Built in 1854, The Edgbaston Palace is a modern hotel offering a high standard of comfort and cleanliness. All rooms are en-suite facilities with colour televisions and tea and coffee making facilities. We also have conference rooms to suit your conference needs and also provide an excellent wedding package.

Don't miss out on our Friday and Saturday Special Rate!!!

CNN REPORTS: MySpace declares state of financial emergency.. $ Billions in Debt and losses...

We were supposed to be going to the cinema, but had to give up when we saw the conditions on the Bristol Road. Well at least someone enoyed the rain...

If you attend all three days, the Association will add your name and organization as a resource for anger management intervention on its website: www.aaamp.org. We encourage you to visit this website to learn more about the association. Anderson & Anderson is also available to answer any questions that you may have about the benefits of being a member of the association. Please call our office if you have any questions, or would like to register for our training, at 310-207-3591. You can also obtain additional information by visiting the Anderson website at www.andersonservices.com.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

When I speak with hospital administrators, many times the topic of disruptive physician behavior comes up. Now that has some obvious reasons. Disruptive physician behavior can damage the hospitals reputation tremendously and it can cost the organization lots of money. It is actually estimated that unnecessary turnover rates alone costs health care organizations more than $150,000 per disruptive physician. Additionally, a new survey about physician-nurse relationships uncovers a strikingly high prevalence of disruptive physician behavior that is affecting nurse retention. It showed that disruptive behavior by physicians is contributing to fuel the nationwide nursing shortage, heavily impacting job satisfaction and morale for nurses.The survey results also revealed the seriousness of the issue and highlight a lack of physician awareness, appreciation, value and respect for nurses.

As a result, disruptive physician behavior has a negative impact on patient quality care and increases the likelihood of medical errors.Now what is disruptive physician behavior? There are many definitions available; however, the American Medical Association sums it up succinctly by “defining disruptive behavior as a style of interaction with physicians, hospital personnel, patients, family members, or others that interferes with patient care.” Obviously, disruptive behavior cannot be neglected and needs to be addressed at the organizational level. Of course every hospital has a process in place how they address those kind of interferences but unfortunately, the success rates are many times not as high as they envision them. So what else can be done to reduce disruptive behavior? When you look at the incidences closely, you can see that disruptive physician behavior is the result of a lack of self-management, a lack of interpersonal skills or both. No physicians gets up in the morning with the intention of cussing a nurse out, interrupting the success of their surgery by throwing instruments through the OR, or screaming at a hospital administrator. I don’t think that any physician has such bad intentions because then they would definitely not be suited for this profession and should look for a job where human interactions are non existent.

Instead, I look at disruptive physician behavior as a sign that their self-management and interpersonal skills are underdeveloped. At the end disruptive behavior is the symptom of an underlying cause, call it frustration with life, overwhelm with their professional responsibilities, inability to cope with the demands of life, incapability to effectively communicate with people. Handing the physician a warning or having a conversations with the physician about repercussions will not cure the behavior but rather only band aid on it. In order to get to the source of the behavior, the conversations and the revelations have to go deeper and need to address topics such as:- how to effectively control oneself in stressful situations- how to resolve conflict with a win-win outcome- how to communicate effectively in any kind of situation- how to resolve frustrations and strive to create more harmony and balance in one’s life and many more.

As a result, rather than educating and lecturing physicians about the negative consequences of their behaviors, hospitals need to invest time and resources into preventative workshops that address those skills, performing self-assessments, increasing staff awareness of the issue, opening lines of communication and creating great collaboration among peers.If hospitals don’t do this, the problem will continue to grow and patients, nurses, and the financial situation of the organization will continue to needlessly suffer. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”- Henry de Bracton, De Legibus in 1240. I look forward to your comments and hearing from you.

Iris Grimm

• “Losing It” is the title of the Griff Rhys Jones BBC documentary on anger management. The internationally recognized Anderson & Anderson anger management curricula for Executive Coaching as well as anger management classes are the primary focus of these two one hour presentations. Copies of “Losing It” will be available on DVD once the documentaries have appeared on the BBC in the Fall.

• Four Continuing Education Courses are now available in Home Study/DVD/CD Format. They are “Session One”, Emotional Intelligence, “A Day Without Stress” and “Gaining Control of Ourselves”, the DVD. A description and cost for these courses are available on our website under On-Line Store: www.andersonservices.com.

