Scheduling Buzz...

How to Plan a Wedding in 30 Days

2009-05-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

June is almost here! As everyone knows, June is the biggest wedding month of the year. If you are just getting engaged or deciding to get married quickly, can you plan and schedule a wedding in 30 days?

Apparently you can. So says Candace Morehouse in an article for Associated Content.

Some of the tips from the article include:

1. Pick and confirm a venue BEFORE confirming a date. Makes sense.
2. Contract with nearby hotels for out of town guests.
3. Buy your tux and gown asap.
4. Pick reliable friends for the bridaly party.
5. Keep things simple overall and pick one thing to splurge on.
6. Rely on family and ask for help.

Scheduling problems lead to missed immunizations

2009-05-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Making sure kids get all their shots has a lot to do with convenience and communication, new research shows.

Children whose parents have difficulty scheduling appointments or who have a tough time communicating with their child's doctor are more likely to be under-immunized, Dr. Melissa Stockwell, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and population family health, Columbia University Medical Center, and her colleagues found.

Stockwell reported these findings today at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting in Baltimore.

'Under-immunized' means the children were missing at least one of the shots making up the basic early childhood vaccination series given to children 19 to 35 months old, Stockwell explained in an interview. "Any time kids are under-immunized, it does put them at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases," she said.

...Children whose parents had rescheduled appointments were 3.8 times more likely to have missed an immunization visit, while those whose parents had doubts about the importance of vaccines were 3.3 times more likely to have missed an appointment.

Read complete findings here!

Scheduling mix-up ruffles feathers at City Attorney's Office

2009-05-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

San Francisco's City Attorney, Dennis Herrera was in Washington DC when he was expected at a press conference with the Mayor back in San Francisco.

It seems that Mayor Gavin Newsom's office and the City Attorney's office had worked together for four months drafting a plan to streamline the nonprofit sector in San Francisco.

The Mayor’s Office said the absence of any representative from the City Attorney’s Office was because of a scheduling issue.

Mayor Gavin Newsom also began the press conference with thanks and appreciation for Herrera’s efforts.

Volunteer Readers Needed!

2009-04-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Southeastern North Carolina Reading Service is looking for volunteer readers.

This organization now uses The Calendar Planner to schedule their volunteer readers.

Their online calendar is color coded to communicate open slots for volunteers.

BLUE - These slots can be filled on an as needed basis. During these slots, volunteers can read magazines or novels at their own pace. This is not a weekly commitment.

YELLOW - These slots show volunteers who have made a commitment to come on these certain days and times.

GREEN - Thease are available reading times for new or existing volunteers! SIGN UP!

ORANGE - Slots that have been filled. Names may vary as volunteers choose their dates

To sign up, email the director at rrsvolunteers@gmail.com or call the office at 910-672-1600 to sign up for available reading slots.

Online June/July calendar!

Summer Schedule for Kids

2009-04-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

ThriftyFun.com offers great resources for families looking for ways to engage and entertain kids for the upcoming summer. No personal calendar for the summer is complete without events that are set up with the children and family in mind.

Here are just some of the articles with summer scheduling information for kids that available at ThriftyFun.com:

Summer Survival
House Cleaning Schedule
Keep Kids Busy With Summer Movies

Find the links for these additional articles at ThriftyFun.com:
-Free Summer Kids Movies At Regal
-Summer Crafts For Bored Kids
-Back To School Breakfast Schedule
-Summer Book Club and Book Swap
-Craft Project: All-American Desk Sitter Kids
-Painting on a Tight Schedule
-Schedule the First Appointment
-Schedule for Vaccinations
-Summer Adventure: A Neighborhood Kids' Yard Sale

How to fairly schedule staff’s summer vacations in advance?

2009-04-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

This was the question posed by one HR staffer to the HR Specialist Forum at Business Management Daily. This HR staffer was worried that staff schedules in the summer months could interfere with delivery schedules. Here were some of the suggestions offered by other HR professionals on how to approach scheduling staff for summer vacations:

1. Set a minimum time period for notice. eg. at least 3 days advanced notice.
2. Establish black out dates for the summer period ahead of time.
3. Communicate concerns to staff and ask if possible that they would be willing to collaborate on a schedule that would not have multiple staffers off at the same time.
4. Consider a first come-first served approach and a maximum number of staff who can be off at the same time.

The key was flexibility, with the understanding that staff should be encouraged to take earned vacation time. They will be more productive when they come back and the company will be better off.

Scheduling Mix Up for South African Cricket Team

2009-03-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

A scheduling mix up at the cricket grounds in London last week, left the South African cricket team with no place to practise as they ramped up for the start of the ICC World Twenty 20 tournament.

"We had a scheduled training at Southgate and when we rocked up there it wasn't scheduled in their books so we had to make our way from Southgate to Lord's to train," said captain Graeme Smith.

The ICC World Twenty20 tournament schedule is here!

Texas Living History Online Calendar

2009-03-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Texas Living History online calendar is another great example of how The Calendar Planner can be used to publish web calendars for very little cost.

Nonprofit organizations get a 20% discount on The Calendar Planner and so for less than $80 an organization can have a calendar online with no recurring costs.

