High performing team

What is the definition of a high performing team?

Read-on.

http://www.askteamdoc.com/index.php/2007/01/23/need-help-with-definition-of-a-high-performance-team/

http://www.teambuildingtips.com/team-building-articles/team-skills/what-is-the-definition-of-a-team.html

Selling my car

s2000 almost gone. Evo almost here.

wat a delightful feeling :)

one question i had, and i've found the answer on google is:

Once the Bill of Sale is notarized and the title is switched over to the buyer’s name, does this instantly render the car insurance invalid? Or do I immediately need to call the insurance company immediately to cancel insurance on the car? Is it true that the new owner also needs to show proof of insurance at the moment I give them the keys, or is that their own responsibility?

Couple of good response.

I believe that you should call right after the person leaves to cancel the car insurance…once they signed the title you want the insurance canceled asap in case they have an accident leaving your home…you could be at fault if you still have the insurance or they could try saying the car was not fully theirs since the insurance was in your name still on the car. Make them call the insurance company in front of you…offer them your phone…seeing as you know all the details about the car…it would make it easier for the insurance company questions to be answered. They do this at car dealerships all the time.

You need to retain a copy of the bill of sale with complete information on the buyer.
This proves the car was sold on X Date. You should not be responsible for a car after you sold it. And most insurance covers the driver first.

So if the buyer wrecks it 5 minutes after you sell it, its his problem not yours or your insurances.

The buyer does not need to show proof of insurance. And in many states, a bill of sale need not be notarized.

Your potential liability is that the buyer never registers it and then gets in a wreck. Thats not your fault and you nor your insurance company would be liable.

Call your insurance company as soon as its convienent and let them know the car was sold on X date.

Technically, if the buyer uses it to rob a bank before he registers it in his name, the cops would come looking for you.
You pull out the bill of sale give it to them and tell them what you remember and you dont have a problem.

If you said, “I sold it to some guy and dont have any proof, they might not rule you out for the robbery”

If you dont keep a bill of sale and dont cancel your insurance, its possible someone could claim you are liable. For instance, if the buyer wrecks it and causes property damage, he could say you let him borrow it and therefore your insurance is responsible.

Keeping a bill of sale with correct and complete buyer info including work, home and cell #s is your best bet. If they seem shady, get their drivers license # too.


http://www.autosinsurances.com/questions-about-selling-my-car/

Google is great.

Traveling to Guatemala

Couple of things to be aware when traveling to Africa or Latin America.

1) Visa and passport requirements

Only the countries you plan to visit can provide up-to-date information about their visa requirements. For all countries, contact the nearest embassy or consulate of the country you intend to visit well in advance of travel.
http://protocol.dfat.gov.au/Default/view.rails
Some of the more frequent destinations Australians visit frequently are listed on the Smarttraveller website.

2) Vaccinations. It better be up-to-date for any preventive diseases.
These include but not limited to, Hep-A and B, tetanus-diptheria, thypoid, malaria, rabies etc.

Depending on the region you're traveling, consult the WHO (World Health Organization) for most up-to-date info on the appropriate travel medicine and plan 8 weeks in advance.

3) Be aware of pandemic diseases of places you're visiting (e.g yellow fever)

One of the most common question asked is:
How can I find out which countries require the yellow fever vaccine as a condition for entry?
A: The list of requirements by country is supplied by CDC (Centre of Diseases Control and Prevention). Otherwise you may run into issues when returning back to your origin.

4) Read the latest travel advisory - http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
This site includes travel advice, esp politically unstable areas, ongoing threat level, overseas consular assistance such as contacts for embassies and consulates

Greenpeace activists

Hippie Culture

Money or Knowledge?

i use this analogy whenever this topic comes up.




Imagine a racetrack. with money, you can drive the most powerful car on the track. with knowledge, you're bestowed the ability to push the car you're given to its very limit.

which would you rather have? or what has been your experience?

Knowledge is a very liberating thing. Money, on the other hand can be argued to buy the knowledge.

