Posts Tagged ‘e-Management blog’
Thursday, September 10th, 2015
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
Autumn can be a spectacular. It can also be a stressful time for many professionals, parents, and families. (Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons)
September is here, which means meteorological summer will soon be but a distant memory. Autumn can be a stressful time for many professionals, parents, and families. Why? Students and workers are returning from summer break and vacations all at once, adding volume to traffic and increasing gridlock throughout various communities across the country. Plus, work life for many go from zero to 100, making professional life busier and often more hectic. *take a deep breath* Well, the e-Management blogging team sympathizes and has pulled together a short list of how to deal with all of the headaches, anxiety, and stress that are often associated with the beginning of Autumn and the back to school season.
-
Eat well, stay active, and get plenty of water: Whether you are a student, parent, or professional, maintaining optimal health through a healthy diet and regular exercise is a great way to deal with autumnal stress. Nutritionist Michelle Stewart, MPH, RDLD/N, CDE, confirms that dehydration can make the body work extra hard when dealing with stress. In addition to drinking ample amounts of water as a way to lower stress levels, she recommends making “wise food choices” by consuming less high saturated fat foods and more whole (non-processed) foods like vegetables, grains, and fruits. Finally, fitness experts agree exercising including Zumba, swimming, cycling, jogging, yoga, and weight training is an effective tool for reducing the effects of stress.
-
Keep the lines of communication open: For parents of anxious students who are starting classes or a new school, Elizabeth Scott, stress management expert and author of the , recommends parents talk and listen to their children’s anxiety around starting or returning to school. She advises that parents take the time to understand what their daughters’ and sons’ misgivings are around a new school year. Scott also suggests this may be a great time to talk about potential “bullies” and peer pressure. Essentially, she asserts that keeping the lines of communications open for your children can go a long way in their success.
-
Prepare for the next day, the night before: For folks who are returning to work from vacation or employees preparing for a busy season at their jobs, planning may be the thing to relieve workplace related stress and anxiety. Jason Mannino, career coach and executive recruitment program manager at University of California (UC) Berkeley, recommends getting your clothing ready every evening. This simple act can actually reduce morning stress, which can carry over into the workplace. Mannino also recommends going to bed early and offers up tips for improving sleep, such as making the bedtime process an hour of unwinding down. Experts confirm benefits of sleep to include improved academic performance, fewer accidents, and yes less stress.
-
Talk to yourself. It’s not necessarily a sign of mania. Instead, it can be a helpful tool in managing stress. The American Heart Association recommends highly stressed people incorporate “positive self-talk” into their daily routines. When faced with stressful situations, positive self-talk phrases like, “I’ve got this” or “Someday I’ll laugh about this” can control stress levels.
-
Consider getting professional counseling: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports in the that two out of every five employees say their job is “very” or “extremely stressful.” A survey from the American Psychological Association warns that young students who cope badly with stress may carry those ineffective habits into adulthood. It is important for youth and adults to find healthy ways of coping with stress and anxiety. Naturally, students and adults who are overwhelmed by life’s stress and anxiety levels should seek support from certified counselors or experts in stress management. Check out WebMD’s Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center for resources to assist in finding counsellors.
What do you think?
Hopefully, those tips were useful. Still, there are certainly more ways to reduce stress. So, we want to hear from you. (1) Does Autumn bring about more or less stress for you, your coworkers, or your family? (2) How to deal with school, home, or workplace stress?
Tags: anxiety, autumn, Dennis Powell, , fall, Family, NIOSH, Ola Sage, parents, seasons, stress management, students
Posted in Entertainment, Family, Lifestyle | 21 Comments »
Tuesday, August 11th, 2015
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
e-Management supports A Wider Circle, a charity focused on eliminating poverty. What are your favorite causes or charities? #mypriority #AWiderCircle
Charitable giving which includes financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteering can be one of the most fulfilling things anyone can do. Yet, there are actually some charities that take advantage of the public’s generosity. How are a few nonprofits getting over on donors? Well, CNN reported that the “nation’s 50 worst charities” wastefully paid fundraising companies almost $1 billion during a 10-year span. Even more concerning, these same 50 charities gave “less than 4% of donations raised to direct cash aid.” In other words, if I give $100 to my favorite cause, only four dollars go to programs that support real action.
