SMOKING KILLS.....

Since 1965 each package of cigarettes has had a warning that "smoking causes" some health risks: lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, complicate pregnancy, premature birth rates. Cigarettes contains carbon monoxide and 4000+ toxins including nicotine. Once you become a habitual smoker, your mind and body develop a physical dependence for nicotine. When ingested the person feels calm because of an elevation in endorphin. The high prevails until it wears off and requires another "reload."

About 47 million adults in the US smoke cigarettes regardless of the dangers on the pack. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death.

9 Deadly Facts
1. Tobacco companies make a narcotic, which kills 1,200 Americans every day. *

2. 4.9 million people die each year from tobacco products. *

3. In 1990, a tobacco company put together a plan to stop coroners from listing tobacco as a cause of death on death certificates. *

4. About 1 out of every 5 deaths in the US can be attributed to tobacco products. *

5. In 2001, tobacco companies spent about $11 billion marketing their products. That's about $1.5 billion more than the year before. *

6.Unlike food and drug companies, tobacco companies are not required to include a list of ingredients on their packaging. *

7.Secondhand cigarette smoke kills about 53,000 Americans each year. *

8.Tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, drugs, homicides, fires, and auto accidents combined. *

9.Cigarettes will eventually kill half of the people who use if used for many decades. *

*TheTruth.com gathers the nine deadly facts

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THE QUESTION IS....

Art Buchwald is in a hospice waiting to die (following kidney failure and a refusal to go on dialysis. He said that a number of people asked him "where are you going when you die?" He said the better question is "What are we doing here in the first place."

In either case.... there are no clear answers (to please everybody.) Interesting to note that a search of the internet shows less than 50,000 references as a religious query.

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RAISING CHILDREN....

This topic could probably be a Blog by itself. However I just read a blog entry and thought the ideas were so good that I would post some of the good advice here.

Why kids should get allowances, 'cards'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060324/cm_usatoday/whykidsshouldgetallowancescards

"• Fewer than 60% of children ages 6 to 17 get any allowance.

• The range for 6- to 11-year-olds is $5 to $9 a week. For 12- to 17-year-olds, the average is $10 to $19 a week.

At our house, each child age 6 to 12 gets a weekly allowance in dollars equal to his or her age. Everyone has to save and bank at least 25%.

When each turns a teen, rules change. Our Alexis, almost 15, has a monthly allowance that includes the money her mom and I used to spend on clothes and other necessities for her. Now she does that buying.

Her teenage banking includes a "debit card," to make purchases without carrying much cash. Debit cards teach owners to spend only money they have. Credit cards encourage them to spend money they don't have. Huge difference.

Allowances for kids aren't just about money to spend. They should teach money management, one of the biggest problems for most grown-ups.

That's why it's more important for teenagers to be able to balance their bank account than it is for them to get straight A's in algebra or geometry."

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THIS IS THE TRUTH....AND IT WON'T GET ANY BETTER

"Microsoft isn't evil, they just make really crappy operating systems."

- Linus Torvalds (world genius of programmers - created Linux computer operating system in 1991 at the age of 21)

SOME FUN READINGS:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30516
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30128

PS - Six versions of Vista announced:

"Microsoft is planning six versions of the next incarnation of its Windows operating system. Three versions of the software, called Vista, will be for home users, two will be for businesses and one will be for emerging markets.

Vista, which was known as Longhorn during its long development, is a major re-working of Windows that makes changes, among other things, to the way the operating system looks and how it handles networking and sound.

Microsoft said the six versions were designed to match the demands different users have for its software. No details have been given about the pricing of the separate versions. When Vista eventually hits the market it will be the longest gap between releases of Windows systems." (6 years and 5-6 billion dollars later.)

Anyone who thinks Vista is going to work perfectly out of the box has evidently never lived through an OS update.

"There's a significant school of thought that... Windows' success happened because of Solitaire" - Wendy M. Grossman

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WHO PACKS YOUR PARACHUTE?

Charles Plumb

plumbtalk@aol.com

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane as destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

“ I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”

Plumb thought of the man hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called
on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachute.
(from Prisoner of war stories website)
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PROBLEM SOLVING....

An artist was commissioned by a prominent banker to paint his portait. After two months of work the artist invited the banker to review his "master piece". The banker asked the artist the price and he replied $5,000. The banker looked at the painting again and replied "That looks nothing like me - I'm not paying it!"

The artist said "I am really sorry to hear that - I thought it was a faithful interpretation. But since you don't feel it looks like you - you owe me nothing."

A month later the banker heard from a friend that he saw his painting in an art gallery. The banker went to the gallery and saw his painting on the wall and beneath it was a sign - "Thief" - $10,000. The banker was enraged and approached the artist saying "How could you post my painting with such a label. I'm going to sue you!" The artist responded - "You told me that the picture looked nothing like you - I merely gave it the name of a person who resembled that portrait."

The banked took out his checkbook and paid the $10,000.

Lesson Learned: Even when you are treated with injustice justice is best served cold and with patience.

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KNOWING....

Know thy enemies but know thy self first. - Lao Tzu

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OVERCOMING OPPOSITION....

The only way to overcome an opponent's idea is to convert them to a (better?) idea.

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THE THINGS THAT MAKE A MAN STUPID:

"There are two things that make a man stupid - sex and money. But money does not enter the blood stream." - Dr. Stone

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RISK.....CHANCE

There is always RISK in everything we do. I watched a TV poker game the other day where the two players faced off on the final card. The first player had a 99% chance of winning. But when the card was turned over he lost.

LESSON LEARNED: As long as there is a CHANCE the game is never over.

PS - Remember Ron Wayne? He is the long-forgotten third founder of Apple. According to Woz, Ron was worried about owing money for computer parts which they were using to assemble the Apple Is which were basically pre-assembled motherboards. He had some “gold hidden in his mattress” that he was worried about. Sadly, he sold out his 10% share of Apple for a pittance ($800). [Note: 10% of Apple is now worth around $5.6 billion.]

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ALWAYS ASK....

Many years ago a collector friend of mind was at a show and commented to me how much he wanted a particular item. I asked him WHY he didn't buy it. He replied he did not have the amount of money it way worth. Some time later the man came by my table carrying the item. I asked him how much the item was and he replied $1200 (what it was worth). I commented that it was really nice. He asked if I wanted to buy it. I told him that while I would love to have it I only had $700. To my surprise he laid the item on my table and said "Fine, I will take it."

Lesson Learned: If you don't ask - you don't get. Politeness does pay. And opportunity sometimes only knocks ONCE.