Both are not mutually exclusive of each other but let's say you pursue knowledge, what happens when your work sector is out of demand, and you're out of a job? why don't all scholars get free education? the society still requires you to have money regardless as the fundamental resource in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

If you only had money but no knowledge, (e.g. inheritance) it may be a case of easy come, easy go. sure, you can hire a financial planner but what if you even lack that?

definitely an interesting topic that comes up in everyones mind once in a while!

a good article on the topic from an Islamic view
http://www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/moneyknow.htm

" Once a person came to Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu and questioned him, “What shall I gain; knowledge or wealth?” Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu answered “Gain knowledge because it is more beneficial then gaining wealth”. The person then asked for some benefits of gaining Knowledge over wealth, Hadhrat Ali Radhiallaho Anhu replied:

• Knowledge is the inheritance of the Prophets (alayhisalaam), and wealth is the inheritance of Fir'awn (Pharaoh) and Qaroon,

• The more knowledge you gain, the more beloved you become in the eyes of people and the more wealth you gain, the more people hate you out of jealousy…

• As time passes, the value of money decreases and the value of knowledge increases,

• Wealth needs to be looked after, whereas knowledge protects you,

• You will always fear the theft of money, but knowledge cannot be stolen from the heart,

• On the Day of Judgement, Allah Taa'la will ask you two questions regarding your wealth; how it was earned and how it was spent. These are two separate questions regarding Wealth whereas one question regarding knowledge will be asked: How much you acted upon it,

• Knowledge helps you gain money but money cannot buy you knowledge,

• Excess money brings pride.

The moral of this topic is not so that one stops earning so that he may gain knowledge, as to earn for one's family is equally as important. The main point is to recognise that excess money could ruin you in this world, and in the next. Also, if you can take some time out and study the Deen (Religion) of Allah Taa'la, Inshallah it will be of great benefit in both worlds."

Anatomy of the human body

So i chanced upon this documentary in SBS which showcases highly controversial anatomist by name of Dr Gunther von Hagens.

as you can see, this guy looks exactly the part of a german killer topped with his signature hat and trench coat... but really is a misunderstood genius for those who're skeptic with his work.

he's also the inventor for plastination, (a method that preserves bodies and body parts, where his works are showcased around the world in the Body Worlds exhibition.

anyway, this documentary was filmed in 2005, in Gunther's lab in Germany with a live audience, presenting 4 parts of the human anatomy from:
1) Movement
2) Circulation
3) Digestion
4) Reproduction

as the guy from JB Hifi said, "How can you bear to watch this?", to "but it's highlyeducational if you bear it". I couldnt agree more.

in other words, this guy cuts up cadavers and shows the inner linings of the human body. can be gross to many who're never exposed to this level of detail of our human anatomy.

Korean Side Dishes aka (Banchan)

Banchan.

Every Korean meal includes anywhere from 2 to 12 side dishes also known as (banchan). The most important and well-known is kimchi, of which there are 100+ varieties

http://koreanfood.about.com/od/sidedishesbanchan/Korean_Side_Dishes_Banchan_including_Kimchi.htm

A place to chck out for good seafood and atmosphere of a seafood market is th Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market



koreans love their baby octopus (which are eaten live)and sea-slugs known as gaebul and monggae. both are eaten raw too!

Tip: Dipping them in sesame oil prevents the tentacles from gripping on the inside of your mouth!

Should these be taken into consideration when travelling?

Visiting UNESCO World heritage sites?
The 7 wonders of the world, ancient, natural, modern e.g. ? (Great wall, The Pyramids, Northern lights)
Political unstable areas? (Gaza, Bangkok)
Tallest structures? (Dubai Khalifur)
volcanoes, tornadoes, earthquake-prone? (Pacaya, Oklahoma,
Festivals (Songkran, Oktoberfest, Bull Run, Tomatina)?
Food (from the most prestigious restaurants, 3 Michelin Hat El Bulli, to the strange street foods in China)?
Natural Landscape (glaciers, Missisippi river,
Environmental disaster area (oil spill in Gulf Mexico)?
Adrenaline charged tourist spots (Queenstown)?
Biggest parties (Ibiza)?
Cultural historical sites (Museums)

Dieting - Day 3

breakfast: 1 banana (100 calorie)
1 skimmed latter (100 calorie)
1 mandarin (32 calorie)

lunch: 1 banana, 6 inch Veggie Delite (340 calorie)

dinner: 6 inch Veggie Delite (240 calorie)
1 mandarin (32 calorie)

Total - 844 calorie

How to lose 1 kg per week

To lose 1 kg, you theoretically have to cut back on 3850 calories per week or 550 calories per day. Instead of cutting back on calories alone, you can burn some calories by exercising.

To lose weight you have to use up more energy than you are taking in. There are several ways to do that which includes increasing activity levels and decreasing caloric intake

Word of caution: Do not consume less than 1200 calories per day if you are dieting for extended periods. Diets which are less than 1200 calories per day are not nutritionally adequate and over a period of time, you may not be getting enough of certain nutrients

For a healthy diet: The present recommendation for carbohydrate, protein and fat distribution is 50-55% for carbohydrate, 12-15% for protein and 30-35% for fat for healthy adults. That works out to 250- 275 grams of CHO, 60-75 grams of protein and 66-78 grams fat for a 2000 calorie diet.

