WALNUT, Calif., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --MySammy today announced the immediate availability of their results-oriented "productivity measurement" software solution that provides employers and managers with detailed information on how an employee's time is spent on a computer. MySammy collects computer usage information in order to better evaluate employee computer behavior and ultimately increase their performance. The software does not collect users' sensitive data or screenshots; it collects only the data needed for effective management evaluation of "productive time" and avoids depriving users of their privacy.

MySammy is software designed for employers wanting to more closely monitor their employees' computer usage in order to effectively evaluate work performance and help them to accomplish their full potential.

MySammy software breaks down employee computer usage time into five main categories: Active/Productive, Idle, Extended Idle, Screen Saver and Non-Productive. MySammy software discreetly records activities, such as applications launched and websites visited, and clearly tracks a user's "duration of sessions" and "duration of applications used" for analysis and reporting. Furthermore, all corporate and user data is encrypted and securely transferred via SSL to MySammy servers in the cloud.

"The MySammy software solution is fundamentally changing the way employers manage computer usage to get the best performance from their staff," said Edward Kwang, President of MySammy. "We have a solution that helps employees improve their work performance without the need for spying on them or blocking their access to certain websites. In short, MySammy helps employees achieve their full potential. MySammy was originally developed for telecommuting workers and we later found its use can apply to all information workers."

Feature-Rich Management

Managers of both remote and on-site employees have 24x7 global, cloud-based access to intuitive graphs and color-coded bar and pie charts that provide data about productive, idle, and non-productive employee activity in a single glance. Managers can easily view and simultaneously evaluate all users, a few users or just one user; MySammy will effectively pull and analyze all user activity and display a "Big Picture" view for easy evaluation.

"Simply blocking non-productive websites does not encourage productivity for our employees," said Cindy Chang from Anthony California, a lamp and furniture importer. "Most of my employees have smartphones which I can't block them from checking their personal email or using Facebook. MySammy enables my managers and I to engage with a worker about their computer usage to provide spot-on performance evaluations and encourage them to achieve their best. It is so easy, flexible and informative that I can use it at home to measure my children, or even to measure my own productivity."

Pricing/Availability:

MySammy is priced at an extremely affordable monthly rate, with plans starting from only $7 per user per month for small businesses, up to $17 per user per month for larger businesses. Companies can try MySammy for free by visiting http://www.mysammy.com.

About MySammy, LLC

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MySammy Unveils Computer Usage Monitoring Software to Boost Employee Performance

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xeh0k8H2c

20-05-2012 12:26 Think & Grow Rich Infographic - A must watch for anyone wanting to improve their lives and their positive thinking. There have been more millionaires and indeed, billionaires, who have made their fortunes as a result of Napoleon Hill's teachings. NAPOLEON HILL's "Think and Grow Rich" is the authors most famous work. This is the book in his own voice. A true masterpiece with the fundamentals of the Success philosophy. ABOUT NAPOLEON HILL: He was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, is one of the best-selling books of all time. Hill's works examined the power of personal beliefs, and the role they play in personal success. "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve" is one of Hill's hallmark expressions. How achievement actually occurs, and a formula for it that puts success in reach for the average person, were the focal points of Hill's books.

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Think

Summary: To distinguish itself from Apples iOS and Googles Android, Microsofts smartphone platform needs to be a shutterbugs paradise.

All of my Bahamas vacation photos were taken with a low-end Samsung Focus i917 Windows Phone.

Going on vacation these days for me is something of a mixed bag affair. On one hand, Im psyched that Im going to get some extremely crucial rest &relaxation, but on the other, I have a lot of personal stuff going on right now in the background thats driving me completely crazy and of course I end up missing out on what is going on in the industry at large.

So to summarize, while I was beach bumming, Facebook IPOed, Zuckerberg promptly got married, and the CEO of Yahoo! resigned in disgrace with a golden parachute, and the Oracle vs. Google lawsuit is shaping up to be Groundhog Day. Does that sound right? Alrighty then.

