BackgroundHarry was in the ready-mix concrete business. With lots of construction and developments underway, concrete was a good business. Like his competitors, Harry ran a busy yard lined with trucks loading sand, gravel and cement for construction sites.The ProblemTo customers, unfortunately, concrete was concrete — an undifferentiated product called a commodity. Harry noticed the first thing contractors asked on the phone was “What’s your price on a yard of concrete today?” Then they called three or four other ready-mix places to find the lowest price that day.It was easy to be caught in a “race to the bottom”: low prices, skimping on the mix of materials, paying the lowest wages, using poorly maintained equipment, giving poor service — and ultimately getting little or no profit.The SolutionHarry decided he didn’t want to race to the bottom. He had to do something to rise above the pack. After we analyzed the problem, I worked with Harry to develop a script. He began by asking contractors questions that showed his expertise about the applications of concrete.First he asked, “Before I tell you my price, tell me what you’re going to use it for?” If it was for footings or for sidewalks, curb and gutter or for wellhead seals, his next questions was, “What municipality are you pouring in?” Because he knew the zoning differences, Harry would remind them that the city and county had different requirements.” Harry even offering bidding advice, telling contractors, “When you get quotes from the other guys, remember to ask for 6 sacks of cement per yard as opposed to 5 sacks, or you’ll wind up jack hammering it up and redoing it.” Then he’d remind them about additives for surface texture or hardening speed. He even alerted contractors that some suppliers of concrete had a “standby charge” if the trucks had to wait to unload–which he did not.Immediately, contractors were listening closely to Harry’s questions.By the use of scripts and questions that demonstrated his knowledge of construction requirements, he was able to differentiate his offering. He was not just in the concrete business; he was also in the concrete applications and the “I’ll keep you out of trouble” business.The ResultHarry became a valuable supplier because the last thing that contractors want is trouble from architects and building inspectors. They learned that Harry had the practical knowledge to keep them out of trouble. And, he consistently got a higher price for his product. The other suppliers fought the commodity price war. Over 15 years, Harry made a good living from good contractors who understood that price is not everything. Finally, having secured his retirement getting a good Valuation of Small Business,Harry sold the business.What happened then is very telling. The person who bought the business had a long history in the other end of the concrete business–concrete as a commodity.” His answer to the question, “What’s your price on concrete today?” was “What’s your best price and I’ll beat it.” In four years, the business was bankrupt.CommentaryEvery business has four components: product, knowledge, service … and then price. In my consulting with small businesses, I have found most of them focus on price, maybe some aspect of product and service, but forget totally about their knowledge – their valuable “extra”. Why? Because it is an intangible. But to customers, it is very important and they are willing to pay for it. It can be the essential difference that set you apart and makes you offering unique Small business value development.If you’ve been in business more than 10 years, you’ve forgotten how much you know – the stuff you learned the hard way. Most of your customers don’t have this knowledge. By presenting your knowledge in a systematic way, you differentiate yourself, provide added value to your customers and justify a premium for your offering. Knowledge has value, too.p class=”articletext”

Facebook has become the poster-child for social networking sites and is an excellent microcosm of the effects of a creative and engaging social networking site. Online social networking and the ability to build a widespread online community has exploded in popularity for internet users. As a result more and more companies are committed to maintaining and even increasing their investment in social media and online communities. Social networks have not only given us new ways to communicate and share information but also give us greater access to a wider range of people. Whether a user is interested in social network sites for personal reasons such as keeping in-touch with friends and families or as an innovative business approach for disseminating information to a broader audience, the power of these sites is only beginning to be discovered. Certainly, as far as marketing is concerned, social networking sites will continue to be exploited in the business world. The ability to reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of users via a creative and engaging social networking site has therefore garnered the attention of some of the world’s biggest companies.The number of companies already using social media and networking sites is almost too many to count. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that major companies from Accenture, Dunkin Donuts and Ernst & Young to Ford, Ikea, Kraft and Xerox all rely on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in order to reach a large audience. We are well into the technological era and as such more and more consumers are using the internet to access the information they need about products and services. Without question, social networking sites and social media marketing are here to stay. This means that new companies are always trying to come up with ways to access the potential of social networks. The best sites are inventive, engaging, and socially relevant so the problem for businesses is how to tap into an established market. Creativity is the key and certain cites employ this creativity in order to stand-out in the crowd.Again, Facebook is probably the prime example of a social networking site that matched a creative design that targets a wide audience. By paying close attention to the needs and wants of its market, Facebook developers have created a site that is well organized and engaging to users. The necessity of inventiveness is based on the fact that internet users are a fickle bunch. While social networking sites began appearing long before Facebook, none have had a similar meteoric rise in popularity. The key for successful sites such as this is that they offer something new and creative that is able to capture the attention of their audience. As creativity has always been crucial in the success of entertainment ventures like television, music, and movies, the same holds true for social networking sites. By developing a unique site that caters to some specific need, your audience should come to you. On the other hand, formatting your social networking agenda so that it mirrors already successful sites doesn’t allow you to make your own name in the marketplace.Successful social networking sites share a few qualities. First of all, they are immediately relevant and useful to the user. Facebook allows friends to share photos, stories, and important headlines (among a wide range of other services) and lets users interact in a controlled environment. Also, new sites attempt to be exclusive. Target a particular audience with a relevant networking site. Thinking globally isn’t always a good thing. Attracting a small loyal audience that can directly benefit from the services on a social networking site sets the stage for expansion to a larger audience while trying to reach everybody from the beginning often leads a site to be without focus or control so it may never build a sustainable audience. It would be like a brand new player trying to compete with Facebook. It’s very unlikely you would catch enough attention to sway that many people even if you had the superior product. But all around there are flourishing niche’s of various creative communities on the web. Facebook has made itself a great personal tool but is very cumbersome when it comes to commercial efforts. Compare this with online communities like Crafster or Zhura that fill a particular business or personal niche that people are passionate about. This concept is key to creating an effective social networking site. Social networking sites are great tools but unless you have millions to throw around it’s unwise to try to be the next Swiss Army Knife of the web. It is generally best to start with one or just a few specific and well crafted tools in your arsenal that will stand out before filling up your toolbox.Notice that Twitter hasn’t tried to compete with Facebook. But it has taken one thing Facebook does with it’s status update feeds, and done it better. So much better that despite it being a one trick pony for the time being, Twitter remains such a useful, uncluttered and un-cumbersome tool. One that continues growing exponentially. A little re-thinking, and a little creative twist improving upon what’s out there can make all the difference in the success and effectiveness of your Social Networking website.p class=”articletext”

According to the United States Census Bureau, people earn a masters degree averaged about $ 85,000 a year. Although it may seem almost impossible to achieve in higher education as job training, distance learning offers the flexibility needed to complete a masters program. Instead of the planned trip to participate in class, you can learn at your own pace for the environment of your choice makes it easier, in your studies successfully online Education. Criteria for appointment to a Master Degree Online To exercise a degree of distance learning, you have to hold a university degree. In some situations, professional experience, performance and test scores of degree (such as loading and GRE will be considered) to be qualified for an online degree program. Popular Online to pursue Master’s Degree According to the U.S. Department of Education, over 75 universities offering accredited online masters programs with a variety of interesting options graduation, including: Accounting; Business Administration; Economics; Education; Fine Arts; Finance and Science. This is just one example of the popular masters online degree courses available through distance learning. You can earn your Master in a variety of interesting areas, through online education. Choose an Accredited Online Masters Degree Program You should verify that the institution offering the online education graduate course you select is accredited so that you do not lose precious time and money. Without proper accreditation, your degree will not be recognized by other colleges or certain employers. Graduate degrees accredited through official agencies, including the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education, are considered valid. Financing a Masters Distance Learning Program Students of all ages and all social classes have a variety of options for programs online master pay. It is possible for your education through federal aid to pay student loans or scholarships. Some jobs also offer assistance to employers enterprising employees, so ask your employer if they have such a program. A great advantage of earning capacity is online diploma, you save the room and Board of Directors, the $ 6,000 to $ 12,000 per year for an amount the College Board.