Coffee - calorie counting

in short, skim milk cuts half your calorie intake, cut the sugar and going espresso or long-black is the ultimate way to go!

http://www.completefitness.com.au/articles/nutrition/coffeecalories.php

Dieting - Day 2

living on VeggieDelite from Subway for the 2nd day now.

agonisingly hungry always..

here's how my day unfolds
-------------------------
Breakfast:
Acaiberry drink

Lunch:
6" Veggie Delite (wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, carrot, onion and green capsicum) - no cheese, no condiments ~ avg 230 calories

Before gym:
Another Veggie Delite

After gym:
Another Veggie Delite

lots of water to keep hydrated

Gym: 1 Powerade sports drink ~ 180ml

Coffee: 100 calorie
1 Banana (almost ripe, med size) ~ 100 calorie

Total calorie: 230x3+180+100+100 = 1070 calorie
Target: under 1000 calorie/day

What is the Healthiest Oil to Use for Cooking?

The healthiest oil to cook with is one that is composed primarily of monounsaturated fat. Oils containing a high degree saturated fats are considered the least healthy by most doctors, though most doctors now feel that the naturally occurring saturated fats in products like butter are better than the saturated fats in products like margarine.



Most experts now agree that the healthiest oil to use is canola oil. One drawback of canola oil is that it may not respond well to high temperatures. Another good choice, and actually a frequent one is peanut oil, which is also high in monounsaturated fat.

Olive oil is considered by some to be the healthiest oil because it provides a mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It can also be obtained in very pure form, which most health experts recommend.

When looking for the healthiest oil, one should look for oils that are minimally processed. Frequently, the more processed the oil, the less healthy it is.

Even the healthiest oil can contain a lot of calories so moderation is key. In general, use non-stick pans and a canola or olive oil cooking spray, which adds very little oil to a dish!

The healthiest oil used to deep-fry will still be highly caloric, and in general give one more oil than is needed. Instead of deep-frying, stir-frying, grilling or baking are better methods for preparing food, since oil requirements in such dishes are much lower.


1. Olive Oil
Olive oil has the greatest amount of unsaturated fats known. This is a natural oil that preserves the taste, aroma, properties and vitamins of the olive fruit. Unlike all others, olive oil can be consumed freshly pressed. Studies show that olive oil is beneficial to assist those suffering from ulcers, gastritis, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Olive oil is best used for Italian breads, salad dressings, and marinades. A tablespoon of olive oil contains 14% saturated fat, 12% poly unsaturated fat, and 74% mono unsaturated fats.

2. Canola Oil
Canola oil, contrary to what you have heard, is also good for you. Made from the crushed seeds of the canola plant, this oil is an excellent source of the omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, which the body can not produce. Canola oil is known to protect the heart by its effect on blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation. The light flavor and smooth texture is perfect for sautéing, grilling, stir-frying, baking as well as salad dressings, sauces, and marinades. A tablespoon of canola oil contains 7% saturated fat, 35% poly unsaturated fat, and 58% mono unsaturated fats.

3. Peanut Oil
Peanut oil also has its health benefits; as suggested by its name, it is made from peanuts. Nutritionally speaking, this is not the best oil, yet it is a popular choice. People with health issues relating to trans fats and saturated fats benefit from utilizing this oil. With its high smoke temperature, peanut oil is ideal for frying and deep frying foods. A tablespoon of peanut oil contains 18% saturated fat, 33% poly unsaturated fat, and 49% mono unsaturated fats.

4. Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil is considered one of the world's healthiest oils. This oil is made from the most important crop in the world, rice which is a common food in all countries. Lowering cholesterol, fighting diseases, and fighting free radicals are just some of rice bran oils health benefits. The extremely light and versatile oil is perfect for frying, sautéing, salad dressings, dipping sauces, and baking. A tablespoon of rice bran oil contains 20% saturated fat, 33% poly unsaturated fat, and 47% mono unsaturated fats.

5. Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is popular in in Asia. This healthy oil comes in a variety of colors resulting from the numerous ways the seed is processed to make the oil. Packed with an outstanding amount of vitamins and minerals, sesame oil is known to lower cholesterol and lower the risks of heart disease. This oil is mainly used in stir-fries because of its short shelf life and low smoke temperature. A tablespoon of sesame oil contains 15% saturated fat, 43% poly unsaturated fat, and 42% mono unsaturated fats.