So where does Jason like to go on vacation? Preferably someplace cut off from civilization with warm weather, swimming pools, nice beaches, and good places to eat.

One of my favorites is Grand Bahama, as its pretty easy to get to (Its only 60 miles off the east coast of South Florida) and has some of the best beaches in the world, with cool breezes, welcoming local people and of course, great native cuisine.

I tend to do a bit of digital photography when I go on trips, but this time, I was so scatterbrained that I forgot to bring my trusty Canon point-and-shoot.

However, I didnt forget to bring a GSM-capable cell phone. Just before I left, I packed a spare Samsung Focus lying around that I upgraded to Windows Phone Mango. I hadnt intended to use it as my vacation camera, or to do any cellular data. I simply wanted to use it for the occasional Wi-Fi email check and to place and receive occasional calls using a local pay-as-you-go SIM card.

As it turned out, the Focus had to be unlocked, wasexorbitantlyexpensive to do locally ($80) so I bought a cheap Nokia world phone ($50) and had some minutes thrown onto it. Which left the Windows Phone somewhat redundant on my trip.

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Windows Phone: Photography the key to its success?

How does someone succeed in college? Its the $64,000 question or, these days, more like the $150,000 question whose answer has been sought by countless policymakers, researchers and universities over the years.

In a new attempt to provide insight into the discussion, sociologists Dan Chambliss of Hamilton College and Christopher Takacs of the University of Chicago took the long road to an answer. In 2001, they started conducting what would turn into a 10-year study of Hamilton students in an attempt to learn what had the greatest effects on their college experiences. What were the turning points? What mattered most? What didnt?

The Hechinger Report sat down with Chambliss recently to discuss the results of the study, which will be included in a forthcoming book titled How College Works," and what implications the results might have for U.S. higher education.

Q: Tell me more about the study.

A: In 2001, we started tracking a cohort of students as they went through the college. We took 100 people, randomly selected, and we interviewed them every year they were in college and every year after they got out. In addition to that, we collected a lot of information about these people. We collected papers they wrote while they were in college and papers from high school. And we basically tried to learn what were the important turning points what kind of things made a big difference, and what things didnt.

The goal of this was to find how colleges or universities could have relatively resource-neutral, reliably effective interventions that really help students in a big way. In other words, how can you do stuff that you know you can do, that you know will make a positive difference, but you dont have to turn the world upside down or have a big capital campaign and spend a lot of money.

Q: So what were they?

A: Its all about people, not programs. Colleges spend a huge amount of time and effort worrying will they have writing-intensive programs or a freshman seminar program or if a major is set up right or if their curriculum is done this way or that all the kind of stuff about the content and information for kids and students. Thats not where its at.

The problem is not access to information. The problem is motivation. And student motivation goes up and down a lot. And the key to motivation is face-to-face contact with another human being. Thats what really works. And it doesnt take that much of it to have a big impact on a students career.

So, for instance, having a great intro teacher is incredibly important, and schools dont spend much time on that at all. Yet its very, very doable. A single department chair can impact thousands of students educational careers just by moving one professor. Because if they have a great experience in an intro class, that paves the whole way throughout academia. If they have a bad experience Bam! The door slams shut.

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Experts: College success can spring from a single conversation

When it comes to personal finance, often the difference between poverty and prosperity is how much control you have over your investments.

The sad fact is that some people just dont either have the time, inclination, or confidence to take control over their own investment portfolio. Thats a big mistake, since no one will step in for you and make good on a lousy asset allocation strategy or redirect misguided fund selections that can lead to portfolio losses and threaten your financial well being.

Fortunately, getting a grip on your investments is easier than you think. In fact, you can get the job done in nine easy steps.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Any good marksman will tell you the key to hitting a target is having a target. Having something to work toward is the first step in investment success. Knowing your financial goals, whether its retirement, a home or college education, will help define your investment strategy and set you on the right path.