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BEWARE OF GREEKS....

bearing gifts. Perhaps this ancient quote should be revised to state "Beware of PEOPLE offering gifts so they can hold it over your head."

I have seen a large number of people in my life who had to suffer mental outrages because they unwisely took a gift from a fiend/relative who felt it gave them some form of moral superiority over that persons life. Be sure that the "GIFT" is a "GIFT" with no strings attached. Judge the gift from prior experiences and if in DOUBT - DON'T.

However, if it is given from the heart gladly accept it.

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INHERITANCES:

Many years ago I can remember my father waiting for his Aunt and Uncle to visit God and leave them their money. My father made casual visits once in a while checking on their health but nothing more.

One day he received a call his uncle died and several months laters the aunt followed. At the reading of the will my father walked out of the room shocked. In stead of the hundreds of thousands he expected he received $500 - with the bulk of the estate divided up among two distant relatives and a handyman who worked around their house.

LESSON LEARNED: If you expect NOTHING you will never be disappointed. My father carried the event around with him for years. He could not get over how "ungrateful" his only relatives treated him. Yet, he was responsible for his own situation. He could have done more and expected less.

What I learned was NOT TO DEPEND on anyone to leave a dime. And While father did leave me his estate I NEVER depended on it in my own financial planning. In the last year of his life his medical bills came to hundreds of thousands of dollars and would have taken everything had not his union health insurance and Medicare picked up the cost. There are no guarantees for tomorrow.

If you should inherit money think LONG and HARD before you spend a dime of it. Many people will decend on your home and urge you to share it with them. But once it is gone you won't see these people anymore.

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ASKING BEFORE THE ACTION....

Yesterday I had to go to a PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER to deal with a severe neck pain as the result of a neck operation about a year ago. I had already seen my surgeon, taken a CAT scan, X-Ray, and physical therapy prior to this step.

As I talked with the Pain Management Doctor he explained the procedure as inserting cortosone through a 6" syringe into my neck veterbrae while he was viewed through an x-ray monitor.

My first question was - HOW SUCCESSFUL was this procedure? This was like the Poker player trying to determine the ODDS on his bet. He paused and said about 70% of his patients felt it was a definite help in abaiting pain.

My second question was - HOW MANY OF THESE PROCEDURES DOES HE PERFORM? This was trying to determine my comfort level in allowing someone to insert a 6" syringe into my neck. He again paused and said only about 100+ per month.

I still don't know if I should have been better PREPARED with other questions but I allowed him to give me the shot. The entire procedure only took 10 minutes at best.

LESSON LEARNED: I am not sure I feel that much better but the next option is surgery - so I think I will have to go back for shots 2 and 3 over the next couple of weeks. You never really appreciate your HEALTH until something goes wrong. Spend everyday with gusto and good spirits while you can :)

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LEARNING FROM THE PAST:

You should learn from past mistakes to PLAN for a better future.

(But few people do.)

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ANYONE CAN BE PRESIDENT:

Bush proves each day what crusading attorney Clarence Darrow meant in the 1920s when he said, "When I was a boy, I was told that anybody could become president. I'm beginning to believe it."

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WHAT DO YOUR CHILDREN OWE YOU?

Nothing. It was your choice to HAVE THEM. If they are periodically good to you gleem the moment - otherwise live your life as best you can.

Most parents will watch over their children for the rest of their lives - whether they want it or not. My own father would always tell me to water the Xmas tree (at the age of 90) even after we would tell him each year that it was PLASTIC.

Your children are your legacy - make the most of it.

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HOW DOES THE SAYING GO?

"A Fool and his money are soon parted."

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"GOOD DEEDS" ?

What is the old saying? "No good deed goes unpunished."

Time will tell won't it?

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PERSONAL JUDGEMENT:

Just because someone underestimates you does not mean you have to do the same for them.

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PERSISTENCE:

Today I went to renew a CD with a long established financial institution (having done business with them for over 25 years). This institution would always MATCH any money market rate of a local competitive bank.

I always do my HOMEWORK before investing any monies. I found in the paper a favorable renewal rate at another bank for .47% more than what they advertised. When I told the person on the phone this rate they said they could only give me .15% of that rate. I listened and asked for a SECOND OPINION and following a brief pause in the phone they said that was the best they could do. I said thank you and said I would have to weigh my options.

(Note: a .25 difference in a $25000 CD is $62.50 per year or $312.50 for five years)

I next called back again and got a different teller and went through the entire procedure again. This time I was told the same information BUT if I could wait until 11:00 a.m. the Branch Manager would be in and HE had the authority to override those rates. I said thank you and now I am waiting for a decision.

LESSON LEARNED: Whether or not I obtain the better rate is irrelevant. The fact is that there are many different DOORS into any organization. IF you have enough persistence, connections, and good manners you can greatly enhance your success rate.

It is always better to start at a lower rung in the ladder when seeking changes. You have the possibility of SUCCESS at any one of these levels. If you proceed to the top and fail - you have no recourse.

footnote: Bank just called and will pay the highest rate. An astute teller and manager retained a valued customer - I wish that could be said of all organizations.
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JUST FOR YOUR EDUCATION: SOME BASIC WAR MATH

The Bush administration said Thursday (2/2/06) it will ask Congress for $120 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $18 billion more this year for hurricane relief. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that $320 billion has been spent on Iraq and Afghanistan since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, including $50 billion that Congress sent Bush in December.
Administration officials said the new figures were estimates.

Take the number of people living in IRAQ: 26,074,906
Add the number of people living in AFGANISTAN: 29,928,987
Add the numbers together: 56 M
or $6153.84 per person

I suggest we only bomb with $100 bills until everyone turns into a Republican Capitalist. (Note: the yearly income for a family in Afghanistan is almost $1500.) While there are no accurate figures for Iraq let's just assume the same of $1500.

The average family size has declined to about 5 persons in 2005.

Footnote: Sorry, I left out the new $120 Billion in the calculation. Like the current administration I can't seem to ADD either.

The proposed total is:
$7857.14 per person multiplied by 5 = $29285 per family or if divided by the typical $1500 yearly family income = 19.5 years income for every family in Iraq and Afganistan.

On the other hand every individual in the US (all 295,734,134) paid $1420.19 for this fiasco!

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LAW OF ADAPTATION:

This is the first Law of Evolution (those species that adapt - SURVIVE). This is true both both for your personal hardware (body) and software (mind & soul).