So, how can consumers find charities that focus on maximizing donations for people and causes rather than consultants and executives? e-Management has gathered a few tips that may help anyone who is thinking about giving to charities…
-
Confirm that the charity is real. The Charity Navigator—a nonprofit with the mission to help empower people to give intelligently—recommends donors confirm the 501(c) (3) status of charities prior to committing any dollar to a cause. In the United States, 501(c) (3) organizations are tax-exempt nonprofits that meet special requirements under Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)). Donations to these organizations are tax-deductible. According to the Charities Review Council, consumers may also be able to deduct expenses incurred while volunteering at these nonprofits as well as get a deduction on some of the cost of attending a charity event sponsored by 501(c) (3) organizations.
-
Request an annual report. Not all 501(c) (3) organizations are run efficiently to maximize dollars that support their causes. CNN exposed a Florida based charity that raises millions of dollars every year, yet it spent “less than 3 cents on the dollar helping kids.” In contrast, e-Management works with , a 501(c) (3) with only 2% overhead (operational expenses) and the charity is committed to using fundraising dollars to directly “serve those in poverty.” Clearly, A Wider Circle is putting its donations toward advancing its mission! Donors can get financial information about charities by requesting an annual report or a statement of activities. An annual report gives donors insight into how a nonprofit uses its resources and oftentimes showcases the successes of their programs. Some annual reports will even explicitly list top donors, which may offer additional peace of mind for donors.
-
Build a relationship with your charity. Charities are living organizations that may experience highs and lows. Many nonprofits rely heavily on private donations. Once a charity has been qualified as a 501(c) (3) that provides services to advance its mission, consumers may want to consider setting up automatic and periodic donations (e.g., monthly, annual) to their trusted charity. Donors may even consider volunteering a few hours every week or month. Another option for donors is to find out how they can become social media advocates to help their cause secure additional supporters, volunteers, and donors. Supporters of charities may also want to attend annual fundraising events and invite their family and friends to buy tickets. Seasoned leaders, managers, directors, or executives may want to consider joining planning committees or boards of advisors/directors of their favorite charities to ensure of the organizations’ long-term success.
-
Learn about new charity scams. It seems as if every day there is a new online or telemarketing charity scam that targets people who want to make the world a better place. The good news is that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the consumer protection agency, makes identifying such scams easy. Donors can visit the FTC website, which gives consumers a Charity Checklist to help them avoid costly scams. Click for more information. It’s that simple!
What charities or causes are right for you?
Forbes magazine ranks the in the countries based on private support and other criteria. The on the list are United Way, Salvation Army, and Feeding America. (1) Did your favorite charity make it on the Forbes list? (2) What are your favorite causes? (3) What do you look for in an organization when you donate?
Tags: #mypriority, A Wider Circle, cause, charity, CNN, Dennis Powell, , , Forbes, fundraising, nonprofit, Ola Sage, Salvation Army, United Way
Posted in Entertainment, Family, Lifestyle, Social Media | 22 Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2015
By Colleen Schuler, e-Management
For Memorial Day, thousands visit the famous Iwo Jima statue at the Marine Corps Memorial located outside of Washington, DC. How will you honor the fallen this Memorial Day? Photo Source: https://goo.gl/lh4X3e
“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on,” President Abraham Lincoln declared. “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”
The President, of course, was referring to the Union soldiers who had died five months earlier at the Battle of Gettysburg. It would be another 20 months of fighting before the last general of the Confederate Army surrendered.
Decoration Day Commences.
Three years after the Civil War ended, Memorial Day was created to honor the fallen soldiers on both sides of the conflict. After World War I, it was designated to honor all soldiers who died while serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day (the soldiers’ graves were decorated) and celebrated on May 30, it wasn’t until 1971 with the passage of the National Holiday Act that it was moved to the fourth Monday in May. In 2000, President Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act designating “3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day each year as the National Moment of Remembrance, in honor of the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.”
Yes, Memorial Day is in remembrance for the fallen. But I suggest we broaden our view. Let’s honor the memories of those who’ve fallen in service to our country by using the gifts and talents we have to help and serve the living. Everyone can do something.
Twenty dollars.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Myles Eckert, whose father, U.S. Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, died in Iraq when Myles was an infant. Last year, Myles found $20 in a restaurant parking lot outside of Toledo, Ohio. He was going to spend it on himself when he saw a man in uniform—Lt. Col. Frank Dailey of the Ohio Air National Guard. Instead, he gave the money to Dailey with a note: “Dear Soldier – my dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.” That’s a big heart for an 8-year-old.