Texas Living History calendar
More about web publishing with The Calendar Planner

Sample Student 24-Hour Clock

2009-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how college students schedule their day?

Take a look at this 24-hour clock time management tool at Study Guide and Strategies to help college students see how they schedule their days.

Here are the categories that students are expected to schedule time for in any 24-hour period.

- Classes
- Studying
- Sleeping
- Exercise/sports
- Work/internship
- Family commitments
- Personal care/grooming
- Meal preparation/eating/clean-up
- Transportation (school, work, etc.)
- Relaxing/TV/video games, etc. (alone)
- Socializing/entertainment (with friends)
- Other

Scheduled Your Oscar Party Yet? Time is Running Out!

2009-02-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hollywood's biggest night of the year, the 81st Oscars will take place on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Kodak Theatre.

If you haven't planned your Oscar viewing party yet, time is running out.

These Oscar party menus might help:

-All Recipes
-Epicurious
-Reader's Digest Oscar Party Menu for 6
-About.com: Cooking for Kids

Forrester High School Schedules Annual Events with The Calendar Planner

2009-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Forrester High School in the United Kingdom is only one of many schools worldwide, able to publish an online web calendar with an entire year's worth of activities.

Forrester High School uses The Calendar Planner to not only schedule and plan activities but to communicate an entire year's worth of activities with staff,students and families through a web calendar.

With the 20% education discount, Forrester was able to save money and get their calendar online for less than USD$80 and no recurring costs.

Check out the Forrester High School Calendar of Events here.

Tips for Scheduling a Wedding Date

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Chick flick, Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway opened last month. Hathaway and Hudson play best friends who are feuding because they have planned their weddings on the same date. Per Eloise Parker for the Daily News, selecting a wedding date "can be just as cut-throat" as depicted in the movie. After all there are only so many Saturdays in June and October, prime wedding planning months. Parker's article shares some tips for scheduling a wedding date:

- Remember that the hot venues are scheduled at least a year in advance. Start event planning early.
- Saturdays in June and October are big wedding days. Be flexible.
- Unique dates are typically the first to go. Example 09.09.09, Valentine's Day, July 4th and Halloween all fall on Saturdays in 2009.
- Friday nights and Sundays are cheaper than Saturdays.
- January is the best month for savings.
- Consider a waiting list if a prime venue is not available and you are flexible.
- If your heart is set on a specific date, consider flexibility with time of day.

Once you set your wedding date, The Calendar Planner is one inexpensive way to keep you on task as you move towards the big date.

Photo - Courtesy of NY Daily News

2009 World Series of Poker Schedule Features $40,000 No Limit Event

2009-01-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

Poker News Daily reports that the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule was unveiled by Harrah’s on January 26th. Participants at the 2009 WSOP will be able to partake in a $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, the second richest tournament on this year’s slate of events. A total of 57 bracelet events will make up the festivities, up two from 2008. One major change involved the elimination of all five rebuy tournaments that were held last year.

The 2009 WSOP lineup is the 40th anniversary and promises viewers who watch the action unfold on ESPN a much wider assortment of poker tournaments.

The final table of the Main Event will once again be scheduled for November beginning on November 7th for three days. The finale, featuring the November Nine may air on ESPN on Tuesday, November 10th after the event concludes from the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. No official television schedule has been announced.

Potential Headaches of School Schedule Change

2009-01-22T05:34:00.000-08:00

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP)
Posted: 11:37 AM Feb 9, 2009
Last Updated: 11:51 AM Feb 9, 2009

A proposal to push back high school start times in Fairfax County is making some parents, students and teachers nervous that extra sleep isn't worth the headaches of a scheduling change.

Most Fairfax high schools start at 7:20 a.m. Middle and elementary schools start later.

Under the proposed change, most high schools would start an hour later. Elementary schools would start between 7:50 and 9:25 a.m., and middle schools would start at 9:40 a.m.

One parent group says research shows more sleep makes teenagers healthier and higher performing. But others worry the different start times could force cancellations of extracurricular activities such as swimming, which relies on coordinating schedules with county pools.

School officials plan to hold meetings and conduct surveys to decide on the proposal.

Source - Potential Headaches of School Schedule Change

Football Scheduling Problems Tackled at School Board Session

2009-01-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

01/16/2009
DuBOIS - Some changes may be on the horizon for the DuBois Area School District's football program. Athletic Director Pam Murdock told the school board at Thursday's work session about the scheduling problem over the last 12 years.

She said the issues with the District 9 scheduling began when Clearfield refused to renew its four-year contract for football. "At that time, the league took a stance and said if you don't play DuBois we might not play you in other sports," Murdock said. "To make a long story short, after some board meetings and people talking to Clearfield, within a month we had a letter stating they would play DuBois again. That lasted one year."

In 2006, Clearfield withdrew from the league, which left five teams to play against one another. Many roadblocks were enountered when trying to find different configurations of teams to make a schedule.

"In 2006, Bradford, Brookville, DuBois, St. Marys and Punxsutawney . . . realized we were in trouble as a league. Only having five teams, that would only give us each four games a year," Murdock said. "That left us having to find six games to fill in."
Clearfield had been accepted into the Mountain Athletic Conference. Brookville and Punxsy were accepted into another league, leaving the District 9 league with two teams. Bradford participated with District 10 for the first time this year.
When DuBois applied to the MAC, it was accepted and rejected within a 48-hour period due to a misunderstanding. DuBois was accepted to the MAC was given a schedule of five games for 2008-09.

