Daily Intent

Much negotiation went into making “Legal Day One” a reality.  And today Countrywide is officially a subsidiary of Bank of America.  The long awaited infusion of Bank of America backing has begun.

Signs, advertising, letterhead, business cards, etc… are not going to change until “Customer Day One”, estimated to be six to eight months from today.  If you are a current customer of ours, it’s business as usual.  Anything Countrywide related needs to be addressed with Countrywide employees.
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Negotiations.  Mediation.  Chunking.  Training.  July 21, 2008.

I’m excited to announce July’s talk for my “Compounding Your Knowledge” series.

Sean Mason, local Estate Planner and long time Mediator, will be guiding us through Mediation and Negotiation.  During his time as a management consultant, he put on four and a half day seminars directed toward negotiations.  We are fortunate enough  to benefit freely from his experience.

So why attend?  Negotiation is a part of our everyday lives.  Whether we’re negotiating with a friend about where to go for lunch, discussing an issue with our spouse or working through a new job offer, tools to find resolution and common ground are necessary.

Sean will take us through the negotiation tool called  “Chunking”, in order to better equip us moving forward.

You are invited.  6pm.  July 21, 2008.  21 E Victoria St, 3rd Floor.
To come learn, socialize, and have a few hors d’oeuvres, please RSVP as space is limited.  And plan on bringing a negotiation situation or two you’d like to discuss.
 
Word of the week: DINKS AND DEWKS

“Dual Income, No Kids - DINKS  A household in which there are two incomes and no children (either both partners are working or one has two incomes). DINKS are often the target of marketing efforts for luxury items such as expensive cars and vacations.

Couples living in a DINK household are thought to have more disposable income because they don’t have the added expenses that come with children.

Dually Employed With Kids - DEWKS  A household in which there are children and both partners earn an income.

DEWKS families are marketing targets for toys, children’s clothes and other goods and services that pertain to children.”  Investopedia.com

  Four points to ponder:

   1.  The Fed last week kept rates unchanged for the first time in months.  2%.
   2.  Oil prices are up to $142/barrel.  Meanwhile, manufacturing positively expands.  And the markets suffer.
   3.   Japanese foresight in toys?  Talking dolls for Grannie.
   4.  Wonderdogs, Fresno State, wins NCAA Men’s Baseball National Title.  Wimbeldon is amidst it’s second week of play.  The Olympic trials are underway and many World Records are falling.

Positives:

    *      The Fed understands it must hold rates steady in efforts to spur the economy forward and give it a boost of confidence in itself.
    *     As birthrates decline and grandma is in need of companionship, Japan is expecting large demand for toys that respond when cuddled.
    *     Fresno State became the first team ever to win the National Title being ranked 4th in their regional tournament.  This is equivalent to a 13th seed winning the NCAA March Madness Tourney.
    *      New swimsuit designs are cutting through the records of old, building up the excitement for August and the Beijing Olympics.

Negatives:

    *      The Dow dove more than 1000pts in June.  The S&P 500 dropped 130pts.  Both significant drops and led by increased oil speculation and the financial sector woes.  An Iran and Israel possible conflict is putting even more pressure on oil prices.
    *      There are no American men left standing on the grass courts in the pursuit of the silver gilt cup.  Though the Williams sisters are looking dominant.