Has Layaway Been Laid Off? It wasn’t so long ago that Layaway Plans were used for purchasing items that we couldn’t afford to pay for all at once. In that day, however, creditors weren’t out prowling like an army of hungry sharks, in our faces at every turn wanting to get our business and finances on their snack menu. Nowadays, however, loan agency and credit card seems to want our business — and our money. And, if that weren’t enough, it really seems as if both merchants and creditors have been in such a feeding frenzy that the only thing they’re concerned with is how much debt every customer can be pushed, cajoled, and whipped into carrying through uncontrolled spending. Now, is that a recipie for economic stability? Personally, I also find it rather annoying that some major retail chains have recently dropped their Layaway Plans altogether. Not only is Layaway a great way to buy things, but it helps encourage better money management. Don’t get me wrong — credit cards are fine things and very convenient, particularly in an emergency. Nevertheless, wise financial advisors suggest that credit card balances should be paid in full every month, while each person needs to also learn to live realistically within their financial means. To be perfectly clear, “Layaway Plan” refers to making payments over time for an item(s), without any interest or added fees. No loopholes, no tricks, no gimmicks — once an item is paid for in full, it is delivered to the customer. The only exception would be if the payments stretch out over too long a time — beyond about 90 days — during which time the merchant’s actual costs may have changed. In such a case, a merchant may need to review the final purchase price. Don’t Settle for “No” For those who may be interested in Layaway options, make sure to ask your local retailers next time you have a need. Be pro-active about it, and don’t expect them to necessarily advertise the way it used to be done. And, if you’re interested in online purchases over the internet, there are definitely retailers who offer Layaway Plans. Let’s take a moment to review some of the fine bedding products that can be purchased online with a Layaway Plan Online Layaway An Adjustable Bed is a great way to add head and shoulder lift, foot lift, and even massage, to your bed — at the touch of a button. Leggett & Platt, the nation’s most renowned retailer of fine adjustable beds, offers a number of sturdy beds to choose from. All models offer lift features and a remote control, while higher-end models add a programmable Neurosage Massage and a cordless remote control. Certain mattress characteristics are recommended for the best adjustable experience. There are many fine mattresses available on the market today. Choose from traditional cotton innerspring, memory foam, synthetic (domestic) latex foam, or a combination of them; as well as 100% Natural Latex Foam. Mattresses come in nearly every height and comfort configuration, and a few companies offer customization at no special cost. Well-stocked retailers will also offer mattresses in Twin, TwinXL, Full, FullXL, Queen, East King, Cal King, Split Queen, and Split Cal King sizes (Split East King is (2) TwinXL’s) as well as custom cuts. Special Needs Mattresses are another important category to consider — mattresses that are totally customized to your needs, or that are specially built for heavy people. There is no reason for these types of mattresses to be especially expensive, unless you’re either looking at a company that has to outsource their production, or you’re requesting something that is expensive to build. A great way to upgrade an existing mattress that hasn’t worn out or become lumpy is to enhance it with a memory foam or latex topper. Toppers are most commonly available in thicknesses from 1″ to 4″, with greater thicknesses being custom orders. And some customers have even built their own mattresses from multiple layers of latex or memory foam. Generally, toppers are available in Twin, TwinXL, Full, Queen, East King, and Cal King sizes, with custom cuts being priced at the topper size that must be cut back to fulfill your order. For the family, friends, and guests, a Memory Foam Folding Guest Bed or Rollaway Guest Bed is an option that is comfortable, portable, and easily storable. There are numerous styles to choose from, each having its own unique characteristics. Other good performers may include Trundle Beds, Sofa and Futon Beds, and higher quality Inflatable Beds. Summary Layaway Plans are a great way to manage your money and yet get those things that your family needs to be healthy and happy. Managing your money wisely does not necessarily mean skimping — figure out what you need, do your research, and shop wisely — without interest or penalty. Paying over time in advance sure beats paying high credit card or loan interest rates month after month.
Posts Tagged ‘Plans’
Layaway Payment Plans - Dead or Alive?
