Berikan Apa yang Dapat Kamu Berikan

Berikan Apa yang Dapat Kamu Berikan: "Denpasar, 01 Januari 2012

Berjalan di pantai yang indah di tahun baru ini, dan memandang laut yang luas dan ombak yang menepi, membuat diri teringat akan perkataan Ibunda Soetopo saat saya di asuh beliau, seorang ibunda yang bijaksana, dan tegas. Dengan gaya Belanda nya yang penuh disiplin. Membuat kadang saya merasa di cintai seperti anak kandung nya sendiri.

Beliau pernah mengajarkan kepada kami, anak-anak."

- Untuk tidak pernah menyerah.
- Untuk dapat di andalkan.
- Untuk dapat di percaya.
- Jika memberi dengan tangan kanan, janganlah tangan kiri mengetahui nya.
- Artinya jika memberi semamu nya, jangan pernah meminta balas jasa.
- Harus dengan ikhlas dan penuh tawakal.
- Jangan pernah mengemis apapun.
- Belajar mandiri dan mencukupi kehidupan sendiri atau nanti nya memiliki keluarga harus di cukupi.

Kadang kami tertawa, mendengar kata “jika nanti berkeluarga.”
Karena anak2 terbuang seperti kami ini mana ada yang mau mencintai. Namanya anak2 yang mengetahui keadaan diri mereka yang tidak berdaya untuk menghidupi keluarga dalam kehidupan yang keras saat itu.

Jono salah satu teman kami, pernah bertanya dengan kritis.
“Ibunda, kalau demikian saya harus mencukupi diri saya sendiri dong, baru saya bisa memberi.”

Kami semua memandang Jono yang terlihat penuh percaya diri.

Lalu Jono melanjutkan, berkata,” Saya ingin menjadi seorang yang dokter seperti Bapak Soetopo, lalu baru saya bisa memberikan sesuatu kepada orang lain.”

Dengan lembut nan tegas nya.
Ibunda berkata,
“Kamu semua bisa memberikan apa adanya, bukan materi atau uang. Karena materi atau uang akan membuat orang menjadi MALAS dan Hidupnya Bergantung kepada belas kasihan orang lain saja.”
“Ibarat memberikan Kail dan memberikan ikan pindang sebungkus. Jika kamu memberikan ikan pindang sebungkus, kamu telah membantu dia, tetapi ikan pindang itu hanya cukup membuat orang itu makan sehari saja. Tetapi, jika kamu memberikan kail, dan mengajarkan orang itu bagaiman caranya memancing ikan. Maka kamu telah memberikan orang itu ikan pindang untuk seumur hidupnya.”

“Seperti sekarang ini, Ibunda membantu kamu semua untuk dapat belajar menulis, dan membaca, seperti memberikan KAIL dan CARA NYA MEMANCING IKAN”, ujar beliau.

Bertahun- tahun setelah saya tinggal di negeri Kunang Kunang, baru saya mengerti arti yang sebenar nya mengenai BERI MEMBERI dan KAIL DAN IKAN PINDANG ini.
Hal ini menjadi prinsip hidup saya selama ini.

Blessing or Berkah or Barak adalah bentuk Kasih Allah kepada kita manusia, dan kita yang mengerti dan melimpah dengan Berkah ini akan senang hati memberikan itu kepada siapapun yang menginginkan nya.

Give it Berkah to people who need it, and you will help them to used that for their own, and when the time its come, they do will share it with others.

Lanjutan dari kisah “Perjalanan Tukang Becak Mencari Adinda.”

Jack Soetopo-2012

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Camera traps capture images of 35 endangered Javan rhinos in Indonesian park - The Washington Post

Camera traps capture images of 35 endangered Javan rhinos in Indonesian park - The Washington Post: "JAKARTA, Indonesia — Dozens of camera traps installed in an Indonesian national park earlier this year captured images of 35 critically endangered Javan rhinos, including five calves, officials said Thursday.

And the presence of young ones was welcomed as a rare piece of good news for the dying species.

The Javan rhino — once the most widespread of Asian rhinoceroses — was nearly wiped out when the Krakatau volcano erupted in 1883, spawning a 120-foot (40-meter) tsunami that not only killed tens of thousands of people, but inundated the park on Java island’s western tip.

The greatest threat they face today is from poachers, habitat destruction and fierce competition for food with other animal species.

Experts say there may be only 40 to 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild.

The video cameras yielded 160 clips of rhinos in total, said Novianto.

“Scientists studying the images were able to identify at least 35 different rhinos — 22 males and 13 females,” he said.

The presence of at least five calves, despite harsh conditions they are facing, “raised hope for the conservation of the Javan rhinos,” added Yanto Santosa, a lecturer of biodiversity conservation and adviser to the project.

It’s not clear, however, if the government will reach its target of increasing the population of Javan rhinos to 70 to 80 by 2015.

Last year, three Javan rhinos were found dead within the 297,881-acre (120,551-hectare) park, and one of them was suspected to be the victim of poachers.

The last known Javan rhino in Vietnam was found dead in April, apparently after poachers killed it for its horn.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

It’s still possible that more of the animals live in the Ujung Kulon National Park — the animal’s original habitat — said Bambang Novianto, director of biodiversity conservation at the forestry ministry."

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Five tech predictions for 2012 - The Washington Post

Five tech predictions for 2012 - The Washington Post: "By Vivek Wadhwa, Published: December 30

The past year in technology was pretty wild.

