actually *achieve* their childhood dreams." - Randy Pausch, Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008

Check out the book and video and other related items from CMU ..

One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

Have you heard about Freecycle and wondered what it was all about? There are already over 2.9 million members in over 3,000 local groups globally! The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items.

Freecycle's mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.

• This cycle of giving helps ease reliance on consumerism while building local community and keeping usable item out of the landfill.
• You can get to know members online and in person, if you choose, and develop closer ties to your local community.
• In 2005, 100 million tons were saved from the landfill due to the efforts of local Freecycle members. "One gift at a time" has made a huge impact locally !

Visit Freecycle.org to find a group in your area. The main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Think globally, recycle locally. The Freecycle Network is open to all communities and to all individuals who want to participate. Freecycle groups are run by local volunteer moderators from across the globe who facilitate each local group - grassroots at its best!

Happy Freecycling ! I'm doing it, I'm sure you'll also do it.

Can there be anything more satisfying than helping others achieve their dreams ?

And that too with just $25 ..



Check out Kiva.org - a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur across the globe.
Lend $25, Change someone's life for better, Get $25 back, Lend it again, Change another life ..

Wouldn't that be whole lot better than that money just sitting in your bank checking account without interest ?

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It's a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.

Check out my lender page to see profiles and success stories of entrepreneurs I've lent money to.

Make sure to post a comment if you agree and once you start making a positive difference in someone's life ..

Wanna play like a top shot financial analyst ? Now you can ..

Who says you need to have an MBA in finance from top business school or you have to work at one of those top investment bankers or brokerage houses ? Just follow these 7 rules and you can call yourself the best financial analyst in the business -

7. When market goes up, say it was "opportunity buying"
6. When market goes down, say it was "profit taking"
5. When company announces better than expected results, immediately upgrade the stock
4. When company announces worse than expected results, immediately downgrade the stock

3. When S&P comes down from 1000 to 985, predict it will go down to 650 within next 2 months

2. When Gold moves up from 900 to 1000 per ounce, predict it will be up to 2000 per ounce within next 2 years

And #1 is -

1. When your prediction goes horribly wrong, blame it on war in Iraq, Oil prices, World hunger, Terrorism, Global warming or someone not taking a shower that day ..

got projects ?

To All Project Managers -

Today, November 5th, is International Project Management Day™. It was founded in 2005 by Frank Saladis to recognize the extraordinary efforts of project managers all over the world – across industries and geographies.

On the fifth annual IPM Day, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize you and your efforts as a professional project manager. The work that you do makes the world a better place for everyone - it improves the way people, companies, communities and even countries achieve their goals.

From its modest beginning as a webinar in 2005, IPM Day has grown exponentially in scope. Today, all over the world, individuals and organizations are formally recognizing this day and acknowledging the value that project professionals bring to companies. Educational events and gatherings are taking place around the world. We hope that you and your organization are also participating in some special way.

In New York, where we are headquartered, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed today, November 5th, International Project Management Day. The mayor said in his proclamation, “In every facet of business, government, education, and the nonprofit community, project managers play an important role in building a bright future for our city. We are proud to honor these dedicated individuals, whose work exemplifies the importance of leadership, cooperation, and innovation. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my best wishes for an enjoyable event and continued success”.

All these activities represent a benchmark in how far the project management profession has progressed. But even more so, today is simply a good way to pause and recognize the important role you are personally playing as an individual project manager, often as one of the unsung heroes behind the big and small achievements that add up to great progress.

So, thank you. And keep up the good work. The world appreciates it.

(Courtesy of IIL)

Would you call yourself a successful PM ? Whats the success rate of projects at your work place ? Does your company celebrate IPM day ? Is PM given the deserved respect and importance at your work place ? Do economic conditions matter ? What are the challenges in PM profession ?

What do you think ? Share your thoughts ..