I needed to do a conference call to participate in a meeting last night. There was a phone in the meeting room the rest of the group occupied, but it couldn’t do conference calling. We were stuck.

I did a quick search in the Skype help file and conference calling on Skype can include other skype users and direct phone calls. Skype phone rates of 2.5 cents/minute apply unless you’ve signed up for their unlimited plan. The cost of unlimited North American calls is only $30/year. That’s right: the cost is per year.

So I called up the people we needed to and hooked each of them into the call and it worked seamlessly. The call quality was clear enough that we had people on speakerphone and the conversation was clear. It was awesome. I’ve always disliked phone technology for these types of services because it always seems kludgey and costly. Skype has helped me eliminate both of those barriers.

This was my horoscope today.

Your fate may be in the hands of others now, for events seem to take their own course of action no matter what you do. But don't give up; you can impact your future by developing a healthy sense of detachment. Making too much out of nothing can set you up for unneeded disappointment. Don't worry if you aren't seeing the results you desire yet. Give yourself time.

I read this during my morning pot of coffee and thought "wow, it's uncanny how close this is to what's happening in my life right now." Then I caught myself; what is so unique about this to my particular situation? Couldn't someone else with a completely different birthday read this and find the same relevance in their lives?

this group is no longer meeting at the moment.

Well, the Niagara Networkers had their second official meeting, and it was just as well attended as the first. We’re making some real progress here and everyone is excited about the potential.

If you’re new to the idea, as most people will be, you can find the details here. It’s a local business networking group that a bunch of us have started to help one another generate business in a more cooperative and collaborative spirit.

Just received word this morning that the Conservative government here in Canada has cut funding to adult literacy programs to the tune of around $17 million.

I can’t find any details yet on what programs will be affected, but I have to imagine we’ll see some fallout at Literacy Link Niagara.

I’m reviewing the budget to see if I can find any more detail, and will post again when I know more, see links, etc.

*UPDATE:* First contacts at the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development indicate they aren’t aware what programs are being cut yet. It’s likely that they’ve just been given the mandate to cut a certain amount and let the secretariat decide where that should be. My guess is that just about everything is up for discussion. A list of services offered federally is linked below.

I have been researching key literacy events for family and adult literacy. As I find specific dates, I will be posting them here.

Google Calendar: Niagara Literacy Events

One of the things I’ve noticed recently is that the more hierarchical an organization, the less initiative is taken by its members.

If you look at more collaborative groups, initiative seems to be taken more quickly for a few reasons.

• the group has assembled usually for a specific purpose.
• the group has an understanding and an acceptance of that purpose.
• the members’ opinions have an equitable weight.
• less effort is placed on process and more effort placed on results.

This is one of the reasons grassroots advocacy groups can get things done more quickly. You can see time and time again, however, that as such efforts mature, process becomes more complex and momentum slows.

I read this article on leadership qualities today on Lifehack and I was intrigued by how much this resonates with me with what’s happening around me recently.

Review the article and reflect on how many of those leadership traits you possess, regardless of your current status as a leader. The more you can begin developing today, the better the payoff for you personally, professionally and spirtually in the coming years.