The really big Internet IPO returned and the massive venture capital funding bubble inflated, which seems difficult considering that the venture capital industry is far smaller than it was three years ago. But look at some of the crazy valuations on revenue-less photosharing start-ups like Color and Path. And there is clearly another bubble inflating in the cloud computing sector, with every company that uses a distributed architecture now calling itself a “cloud company.” So what does 2012 have in store? Here are my predictions."

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Israeli group demands that Twitter shuts down Hezbollah account - BlogPost - The Washington Post

Israeli group demands that Twitter shuts down Hezbollah account - BlogPost - The Washington Post: " which says its mission is “bankrupting terrorism, one lawsuit at a time,” wrote a letter to Twitter from its New York office asking for confirmation it would shut down Hezbollah’s account, MSNBC reports. The group also writes that Twitter’s service of these groups violates a 2010 Supreme Court case declaring unlawful “any assistance or support” to terrorist organizations.

A spokesman for Twitter said the company does not have any comment about the potential lawsuit. Twitter, however, has long made clear it does not take political sides, does not easily shu"

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Strait of Hormuz: How strategic a waterway? - BlogPost - The Washington Post

Strait of Hormuz: How strategic a waterway? - BlogPost - The Washington Post: "Iran threatened Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if the West imposes new sanctions that target the country’s oil exports. The threat has raised some eyebrows, as the strait is one of the world's most critical oil choke points. "

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Penanganan Radikalisme dengan Deradikalisasi

Penanganan Radikalisme dengan Deradikalisasi: "Radikalisme merupakan suatu paham yang menghendaki adanya perubahan, pergantian, dan penjebolan terhadap suatu sistem di masyarakat sampai ke akarnya. Bilamana perlu mengginakan cara-cara kekerasan.

Radikalisme menginginkan adanya perubahan secara total terhadap suatu kondisi atau semua aspek kehidupan masyarakat. Kaum radikal menganggap bahwa rencana-rencana yang digunakan adalah rencana yang paling ideal.

Radikalisme beralaskan pemahaman sempit agama yang berujung pada aksi teror bom tumbuh bersama sistem. Sikap ekstrem ini berkembang biak di tengah-tengah panggung yang mempertontonkan kemiskinan, kesenjangan sosial, atau ketidakadilan. Perilaku elite politik yang tidak akomodatif terhadap kepentingan rakyat dan hanya memikirkan kelompok atau partainya, menjadi tempat persemaian subur bagi radikalisme. Karena itu, memberangus radikalisme tidak cukup hanya dengan menangkap dan menggiring para pelaku teror ke pengadilan. Bahkan hukuman mati tak cukup untuk memadamkan kobaran radikalisme."

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Jangan Pernah Bergaul dengan Penderita AIDS

Jangan Pernah Bergaul dengan Penderita AIDS: "Akhirnya kutuliskan jua kisah suka dukaku di sini. Suka duka bekerja sebagai researcher HIV/AIDS. Banyak mengalir pesan langsung maupun tak langsung kepadaku. Saya diminta untuk berhenti dengan pekerjaan ini. Mereka khawatir saya tertular virus yang mematikan itu menimpa darahku, tubuhku dan pernafasanku. Saya berterima kasih atas perhatian mereka kepadaku namun saya sungguh takkan pernah meninggalkan pekerjaan ini. Ini adalah panggilan jiwaku. It’s my soul."

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Ronald L. Kotler, M.D.: 11 Steps for Getting A Good Night's Sleep

Ronald L. Kotler, M.D.: 11 Steps for Getting A Good Night's Sleep: "The following sleep hygiene tips are tried and true. Check them off your list and you'll raise the odds considerably of getting a good night's sleep. Believe me; you're going to find that they work a whole lot better than counting sheep."

The best way to make certain that you get seven to nine hours of sleep each night is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day -- or close to it. Even if you pride yourself on being a free-spirited, spontaneous kind of person, your body yearns for a regular schedule.

A bedtime that zigzags from 11:00 p.m. one night to 3:00 a.m. the next, and then back to 11:00 p.m. -- with a corresponding crisscross of wake-up times -- throws your system off and can lead to sleep disruption. Diverting too far from a regular pattern sets you up for a vicious cycle of insomnia and disturbed sleep.

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Vivian Diller, Ph.D.: Sleep Like a Baby at Any Age!

Vivian Diller, Ph.D.: Sleep Like a Baby at Any Age!: "It is surprising how often patients tell me that even if they were once good sleepers, they more or less give up on sleeping well by the time they hit their 40s and 50s. Frequently, they attribute this change to having children, busy lives or emotional stress. "We don't need as much sleep as we get older, right?" they ask, with a combination of hope and resignation. Well, yes and no."

Dr. Michael J. Breus: Sleepless And In Pain: A Link Between Fibromyalgia And Sleep

Dr. Michael J. Breus: Sleepless And In Pain: A Link Between Fibromyalgia And Sleep: "There's some important news for millions of people -- most of them women -- who suffer from the syndrome fibromyalgia: a new study suggests that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia."