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RAY'S TREE SERVICE - St. Louis

Do not ever do business with this company! They cannot be trusted. Always get your BIDS and BILLING of services in WRITING.

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THE INTERNET: Growing Important...

In 1993 I can remember our school system being first connected to the Internet. It was a "milestone" but few teachers or technology IT people could fathom the importance of this technology to future education. Now, 13 years later the Internet has been accessed by 3/4's of the people in the U.S. and according to Pew Internet and American Life Project foundation roughly 45% of the population use it for decision making in their everyday lives.

TURNING TO THE NET
21 million Americans use it to get additional career training
Helps 17 million when dealing with major illness
17 million use it for choosing a school for a child
16 million use it to buy a car
16 million use it for a major financial decision
10 million use it for finding new place to live
8 million use it when changing job
7 million use it to cope with family illness
Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

The internet is coming the "cornucopia" of knowledge in our society (and perhaps the world as well.) Yet there are some serious questions which needs to be recognized by its users.

For starters:

How VALID is the information being "supplied"? (Wikipedia?)
How do you recognize "fake" websites intended for deceit? (phishing sites, fake credit card sites, fake products, fake philantrophy, fake securities, etc.)
Who monitors the information? (no one!)
Who supplies the information and why? (Hate groups, etc.)
How can you value information that is "always on the move"? (Now you see it - now you don't)
Should we be "paranoid" about the fact that our search questions and what web sites we observed can be "recorded" and "tabulated" by others? (companies, law firms, individuals, US Government)?
How gullible are users?
Doing "business" over the internet can result in serious financial consequences (especially with credit cards).

I suggest that schools supply these "skills" and "questions" to all of our students on a yearly basis.

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ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION - GIVING THE


CHANCE:

A friend told me the other day that "chance" was not a consideration in the formation of our life forms. He argued that "no where" else in our universe could life exist.

A quick review of an on-line science encyclopedia shows there are over 100 billion galexies in our known universe (and our Milky Way Galexy is but one.) And in the Milky way we have over 400 billion stars (each with their own revolving cestrial bodies. +- 50% margin of error.) The Milky Way is so large that it takes a single beam of light over 100,000 years to even cross it.

These are just the bodies we can "measure" in some crude fashion. Other "universes" are also possibilities in the space-time continuum.

(Note: just for personal reference - "one billion" measured in seconds is slightly over 32 years of life.)

Placing it all in prospective it seems to me that the "chance" of other life forms existing is very realistic. In fact, if other life forms did not exist it would be very UNREALISTIC.

It makes our presence on this earth seem like a grain of sand in the sea. And if you think that is large: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=539329

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GIFT CARDS: DON'T

Sometime ago we received a Gift card for Blockbuster. Like many people we were pleased to get it but stuck in a packet of coupons. When we finally went to redeem the card we were "penalized" for not using it promptly.

This penalty is NOT unique it seems. Many companies, including Kmart, Macy's, Red Lobster, etc. have similar FINE PRINT on the back of the card. And while the terms and penalties vary the end result is the same - you can't redeem it for what the card sold for. Even some of the VISA Gift cards same similar conditions.

I strongly suggest you find another method to reward others.

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RELIGIOUS COMFORT:

or amusement ?

http://shipoffools.com/
http://shipoffools.com/Gadgets/index.html

I am not picking on Christianity - every religion has similar critics. Still, it is amazing the diversity of beliefs and critics in our religious experiences. And according to the site's author "We're here for people who prefer disorganized religion to the organized kind," says ship-of-fools.com editor Simon Jenkins. "From a position of commitment, we try to look objectively at religious trends in an accessible rather than cynical way. We commend as well as debunk. But we are not a campaign, we're a conversation."

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TAX TIP: (US) Feb. 1, 2006 dateline

IF you have any need of obtaining a "PRIVATE LETTER RULING" you had better run to your tax advisor and get your petition before Feb. 1, 2006. The IRS will raise the rates from the current $95 fee "TO MORE REALISTICALLY REFLECT THE COST OF SUCH TRANSACTIONS" - That translates into a MINIMUM of $3,000 plus the costs of attorneys and tax advisors. If you have never heard of a private-letter ruling before, make sure you won't need one in the future. If you are moving retirement monies around, or taking distributions, make sure you know the rules. If you don't know them enough to feel comfortable, bring in a financial or tax adviser who can make sure you steer clear of trouble; paying their fees will be cheaper than trying to fix things later.

This is just one more reason it is important to have a professional TAX ADVISOR.

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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO LIVE DURING RETIREMENT?

Guidelines suggest you save enough for retirement, including Social Security and a pension, to replace 60% to 80% of your income. (Based on my personal experiences - this seems realistic.) Whether or not existing income from COLAs, dividends, and CD rates keep up with inflation still remains a long term guess. Personal health, health insurance and spouse life expectancy are also future variables. And for whatever it is worth - health care prems have outpaced the inflation rate by 200-300% in the past 3 years. Only time will tell......

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THINK before you EMAIL.... (and especially from work)

Got a little time on your hands than take a look at:
http://www.enronemail.com/

This company has developed a powerful software engine which allows “companies” (or governments) to search through your e-mail. The FREE on-line example is for YOU to search through the hundreds of thousands of email between 176 Enron Executive and employees in 2000-2002.

If you ever needed a reason not to send personal e-mails from work this is it.

While the content of these messages are not new. The FEG Commission released the to the public in 2003. But InBoxer Inc. new EnronEmail provides the tools to flag any email better than a keyword search.

While most companies do allow their employees the privilege of personal e-mail at work a full 26% of firms have fired employeeds for e-mail abuse.

Some other considerations to keep in mind:

It is NOT unlikely that someone in your firm scans e-mails or will be given directives to do so by "higher ups."

Your messages could later be called into public records if a lawsuit related to you is ever leveled. And if you think it can’t happen to you - one in five U.S. firms said courts or regulators had subpoenaed their e-mail records, and another 13% went to court to battle lawsuits triggered by employee e-mails, according to a 2004 survey by the ePolicy Institute and the American Management Association. (marketwatch.com)

The fact is once your e-mail is SENT you have no control over where it will end up. What gets place on a server is often "archived" or backed up in a number of locations.

The federal government has defended the right of the employeer to monitor all e-mail transmissions and ALL INTERNET ACTIVITY.

Think TWICE...Think ENRON

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ON-LINE DISCOUNT:

As I prepared to make an on-line purchase I noted there was a field for a DISCOUNT CODE. I immediately did a search at Google for the company name and "discount code" - which returned codes for 5-10%. I entered the 10% code and it worked, saving me about $9 for a 10 minute search.