• “Gaining Control of Ourselves” our popular Adult Anger Management Workbook will be available in Perfect Bind with a new cover on September 17, 2008.

Please remember that that it is necessary to complete a minimum of 16 hours of continuing education in anger management through Anderson & Anderson to remain on our Certified Anger Management Provider List.

Feel free to contact Rasheed in our office if we can be helpful.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

For many companies the cost of leasing office space is typically one of the companies highest expense items - second to only the cost of salaries and wages - its important to be sure that both the move and the timing of the move are right for your company.  Briefly, the relocation process contains:

• Establishing a relocation team to coordinate the move. This may also include an advisory team consisting of real estate and relocation professionals, a commercial real estate agent and real estate attorney.
• Determining your needs.  How much space do you require?  What type of building fits your business?  What is your preferred geographic location?  Do you need to be located near restaurants, hotels and/or public transportation?  Lastly, you'll need to prepare a budget.
• Identify potential properties. Obtain a list of available properties from your commercial real estate agent.  Narrow the list by excluding properties that are unsuitable.  Schedule a tour of the remaining facilities.  Determine which locations could be appropriate for your business.
• Prepare a preliminary space plan. With the help of a space planner or architect, determine the most efficient use of space at your two or three top building choices.  For construction cost estimates, establish a general type and amount of changes required.
• Develop a Request for Proposal (RFP).  Your commercial real estate agent will prepare and distribute an RFP to the landlords of your top building choices.  Based upon response, determine which space would be the best alternative for your business.  Once determined, your real estate agent will submit a letter of intent to the landlord outlining the terms you intend the lease to be based upon.
• Finalize space plan. Get input from departmental representatives and have a formal blueprint created to represent your new space should remodeling/construction be necessary.
• Negotiate the terms of your lease. Once a lease is obtained and reviewed by decision-maker(s) from your company, get input from your real estate agent and attorney.  Renegotiate and/or accept lease terms.

Now, having conceptualized the process, you'll need to dive a bit deeper into the details required for planning your move.

1. Identify dedicated resources. This should include a relocation coordinator and departmental representation.  Each participant should understand occasional evening and weekend work may be necessary.  The team should also plan to attend weekly progress meetings, once details begin to materialize.
2. Develop an advisory team:
   ->Commercial Real Estate Agent/Broker:
   Choose someone experienced in lease negotations and specialized in similar types of space (e.g. office, industrial, retail, etc.). Understand how he/she finds available space. Ask how this person will get paid for providing services. Also ask for 2 or 3 references of similar clients.
   ->Real Estate Attorney:
   He/she should help in determining rights of both parties and understanding the significance of all lease terms. Should also recognize and leverage the goals of the business with those of the landlord.
   ->Architect/Space Planner:
   Relocation is an excellent opportunity to design a more efficient working environment. This person can help in determining the correct amount of space required, taking into consideration current/future employees and growth expectations.
   ->Furniture Consultant:
   If buying new furniture, bring a furniture vendor into the process to help with the type of configuration of workstations and individual office furniture. Design services are typically offered at no charge to you, depending on the type of and quantity of furniture ordered.
   ->IT Consultant:
   This is crucial in helping to design and setup telephone/data services, esp. if you are planning to move significant existing equipment. Key considerations include building ample capacity for phone/data networks with appropriate access points throughout the new office. This resource may also be helpful in coordinating external vendors, such as utility providers, ISPs, phone companies, etc. and renegotiate contracts.
3. Determine the budget. Consider the costs of professional advisory fees, hiring a moving company, relocating your equipment and computer network, replacing office furniture and printing costs for new business cards, stationary and other printed material, including relocation announcements for customers.
4. Establish a Time Line. A typical move can take anywhere from six to 12 months of planning.  In general, your facility selection and lease review process will take the longest amount of time.  It's important to continue working through other facets of the move, choosing a moving company, researching furniture options and office equipment during the facility selection process.
5. Key Considerations
   Evaluate the feasibility of renewing your current lease before making decisions to relocate. If you choose to move, interview several commercial real estate agents. Be sure to check references as well as companies/properties they represent. Establish a moving date well in advance, ideally in less busy period of the business to ensure ample time for the relocation process.
6. Action Steps
   10-12 months prior to the move you should: Appoint a relocation coordinator, interview and select a commercial real estate agent, engage services of a real estate attorney, select the rest of your advisory team including an architect or space planner as well as furniture and IT consultants. Next develop your relocation budget, including estimates for professional services, moving expenses and the cost of new furnishings and equipment. Lastly, schedule the prospective moving day, knowing that this may be a moving target until the office space selection and other factors are determined.