Jack Soetopo English Version: Survey Says: 3 Reasons Consumers Aren't Buying From Your Website

Jack Soetopo English Version: Survey Says: 3 Reasons Consumers Aren't Buying From Your Website

5 Surprising Signs of Breast Cancer | Caring.com

5 Surprising Signs of Breast Cancer | Caring.com: "You've been told all your life to be on the alert for breast lumps, the primary sign of breast cancer. But a lump isn't always the first sign of malignancy, or it may not be the first change a woman notices, says Andrew Putnam, director of the Palliative Care Program at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and Georgetown University. "Sometimes a lump is deep in the breast tissue, or the tissue surrounding it is very dense, making it hard to feel," says Putnam. And inflammatory breast cancer causes another set of symptoms entirely. "So it's important to be on the alert for other red flags as well."

Any one of these five lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer is important enough to send you straight to the doctor for a checkup, followed by a mammogram or MRI if recommended."

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Cancer Symptoms in Women | 20 Most Ignored Cancer Symptoms | Caring.com

Cancer Symptoms in Women | 20 Most Ignored Cancer Symptoms | Caring.com: "Routine tests like pap smears and mammograms are important, but don't rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. Although many of these symptoms could be caused by less serious conditions, they're worth getting checked out if they persist. You don't want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they'd noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure."

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Signs of Cancer | Prostate Cancer Signs, Breast Cancer Signs & More

Signs of Cancer | Prostate Cancer Signs, Breast Cancer Signs & More: "Cancer is much more likely to be curable if the symptoms are caught early. In fact, with certain types of cancer, such as ovarian and prostate cancer, early detection can make an enormous difference in prognosis and outcome. It's worthwhile to be hypervigilant, then, in watching for cancer symptoms and aggressive about asking for screening tests and checkups to make sure you and the people you care about are in good health -- and stay that way.

Here are symptoms of some of the most common cancers in those over age 55, along with important risk factors."

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Cancer Symptoms in Men | Overlooked Cancer Symptoms | Caring.com

Cancer Symptoms in Men | Overlooked Cancer Symptoms | Caring.com: "Annual checkups and tests such as colonoscopies and PSA assays are important, but it's not a good idea to rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. (You should also listen to those close to you, such as a wife or partner, because others sometimes notice things we're unaware of -- or don't want to admit.) You don't want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they'd noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure."

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More Businesses Are Outsourcing—to Rural and Small Town U.S.A.

More Businesses Are Outsourcing—to Rural and Small Town U.S.A.: "Is your small business dealing with an increased workload and more demand from clients and customers? That’s a good thing. But with the economy still uncertain, many of us are leery about taking on full-time employees to help with the workload—even when we’re overwhelmed.

Well, there is a solution—and it’s closer to home than you might think. I first wrote about the trend of “ruralsourcing” on Small Business Trends in the summer of 2010, when several news outlets reported on the practice. Essentially, ruralsourcing means outsourcing jobs—but instead of outsourcing to India or China, the jobs are being outsourced to small and rural communities in the United States."

As the economy slowly picks up steam, I’m happy to report that the ruralsourcing trend continues to grow, according to new research from oDesk, an online global employment platform. oDesk’s latest “Online Employment Report” a monthly analysis of the state of the online workforce, shows that small towns are outperforming their big-city counterparts in both online work activity and the number of hours worked per contractor.

According to oDesk, small towns (those with populations under 15,000) are keeping pace with large cities in terms of the number of online workers per capita. Not only that, they have proportionally higher “actively working” online populations in terms of hours worked per online contractor. On average, small town contractors worked more than 175 hours in January—far higher than the average for workers in New York City (70 hours), San Francisco (54 hours) and Los Angeles (23 hours).

“Workers in small towns need access to jobs, and the Internet can put them in consideration for job opportunities on a global scale,” says oDesk CEO Gary Swart.

Overall, demand for online work reached an all-time high in January, with a record 71,000 online job opportunities posted. What kinds of workers are most businesses looking to hire? Web development/IT jobs, writing and blogging, graphic design, SEO and personal or administrative assistants were among the jobs with the most postings.

I’m heartened to hear that people in the heartland are finding work through online outsourcing. For small businesses on a budget, outsourcing to remote employees is a smart way to go when more manpower is needed. But outsourcing overseas can lead to quality issues, communication problems and delays due to time zone differences (I’ve dealt with this myself). If you can get the work you need done by a remote employee, why not try to get it done in the U.S.?

Creating more work for people in the U.S. is a win-win-win situation for small business owners, the contractors they hire, and the overall U.S. economy.

About the Author

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Visit her blog, SmallBizDaily. Visit her website SmallBizTrendCast to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva’s free TrendCast reports.

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Top 9 Rural Small Business Trends for 2012

Top 9 Rural Small Business Trends for 2012: "Rural small business trends are always different from general small business trends. This year, the difference is in the economic outlook. With the consensus of economic predictions for 2012 showing slower national growth and the odds of a renewed U.S. recession at 1 in 3, the national economy doesn’t look good. Contrast that with the local economies in rural areas. The Rural Mainstreet Index is at its highest level since 2007, and rural small business looks promising."

Here are the top 9 small business trends in small towns and rural areas this year:

1. Strong farm commodity prices mean strong local economies. That is the biggest factor in the strong Rural Mainstreet Index and is also driving a continuing boom in farmland prices, as investors look for “safer” investment classes. That makes a strong foundation for local agriculture-based economies.

2. Some places get “just one more” oil boom. Relatively strong oil and natural gas prices mean a continued boom in production, mostly happening in rural areas. Several regions are seeing new or renewed plays. That brings new residents, new businesses and temporary prosperity.

