To build the kit, you’ll need a small plank of wood (4″ x 4″ or so), 10 nails of the same length, and 3 nails that are longer than the other 10, but the same size as each other.  One LONG nail should be driven in to the center of the board, and the group should be handed the remainder of the nails. This works best in groups of 3-5.  Any more than that, and space becomes too crowded, which forces people out of the group.  Give the group 10-15 minutes to pin down the solution.  Some will get it instantly, and some may not get it at all, but you’ll see leaders and followers develop almost immediately.  You’ll also start to see the introverts and extroverts of the group.

I won’t post the how to here (though it isn’t hard to find online), but here’s the final result:

Don't bump the table!

I’ve had a project that I have been “picking” at for probably a year.  And another that I’ve been working on since before I graduated college.  Neither of these projects get the attention they deserve.  I can claim that it’s because I don’t have the time, but I’d find the time if I REALLY wanted it.  I let projects sit idle because I don’t know how they will turn out.  They could be tremendous successes.  Or they could be ABSOLUTE FAILURES.  And that fear of failure is what keeps me paralyzed.

Time to reframe my mindset, and finally start pushing forward on some of the “maybe someday” projects.

I’ve taken the same concept and applied it to my business, using a spreadsheet.  Every day that I prospect for new business, write an article on my blog, or any of a number of daily tasks, I get to put the X on the spreadsheet to keep the chain growing.  It’s ridiculously simple, didn’t cost me anything, and keeps me motivated to stay focused.  If I miss a day, I highlight it in yellow just to draw attention to it.  The less yellow, the better!

Read more over at [LifeHacker].

I recently came across a product put out by D-Link, which plugs into the USB port on my computer and allows me to make Skype calls from a normal phone!  In addition, if I had a regular phone line, I could plug that in as well which would allow me to make and recieve phone calls from either line.  The ability to use a regular phone is something that I did miss, but with the addition of the DPH-50U, I have added a lot of versatility to my office.  You can use any regular phone with this device.  I purchased mine at NewEgg.com, for $19.99 on sale, and there was no shipping cost.  In addition, there was a $10 mail in rebate which I took advantage of.

Overall, I would say that the call quality I have had has been very good.  I’ve had a couple calls fade out for a second, but the interruptions have been minimal at best.

This doesn’t exempt the rest of the work force!  With our recent economy, I know that there are a more than a few people out there  searching for employment.  Keeping your resume up to date will help you get focused quickly after a job loss.  Even if you are “secure” in your job, you should always keep feelers out there to see if there is a better opportunity waiting for you somewhere on the horizon.

There is a great article at Dumb Little Man that discusses building a top notch resume.  About the only item on their list that I disagree with is removing your postal address.  I would consider that a pertinent piece of pedigree information, not one that I would omit from my resume.

The bottom line on this issue?  By having a solid resume, and taking the time to update it regularly (10 minutes every 6 months!), you put yourself in a much better position than someone struggling to get their act together when it comes down to it.

Secured Debt is debt backed by something tangiable.  Good examples of a secured debt are your vehicle and your mortgage.  There is a physical good that can be reposessed or foreclosed on to recoup losses by the lender in the event you fail to make the payments.

Unsecured Debt is debt without a tangiable asset to back it.  The best example of this would be a credit card.  A regular credit card has nothing to back it, so the creditor can only attack your credit score and not your home.

There are secured credit cards, where you pay a specific amount up front to the creditor, for instance, $500.  You are then given a credit card with a credit limit of $500, secured by the money you have already fronted to the creditor.  This would be considered a secured debt.

Hope this helps!

The two options I considered were having a Verizon land line phone installed, or finding an online Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service to run over top of my preexisting broadband connection.  I ended up choosing Skype as my VOIP solution.

Skype is a messaging client similar to AOL Instant Messanger, ICQ, or many others that you may come across.  It also comes with a built in VOIP service, with very reasonable rates.  Skype can be found at www.skype.com.

