War Bonnet

Years ago when I was nineteen I was introduced to my wedding gift, a mare called War Bonnet. Actually to tell you the truth I was told that if I married my ex-husband that War Bonnet would be mine. Looking back I can see that without the enticement of War Bonnet I probably would have declined the proposal. It's not that I am so shallow, it was just that War Bonnet and I connected and she was a one in a million horse.

Saying that she and I were green as grass is an understatement. But on the other hand she was an appaloosa/quarter horse with the heart of an old soul.

We learned how to work cattle together. Both of us nervous as heck every morning when we would ride out but relaxing as the day ended because we held our own. What was so unusual about her was that I used a hackamore on her and not a bit. She learned to rein with my signals and grumblings and a few swear words here and there. Her ears would go back when she would get mad at me and I would crack up laughing. It was just our way of communicating with each other.

One of my fondest memories of War Bonnet was one of the first round ups either one of us had been on. We worked on a ranch that was thousands of acres with experienced cowboys that looked like they had just stepped out of a John Wayne movie.

On one particular morning we all woke up way before dawn to get a good head start on the day. I thought I was going to die because nobody in their right minds get up at 4:00 in the morning! But a good breakfast prepared us for the ride in the cold morning air. We gathered around with horses breathing hard with anticipation in the air. Breaking away from the group we than made our way to the designated locations to round up the Mexican steers scattered all about the ranch.

There's nothing like watching the earth wake up and to see the sun cast his first rays of light on the mountains. As if on queue, the birds started to sing letting everyone know it was time to wake up. Yes, now I know why I woke up so early.

As the morning wore on we gathered up cattle everywhere we went with only a mountain in the distance as a landmark. I was enjoying myself when it finally happened......I had to work a section of the ranch by myself and any cattle I found I had to head them toward the mountain in the distance. My heart was pounding and War Bonnet started to get anxious. She knew we were on our own. Little did I know that it was decided earlier to let me go out on my own to see if I could handle myself like the guys. So off War Bonnet and I went into the unknown ready to do our part and to successfully fulfill our task.

One hour passes and than two hours passes and I haven't seen hide nor hair of any cattle. Smiling to myself I thought, "Well this was easy". War Bonnet was pretty proud of herself too. We were just about to boast to ourselves when all of a sudden we came across a large group of cattle at a watering hole.

OK we can handle this. Now for those of you who don't know cowboy etiquette, there is a certain call each cowboy has when he finds cattle and gets them up and moving along. Each call or sound is unique and says a lot about the cowboy.

Hum...what was mine? Hell if I knew but I knew I had to come up with something quick. As I was sitting there thinking, War Bonnet was telling me with her gestures that she didn't care what I came up with just to get something out so we can get on our way! "Ok...I think I can do this...oh damn"!

Little did I know that I had been followed by a group of the cowboys and they were hiding on a ridge watching me figure out what I was going to say. The cattle didn't budge and looked at me with disdain in their eyes.

Alright here I go...

To this day I don't know why this particular word came to my mind, maybe it's a girl thing. But I gathered all my confidence and strength and yelled out "Shoo!!!"

You would have thought that lightning struck the very ground where War Bonnet and I were standing on. The cattle took off at a thunderous roar and I was so pleased with myself. That was until I could hear laughter from the ridge behind me. The group of cowboys watching me came over to where we stood laughing hysterically with tears in their eyes saying that was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

War Bonnet's ears went back and I think mine did too. Her tail went up in the air and if I would have had one, mine would of too. With a flick of her tail we trotted off ignoring the laughter and feeling relieved that we had at least done our part. I was left wondering why the heck of all the words I could have used why I used that word!

How to Start Moving to Office 365 - Four Guidelines to Follow

Are you scared to move into the cloud? Well so is every other business owner. Changing technology can be scary, but an adventure depending on how you look at it. Moving to Office 365 allows any company to utilize the best suite of office productivity tools all for less than a dollar a day; less than a cup of Starbucks. Who by the way uses Office 365 to connect it stores back to the corporate office.

How do you start to move into Office 365? Here are some simple steps.

First, look at your business, it is important to know the laws and regulations regarding the storage of the type of information that is created with your business. Two examples that come to mind are Patient Health Information and export compliance could be roadblocks for moving to Office 365. Office 365 has computers that run across the entire world that enable the fault tolerance that is needed to provide the service level that is provided. With that in mind, I would suggest bold moves to bring your company in the Cloud and adopt an exception based decision instead of a total no go decision.