Difference between butter and margarine

butter is derived from animal fat while margarine is derived from hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Butter is a much older food product than margarine. Butter is produced from the fatty cream of cow's milk, although other animal milks can be used

Margarine, on the other hand, is a manufactured food product designed specifically to be a butter substitute in 1869. It's a solid butter substitute with no cholesterol and little if any saturated fat.

Margarine does contain polyunsaturated and trans fatty acids, however, which many health experts consider to be unhealthy for humans because of their artery-clogging tendencies.

BOTTOMLINE - not one is better than the other but if you're having an abundance, go with margarine as a substitute for butter, and choose soft (liquid or tub) margarines over harder, stick forms. Use margarine with no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient.

else go with butter but cut down the intake

if using butter for cooking, then opt for naturally occurring, unhydrogenated oil such as canola or olive oil instead

Greece Bailout

Oil spill at Alaska Valdez vs Today

How is cheese, yoghurt and milk made?

What's the difference in blue cheese, tasty, swiss and kraft cheese?

Wat bout homogenised or pasteurised milk?

World Expo 2010

Be the centre of social issues, technology forefront and future dreams.

next stop, World Expo in Shanghai.. wait, i first need a visa :)

The Real Work of Knowledge Work

"In knowledge work, the task is not given, it has to be determined"

you start asking questions such as:
What are the expected results from this work? - yields productivity

And it is a question that demands risky decisions. There is no right or wrong but choices instead. and results have to be clearly specified if productivity is to be achieved.

Managing Action

Things rarely get stuck because of lack of time. They get stuck because the doing of them has not been defined.

The real problem for so many projects and commitments is a lack of clarity and definition about what the project is , and the associated next-steps.

Clarifying things on the front end, when they first appear on the radar, rather than on backend, or hindsight after trouble has developed, allows people to reap the benefits of managing action.

Everything in life doesn't always go to plan

Navy Seal Requirements

TO be even considered in the Navy Seal, the initial physical screening test includes the following procedure:

1.swim 500 yards in 12.5 minutes or less, followed by a 10-minute rest
2.do 42 push-ups in under two minutes, followed by a two-minute rest
3.do 50 sit-ups in under two minutes, followed by a two-minute rest
4.do six pull-ups, followed by a 10-minute rest
5.run 1.5 miles in boots and long pants in less than 11.5 minutes

- takenfrom HowStuffWorks.com

One thing which i caught of interest is a 50m underwater swim. Today was the first time i managed a 25m underwater swim, so i'm excited how far i can push or hit that elusive mark.

one interesting post on how some guys are struggling to get past this test on the navy seal forum is this requirement, and how the hypoxic training from some dude named stew smith can help. its basically training and pushing beyong with a lack of oxygen in the blood :)

keep reading

How to make it all work.

As David Allen said, "To lead an effective life we need to be able to make things happen" - to engage with our world so it will supply us with the experiences and results we seek.

Making the right choices and ensuring their efficient execution have always been key elements of success.

With that comes the plethora of workshops, courses, seminars to give you the tools to succeed.

Experience has shown there is still a wide gap between understanding and implementation.

Approaching work is a game, and one that's fun to play, as long as we know the purpose(what we're employed for), the boundaries(show-stopper decisions and no-no like harassment, discriminations), the contents(things we need to know to be successful in our jobs) and the rules(deadlines).

When any of those parameters are unclear, we develop unnecessary stress and are ineffective. On the other hand, if a bulletproof trusted process is in place which you can apply anytime no matter what's going on, we get a heightened sense of spontaneity in the job and more confidence everything is in order.

The game of work, and business life are really the same thing when it comes down to principles, behaviours and techniqus that eliminate distraction and foster beneficial focus.

Youth is the fountain of life

Carpe diem.

listening to Kelly Clarkson's 'Life would suck without you'

Time management 101

The dilemma of moving into management with added responsibility of a coach and engineer. This us just too much to handle. Too muh to do.

Where do I start??

1) Determine what my role is, and break up my responsibilities into key goals. Prioritise accordingly and seek clarification with manager if necessary of what the expectations are
- Manage up (be seen to have a good handle of my given deliverables, day-to-day events (bug scrubs) and managing timely day-to-day information flow from the team up)

2) Assess how well I'm managing time
- Track how long each item takes so i can plan more accurately next time (also helps in shaping the role with manager or decide if its better to delegate)
- More disciplined in sharing my time

3) Organize the to-do's into 3 piles:
- Must do
- Can wait
- Easy to knock off

Start with the must-do to build confidence. Work on the Easy to knock off pile once work is in a less overwhelming size, FInally when some blocks of time frees up, deal with the Can-waits.