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ATTENTION TO DETAILS:

As much as people state that they have all the facts when making crucial decisions I would venture this is not the case in the majority of cases.

Today Oprah denounced James Frey for the factual holes in his memoir, "A Million Little Pieces."

Without recounting the entire incident lets just say that Frey’s book was an elaborate embellishment of partial truths with the self assessed stamp of a sincere biography. And while Oprah declared in Frey’s presence that she felt “duped” by promoting the book I find it difficult to believe that from his publisher to Oprah staff there was not more “due diligence” in researching the TRUTH.

As one commentator remarked on the show - ‘A thirty thousand dollar researcher could have dug deeper into the book and would have prevented this misrepresentation.’ But no one did.

Gathering the FACTS is a time-consuming and necessary step toward any project. Ignoring this fact only invites disaster.

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THE BEST TIME TO BUY.....

According to Money Magazine:

Airline Tickets: WEDNESDAY. “That's when airlines release their available seats for the upcoming weekend and the weekend after. Likewise it's still best to book a domestic flight at least two weeks in advance, and even further ahead for international travel. But if the two-week window isn't an option for you, she advised delaying the purchase even more, to a few days before you fly, as fares from 14 to 7 days ahead of departure tend to be the most expensive.”

Televisions: While the blowout sales on electronics tend to cluster around the holidays, even cheaper deals on TVs can be found in the spring beginning in April.
That's because for most Japanese companies the fiscal year ends in March.

Houses: Reduced demand and lackluster appearance can lead to a better deal in winter.Most homes go on the market in the spring, with sales closing in the summer.
The average home price during these months is higher as well.

Cars: It's still true that good deals can be found in late summer/early fall, when carmakers release new models and dealers want to get rid of last year's leftovers.
But a good price may also be wrangled at the end of every month. That's because dealers are under pressure to book sales. If they exceed monthly sales targets set by the manufacturer, they are rewarded by getting more of the hotter, better selling vehicles the next month. "There's a benefit to [dealers] making their quotas.”

“It is also recommended shopping when the dealerships aren't crowded, like early mornings, midweek or the winter, to avoid "getting short shrifted" from the sales staff.

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CHOOSING YOUR HOME - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:

This is the common phrase used in the business community to describe the importance of establishing your business location for optimum returns. Perhaps that was true 20 years ago but now having a high-speed DSL line and web site is more important.

Location also takes on another consideration when you choose your house. The more time you are on the "road" is less time from the quality of your life AND the greater mileage expenses. A recent study by the University of Wisconsin discovered that workers in that state spend over 386 hours a year just traveling to work and home (that amounts about 10 weeks a year in wasted time.)

If the current US mileage rate of .48 cents a mile is realistic (cost of auto, insurance, tires, maintenance, gas, oil, etc.) than a 40 mile trip to and from work is $19.20. If you lived 5 miles from work (10 miles) than the cost is only $4.80. Repeat this travel over 20+ years (without inflation) and you are talking about some serious money - 325 day per year X $19 = $6175 per year X 20 years = $123,500 vs 325 days per year x $4.80 = $1560 x 20 years = $31,200 or a difference of $92,300. Granted, inflation is not included in this casual calculation but it does show the importance of selecting a home near your place of employment. IF you had two people working in the family the numbers become even more significant. The interest on a home is deductable but travel costs are not.

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FOCUS:

"Focus on the everyday problems that nag at everyday people. There are more than enough to go around without imagining new ones." Blake Ross - co-author of FireFox

Lesson: This applies to every business and social groups.

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MOM's BANANA CAKE:

I was reflecting the other day on childhood memories and Mom's Banana Cake came to mind. My mother always made this cake for me (every birthday) until I left home. Mom died after college and I never had another cake.

While rooting through some old cookbooks the other day I found her hand written recipes. So for anyone else who have childhood memories let me leave you mine :)

Big Banana Cake
Cream the following ingredients together:
2 & 1/4 cups of sugar
1 & 1/2 cups of butter (don’t melt)
3 eggs
Add:
6 tablespoons of sour milk
1 & 1/2 teaspoons soda
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanalla
1 & 1/2 cups bananas
mix together and add
1 & 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups of flour
Finally fold in:
1 & 1/2 cups of nuts

Regular Banana Cake
Cream the following ingredients together:
1 & 1/2 cups of sugar
3/2 cups of butter (don’t melt)
2 eggs
Add:
4 tablespoons of sour milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanalla
1 cup bananas
mix together and add
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 cups of flour
Finally fold in:
1 cup of nuts

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RULE OF 72:

The Rule of 72. To compute how long it takes to double your money divide the interest rate into 72. The result is the number of years to double. (For example, 3% into 72 yields 24 years; 6% yields 12 years; 9% yields 8 years.

An important financial rule to remember

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DOING WHAT YOU LOVE:

Steven Jobs owns 50.4% of Pixar Corp. which sold yesterday for 7.4 BILLION dollars. Not bad for a days work and a man coming from a troubled home.

Recently Jobs was the Principal speaker at the 2005 Stanford graduation. He said that early experience helped focus his priorities.

"Sometimes, life hits you in the head with a brick," he told Stanford University graduates last June in a widely circulated commencement speech. "I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love."

Lesson Learned: Doing what you love has its rewards..... (For Steve there are billions...:)

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A PIECE OF PAPER....

My nephew was allowed to quit school three years ago because "He was smarter than the teachers" and was going to school after all only for a "piece of paper." His quitting school reminded me of an event that occurred during my student teaching days (some 40 years ago.)

One of the students in my first class was suffering from a broken home and no income. He told me that he had to quit school and get a job. I told him that it was really important to stay in school for the "long haul" but he said he could not wait any longer.

I talked with school counselor and asked if he could help get the young man a job. The counselor went out of his way to find and arrange an interview with a CONTRACTOR who needed a "NONSKILLED" employee.

When the student went to the Contractors site he looked over the young man and said "I need to give you a test." He walked him over to a pile of dirt and a shovel and said "Dig me 5 holes 12" deep and 12" across." After which he walked back to his office.

The student worked at the task and upon completion reported to the Contractor. The Contractor walked over to the site and carefully measured each hole.

The student asked him "WHY?" he performed this task. The Contractor told him: "From my experience I have found that people who don't complete hard tasks (high school) don't generally care out the hard tasks I give them as well." "I gave you the test to give you the benefit of the doubt."

While my student passed the test he decided to go back to school and work for his "piece of paper."