September 29, 2008 Kishi Animashaun Ducre, assistant professor of African Studies at Syracuse University, addressed the Hamilton community in a lecture titled "How to Become a Professional Hellraiser" on Sept. 27. Professor Ducre’s presentation discussed activism within the field of environmental justice, providing her audience with a background of the field’s pertinent social issues and emphasizing the importance of incorporating activism within a diverse range of careers.Specifically, Ducre’s studies address the relationship between environmental injustice and race in America by way of institutional rules, regulations and policies that target communities of color for locally undesirable land uses. Before receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Environmental Justice, she worked as a campaigner for Greenpeace, where she contributed to crucial victories for the movement in Louisiana and California. Her experience solidified her conviction in the four main elements necessary to achieve success within the field: research, social movement, policy and planning.Yet while she was able to pursue social change through her work with Greenpeace, she stressed the fact that activism is not limited to youth, nor to those employed within the nonprofit sector; while it may require creativity, social activism can be integrated across many professional spheres.Within academia, Ducre has converted her dissertation into an informational pamphlet for low-income communities; she also offers courses that address pertinent issues in Environmental Justice, such as "There Goes the Neighborhood: U.S. Segregation." Although she no longer works as a campaign organizer, she has remained dedicated to her ideals—an example she hopes students will follow. Before concluding her presentation, she left her audience with a final thought: it is our responsibility to constantly challenge and reflect upon our principles in order to attain a more equitable definition of social justice.strongem– by Sarah Caney ’09/em/strong

Selecting appropriate hearing aid is a daunting task. Hearing is crucial and hearing aids are expensive so it is desirable to ensure that that you get the right one without much hassle. Almost all hearing aid machines contain similar types of devices to transmit sound from environment to your ear. There are different styles and sizes of hearing aid depending on how they are placed in ear. While some hearing aid fits partially in ear canal, some are very small and fit fully inside ear canal. Smaller hearing aid machines are more costly and have shorter battery life. While the bigger ones have features like amplification of sound, volume control and longer battery life, smaller ones are almost invisible and do not pick up wind noise. Severity of hearing loss plays a vital role in selecting the type of hearing aid suitable for you. Here are some tips to help you while buying hearing aid:Consult Audiologist: After your doctor has ruled out possibility of correction or cure of hearing loss by medicine or surgery and recommended use of hearing aid, you need to consult an audiologist. An audiologist is qualified to find an appropriate hearing aid that matches your need and style. This is done by taking an impression of ear canal for selecting the right type of aid. An audiologist also makes necessary correction of the hearing aid. It is desirable to consult audiologist that offers different brands of hearing aid. You may also ask your doctor to recommend a good audiologist.Style: An audiologist may recommend the probable styles that suit you best. When looks are important for you, you may select the smaller one that matches with skin color and remain almost invisible. People with severe hearing disorder may need to have bigger hearing aid with facilities like powerful amplification. Trial:It is advisable to buy hearing aid that comes with trial period. Hearing aid needs some time to adjust and you should be allowed a trial period, within which, you can return the machine if any problem arises. The offer from the seller should be in writing. Go through terms and conditions to make sure about the financial implications and cost of trial offered by the company. Cost:Hearing aid may cost from few hundred dollars to several thousands dollars depending upon size, quality and sophistication. Discuss with your audiologist about the requirements and expectations to get an idea about the price range. There are many hearing aid available within reasonable price. Some insurance policies may provide part or full cost of the machine but this needs to be verified before buying. Service: Check the warranty provided for the hearing aid and battery. You must know terms and conditions of the warranty and how and from where you can avail service after the warranty period is over. Check about the type of batteries used and where to get them and how long they usually last. Operation and compatibility: It is essential to know about operation of the hearing aid. Most are user friendly but some are so small that you may find difficult to operate. Verify if your hearing aid is compatible when you use telephone amplifier or other such devices.With the above mentioned tips choosing the perfect hearing aid is easy.p class=”articletext”

