One and Co

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Ian Weisberg – Guitar Practice Tips to Play Like a Boss

I have been playing the guitar for about 20 years now and I’ve never taken it too seriously, which is probably why I haven’t advance much. Last year I overheard my neighbor doctor Ian Weisberg playing guitar in his study, and he was very good indeed. Of course the next time that I saw him I decided to steer the conversation in the direction of guitar playing and I told him about my abilities and why I had never advanced. Ever the helpful neighbor Ian gave me some awesome tips to use in order to practice my playing and the difference between now and last year is incredible. And so here I am to pass on those tips to you guys, if you have found yourself in the same situation as I was.

Practice

As much as we are all aware of it, I should still tell you that without practice you will not advance and you will not improve your guitar playing skills. Try to make at least 30 minutes each day to have a noodle on your guitar because if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

Blues Scales

A lot of blues scales and variations are very simple to play and through practicing them you can really increase the dexterity of your fingers. The best one to get started with is the pentatonic scale, a very easy to read and easy to play scale which allows you to create a wide variety of rhythms and melodies.

Learn Tablature

Most amateur guitar players aren’t interested in learning to read music, but rather playing our favorite songs. In order to do this with ease you need to try to learn tablature, a very easy to understand method of playing certain songs or tunes. Basically tablature is a picture with 6 horizontal lines on it, these lines represent the strings and then numbers are placed over the lines to let you know which fret your finger should be on. Tablature makes it very easy to play your favorite songs and there is a huge volume of tabs which can easily be found online.

Acoustic

If you don’t play acoustic already then this may be something that you could think about starting, the acoustic is much harder to play than the electric guitar and that means that you can get your fingers used to pushing down hard and moving up and down the fretboard. You will find that after playing the acoustic, the electric guitar becomes incredible simple to play in terms of moving your fingers around and creating a clean sound with your notes.

The key to improving above all else is to just keep practicing, practice with every spare second that you have, and you will soon be able to play all of those songs which you love and wow your family and friends with your abilities.

 

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Louis Hernandez Jr – Final Predictions For The Premier League

With just 12 games of the 2018/19 season to go the Premier League is galloping to an extraordinary finale in which just about anything can happen. My buddy Louis Hernandez Jr and I have been chewing the fat over this for some time now and the welcome domestic cup break has given us some time to try and ascertain what will happen come May, let’s take a look.

Champions

There was a moment in December where we thought that Liverpool would have this all wrapped up buy now but that has not proven to be the case. The battle for top spot is now very much a battle between Liverpool and Man City, currently equal on points and Liverpool have a game in hand. There is a third option which could come into play and that is Tottenham Hotspur, 5 points behind Liverpool and 5 behind City with a game in hand. What makes Spurs an exciting prospect at the moment is that they still have to play both City and Liverpool, albeit away from home. Our prediction for the title is Manchester City, they are ramping up the pressure and they have what it takes to psychologically overcome Liverpool.

Top 4

There looks to be just 1 Champions League spot up for grabs and Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal will be battling it out for the final place. As it stands United are in 4th spot with 51 points and Chelsea and Arsenal are on level points at 50, with level goal difference. United have been resurgent since Solskjaer took the helm and they have won 9 from 10 games. Despite the resurgence however, they do not have a good looking run in when compared to the other two and despite the fact that Sarri is having a rough time at Chelsea, we expect them to pip United to that final Champions League place.

Relegation

We are pretty convinced that Huddersfield and Fulham are already down, despite the managerial changes which they have made. This leads us to question who out of the 6 teams that are down there will eventually fall down into the relegation position. Southampton currently occupy 18th position but they look well organized and energized under the new manager, who is starting to pick up points for the Saints. Newcastle look like they will just scrape by and a couple of recent victories have boosted their chances. Burnley look to be relatively safe given their recent form and for us it will come down to a straight shoot out between Cardiff City and Brighton. Our prediction is that as well as Neil Warnock is doing with the players that he has at his disposal, that it will be the Bluebirds who once again face the drop from the Premier League.

What do you make of our predictions? Let us know what you think will happen in the comments section below. And feel free to contact us at Get Under Skeleton for more on this topic!

 

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Tips To Remember When Traveling With Pets

Every single pet owner out there will tell you that travel plans become more complicated with a furry companion to think about. You need to choose whether or not the pet comes with you and if not, you need to arrange taking care of him while you are gone. If you decide to bring the pet with you, it is time to look for opportunities that allow you to stay with the loved one. You have to read Capital Resorts Group reviews and be as informed as possible since you also have to think about the well-being of the animal. Besides all this, you need to also consider the following.