Startup Costs: My initial start up costs for Verizon would have been a $130 installation charge.  This baffles me, because the entire house is already wired (and what rooms weren’t wired I would have done myself).  I understand that they have to send a tech out to the house, but this cost didn’t seem prudent.  My initial startup costs for Skype were $40.  I spent $40 on a nice headset to plug into my computer.  Your costs may be higher or lower, but I would suggest a nice headset.  Skype also sells phones that will plug into your computer and integrate with their service, though the cost on these ranges greatly.  There are also tutorials online that will show you how to convert your phones preexisting wiring to a fully functional Skype based phone system.

Service Comparison: For comparison, I am using the same service set for both Skype and Verizon.  I wanted unlimited local and long distance calling to the United States.  The plans I am comparing include unlimited local and long distance to the United States and Canada.  Skype DOES have a fair use policy in effect which limits you to 10,000 minutes per month.  Assuming a 31 day month, this gives you 322 minutes per day of talk time, or over 5 hours of talk time.  I don’t anticipate my needs going over that for quite some time.  Both plans also include voice mail, call forwarding, and caller ID.

With Verizon, I was signing up for one plan which included all the features above.  With Skype, I signed up for 2 separate services – SkypeOut, which provided me with my unlimited outbound service, and Online Number, which provided me with a local calling number for people to reach me at.  Both Skype services were subscribed to at the same time, so there really wasn’t much added “hassle”.

Show Me The Savings: Now let’s crunch some numbers.  The Verizon plan, after taxes, would have run me $57.60 per month.  This adds up to $691.20 per year!  With Skype, I paid $30 for a full year of SkypeOut service.  I also paid $29.50 for a year of Online Number service.  Total yearly cost of Skype: $59.50.  For $1.90 more, I now have phone service for an entire year!

Figure Skew: There is some skew to these figures.  I am not including the cost of my broadband connection, because I would be paying for it regardless.  Also, I could have found a broadband and telephone package with Verizon, but overall I’m sure the costs still would have been more than the Skype service.

Quality of Service: As long as you have a solid broadband connection, Skype should work fairly well for you.  I have been using the service for almost a full year now, and I have only had one call fade out.  There are some special considerations that need to be taken into effect with Skype.  For instance, Skype does not tie in to a 911 Emergency Dispatch center, so I need to use my cell phone to call in case of an emergency.

Overall, I am very happy with the service I have received with Skype.  If you have any questions about their service, I would be more than happy to answer them.

One thing I want to point out is the importance of having copies of your documents available (front AND back).  Preferably, have a digital copy and a hard copy or two.  Keep them in safe, secure places, and your life will be infinitely easier!

1.  Replacing your license / ID:  This will vary from state to state, however here in New York I would be able to order online.  However, since I cancelled my debit card before I did this (ARGH!), I’ll be going to the DMV to shell out $15 in cash for the replacement.

2.  Replacing your Social Security card:  First off, this should never have been in my wallet.  There is NO reason to carry your social security card with you on a day to day basis.  However, I will be able to replace this document as well.  Information on what you need can be found at the Social Security Administration’s website.  Basically, I’ll need the application, proof of birth via a certified copy of my birth certificate, and proof of identity via a non expired photo ID.  However, since my license was in my wallet, I’ll be using my photo ID from college.  At least it has a good photo.  If I had a passport, they can use this to verify birth AND identity, killing two birds with one stone!

3.  Credit Cards, Debit Cards:  In a bit of luck, I actually had all of my account numbers, phone numbers for the companies, and access information saved in a spreadsheet already from when I was creating my budget.  If you don’t have all of this information in one place, I suggest you find a way of recording it and securing it (NOT in your wallet!)  This made the entire task of locking down accounts and ordering new cards much easier, and it only took me about half an hour to handle all of the accounts.

4.  Miscellaneous:  You may have other things in your wallet that need replacement such as student IDs, certification cards (lost my CPR and EMT cards!), etc.  These will have to be handled on a case by case basis.  Having copies of my CPR and EMT cards will be a big help in getting copies.

Lessons learned:  While it sucks to lose a wallet, it won’t be the end of the world.  I’ve learned what I need to do to get new copies of everything, found the flaws in my backups, and will (ultimately) grow from the experience.