The owner of Boxster car truly experiences elegance, power and grace. The artistic curves on the face and body of this car are a visual delight. Droopy headlights of Boxster with its desire for speed and two seating capacity is very much attractive. This luxurious beauty is all decked up with finest taillights, dashboards, doors and rearview mirrors one can ever find in this vast universe. All Boxster parts are thoroughly researched before they are fitted. The detail and inspection of each part is observable when you really have a ride on one such mean machines. Boxster has great features like the mid-engine and rear wheel roadsters drive having two seats and two doors. Leather furnishings wonderfully decorate interiors of this car. Dashboard when illuminated with ambient features of lighting seems like a classy scene of any science fiction movie. The merging of extravagant architectural design can be seen in the interior layout.Machine stitches on seat covers are of best quality and floor mats are comfortable and soft to step on. The sloped angular curves on bumpers are most accurate and give this car a sensual appeal. Boxster accessories include cup holder, a glovebox and revised design of climate controlling switches. In addition, new glass window at the back with a defroster is what you can expect from the car with its base price.In case, your bumpers have had a hard life on the streets, hosts of tailored body kits are easily available. In addition, you can change the parts of body such as rims and suspensions if they have worn out or just for face lifting your car occasionally. Numerous alloy rims available can give your Boxster a new refreshing look. Oil filters, piston sets, motor mounts, camshafts, main bearings and other boxster parts are available easily. Porsche Boxster is the owner’s pride, so finding right parts for replacing worn out ones is important for owners of this superb speed king. Thus, with the powerful and sleek design and extraordinary performance along with wide range of accessories, Boxster truly remains a car of best choice among sports car enthusiasts.

Internet marketing jobs have become the favorite choice after technological advancements came up with the advent of the Internet. The Internet has transformed the traditional marketing into a vibrant form and has made online marketing a very successful and steadily growing industry. It has opened doors to many job seekers who are keen to show their creative and marketing abilities to the world. Requirements For Internet Marketing JobsFor online marketing jobs, one has to be internet savvy and should possess technological skills that are needed to keep them abreast with the latest in the online market. If you want to have success with online marketing jobs then apart from the basic marketing tactics, you should have thorough knowledge of the World Wide Web, technical know-how about the latest innovations in the online marketing field and tons of creativity to attract the online consumers. Marketing and advertising in the Internet domain is not easy due to its ever-changing environment and cut throat competition. To be successful in the online marketing job, you need to create ideas that sell well to people on the Internet. You not only have to sell your products and services, you also need to have ideas that ensure that the site is marketed well in the online space. Since the online consumer is not bound by a particular location or time, you would have a wide audience spread over the world that may ask for the information on your products or services from any part of the world. You would have to have the ability to clear the doubts in the minds of your online consumers wherever he/she is residing. There is no formal qualification that is required for internet marketing jobs. Any professional can do equally well in the online domain with practice and experience. The field requires you to be highly creative and quick in decision making. Since the online marketing field is ever changing, there is a lot of scope of innovative and revolutionary ideas. For someone who wants to be successful in internet marketing jobs needs to have a clear understanding of the mentality of the online users visiting the sites. If the person designing the marketing programs does not know who and what type of consumers will be catered to with that program then it is almost impossible to sell anything. Another problem with the online selling is that you would not have direct attention of the buyer and it is a proven fact that the attention span of the internet consumers is very short. So your marketing program should be creatively designed in such a way that it communicates directly and quickly with the consumer. With the help of search engine optimization you can attract the right traffic to your site. Online marketing jobs can be easily done from home or the internet booths. These jobs on the Internet are and would always be in high demand as more and more companies go online for promoting their products or services. With sincerity, dedication and willingness to keep oneself updated with the technological advancements, one can easily make a lot of money with internet marketing jobs.