Pet Identification

A pet cannot tell you who he is. It does not matter how you choose to travel. The identification tag should be in place and it should include complete owner contact details. In the event the pat gets lost, this is the best chance you have for someone to be able to return the animal to you. Also, it makes it easy to prevent confusion when there are pets that have a really similar appearance.

Speaking about identification, permanent options do have to be considered. The microchip is definitely the best option available. There are some modern models that even include GPS tracking.

Make Sure Pets Are Trained

When you travel with a pet, you need to be sure he will pay attention to you and listen to your commands. Pets need to be trained when they are young or it is going to be increasingly difficult to have a well-behaved companion as you travel. Make sure that you start training the pets as soon as possible, preferably with the use of a reward system. When you have more than one pet, be sure that you train them individually.

Proper Pet Safety When Traveling

Most people actually think that it is completely safe to allow pets to wander freely around the car during driving. This is quite dangerous. The pets can easily get injured when there is a sudden vehicle movement and if an accident happens, it can be fatal for the little one. Be sure that you use a crate when traveling so that the pet is safe. Choose one that is appropriate based on travel method. For instance, fabric carriers are quite easy to carry but plastic pet carriers offer increased safety.

Consider Pet Sedation

There are pets that end up being anxious when they travel, mainly because they are put in a setting that is not familiar. This is similar to what happens with many humans. It is, at times, a good idea to sedate the pet in order to reduce anxiety. This helps avoid accidents that could be caused by fear. However, you should only sedate the pet in the event that the doctor tells you this is ok.

First Aid Pet Kit

The last important suggestion to remember is to take a first aid pet kit with you. This is because you never actually know when an accident happens. Just as with humans, it is better to be safe.

For more tips on travel from One and Co, click here!

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Most Common Business Communication Problems That Need To Be Fixed

Communication is a vital part of successful business. There are so many situations in which your ability to properly communicate with others will dictate the outcome of what you try to achieve. There are conference calls, meetings, texts, instant messages, emails, video chats, tweets and so much more that you have to worry about. When communication problems appear, the way in which they are solved can make matters worse or move closer to success.

In order to improve communication in business, you need to first realize what the common problems are. Ryan Grigson talks about them below.

Communication Overload

Because of the availability of so many ways in which people can communicate, information overload can easily appear in business. Juggling between business and personal communication becomes difficult. Employees with pressing deadlines can end up ignoring phone calls and texts, with many not having the necessary time to check emails.

In order to solve the problem, try to streamline communication. Most business communication these days takes place through email. This is why everyone needs separate business and personal emails. For the business account just business topics and conversations should take place. Also, be sure that the most important part of the email is highlighted in the subject line.

No Listening

One common situation that appears is having just one or two people in a team that remember about something that was changed or a new procedure that has to be respected. Employees often complain about the fact that they do not receive as much information as others when the truth is that listening was the main problem influencing the lack of communication.

We have to understand that people always have something to say and they tend to wait their turn. They just do not listen to what is said. Active listening needs to be highlighted and enforced in an organization in order to make communication more efficient.

Flying Rumors

In all offices there are rumors that appear and that influence something. For instance, a common rumor is that people will be fired. You might even hear that the company is going to merge. Fortunately, most of the rumors are not going to influence anything but in some cases they can reduce worker efficiency.

Remember the fact that most rumors have some truth in them. The reason why they became false rumors is that people did not properly understand what was initially said. Never wait for the rumors to negatively influence business operations. As soon as you hear about them, discuss them so that employees properly understand what is truth and what is fable.

Inefficient Information Delivery

This often happens after a meeting: people do not know what was being discussed and what they have to do. This is usually because the minds of people participating were somewhere else. When this happens, the big problem is inefficient information delivery. Business meetings should be treated as sales pitches. The attention of the audience needs to be grabbed and then it needs to be held. Managers have to use anecdotes and stories in order to efficiently deliver important information.

 

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Anouk Govil – How The US Delivers Its News

I first met Anouk Govil when he was studying with me in London and after college he invited me to spend some time with him back in his home town of New York. Since that trip I have been back to the US on a number of occasions and beyond all of the things that there are to see here, one of my favorite things to do is watch the coverage of the news. There is just something about the news that the Americans do so well and even if there is no news, the news itself becomes the entertainment. It sounds a bit geeky but if you have never experienced a day invested in watching the networks like Fox news and CBS, well then I would say that you have never lived, and here is why I love it so much.