3. Supporting the local economy takes more than “Shop Local.” We’re seeing more interest in moving money into locally-owned community banks and credit unions. With extra-tight lending standards for small businesses from big banks, many small businesses are turning to alternative financing methods. The book Locavesting by Amy Cortese outlines a number of local investing and business financing alternatives. More new businesses will consider cooperatives as a viable form of business this year, and2012 is the International Year of Cooperatives.

4. Self-employment continues to rise. With all these positive trends in rural small business, there is more reason than ever to expect a continued increase in self-employment and business startups in small towns. We have to factor in the highly entrepreneurial Millennial generation, too, as the Kansas City Business Journal reports.

5. Ruralsourcing brings more high-tech to rural areas. Ruralsourcing is competing with global outsourcing, bringing manufacturing and IT service jobs into rural areas. With global supply chains threatened by higher shipping costs and rising manufacturing costs in China, we’re also seeing more projects returning manufacturing to home shores, Agurban reports.

6. Government cuts hurt. One negative factor is that 42 U.S. state governments are facing budget shortfalls again this year, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, though recent revenue is up slightly for many. After trimming services three years straight, outlying areas are likely to be targeted this year. Watch for big cuts in two rural mainstays: tourism and arts funding.

7. Online doesn’t mean in front of a computer. Mobile Internet access just keeps growing. Tablets and smartphones are changing the way potential customers look for businesses everywhere, including in small towns. The strength of cell signals and WiFi availability are important for tourism, and for small business capturing mobile customers. Rural businesses need to get mobile-friendly now.

8. Online reviews make everyone a local. Business pages have been created for almost every single business (even in small towns) by Google, Facebook and Yelp!, among others. Reviews and comments by customers give every visitor an inside view into local businesses. Result: We’re all in one big small town. This will help some terrific local businesses be found more often, and hurt some that really haven’t kept up their quality.

9. Rural broadband drives business development. With around 28 percent of the rural population still lacking access to 3mpbs or better service, much more needs to be done on access. Those who can access broadband are using it to build businesses and conduct commerce at a record pace. Expect more public and private projects to develop more business use of broadband.

Overall, most small town businesses have plenty to look forward to in 2012. The challenges of outside competition, the need to innovate and improve service, and the importance of connection with customers won’t be going away. But the economic outlook is generally strong, and new opportunities are out there. We have more information about the 2012 trends and updates during the year at our Rural Trendspage.

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6 Ways to Alienate Friends and Followers

6 Ways to Alienate Friends and Followers: "You’re not a social media dummy. You know it’s quality that matters in picking up social media fans and followers, not sheer quantity, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have an interest in keeping the followers you’ve earned. After all, success in social media is often rooted in your ability to share your message with as many passionate consumers as you can and keep them hungry for more. So while numbers aren’t the key metric, they do help.

If you’ve found that you have a difficult time keeping the social media followers you initially attract, below are six possible reasons why."

1. Doing Too Much Self-Promotion

If people are taking steps to connect with you on social media, it’s OK to let them in on your new blog posts or retail deals or tease them with details about projects you have in the works, but practice moderation. If someone has shown an interest in your brand, you want to be more respectful of their time and attention, not less. Keep them updated on what you’re doing (after all, that’s why they followed you!), but also focus on being a good Web citizen. Share other valuable resources outside of your own, help them solve their problems, and have conversations with them that have nothing to do with selling to them. No one minds a little marketing as long as it’s not being jammed down their throats.

2. Getting Too Far Off Topic

Your audience knows you as one of the most authoritative and creative bloggers in the DIY home repair space. That’s how they found you and it’s why they keep coming back for more. For years now, you’ve shared tips on how to do more on a shoestring budget and helped them with small home repairs. However, you’re starting to talk about that less and less. Now you’re sharing information about the new raw diet you just started. You’re tweeting your menus, news reports about the dangers of sugar and how the obesity epidemic is some sort of government conspiracy. At the same time, you also notice that people are starting to unfollow you in droves. Can you really blame them?

No, this is not another government conspiracy at work. It’s just that your new lifestyle is off-topic to people who followed you to learn about home repair. If you’re going to spend so much of your time talking about raw diets, maybe it’s time to start another Twitter account geared toward that interest instead of diluting your business one.

3. Sending Too Many Lunch Tweets

I’m not judging! I, too, like to take pictures of the delicious food I’m eating and share it with my Twitter followers. And I like to take pictures of my cats sleeping and share those too. Is that so wrong? No…unless that’s all you’re giving people. We like a side of banality with our tweets. It lets us see that our favorite bloggers/ experts are real people just like us. That said, we also want the good stuff. It’s your job to understand why people are following you, know how that relates to your business, and constantly make good on your initial promises. Maybe people follow you because of the great advice you give, maybe they love the case studies you always share in your blog, or maybe you’re seriously funny and they like your sense of humor. Whatever it is, that needs to be the focus of your account. Not what you had for lunch, as delicious as it may have been.

4. Posting Too Many Humblebrags

Does this sound like you? Stop.

5. Too Much Negative Nancy

There’s a difference between sharing a rough day (as in this Blogworld post) and using social media as a weapon to hurt other people or constantly complain. When you share a bad day, it can help your audience relate to you and open up an opportunity for them to show you support. However, when you consistently use social media as a venting tool or as a weapon to sling fire at others, that turns people off. It becomes toxic and something we don’t want to be around. We all have our days when we’re angry at the world, but take a look at your Twitter account and see if you’re sharing those days a little too freely.

