For restless people looking to pump up their adrenaline, there’s always roller coasters to do the trick. And each time you get into a roller coaster, there’s always an attendant making sure that your safety belt or safety bar is properly placed. However, when the roller coaster loops upside down, it’s not these devices that keep you in place, but physics.

Basically, acceleration is a change in direction or speed. But when something moves in a circle, it’s constantly changing direction, therefore it’s constantly accelerating, even if its speed remains the same. The force that causes the acceleration toward the center of a circle is called centripetal force. If you attach an object to a string, and then swing it in circles, the string remains tight, and its pull forces the object to move in a circle. You can feel the constant force at the other end of the string, but if you let it go the object flies away.

When you ride a roller coaster through a loop, a similar process takes place. You ‘re constantly changing direction, thus accelerating, as the track is constantly pushing the car into a new direction. The car pushes against the track, and the track pushes against the car, and as a result, the seat of the car pushes you in the same direction.

You get used to an upward push against the downward pull of gravity, so when you get to the bottom of the loop, you don ‘t notice the upward push. As you go through the loop, your own inertia tends to keep you moving in a straight line, away from the center of the circle. At the same time, centripetal force is always pushing you towards the center of the circle. When you go over the top you feel you should continue up into the air, but the car is pushing against you to prevent it. You would stay in the car even without the safety bar. However, don ‘t try it.

Then, when you go through the bottom of a dip or over the top of a hill on the roller coaster, centripetal force will again affect you. As the roller coaster passes through a dip, centripetal force will constantly push it upward, towards the center of the curve, while the rider is pushed downward by gravity. You feel heavier in the deep due to the combination of the upward force and gravity. As you ride over the top of a hill, centripetal force pulls the car beneath you toward the center of the curvature. But this time, the car does not push you in because you are above it and the force is downward. Your inertia carries you upward until the safety bar exerts a downward force. At this point, the safety bar becomes extremely important. If the force is large enough, you will feel weightless at the point where the downward force of gravity is exactly equal to your inertia upward.

On November 1, 2005, the Federal Reserve Bank [Fed] raised interest rates one quarter of a percentage point. Since Summer 2004, outgoing Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan has been raising interest rates on a regular basis since hitting its low point of just 1%. Now at 4%, Greenspan is expected to raise rates two more times before exiting office in January 2006. Will the higher rates stave off inflation? Will the new Chairman continue Greenspan’s incremental adjustments upward or will he let rates level off? Speculation is rampant but there is one thing you can know for sure: you will pay more for many of life’s expenses.

A rate hike by the Fed means that you will likely pay more for something including:

Credit cards. Not known for showing much restraint, you can bet credit card companies will continue to jack up interest rates except for their best customers. Rates of 12, 15, and even 21% or more are reappearing.

Mortgage rates. Holders of fixed rate mortgages are fine, but those with variable rate mortgages will pay more. A lot more if they haven’t felt previous rate hikes and their mortgages are due for an upward adjustment. More money to pay mortgages means less money for disposable items.

Car loans. If you need a new car and can still find zero percent financing, then grab the offer. Car loans, personal loans, home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, loan consolidations, will all continue to increase.

Add in high fuel prices, anticipated hikes in medical costs, and Americans are getting squeezed. With the holiday season fast bearing down upon us, retailers will have to slash prices in order to attract customers who are holding a dwindling cash reserve.

For people not holding excessive debt, the Fed rate increase will be have little or no effect on them. For everyone else, the pinch is on!

Carol doesn’t understand why no one seems to take her ideas seriously in business meetings

Sophie complains that every time she makes a suggestion in an Executive meeting the idea gets tossed around until finally some ‘guy’ says the same thing she did and is congratulated for his contribution.

Both of these women experience similar difficulties. They are not given credit for their ideas. One of the biggest causes of women not being taken seriously is the use of ‘Uptalk’ when speaking.