Copyright 2006 Tony BuelThe word ‘crockpot’ is a name which is actually a trademarked name, but is often used as a generic term. The terms ‘crockpot’ and ‘slow cooker’ have come to be used interchangeably.’Rival’ is the original holder of the trademarked term ‘Crock-Pot’.The Rival Crock-Pot / slow cooker has been one of the most important cooking tools for busy families since its introduction in 1971. Slow cooking is a great way to provide delicious home cooked meals for people and families on the go and produces flavorful meals time after time.This appliance is made of fired clay and is usually glazed and surrounded by a metallic housing. It contains a controlled heating element to maintain the slow cooker temperatures whuich allow food to be cooked over longer periods of time.Typically a slow cooker will have just two heat settings, and a glass lid is used to retain the heat and moisture. An important tip to be sure to follow is this: Don’t lift the lid while it is cooking the food! Letting the heat escape in this way will add twenty minutes to the cooking time! The lid is important as it prevents escape of hot water vapor which would, if permitted, lead to lowering the internal water level, loss of heat and drying out of the contents.A slow cooker works in a much different way than a pressure cooker which allows much higher temperatures than the boiling point of water. Because the lid of a slow cooker is on very loosely, the temperature inside will never get above the boiling point of water. Any vapor that does occur condenses on the lid and returns as moisture back onto the food.Because of the nature of slow cooking, food can be cooked for longer than expected with no harm to the food. In fact, your meats become more tender when they are cooked like this over longer periods of time.Recipes for these cookers must be adjusted to compensate for the nature of the cooking. Often water must be decreased. Most (probably all) come with recipe booklets. Many cookbooks with slow cooker recipes are available and there are numerous recipes on the Web. A small number of cookbooks seek to make complete dishes in a slow cooker using fewer than five ingredients while others treat the slow cooker as a serious piece of culinary equipment capable of producing gourmet meals. With some experience, timings and recipe adjustments can be successfully made for many recipes not originally intended for these cookers. The long, moist nature of the cooking method allows for lower quality cuts to be used.And even though a slow cooker takes longer to cook the food, it will actually save you time! How is this possible? Well, you can quickly load the ingredients in the morning and turn it on. That right there is the bulk of your time -not very much! And at dinner time, your home will greet you with a flavorful aroma fit for a king or queen!p class=”articletext”

LeedsCast, the world’s first virtual city guide, has been launched in Leeds. LeedsCast can download useful information to mobile phones in just 20 seconds using Bluetooth technology. LeedsCast uses a system called gogo, which was created by Leeds-based creative agency an agency called england in an attempt to make Leeds city centre easier to get around. Residents and tourists alike can use the guide to access useful information about Leeds including restaurant details, hotel information, local news headlines and taxi firm numbers. Using the revolutionary new gogo system, LeedsCast can identify the zone of Leeds that you are in and then use this information to offer incentives such as shop discounts that are relevant to that area. In addition to this, the system can also provide you with walking directions to your nearest LeedsCast zone. LeedsCast zones, which are areas where you can download the guide, are located in various locations throughout the city centre, including Millennium Square, Leeds Visitor Centre and Leeds Central Library. There are nine LeedsCast zones at the moment, but it is thought that more will be launched in the coming months. Once you have downloaded the information you require, it remains is accessible from wherever you are and it is updated when you return to a LeedsCast zone.Much of the content for the LeedsCast system is being provided by Marketing Leeds. Marketing Leeds chief executive Deborah Green says that she is "proud" that Leeds are launching the first virtual guide and thinks LeedsCast will become "vital" for tourists and residents alike. She said: "Leeds is proud to be hosting the world’s first virtual city guide, and we’re really excited that through this technology we can open up new channels of communication with people who come into the city. For visitors it will be a vital source of instant information, while for people who live and work in Leeds it can provide details of upcoming events, useful contact telephone numbers, regular news updates and exciting offers. LeedsCast represents a new era in location-based city marketing."Tony Stanton, Chief Executive of an agency called england, is excited about the new gogo tool, which he devised and feels has endless possibilities. He said: "LeedsCast is the first city application of gogo and there is already much excitement about the launch. The potential uses of this technology are endless."

