FBN's Business Book Review: Andy Kessler’s new book, Eat People and Other Unapologetic Rules for Game-Changing Entrepreneurs reads like Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead – lite. Early in the book, we find him lunching with Republican activist George Gilder (identified in his Wikipedia entry as a “techno-utopia intellectual”). Gilder dispenses this advice: the more you waste, the better! The idea is that the more we “wastefully refine energy, the more useful it becomes and the more we use it and the … [Read more...] about Why Did the Cannibal Move to Flagstaff?
Columnists
Three Steps for Improving IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating and irregular bowel habits in the absence of any identifiable cause. It is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal condition in this country, affecting approximately 60 million people. That is about 20 percent of our total population and is the second most common cause of lost time at work in the country after the common cold. The difficulty with evaluating and treating IBS is … [Read more...] about Three Steps for Improving IBS
Casualties, Disasters, Thefts & Taxes
You are going along and living your life to the best you can and then all of a sudden, something bad happens. It could be anything, an accident, a robbery, or a natural (or unnatural) disaster. You're asking yourself “What now?” The short answer is: file a claim on your insurance and go from there. What most people don't realize is that these happenings can also affect your taxes. A theft is the taking of money or property with the intent to deprive the owner of it. It must be illegal under … [Read more...] about Casualties, Disasters, Thefts & Taxes
Include Massage in Your Exercise Routine
Most of us focus on the active part of exercise – running the miles or lifting the weights. Still, one of the most important goals of these activities, building muscle, takes place during recovery, not during exercise. For this reason, athletes of all fitness levels are paying equal attention to exercise routines and recovery periods. For many, regular sports massage has become an important tool in the recovery process. Sports massage is designed to help achieve the best possible performance … [Read more...] about Include Massage in Your Exercise Routine
Caring for the Caregiver
Family Caregivers aren’t alone. An estimated 44 million Americans regularly care for an elderly relative or friend, with estimates that as much as 75 percent or more of elder care is provided by informal caregivers. Many caregivers shoulder the responsibility as if they were alone, often not asking for help. As a consequence, they suffer stress that takes a toll on their own physical, mental and emotional health. They may feel guilty for wanting help – for instance, feeling as if they were … [Read more...] about Caring for the Caregiver
Hiring a Licensed Contractor Makes Good Sense
“Not a licensed contractor.” You may have seen or heard these words at the end of ads for contracting services. Why would someone add this statement? Because it’s the law. A.R.S. 32-1121A-14(c) requires that the advertising party, if not properly licensed as a contractor, disclose that fact on any form of advertising to the public by including those specific words. Licensed contractors will add the letters “ROC” and their license number. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors strictly governs … [Read more...] about Hiring a Licensed Contractor Makes Good Sense
Total Disc Replacement in the Lumbar Spine
Lumbar Total Disc Replacement is the next generation in the surgical care of lumbar degenerative disc disease. A lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) is a motion preserving technology now being used by spine surgeons in place of fusion. TDR aims to replace the degenerative disc, which is the pain generator, with a mobile implant, thus allowing continued motion and preventing adjacent segment degeneration, which is presumed to be the cause of long term failure of fusions. Many patients have found … [Read more...] about Total Disc Replacement in the Lumbar Spine
Asking the Important Questions of Your Business
Questions. It’s all about questions. Or, is it? When we work with our clients, we ask them lots of questions. We don’t ask just any question. We ask questions that challenge and provoke thought and help us learn about them; what they like, what motivates them, what they want from their business. We get them to describe why they’re in business, why they do what they do, to get a clear vision of their business or organization – to discover our clients’ passion for being. So, why are you in … [Read more...] about Asking the Important Questions of Your Business
Part II: Coming Out of the Ground
Flagstaff's Green Builder: Steps to Building an Energy Star Home This is the second installment in a series chronicling the steps to building an energy efficient home. The articles are based on projects underway in Flagstaff. We are building a house for a professor just north of NAU who has made energy efficiency a priority. The first article covered the basics of getting started, and the next few months will dive deeper into the details. Every house has its unique set of challenges, but … [Read more...] about Part II: Coming Out of the Ground
Bike to Work Week Benefits Health and the Economy
As warmer temperatures slowly make their way into Northern Arizona, the frozen roadsides of winter will finish melting away and cyclists will begin the spring ritual of dusting off their bikes and enjoying the roads and trails in and around Flagstaff. In an effort to encourage more citizens to embrace bicycles as transportation during the more temperate months of the year, the League of American Bicyclists has declared May as National Bike Month. During this month, Flagstaff Biking Organization … [Read more...] about Bike to Work Week Benefits Health and the Economy