I don't know if that was a LIFE LESSON for him - but it certainly was for me. And when he told me the story I cried.....

-----------------------------

WEAR OUT or RUST OUT?

An acquaintance of ours died the other day. She was only 60 years old and had retired 5 years ago because of a combination of obesity and self-inflicted health related issues. Sadly it was these same issues that accelerated her early death.

She sat at home and never went out except in rare circumstances. She hastened her own end simply because of a poor self image and an unwillingness to do anything.

There was no one at side when she died. Her sister came from out of town and was forced to have her home condemned because of the mountain of trash.

Lesson Learned: You can wear out or rust out - I prefer the wear out. How about you?

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TAX TIP (US):

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/news/20060125b2.asp?caret=29

"Car costs

Just before each tax year begins, the IRS determines how much drivers can write off for their various road trips in the coming 12 months. Unexpectedly high gasoline prices in 2005 prompted the agency to adjust those figures upward for the last four months of the year.

This was a welcome recalculation, but it also means you'll probably have to figure your mileage deductions twice.

If you used your car for business between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 last year, you can write it off at the rate of 40.5 cents per mile on your 2005 return. Travel for medical purposes during that time frame is deductible at 15 cents per mile, as is move-related mileage.

On Sept. 1, the IRS increased the rates to 48.5 cents per mile for business travel and 22 cents per mile for medical and moving miles.

The mileage deduction for travel related to charitable services is not adjusted for inflation. It is set by law at 14 cents a mile. However, Congress decided to modify that figure for driving done in connection with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. This deductible rate is 29 cents a mile for travel between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, and 34 cents for qualified trips taken between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.
Remember: This increased charitable mileage rate is only for Katrina-specific volunteer services. Travel for all other charities at any time last year is worth only the standard 14 cents a mile on your return."

----------------------

DOING YOUR OWN TAXES: DON'T

I am always amazed that some people (those who need to itemize) will do their own taxes. Clearly there are SPECIALISTS in life that can save your financial resources and this is one of them.

One year, when in my 20's, I did my own taxes and was not pleased with the results. I decided on a SECOND OPINION with a certified tax consultant and was able to save enough money to pay the consultant for the next 12 years. Since that time I consider this an absolute necessity.

What is important is to keep ALL your financial records and planning calendars. Good record keeping is also a necessity.

------------------------------------

SOMEDAY:

My neighbor commented that "SOMEDAY" they needed to deal with their driveway problem. "Someday is not a day in the week." (C.SHEETS) -

-------------------------

ADVICE:

Advice (given) and (taken) is a particularly peculiar human variable.

Today I went swimming at the local high school pool. I watched two girls from the swim team in practice doing lap races. The younger of the two consistently lost the races for multiple reasons but one reason really stood out - she raised her hand out of the water much higher (and longer) than her opponent.

I watched and asked myself if I should offer some advice. I knew from my years of youthful experience on a swim team (45 years ago) that trying to find that "edge" was difficult and elusive. So I asked if she "MINDED" if I shared some advice.

I don't know if she was just being polite to al OLD MAN or whether my observations really mattered but she was smiled and took it all in and said "thank you."

You can always throw advice away but you cannot always get it. Your attitude and reception to ANY advice will determine whether you receive it again from that person. Once "burned" you probably will get nothing in the future.

-----------------------

APOLOGY ACCEPTED:

Peace and harmony restored - to mutual benefit. (See Prior post.)

-------------------

ANGER:

Today I was angry with someone. I was more disappointed in how I dealt with the issue than the person who raised it. Tomorrow I am going to ask an apology from this person - not because I feel I was intellectually wrong but because I did nothing to make the person respect me or my position. Hopefully if this person accepts my apology they will have greater consideration for my actions in the future - if not - I will have no chance to change their future actions.

--------------------

MARRIAGE AS AN INVESTMENT?:

An interesting commentary on NBC the other night made the astute comment that a "successful lifetime marriage" resulted in 2 to 4 times greater accumulation of wealth than single or divorced people. While I don't think this is "rocket science" it does point out how important it is to for people to make the effort to preserve a "marriage in trouble" or else face the financial consequences. And for people who are planning on living the "single lifestyle" there is a GREATER NEED to make responsible financial planning throughout their lives.

NOTE: And while nearly 50% of all US marriages end in result you can bring the ODDS DOWN SUBSTANCIALLY according to http://www.divorcereform.org/real.html

Percent Decrease in Risk of Divorce

Annual income over $50,000 (vs. under $25,000) -30%
Having a baby seven months or more after marriage (vs. before marriage) -24%
Marrying over 25 years of age (vs. under 18) -24%
Own family of origin intact (vs. divorced parents) -14%
Religious affiliation (vs. none) -14%
Some college (vs. high-school dropout) -13%

----------------------

PURCHASING EXTENDED PRODUCT WARRENTIES:

I seldom buy, nor would recommend, the purchase of extended product warrenties. Most people who even buy them seldom even remember they have them, can't find the necessary documentation, or discarded the product as obsolescent. Probably 90%+ of the warrenties included with newly purchased items are never used (a guess).

Every product does require some investigation on your part. Some exceptions that might warrent consideration but they need to be weighted by the issues of RISK VS REWARD. For example paying $20 to extend a warrenty on a $200 DVD player from one year to three or four is probably a waste of your resources.

If your GOOD at saving money and keeping it FLUID you do not normally need an extended warrenty. Repairs are just part of your household budget.

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PROTECTING YOUR MAJOR INVESTMENT: (YOUR HOUSE)

The average homeowner should budget 1% to 3% of the home's value for annual maintenance, depending on the age and size of the home and area climate. Some years it might cost more, other years less. Nevertheless, what is really important is to make a periodic walk through and around your property looking for issues to be resolved. Once identified - deal with them. Sometimes just catching a minor leak can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs. (For example, my mother-in-law saw water on the basement floor but did nothing about it until it backed up in the upstairs bathroom.) This applies to CONDO owners in particular since they receive periodic assessments (often unannounced.)

I would strongly recommend keeping a separate money market account just for REPAIRS and AUTO REPLACEMENT (both of which are in my yearly budget.) Currently I am earning 3.5% interest on my money market account which is the same rate as the inflation rate.

-------------------------------

LIFE ODDS:

MANY years ago Ernie Kovacs had a comedy routine in which an insurance agent calls on a home owner and asks how he would like to buy an insurance policy from being attacked by a Gorilla during a snow storm. The man breaks out in laughter while the insurance man tells his henchman "Bring in the gorilla and start the snow storm.What prompted this memory was a comment by an acquaintence they were thinking about purchasing cancer insurance.