Don't avoid a Must-do with an easy task as this is very detrimental. Start chewing off bits of it and it'd unravel itself if we keep working bits of it than making excuses time and again.

Garmin Forerunner 405CX

I bought it! a bit of haggling, and Rebel sport price match meant i got a better deal than RRP, down from 499.95 to 450.

The deal could have been sweeter due to Rebel's 10% price match guarantee but the bitch wouldnt give it to me when her boss was standing behind her.

now, the fun stuff begins to log it into SportTracks.

Project T

Train Smart not Hard.

In preparing for the elusive Ironman, sacrifices has to be made on top of my other personal goals for 2010. By taking on a long-term goal, there are other key areas and skills I'd like to pick up as part of the training.

this means adopting a Minimalist approach, taking the law of diminishing returns (80/20) tp great considerations and being smart about it. http://tiny.cc/v4yk5

The Ironman consists of 3 legs:
The Swim (3.8km), the Bike(180km) and finally the Run(42.195km).

the problem with training for such event is cultivating a training plan and good training habits.

For the swim leg, working out harder and longer is not always the right answer for your performance. Technique is No 1 which will be my focus through online videos (Ian Thorpe) and swimming equipments to improve technique and build strengths such as using Speedo Tech Paddles, pull buoys and kickboards

Program: Subscribing to a well devised workout from effectivewaterfitness.com http://tiny.cc/eqih8

Aa 5 day/wk over 4 week program (I'm expanding it to 8 weeks giving me a weeks break to review before my trip back Malaysia)

Time required: Approx 90mins/session, 7 1/2 hours /wk

You can't manage what you don't measure, so I'll be tracking improvements along the way. http://tiny.cc/vql0y

so i spoke about other areas and skills to learn along the way earlier. For the swim leg, these are:

* Improve technique across Freestyle and Breastroke (body position, breathing, arm stroke, body rotation, leg kick)
* Swim the Butterfly
* Improve on lung capacity
* Proper use of Tennessee, dolphin kick and flipturns http://tiny.cc/qxpdt
* Prepare for Open water tri-swim http://tiny.cc/ps8uz
* Complete a Lifeguard Training and First Aid if applicable (short course)
* Able to swim without goggles (after LASIK)

Which hopefully gets me to the next phase of overcoming motion sickness (http://tiny.cc/65no5) with the PUMA method and getting on to SCUBA.

Future:
Get a swim coach to correct and improve technique
Watch videos for Tri changeovers


Moving on to the Cycle leg, I've invested on a 2010 Giant TCR Advanced 1 full CF bike to start training.

yet to find a good unobstructed route apart from Beach Rd.

Over the next few days, I'll be getting my hands on:
1) foot pump for road bike http://tiny.cc/uwl8r
2) cyclocomputer that measures pedaling cadence, speed and odometer - http://tiny.cc/2wgrw (Cateye Strada Cadence) or http://tiny.cc/xshgt (without Cadence)
3) rear light for early or night riding
4) emergency repair kit
5) bicycle carrier if feasible

Training Program:
Cycle to work 2 days a wk (weather dependent)
SPIN classes 5 days/wk
1 Outdoor cycling 60km (Beach Rd, bike trail to Frankstron)

Future:
Join cycling group and ride events

Time required: 8 hours/wk

For the final leg, the run and what i consider most difficult of them all.

Marathon running requires not only enduranc build-up but conditioning of the body and legs to handle the distance.

To gauge my level to handle progressive improvements, the plan is to register for a few running events prior to Ironman Langkawi.

San Francisco Marathon - July 25th
Shepparton Half Ironman -Nov 14th

Training program:
Every alternate day to cycling to work is a 2 lap around Albert Park in the morning

Time required: 3 times on weekdays (an hour each) and 1 time on weekends (15km) 4 1/2 hours

Total training time: 19 hours / wk


Nutrition
Follow Kathy's tips from the workshop, and Biggest Loser trainer Michelle Bridges cookbook for healthy eating followed by a 14 day Detox program before June.

A point to remember: When it comes down to weight management and better health, food is more important than exercise.

weight loss is 70% diet nd 30% exercise.

Exercise is good for muscle tone and increasing your metabolism rate and helps burn calories but its ultimately what you eat that gets you where you want to be. calorie deficit or count is key to weight control.