Step 2: Know Your Net Worth

Net worth is simply the total of all the assets you own less all of the debts you owe. Your net worth gives you an understanding of where you are in relation to achieving your goal, and serves as a useful indicator of your overallfinancial health.

Knowledge of how you are tracking toward your goal is critical in the investment process, and measuring your net worth from year to year is a critical yardstick to evaluate success.

Step 3: Know Your Risk Tolerance

Your overall financial risk tolerance depends on two things: your attitude towards taking risk and your capacity to take risk.

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Get a Grip: Nine Steps to Controlling Your Investments

In business, sizedoes matter, especially if that size is small. Independent businesses with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.7% of all employer firms, according to the SBAs Office of Advocacy. They employ about half of all private sector employees,which make up about 43% of the countrys private payroll. And more than half are based out of an owners home. Incidentally, dont knock the domicile as a business incubator. After all, thats where Apple, Hersheys, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Ford started.

With numbers like that, its not hard to see why small businesses are often called the backboneof the U.S. economy. But did you know that these little companies are also responsible for hiring 43% of high-tech workers and produce 16.5 times more patents per employee than large firms? Or that small business accounted for 65% of the 15 million new jobs created between 1993 and 2009? No wonder President Obama is leaning on Congress to pass legislation that would give income tax credits and allow deductions on the full value of investments made this year.

Staggering stats aside, there are plenty of great ideas that dont ever make it off the table or shutter just beyond the starting gate. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that only about half of small business survive past the five-year mark.

So in the spirit of helping more startups and growing enterprises succeed, Fast Company is kicking off National Small Business Week with a compendium of wisdom we've gleaned over the years.

Take a Risk

Though his signature style is rife with cynical wit and wry wisdom, novelist Mark Twain offered this tidbit which is helpful for anyone pondering the leap to entrepreneurism: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Kim Jordan, cofounder of New Belgium Brewing Company, says taking the plunge is fine--after youve assessed the market.

Is Your Idea Good Enough?

Adam Goldstein, the 22-year-old founder of Hipmunks online air travel booking platform, boldly claimed he was out to build the best travel site on the web. "And by 'best,' I mean the site that helps people find what they're looking for with a minimum of agony." Goldstein had a simple litmus test for launching: "The way that I knew it was good enough to build a company around was that it was built around a problem that I actually had.

Continued here:
The Really Big Guide Of Small Business Success Tips

WILSON, N.C., May 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kurtz Chiropractic Center in Wilson, NC is encouraging personal injury patients to incorporate massage therapy into their rehabilitation and chiropractic care treatment programs. According to the practice, massage treatments promote internal healing while relieving stress and muscle stiffness. The practice routinely recommends massage treatments as a natural complement to spinal adjustments, corrective exercise and other therapeutic treatments.

Wilson chiropractor Dr. Colin Kurtz announced that his practice has had significant success incorporating therapeutic massage therapy into rehabilitation programs for injury victims. Dr. Kurtz strongly recommends massage treatments for natural pain relief and internal healing.

"We are excited to offer massage treatments as a natural complement to traditional spinal adjustments and rehab treatments," said Dr. Kurtz. "Our comprehensive services are designed to provide immediate, effective back pain relief while helping the body heal. Massage does both: promoting internal healing while relieving pain."

According to Dr. Kurtz, therapeutic massage causes physiological changes in the body. During a massage treatment, a patient's heart rate and breathing rate decrease, promoting deep relaxation and stillness. At the same time, levels of the stress hormone cortisol decrease while the level of endorphins, a natural pain reliever, increases.

"Many of our patients struggle with daily work stress, which can negatively impact the healing process," said Dr. Kurtz. "Our patients feel calm and centered after a treatment, as daily stress melts away. At the same time, the physical act of massaging sore or stiff muscles helps to ease back pain and release tension, restoring flexibility and movement to the body."