Controversy

In the UK the majority of news readers are very conservative and they like to deliver the news in a monotone style, the idea is simply to deliver the news and then let you make up your own mind. Here in the US however the news channels are alive with all kinds of high energy interviews, controversy, personal opinions and fiery debates, and I absolutely love it. Fox news would be the best example of this and they have presenters like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson who love nothing more than ruffling the feathers of their guests and letting their political preference be known as they offer biased accounts of the latest news stories.

Behind the Truth

Something else which they do here in the US which I love is that they like to dig further than everyone else in their search for insider information which can get them closer to the truth. These guys are relentless and you can guarantee that if there is a story of a person who has committed a crime, that the news networks will already have that person’s best friend from school and their ex-babysitter all lined up ready to offer their take on events.

Information Overload

Watching the news here isn’t just as simple as sitting down and listening to someone tell you what has been going on in the world today, in fact at times it feels like a workout for the brain. There are all kinds of charts and blurbs that hit you from the side of the screen, the stock prices will be flying along the bottom of the screen like some kind of numerical attack and the news is always presented with plenty of infographics, there is certainly an assumption by them that they need to  break things down in layman’s terms for their viewers.

I’ll be honest, there have been some days where I have stayed in my room all day and just ingested the news that comes out of these brilliant networks, which doesn’t make the best tale when I get home and people ask me what I did in New York!

Join the discussion on this topic with One and Co by visiting our contact page.

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Ron Cadman – What a Garden Renovation Can Do For You

My friend Ron Cadman used to always say that I should do more with the outdoor space that I have in my property and after resisting for much time, 2 years ago I went to a lender and borrowed a small amount of money and decided to give it a makeover. Now the only reason why I hadn’t done this in the past was because I always felt that my money would be better spent on renovating the inside of the property rather than the outside.What I had failed to realize prior to renovating the garden was just how much that I would love it and just how much both myself and my family could benefit from a fresh and clean outdoor space. If you have been thinking about doing your garden, here is why I’d recommend it.

New Hobby

I would be something of a fraud if I told you that I enjoyed gardening in the past, the truth is that I have never had any inclination to get out in the garden and plant, prune and trim. In fact when I was younger my Dad would get me out in the garden to give him a hand and they were days that I absolutely loathed. When I got a garden of my own however, I felt the sudden desire to get out there and try my hand at gardening, which I absolutely adored. I am now a fully paid up member of the green-fingered society and you may find that the same thing happens to you.

No Shame

One of the biggest reasons why I decided to eventually do something to the garden was because it brought a little bit of shame whenever people came over to the house. The old garden was a barren one, full of old bits and pieces, dying shrubs and brown patches. After investing in the garden however I am now more than happy to invite anyone over to the house, in fact it is something which I actively encourage.

Added Value

Something which I had completely failed to count on when considering how much money I was spending on the garden is that in doing this, I was able to actually add value on to my property. This is not always the case of course but when it comes to kitchens, bathrooms and gardens, a renovation can significantly increase the value of the property, which almost pays for the work itself. Across the USA there are house hunters who are seeking out homes which have beautiful gardens, and this not only gives the seller more value, but a far higher chance of being able to see the property at all.

My recommendation would be to invest in your garden wherever possible, there may be rooms in the house which are more pressing but the benefits which you’ll get if you invest in the exterior will make it more than worthwhile.

 

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Why eClinicalWorks is Used By So Many Medical Professionals

Software solutions like the medical-based eClinicalWorks have completely modernized the way in which business and health care operates and they have allowed these industries to streamline operations and improve them greatly. If we are to discuss the health industry with regards to software solutions then we cannot miss out eClinicalWorks, a software suite which is revolutionizing health care centers and providers all over the country. This is a piece of software which is being used more and more each year and here is why it is so popular.

 

History

eClinicalWorks was a company which was founded in 1999, just as the digital revolution was beginning to hit the news. Over the years this software and the company have improved and they currently hire over 5,000 employees and serve over 130,000 nurses and doctors, along with a whopping 850,000 medical professionals. The software and the service that this company provides is dedicated to the healthcare industry and their tech solutions include cloud-based operations. This is a company which is privately held and because of that they are able to react and respond to what customers want.

The Cloud Software

Something which eClinicalWorks are most proud of is their cloud-based software, a solution which helps out thousands of medical professionals. This attractive feature gives medical services and providers the chance to manage sensitive data with ease and they can secure this data without any fear of the information being breached.

Metrics

The software which eClinicalWorks provides is not just about offering a solution to data management, it will also provide key metrics which medical services can depend on. These metrics can give breakdowns of the type of patients which they have, population health, revenue cycle management, patient engagement, number of claims or false claims and a huge array of metrics which can help to improve service.