"We still have a schedule for next year," Murdock said. "Unfortunately, we just met in December and then in January and now we have a two-game schedule. We probably looked at no less than 10 to 12 different schedules."
This lack of games in 2009 is caused by discontent among the majority of its members.
Murdock said 10 teams will leave the MAC in 2009 to re-form what was previously known as "The Big Eight," which may include one or two more teams.
"Since that time, I have spoken to District 10 representatives again. Four years ago, we had discussed the possibility of going to District 10," Murdock said. "When we left we had more ties with District 6, but unfortunately that is not going to work for us."

Murdock said District 10 has seen very receptive and can offer a seven-game schedule for the varsity team, as well as a junior varsity football schedule. It will not be able to provide a junior high schedule, but the school plays in an intercounty league with Hollidaysburg, State College and Altoona.

A letter will be sent to District 10 from the district saying DuBois is interested in joining the league. The district will meet in February to review the letter and make a decision. If DuBois is approved to join District 10, this would take effect in 2010.

"Travel wise, it is not going to be that much different because we are going to Lewistown, Chestnut Ridge, Pittsburgh, Erie, Bellefonte. If you look at the travel time and the teams in District 10, there may be a slight increase in transportation, but I don't think it is going to be that drastic," Murdock said. "At this time we don't know which region we would be put in with." Murdock said the change of district would affect football only.

2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival January 6-19, 2009

2009-01-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Special to The Press-Enterprise
Making its American premiere, "$5 a Day" stars quirky character actor Christopher Walker, right, as a con-artist father.

DAILY FILM SCHEDULE
Tuesday, January 6 - Black Tie Awards Gala
Wednesday, January 7 - Student Screening Day
Thursday, January 8 - Opening Night Gala
Friday, January 9
Saturday, January 10
Sunday, January 11
Monday, January 12
Tuesday, January 13
Wednesday, January 14
Thursday, January 15
Friday, January 16
Saturday, January 17
Sunday, January 18
Monday, January 19 - Best of the Fest

Find out More About Upcoming Film Festivals at http://www.reelproductioncalendar.com/festivals.php

Reel Production Calendar used in Production of Fox's 24

2009-01-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

"I want to congratulate you on the speed and quality of all the updates. They have all been well thought out and implemented. The new 4-week view is particularly valuable". Michael Klick, Unit Production Manager on Fox's "24".

The Reel Production Calendar software is the only calendar software designed specifically for Production Scheduling. It is used by major television studios, production companies and freelancers, Reel Logix software is ideal for multi-camera and single camera Television productions.

The Reel Production Calendar software is useful for:
- Episodic prep, shoot and post planning
- Single camera and multi-camera scheduling
- Tracking delivery schedules and air dates
- Managing multi episodes or shows in a single calendar
- Quickly creating and recreating show schedules

The Reel Production Calendar software is very easy to learn and use and provides a wealth of time saving features for every stage of Television Production. Take a Quick Tour of Reel Logix calendar software to experience some of the benefits Television Production Clients are realizing by using Reel Logix Television Production Software.

Need Time Management Tips for 2009?

2009-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Found a great website offering all kinds of time management tips for 2009 - Patty Kreamer's Organizing Tips.

Patty Kreamer, CPO® is the President of Kreamer Connect, Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA -based company that works with residential and corporate clients to become more productive and perform better while at the same time simplifying their work and lives.

2009 Federal Holidays from the Office of Personnel Management

2008-12-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees. Please note that most Federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a nonworkday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday).

Thursday, January 1 - New Year’s Day
Monday, January 19 - Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, February 16* - Washington’s Birthday
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
Friday, July 3**- Independence Day
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day
Monday, October 12 - Columbus Day
Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans Day
Thursday, November 26 - Thanksgiving Day
Friday, December 25 - Christmas Day

Final Inauguration Schedule for President Elect Obama

2008-12-26T04:20:00.000-08:00

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has outlined a preliminary schedule of official inaugural events that underscores our commitment to holding an inaugural that is open, accessible, and brings us all together in a spirit of unity.

The inaugural celebration will begin in the city where our democracy was born and the promise of our country was realized.

Saturday, January 17th, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama holds an event in Philadelphia, then boards a train bound for Washington DC. He picks up Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family in Wilmington, DE, and then makes a stop for another event in Baltimore, MD, before arriving in Washington, D.C.

Sunday, January 18th
President-elect Barack Obama will kick off the schedule of official inaugural activities in Washington, D.C., with a welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon. The event will be free and open to the public.

Monday, January 19th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden and their families, joined by Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area. That night there will be a youth concert at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. The concert will be free, but tickets are required.

Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include participants:

United States Marine Band
San Francisco Boys Chorus
San Francisco Girls Chorus
Call to Order: Senator Dianne Feinstein
Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
Inaugural Address
Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

Farewell Ceremony for President George Bush:
After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.

56th Inaugural Parade
Down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

Official Inauguration Balls
Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls. More details about the Inaugural Balls will be released at a later date.

