Blog Feed: Thor's Hammer

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=893&sid=2799043 Motorist stealing armored car cashHYATTSTOWN, Md. - Coins and bills spilled from an armored truck on northbound Interstate 270 Friday morning, and passersby stopped and scooped them up. Maryland State Police are investigating how the cash came out of the truck...Police have asked motorists to return the cash they picked up. The police also stated that there was no indication of Robbery. Unfortunately, we have lost the sense of right and wrong. The Pol [..] > read more

Theaters with Tweet Seats!

Published on 2012-03-19 08:50:51

From USA Today (Kara Rose) http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-01/theater-tweet-seats/51552010/1 A growing number of theaters and performing groups across the country are setting aside "tweet seats," in-house seats for patrons to live-tweet during performances, including the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, N.C., and the Dayton Opera in Dayton, Ohio. Rick Dildine, the executive director for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis — an outdoor theater festival that began using tweet seats two [..] > read more

Crony Capitalism - Bill Moyers

Published on 2012-03-16 20:25:44

Interesting Video - Who really controls our government? Encore Broadcast: On Crony Capitalism from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo. > read more

Top Tech Trends of 2011 - GPLUS

Published on 2012-03-03 21:46:05

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How Mobile Payments are Becoming the New Credit Card

Published on 2012-03-03 21:37:17

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Print Industry Tailspin

Published on 2012-03-01 10:31:01

In March of 2011, I wrote about the decline of the newspaper industry. The following chart (from The Atlantic Mobile) shows the historic collapse: This is a picture that only a downhill skier can love! On second thought - not a downhill skier but a base jumper! > read more

Cost of Living is Higher than the CPI

Published on 2012-03-01 10:08:02

From the American Institute of Economic Research: CPI higher than you think - Thorsten Consulting copyright 2012In the shorter and intermediate terms, when people are faced with a higher price for an item, they simply buy less of it. Eventually, they may substitute cheaper goods. These effects are fairly small, but can add up over time. To address this, we have revised the Everyday Price Index to allow for constantly adjusting weights. Weights are simply the proportion of your total expenditur [..] > read more

The Economy is like a Garage Door Spring wound too tight!

Published on 2012-02-29 14:35:04

Have you ever dealt with a garage door spring? They can be very dangerous. In fact here is a disclaimer from one website regarding the installation of the garage door spring. CAUTION! Replacing garage door torsion springs is dangerous because the springs are under tension. If you do not use the right tools and follow safe procedures, you could lose hands, limbs or even your life. You could also damage property. We want your business, but not at the expense of your well being. Doing the job ri [..] > read more

Trucking and Shipping Volumes down in January 2012

Published on 2012-02-28 20:50:32

ATA Truck Tonnage Retreated 4% in January February 28, 2012 12:00 PM Sean McNally 703-838-1995 ARLINGTON, VA — The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 4.0% in January after surging 6.4% in December 2011. The latest contraction put the SA index at 119.4 (2000=100), down from December’s record level of 124.4. ATA Truck Tonnage Release January Container Volume Down 3.9 Percent Imports declined 5.5 percent, exports dropped 8 [..] > read more

Consumer Credit - We didn't deleverage

Published on 2012-02-27 08:33:57

At the end of 2008, our economy fell off the cliff. Debt levels were too high, housing prices were overvalued and the economy had just begun to unwind. The most recent G-19 release on Consumer Credit shows that we have returned to the same debt level that we were at in 2008. It does not bode well for the financial health of the consumer. Our solutions to the economic malaise does not reside in more debt - but reduced debt. G-19 Consumer Debt - Dec 2011 - Thorsten Consulting Group Copyrigh [..] > read more

Wastebook 2011

Published on 2011-12-20 11:49:04

Wastebook 2011 > read more

Public commentary on Audit firms

Published on 2011-11-11 08:10:42

From:Financial Scandal Fans Never Had It So Good: Jonathan Weil. Bloomberg http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-10/financial-scandal-fans-never-had-it-so-good-commentary-by-jonathan-weil.html So many large companies have blown up after getting the all-clear from a Big Four accounting firm that many people regard auditor opinion letters as a joke. The client pays the auditor, after all. (Gee, no conflict there!) Regulators for decades have tried figuring out ways to dance around this fundamenta [..] > read more

Business is Like Fishing - Hook Removal and Creativity

Published on 2011-07-30 09:04:18

Once you have been fortunate enough to catch a fish the next step is to remove the hook (and hopefully release the fish.) Sometimes removing the hook is a very simple process and takes no time at all. Other times the hook may be deep in the mouth of the fish. It may be necessary to use a hook remover as pictured above or a similar tool such as a pliers. There are times when the hook is so embedded that you may use other creative techniques. 1) depending on the fish size and the size of the [..] > read more