Speed

Speed is a key feature of a range of software solutions and that is no different when it comes to eClinicalWorks. Information going from point A to point B must be done in a heartbeat, if you’ll excuse the pun, and that is what this software provider can ensure. This company has 9 data centers across the USA which means that they can guarantee the speed and reliability of your information being sent, critical to the medical world.

Accurate Reporting

There is a huge decrease in the requirement for manual data entry as a result of using this software and that means that there are far, far fewer mistakes. What this means is that staff can have more time within the day to invest in more pressing issues, as well as almost eradicating the risk of errors being made. Accuracy is crucial in patient care and this is yet another reason why so many are turning to eClinicalWorks.

This is a software suite which is delivering time and time again and it will only get better as the years move forward.

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Tatiana Kukanova, Making Money Online

Tatiana Kukanova was a girl who I met in college who very quickly became one of my closest friends and she and I would spend hours together plotting out our future. Tatiana would always tell me about how she wanted to work from her laptop, with no boss and no set working hours, something which I just couldn’t get my head around. As it happened, upon finishing college this is exactly what Tatiana went on to do and she is currently a digital nomad, roaming around the world whilst making a very good living from her computer. This is something which I probably wouldn’t enjoy but I know that there are a lot of people who would love this lifestyle, so here is how Tatiana makes her money, perhaps it may inspire you to do the same.

Online Surveys

As far as I am aware Tatiana is no longer doing this but it was something which helped her make money online for many years. Basically there are websites online which pay you to fill out surveys, the information which you give on these surveys is then used by private companies and governments, in order to better understand the demographics of their target market, and what consumers want. You won’t get paid a fortune for these, perhaps just a couple of dollars each time, but over the course of a few months, assuming that you are committed, you can make a nice chunk of change.

Writing 

Writing is what makes up the majority of Tatiana’s income and she has a number of clients who require content written for them. Initially she would find gigs on a site like Upwork which connects employers with freelancers, but nw she has regular clients for who she writes. Tatiana makes over $3000 per month from writing alone and that involves working about 4 hours per day. The key here, if you want to do the same, is to try and find as many clients as possible until you get one who requires a steady stream of work, which can help to ensure that you don’t have any barren months.  

Poker

When Tatiana has had a good month with her other endeavors, she likes to invest a small amount of money and play some online poker. Tatiana has always been a math whizz and I’m sure that this is why she has taken to the game of poker so well. She plays poker primarily for entertainment rather than making money but in the last year she made over $10,000 from poker playing alone.

Virtual Assistant

Tatiana’s other main source of income, aside from writing, is as a virtual assistant. This is basically like an online secretary and she works for a webmaster who has a number of admin tasks which she wants completed each week. These tasks involve sending and replying to emails, social media management and a lot of organizational stuff, something which she is perfect for.  Working virtually also allows you to be able to travel while making money as well!

As you can see, Tatiana has a number of different revenue streams which helps her to ensure that she is always earning money.

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Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch, Finances We Should Teach in School

For Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch was a company which he had dreamed of working of since he was a young boy and after we finished studying at the university of Miami, that is exactly what he went on to do. Now if we are to be completely honest it was in fact Patrick Dwyer’s dream to be a starting QB for his beloved Miami Dolphins, but he never quite had the skills. Patrick skills were all centered around mathematics and finance and that is why he has gone on to have the glittering career which he has. We met up last week and I wanted to pick his brains own a recent initiative that he has started, trying to get better financial education into schools and here is why he thinks it is so necessary.

Personal Finance 

Personal finance is something which we are expected to learn from our parents rather than the school system but this shouldn’t be the case and Patrick believes that it is the responsibility of the school system to properly educate boys and girls about how to manage their money. WE can see throughout the country that there are so many people in debt which they cannot manage, having racked up personal loans and credit card balances which they simony cannot afford to pay. The consequences of debt can be catastrophic and we must teach young people about responsible lending. Furthermore our young men and women should be taught about money management and how they can make a budget or arrange their monthly bills. If we teach the students then we can help them to become more responsible adults.  

Business Finance 

It always seems strange that when students study business they will learn about all manner of strategies like the Boston Matrix and beyond, but not about managing a business and its finances. The large majority of businesses who fail, do so because of poor financial management, something which we could  certainly help minimize if we do a better job at teaching our young men and women how to properly manage business finance, how to seek investment, understanding tax codes and interest rates and ultimately how to financially manage business. We live in a world were more and more businesses are being created as each year passes and this is exactly why we must prepare our young adults for this competitive world. Setting up a business is very fashionable and as an education system we must make sure that we are doing everything that we can to increase the chances of success for a student.