Dr. Kurtz says that many patients feel sore or stiff after sustaining a personal injury. The body naturally compensates for an injury by shifting weight bearing activities to other body parts. This can lead to additional injuries while also causing the injured muscles to become sore or stiff from disuse.

"Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to help the body heal after an injury is to immobilize the injured body part," said Dr. Kurtz. "While strained or sprained muscles do need time to recover, excess immobilization can actually do more harm and good. The act of massaging the muscles promotes blood flow, which is essential if a body part is injured and cannot handle daily weight-bearing activities."

The wellness center provides several types of massage, including trigger point massage, myofascial release, and deep tissue sports massage. Dr. Kurtz can recommend specific treatments for each patient's unique wellness needs, such as pain management for back pain or headaches.

Dr. Kurtz has nearly two decades of experience providing chiropractic treatments for personal injury patients. His practice, Kurtz Chiropractic Center, incorporates spinal adjustments, including the Palmer Technique and Activator Technique, with massage, corrective care exercises, acupuncture and Reiki. The practice serves the Stantonsburg, Bailey, Elm City, Middlesex, Black Creek, Kenly, Lucama, Pinetops, and Rocky Mount communities.

Prospective patients may learn more about therapeutic massage and injury treatments by visiting the practice's website, http://www.kurtzchiro.net.

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Massage Therapy Helps Wilson Patients Heal After Personal Injuries

LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Jackson Browne and Lizz Wright will perform a benefit concert at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles for Success Through The Arts Foundation and the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center on Saturday, June 9, 2012. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 27th through Ticketmaster. Premium benefit seating is available through http://www.sttaf.org.

Generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, American jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter will be presented the Dream Believe Achieve award at the benefit concert. Students from both Success Through The Arts and the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center will also perform.

Success Through The Arts Foundation provides a performing arts education to over 800 students in South Los Angeles through their After-School, Saturday, and Summer programs. They utilize performing arts such as band, dance, and theater as a catalyst to propel students forward and enable them to lead rich, productive lives. In an area where the graduation rate is well below 40%, 100% of the seniors who have participated in Success Through The Arts programs are graduating and attending college.

The Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center provides superior arts instruction to under-served students in the heart of Leimert Park in South Los Angeles under the direction of Fernando Pullum. In an area where the surrounding schools offer little or no performing arts programs, the Center provides free, high quality after-school arts instruction in guitar, piano, drama, film, and recording. "Fernando's passion coupled with his incredible arts curriculum gives these kids a sense of self-esteem and invaluable personal growth. Arts education should be a part of every child's school experience. It's a well-documented fact that studying music aids in the development of all kinds of cognitive skills. Fernando's programs connect the students to the broader spectrum of their lives' possibilities, and that's what makes his work so vital," says Jackson Browne.

For tickets and information visit: http://www.sttaf.org

About the performers:

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. He was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2007.

Beyond his music, Browne is known for his advocacy on behalf of the environment, human rights, and arts education. He's a co-founder of the groups Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE), Nukefree.org, and Success Through The Arts Foundation, which provides education opportunities for students in South Los Angeles.

Lizz Wright

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Jackson Browne & Lizz Wright to Perform a Benefit Concert For Success Through The Arts Foundation And The Fernando ...

Published 22 May 2012 13:00

The 10k season is into full swing with Greenock Glenpark Harriers competing at Troon, Glasgow, Helensburgh and London.

For the ever-growing women's section, who have been well represented in all the races, even outnumbering the men at Helensburgh, it has been a tremendous start to the year.

They have been producing numerous personal bests in every race, just reward for the hard work being put in at training.

The first of the races was along the seafront at Troon, where seven women took part among 1,000 competitors.

Danny McLaughlin was top for the club in 26th place, and in a strong show from the women. Terry Wall finished 16th lady, Gillian Forrest well and truly back from injury improving her best by over a minute in 36th, and Fiona Cushnaghan 42nd.