Next, we'll dive into part 2, creating your ideal office environment.

Some of these are better known than others. It's fairly widely known, for instance, that Ted Sandyman's mill in Hobbiton was based on Sarehole Mill, one of only two working watermills left in Birmingham.

The mill sits near the banks of the River Cole, with its own large mill pond, and is a picturesque building dating from around two hundred years ago, although there has been a mill on the site for nearly five hundred years.

The wild tangled area of woodland and wetland beyond the mill known as Moseley Bog also features in the book since it inspired the Old Forest, the dark and terrifying stretch of woodland where the trees think and move, and all paths lead to the forest's evil heart.

Tolkien regularly played in Moseley Bog as a child, and the experience clearly stayed with him for life!

Less well known features include The Ivy Bush pub, where the hobbits used to drink. There's been a pub called The Ivy Bush on the Hagley Road in Edgbaston for many years, only a few hundred yards up the road from where the Tolkien family lived. The pub, an interesting old corner building which used to have a lovely painting of an Ivy Bush on the outside wall, is such a well-known landmark that it's given its name to both the road junction and the surrounding area.

The Two Towers of the book's second volume were almost certainly based on Perrott's Folly and the tower of the Edgbaston Waterworks, which stare out at each other across the city's rooftops near the shores of Edgbaston Reservoir. Although built at different times, both would have already been in existence when the family moved to nearby Stirling Road.

Perrott's Folly (in the foreground of the picture) is thought to have inspired Minas Tirith and the waterworks Minas Morgul! The third tower, Orthanc, may well have been inspired by Birmingham University's Edwardian Italianate clock tower, which Tolkien would likely have seen being built.

And the Weathertop hills? Well, hold a mirror up to Tolkien's description of them and you have the Malvern Hills, a range of low hills only about 30 miles south of Birmingham in the county of Worcestershire. The flat-topped Amon Sul, with its ring of ramparts, is almost certainly based on the Herefordshire Beacon, which sits at one end of the range and still bears visible traces of an Ancient British hillfort.

More widely, the story of the Scouring of The Shire is based on Tolkien's own experiences of inter-war development. Moseley was developed in Victorian and Edwardian times and at that time was on the edge of the city, with only green fields and small villages beyond. In the 1920s, though, vast tracts of land were being built up to form the suburbs of Hall Green and Shirley and the destruction of this ancient landscape clearly left its mark on the author.

The link between Tolkien and Birmingham (and its surrounding area) isn't as well publicised as it might be. There's a Tolkien Trail in Moseley, which takes in the mill, the bog, and the former family home in Wake Green Road. One of Moseley's many parks, which runs along the banks of the River Cole near the mill, has been renamed The Shire Country Park. And just lately there's been a campaign to have a statue of an ent (designed by the author's great-nephew Tim Tolkien) erected on Moseley village green. Even so, it's one of Birmingham's best kept secrets, and one which deserves to be more widely known. The city has an undeserved reputation as a sea of 1960s concrete but is actually still full of attractive hidden corners like these.

Lisa Pilkington 05/09/2008 10:30

A public inquiry into Birmingham city council’s compulsory purchase order for a 290,000 sq ft shopping centre above New Street station will take place next year.

The council wants to take control of the Pallasades mall to enable its £550m redevelopment of the station.

Michael Stevens, property director at owner Warner Estate, said it objected to the CPO to “protect our position and get a sensible commercial decision”.

"commercial decision" on a public project.  I have just about lost it with Warner.

New Orleans:

Birmingham, Alabama: 

I guess they didn't quite agree with his message. It is sad to see this piece ruined, but that is the life span of street art. This life span is a testament to the artist, proving that it isn't for the money. It is for the message. These art galleries are free. You don't have to pay a cover. All you have to do is pay attention. 