Wednesday, January 21st
The newly-inaugurated President and Vice President of the United States will participate in a prayer service.

NFL Playoff Schedule 2009

2008-12-23T04:03:00.000-08:00

The countdown to Super Bowl XLIII will take place on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida.

However, there is still a lot of football left to play.

Here are the rest of the NFL Playoff games scheduled for January 10, 11 and 18th.

In addition to downloading the NFL schedules, other major sport schedules can be imported into The Calendar Planner from here.

How to Import Sports Schedules:

1. Locate the calendar file you want to import and click.

2. Save the file to your computer, and make note of the location.

3. Unzip the file by right clicking on it and choosing Unzip or simply double-clicking on the file.

4. Create a new file in The Calendar Planner or open an existing calendar.

5. Choose File Open or File Import (PCF Format) and Follow Onscreen Instructions

Government Agencies get 20% Discount off Calendar Software

2008-12-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

As Government agencies, large and small, overhaul existing processes and existing government software solutions - many are turning to The Calendar Planner as an alternative to more costly and complex systems.

Already a great value at $89, the 20% government software discount on single units, or generous site licensing discounts makes The Calendar Planner even more budget-friendly for Government agencies.

The Utah Housing Corporation is one such government agency, an organization that provides resources for affordable housing. The UTHC uses The Calendar Planner in multiple departments.

As a self supporting agency that receives no funding from the State of Utah, the government software scheduling solution they sought had to be reasonably priced and offer great value for their limited dollars. "What we like best about The Calendar Planner is the ability to pull up one project and see exactly where we are -- what's missing and what has been completed", says Linda Ingalls, Allocations and Special Projects Manager, Utah Housing Corporation. The agency also liked the fact that they continue to receive updates and upgrades at no additional costs and get great customer service as new users come on board.

Submit a Nonprofit software discount request to get the 20% discount.

Churches Turn to The Calendar Planner for Event Scheduling Needs

2008-12-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

More 50% of the Nonprofit customers who use The Calendar Planner are religious organizations.

"We have actually been pleasantly surprised to find that The Calendar Planner has been so well received. We certainly couldn't have predicted that the #1 scheduling calendar software in the film and entertainment industry would be so readily adopted by religious organizations. The 20% Nonprofit discount is making our calendar software an attractive value for large organizations needing multiple licenses or the small church with a tight budget needing one or two,” said CEO, Randy McGowan.

Religious organizations have increasingly complex scheduling and event planning challenges as they allocate spaces, resources and staff to manage an expanded roster of ministry services, special events, classes or rehearsals. Many have expanded their offerings to well beyond the traditional Sunday service and are relying heavily on part-time, volunteer helpers, like Debbie Fisher from Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, to keep things on track.
In any given week Fisher has over 50 recurring events including classes, services, rehearsals and support groups to schedule. This doesn't include some of the special events such as weddings, mission or leisure trips or concerts.

"We've been using TCP for our yearly planning calendar where I take all of our ministries events and compile them onto one planning calendar. We've been looking for a program to switch to and TCP fits the bill just right", says Fisher.

Showbiz Software Lists The Reel Production Calendar

2008-12-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Media Services and Reel Logix Inc reached an agreement to add The Reel Production Calendar to the Showbiz Software Stores. ShowbizSoftware.com is Media Services' discount retailer of the top production and accounting software in the industry. From prep to post-production, ShowbizSoftware.com has incredible prices on screenwriting, scheduling, budgeting, and all your software needs.

The Reel Production Calendar has gained recognition as the only calendar software program specifically created to manage film production.

The Reel Production Calendar is available at both Media Services locations in Los Angeles and New York:

Los Angeles

500 S. Sepulveda

Ground Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90049

Phone - 800-333-7518 Fax: 310-254-1780

New York

19 W. 21st St.

Ground Floor

New York, NY 10010

Phone 800-574-6924Fax: 212-366-9398

Time Management Trends for 2009

2008-12-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you don't yet have a fancy personal electronic time management device, you will probably get one this year as a gift.

Here are some of the trends in time management that everyone is buzzing about:

1. Mobile applications for time management such as the iPod, and iPod Touch Task Manager; Pocket PC or Smartphone task managers will continue to be in big demand. The Blackberry and Palm products will also continue to increase market share.

2. Online applications and web calendars allowing collaboration or sharing will also in big demand. There are already many free or relatively inexpensive solutions available.

3. Desktop calendars will continue to have value for many who do not want to be tied to electronics all the time.

Let's face it, I think it is fair to say that 2009 will continue to see advances in mobile, web and electronic time management devices - but I don't think the basic calendar is going anywhere for decades to come. If anything people will end up with at least two types and go back and forth between both.

That's my prediction anyway!

Scheduling Employees During the Holidays

2008-12-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Summary of article published by The National Federation of Independent Business.

Business owners often have a major scheduling headache during the holidays when scheduling employees. The goal is to have the right amount of employees scheduled to balance the needs of the business and the needs of the employees who have other events scheduled during that time of the year. Holiday scheduling can be the employers' worst nightmare. Per the article, "every worker, business owners included, wants time off during the holidays, but for some businesses, it's the busiest time of year."