Next up was the women's 10k race where 8,000 runners pounded their way around the streets of Glasgow.

There were great improvements all round, the biggest from Jane MacLean and Viki Wilkinson as the pair went 13 and 10 minutes quicker than last year as well as a personal best of over five minutes for Jacqueline O'Donoghue.

Also going quicker were Fiona Taylor, Emma O'Rourke, Grace Harrison and Liz McAuslan. Lorna Coyle and Terry Wall were the leading ladies as the veteran runners crossed the line together in 45 minutes.

The latest race was the first of the four-race Polaroid 10k series which kicked off at a rain-drenched Helensburgh, with another large turnout from Greenock of 10 women and nine men among the 1,000 runners.

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Harriers in 10k races success

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire -05/22/12)- Pursuing a franchise concept can be attractive for a variety of reasons: proven business model, layers of support and resources in place to achieve success. Entrepreneurs were once after a consistent formula -- the cookie cutter franchise. However, today's franchisees want the satisfaction of integrating their personal opinion or style into the development and future of their business.

Flexibility in franchising isn't new, says Sue Hilger, vice president of franchise development for Kiddie Academy, an educational child care franchise organization. "Flexibility used to mean the opportunity to own a business and have a better work-life balance. That idea still exists, but now, the concept has expanded to mean that a franchisor is flexible in the structure of the business."

According to Hilger, this flexibility could mean anything from input on the layout of a building to what vendors to use for marketing implementation. And sometimes a franchisor's flexibility over a competitor is the decision maker.

Look for flexibility in the following areas:

- Real Estate: Can they adapt to a variety of buildings, including free-standing, two-story, office and retail to meet the demand of your core customers? The franchisor may offer the franchisee the flexibility to lease or purchase the real estate for their business. In this industry, flexibility with real estate can go a long way to helping the franchisee enjoy financial success. - Multi-unit Franchising: Some franchisors limit to just one location, but look for a franchisor that is flexible with multi-units and fees associated with multiple locations. - Hours: Most companies require franchisees to spend a certain amount of time in their business, but look for a franchisor that encourages their franchisees to determine what schedule best suits their lifestyle and business. - Background Requirements: Franchisees come from all walks of life with different expertise. Some franchisors, such as Kiddie Academy, don't require franchisees to have a background in any specific area -- education, child care, business, finance, etc. The drive to be an entrepreneur and an active member of the community are sure keys to prosperity. - Training: Support visits, staff trainings, and annual reviews can be coordinated with the franchisee's schedule. These are conducted with the goal of ensuring that your start-up becomes an efficient and profitable business.

"When looking into a franchise opportunity, determine how much input you want to have on the development and find out how flexible the franchisor is to implementing your suggestions," Hilger suggests.

For more information on franchising with Kiddie Academy or exploring how they are flexible, please visit http://www.kiddieacademyfranchising.com.

About Kiddie Academy For more than 30 years, Kiddie Academy has been a leader in education-based child care. The company serves families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full time care, before- and after-school care and summer camp programs. Kiddie Academy's proprietary Life Essentials curriculum, supporting programs, methods, activities and techniques help prepare children for school and for life. Kiddie Academy is using the globally recognized AdvancED accreditation system, signifying its commitment to quality education and the highest standards in child care. Kiddie Academy is an official partner of the nonprofit organization, First Book, and is dedicated to supporting children's literacy. For more information, visit http://www.kiddieacademy.com.

About Kiddie Academy FranchisingKiddie Academy Domestic Franchising is based in Maryland and has over 100 academies located in 24 states, including two company-owned locations. Approximately 70 additional academies are in development, with 15 to 20 new locations slated to open each year. For more information, visit http://www.kiddieacademyfranchising.com.

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New Trend in Franchising -- Flexibility, According to Kiddie Academy Domestic Franchising