6. Using Too Much Automation

Social media automation is a necessary evil for many business owners. We want to reach people at times when it’s not always convenient for us to be on Twitter. Or we want to schedule a number of different resource links to go out while we’re off during the weekend. There’s a proper way to automate social media – a way that strengthens what you’re doing – and there’s a way to automate that turns people off. Automation turns your customers off when you’re relying on it too often and your entire account becomes nothing more than timed tweets. It’s important, even if you do use some automation, to put in the proper “face time” to talk to your customers. You don’t have to be there every minute of every day, but you do need to be there.

While the exact number of Twitter followers or Facebook fans you have doesn’t matter, what does matter is that you’re keeping them engaged and not making them jump ship. If you’re noticing you have a difficulty holding people’s attention in social media, do a quick check to see if you’re committing any of the sins listed above.

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Why I Hire People Who Fail - Jeff Stibel - Harvard Business Review

Why I Hire People Who Fail - Jeff Stibel - Harvard Business Review: "A few weeks ago, I wrote about avoiding social media failures. I briefly mentioned our company's "Failure Wall" and was surprised by the number of comments and questions I received about it. What's the purpose? How does it work? And what other kinds of things do you do in that crazy office of yours?

The failure wall was part of our efforts to create a company culture where employees can take risks without fear of reprisal. As NPR's Here and Now reported earlier this year, we started by collecting inspirational quotes about failure. Among my favorites:"

• 
  "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill
• "I have not failed, I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work." – Thomas Edison
• "Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life." – Sophia Loren

One random Thursday night, I returned to our corporate headquarters afterhours with a bottle of wine and a box of acrylic paints. My assistant and I used stencils to paint about three dozen such quotes onto a large white wall in our break room. As first time stencilers, this project itself seemed destined to end up a byline on the (slightly gloppy) failure wall until we gratefully accepted some much-needed painting assistance from my wife.

After we finished painting around 1:00AM, we fastened a dozen Sharpies to the wall alongside these simple instructions: (1) describe a time when you failed, (2) state what you learned, and (3) sign your name. To set the tone, I listed three of my own most memorable (and humbling) failures.

In the beginning, the wall was met with surprise, curiosity and a bit of trepidation. We didn't ask anyone to contribute and we didn't tell people why it was there, but the wall quickly filled up. Some of the entries are life lessons: "After 7 years of practicing, I quit playing violin in high school to fit in. Lesson learned — who cares what other people think." Some are financial mishaps: "I thought buying Yahoo at $485 a share was a good idea." Many are self-deprecating: "My successful failure is working in online marketing when I came to LA to work in showbiz." Some are more than a little amusing: "I thought it was spelled 'fale.'"

I've said this before but it bears repeating: success by failure is not an oxymoron. When you make a mistake, you're forced to look back and find out exactly where you went wrong, and formulate a new plan for your next attempt. By contrast, when you succeed, you don't always know exactly what you did right that made you successful (often, it's luck).

We don't just encourage risk taking at our offices: we demand failure. If you're not failing every now and then, you're probably not advancing. Mistakes are the predecessors to both innovation and success, so it is important to celebrate mistakes as a central component of any culture. This kind of culture can only be created by example — it won't work if it's forced or contrived. A lively culture is nebulous, indefinable, ever-changing. Try to package it in a formal mission statement and you just may suffocate it.

The best way to shape culture is of course to focus on hiring the people who will ultimately make up that culture. Yet this is often overlooked, replaced with corporate values, slogans, and mission statements. It took billions of years to create and define all of the world's great cultures — through failure after failure — so it is with arrogance alone that we executives think we can create and define one for our company. To be blunt, cultures are not created or defined by executives; they evolve around the people who make up a company.

I personally interview every candidate at our corporate headquarters. By the time a prospective employee's resume reaches my desk, the department heads are convinced that the candidate can do the job. But for each person we end up hiring, I still end up interviewing countless other highly qualified candidates who were vying for the job. I'm mainly looking for cultural fit, and there is no more important job for a CEO.

If we hadn't hired people who cherish failures, my entries on the failure wall would be very lonely. Often when interviewing, I poke around and see if I can get the candidate to acknowledge a failure. It's a red flag to me if a candidate can't admit a mistake with a bit of self-deprecating humor. The tendency to dodge direct questions with a Miss America-style answer may indeed be a great asset to someone else's company, but it's not a great fit for success at mine.

More blog posts by Jeff Stibel

More on: Hiring, Organizational culture

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The 5 basic manners you need to know in business - Sales Machine - CBS News

The 5 basic manners you need to know in business - Sales Machine - CBS News: "I stand up when a lady arrives at or leaves a table. I know, that is nostalgic and even possibly risky as it might be perceived as sexist. However, it is one of a set of manners I was taught as a child that I still follow. Holding doors, taking hats off indoors, pulling out chairs and lowering voices all seem to be quaint throwback ideas that are dying rapid and unceremonious deaths.
Because of diversity training, political correctness and the changing mores of society, I think the clarity of what are considered to be "good manners" has become murky. The basic guideline of "treat others as you would wish to be treated" is less of the clear path to follow as individualism changes the interpretation."