Some key facts on weight management
------------------------------------

Take responsibility of my own nutrition and break those old habits!

Confidence in the kitchen is the key to weight management. Low calories and high in flavor. Dieting is not sustainable.

Habits are learned and can be unlearned

some maths:
For guys: avg 1300-1800 calories / day. 3 meals each around 400-500 calories plus 1 or 2 snackts at around 200 calories.

1 calorie = 4.2 kj

To lose 1 kilo a week, you need to have a deficit of ard 7500 calories.

Part 1: Counting the Calores and Getting Organized in the Kitchen
GH = Good Habit.

GH: Have breakfast. a nutritious, low GI carb early meal sets us up for a successful day.
GH: Wholefood whenever possible (food that looks as close to its natural state)
GH: Never have dessert. End of story. Take control of your choices
GH: Eat Regularly.
GH: Don't get so hungry that you make poor food choices.

Calorie counting:
Large Avocados: 500 calories each!
Cashew nuts: 10 calories
Vegetables: very low calorie. have as much as you want
Fruits: can add up significantly. have 1 or 2 each time.
Salad dressing: can turn a healthy meal into calorie-fest

Part 2: 9 Week Menu Plan to develop eating habits that last a lifetime :) hopefully

Strength conditioning:
Ability to do 12 pull-ups, 70 push-ups, 3 handstand pushups
Prime weight of 69kgs and BMI in the median category of normal
Work on abs

Boxing sessions and do super-sets

Unable to start the car...bummer

shit happens and it will, so may as well be prep next time.

on my way home from dinner and found the car has shat itself.

What can i do?
* Ring RACV Road Assistance 131111
* Google
* Pushstart the car

What may have caused it?
* Possible flat batt
* Loose connection
* Starter issue
* Short circuit somewhere
* Battery corrosion

Time for a KT and work out Possible Causes and a PPO to prevent future occurrence

KPIs

KPI must be key to organizational success. used in the right way, they're a performance management tool that gives everyone in the organization a clear picture of what's important, and what they need to make happen. Use a Performance Challenge and Team Charter tool if required to flush out the mission statement for the team, and goals into objectives and deliverables.

Team leader KPIs are more aligned towards the objectives, while the crew down the ranks can teeter more towards the deliverables. again, they're long term measures not short term wins.

If implemented correctly, KPIs also allows stretch targets placed on individuals (e.g. meeting a specific level of SLA within a timeframe from an overall team) driving change and improving your team. just make sure you map the right KPIs to the right performer (e.g. star performer, workhorse, etc).

KPIs helps an organization define and measure progress towards organizational goals an cascade down with each employee one rung below supporting their superior's KPI. "rolled into one". At the very top, its all revenues and figures, EBITDA and company bottomline.

by setting your overall KPIs to support your boss, we make sure that the overall year strategy or company mission is aligned to the same direction.

And KPIs should be set between 3-5. anymore, and we've lost the employer's attention and focus. In addition, it is important to distinguish that these are not your job descriptions/BAU. they're indicators that measure your progress and success in the overall organizations goals. meaning if good KPIs are drawn, by satisfying the objectives of those indicators you'd have met the critical success factors of the organization.

KPIs are generally:
* long term
* reflect the organizations goals
* quantifiable

On the last point, we need to employ the SMART methodology. Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realitic and Timely to each KPI.

All the buzz about water.

With this i mean spring water, mineral water and all other water terms out there and their mineral compositions..

A good source of info can be found:
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/beverages/waters/water-glossary.asp

mineral water - contains minerals or other dissolved substances (gas, sulfur or salts) that alters its taste and gives therapeutic value.
carbonated water - CO2 (carbon dioxide dissolved in water) to give it that effervescent property

Spring water is differentiated from mineral water in that it has a very low level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), or minerals

Origin of mineral water: It can either be artificially prepared or obtained from naturally occurring mineral springs. The water from San Pellegrino originates 400m below surface where it is mineralized from contact with limestone and volcanic rocks. It emerges from 3 deep springs at at a temp about 22C.

The U.S. FDA classifies mineral water as water containing at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids (TDS), and is also water coming from a source tapped at one or more bore holes or spring, originating from a geologically and physically protected underground water source. No minerals may be added to this water.

Finewaters Balance: A guide developed by Michael Mascha of Finewaters.com to classify the different kinds of mineral water. It is divided among Still and four degrees of intensity of sparkling water (from right to left): Effervescent, Light, Classic and Bold.