Thursday, January 14th, 2010The Stupid Recipes Behind Six Pack Abs Diet Meal Plans
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010Six pack abs diet meal plans can be the most indulging from all the diet plans. It adds two in-between snacks in a three-meal daily plan, resulting to six meals per day. The increased number of meals is done to provide more protein and minerals to the abdomen that will support muscle mass. Scientific studies also prove that more meals have better energy balance, greater fat loss, and improved body mass, power, and endurance. An effective abs diet meal plan focuses in incorporating a handful of food types in the daily meal. These food types are known as powerfoods, and can be easily remembered by the mnemonics ABS DIET POWER. A – almonds and other nuts B – beans and legumes S – spinach and green vegetables D – dairy products that are low-fat or fat-free I – instant oatmeal that are unsweetened and unflavored E – eggs T – turkey and lean meats P – peanut butter O – olive oil W – whole-grained breads and cereals E – extra protein powder R – raspberries or any other berries Listed below are some recipes for the abdominal diet. Power Smoothie Nutritional Information per Serving: 220 cal, 12g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 4g fat, 3g fiber, 118mg sodium Number of Powerfoods: 4 Ingredients – yields 2 servings: 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons of low-fat yogurt 3/4 cups of oatmeal cooked in water 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 teaspoons protein powder Ice cubes Procedure: This requires minimal preparation because all ingredients will only be mixed in a food processor until a smoothie-like mixture is achieved. Macho Meatballs Nutritional Information per Serving: 569 cal, 38g protein, 65g carbohydrates, 19g fat, 10g fiber, 1,341mg sodium Number of Powerfoods: 3 Ingredients – yields 4 servings: 1 pound of extra-lean ground beef 1/2 cup salted cracker 1 large onion, diced 1 garlic clove – minced 1 tablespoon of protein powder 16 ounces of tomato sauce 4 rolls of whole-wheat hoagie 1/2 cups of low-fat cheese, shredded Procedure: Place the ground beef, crackers, onion, garlic, and protein powder in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make meatballs from a spoonful of the mixture. Cook over medium heat until the browned. Drain the excess oil and fat, and add the tomato sauce. Scoop out some portion of the bread from the roll to make trenches. Place some meatballs with sauce in each trench, and sprinkle with cheese. Cover it with the other half of the bread roll. Egg Sandwich Nutritional Information per Serving: 399 cal, 31g protein, 46g carbohydrates, 11g fat,6g fiber, 900mg sodium Number of Powerfoods: 5 Ingredients – yields 1 serving: 1 whole egg 3 egg whites 1 teaspoon of protein powder 2 slices of whole-wheat bread 1 slice of bacon 1 tomato or green bell pepper, sliced Procedure: Place the whole egg and egg whites in a bowl and pour the protein powder. Mix until fully scrambled. Spray some olive oil in the pan and fry the egg. Toast the bread and put in the fried egg. Top with bacon, tomato, bell pepper, or with other garnishing. Six pack abs diet meal plans are not as strict as other diets. They can be substituted and mixed in any way as long as the powerfoods will be kept in the plan. Combining one powerfood with the other can yield vast amount of recipes to keep a person full. They can also be as simple as green vegetables dipped in a non-fat dairy product.