Regardless of the kind of business, many employers dread having to handle holiday employee scheduling. Here are some tips from NFIB to find a happy medium with holiday employee scheduling.

1. Be fair and consistent.
Some people might not be happy about their schedule, but they'll accept it if they know the decision about their work schedule was done fairly and was consistent with past policies.
2. Create a holiday employee scheduling policy ahead of time.
Be sure NOT to base the holiday schedule on the needs of specific employees' personal lives. eg. Giving a day off to an employee who has children over giving the day off to a single worker is grounds for trouble.
3. Be generous with employees. Consider closing if business slows during the holidays. It can be a great incentive to your employees. Don't see it as lost productivity, but as a way to recharge your employees for the new year.
4. Be flexible. Consider scheduling employees who can telecommute. Ask employees to forward office calls to cell phones and insist that they check e-mails at least once a day. That way you can ensure that your customers' questions are being answered.
5. Ask for volunteers who want to be scheduled during the holidays.
With volunteers, employers reduce the chances of hard feelings among employees.

Holiday employee scheduling doesn't have to be hard. Start thinking about the work schedule early and ask for suggestions from the staff.

Scheduling Children for Activities in 2009

2008-12-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

If time management is one of your big concerns to 2009, especially regarding scheduling children into multiple activities, you should heed the words of Diane Laney Fitzpatrick in an article at Suite 101.

Here are some of her tips for scheduling children:

1. Pay close attention to the schedules of younger children who do not need to specialize in their interests. "No matter how much your son loves soccer, playing it year-round and on more than one team at a time is overkill." Fitzpatrick says if a parent wants to expose children to a variety of activities, choose one sport, a program in the arts (music, art, drama etc), and something that will emphasize socialization and relationships such as clubs or scouts. Kids are able to handle variety in their schedules better than we think.

2. Fitzpatrick suggests scheduling children in one sport at a time. She says that participating in more than one sport per season forces children and parents to juggle schedules to race from one practice or game to another. Fitzpatrick advises, "Tell your child that in order to be a good team member, (s)he can’t divide time between two sports."

3. Consider scheduling children in community-based, recreational activities which are often more low-key, less intense, less costly and require less time commitment than private clubs. When considering these programs don't forget time and costs required for travel.

Certainly, a good scheduling calendar would be of value for moms who are scheduling children and managing family calendars.

Discounts on Reel Production Calendar Software

2008-12-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

Reel Logix Inc offers discounts to specific groups on The Reel Production Calendar, the first calendar software solution developed for managing film production.

- Directors Guild of America members get a 20% discount.

- Producers Guild of America members get a 20% discount and free shipping within the US.
- Nonprofit Arts organizations get 25% discount.

- Education, Media, Communcations & Film schools get a 25% discount for instructors.

- Generous discounts are available for film and media students on a case by case basis.

Email sales@reellogix.com to request a Redeem Code to use in the Reel Logix Inc online store.

Scheduling Nightmare for Tuscon School

2008-12-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

Tuscon Unified School District has scheduling nightmare as computer program puts students in wrong classes.

Mariah Adkisson auditioned and was accepted into the advanced drama class at Tucson High Magnet School last fall. So the 17-year-old was shocked when she picked up her schedule last week. She'd gotten welding instead.

Hers is a story echoed by many students in the Tucson Unified School District who completed their schedule requests before school was out only to find now that they didn't get what they wanted or needed.

School administrators spend several hours every semester making sure schedules are just right. Whether scheduling classes, lesson plans, classroom activities or field trips, administrators need calendar and scheduling software to saves them time and energy.

Many schools from K-12 to colleges use The Calendar Planner as their time management tool to save time by creating reusable scheduling templates.

Source - The Tuscon Citizen by Mary Bustamante

How To Import Preset Sporting Schedules in The Calendar Planner

2008-12-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Preset Calendars and Schedules are available on The Calendar Planner Standard Edition.

You can easily import calendars and schedules into a new or existing calendar. You can even import your favorite sporting team's schedule or all team schedules.

Choose from the NBA, NFL NHL, NASCAR, World Cup, Premiership and more. Or import calendars like Holidays and Moon Phases.

How to import schedules into The Calendar Planner:
1. Locate the calendar file you want to import and click.
2. Save the file to your computer, and make note of the location.
3. Unzip the file by right clicking on it and choosing Unzip or simply double-clicking on the file.
4. Create a new file in The Calendar Planner or open an existing calendar.
5. Choose File Open or File Import (PCF Format) and Follow Onscreen Instructions

Here are a few you can download right now.
Holidays 2007-2014
NBA 2008-2009 Schedule
NFL 2008-2009
Premiership Schedule

Planning an Office Holiday Party

2008-12-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

Party Planning Checklist from Party411.com

Throwing a holiday office party is not as easy as it used to be. In an era of political correctness and workplace diversity you have to be a little more careful. That’s OK! The party can still be fun and a good way to celebrate a year of hard (and hopefully profitable) work and to share Season’s Greetings with all.

You should ask a couple of basic questions before you get started with your event planning checklist.
Is this going to be about business or a purely social event? We have planned these to be year in review events, awards ceremonies, formal social events or relaxed social mixing. Any approach can work but you have to decide the purpose of the event first.