Second, begin to experiment with Office 365. Go out and get a trial and find an Office 365 partner to help you get set up to learn about how Office 365 can help. The idea here is to get your feet wet, to see that it is not difficult to use these tools. Lync is the premier and best computer communication software out there. Guarantee that if you move everyone to Lync Online you will be a believer in Office 365. Microsoft looks to make the cloud based servers the same as the on premise servers. Take two departments use one as a control group and one move totally to office 365. Once set up, work for 90 days, yes Microsoft will let you try Office 365 for up to 90 days. You will see a decrease in IT costs and employee benefit will go up.

Third, Do your next project on Office 365, Get your trial, Set up SharePoint Online, set up a workspace, and add the users and allow them to collaborate on SharePoint online to do their next 3 month project. They can connect with data sets, store documents, produce charts and graphs that will help show progress. Most businesses are utilizing some sort of Cloud Project Management. SharePoint Online is the most customizable and Project Server should be moving to the cloud soon; allowing companies to use portfolio management to ensure that projects increase value.

Forth, talk to me, an Authorized Office 365 Partner that has spent the last 4 years thinking breathing, and utilizing Cloud based applications to run his business. Beginning last year when Office 365 I transformed my business totally to Office 365 and several Microsoft products to keep my business running smoothly and efficiently. IT costs are now a known and budgeted line item and not some sort of nebulous costs that have a big range. I spend about 70% more time on revenue generating tasks than I used to. As a Microsoft Partner I am glad to help any company or business venture down the path of moving to Office 365.

Now that you have some guidelines, some parameters, the next step is to get your Office 365 Trial and contact me if you have any questions. Good Luck.

What Are Recycling Rolling Carts?

Recycling rolling carts are designed to make transportation of recycling containers easy. Today, there are a large number of recycling rolling carts available in the market, such as adjustable carts, 2 yard tilt-trucks, and tilt carts. The adjustable recycling rolling carts can carry two or more waste containers and help in collecting waste material efficiently.

The 2 yard tilt-trucks help in transporting large quantity of waste material. The tilt carts help to collect office and curbside waste material. These rolling carts offer a great functionality as they are flexible and easy to move around.

There are various companies manufacturing recycling rolling carts but it is advisable to buy high quality rolling carts that feature all the attachments. Best quality components are used in the construction of branded recycle containers which make them durable and robust. Top companies that supply superior quality carts are Otto, Roto, and Brute.

Rollout Carts by Brute: The Brute recycling rollout carts helps in easy and effective waste collection. They have a solid construction which makes them extremely durable. They are ergonomically designed and feature wide wheels, hinged lid, firm and smooth grips and rounded corners. These recycling rollout carts can be easily moved over steps or curbing as their wheels have wide diameter. The grips on the side make transportation and handling of the waste containers easy.

Rollout Carts by Otto: Otto is one of the premier company in the waste disposal industry. The company has been into business since past 60 years and has been manufacturing excellent quality recycling rollout carts and plastic waste containers. The recycle containers supplied by Otto are broadly divided into three categories on the basis of capacity which include 32 gallons, 68 gallons, and 95 gallons. Otto recycling bins allow easy collection of refuse as they are compatible with both semi and fully automatic lift systems. These recycling rollout carts are made of high density plastic that make them resistant to extreme temperatures. Otto carts have wide wheels which enhance their maneuverability and allow smooth rolling of these carts on rough terrain.

Managed Internet Security: Could This Be the Right Solution for Your Business?

Managed Internet security is a popular solution for many businesses, and can be surprisingly cost-effective.

For nearly all businesses today, an Internet connection is indispensable. However, an Internet connection opens up your business to all manner of new threats, such as viruses, hackers, bandwidth theft, or inappropriate internet use by insiders. There is a very real need to take steps to safeguard your firm's information security. However, many businesses, especially smaller firms, lack the relevant technical expertise and resources in-house. For them, the right solution will managed internet security, whereby their computer security needs are outsourced to a specialist security firm to be managed on their behalf.

The growth of managed Internet security is a logical extension of the outsourcing of business processes that has been known for many years, such as the outsourcing of the payroll, finance, IT or training functions. However, as a relatively recent development it lacks the high profile available to these other outsourced business processes. This is regrettable, since managed Internet security is a vital development in the on-going fight against computer threats, and can form an essential part of a firm's information risk management strategy.

There are several areas where an organisation's computer security can be outsourced to specialist firms, such as the following core aspects.

Monthly web application scanning services: Regular monthly security scanning of your web applications can be indispensable in identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. The automated scan should ideally be supplemented by a manual review by an experienced tester, as automated tools will not yield all possible data on their own.

Monthly network vulnerability assessments: In a similar way, a monthly review of your network's security can catch problems before hackers find them, so that they can be corrected. This regular scan will complement the less frequent full penetration testing.