National, State, District, and Local Plans Using the Six Realms of Meaning as it Relates to Strategic Planning in Educaitonal Leadership
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Introduction The role of the school administrative team is most often associated with educational leadership. Leadership roles can be enacted by all stakeholders within the school community, including the student population (Levin, 1998; Wallin, 2003). The six realms of meaning (Kritsonis, 2007) cover the range of possible meanings and comprise the basic competencies that general education should develop in every person. A philosophical theory of the curriculum for general education based on the idea of logical patterns in disciplined understanding is presented in Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2007). There are patterns or structures in knowledge and an understanding of these typical forms is essential for the guidance of teaching, learning, and constructing the curriculum. The various patterns of knowledge are varieties of meaning, and the learning of these patterns is the clue to the effective realization of essential humanness through the curriculum of general education (Kritsonis, 2007). Purpose of the Article The purpose of this article is to discuss significant aspects of the six realms of meaning as it relates to strategic planning in educational leadership. Planning Initiatives The six realms of meaning are viewed as six fundamental patterns of meaning (Kritsonis, 2007). These patterns are sequential and provide the foundation for all meanings that enter the human experience and emerge from an analysis of possible distinctive modes of human understanding. The patterns are symbolics, empirics, esthetics, synnoetics, ethics, and synoptics (Kritsonis, 2007). The entire school or organization’s future is at stake in strategic planning (Center for Organizational Development and Leadership, 2007). Strategic planning in educational leadership determines where a school is going over the next year or more and how it’s going to get there (McNamara, 2008). A postmodern approach for academic and administrative departments would be to implement plans and strategies that are narrowly focused and vital to their future. A plan too broad would allow for planning initiatives to go amiss from the correct course of focus or persons could get stuck and not be able to move forward (Center for School or Organizational Development and Leadership, 2007). A framework for strategic planning of higher education centered on leadership, communication, and assessment is predictive of making national, state, district and local plans work (Center for School or Organizational Development and Leadership, 2007). Steps in the framework according to McNamara (2008) would include the following: mission, vision and value statements, collaborators and beneficiaries, environmental review, goals, strategies and action plans, plan creation, and outcomes and achievements. The modernist divorces the knower (English, 2003). In the fourth realm of synnoetics, the student could gain personal insight through working with skilled guidance counselors or thorough a social activity. The student is endowed with a rich and disciplined life in relation to self and others. Synnoetics requires active participation and engagement. To know and to be are one and the same in personal existence. Ethics or moral knowledge is the fifth realm where a student is able to make wise decisions and to judge between right and wrong. His moral conduct is a universal responsibility. It is what ought to be done and it is right action. In the sixth realm of synoptics, the student would possess an integral outlook of which epistemology - the theory of knowledge, and metaphysics - what is real, are the primary basis for its function (Kritsonis, 2007). The First Realm: Symbolics Systems of mathematics are designed to achieve complete precision in meaning and rigor in reasoning (Kritsonis, 2007). Discursive language refers to language used in customary speech for communicating ideas. The scope of curriculum in general education allows each person’s participation in the meaning of the social whole of the educational community (Kritsonis, 2007). Integrity and the need to be learned in certain essentials would allow for leadership that defines roles and responsibilities essential to the effectiveness of the strategic plan. Board members, community leaders, teachers, parents and students actively participate in creating and organizing guiding principles for continuous effective leadership, communication, and assessment. Communication skills will be displayed through speaking, writing, and class experience. This broader-based ownership in which participants feel valued and involved makes it easier to commit to change (Lindsey, Robins and Terrell, 2003). Lindsey, Robins and Terrell stated in their book, Cultural Proficiency, A Handbook for School Professionals, that what is required in a strategic plan is informed and dedicated staff that are committed and involved in leadership. They take time to think, reflect, assess, decide, and change, and actively participate in work sessions where the educational community is contributing distinctive ideas, beliefs, feelings, and perceptions (2003). To monitor a plan’s progress and assess it outcomes, ongoing attention to assessment is necessary. These appraisals for assessment provide guidance for developing pre-planning strategies. They allow for monitoring the planning process and judging whether a plan’s activities and strategies are successful in fulfilling the school or organization’s goals. Strategic planning, according to Center for School or Organizational Development