I asked my friend if he had a history of cancer in his family and he replied NO - he was just thinking of being prudent.

All too often people fail to deal with the REAL ODDS before they make good judgements. There is a whole theory of decision making called "Bayseian" logic premised on making judgement based on mathematical odds.

An interesting site based on INJURY ODDS is: http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm

Do your research carefully.

----------------------------------

GAMBLING:

What are your odds of winning?

Keno ODDS - 29.5 to 1 (the worst of all possible gambling odds)
Slots ODDS - 2%-35%
Routlete ODDS - 5.26%
Blackjack ODDS - 10%-20% (according to the skill of the player)
Craps ODDS - 1.4%-16.7%
Poker ODDS - (varies by player skills) and probability of the deal (you have a 10 time greater chance of getting a Royal Flush (649,459) than winning a state lottery of over 7,000,000.)

Gambling houses don't care who wins because they scalp their percentage (vigorish) off every player (winner) or (looser).

-----------------------

PART OF THE PROBLEM:

The old quotation "If your not part of the solution you are part of the problem" still holds true today.

Years ago an impasse with the support role of a Systems Analyst came to a head and required the intervention of our supervisor.

As the two of us sat in the supervisor's office I asked the Technician as to WHY he would not answer the technical questions that I asked of him. He looked at our supervisor and said "IF I tell you the answers you will tell others (implying I would take the credit) and they won't need me."

Agasp I told him that hopefully he was acquiring new knowledge every day and that I would always need to reply on his accumulated skill sets.

Sadly, he did not see it that way. Our supervisor told him that either he needed to make a change in his belief or to move on. He moved on - to everyone's satisfaction.

No one is indespensible. Your value increases geometrically in any organization (work, home, school, etc.) as others preceive your contributions to the whole.

----------------------------

COMMUNICATION:

Many years ago a fellow colleague was attempting to make copies of an operating system. He had spent approximately an hour without success while the support technician walked by a dozen times. When I came into the room I asked him "what was the problem" and listening to the explaination told him "WHY" his copy method didn't work and what he needed to do.

What seemed amazing to me was that the TECHNICIAN was working not ten feet away. When I asked the TECHNICIAN as to WHY he did not help him he replied "He didn't ask!"

Communicating problems and asking for help is not a fault - it is a skill which many people need to acknowledge and use in their daily lives.(And yes, it was the same Technician above.)

------------------------

WHAT IF:

What IF you awoke this morning to hear that the Pope, dalal Lama, Pat Roberts, Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim, and a half-dozen other religious leaders all had the same epiphany - "That God told them to tell their followers to share their wealth with the world's poor and to spend the rest of their lives in prayer awaiting the end of the world."

What would you do? What do you think the majority of people would do? (So do I)

----------------------------

GOOD TEACHING METHOD:

I have always been a firm believer in the Madeline Hunter Theory of Instruction. Even though instructional methods are often fluid in the educational arena I believe these tenets are useful where ever training takes place (school, work, or home.)

* Prepare with objectives and standards
* Tell your students what you plan on teaching
* Teach it by relating it to what your students already know (a hook)
* Have your students state (or demonstrate) what they have learned (guided practice)
* Finally you summarize what they should have learned (closure)
* Independent practice

(This is my simple summary of this instructional method.)
http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html

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SALVATION:

Work out your own salvation.  Do not depend on others.  ~Buddha

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PROMISES:

Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise. ~Author Unknown

--------------------

ANGER:

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. ~Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ, c.1420

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NET WORTH:

"Net worth is total assets minus total liabilities."

All too often people think that living in a big house, driving an expensive car, sending your children (or self) to an expensive vaction or school constitutes weath. This is often the farthest thing from the truth.

Putting down on paper your assets and liablilities will give you a "heads up" to your financial situation. Reviewing those figures AT LEAST twice a year is necessary if a person intends to retire with adequate resources. This is also essential to any estate planning.

----------------

SECOND OPINIONS:

Whenever a person hears something they don't like they are inclined to ask for a "second opinion." Keeping an open mind and weighing "all the options" are best achieved if a "second opinion" is always included in any decision making operation. Hearing what you WANT TO HEAR does not it is RIGHT.

Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong. ~Dandemis

----------------------------

WHAT WOULD HE SAY?

For the people in the world who follow the teachings of Jesus what do you think he would say about the following events if he returned to earth today? Explain why?

American war with Iraq (preemptive strikes)
Treatment of the World's poor? (27,000+ people who starve to death everyday)
Racism/Sexism
The belief of various Christian demoninations declaring their beliefs as superior to other Christians and/or other religions.
The worth of “super rich” individuals in the worth
The gluttony livestyle of believers while others in the world starve.
The building of costly churches and princely paid religious leaders.
The American consumption of 50% of the world’s energy resources.

(and NO I am not a Christian)
------------------—

“HOW WOULD WE KNOW WHEN WE HAVE WON?”

Recently an interesting show on the History Channel explored the debate among President Lyndon Johnson and his Presidental Cabinet as to the merits of expanding the war in Vietnam.

Sec. McNamara led the verbal charge to prosecute the war else we would be viewed as “soft” to our enemies and would risk further aggression. As the banter filled the room Sec. Ramsey Clark stated he only had one question - “HOW WOULD WE KNOW WHEN WE HAVE WON?” (measureable objectives and outcomes)

Sec. Clark did not prevail, and the promise by McNamara of “technological supremacy” over an inferior enemy lured Johnson into the promise of a “quick victory.” Sadly it proved to be an expensive and unresolved war.

History is always in a cycle as recent events with Iraq have proven. A “C+” scholar as President, who is surrounded by incompetent political appointees, and chronies with agendies of personal gain, have all failed to address this same question. One only had to watch the “occupation” of Bagdad in the first weeks of the war as residents looted banks, stores, museums, and palaces while American troops only stood by offering no intervention because they had no instructions.

LESSONS LEARNED:

The failure to have good intelligence, no exacting occupation plan or an “exit strategy” prior to the beginning of the Iraq war has only compounded any attempt to make a wise exit today. The quagmire we are in today was foreseeable, but any correction made “on the fly” takes three times the effort and ten times the cost in resources.

Whether a war or even a business strategy it is important to know the “milestone” of your goals. Important questions need to be raised and dissenting questions answered prior to the making of such decisions.

Things are not going to get any better in Iraq with our current leadership (Presidental or Congressional). The war will continue....