Will the event be formal or casual? Some of this depends on whether you are inviting clients or not and the kind of industry. I like more informal events myself but it really is up to you.
What is your budget? Will employees kick in to help pay or is the company underwriting the whole event?

Are you going to plan the event yourself or hire a professional? Some of this is dictated by budget and some by how experienced and available your staff is. Don’t expect your office manager to plan a party for the entire company and keep up on their day to day activities. Be realistic about time constraints or you will just cause unnecessary anguish.

Are you serving dinner (buffet or sit-down) or will it be finger foods? You can worry about details later.

Where are you having the holiday party for your office? If you need to find an outside venue you have to do it early because the Christmas season is a very busy time for restaurants and party centers.

When it comes to entertaining, "you can never be TOO organized!" And you can quote me. So here’s a checklist for this and a checklist for that. Print them out. Use them to keep your ducks in a row. Or use them to keep you sane. Whichever works. And if you still can’t find what you need, try our Party Concierge™!

There is a complete event planning checklist from Party 411 here.

Attention Soccer Fans - Official Match Schedule for World Cup 2010

2008-12-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

With anticipation growing ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the official Match Schedule has been released.

Games will be scheduled and played in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Mangaung/Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Tshwane/Pretoria between 11 June and 11 July 2010.

Download a 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ Match Schedule here on the official website of the 2010 World Cup scheduled to take place in South Africa.

Schedule Your 2009 Holidays with The Calendar Planner

2008-12-02T05:06:00.000-08:00

Start your 2009 calendar now!

Each copy of The Calendar Planner calendar software comes with a set of free 2009 holidays as well as future holidays up to 2014. These holidays include both National (Federal) holidays as well as most local observances for easy import into The Calendar Planner.

When you create your 2009 calendar, select which country's holidays you wish to use. Use one country, or any combination of countries, or use the easy Show and Hide Feature in the The Calendar Planner Standard Edition to switch between all of them.

Free holidays from the following countries are available for the The Calendar Planner Standard Edition:
Australia
Brazil
Canada
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Jewish Holidays (National and religious observances)
Spain
United States
United Kingdom

Helping Nonprofts Select Calendar Software

2008-12-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

Exerpted from a popular Reel Logix article written earlier:
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Many nonprofit organizations rely on The Calendar Planner to manage all of their scheduling needs. Since so many nonprofits rely on volunteers to help them achieve their mission, here are some of the questions we encourage nonprofits to answer as they decide on which scheduling software to aquire:

1. Is there a skill gap and lack of time to learn to use new calendar software.
2. What kind of support is available for nonprofit volunteers or staff?
3. How easy will the product be to install and get up and running?
4. Many of the volunteers may have had limited exposure to scheduling software or event planning software , what tools are available to help them learn?
5. Is support available by email, by phone, by IM or by fax?
6. Are there on-line tutorials available for to do self-paced learning?
7. Will staff or volunteers be able to experience the features of the software before purchasing through a product tour or a limited time trial?
8. Who specifically will use the software and what is the skill level of users?
9. Is there a cost for training? How will that impact the budget approved by the board?
10. Will new IT staff be needed to support the program?

How to Break Down a Script for Film Production Scheduling

2008-11-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

Reminder - Writers can now import their script from Final Draft into The Reel Production Calendar.

Source - eHow by msmarymac

To know how many days a film shoot will be and to schedule it accurately, you must first do a script breakdown. This is a very important step to complete as soon as possible in pre-production, as it will keep you organized throughout your planning and your shoot.

Step1 - Read the script at least once, preferably several times.

Step2 - Assign each scene a number and draw a horizontal line across the page at the bottom of each scene.

Step3 - Measure each scene by its page count and by dividing each page into eighths. Generally, the rule of thumb is that each inch of text equals 1/8. For example, a scene that is one page long and spills over onto the top of the next page would be identified as a scene that is 1 and 1/8 pages in length.

Step4 - Next, highlight each specific component of the scene, such as interior or exterior, day or night, number of characters, wardrobe needs, special equipment, etc.

Step5 - Assign a number to each speaking role in the script. Once this number is established it is important that it never change, as the character will be identified by this number in all schedules that follow. Generally, assign the character with the most scenes #1, the character with the second most number of scenes #2, etc.

Step6 - Transfer the information you have gathered on each scene to its own Breakdown Sheet and make sure you have one sheet for each scene. This will help keep you organized as you continue on with your scheduling. Include on this sheet everything you will need to shoot this scene. This includes the characters, the page count, the location, whether it is interior or exterior, day or night, wardrobe, props, makeup needs, effects needed and anything of importance.

Tips to Manage Time from Reader's Digest

2008-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

According to recent data -- and most people's experience --the workweek is expanding and leisure time is evaporating, not only for top-level executives but for the average person as well. Most experts advocate organization as the key to getting a grip on time. They suggest you start by asking what your real goals are for yourself, your family, and your career. With goals established, break your time down into manageable segments.

1. Use a monthly personal calendar for short-term scheduling and a 6-month calendar for long-range scheduling. Note all things that pertain to your goals, including classes you want to take (learning a computer program for your job or mastering the piano for fun), regular exercise sessions, social events, and family time.