Practical Business Lessons from Fishing

Published on 2011-07-28 07:10:21

Business is Like Fishing © 2011 Jim Lindell - Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc.If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. Doug Larson One of the best tools to teach principles to others is through the use of simple stories. Our greatest religious leaders have conveyed concepts of heaven, debt, forgiveness, etc. via everyday examples. This too, is the basis of this new blog category. Why do people fish? Is it enjoyment? Is it for pea [..] > read more

We are Emotionally Dependent on Technology

Published on 2011-07-25 07:01:06

The way that we interact with one another continues to evolve. We are also at the point that technology is so intertwined with our individual self that we have emotional problems when we are disconnected from the modern daily tools of cell phones, internet, e-mail, etc. Consider the following from Intersperience's recent press release: Intersperience research highlights people’s emotional dependency on technology • 53% of Brits feel ‘upset’ when deprived of internet connection • 40 [..] > read more

The Consumer is out of Gas!

Published on 2011-07-19 07:20:46

It is estimated that the consumer is responsible for 70% of our national economy. If the consumer is not spending, recovery remains a distant goal. In Friday's NY Times, they published the embedded image. Note how the declines of consumer spending during each of the recessionary periods. The most current recession (which I would argue that we are still in) is the deepest decline in consumer spending. Our country will remain in the doldrums until this changes. Jim Lindell, Thorsten Consult [..] > read more

Atlanta Public School Cheating Scandal - Ethics Implications

Published on 2011-07-08 09:52:25

The State Investigator's report is out and should be read by those interested in Ethical case studies. The implications for us are numerous: How employees react to measures and goals How employees give in to peer pressure How bosses abuse their power How outsiders (parents) were willing to tolerate unethical behavior if it made their children appear more successful How brave employees (teachers) stood up against unethical behavior From the CL Atlanta website: State investigators on Tuesda [..] > read more

Dale Carnegie's - How to Win Friends and Influence People - Mindmap

Published on 2011-06-05 07:02:38

I just stumbled upon (stumbleupon.com) a great website www.mindmeister.com. This site allows free (also subscription) on-line and collaborative mindmap creation. Following is their public map of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence Peo > read more

Dale Carnegie's - How to Win Friends and Influence People - Mindmap

Published on 2011-06-05 07:02:38

Civilian Participation - Employment - Need for Jobs

Published on 2011-06-04 06:48:28

Civilian Participation - Employment - Need for Jobs

Published on 2011-06-04 06:48:28

This chart shows an alarming trend where the overall participation of the civilian workforce is declining. Fewer people employed yields lower income, lower consumer spending, lower payroll and income tax generation. In short, this graph depicts that the consumer's power to spend is dampened. To successfully move out of the recession (I have never accepted the premise that we have been in a recovery), we need job growth / increased workforce participation. Copyright 2011 - Jim Lindell > read more

NO NEW TAXES - Creative new taxes are asinine

Published on 2011-06-04 06:17:35

NO NEW TAXES - Creative new taxes are asinine

Published on 2011-06-04 06:17:35

As Einstein stated, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Our current budget deficits malaise continues with similar types of solutions: 1) Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing a tax on soda and other sugary drinks as he and City Council continue trying to help bail out the cash-starved Philadelphia school district. (source:http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/06/02/philadelphia-residents-split-on-issue-of-soda-tax/) 2) O’Hare May G [..] > read more

Newspaper Circulation Continues to Drop

Published on 2011-05-04 07:25:26

In my 3/15 post I commented on the decline in Newspaper Ads - http://thorstenconsulting.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/161-Newspaper-Ads-Sag-Industrial-Production-Shows-Bleak-Trend.html This morning the SFGATE chronicled the continuing decline > read more

Lean, Continuous Improvement or Formal Quality Program?