NOTE: Not one person in the Bush administration was fired for the failure to supply the correct pre-war Iraq intelligence.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0903-04.htm

(for some sad reflections of the Bush Presidency)

--------------------–

MARRIAGE, CAREERS & DIVORCE:

Today a friend informed my wife that her husband wanted a divorce leaving her and her 3 pre-adolescent children out to lunch.

She was really despondent (as she deserved to be). She had given up her career to become a stay at home mom and now her world had become undone - in more ways than she realized.

She will probably receive some support until the children are of age (18) but thereafter she will be on her own. And unless she gets something in the settlement this may even affect her retirement options.

LESSON: Never asssume that marriage is permanent. Over 50% of marriages in the US will fail. A women can protect herself by acquiring/keeping/updating her marketable skills even if she stays home. Community colleges and part-time jobs offer intelligent security blankets.

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ON KEEPING YOUR WORTH IN PERSPECTIVE:

In ancient Rome each returning victorious general was provided a triumphant parade through the streets of Rome riding on a golden chariot. As the hordes of citizens screamed their approval a slave (appointed by the Senate) repeated over and over again to him "Remember - All men are mortal."

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THE WISDOM OF SOLOMAN:

A mother came home one day and told her two children they could have a treat for doing their chores. When she produced the treat (a cupcake) the children starting bickering over who would get the most. With the wisdom of only a mother she declared to the first child "You get to divide the cake into two equal pieces - your brother gets first choice of the pieces." Needless to say the pieces were equal.

-----------------------------

PERSPECTIVE:

I was reading an article today that over 1.5 BILLION people require Kerocene lamps to read at night. That over 800 million people in India don't even have electricity. That over 200,000 people are still homeless following the 2005 Tsunami. That 20% of the world's population lives below the poverty level of $2 a day. That another roughly 20% of the population are at the poverty level.

It reminds me just how unimportant my problems are in PERSPECTIVE.

--------------------

LONGEVITY:

Yesterday I went to the hospital for a checkup (an MRI check for cancer 2 years ago.) What amazed me was the long line of OLD people (I guess including myself) awaiting treatment to preserve their lives into an indefinite future.

One on-line study suggests that according to Census figures there has been a 63 percent increase in centerians since 1990, and the number could exceed 1 million by 2030 and top 4 million by 2050.

Living longer may be important to some people but factoring that issue into your retirement is why so many corporations are divesting themselves from retirement funds. What if I live to be a 100+ will my retirement funds, investments, etc. meet that need? (Merely assuming that you continue in good to moderate health and have health insurance.)

In 1900 Life expectancy was only 47 years, while someone born in 2002 is expected to reach the age of 77. The upward curve only seems to continue.

I want to live as long as the QUALITY of my life is meaningful to ME and I am self-sufficient. I don't WANT to be merely kept alive and rolled around a retirement home in a mindless state. (Visit a retirement home for a sobriety check to your future retirement.)

Neither the Government nor retirement funds will be able to meet these future needs. Every individual needs to balance these factors into their retirement years.

Note: One in Six companies on the NY StockExchange are health care related. (2006)

---------------------------------

FAILURE AND DETERMINATION:

• After Fred Astaire’s first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933 said, “Can’t act! Slight balk! Can dance a little!” Astaire kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hill Home.

• Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women,” was encouraged to find work as a servant or semstress by her family.

• Beethoven handled the violin awkwqardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.

• The parents of the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso wanted him to be an engineer. His teacher said he had no voice at all and could not sing.

• Charles Darwin, father of the Theory of Evolution, gave up a medical career and was told by his father, “You care for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat catching.” In his autobiography, Darwin wrote, “I was considered by all my masters and by my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard in intellect.”

• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for a lack of ideas. Walt Disney also went bankrupct several times before he built Disneyland.

• Thomas Edison’ts teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.

• Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and didn’t read until he was seven. His teacher described him as “mentally slow, unsocialable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.” He was expelled and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.

• Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 in chemistry.

• Isacc Newton did very poorly in grade school.

• The sculptor Rodin’s father said, “I have an idiot for a son.” Described as the worst pupil in the school. Rodin failed three times to secure admittance to the school of art. His uncle called him uneducable.

• Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of college. He was described as “both unable and unwilling to learn.”

• Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.

• Babe Ruth, considered by sports historians to be the greatest athlete of all time and famous for the setting the home run record, also hold the record for strikeouts.

• Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister of England until was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.”

• Richard Hooker worked for seven years on his humorous war novel, M*A*S*H, only to have it reject by 21 publishers before Morrow decided to publish it. It became a runaway bestseller, spawning ablockbusting movie and a highly successful television series.

• R.H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.

LESSON LEARNED? There is IQ and I WILL....but not always in tandem. klf

Consider This.... Chicken Soup for the Soul
From: Chicken Soup for the Soul™ © 1993
by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Health Communications, Inc. P 228-230

AGNES ALLEN's LAW:

Almost anything is easier to get into than out of.

Choose your projects, friends, and activities with care.

----------------------

LESSONS FROM THE IPOD

"iCame, iSaw, iConquered - iPod”


Apple has sold over 20 million iPods since its launch in 2001. Accross all demographic barriers its presence is felt world wide. The portable audio player now has over a 1000 accessories and imitators and controls 80% of the downloadable music industry. It has in effect driven its competitors from the marketplace and become the standard of functionality and design - so much that in 2006 over 40% of American cars will have an interface for the iPod.

So what lessons can we learn:

Being first to the market-place is not as important as “getting it right” for the end user and the long haul. Knowing not only what the consumer WANTS now but what they WILL WANT in the future ensures you product longevity (e.g. placing your entire music library in your pocket instead of your desktop.) Changing the “rules of engagement” while risque also offers opportunity.

Functionality and ease of use is paramount in any successful endeavor. The iPod is essentially a portable hard drive enclosed in an esthethically pleasing enclosure, accessed by intutitve menus, buttons and a scroll wheel. The fact that anyone can use it with minimum training only enhances its worth. This is a classic example of where the sum is greater than all its parts.

The iPod was but one stage of a long term plan. Apple first created the iTunes software for the Macintosh, created and negotiated on-line libraries of music for user pay downloads, created and distributed Free iTunes software and access for Windows users, developed successive iPod models, and added creative features such as “iPod libraries” among others.

Price is not as important as FUNCTIONALITY. People will pay for ease of use and aesthetics.

Not to be STUCK in a single product (e.g. Sony Walkman). Apple dumped its best selling Mini for the flash memory Namo because it was an advance in functionality. They kept what worked and continued with it logical evolution.