and Leadership (2007), can include conducting a review of the school or organization’s political, social, economic and technical environment. In an initial review, an analysis of the school or organization can be completed. The planning phase can look at factors that are driving forces in the environment, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding the school or organization. The mission, vision and value statements are updated as needed. The Center for School or Organizational Development and Leadership (2007) suggests that an environment that has a diverse leadership team fostering readiness and receptivity and has an understanding of decision making processes and boundaries would aid creating successful plans for schools and organizations. Sizing up previous plan’s successes on current efforts helps to keep a historical perspective on efforts of change. Mission statements are brief written descriptions of the purpose of the school (McNamara, 2008). The mission statement is a specific purpose statement that is part of the overall mission statement. The value and vision statements are part of the mission statement. Vision statements are usually a compelling description of how the school or organization will or should operate at some point in the future and of how The basic strategic planning process according to McNamara (2006) would include the following steps: (1) Identify the purpose of the school or organization, which is also called the mission statement. The statement should describe what student or employee needs are intended to be met and with what services. The mission statement can change through the years as the school or organization changes to society’s needs. (2) Select goals that must be reached in order to accomplish the mission. These goals would address major issues facing the school or organization. (3) Identify the specific approaches or strategies to implement to reach the goals. In this step, the external and internal environments of the school or organization are examined closely. Steps to strengthen financial management can also be addressed. (4) Identify specific action plans or functions of each department to on how each strategy would be implemented. At this stage committees can be organized to monitor if objectives are met. (5) Monitoring and updating the plan is the final step in this plan. Reflection by planners is conducted to see to what extent the goals and objectives are being met and if the action plans are being implemented. At this stage feedback is important. A school or organization may generate a survey addressing school or organization satisfaction (McNamara, 2006). The Second Realm: Empirics The Third Realm: Esthetics Among the four disciplines in the third realm of esthetics to be studied by the student are music, art, literature and the arts of movement in physical education. The beautification process can be applied to organizations as well. The Fourth Realm: Synnoetics The knower and the known are inseparable (English, 2003). Team building, decision making, goal setting, conflict resolution and diversity awareness reveal relationships to other people and should be addressed in a strategic plan. Identifying critical stakeholders, skill of members, pros and cons of making a choice and having a process to deal with different opinions are key skill sets. Clarifying issues, seeing the other person’s perspective, identifying common ground, identifying what can be changed and what cannot be changed are essential in plan creating and school or organization. Highly controlled social mechanisms give way to threatening intimate personal relations and being true to self. A growing need and emphasis is needed on the personal dimensions of understanding. The Fifth Realm: Ethics The postmodern approach preserves one’s ability to exercise choice over one’s personhood, outlook on life, sexual orientation, continued existence, thought processes and basic integrity as a unique human being. Empirical knowledge is needed to understand that factual knowledge is an important resource in the improvement of understanding in personal relations and morals. This knowledge is necessary in making wise decisions. These decisions are based on consideration of alternatives and the prediction of consequences. “Moral decision presupposes a free and integral self-in-relation, and becoming a person depends upon making moral choices” (Kritsonis, 2007, p. 592). The Sixth Realm: Synoptics The sixth realm of synoptics is where the student would possess an integral outlook of which epistemology - the theory of knowledge, and metaphysics - what is real, are the primary basis for its function. Meanings in the sixth realms are comprehensively integrative and include history, religion, and philosophy. Empirical truths, esthetic (beauty), and synnoetic (personal knowledge) meanings are coherent wholes in this realm. Man is revealed by the choices he has made in the context of his given circumstance. The postmodern approach considers that human diversity and difference are beneficial to the pursuit of modern truths and are a threat to governance, authority or rule. Any threat to diversity would be to veer toward antidemocratic persuasion. Feyerabend (1999) and his view on epistemological anarchism believed that there was no view too absurd or immoral that he refused to consider or act on and no method was indispensable. As people are faced with change, the requirement for the perspectives of history, a larger vision of faith, and the critical comprehension afforded by philosophical reflection are needed more than ever (Kritsonis, 2007). Concluding Remarks In conclusion, there are patterns or structures in knowledge and an