used saddle

Duration : 0:0:0

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Upper Saddle River, N.J. – July 18, 2006 – There continues to be a barrage of media reports concerning new excesses relating to executive compensation. Recent revelations have concerned back dating of stock option grants, grossing up bonus payments to cover related taxes, and extremely lucrative retirement benefits .

A Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) is a type of retirement plan that is extremely common, and has long been used to replace retirement benefits which would otherwise be reduced because of ERISA limitations. SERPs typically take the form of a predetermined level of post-retirement income replacement. The percentage of income that is guaranteed has been increasing, and it is not uncommon to see 80% or more. Although most plans contain a carve out for Social Security and other company-provided retirement benefits, the benefit is typically not tied to performance.

In the case of for-profit, publicly-traded companies, many organizations already have other forms of Long-Term Incentives (LTIs) that have the potential of providing extra funds to enhance retirement benefits without the need for SERPs. Privately-owned, for-profits tend to utilize fewer equity-based plans, but still offer other opportunities for capital accumulation that can assist with post-retirement income. Although these may take the form of SERPs which are time based, many companies have also adopted some form of performance based LTI, most commonly referred to as phantom stock plans.

Phantom stock plans typically provide participants an opportunity to share in the upside growth of the company. These may pay out at the end of a fixed performance period (3-5 years), or be career-based and paid at retirement. They typically provide motivational value to achieve desired growth and profitability objectives, while defusing criticism that the plan is a “give away” based on longevity only.

In the not-for-profit (NFP) world, the use of variable compensation is rapidly growing as an important component of overall compensation. There is a pronounced move towards the adoption of true formula-based incentive plans, with defined goals and objectives. While the belief has been that not-for-profits have no “profits” to share, this perception has long since been replaced with the recognition that there are definable and measurable goals, and that if achieved, will advance the organization’s mission and also trigger the payment of variable compensation. Similarly, the achievement of longer-term goals can also be used to fund enhanced retirement benefits, that can replace or at least supplement the typical SERP.

Paul R. Dorf, Ph.D., APD
http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/serps-a-briefing-on-executive-retirement-benefits-113383.html

{ 0 comments }

Hello Everyone,
As some of you might know, in my last question i said i was thinking about buying a new english all purpose saddle. I was just wondering, what do you guys think of a new vs. a used saddle? Preference? What do you like/dislike about getting a new/used saddle? Any ideas? Thanks alot in advance!

A good saddle will last just about forever when it has been well taken care of. So, if you get a good saddle, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s new or used since either way it will last a long time if you care for it (assuming the previous owner took good care of it). While it is always nice to get a new saddle and know everything it has been though, there is no harm in getting a good used saddle, especially for the budget conscious. So, I think it’s more important to get a good saddle, and whether it’s new or used is of secondary importance. By "good saddle" I mean a name brand, with quality leather, a solid tree, with good balance.

Whether you get new or used, you need to get a saddler to come custom fit the saddle to your horse’s back by adding for removing flocking as needed.

powered by Yahoo Answers

{ 6 comments }

Duration : 0:0:0

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Upper Saddle River, N.J. – October 16, 2006 – Business ethics, corporate leadership, good governance. These are today’s buzzwords; “good as gold” standards that few can argue with. As we unfortunately know from the seemingly unending corporate scandals, these buzzwords that should be the standards for corporate management have not been uniformly applied. Recognizing that the starting point for good governance starts with the boards of directors, the Securities and Exchange Commission has mandated that tighter controls be placed on the boards themselves. Part of this requirement is that the boards conduct and report on their own performance. In addition, the New York Stock Exchange, Standard & Poor’s, and other agencies have added their weight to the requirement for boards to conduct self-evaluations.

As many organizations approach the end of their fiscal years and thus need to report on this review process, what are the requirements and options open to boards for conducting these performance reviews? Unfortunately, the requirements only specify that performance reviews be conducted; they do not answer the important related issues. Among the many unanswered questions are:

· Who will actually conduct the evaluation – the board, the company’s internal auditors, an independent third party, or outside legal counsel?

· How often will these evaluations be conducted? There is an inference that twice a year is appropriate, but this is not specified.