Examples include:

Still: Evian, Fiji, Poland Spring, Spa, Trinity, Vittel, Volvic
Effervescent: Badoit, Ferrarelle, Gleneagles, Sanfaustino, Voss
Light: Daggio, Galvanina, Ramlosa, Sole
Classic: Apollinaris, Fiuggi, Gerolsteiner, Lurisia, San Pellegrino
Bold: Perrier, Saratoga Springs, Tipperary, Ty Nant

As I read somewhere, many people don't like a high concentration of minerals in their water - i.e they prefer water to be flavorless. Those who do, can enjoy San Pellegrino (a sparkling mineral water) to add a bubbly to their main.



For a price difference comparison, a 750ml of San Pellegrino bottle reached US$10 in NY restaurants while in Italy, a 1.5L is sold for 1 euro. wat a mark-up!

On the other hand, distilled water is pure water free from dissolved salts

Different Cuts of meat

Steak are high quality beef taken from the hindquarters of the cow, typically best cooked over dry heat such as on the grill or barby.

Here's a picture of different cuts of meat taken from Britannica.com

2 things to look out for when buying steak. Grade (given by an independent body such as USDA) tells you the quality of the meat based on marbling and age of the meat, and the cut. different cuts have different qualities.

For a fantastic cut, spot the marblings with thin streaks of fat and good bright red color, and the fat a creamy white evenly distributed through the meat.

Starting from the upper back, and moving to the mid back, you have the rib, short loin and sirloin.

* The Rib (prime rib, short rib, rib eye) are the finest cuts of the meat prized for their juiciness, marbling and superb flavor but least tender of the three.

* Short loin (tenderloin, t-bone, porterhouse) This cut also has plenty of marbling. the porterhouse has a top loin that is moist and flavorful and a smooth buttery soft tenderloin. The tenderloin is the tenderest cut of the meat where u get your filet mignon, tournedoes and chateaubriand. though these cuts are tender, they are less flavorful.

* Sirloin (sirloin and top sirloin) - top sirloins are a lesser grade but larger cut of meat.

Other types of cut:
* Round (rump), flank and chuck tend to be tough cuts of meat.

* Brisket - cut of meat from cow's breast or lower chest. not very tender but when cooked properly, it's a crowd favourite

* Shank - animal's leg, one of the toughest meat as its the muscle group used most often (make stew as its loaded with flavor)


Portion:
1 pound per person is a good size. 450g

FYI: Wagyu, the famed cattle type that produces Japan's prized Kobe beef, named for the city that launched the breed.

What is Wagyu?

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-wagyu-beef.htm

On an interesting note from Wikipedia, Argentine people eat the most beef in the world at 64.6 kg/year. People in the EU eat 16.9 kg. USA is at 40.2 kg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef

Angus, the cattle of scottish origin prized worldwide for their well marbled, meat heavy body.

Tips from the dietitian

1) Keeping your body hydrated
1 litre of water per 25kg body weight
+ more if exercising, drinking soft drinks or coffee/tea, or when sick

This means 3 litres for me, or 15 glasses of water.

Avoid cold water in the morning to prevent stomach spasm.

How to tell if you're hydrated?
-Yellow urine (the darker means the more hydrated)
- Skin test (pinch your skin. if it stays discolored over a sec, you're dehydrated)

And no you can't get overhydrated.

Best hangover cure from the dietitian: Have a Gatorade before going to bed!

Sports Drink Vs Water

sports drinks provides:
- carbs & fluids (500 ml is 30gm carbs on avg) Note: Powerade is sold in 600ml in stores
- potassium and sodium
- electrolytes (medical term for salts, specifically ions) which help the body absord and retain fluid and move into the bloodstream & cells quicker than slush around the stomach like water.

Overall, they taste better than water and makes you drink more - staying hydrated!

Now, there's always a yin to the yang. sports drinks due to the sugary content (sucrose), they promote cavity so reserve only when you need them!

some of the sports drinks that advertise sugar-free are no carbs. no extra energy.

Stay hydrated to avoid headache.

Individual Sweat Rate

One other good idea to monitor is a before & after weight (with or without clothes) +drinks you drank
This gives you your seat rate (e.g. 1.25 l /hr) during workout

Match your sweat rate to fluid intake

Pre and Post training nutrition

For workouts less than 60 mins, snacks are not necessary. either that a banana for a quick fix

Post traning, try to target refuelling within a 30min window. This is the best and most effective time for replenising muscle cards (glycoge) and you either consume a meal or snack with high carb and small amt of protein.


Aim small frequent meals thorughout the day to avoid sugar spikes.

for smokers, cigarettes are appetite suppressant.