Manners are still important and can be differentiating, often times in the negative. When you make a mistake, it sticks out and is memorable. For that reason, there are certain things that you must get right.

1. Use of names -- Get the names right. Phonetically write them down and make certain that anyone who is prospect or client facing knows their names. Spelling, correct titles and deciding whether to use a nickname or proper name are all on the "must-get-right" list. I have seen big sales blown up because of a repeated misspelling of a key player's name.

2. Confirm before you proceed -- Ensure that you have agreement at each step in a meeting, tour, phone call or visit and that all of the participants have their questions answered before going to the next set of ideas or concepts. Adults not only stop listening to you when they get stuck or are in disagreement with what has been put forth, they also begin building resentment towards the speaker who proceeds without clearing up the issue.

3. Declare your accountability and keep it -- At the end of each meeting, visit, or call. It is your responsibility to declare what comes next. It is rude to ask the typical question, "What are the next steps?" You asked for the meeting, now you need to be able to provide an encouraged path to follow.

4. Host well when you host -- If you are feeding your visitors, feed them well. Creature comforts including temperature, lighting, drinks and room conditions are all noted. In the better sales organizations, even when those companies are tiny, the handling of a visitor is handled like a guest at Sunday dinner. Even the little details can make the person feel honored and valued.

5. Be gracious as a guest -- Diana Ross may be able to pull of a diva routine, but you can't. Your goal is to be gracious for what you receive. I am amazed at the number of people who miss the most basic of "Please" and "Thank you" courtesy when support staff brings them water or provides help with the projector. Buyers notice and cast a broad net of perception as to what you and your company are like based upon how you handle the simple courtesies of interacting with support staff. Be gracious in every contact.

These manners probably seem like common sense. They are to the degree you get them right. They are deal killers when you get them wrong.

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Ink from Chase | Business Cards

Ink from Chase | Business Cards: "10 Tips from a Successful Small
Business Owner
Small business owners wear a million different hats. From product development to customer service to order fulfillment to basic HR functions, you do it all in the course of a typical day. But how do you ensure the success of your business when you're focused so much on day-to-day survival? We talked to successful small business owners to see what advice they had to share, and we've pulled their best tips together right here."

10. Create systems that can run without you.

As a small business owner, you provide the heart, soul, mind, and muscle that keeps your business running, so the idea of your company running without you can be difficult to accept. But as hard as it is to relinquish control, it's essential if your business is to grow to the next level. There are only so many hours in the day, and one person (even one extremely dedicated person) can only do so much.

Be sure that the information and knowledge you possess exists somewhere besides your own brain. If there are critical skills that you alone possess, train your people to do them better than you do, and see how much faster your company can move when there are more hands to share the important work.

9. Hire great employees, then get out of their way.

It can be intimidating to hire and work with people who you're pretty sure are smarter than you are. But just as keeping key information to yourself restricts the growth of your business, so does burying yourself in the minutiae of day-to-day operations. Train your employees well, listen to their ideas, and give yourself the freedom to move on to strategic pursuits such as growth planning and business development that will ensure your company's long-term viability.

8. Set specific goals, then take time to review them.

You’re busy all day, every day, but are you moving in a positive direction, or simply spinning your wheels? Take some time every quarter, or at least once a year, to review the goals you’ve set for your business, measure your progress toward them, then adjust as necessary.

7. Create a culture that you would want to work in.

Small businesses are vital to our local communities and our national economy, but small and family-run businesses are also notorious for being difficult to work for, due in part to the complicated dynamic that often exists among company principles. If you have one or more business partners, hash out any differences behind closed doors and present a united front to your employees and customers. Even if you’re the only one in charge, think about the work climate in your office. Are your employees smiling and energetic, or tense and stressed out? If you don’t like what you see, ask for feedback, and be willing to act on it.

6. Invest in improving yourself.

If there’s a core area of your business that’s lacking, find ways to make it better. Work with a business coach to set and achieve realistic goals. Look for workshops or webinars on sales strategies or customer relationship management. Talk with others in your industry about tools and technologies that help them save time and money, then invest in training on those that might benefit you. Knowing when to call in the experts can help you move beyond your comfort zone to become a more well-rounded business manager.

5. Don’t waste your time on tasks that you can outsource.

If you’re still keeping your own books, doing your own taxes, and managing employee work schedules in a cumbersome Excel spreadsheet, you might not be using your time as efficiently as you could. Consider hiring a part-time bookkeeper, retaining an accountant, and using an online scheduling application to let employees create and maintain their own schedules. You can even outsource functions such as staffing, payroll processing, invoicing, and collections, as well as certain aspects of the sales cycle, like lead generation and appointment setting. Think about how much time these tasks consume over the course of a typical day, week, or month, then decide whether your energies would be better spent on more strategic projects.

4. Stick to your core business.

Develop a set of core business principles, then live by them. Begin by identifying your unique selling proposition (What product or service do you provide that differentiates your company from any other business?) and defining who your core customer is (and is not!). If you're having trouble committing to one core service or market, consider working with a business consultant until the path seems clear. This could very well be a situation where it pays to call in the experts!

3. Always know where you stand financially.

This one may seem obvious, but many a small business has failed because the owners, although experts in the service they provided, were novices at managing the money. Create a detailed profit and loss (P&L) statement that tracks your revenues and expenditures, and always keep current on loan payments, small business credit cards, and other accounts payable, as well as invoicing and receivables.

