Tag: plan

• COVID19 Testing Incomplete & Misleading If Don’t Use One of These Techniques

  Covid19 testing is incomplete and misleading if we are not (1) getting a baseline of a complete population or (2) taking true random samples of populations whether those are at the state or region/county level.  

  When you consider what President Trump and the state governors are planning in terms of how the states will open up using three phases, its crucial that they are working with valid data about what a given state or parts of it are dealing with at a given point in time.  Either you take a full baseline of a given population (everyone in that population) or you take true random samples (which let you characterize the population somewhat accurately). And, it would be best to know these 4 things:  (1) who has not had it, and of those with it, (2) is it active or (3) inactive now?  And, (4) did they have symptoms when it was active? 

  I just put these numbers together for New England and NY and NJ.

  

  As you can see, the percentage of people tested in each of these states ranges from only .9 % (NM) to 2.8% (NY and RI).  In all cases, we are running essentially blind.  How is that?  Well, in all cases, the data being used is  not a full baseline and its not random samples.  So, for example, MA has not tested 98% of its residents.  And the 2% that it has tested is mostly the symptomatic people.  We believe at this point in time that a fair to significant percentage of folks who are asymptomatic are actually carriers! They are NOT being accurately reflected in these numbers.  If there was a full baseline of tests or valid random samples, they could be.

  We know that we don't have the testing capacity in place to take full baselines of populations right now, in highly populated states at least.  So, we must take valid random sample baselines. I have not heard that any state has done that (at least yet) even the states with much lower populations. If this is not done, our economic openings will be both poorly and invalidly planned and therefore executed and set backs (delays in opening a region or state)  will likely be rampant. 

   

   

  April 16, 2020

  asymptomatic, baseline, blind, carrier, carriers, COVID19, data, economy, flawed, incomplete, invalid, misleading, open, opening, phase, plan, random sample, state, symptomatic, three, valid

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• Does Your Life Reflect Your Core Values?

  

  I have been a self-help junkie for the better part of 30 years.   We had very little money when I was growing up.  So, we had to resort to low-cost, resourceful solutions to whatever we were working on for school, 4-H, neighborhood kid projects, etc. 

  I was at the local public library so much to do various kinds of "kid" research that, Mrs. Bennett, the librarian put me to work on the card catalog and putting books away in their proper place, when she was backed up with returns.  It shouldn't be a surprise that I discovered encyclopedias at the library.  I grew to love them so much, that although we had no money whatsoever, mom bought us a complete World Book Encyclopedia set followed by Encyclopedia Britannica a few years later.  These were expensive.  They took years for mom to pay off.  But they were great to have.

  This was in the 1970s when there weren't any computers of any kind at home. Only Fortune 100 companies had multi-million dollar computers for  their back-end accounting systems, if they were lucky.   We were so fortunate to have reliable information at our finger tips at home.  It allowed you to start learning about whatever you were curious about as soon as you were ready to!

  Of course in high school and college, there were a lot of books you had to read.  At some point in my mid to late twenties, I started to read books on the things that interested me independent of work and school.  They included  alternative remedies for degenerative conditions, dressage (a form of horseback riding), flower and vegetable gardening, and also matters of life, heart and soul. And it was in this last area that a lot of reading, pondering and discussion has occurred over many years. 

  In my career, I ended up specializing in and being a consultant for software engineering effectiveness and efficiency, at a number of these Fortune 100 companies.  I realized over time that work organization, planning and execution concepts that are often foreign to these big boys, are commonly foreign to individuals as well. Just substitute life for work. 

  A picture is worth a thousand words.  So, a one of a kind graphical model and corresponding set of tools began to emerge in my mind and on paper for how a person could adequately pursue having their life actually reflect what they really care about.  It doesn't matter who you are.  When you step back and deliberately do this, things change.  It might be barely noticeable at first.  And over some time, it's often dramatic.

  Bottom line, your life will have more moments of happiness and joy!  And, this is simply the result of you  taking control, where it is possible to, and making continual tweaks to your plan and priorities based on new information coming in. Yes, certain things at certain times are out of your control.  But there are areas and things that can be changed.  And this will affect your life in very positive ways!

  This material is brand new and is now available as printables (downloadable PDFs) via Etsy:

  https://tinyurl.com/y9gtk97t

   

  March 11, 2018

  Britannica, counselor, Encyclopedia, guide, life, life coach, pdf, plan, planner, planning, printable, printables, quick start, retire, retiree, retirement, Sean Covey, self-help, senior, skills, teen, therapist, Wheel of Life, World Book

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• Low Carb Diet Plan That’s Simple and Satisfying and Works Great!

   
  Warm weather is approaching.  Are we getting ready for looking our best during the spring and summer months?

  I know from years of trying different diets or eating plans to maintain a good weight, if it's not straight forward, forget it!  I have too many other complications in my life to want or to be able to add another one.  The good news is,  it is possible to have a plan that is simple and satisfying and successful in terms of meeting your weight goals. 

  For many of us, low carbs or lower carbs needs to be a way of life once we hit 25 or 30.   But, you do not have to feel you are making huge sacrafices and are going without something that you'd really like.   Did you know this?  It's true!  If you don't have a course of action set up for this year yet, you should consider this approach.   There is just one main requirement (I also refer to this as "the trick"!)  for this simple low carb diet plan.  But it's very reasonable.  See for yourself!

   

  February 17, 2011

  diet, low carb, plan, weight loss

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