Some post training snacks:

• Cereal with Milk & yoghurt
• Up & Go (for carbs and protein)
• Banana & Milk
• Muesli bar & yoghurt
• Fruit smoothie

Protein Supplement

The primary role in the body is to support growth

Here are some samples of min protein intake:

avg man (1g/day)

strength athlete (1.2-1.7g/day)

Measurements

The metric system, put in place on a legal basis in 1795 by the French govt, defines 5 units of measure we use today.

Unit for Area of land: Hectare vs Acres

if you're ever gobbled up with acres, struggling to tranlate sq foot to sq meters, i hear your pain. this is European metric vs American imperial system.

here's a quick recap.
100 sqm = good size 2 bed apartment in Melbourne. this is equiv to 1076 sqfm
1sqm = 10.76 sqft

Now if you're aiming for a piece of land, we're now getting into bigger numbers and different scales of measurement.
1 hectare of land = 10000sqm (think 100m x 100m) which is 107639sq ft
As a comparison, Trafalgar Square in England has an area about 1 hectare.

If you're American, the equiv unit is known as the acre.
1 acre of land = 4046sqm or 44000 sqft, and is approx 40% of a hectare.

Unit of Length (Yard vs Metre)

If you watch golf, you'd have heard of how far these pros can drive the ball in yards.
for example, Woods average drive is 290 yards.

this means 265m.

1 yard = 3 foot = 0.9144 m

Unit of Volume (Litre vs quartz, ounces and gallons)

If you've ordered beer in a bar, this is where you'd be tested.
What's the difference between a pot, pint or scooner?

One of the perplexing aspect of beer drinking is the many receptables that beer come in, and they vary even in Australia states.
A pint is an extremely popular size for drinking beer not of local origin (i.e. Guinness, Kilkenny)
Schooners are an in-between measurement of a pot and a pint, and more favored in NSW than Vic.

Anyway here they are (may differ between states):
1 0z = 28.35 ml
pony = 140ml = 5 oz
Glass or seven = 200ml = 7 oz
pot (285ml) aka middy aka handle = 10 oz
schooner (428ml)
pint (568ml) = 20oz = 2 pots
jug = 1125ml = 40oz = 2 pint


Those getting gas (or what we know as petrol here) means reading gallons instead of litres.
1 liquid Gallon = 3.8 litres

It gets even more confusing to know there is a difference between imperial system and US customary units. The US adopts the latter which is a superset of the Imperial system. for example, their liquid gallon is different to the gallon in Imperial.

the original gallon is 4.5 Litres. even the quartz, pint and ounces differ slightly.

For the cook wannabe, a teaspoon is 5ml and a tablespoon is 15ml. a can of coke is 375ml.

at the very basics also, 1 litre of water has a mass of 1 kg however density of water changes with temperature and slightly with pressure... so be mindful.

Unit of Mass (Grams vs Ounce and Pounds)

1 ounce = 28 grams
1kg = 35.7 ounce
1 kg = 2.2 pounds

Red light therapy aka phototherapy

apparently, these light therapy (red-wand) banishes breakouts and works more like physics. the specific wavelength of red light annihilates the bacteria that breed within the clogged pores.

Virgin Active Bourke St

oh yes... Round 2 of weight loss. fitness!

so todays marks the first of many sessions here @ the Virgin gym.

must say the gym's really decked out with everything!. 25m pool, sauna, tons of classes with hippy names, rock-climbing wall, imacs, boxing area, cool shit.

kinda like what Starbucks used to call the '3rd place' you'd be hanging out apart from home and work.

looks to be an engaging place, so need to plan how i spent the time wisely here to get the results!

Acai Berry, No 1 Superfood!

Acai Berry. (read ah-sighee), the new weight-loss fad.

the berrytaking Hollywood by storm! jump on the bandwagon..

expert claims it one of the most effective dietary supplements on the planet. needless to say this comes with its fair share of "scams".

loosely termed 'purpleberry', the origins are e deep Amazonian jungle, weight loss properties in the form of increased metabolic rate. Yeap! Burn those nasty bejesus fat away !!

what this means is a faster fat breakdown, increased energy levels so you dont go craving food every second and fights fatigue. (red bull dispensed!?) Combined, these effects make the process of losing weight faster and easier without the side effects usually associated with synthetic chemicals, as i read..

anyway i subscribed to this fad, hoping for a boost to cut back on food.. or call it my big appetite on junk! so yeah, anything that makes me less hungry earns my dosh.

lets see how this PRODUCT works out in the next couple weeks!