Clear Water.
In 2007, fresh out of college on a ROTC scholarship, U.S. Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver was sent to northeast Africa. In Uganda, he saw that clean water was vital for the health of the people, especially those living in small villages, and worked to provide that. When he came back to the States, he set up the to continue helping the Ugandans. Two years later, Sklaver was redeployed to Afghanistan, working in civil affairs doing much of the same work that he had done in Uganda. But he lost his life to a suicide bomber. His parents and friends continued the work of his foundation; eight years later they are still going strong.
Kick for Nick.
U.S. Army Pvt. Nick Madaras inspired many people to honor his memory—with a global reach. Madaras, a soccer aficionado and youth-soccer coach from Connecticut, had been deployed to Iraq. He found that soccer broke down barriers, especially with the Iraqi children. Madaras’ goal was to send soccer balls to the Iraqi children. But he was killed by a roadside bomb in 2006. A Korean War vet, Ken Dartley, read a local newspaper article about Madaras and started a soccer ball drive. That has evolved into the . People from forty-seven states have sent more than 42,000 soccer balls to 19 countries. Cal Holt, an eighth grader from Winston-Salem, N.C., saw a video about Madaras and started his own drive for a school project. He and his friends collected 33 soccer balls. They ended up in the hands of children from the African nation of Djibouti. Seeing pictures of the smiling children, Holt said, “Doing this, I’ll remember this for a long time.”
What a great way to honor Pvt. Madaras—a seemingly small act with a big impact.
What does Memorial Day mean to you?
The beginning of summer? A paid holiday? Great bargains? Blockbuster movies? Cookouts?
Let’s remember the fallen. Let’s resolve that those who gave their lives for our country will not have died in vain.
Let’s make it a day that inspires. What will you do?
Tags: charity, ClearWater Initiative, Colleen Schuler, , Kick for Nick Foundation, Memorial Day, Ola Sage
Posted in Corporate, Entertainment, Family, Leadership, Lifestyle, Travel, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
Treasure Trove of Records?
Monday, February 9th, 2015
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
Do your family or friends accuse you of being a packrat? Do you know people who find it hard to throw away documents, old photos, shoes, children’s clothing, wedding dresses, 8-track cassettes, or even electronics (that probably don’t even work)? If so, then this blog short on the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) may be relevant to you. After all, your stored collections of things could be considered your personal archives.
The National Archives showcase a document every day such as this 1945 photo of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s birthday celebration with celebrities of that era. Photo Source: http://goo.gl/Vp1ZjH
Four things you may not know about the National Archives…
You could probably tell compelling stories around every item in your personal archives. But what do you know about our National Archives? You probably know it is a great resource to gain access to historical facts. Technically, NARA is the agency responsible for keeping U.S. government records. The Archives is the actual collection of records and artifacts that Congress established back in 1934. Why are records so important? Well, records teach us about our history and can showcase some of our best moments and serve as a reminder of our missteps (e.g. political, fashion, musical etc.) we should avoid collectively. The truth is NARA is probably one of the least known government agencies. So, we decided to feature four things you may not know about the Archives or NARA…
-
It takes a cast of thousands to keep NARA running smoothly. When many people think of the Archives, they oftentimes only consider the Pennsylvania Avenue building in Washington, D.C. In truth, there are more than 40 centers across the country. In addition, more than 3,000 fulltime and part-time employees support those centers, which includes numerous presidential libraries.
-
The Archives is on social media. More than 5 million people visited the Archives Facebook page in December (2014). If you cannot make it to the Washington or field sites of the Archives, check out “Today’s Document” on social media like , Twitter, and . The official records keeper highlights famous and less-known (yet historically relevant) documents every day from the enormous Archives collection. It’s a great way to connect to American history. Believe it or not, the Today’s Document social media updates are so popular, an interactive app is now available. To gain access to the app, search for “Today’s Document” on Google Play or iTunes. If you are a history buff who loves Twitter, you may want to get short updates (140-character “tweets”) by following the Archives on .