In English, the use of a question mark at the end of a sentence indicates that the sender is asking a question. The speaker therefore raises their inflection at the end of the statement. It is this upward inflection, or lilt, that lets the receiver know that we are asking them something; that we are looking for a response from them.

Uptalk occurs when we inject that same upward inflection at the end of our sentences, rather than inflecting downward, as we should when we read a period. This upward inflection takes our definitive statements and softens them, making them sound as if we are asking a question or looking for approval. The use of uptalk is one of the most common elements undermining women’s credibility with men around the boardroom table.

Consider the impact of uptalk on the following statements. I’ve inserted question marks in parenthesis to indicate where the inflection rises and exclamation points to indicate where the inflection should fall. Practice saying these out loud to ‘hear’ the impact that the uptalk has.

With uptalk: It’s a nice day today(?)

Without uptalk: It’s a nice day today(!)

In the first example, your inflection rises at the end of the statement, making it sound as if you are unsure of whether the day is, in fact, nice or not. Certainly it makes you sound more hesitant and less confident. The second statement however clearly lets others know how you feel about the day. Although this is a simplistic example, the following is an excerpt from an introduction given by a woman in one of my training sessions. Try to follow the upward inflection indicated by the arrows above the phrases and read it out loud. Again, I have inserted question marks to indicate where Susan’s inflection rose as she was delivering her introduction.

Hi(?), my name is Susan(?). I’m the Manager(?) of Information Services(?) for a large Telecommunications company(?)

In this example, you can see that uptalk can occur much more frequently than simply at the end of a sentence. Often people’s sentences are punctuated with uptalk throughout, making it a stronger message. Susan’s use of uptalk made her seem very hesitant and unsure of herself. In fact, it seemed that she should have pulled out a business card to verify that, in fact, her name was Susan as well as her title and employer! If this is the effect that the use of uptalk has on simple, very direct, very definitive statements, is it any wonder that women’s ideas, when presented with uptalk, are often overlooked or ignored?

Women often develop uptalk early in life in an effort to ‘play nice’. Young girls learn early to soften their orders and directions to others by using uptalk. They sound less directing and controlling, less ‘bossy’, and therefore will still be allowed into other little girls’ play circles.

Little boys, on the other hand, will give very direct orders during play, without alienating other boys in the process. It seems that boys are more open to having other boys displaying leadership traits, without any hard feelings or animosity arising, while girls take it as a personal affront when another girl attempts to do so.

In a recent Women in Business networking event I attended, each woman was given two minutes to introduce themselves and their businesses. I was astounded as I listened to these women. Easily 75% of the women present uptalked their way through their personal introductions. They sounded hesitant and ineffectual!

If you find that your statements seem to lack credibility or conviction, that your ideas are lacking strength, take the time to listen to yourself on tape. Listen for the uptalk. Once you train your ear to identify it, you will be amazed at how easily you can begin to control it. You cannot change what you cannot identify though, so get out that tape-recorder and start taping! We have had many past training participants come back to us and say that learning to hear and control their uptalk was one of the biggest contributors to their ongoing success in business. As one participant shared “I can’t believe that such a seemingly small element had such a major impact on how I was perceived. Once I began working to eliminate my uptalk the change in others perception was almost instantaneous. What’s funny is that others knew something was different about me but couldn’t put their finger on what it was. My boss kept asking who lit the fire under me!”

Wind pressure is a common cause of failure for tiled roofs. As the wind moves over the roof it produces upward forces causing the roofing tiles to rattle or be removed completely.

Contrary to common belief, roofing tiles are not “blown off” a roof. The wind creates an upward force as it travels over the roof, causing the tiles to be sucked upwards. It is important to understand this subtle distinction in order to build a more secure roofing system. Securing tiles against upward lift is the key to keeping the tiles on the roof.

As the wind travels over the roof area, it causes the air pressure on top of the roofing to decrease. At the same time the pressure underneath the roof increases. The increase in pressure inside the loft space results in a positive pressure on the roof tiles. The negative pressure above causes the tiles to be sucked upwards, lifting the tail of the tile. The lower the pitch of the roofing, the higher the forces will be.