2. Find a partner.

While many entrepreneurs are autonomous by their very nature, there's a great deal of truth to the saying that two heads are better than one. A carefully selected business partner can be a source of ideas, a sounding board, another set of hands, and a counterpart to your own management strengths and weaknesses.

1. Do whatever it takes to achieve that elusive work-life balance.

Force yourself to take a day off, schedule a real vacation, and, above all, remember why it was you started your own business in the first place. Long hours come with the territory, but if you barely recognize your children and your work life has all but consumed any semblance of a personal life, it might be time to reevaluate your priorities. As a small business owner, you could probably find enough work to fill a 37-hour day, so it's important to make a conscious decision to step away from it frequently enough that you avoid burning out or damaging your personal relationships.

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Panasonic Official Panasonic Toughbook 53 Rugged Laptop

Panasonic Official Panasonic Toughbook 53 Rugged Laptop: "Enhanced performance and versatility from the original semi-rugged laptop manufacturer. Mobile broadband ready with 4G LTE or 3G Gobi."

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Will a Reelected President Obama Face More Gridlock in 2013? - The Daily Beast

Will a Reelected President Obama Face More Gridlock in 2013? - The Daily Beast: "President Obama may have slightly boosted his reelection chances by outmaneuvering the Republicans on the payroll-tax-cut extension. But after a year of Beltway paralysis, that deal simply preserves the status quo for a mere two months—the latest sign of the capital’s utter dysfunction"

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Doubts Arise in Euro's Birthplace - WSJ.com

Doubts Arise in Euro's Birthplace - WSJ.com: "MAASTRICHT, Netherlands—For the 20th anniversary of the treaty that led to the euro, Dutch officials have quashed a proposal to invite the graying architects of the currency back for a commemoration.

Until a local university suggested an academic conference this coming February, there was nothing at all planned here for the historic event.

Contrast that with five years ago, when the city marked the anniversary with a yearlong series of events called "Maastricht celebrates Europe." This time, "we had our doubts whether a celebration would be justified," says Jean Bruijnzeels, a city accounts manager."

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Vietnamese Investors Sink Savings Into Golf Memberships - WSJ.com

Vietnamese Investors Sink Savings Into Golf Memberships - WSJ.com: "HANOI—Some Vietnamese government officials are teed off over golf. Transport Minister Dinh La Thang recently banned his staff from playing the game because he said it encourages gambling and makes them late for work."

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The 15 richest members of Congress - politics & money - MSN Money

The 15 richest members of Congress - politics & money - MSN Money: "Mingling money and power
Recently, Roll Call analyzed the financial assets of U.S. lawmakers, contained in the most recent mandatory annual disclosures, to determine which members of Congress have the highest approximate net worth.

Although these congressional disclosures are not exact -- they are displayed in a range of estimated value over broad categories -- Roll Call, a Capitol Hill news and information provider, analyzed the assets and liabilities of every U.S. representative and senator to come up with the 50 richest members of Congress. The 15 richest members are presented in the slides that follow.

Because assets are listed over wide ranges, such as "between $5 million and $25 million," Roll Call calculated a minimum net worth to give an idea of the lowest possible value of real assets. Actual net worth, in most cases, is likely much higher..."

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Dow jumps 337 on housing data Europe- MSN Money

Dow jumps 337 on housing data Europe- MSN Money: "A big holiday rally erupted today, thanks to a stronger-than-expect​ed report on housing starts and building permits, with stocks seeing their best gains since the end of November.

The Dow Jones industrials ($INDU +2.87%) rose 337 points and closed above 12,000 for the first time since Dec. 12. The Standard & Poor's 500 ($INX +2.98%), which looked headed below 1,200 on Monday, hit 1,241. Gold (-GC) moved above $1,600 an ounce, and crude oil (-CL) was trading above $97 a barrel.

The rally comes with two big caveats. First, much of the day's impetus was short-covering. The Dow fell 100 points on Monday and had fallen in five of the prior six sessions. Second, volume was very light, with New York Stock Exchange volume only reaching 652 million shares. That can turn what would otherwise be smallish moves into something much bigger. "

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Intel Mobile Phone System Platform Products and Features

Intel Mobile Phone System Platform Products and Features: "Intel® XMM™ 1010
GSM/GPRS Based on X-GOLD™ 101, with the XMM™1010 platform Intel pioneered the Ultra-Low Cost market with a revolutionary 2G baseband and platform solution.
•  Industry first phone on a chip: baseband, RF engine, power management and memory
•  Enable low BOM for black and white handsets
•  Best in class GSM/GPRS modem"

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Intel Mobile Phone System Platform Products and Features

Intel Mobile Phone System Platform Products and Features: "Our system platforms combine cost-optimized ICs, reference designs, and feature-rich software stacks with professional customer support throughout the value chain. Its small size together with the flexible, modular concept of our system platform offers you the possibility to leverage one design into various fields of applications such as mobile phones, mobile computing or telematics."

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Toshiba America Foundation

Toshiba America Foundation: "Great Science Books for Middle Schoolers
Click here to download a list from one of TAF's favorite librarians. Many of the books listed here can be enjoyed by high school students and adults, too!
 