-
The Archives plan to upload its entire (declassified) collection to the Internet. Hundreds of thousands of digital images from the Archives is already available for free at Wikimedia Commons, an online database of nearly 25 million media files. TechCrunch blogger Julian Chokkattu reported that NARA initially uploaded more than 100,000 images to the Commons in 2012 as a way to make the Archives collections more accessible. During federal fiscal year 2013, NARA media received more than one billion views. Fans of presidents might be interested in what we found in the Archives collection on the Commons: a sailing ship illustration by a young Franklin D. Roosevelt (the longest serving president in U.S. history); a photo of Civil Rights legends Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, and James Farmer meeting President Lyndon B. Johnson; and President Ronald Reagan’s family photo from the 1981 Inauguration.
-
You can find documents that changed the world. The National Archives is a treasure trove of documents that have had a profound impact on American history. You can find the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, which doubled the size of the U.S. in the 19th century; the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Great Britain; the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Implementation Decree, which outlawed segregation; and the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided universal suffrage.
Don’t repeat it…
To paraphrase novelist and philosopher George Santayana, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Lucky for us, we have NARA to preserve our national heritage and history. But what do you think: (1) Have you ever been to any of the national or international archival facilities? (2) How do you store your important memories or records? (3) How do you safeguard your most precious historical artifacts or mementos?
Tags: civil rights, Dennis Powell, , FDR, federal, Government, history, MLK, NARA, national archives, Ola Sage, president, Ronald Reagan
Posted in Government, Lifestyle, Social Media | 26 Comments »
Five-Finger Discount?
Tuesday, January 6th, 2015
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
More than 3 million smartphones were stolen in 2013 according to Consumer Reports. What are you doing to protect your mobile devices?
Check the Urban Dictionary and you’ll find the phrase “5-finger discount.” The term refers to how stealing requires only one hand or five fingers. Not protecting your smartphone (Windows Phone, iPhone, Android, Blackberry etc.) is essentially allowing cyber predators and real-life thugs to steal your personal information or even your identity. Well, we can all agree that’s not good for anyone. So, we’ve pulled together these…
Five Tips for Protecting Your Smartphone to Counter the 5-Finger Discount
-
Curb Your App-etite: Apps can be practical, useful, fun, and convenient. But apps from shady sources can open you and your phone up to enormous risks. Word of advice from the FCC Smartphone Security Checker is to install apps from “trusted sources” only and be sure to “research” before downloading to determine the legitimacy of the app and app maker. An inability to curb your “app-etite” can lead to malicious software, viruses, stolen information, or a non-functioning smartphone. You’ve been warned!
-
Install Anti-Virus Software: Apps, games, and other fun downloads are popular with most smartphones users. But it is also important to download at least one antivirus app for added protection. If you are an Android user, check out for reviews of security apps. If you’re an iPhone fan, Security Today has a great article, which lists apps designed to safeguard your favorite iPhone or tablet.
-
Make Sure Your Smartphone Opens for Only You: HealthIT.gov offers a few tips for protecting your smartphone. One tip seems like a no brainer: Securing your smartphone by using some method of authentication. Yet, Consumer Reports National Research Center’s 2014 Annual State of the Net Survey shows that only 36% of all smartphone owners use a password, personal identification number, or some other authentication processes to verify the mobile phone user’s identity. Authentication is a simple precaution which locks out potential offline and online threats by requesting a password or some other form of authentication. We strongly recommend it for protection!
-
Turn It Off: offers common sense tips for protecting your phone on its website. One that may surprise you is turning off your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® when you aren’t using either. Sophisticated hackers can easily connect to your smartphone and steal sensitive information through these connections.
-
Insure It: The CTIA-The Wireless Association® recommends that smartphone users consider insuring their mobile devices. Many wireless providers offer affordable insurance plans directly or through a third party vendor. An insurance plan could mean a free replacement of your phone if it is loss or even damaged. Are you clueless when it comes to anything insurance? Well, check out Suzanne Kantra’s Techlicious about how to go about choosing the best plan for you.
More Tips…
There are certainly more than five ways to protect yourself from theft and cyber breaches. For instance, many smartphone users install tracking apps and software that disables phones when devices go missing. (1) What tips have worked for you in protecting your smartphone investment? (2) How easy is it for others to access your mobile phone? (3) What would you do if your smartphone suddenly disappeared?
Tags: apps, CTIA, CyberRx, cybersecurity, data breach, Dennis Powell, Digital Trends, , Hackers, Ola Sage, Security Today, smartphone, wireless
Posted in Information Security, Internet/Intranet, Lifestyle, Social Media | 27 Comments »
|
|