2. On a daily action list, categorize tasks: those that need immediate attention (you had better do them yourself), those that can be delegated (you can hire a teenager to mow the lawn or to clean the garage, for example), and those that can be put off. To avoid procrastination, tackle the toughest jobs first, breaking them into smaller, less daunting components.

3. Free up time for the things you really want to do by simplifying your life. Let go of activities (your third church committee assignment or polishing the car every week, for example) that don't contribute to your goals.

4. Reduce the waste - and frustration - of everyday delays. Wherever you go, take reading material or a portable player with music you want to hear. Then when you have to wait, you can make good use of or enjoy the time.

5. Set aside a half-hour toward the end of the day to worry. Psychologist Roland Nathan believes that having a formal worrying time cuts down the amount of worrying you do.

Source - Reader's Digest

Starbucks Sets New Employee Schedules for Baristas

2008-11-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal reported that Starbucks has changed its system of scheduling employees to have fewer workers on shift for more hours.
The company's new employee schedule is aimed at reducing labor costs and improving sales by fostering greater familiarity between customers and a smaller group of employees. This change in employee scheduling is part of a broader plan to revive Starbucks amid a slowdown in sales that has prompted the coffee retailer to shut many stores and curb its expansion.
Starbucks management believes that these new employee schedules with Baristas working longer hours will encourage better relationships between employees and customers.

"The customer's favorite experience is when the people behind the counter know them," said Craig Russell, Starbucks vice president for U.S. store services. Baristas ... will "be able to get you going faster by knowing what you already want."

Blogger Puts Posts on Schedule

2008-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

Google's Blogger service opened up a new feature, scheduled posting, to automatically put up blog entries at a future time.
Blog readers always appreciate seeing their favorite destinations post new content on a regular basis. A regularly updated blog carries a feel of professionalism, even for the most casual of topics.
It's taken a while for Google's service, Blogger, to match other blog platforms in providing a scheduling mechanism. That finally arrived as the Blogger Buzz site noted.
Post scheduling debuted for all Blogger users, rather than being rolled out gradually to users. Bloggers will find the feature in the Post Editor screen; under Post Options, a date and time field can be edited to a point in the future.

Post scheduling benefits those who need to take a break but don't want to fall behind with their audience. Small business owners who have embraced blogging can use scheduling to keep the entries popping up regularly to help boost their brand, after writing their posts in off-hours.
Perception matters in branding, and those regular blog entries encourage people to think well of the blogger and the company. Since blogging costs little but time, scheduling makes the time investment more valuable.

Source - WebPro News

The Calendar Planner is a Smart Buy for Nonprofits in a Tough Economy

2008-11-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

(Press Release) – Nov 13, 2008 – Effective immediately, Reel Logix Inc is offering nonprofit clients a 20% discount off The Calendar Planner scheduling software. With roughly a quarter of their sales coming from those looking for nonprofit software, the company felt that this was an appropriate discount to show their gratitude to clients in tough economic times.

"The Calendar Planner scheduling software continues to be extremely well received by churches, schools and government agencies, needing help scheduling events, resources, people and projects," says Reel Logix Inc CEO, Randy McGowan. "The fact that The Calendar Planner scheduling software can stand alone or complement larger more complex systems already in place, is seen as a really significant advantage for larger nonprofits."

One such satisfied nonprofit user of The Calendar Planner calendar software across multiple departments is Green Acres Baptist Church in Texas. When Debbie Fisher, Church Planner, was looking for a way to manage an ever growing list of offerings including worship services, special events like weddings and rehearsals or classes, she discovered The Calendar Planner scheduling software to help her keep things on track.

In any given week Fisher coordinates more than 50 recurring events. In addition, monthly or less frequent and irregularly scheduled events like missions, leisure trips or concerts add extra scheduling challenges. "We've been using The Calendar Planner for our yearly planning calendar where I take all our ministry events and compile them into one planning calendar. We had been looking for a program to switch to and TCP fits the bill just right," says Fisher.

Another nonprofit client is Scripps Health in San Diego. "I am enjoying working with The Calendar Planner. It took me quite a while to find something as flexible and cost effective. It is much faster and more flexible; easier to update and make changes to or add/delete events," says Kevin Marty.

Create Online Calendars with No Recurring Fees

2008-11-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

(Press Release) – Nov 14, 2008 – Version 5.3 of The Calendar Planner scheduling software now offers an affordable alternative to publish online web calendars for schools, churches and other nonprofits that want to share event and scheduling information with the public. This latest free scheduling software update from Reel Logix Inc allows an online calendar to be published in three easy steps from any web site. The best part? There are no recurring fees and with the 20-25% nonprofit discount, customers are enjoying this new capability for under $100.

Unlike traditional online calendar software, The Calendar Planner scheduling software program is installed locally on the user's machine. Calendars are created offline and then published as an online web calendar from any web site.

This avoids two of the biggest drawbacks to existing online calendar software. First, since it is software installed locally, users get all the capabilities they expect in full featured, desktop application calendar software program that online calendar systems simply cannot provide. Secondly, users can customize and publish as many online calendars as needed without incurring monthly fees. "We had many customers needing powerful calendar scheduling features not found in online calendars, but who wanted to publish web calendars. Many of our nonprofit customers did not want, or simply couldn't afford to pay the high cost of some online calendar systems. With a non profit discount and multiple unit savings a team of four would make a single purchase of about $350 compared to as much as $4,000 over the course of a single year for some tools on the market." says Philip Robinson, CTO at Reel Logix, Inc.