What are your thoughts on better financial education in the school system? Do you agree with Patrick that more can and should be done? Or do you think that it should be the responsibility of the parents to teach their children about money management and finance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below this post.

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How To Prevent Tree Rot

What makes the Pacific Northwest great? Being a short drive away to beautiful forests, mountains, and the coast. Great coffee. Arts and culture.

And of course, all of our beautiful trees.

But the rainy weather that helps all of these trees flourish can also harm them as it provides the perfect climate for fungi that live inside of tree trunks and slowly decays the wood.

You love the trees in your yard and don’t want to lose any of them to tree rot, so what can you do to prevent it from happening? Let’s start with the basics.

What is Tree Rot?

Tree rot is caused by fungi entering a tree through exposed areas in the bark. These areas are weaker than places where the trunk is protected by undamaged bark. Once fungi enter into the tree, they reproduce within the center of the trunk, damaging the heartwood, which is the central part of the trunk.

Heartwood provides much of the stability and structure of a tree, especially mature trees. So when fungi break that wood down, the tree will become unstable and weak from the inside out. Over time, affected trees and branches may even fall.

This can cause damage to anything in the falling tree or branch’s path; your other trees, your property, and your family.

This is definitely something you want to be aware of so you can try and prevent it from happening with your own trees.

How to Detect Tree Rot

Since fungal rot happens from the inside out, it can be hard to tell just by looking at your tree that there’s something wrong. A tree that is suffering from decay can look perfectly healthy at first glance.

Still, there are some signs you can look for.

The most obvious visible sign is “conks” or mushroom growths appearing on the outside of the tree’s trunk or branches. When these start appearing, it is a sign that there is a lot of decay inside the tree as conks feed off of rotting wood. In this case, you should contact an arborist as your tree could pose a safety hazard.

You can also look for openings and holes in your tree. Since fungi get in through exposed wood that is not covered by bark, identifying problem spots can help you monitor your trees and keep them safe.

Insects like termites and carpenter ants are also drawn to rotting wood and may be present around your trees.

Also, know that all kinds of trees can be affected. While some trees are more resistant, like some species of conifer, no species is completely immune to rot.

How do I Prevent Tree Rot?

Prevention is the most important step to making sure your trees don’t get fungi in the first place. If none of your trees are currently affected, great! It is essential to make sure they stay this way.

Once one tree on your property is affected, the rest are more easily affected because fungi can spread through the soil to neighboring trees. It’s difficult to remove fungal spores completely from the soil once they’re present, so prevention is very important.

One easy thing you can do is make sure your trees are getting the proper amount of water. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we get a lot of moisture. You need to make sure that your trees are not getting too much water as this can encourage fungal growth. Of course, don’t overcompensate and not water your trees enough.

As well, make sure your trees are being properly pruned. Cut off excess branches neatly to minimize the amount of damage done to the tree. When the wood of a tree is exposed, it allows for an entrance to fungi, so make sure that you are keeping wounds in the trunk as small as possible. Getting a professional to help prune your trees guarantees that you won’t accidentally cause damage.

If you have young trees in your yard, it’s a good idea to work with them while they’re still growing rapidly. By shaping them early in their lives, it will be less likely that you’ll have to do significant branch removal in the future.

This is important because young trees are less susceptible to structural damage from rot. Because young trees are still growing, any damage from rot will be contained and the structure of the tree will not be compromised as much. But older trees that get heart rot are more likely to suffer structural damage and collapse.

The older a tree is, the more vulnerable it is to storm damage. While serious storms do not frequently happen in the Pacific Northwest, sometimes we do get heavy winds that cause breakage. If a storm has damaged your trees, remove any broken branches and trim as necessary to help your tree recover.

On top of this, check your trees every year or so to look for signs of rot, and to make sure your trees’ new growth is properly supported by existing structures.

What if I Suspect My Tree is Rotting?

While prevention is the best thing you can do, sometimes your trees still develop a rot problem.

Before doing anything, be sure to call a professional arborist to assess your situation. They will be well-trained to assess the extent of the damage to your tree. Since tree rot can be largely invisible, it can be hard to tell how damaged your tree is, especially if you’re not well-versed in trees or have never had experience with this problem before.

If the damage has not spread very far, it might be possible to save your tree. But if the rot has spread too much, it may be better to remove the tree to prevent damage to your other trees and property.

Contact a reputable tree service company to have an experienced professional help you make the correct evaluation and safely remove any hazardous trees.

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