2009 Noble Peace Prize

The 2009 Noble Peace Prize was awarded to President Barack Obama, "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." The keyword being efforts. After the award was announced by the world media a frenzy broke out; and in this frenzy not many were in support of this decision. In my humble opinion it is all because of the keyword.

Now I do not want to start a political clash over the presidency of Barack, but I will, however, give you a different scenario. Would the prize ever go to anyone else for their "extraordinary efforts" other than Mr. Obama? Case in point - a mediator.



Before you say, oh, there he goes again trying to tie everything to mediation. Bare with me for just a minute. Mediators work with disputing parties to accomplish peace between them and settle their disputes. (Hopefully) All mediators give their extraordinary efforts to every case and work very hard at it. Now what is Obama if not a mediator for the Middle East? He is giving his best to try and settle a dispute which has been going on for millenniums and so far has not succeeded. Now as a mediator I know that not every case will settle from the very first time, but when a mediator does not settle a case he/she rarely gets an award.

As I said, mediators (not all - granted) give their extraordinary efforts every day, but do not receive The Noble Peace Prize, so if it was anybody else instead of Obama he or she would never get the prize for effort. Being that effort in science, health or peace; extraordinary or not.

I will say this though, the president decided to donate the monetary award of 1.4 million dollars to charity. Maybe even he thinks its a bit too much.

What You Need to Know About Social Security

This article is taken from Yahoo.com

This benefit should be the cornerstone of your retirement planning. The answers to these five questions will help you to get the most out of it.
(Money Magazine) -- You've probably spent a lot of time sweating over your 401(k) and IRA. But have you given much thought to the way Social Security will fit into your retirement plans?
You should. In fact, Social Security provides 50% of the income for more than half of married retired couples and about 20% for high earners. Moreover, it's the only source of income you're likely to have that's guaranteed to last for life and keep pace with inflation.
But given the complexity of the Social Security calculations, it's tough to figure out how to make the most of it. The amount of your monthly check will depend on when you retire, how much you and your spouse earned, and whether you work in retirement. "That makes it hard to plan," says former Social Security Administration deputy commissioner Andrew Biggs. The following guide will answer those questions and give you strategies that can help you maximize your benefits.

...continue.

Mediation or elese?

Recently I have been hired to assist in structuring a real estate deal. Should this not be the job or a real estate agent?

A property buyer asked me to assist in structuring a purchase deal... well, scratch that, assist in assisting the two RE agents to come to a consensus over the real estate deal they are making. I was very skeptical. However, I realized that sometimes, when the parties cannot agree on an amount to a purchase or a sale having a mediator is very, very useful. I was able to point out great faults with both side's offers and bring them to a close within two hours. I only wish more people would use a neutral third party for their big purchases or sales. Imagine a world where you don't have to deal with a car salesman. (eBay and Chevy - I know.)

Debt Settlement

This is going to be a quick one.

We finally launched a debt settlement service through an affiliate with superb statistics. I am very excited to be able to put my name on a product I trust and provide debt settlement services to new and existing clients in California.

Take a look at it: http://www.rtmediation.com/debt_settlement.htm

More to come later.

iPod, iLife - Slashed!

Apple announced today that they will be slicing prices on the full iPod line in order to compete with Zune and of course sell more product. Meanwhile, people are getting deeper and deeper in debt and are unable to resolve their lawsuits with creditors.

I realize that this sounds like a broken record, but come on, isn't it time for us to stop listening to songs and start fixing our lives?

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a word we hear a lot these days. From TV commercials, to magazine ads and newspapers. Everyone is talking about bankruptcies. In general, I have no problem with someone in trouble filing for a bankruptcy. After all, Donald Trump did it. However, what does bother me is everyday people who get into a little bit of trouble and think that bankruptcy is the cure-all for all their problems. Furthermore, it is the absolute go-to - which it isn't!

People, bankruptcies should be that absolute last case resort. Please do not just jump into a chapter 7 or 11, especially without knowing what it means. Please, find an attorney and get a consultation. Keeping in mind, of course, is that an attorney would want to sell his or her service to you so take everything with a grain of salt. Talk to a financial advisor, a CPA, a friend or perhaps someone who has filed for bankruptcy before. Remember that each situation is unique so the slightest detail can make a world of difference.

Visit http://www.rtmediation.com/bkcy from Affordable Bankruptcy Lawyers for a free consultation and make sure that there are no other alternative before you file. Please.

Put a Rush on It!

Couple of days ago I had a client who was very worried that he did not have enough time to mediate his case and wanted to settle immediately. The terms were simple, the dispute was pretty straightforward and he did not care much about meeting the other side in person. So, I decided to do a virtual mediation and get things done via phone, fax and email. The client (defendant) was very sure about how he wanted to settle and what he wanted to accomplish, so after a short discussion I called the plaintiffs. Please, keep in mind that the defendant was very concerned about the time.

Upon speaking with the plaintiff attorney I was asked to hold on the phone while he would get in touch with his client. Five minutes later we had a settlement. Good news, right? Wrong. Excited about the quick resolution and thinking of how happy the defendant would be I phoned him immediately and informed him that his terms were accepted and the case was as good as settled. To my surprise all I head on the other line was a long silent pause.

We all had that pause, it is the pause when you start doubting your self and your decision of making an offer which got immediately accepted. Should I have gone lower? Did I do the right thing? That little voice inside of us taunting us and saying that you gave up too easy.

The case settled a few days later for the exact same amount as was first discussed; however, I will always remember that no matter how much rush someone is in - timing is everything.