If you would like to see some more great UK street art click here.

Production on the animation has already started and they are now looking for typographers, lettering artists, calligraphers and other creatives who would like to take part in a day of filming. Artists will be recorded while creating individual letters through drawing, carving, printing, incising etc. The letters will be used in a multi-screen installation spelling out the name Baskerville.

Filming will take place on Monday 22 September 2008 in the Milo Studio, Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, Gosta Green, Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 7DX.

If you would like to get involved and see your work on the silver screen don't hesitate to contact:

Caroline Archer | caroline@uktype.com < mailto:caroline@uktype.com>
| 0121 766 7948

David Osbaldestin | David.Osbaldestin@bcu.ac.uk <
mailto:David.Osbaldestin@bcu.ac.uk>

Do not steal other peoples work...get your own! ;)

It is always good to keep a watch on your local MP, they work for you after all.

So it was interesting to see my local MP in the news this morning. Lavishly-haired Tory Michael Fabricant found himself at the worrying end of guns belonging to some Columbian soldiers during his South American trekking holiday.

He was accused of drug smuggling after the soldiers discovered a suspicious white(ish) powder in his belongings. Happily, the MP was allowed to stride purposefully onwards a free man once he proved the powder was not cocaine, but was in fact CoffeeMate by polishing off a couple of spoon-fulls in front of the bemused soldiers.

There was no overdosing on whitener - although the MP admits he did feel more than a little queasy afterwards.

A valuable lesson in packing wisely for foreign trips.

Down the A38 from Lichfield, Birmingham is promoting education of a different kind. It is aiming for the title - unofficial or otherwise - of the UK's University City.

Marketing Birmingham has unveiled the £390,000 campaign - Live and Learn - to try and make the city a "magnet for youth, knowledge-led businesses and a centre for academic excellence".

Lessons are also being offered by the developers touting plans for one of the Government's eco-towns.

Anyone wanting to buy a house in the 6,000-home development near Long Marston, Stratford-upon-Avon, will be offered tips on how to adopt a greener lifestyle.

An induction day will highlight the town’s “sustainable ethos”, with advice about recycling, alternative power sources and the importance of using public transport or bicycles.

Why restrict such lessons to residents of so-called eco-towns?

Another testing subject is tackled by US author Tom Vanderbilt. He has set out to discover whether the UK has the toughest driving test in the world.

Of course, our standards might be high when it comes to learning how to drive and passing the test, but that doesn't necessarily make us the best drivers in the world.

We might need to reach a reasonably high level in order to pass the test, but we're even better at forgetting all those important and pretty basic lessons.

As soon as we're allowed to drop the L-plates, we invariably stop indicating, following speed limits, how to park properly and showing any hint of courtesy to other road users and pedestrians.

I guess you do live and learn.

I love Hendrix music... it's over 40 years old and still relevant and fantastic to listen to.  He's one of those rock icons that no-one can emulate.  Eric Clapton was only ever really threatened by this young dude.

I wonder what Mr Hendrix would be like today?  I used to dance to Hendrix at Senseteria in Brum or Eddies No 8, so it takes me back to fun times.

Well shes walking through the clouds
With a circus mind thats running round
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams and fairy tales
Thats all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind.

When Im sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles, she gives to me free
Its alright she says its alright
Take anything you want from me, anything
Anything.

Fly on little wing,
Yeah yeah, yeah, little wing

Here a nice little tribute.. with Hey Joe at the end.

It's the anniversary of his death coming up on 18th September.... 38 years ago.  He still influences many guitarists now.  Self taught he pushed the boundaries of guitar playing and developed his distinctive sound.  Like many great artists of his era (Joplin, Jones, Morrison) he died aged 27.

I loved his fashion sense, and he would shop mainly from vintage stores, mixing funky colours up with military uniform.  Apparently he'd travel about with hair curlers to keep his legendary mop curly!  What a cool guy.. I'd have liked to have met him.

The Waterboys do a great tribute to Jimi.. but I can't find it anywhere to post here....

Of All The People In The World Stan's Cafe are installing 112 tonnes of rice in a former metal factory- a grain to represent each person on the planet.

