Category Archives: Construction

Goal Setting – How to Handle Constructive Criticism

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There will be many times in your life when you get criticism; sometimes constructive, and let’s face it, sometimes not. How you deal with this criticism is vital to your future success.

For most people the first reaction that they will have for criticism, is a knee jerk reaction where they feel hurt, and in need of defending their actions and offering a countercritisim. This is often not the best response as criticism gives us the opportunity to learn more about our actions, and also to grow more.

This article explores accepting criticism for what it is worth. Now before we go into the details, we would like to clarify that we are not asking you to roll over and accept all criticism; what we are suggesting, is that sometimes the criticism may be true and that the criticism, however badly delivered, could be a good learning experience. So here goes…lets look at how you can use criticism for good.

Next time, you are giving criticism, take a deep breath, say thank you for pointing that out to me. Have a quick think, to see if the criticism is accurate. If it is accept it and say…you are right (etc). If you don’t think it is accurate. Simply, say…I will take that on board. You will quickly learn that this will make you feel a lot happier, and if the other person is saying criticism for malice, they will soon lose interest.

An example could be as follows:

You are driving with your wife next to you, when she makes a comment on how close you are driving to other cars. Your first reaction was a knee jerk one, and you automatically take offence to the comment and get defensive. However, you take a few seconds to calm down. You have a quick think about it, and realise that there was merit in her words. ‘Your right…I do sometimes drive to close to other cars…thank you for pointing it out to me, I shall try and drive safer’. Is the reply you give. Your wife felt acknowledged, and you started driving safer. Win-Win.

Of course the above is a very simplistic example, but it does show how the process works. Criticism offers a lot of opportunities and allows us to grow. Without it, we can become quite stagnant. So next time someone is offering criticism consider it, and if you think it has merit take it on board.

Pillared Wedding Cake Construction Pro’s & Cons

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Pillared wedding cakes are one of the most fashionable of wedding cake construction modes. Indeed, this technique can be utilized to create a striking centerpiece for a wedding celebration. The question, though, is whether or not pillared wedding cake construction styles are appropriate for any particular wedding.

Thus it is useful to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of the pillared wedding cake style.

Pros

Added height provides drama – The wedding cake is traditionally the centerpiece of the design scheme for the wedding reception. A pillared construction adds anywhere from a few inches to more than a foot of drama to a wedding cake. This enables it to be the eye catching focal point of the wedding reception decor that highlights the spectacular nature of the celebration.

Particularly useful to make a small wedding cake look bigger – A wedding cake that serves a hundred people or less might not look all that impressive without the added height of a pillared construction. Simply using pillars to add six inches to each tier will turn a two foot tall, three tiered cake in to a three foot tall cake!

Allows more decorations on each tier of the cake – For a bride that wants more surface space for decorations (regardless of whether it is elegant crystal wedding cake jewelry, a succession of themed cake toppers, fresh flowers, fruit, or some creation she chooses to hire the pastry chef to craft), or to figuratively tell the story of their climbing the mountain of love, the pillared wedding cake construction allows space to add interest on each pillared tier of the cake.

Cons

Extra surface area means added decorating cost to the wedding cake – Extra decorations means extra labor. Extra flowers or fruit can be costly and a bride will still have to pay the pastry chef to arrange the flowers or fruit on the cake. Note: Since the reputation of the pastry chef is dependent on the appearance of the wedding cake, do not count on them agreeing to allow the florist or the bride’s aunt Martha to add to the cake later – of course, once the pastry chef has gone the cake is yours to do with as you choose… as is the risk.

Less stable – If there will be small children or animals at the wedding, or if the situation demands that the cake needs to be situated in a high traffic area then a pillared wedding cake construction might not be the right choice. Likewise if there is a relative famous for drinking way too much, way to early, then another construction might be wise. This is because the added height of the pillars makes the cake more liable to collapse so unless the new couple’s goal is to win some money on America’s Funniest Home Videos, they would probably be better off with a different construction.

Not Normally for Do-It-Yourselfers – Like most things in life, stacking a pillared wedding cake is not terribly difficult…if you know what you are doing. But the placement of each pillar is critical and, depending on the size of the cake, can be unforgiving. If a pillar is placed in the cake that later needs to be changed a hole is punched that will have to be patched and may create instability in the cake. It will, at least, make the decorating process more difficult because a patch is never as smooth as the original icing.

Is a pillared wedding cake construction for your wedding? That is for each bride to decide. The upside in drama and decor benefits is huge but the risk is large as well. It all depends on the couple’s comfort level with the risk and style choices.

The Many Advantages Of Modern Construction Equipment

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One of the great inventions of modern times are tools that perform extraordinary work. Among these tools one will find the skid steer which is used in construction, landscaping, and forestry projects. With their attachments they serve many purposes, and can easily be operated by one person.

A skid steer loader is a machine that is designed to be used for many applications and is a multifunctional machine. Using a variety of attachable tools it can dig earth and place it in a truck, clean roads, grind asphalt, and serve a number of other purposes.

The machine has a unique steering system, which controls the speed and the machine’s movement. It has two arms with a quick coupler mechanism that makes it convenient for fitting any of the many attachments available. This machine, with the attachments, is a good cost cutting measure for any company that is working on a large job.

Among the different attachments for this machine is the grapple. This tool comes in many different varieties especially designed for specific purposes. It, as with other attachments, can be easily connected to the skid steer body with little effort on the part of the operator. Many times this can be done without the operator leaving the cab.

Various grapple models include the V-cutter, tine, skeleton grapple buckets, scrap, root, log, HD/Extreme Duty Brush, and the Industrial Rod. Each of these attachments have specific duties which not only allow work to be completed faster, but neater as well.

The industrial rod grapple, for example, has been found to be especially effective. It comes in 76″ and 84″ sizes and is used for brush and rock removal. A large and durable cage, it filters dirt and deposits it on the ground while retaining large rocks, regardless of shape. This makes it easy to clear an area without worrying about separating dirt and rock at a later location.

Especially effective when the work involves large trees is the rotating skid steer grapple. This piece of equipment was designed specifically for moving trees and allows the operator to lift and see what they are carrying. It is equipped with a cable guide, winch mount, rotor mount, commercial rubber bumper, and a tooth edge plate. This particular piece of equipment can carry up to 8800 pounds. There are other excellent features that can be found in each of the grapples available. They are all designed for specific purposes and are built of the very best materials.