The Calendar Planner web calendar option allows users to add links to web sites or files including images and documents; add detailed notes that can be opened from the web and can be customized with images and colors to help brand a company.

The Calendar Planner also provides a wealth of time saving features for quickly creating schedules and adjusting to changes. Features like Recurring Events, Day-Off Management, Show/Hide, Push/Pull, Schedule Rollup, Unlimited Undos, Smart Scheduling, Event Auto-size and more, saves you time and makes you more productive. Says Estel, the event planner at Smoky Hill Vineyard Church in Colorado, "I no longer have to look into 15 calendars to see what is going on in the building."

Some sample calendars generated by The Calendar Planner:
- Yarnell Community Church
- Forrester High School
- New Mexico Potters and Clay Artists

Scheduling Presidential Inauguration Events in Washington DC

2008-11-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is busy scheduling events for the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009 in Washington DC.

An entire week of festivities are being planned including:

- Presidential Swearing in Ceremony
- Inaugural Address
- Inaugural Parade
- Inaugural Balls and Galas

The theme for the 2009 presidential inauguration will be "A New Birth of Freedom," intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.
The following resources can help schedule your trip to Washington DC for President Obama's inaugutation:
-About.com Presidential Inauguration 2009
-Southwest Airlines Schedules Additional Flights for Obama's inauguration
-Route and Schedule Information on Inauguration for Washington DC
-10 Things You Need to Know About Scheduling a Trip to President-Elect Obama’s Inauguration

Reel Production Calendar Software now Imports Final Draft!

2008-11-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

(Press Release) – Nov 12, 2008 – When Reel Logix Inc. released the latest version of their film scheduling software, it offered a pleasant surprise for users – the ability to import from Final Draft, the world's most popular and comprehensive script writing software on the market today.

In addition to the ability to import script schedules into The Reel Production Calendar, this new version provides a new and unique feature that allows the calendar matrix to grow to accommodate a significantly large numbers of events. This is a feature long requested by clients which provides the clarity and ease of use of a scheduling calendar program with the display flexibility of a spreadsheet.

Combined with existing features like easy web publishing, event filtering, and powerful scheduling features like push and pull, linking and more, The Reel Production Calendar software is truly a unique product designed to meet the needs of all film production professionals from the pro to the novice. This new Auto-Size feature has given added flexibility to individual events as well as to the entire calendar allowing large amounts of text to be added to each event. "We have always tried to pursue solutions for our clients that either aren't available in existing calendar software or are difficult and expensive to come by for most.

The new features added, especially the import of Final Draft, makes Reel Production Calendar valuable for not just the film making pros, but also for aspiring film makers everywhere, who want to import script timelines into their calendar software," says Philip Robinson, CTO and Co-Founder of Reel Logix Inc.

Nik Korda, UPM of The Golden Compass and The Lord of The Rings had this to say about The Reel Production Calendar software, "Reel Logix has designed the calendar program that the film business has been waiting for. The program has been designed from the ground up to meet the heavy demands of 'Tent Pole' feature production. From time management of daily diary through importing shooting schedules, to viewing and printing calendars for distribution to the crew it is a complete tool for all your film production calendar needs". This latest release continues the Reel Logix Inc tradition of providing major software updates to customers for free. Learn more about The Reel Production Calendar.

Eerie Horror Fest

2008-10-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Established in October, 2004, the Eerie Horror Film Festival has quickly become one of the most popular and respected events of its kind in the country. Every year the Eerie Horror Film Festival attracts thousands of fans, filmmakers, screenwriters and game developers to the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, for a five day celebration of independent cinema, featuring special celebrity guests, screenings and workshops.

Over 200 films have been shown at the festival since its inception, including several world premieres and movies that eventually secured distribution deals with major companies. With their current and ever expanding contacts, the Eerie Horror Film Festival hopes to play an active role in connecting their filmmakers, screenwriters and game developers directly with those within the industry. Reel Logix Inc has been a sponsor of the Eerie Horror Film Festival for the last three years.

Top TV Network Scheduling Screw-Ups

2008-10-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just as important as creating a compelling TV show that people want to watch is scheduling it at the right time on the right night so those people will actually tune in. All networks schedule differently, some better than others.

The ratings success of CBS is in large part to brilliant scheduling. They put new shows like The Mentalist, Worst Week and Eleventh Hour on after highly-rated shows like NCIS, Two and a Half Men and CSI.

However, there are plenty of poor choices that result in low ratings and quick cancellations. This season, only FOX seems to have perfected its scheduling, combining similar dramas in the early part of the week and dumping all of its reality shows at the end. The other four networks, unfortunately, have made some serious missteps.

ABC – Wednesday Night Redux
Last year ABC tried something daring by putting three new hour-long shows on a single night. The critical love for the lineup of Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money helped make it a success. The writers' strike brought an abrupt halt to that experiment, and foolishly, ABC kept its Wednesday night schedule the same this season, and the result has been incredibly low ratings.

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