Thursday, December 10, 2009By Chris Meagher (Contact)Article Tools Print friendly E-mail story Tip Us Off iPod friendly Commentsdl class=”accordion-menu” id=”my-dl”dt class=”a-m-t” id=”my-dt-5″ title=”Add this to some of the most popular social networking sites and programs.” Bookmark Thisdd class=”a-m-d” del.icio.us. Digg! furl google newsvine reddit technorati Facebook Yahoo!/dl!– /small-ad –!– sphereit start –It’s a Monday evening and the halls of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital are beginning to quiet down. Up in psychiatric, patients have just been served their supper, accompanied by a slice of pie, chocolate milk, and coffee, on a tray in their rooms.Roger Thompson, 28, is sitting in his room on his plain bed, while another bed sits unused. He is surrounded by pink walls, one of which has two paintings screwed into it. Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, Thompson finds himself in a remarkably different atmosphere than just 72 hours ago, when he was sitting in the center seat of a six-person panel in front of a packed room at the Santa Barbara Central Library’s Faulkner Gallery. There, dressed in a sharp suit, he addressed the 200 or so people in attendance, attempting to answer their questions about the mentally ill and the homeless in Santa Barbara County.p class=”photographer”Paul Wellmanp class=”caption”Consumer Advocacy Coalition Founder Roger ThompsonThompson was doing the same in his hospital room Monday evening-despite the scenery change-filing and organizing note cards with audience questions from Friday’s forum. Dozens of questions were written down on cards, but the forum only allowed for a handful to be answered. Thompson, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had promised an answer to all the questions asked, and he was making certain he did. To both a hospital visitor and the packed forum he said the same thing: “We may not have all the answers, but at least we can start asking the questions.”The search for answers and reform has been behind Thompson’s activities for the past year, as well as the formation of the Consumer Advocacy Coalition (CAC) -the group that put on Friday’s town hall meeting. Thompson and CAC, which he helms as executive director, have been the face of a paradigm shift within the county’s embattled and often beleaguered mental health realm.Just Tuesday morning came news that yet another homeless man-the 28th this year- had died in the bitter cold brought about in recent days. And just as when Thompson began his fight more than a year ago, when services provided to him for his bipolar disorder were threatened, budgetary issues have put the squeeze on the state and the county, continually threatening treatment and funding.Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services (ADMHS) officials were supposed to give an update to the supervisors Tuesday, but held off to try to get a better grasp on the financial situation. The county is playing catch-up from bad billing practices extending back to the 2002-2003 fiscal year, potentially to the tune of more than $30 million. Appeals are currently ongoing, as are negotiations with the state. And this comes after consecutive years of devastating cuts of millions of dollars to the department.pullquote”If we only had to worry about the future, I’d say we’d be in much better shape,” he explained./pullquoteFederal economic stimulus money, however, has provided a small boost, helping offset some of the cuts. Last year, ADMHS received about $3 million, this year it’s expecting $4 million and will probably receive around $2 million next year in federal stimulus money, according to County Auditor-Controller Bob Geis. “If we only had to worry about the future, I’d say we’d be in much better shape,” he explained.CAC has been a bright light in the mental health community, leading the quest to reform and improve mental health services and inform the public about mental health issues. A nonprofit with a growing list of hundreds of members composed of both mental health clients and non, CAC spurred the opposition to Proposition 1E, which would have shifted money from the state’s mental health funding to the state’s general fund. It was CAC that made poetry, writing, women’s, and computer groups for clients free after they had been cut because of cost. And it’s CAC that has been holding forums about homelessness and mental health issues, keeping the