If the tiles are being sucked upwards rather than blown, the old method of roof tile fixing may not be the best. Traditionally roof tiles are nailed or pegged at the head or top of the tile. This secures the tile against the force of gravity but has little effect on upward tile lift. In fact the only thing securing the bottom of the tile is the tiles own weight.

Tests in the United Kingdom have proved that a roofing tile clipped or secured at the bottom can withstand 5 times the force of a head nailed roof tile. Tiles can be clipped or wired to ensure the tail is secured against wind uplift. This also stops the annoying rattle or chatter sometimes associated with wind swept roofs. The chatter occurs as tiles are lifted and dropped by the wind vortex. I prefer to use a bead of silicone between the tile courses to act as a second line of defence against tile chatter.

It is important to note here that modern roofing tile clips must be installed correctly if they are to have any effect. Tile clips are usually nailed in close proximity to the interlocking channel. Because of the risk of damaging the tile, there is a tendency to move the nail too far away from the interlock. The clip must be positioned at right angles close to the tile. The roofing clip should be securely bedded to prevent the tile working loose. In my opinion, the old system of wiring the bottom of the tiles is superior to modern clipping. The wire fixes to an eyelet on the bottom of the tile and in between tile courses onto the supporting baton. This has the effect of clamping down the tile. I have re-roofed wired roofs that are over 50 years old and the wire is still clamped tight.

The most important roofing component when it comes to preventing wind damage is the roofing felt. Roofing felt or sarking is placed under the batons before the tiles are fixed. The primary function of all roofing felt is to prevent wind damage. The waterproofing of the paper is far less important than its ability as a wind barrier. The sarking prevents the increase in pressure inside the loft, thus preventing wind uplift. It must be fixed securely with 150mm overlaps. An extra baton should be placed at the point where the sheets overlap to prevent wind travelling between sheets. If the felt is not correctly secured the wind force will be focused on the weak spot causing more problems.

All ridge and hip tiles need to be mechanically fixed in areas prone to high winds. Roofing mortar alone should not be relied upon to hold these tiles secure. Once the bond between tile and mortar is broken the tile can work loose. They should be nailed, clipped or wired.

The areas most lightly to be submitted to wind uplift are the eaves, verges and ridges. In these areas it is prudent to take extra precautions with your tile fixing. Nail and clip all tiles around the periphery.

A little extra time taken at the installation stage will ensure the roofing tiles stay secure in heavy weather. The extra cost is outweighed by the savings in maintenance and piece of mind.

After twenty years of research, the formula to flourish has been discovered! A new book, Positivity, has two exciting, inter-related ideas that will boost the contentment and happiness in your family. The author, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, is a top-notch researcher at the forefront of the Positive Psychology movement.

Big Concept #1: The 3:1 Positivity Ratio. “We need three positive emotions to lift us up for every negative emotion that drags us down,” states Fredrickson. Respectful, kind, encouraging words can stop a downward spiral and activate an upward spiral, with increasing satisfaction and happiness. This 3:1 ratio of positive to negative emotions is necessary to generate the uplifting and expanding growth of the “Broaden-and-Build” theory.

Big Concept #2: The “Broaden-and-Build” Theory explains that increasing positive emotions creates an upward and outward spiral. That’s because positive emotions lead people to be more open, expansive, creative, and flexible. People become healthier, more resilient, and have better relationships as a result of more positive emotions. Science has given us answers to the question: “What good are good emotions?”

The founder of Positive Psychology, Professor Martin Seligman Ph.D., takes this concept one step further, stating that “positive emotions undo negative emotions.” The 3:1 method can actually halt a downward spiral to begin an upward spiral of “good-stuff-getting-better,” and even undo negativity in the process. Try this in your family. Introduce and maintain plenty of positive activities-comfort, support, encouragement, and play-and notice what happens.