Published on 2011-04-26 15:11:48

Companies wonder which type of improvement program is the best for them to implement. The important consideration is the identification of the company culture. An informal culture will best be suited for informal improvement processes. This type of > read more

Inflation - UP, UP and Awaaaaaaaay

Published on 2011-04-25 08:49:45

Kimberly-Clark Posts Softer 1Q Profit, Will Raise Prices (Source: http://fxn.ws/ez8Q70) FOXBusiness By Matt Egan Published April 25, 2011 CHICAGO – Kimberly-Clark (KMB) suffered a steeper-than-expected 8.9% slide in first-quarter profits as the > read more

Newspaper Ads Sag - Industrial Production Shows Bleak Trend

Published on 2011-03-15 22:09:01

Newspaper Publishers - Industrial Production Seasonally Adjusted - Bleak TrendFrom Finance.yahoo.com http://yhoo.it/dE3QNd Newspaper ads sag to a 25-year low in 2010. Newspaper advertising falls to lowest level since 1985 despite gradual easing of > read more

Selzer Poll - Bloomberg - Consumers with Gloomy Outlook

Published on 2011-03-11 06:20:06

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-10/americans-in-poll-show-little-confidence-with-plurality-perceiving-decline.html From Bloomberg – Selzer and Co. conducted a poll in March of 2011. “There seems to be something of a disconnect between what > read more

Changing Corporate Culture, Breaking Bad Habits, Paw Prints in the Snow

Published on 2011-03-08 07:28:37

Forge a New Path - Overcome Corporate Culture or Bad HabitsWhat could Changing Corporate Culture, Breaking Bad Habits, Paw Prints in the Snow all have in common? It is difficult to change culture, change habits or create new paths in snow. I was wa > read more

NLP, Lying, Honest Discussion and the State of Wisconsin Politics

Published on 2011-03-05 11:58:19

NLP, Lying, Honest Discussion and the State of Wisconsin Politics One great use of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is programming your own behavior. Typically this is used to improve performance. Brain Tracy talks about improving self esteem si > read more

Mission Statements - Driving the Profitability of the Organization

Published on 2011-02-11 11:02:33

Mission Statements for ProfitabilityMost companies miss the opportunity for increasing profits via the Mission Statement. Management teams will brush off the significance of a mission statement by stating that the missions are "too fluffy or too sof > read more

How Many Voices are in Your Head?

Published on 2011-01-23 08:17:37

Voices in Your Head www.thorstenconsulting.com How many voices do you have in your head? It depends on the individual, but one thing is certain, there are a number of voices competing for speaking time and control of you at any given point. Each of > read more

technorati

Published on 2011-01-18 23:03:24

WGY94TCDGF7S > read more

Criticism Kills!

Published on 2011-01-17 08:53:26

Criticism - www.thorstenconsulting.comCriticism is not helpful. It has the opposite effect that the Critic intends. It does not improve - It Kills! It kills participation. Once a team member is criticized their enthusiasm decreases. It kills new > read more

Gingrich seeks bill allowing state bankruptcy to avert bailouts

Published on 2011-01-10 11:37:54

Right on the heels of the NY Pension Crisis Post a couple of minutes ago: Gingrich seeks bill allowing state bankruptcy to avert bailouts (Source: http://bit.ly/ifidEa) Move afoot to help states escape benefit obligations By Doug Halonen January 10 > read more

New York’s pension time bomb

Published on 2011-01-10 11:17:48

Source: New York’s pension time bomb http://bit.ly/fhYo8U New York State employees (civil servants, local government workers, elected officials, teachers, police officers, firemen, etc.) are entitled to pensions based on their final average salar > read more

December Unemployment Just Released

Published on 2011-01-07 08:21:44

Dec 2010 Unemployment - Data BLS. Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc. - 2011Note that the U-3 (official unemployment) dropped to 9.4% from 9.8%. The U-6 dropped to 16.7% from 17.0%. These are good signs for the economy. Let us only hope that we do not > read more

Stand Tall!

Published on 2011-01-04 14:43:28

Ruggers - Standing Tall - Drakens RFCHow You Can Become More Powerful by Literally Standing Tall Posture can affect how powerful you feel - and how powerful you are By Adam D. Galinsky and Li Huang | January 4, 2011 | 3 Excerpt From the Scientific A > read more

States Face Budget Crisis - Impact on Taxpayers?

Published on 2011-01-04 08:46:54

The State Budget Crisis and the Economy > read more

The paradoxes of being a "Servant-Leader" poem

Published on 2010-12-29 09:29:41

Strong enough to be weak Successful enough to fail Busy enough to make time Wise enough to say "I don't know" Serious enough to laugh Rich enough to be poor Right enough to say "I'm wrong" Compassionate enough to discipline Mature enough to be childl > read more

Wordle - great tool to generate creativity

Published on 2010-12-28 16:32:28

There is a new website http://www.wordle.net/ that creates "word clouds" based on the information that you provide. The image accompanying this entry was generated based on words from the Myers Briggs Profiles. This can be a fun tool to summarize i > read more

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