Online Business Primer

Online Business Discussion & Recommendations

November 21, 2008

A Treatable Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is a treatable sleep disorder. A sleep disorder is a medical condition that interferes with normal sleep patterns and can affect a person mentally, physically, and emotionally. Signs of a sleep disorder can include fatigue, loud snoring, excessive sleepiness during the day and changes in personality. Sleep apnea is the most undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorder, with thousands of people going undiagnosed each year. Many of the symptoms by themselves do not indicate a problem and many of the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of other disorders. What sets sleep apnea apart is the fact that the person suffering from the disorder experiences frequent periods during sleep in which he or she does not breathe for a period of up to 60 seconds.

This disorder can be treated effectively with a sleep apnea machine. A face mask is attached to the machine by a tube. The sleep apnea machine is used to send a steady stream of air into the nose. This stream of air is a little stronger than the air that is normally breathed in, and the pressure keeps the airways open so that a person can breathe normally while sleeping. While most of the symptoms of sleep apnea are not dangerous by themselves, the results of not treating sleep apnea can be serious. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to more serious illnesses such as high blood pressure that leads to stroke and heart disease. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important that you use the correct CPAP supplies. We have many styles of machines as well as a wide selection of CPAP masks.

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November 20, 2008

At Barney’s

In retrospect, I feel kind of bad for the Lloyd, the first security guard.  He was an elderly guy who was just doing it as a gig to supplement his social security.  Overall, he wasn’t a bad guy, but when he allied himself with Barney’s Portable Spa Center, unfortunately, he became our enemy, and we had to treat him accordingly.

At first, we would just sneak in for the bathroom, and Lloyd would either miss us or chase us out, but as the act grew tired, we became bolder and more ruthless.  One day, after our usual foray to the bathroom and through the aisles of discount hot tubs, Lloyd caught sight of us and gave chase.  We ran him around in circles, and the first of us to leave the store-I think it was this little bastard, Danny Chase-also took the liberty of placing a thumbtack and super glue on Lloyds chair while he finished chasing off the rest of us before we could vandalize Barney’s prized portable spas.

I was a little unnerved when I he told me, but then I rationalized that it was also going to be pretty funny, so we hid around the corner and waited, watching for Lloyd to come back from getting a glass of water.

When he came back, he lit up a cigarette and smoked it while he sipped on his water and paced and walked in circles.  We thought, he’d never sit down, but finally, he sighed, walked over to his chair, and collapsed in it.  A yelp escaped his throat, and he tried to get up, but the chair stuck to his backside.  He went running inside, and that was the last day we ever saw Lloyd.

To be fair, we didn’t do this until after Lloyd used his store discount on a hot tub, so it’s not like we were complete monsters.

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November 19, 2008

Mortgage Brokers Are Not the Bad Guys

Many people blame the mortgage industry regarding what has happened to our economy. Well of course I’m going to kind of go on the defensive about that because I am a mortgage broker. Yea, I have a fancy title and all because I work for a bank where just about everyone is vice president of something or other. My title is no different.

And I’m not going to say that there were no unscrupulous lenders out there that took complete advantage of people. It happened. In fact, we had an employee survey a random selection of our past customers and the results were kind of startling. When it came to customer satisfaction survey results were mixed.

Many of our past clients indicated that they were pleased with the service we gave them. But the customer surveys also revealed a certain amount of disdain for the mortgage industry in general. So even though they did not see us as the bad guys, we were defiantly getting lumped in with the bad guys. This showed me that I need to begin a campaign to educate my past customers about how we are actually the good guys. And if I do this right, I can probably even drum up some extra business because some of these past clients might be able to benefit by refinancing.

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November 18, 2008

Mediation versus Scottsdale Divorce Court

The average divorce can cost tens of thousands of dollars and leave both sides battered and bruised. I can say this from experience.   As with any divorce Arizona couples who wants to legally separate may find themselves pondering who gets what items and how the debt accrued during the marriage will be split.

When anger, vindictiveness or a sense of entitlement enter the picture, the process can become ticklish indeed.  Traditional divorce court is structured so that individuals battle for possessions.  Lawyers enter into the courtroom in combat mode and make the divorcing couple into adversarial enemies. Mine was especially ugly.

Luckily we discovered a divorce lawyer Scottsdale the choice to mediate.

With mediation, we came together not as enemies but as two people who once cared for one another who want to do right by one another.  Considerations, like children and assets, were discussed reasonably and in the end, both parties left feeling as if they obtained the things they most desired.

In regards to affordable divorce Scottsdale mediation is the way to go if you ask me. Unlike divorce proceedings, which can escalate in price as time goes by, mediation is inexpensive and cost effective.

When asked which is better, a divorce or mediation, the answer for me is resoundingly clear. Not only does mediation help people divide their assets-it helps them mend fences and respond to one another in a civil and caring way despite their separation.

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November 15, 2008

Lunch with the Girls

I was at the monthly luncheon with moms and our daughters last weekend.  We ate in the mall so we could catch a quick movie after eating.  A funny conversation was that we all found it odd that there is a shopping kiosk at which you can get your teeth whitened in between a purchase at Victoria Secrets and a coffee at Starbucks.  I’m not sure why someone would do this instead of finding a Washington DC dental service.  I’m not judging; it just seems that there would be a reputable DC cosmetic dentist they could find.  Then if they had further services required they could upgrade to sedation dentistry, Arlington and the DC area are known to have amazing professionals who can give you a new smile in a matter of hours.

After lunch we went to see the fun Disney movie High School Musical 3:  Senior Year.  The girls loved it and they loved Zac Efron (and his smile).  It was a fun mother/daughter day.  I look forward to our next outing.  We plan to TiVo several episodes of various NBC cooking shows and then each brings our favorite dish to Celia’s house for a pot luck dinner party.  Yum.

 

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