So if you ever feel like you’ve blown it (when you yell at your kids, for example) remember the 3:1 ratio. If you consciously give them three positive messages, they can stay focused on your love and your family will move upwards and outwards.

Finally, Dr. Fredrickson suggests simple ways to be positive: “Lightly create the mindset of positivity – be open, be appreciative, be curious, be kind, but above all, be real.”

Innovation and progress occur when people do not settle for the status quo. It is those who challenge mindsets, concepts and even protocol that are the catalyst of change. Any Organization who values progress will attain strong leaders, and strong leaders have strong views about their ideas. Simply put they are proud of those ideas. However, the downfall of any organization is putting pride ahead of progress; this is why we need to be willing to create an environment that allows for the challenging of upward authority.

While this is a very healthy environment for progress, there is still a proper way to challenge mindsets, concepts and protocol that honors the current authority figures.

1. Choose the proper time and place: Even the most appropriate challenges can seem like an attack when it is done at the wrong place and time. It is important to understand the audience present. When done in the wrong setting your credibility can be severely compromised.

2. The facts first: The best way to get an authority figure’s attention is to show that you’ve done your research. It is important that you show that you took the time to look at an issue from their point of view. Remember that the foundation work that you do before challenging can add credibility and even allies in the change that you seek. What better an ally than the authority figure you are challenging!

3. Offer solutions and alternatives: True leaders show that they’ve looked at all aspects of an issue by offering solutions and alternatives. After you have shown that you understand why a process currently exists, it now is your responsibility as a leader to find ways to make things better. Solutions and alternatives should always have the group as a whole in mind. If what you are suggesting only benefits a small portion of the team it has the potential to divide that team.

TODAY is the day to start operating at a level higher that you are currently on. Be a catalyst for change, but do it in a way that honors the current authority!

According to accommodation theory, there are two main strategies: convergence and divergence. Convergence occurs when the speaker adjusts his or her normal speech to make it more similar to the interlocutor’s speech or when the speaker converges toward a prestigious norm that he or she believes is favored by the interlocutor. In short, the speaker accepts the interlocutor’s values and seeks to demonstrate that acceptance by his or her own linguistic behavior.

Conversely, divergence occurs when speakers seek to alter their speech in order to make themselves linguistically different. Both convergence and divergence can take place in an upward or downward fashion. Upward convergence occurs when speakers adjust their speech to exhibit the norms of high-status individuals in their society. Downward convergence involves adjustments in the direction of the speech norms from a higher class to a lower class.

For instance, a person with a PhD in physics will speak differently when explaining quantum mechanics to a high school dropout than when discussing physics with colleagues; that is, the physicist will use language in a manner designed to simplify complex concepts for his or her less educated interlocutor. Generally, upward convergence is the more common type because it is based on the universal desire for approval from those we respect and emulate.

Upward divergence occurs when speakers emphasize the standard features of their speech, whereas downward divergence occurs when speakers emphasize the nonstandard features of their speech. An example of upward divergence would be two people from different classes arguing, with the individual from a higher-socioeconomic background emphasizing the standard features of his or her speech to distinguish himself or herself from the lower-class interlocutor. In the same example, the person of lower-socioeconomic status who emphasizes his or her less standard form of speech would be exhibiting downward divergence.

The causes of convergence and divergence can be complicated. One of the most well-known studies regarding accommodation theory was initiated by Giles and his colleagues. It concerned conversations between unequally ranked nurses and how convergence and divergence operated on the basis of their ability to use the English language. The results showed that when speaking to lower-ranked nurses, those with a higher status used a less standard English; likewise, when the lower-status nurses spoke to their higher-ranked colleagues, they spoke a more standard English.

Moreover, people are more likely to convert their speech rates in a manner emphasizing the stereotype of their interlocutors’ speech rates and their way of using language. In addition, speakers tend to switch from convergence to divergence as they reevaluate the person they speak to during the conversation.