PCI Audit: This type of testing is mandatory for all companies licensed under the Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulations. It needs to be undertaken regularly by a suitably qualified company. Your company's managed internet security solution can also be complemented by outsourcing your general information security management needs. This can be either on a permanent or a short-term basis, making use of expertise from a specialist computer security firm.

Whatever type of service is selected by your business, you will almost certainly find that it is more cost-effective than developing the same resource in-house, especially in the case of smaller companies that do not have the resources to hire their own specialist staff. The managed Internet security solution is also more flexible, in that it can be discontinued at short notice, or alternatively increased at short notice. It avoids the need to acquire specialised technical software, or to spend time keeping one's technical knowledge up-to-date. For all but the largest companies, therefore, managed Internet security is a clear winner in terms of cost versus benefit, and should be seriously considered by all companies with an Internet connection.

Lima's Historic Center

The historic center of Lima was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. As one of the most storied of Latin America's cities it is certainly worthy of the designation. Lima was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, and after the final defeat of the Inca Empire in Cusco, it quickly became the favored city of the conquistador, who took special interest in the planning of the city. Today, the buildings that are most representative of Lima's past are concentrated here. When touring through the historic center, travelers will notice a preponderance of balconies - more than 1,600 of them - built during the viceregal and republican eras.

The Plaza Mayor in the location of the city's founding. Originally, it was surrounded by stores and it served as a center for commercial activity and also as a stage for political theater, including the executions of the Inquisition. Throughout the years, the Plaza has retained its symbolic power, and in 1821, the Independence of Peru was declared here. Many government and religious building surround the Plaza, including the Palace of the Government, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace.

The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is one of the iconic buildings that surround the Plaza, and its construction began the same year as the city's founding. The Cathedral contains the tomb of Francisco Pizarro. Earthquakes have destroyed some of the Cathedral's structures, but restorations have preserved much of the original façade.

Also on the Plaza Mayor is the Archbishop's Palace, which still serves as the administrative center for the Catholic diocese in Lima. The outside façade is a typical example of baroque neo-colonial architecture and features 2 of the famed Lima balconies also in a neo-baroque style and crafted from cedar wood that recalls the Andalusian aspirations of Peru.

On block from the Plaza is San Francisco Monastery, whose construction began in 1673 and took over a century to complete, surviving through 2 earthquake in 1687 and 1746. Its architecture is an example of Spanish baroque and its interior Mudejar decoration also reflects the mixed Spanish-Moorish heritage of Peru's conquistadors. The convent houses an extensive library, including some rare holdings such as a Bible printed in 1571. Below the monastery are the catacombs with underground passageways that connect to the Cathedral and the Tribunal of the Inquisition. Although the exact number is not known, the catacombs are believed to hold over 70,000 burials.

In addition to churches and palaces, the historic center is filled with mansions that served as houses and administrative buildings.

Achieving Permanent Healthy Weight Loss: Your Self-Image Is the Key

Healthy weight loss success will not last unless you change your self-image, and this is why 95% of people who lose weight gain it right back.  There's a lot of good advice on the internet and in book stores about how to raise your metabolism and how to lose weight the healthy way, and still people all over the nation lose weight only to gain it back again. This is because many of these books don't include the essential steps required to change a person's self-image. How important is the self-image when it comes to achieving lasting weight loss results?

In this article, we'll be talking about how your self-image makes or breaks your ability to achieve healthy weight loss and to keep the results which you have achieved...

Your Self-Image Sets the Standard

People's consistent actions aren't determined by how talented they are or how motivated they are. Instead, their consistent actions are determined by their self-image.  Do you know anyone who is attractive but who doesn't believe it? Most likely, they don't act beautiful. The same is true with talent and with everything else that people possess. A person's self image determines what character traits and skills they consider to be a part of their identity and these are the character traits and skills that a person uses in their everyday life.

Sure, you can force yourself to behave in a way which is inconsistent with your self-image, but you can only keep this up for so long. Eventually, your self-image will subconsciously motivate you to start acting in a way which is consistent with the way you see yourself. This is how someone can be "motivated" to live healthy and keep it up for a while, only to give up and go back to their old habits. This is how someone can receive a raise or a promotion, and still be living paycheck to paycheck.

Attempting to force actions which aren't consistent with your self-image is like holding your breath under water. You can do it for a certain amount of time by sheer force of willpower, but eventually your body will force you to come to the surface...and when you do you'll be gasping for air. This is similar to how people go on crash diets, but start eating like crazy when they get off the diet...and of course you know what happens when.

So if you want to achieve healthy and lasting weight loss, you must strengthen your self-image and make it consistent with the actions and habits of a healthy lifestyle. This is the missing link when it comes to achieving healthy weight loss.