This breathtaking show has amazed adults and children alike from Los Angles to Melbourne, Madrid to New York City and now is coming home to Birmingham. I have been told that not only will Of All The People In The World take your breath away but will change the way you think about the planet we share.

The show runs 13th September - 5th October, 12-21 (not mondays). The venue is A.E.Harris Factory, 110 Northwood street, Birmingham< B3 1SZ. Tickets are £2.50 -unless you visit on the first two days, when admission is free as part of ArtsFest.

For more information on this unusual event, take a look at the website www.stanscafe.co.uk

Die 28 Immobilien gehören zu einem Portfolio von ursprünglich 40 Objekten (60 % Einzelhandels- und 40 % Büroimmobilien) verteilt über ganz England, die in diesem Jahr schon einmal außerbörslich angeboten wurden. Die Einzelhandelsobjekte befinden sich in Chester, Guilford, Norwich, Birmingham und Chichester und die Bürogebäude in Thames Ditton, Manchester und Southampton. Die erwartete Nettoanfangsrendite des Portfolios beträgt 7,5 %.

Manish Chande, Senior Partner bei Mountgrange, führte aus: „Wir freuen uns bei dem Kauf dieses hochwertigen Immobilienportfolios mit Curzon zusammenzuarbeiten. Zusammengefasst sind die Immobilien eine gute Mischung, bieten sie doch sichere Wertzuwächse und Asset Management-Perspektiven."

„Dies ist unsere erste Transaktion in Großbritannien, mit der unsere Investoren die durch die Kreditkrise entstandene instabile Lage auf dem Immobilienmarkt für sich nutzen können“, so Ric Lewis, CEO von Curzon.

Steffan Francis, Direktor Institutionelle Fonds bei PRUPIM, fügte hinzu: „Wir sind überaus zufrieden, dass wir unser Ziel, die strategische Neustrukturierung dieses besonderen Fonds-Portfolios nach den Vorgaben unserer ...

Diese Immobiliennachricht weiterlesen

His first was: "So can you sum up Birmingham's business profile in 150 words?"

I was still thinking on this challenge when The Birmingham Post announced that business would dominate the radical new-look of the newspaper when it is relaunched in the autumn, so these thoughts moved onto a new level.

I've also been doing a fair bit of research for another project, looking at the current make up of "business" in Birmingham and the people who work in the city centre.

Having worked on the Post for five years and lived in or just outside the city for almost eight years, I thought I'd got a pretty good handle on what business in Birmingham means.

We've got the established and traditional - everything from the legal and financial sectors to the property types and manufacturers - and those starting to make a greater impact and have a bigger influence on Birmingham (the "creative industries", IT, the arts, tourism).

Historically called the city of a thousand trades, Birmingham has never been easy to pigeon-hole no matter what outdated images endure in some minds.

In all the research and reading around I've been doing, there seems a good deal of optimism.

And yet, according to UK Competitiveness Index 2008, Birmingham is losing its appeal as a place to do business.

The city is sliding down the list of the most competitive UK business locations, currently standing at 29th compared to a resurgent Manchester which has made it into the top ten.

What makes Birmingham's poor showing baffling is that those behind the index are pointing to Manchester's major strengths in recent years as being:

creative industries...information technology, communications, digital media...Also knowledge-intensive businesses, consultants and financial services....

Aren't these the same industries that have been flourishing in Birmingham?

Meanwhile, Microsoft and The Future Laboratory have released a study into Birmingham's future which makes for some interesting and quite heartening reading.

Using Birmingham City Council's much-vaunted Big City Plan as the basis, the vision for 2033 shows that the landscape once dominated by automobile and aerospace manufacturing, is:

...moving to a next-generation services centre to facilitate financial, legal and business support from localized business hubs.

The full vision certainly sounds an attractive place to do business and work, as well as rest and play.

So, as the Post looks to concentrate on business and seek new platforms to hang its coverage on, are there still grounds for optimism?

The Post's editor obviously thinks so and his latest blog, a short video giving us glimpse of the newspaper's new offices at Fort Dunlop (outside of the city centre, the 2033 predictions are already happening) shows that investment in the future is certainly forthcoming.

Other companies in other industries are doing the same. The city has a few new, vibrant trades and professions to add to that historic list.

Yet with all this reading I'm still left with one question.

Can Birmingham's business profile be restricted to just 150 words?