About the house

Volume 5 - February 2009

George Washington’s Prayer For The Nation

May we unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications To the Great Lord and Ruler of Nations, And to beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; To enable us all, whether in public or private stations, To perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; To render our national government a blessing to all people By constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, Discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; To protect and guide all sovereigns and nations, And to bless them with good governments, peace and concord; To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, And, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity As He alone knows to be best.

George Washington

February Dates
1-28, National African American History Month.
1, Super Bowl XLIII. 2,
Groundhog Day.
14, Valentine's Day.
16, Presidents' Day.
17, Television switches from analog to digital
24, Mardi Gras
25. Ash Wednesday

Bird Dogs Guard The Big Airport Runways

Birds and airplanes compete for airspace and runway dominance. Usually, the aircraft win, but not always.
Between 1990 and 2007, more than 82,000 aircraft-animal collisions were reported to the FAA, with birds involved 97 percent of the time. They caused $291 million in damage to planes.
Border collies are coming to the rescue for wildlife control at 20 airports in the United States, according to Flyaway Farm and Kennels, which supplies dogs to military and commercial airfields. The dogs look like a wolf or coyote to birds. When they run onto runways, they scare birds away.
Southwest Florida International Airport, near Ft. Myers, was the first to use a bird dog in 1999. It scares off the cattle, blue heron, and grackels as well as flocks of migratory birds that stop by in fall.
JFK International uses dogs to chase off the gulls, geese and starlings. They also use falcons!
Some airports use fireworks or recordings of explosions. Tampa International plays recordings of seagulls screaming in distress.
At Bird Strike Committee USA, an association of aviation and wildlife experts, they say no single tool can fully solve the wildlife problem, but dogs do help.

five words that resonate with power


Business Week's Frank Lutz says that in his research for a new book, he has discovered the most powerful words that business leaders use today.

The number one word is "consequences." There can be good consequences and bad ones, but the word instantly personalizes and dramatizes the potential result of an action.

Next comes "impact." Lutz says it makes people pay attention and causes them to assume they can make a measurable difference. People want results. They aren't interested in hearing about efforts or solutions. They want to know how well they can execute.

"Reliability" increasingly has great resonance in business, especially with customers. Whether it's a product or service, reliability is a factor in price. It adds value.

"Mission" and "commitment" should be part of your business vocabulary. The old words, pledges and promises, don't carry much weight. Leaders now have to put their credibility on the line to achieve a successful outcome. A mission is a window into the soul of your business. Along with commitment, it shows a desire to be authentic.

These words are positive and proactive. Leaders can only use them if they are speaking candidly and truthfully.
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