understanding of these typical forms is essential for the guidance of teaching, learning, and constructing the curriculum. The purpose of this article is to discuss significant aspects of the six realms of meaning as it relates to strategic planning in educational leadership. According to Kritsonis, the six realms of meaning are viewed as six fundamental patterns of meaning. These patterns are sequential and provide the foundation for all meanings that enter the human experience and emerge from an analysis of possible distinctive modes of human understanding. The patterns are symbolics, empirics, esthetics, synnoetics, ethics, and synoptics. The various patterns of knowledge are varieties of meaning, and the learning of these patterns is the clue to the effective realization of essential humanness through the curriculum of general education of the complete person ( 2007). The entire school or organization’s future is at stake in strategic planning (Center for Organizational Development and Leadership, 2007). A postmodern approach for academic and administrative departments would be to implement plans and strategies that are narrowly focused and vital to their future. Strategic planning in educational leadership determines where a school is going over the next year or more and how it’s going to get there (McNamara, 2008). A plan too broad would allow for planning initiatives to go amiss from the correct course of focus or persons could get stuck and not be able to move forward Development and Leadership, 2007). Kritsonis said, A human being is in essence a creature who creates, discovers, enjoys, perceives, and acts on meaning. These meanings are of six general kinds: symbolic, empirical, esthetic, synnoetic, ethical, and synoptic. The educator can seize the opportunity to battle such areas as fragmentation, surfeit, and transience of knowledge, by showing what kinds of knowledge are required for full understanding and how the essential elements may be distinguished from the unessential ones in the selection of instruction materials. (2007, p. 74) The six realms of meaning as it relates to strategic planning in educational leadership are indicative of making national, state, district and local plans work for the success of all students to achieve goals in scholarly disciplines. REFERENCES Center for School or Organizational Development and Leadership (2007). Strategic planning in higher education: A guide for leaders. [Brochure]. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. English, F. W. (2003). The postmodern challenge to the theory and practice of educational administration. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Feyerabend, P. (1999). Theses on anarchism. In M. Motterlini (ed. ) For and against method (pp. 113-118). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Kritsonis, W. (2007). Ways of knowing through the realms of meaning. Houston, TX: National FORUM Journals. Levin, B. (1998). The educational requirement for democracy. Curriculum Inquiry, 28, 57-79. Lindsey, R. B. , Robins, K. N. , & Terrell, R. D. (2003). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. McNamara, C. (2006). Basic overview of various strategic planning models. In Free Management Library. Retrieved July 10, 2009 from http://www. managementhelp. org/plan_dec/str_plan/models. htm McNamara, C. (2008). Basic description of strategic planning. In Free Management Library. Retrieved July 10, 2009 from http://www. managementhelp. org/plan_dec/str_plan/models. htm Wallin, D. (2003). Student leadership and democratic schools: A case study. National Association of Secondary School Principals NASSP Bulletin, 87, 55-78. www. nationalforum. com Over 250,000 Guests Visit Our Website Yearly
Kind Of Life Insurance Plans
Saturday, August 15th, 2009Most of us are familiar with the term life insurance. Its so common everywhere - walking down the street and you have the poster of the LIC, the corner and see another poster HDFC and you can find a person who leaves the show, screaming - "Kum Insurance Lene Ki Bimare. This is what we all know and see every day. But in general we do not know what is the type of life insurance policies, these companies offer. Whatever the name of the life insurance company - they all have the same basis with changes in policies add - ons. The first type of policies are those policies is the creation of wealth. These policies are generally ULIP, which is the unit of insurance plans that are derived from the money paid as premium and generate high returns in the market. The second type is known as the various policies. These policies are for the most part, either money or copies of policy term. Refund policies in the long term, said the return policies for a stated period. These are policies that are guaranteed refund policy. Term policies are those that provide insurance for a period of 10, 15, 20 or 25 years …. Often these are taken by people working in the environment or high risk are subject to death. The third type of policy is commonly known as Premium warranty plans. These figures are very traditional and guarantee money after a certain period. The fourth type is known as security plans. Such policies are formulated with the idea of providing protection to the family. Here, the individual is not the main objective is the family which is of vital importance. Life insurance plans is done with the idea of providing protection for the whole family on the death of the person. With a pan of men are employed in Indian society, the life insurance plans often becomes a necessity. People who are uninsured and do not even have a pension plan provided by their companies to take the insurance policy into the future of their families. .