discussion in the forefront. “My feeling is that it takes the entire community to address problems like this,” said Thompson.But at the vanguard of CAC is the belief that individuals with mental illness should be empowered, that they themselves can fight off stigma. It’s a model of caring with the mentally ill instead of for the mentally ill. New levels of respect and understanding of the abilities of people with mental illness are being reached. And the idea, one of the first of its kind in Santa Barbara County, seems to be working.That concept was on display Friday where dozens of volunteers, mentally ill or otherwise, showed what CAC had become. Panelists informed attendees about how getting people into permanent housing is a great way to combat homelessness, how public and private funding need to be utilized to offset the budget situation, and how a high percentage of homeless people have mental illnesses. Childcare, sign language, Spanish interpretation, and press packets were also made available to the 200 people who packed the Faulkner Gallery; it was standing room only on the night of the holiday parade just down the street.Thompson understands, better than most, the challenges faced by the mentally ill in Santa Barbara County. The baby-faced Salinas native moved to Santa Barbara to go to UCSB on a regent’s scholarship. He graduated at the top of his class, started a company, and purchased a home. Two years ago, at the age of 26, he was diagnosed as severely bipolar. He went through a divorce, a foreclosure, and abandonment. But now, collecting a check from the government and living in a small, subsidized studio apartment, Thompson is leading the charge even as he deals with his illness.Photo Galleryp class=”inline-gallery-name photo” style=”font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:10px;”Homeless and Mental Illness Meetingp class=”inline-gallery-tools”Enlarge photos | View thumbnailsThose who know him say he does a good job at recognizing his illness and taking care of himself when he needs to, as he did this time, voluntarily checking himself into the hospital Sunday. “I became aware enough to recognize the symptoms,” explained Thompson. For example, his first day on the Mental Health Commission, he had just gotten out of Ventura County’s Vista del Mar psychiatric hospital. It was on the same day that mental health leaders held a press conference-the first in the state-opposing Proposition 1E. “He’s fighting to grow this organization,” explained Barry Schoer, executive director of Sanctuary Psychiatric Centers, “but at the same time fighting the daily trials and tribulations of his illness.”Though meant to oversee and regulate everything to do with mental health, the Mental Health Commission had in recent years become stagnant, providing only a rubber stamp approval of anything coming out of ADMHS, according to several observers, clients, and directors of community-based organizations.In a much talked-about move, 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr chose Thompson for a commission position over long-time commissioner Ann Eldridge, who was also the South Coast president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Farr said she was impressed with his story, his intelligence, his enthusiasm, and his drive, and his time on the commission has only reaffirmed her choice. “The Mental Health Commission has been reinvigorated by Roger’s appointment as well as other people,” Farr said. “There’s no question he’s been a great addition.”Thompson has kick-started the commission to start up defunct MHC committees, and serves on one dedicated to consumers. Most recently, a legal opinion from County Counsel was going to up the number of commissioners and alternates required for a quorum, making it more difficult for the commission to meet and make decisions. Thompson, however, sought out and obtained a legal opinion from a NAMI attorney, and County Counsel rescinded its opinion.And so the discussion continues, but with advocates and empowered mental health clients speaking a little louder these days, the hope is that walls will be broken down and knowledge gained. “It’s repeating the same message over and over and over until we drill the message into people’s heads,” Thompson said. “Once it’s there, the stigma [that follows the mentally ill] will be reduced.”!– sphereit end –Story Help (Click-ability)Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.