Middle School Math Lessons from Stanford University
Click here to download website lessons from a recent summer math program - a collaboration between Stanford University School of Education and the Santa Clara Unified School District.
 "

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Toshiba America Foundation - For Grades 6 - 12 Teachers

Toshiba America Foundation - For Grades 6 - 12 Teachers: "Toshiba America Foundation's mission is to provide teachers with additional funds to support classroom projects. After school, summer projects, and independent study projects are not eligible. The Foundation strongly encourages projects planned and led by individual teachers or teams of teachers for their own classrooms.
Many successful grantees have designed projects that tap into the natural curiosity of their students, enable students to frame their own scientific questions, and incorporate the expertise of community partners.
Grades 6-12
Science and math teachers in public or private (non-profit) schools may apply for grants to support classroom science and math education. Endorsement from a school official is required.
Additional details are available in the application forms--see How to Apply.
Final Report Form
Don't forget the Foundation needs to recieve a copy of your final project report within 30 days of completion.
Click here to download the 6-12 Final Report form (Wor"

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Toshiba America Foundation - Grants for Grades 6 - 12

Toshiba America Foundation - Grants for Grades 6 - 12: "Wanted: Classroom Innovators! Toshiba America Foundation is currently accepting applications from teachers who are passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students.
Do you teach 6-12 science or math? Do you have a wish list of instructional equipment that will make learning more exciting for your students? If the answer is yes to these questions, Toshiba America Foundation would like to hear from you.
6-12 Grants
Grade 6-12 applications for $5,000 or less are accepted on a rolling basis, throughout the calendar year. Grants requests of more than $5,000 are reviewed twice a year. Applications for grants of more than $5,00 are due August 1st and February 1st each year.
Click here for application information
Click here to see examples of successful projects"

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Toshiba America Foundation - Grants for Grades K - 5

Toshiba America Foundation - Grants for Grades K - 5: "Do you teach in an elementary school classroom?
Do you have an idea for improving math or science instruction in your classroom?
What do you need to make learning math and science fun for your students?
What instructional items or project materials are on your wish list?
 
K-5 grade teachers are invited to use Toshiba America Foundation's short application form to describe a set of lessons or a hands-on project they would like to introduce in their own classrooms.
With the Toshiba America Foundation grant, elementary teachers bring their best new teaching ideas to life.
Click here for application information
Click here to see examples of successful projects

Grant applications are due on October 1st each year."

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Toshiba America Foundation - About Us

Toshiba America Foundation - About Us: "Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) grants fund the projects ideas and materials teachers need to innovate in their math and science classrooms. TAF is interested in funding projects designed by teachers or small teams of teachers for use in their own schools.
Toshiba America Foundation believes science and mathematics are exciting fields in which all students can succeed with the proper tools and instruction.
Toshiba America Foundation grants support public and nonprofit private schools throughout the United States.
Founded in 1990, with support from Toshiba Corporation and the Toshiba America Group Companies, Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) is dedicated to helping classroom teachers make mathematics and science learning fun and successful for students in U.S. schools."

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Toshiba Community Programs | Corporate Social Responsibility | Toshiba Laptops, Netbooks and Accessories

Toshiba Community Programs | Corporate Social Responsibility | Toshiba Laptops, Netbooks and Accessories: "
doing right. right where we live. and where you live too.
Whether through our nationwide ExploraVision math and science contest or the Toshiba Classic —in Orange County, California where the Digital Products Division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. is based— we work to support the communities in which we operate. At Toshiba, our success is tied to your wellbeing."

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Toshiba Philosophy and Commitment | Corporate Social Responsibility | Toshiba Laptops, Netbooks and Accessories

Toshiba Philosophy and Commitment | Corporate Social Responsibility | Toshiba Laptops, Netbooks and Accessories: "
acting with hearts, minds and resolve
Toshiba is a $60 billion global company employing nearly 200,000 in 30 countries around the globe. Yet with our unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), we think and act much like a local business—caring for the people, the land and future of the communities where we operate.
Toshiba Group Management Philosophy Framework
Social responsibility is a key underpinning of our management philosophy, advancing decisions that benefit the environment and promote the welfare of our customers, employees and citizens of the world."

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History of Innovation | Toshiba

History of Innovation | Toshiba: "We bring over 135 years of innovation
We’re expanding the limits of mobile computing by announcing new technological advancements time and time again. But our passion for innovation is hardly new. In fact, it dates back centuries, starting with two of the most brilliant minds in Japanese history—Hisashige Tanaka, well known for a series of inventions in his youth, and Ichisuke Fujioka, called the Thomas Edison of his country."

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Acer Education: Video Book Report Contest - Read, Share and Win!

Acer Education: Video Book Report Contest - Read, Share and Win!: "Video Submission Guidelines

The contest is open to all students or group of students in the U.S., but entries must be submitted by educator sponsor* who is an active employee of the school.

Submitted videos should feature the name of book being reviewed prominently, name of the author, literary category (fiction or non-fiction) and state why it was selected. All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges on creativity, originality, accurate storytelling, script and collaborative effort (as appropriate). A winning video should make the viewer say, "Wow!" and really want to read the book.

A successful video must meet the following criteria to be considered:
  • A length of no more than five (5) minutes.
  • A brief discussion or personal commentary on the ideas explored in the book rather than just summarizing its contents.
  • A recommendation for the target audience.
  • A coherent, intelligent message that is easy for the audience to understand.
  • A clever "hook" that grabs the attention of the audience and adds to the interest of the video. "

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