· What issues and metrics will be used to evaluate the board and its committees?

· What governance areas should be addressed?

· What methodology should be used for actually conducting the review?

As would be expected, because of the void created by the lack of definition in the regulations, and the large number of unanswered questions, there are an ever-increasing number of “ready made” solutions available. Whether the board uses an off-the-shelf review process, or creates its own system, there are certain issues that they must address. These include, but are not limited to:

·A review of procedural issues

·Completeness of documentation

·Adherence to board by-laws and committee charters

·Reliance upon appropriate and qualified outside counsel

·Evaluation of individual members’ contribution and involvement

·The effectiveness at advancing the organization and the interests of its shareholders

The bottom line is to determine how effective the board is at protecting and enhancing the shareholders’ value, and, to what extent, how individual board members contribute to the achievement of the organization’s goals.

Paul R. Dorf, Ph.D., APD
http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/board-of-director-evaluations-a-good-governance-tool-113425.html

{ 0 comments }

I just bought a used stubben dressage saddle with a ton of discoloration (the black has faded). I was wondering if it was okay if I bought some leather dye and fixed it up that way-or will it ruin the leather? I have to have a saddle come out and reflock it-should I have her re-dye it or will she do pretty much the same thing for more money? Thanks!

I can tell you how to do it and you won’t be getting any weird green coloring.

If you have a saddler out to re-flock anyway, it would be less headache for you to have it done professionally.
By the time you locate and buy the supplies, go through the prep and and actually get hands on, time and money wise, I’d look into it.

There is a right and a wrong way to dye leather. IF you opt to DIY, email me and I’ll tell you the right way.

powered by Yahoo Answers

{ 4 comments }

Duration : 0:0:0

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

Texas Tech University, which is located at Lubbock Texas, was established on February 10, 1923. This public university was originally called the Texas Tech University System, which is known for being one of the largest contiguous campuses in the US. Also, this institution is the only one in Texas that houses undergraduate, medical, and law schools at the same campus or location. When it comes to sports, the athletic teams that represent this school are called the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Women teams are also called Red Raiders, except for the women’s basketball team which is called the Lady Raiders.

The Texas Tech University has two mascots, Masked Rider and Raider Red. The former is actually the oldest mascot of the university. Although the Masked Rider was first used by the athletic teams of the school in 1936, it became an official mascot only in 1954 when Joe Kirk Fulton together with his horse Blackie led the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team into the field at the Gater Bowl. An Atlanta Journal writer, Ed Danforth, even wrote that there is no team in any sports bowl to have ever made a sensational entrance such as the one that Fulton, along with the rest of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, pulled that day. To commemorate this unforgettable tradition, a statue of the Masked Rider created by renowned artist Grant Speed was unveiled in 2000.

The other mascot of Texas Tech University, Raider Red, is a fairly recent addition to the team. This mascot was actually unveiled during the 1971 football games because the Southwest Conference did not allow the inclusion of live and breathing animal mascots on the games unless the host school explicitly consented. So, in games or situations where the home team cannot bring the beloved Masked Rider’s horse, the raiders usually bring Raider Red, which was created by Jim Gaspard. Although the true identity of the Masked Rider is known to everyone, the identity of the one who is wearing the Raider Red costume is not public knowledge, at least until the end of the student’s tenure. However, one thing is for sure, the one who dons Raider Red should be a member of the High Riders or the Saddle Tramps.

For the longest time, the rivals of the Texas Tech University in athletic competitions have been the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns. The students and fans of Texas Tech usually camp outside the Jones AT&T Stadium the night before important games against the Aggies, the Longhorns, and even the Oklahoma Sooners are held. Aside from the mascots, another popular school tradition of Texas Tech is the Double T Logo. Whenever you see this symbol, it is a good bet that the one wearing it is a student, alumni, or a fan of the Texas Tech teams. The first one who used this symbol to decorate the football team’s sweater is EY Freeland, who is also the first coach of the Texas Tech football team. The logo was updated in 2000 to make the Double T look more three-dimensional.

Freddie Brister
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/texas-tech-university-729775.html

{ 3 comments }