End User expectations demand that TECHNOLOGY deliver on its hidden promise to increase the quality of our lives. Living with “what is” no longer cuts it.

------------------—

TRADITION: (My mother always did it.)

A young bride was preparing a ham and as she put it in the pan, she cut off both ends of the ham. Her new husband inquired as to why she cut off the ends, and she replied, "My mother always did it." The husband asked his mother-in-law and she said, "That's the way my mother always did it." Not satisfied with her answer, he approached the grandmother, who explained that it was "in order to fit it in the pan". -Marilyn Linton

LESSON Learned: Often we do things because of the "that was the way it was done before" factor. While we profit by our experience we need to consciously review the "reasons" we do things.

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ON RAISING CHILDREN:

"Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. What will become of them? This world is truly coming to an end." (Socrates)

Some things never change :)

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SERENDIPITY: (finding the unexpected)

Alexander Fleming's famous discovery of penicillin at St Mary's Hospital in 1928 was occasioned by a speck of penicillium notatum mold (from a mycology lab one floor below) fortuitously contaminating an uncovered culture plate while he was away on vacation.

Touring a modern research laboratory many years later, Fleming commented with interest upon the dust-free, air-conditioned environment in which its technicians labored. "What a pity you did not have a place like this to work in," his guide remarked. "Who can tell what you might have discovered in such surroundings." Fleming's reply? "Not penicillin!"

Opportunity is where you find it....

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PRIORITIZING:

Use the 80-20 Rule originally stated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who noted that 80 percent of the reward comes from 20 percent of the effort. The trick to prioritizing is to isolate and identify that valuable 20 percent. Once identified, prioritize time to concentrate your work on those items with the greatest reward. Prioritize by color, number or letter — whichever method makes the most sense to you. Flagging items with a deadline is another idea for helping you stick to your priorities.

http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/homemgt/nf172.htm

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DEATH:

I have faced DEATH twice in my life and both experiences left me with a greater regard for not only my own existence but family, friends and all of humanity as a whole.

My first experience with death came with the collapse of my lungs following a cancer operation. The surgeon inserted a repirator tube down my throat and placed me in intensive care. For two days I gagged for each breathe of air. I begged the nurse to remove the tube as I was choking on the fluids in my lungs. Even though I was "tied" down I strained to pull out the tube.

I can still remember her words - "If you pull out this tube - you will DIE." It was only at that point that my mind came to grips with how serious my situation really was. And even though I was only half conscious (due to the drugs) I said to myself - "You have my undivided attention and cooperation."

I watched the clock hands move (through many hours and minutes) until finally they pulled the respirator from my lungs. I laid there and cried myself to sleep.

Five days later I was sent home... and recovered (minus a kidney and 59 stiches across my stomach.)

My second round followed neck surgery when my surgeon "accidently" cut my esophicus and turned my 3 hour operation into 7 hours. Again, I experienced problems breathing in the recovery ward.

SO WHAT IS THE LESSON LEARNED:

You can't live forever.
You may die at any time (and not of your choosing.)
You need to keep your "house" in order at all times.
You should spend every day of your life telling and showing the people you care for just how much you love them.

-------------------------------

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Many years ago I visited Edison's research lab at Ford's Village in Detroit Michigan. As I looked at Edison's work bench I noted that the clock had no hands. I made an off-hand remark to a guide that I guess Edison never knew what time it was.

The guide said the clock hands were actually taken off by Edison himself. Edison often quoted to his help - "You should measure your success by your accomplishments and not by hours and minutes of the day."

Something for all of us to remember.
------------------------------------

IF YOUR NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION YOU MAY BE PART OF THE PROBLEM:

---------------------------------

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF POKER:

Periodically I like to watch the World Championship of Poker, not because I feel I would want to play the game but I do enjoy seeing the rollercoaster of emotions. Watching people win or loose more money on a single hand than most people earn in a lifetime is almost surreal. Seeing people react to those hands reflects both skill and character.

But in the final assessment all of these "games of chance" are simply that - CHANCE.

The Best Gambling quotations


"Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit."-R. E. Shay

"Remember this: The house doesn't beat the player. It just gives him the opportunity to beat himself." -Nicholas (Nick the Greek) Dandalos

"The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet." -Grantland Rice

"Gambling is the future on the internet. You can only look at so many dirty pictures." -Simon Noble, an Austrian-based internet bookmaker

"When we put 50 machines in, I consider them 50 more mousetraps. You have to have a mousetrap to catch a mouse." -Bob Stupak, former Las Vegas casino owner

"You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it." -Albert Einstein

"Stop cheating!" the dealer told the card player. "I'm not!" claimed the player. "You must be," said the dealer. "That is not the hand that I dealt you."

In a bet there is a fool and a thief. -Proverb

"One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden seeds." Dan Bennett

"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket." - Kin Hubbard

"The only difference between a winner and a loser is character." - Nick the Greek

"It is the mark of an inexperienced man not to believe in luck." - Joseph Conrad

"I believe in luck. How else can you explain the success of those you dislike?" -Jean Cocteau

In Atlantic City, N.J., elderly gamblers got flu shots Monday at Bally's Park Place ballroom while slot machines jangled in the next room. Nurses said the shot could cause soreness in their arms, but many replied they would work it out by pulling the slot machine handle.

"Son, we are sorry about the tuition funds...your mother and I did not know you are not supposed to split tens..." -Letters home from people visiting Reno.

"Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn't play poker." -Amarillo Slim

"The best bet you get is an even break." -Franklin Pierce Adams
----------------------------

HEDGING YOUR BETS: EARTHQUAKE INSURANCE

Living in St. Louis, MO is in many ways similar to living in San Francisco in that both live along active geological faults.

The 1811-1812 earthquake resulted in little physical damage since few people lived in the region and there were few buildings of brick and concrete construction. If a similar quake should strike today it would be as destructive as Katrinia. Highways and interstate system would be shattered, gas line ruptured and massive loss of property and human life. Should the Mississippi be at flood stage, the destruction of the levees could dramatically inflate the damage.

The geological time clock is ticking. Neither San Francisco or the Mississippi basin can escape these events.

Should you own earthquake insurance? Since your house if usually your most important financial investment it should be included with your basic insurance policy. Such costs are small in comparison to a "total earthquake loss." Not all companies offer such policies and you may have to look around. Likewise it is important to keep COPIES of such policies in safe locations should your house become destroyed.

This is also a reminder to have a survival plan for your family (see below.)

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PLACEBO EFFECT:

A recent TV show reflects the importance of "postive expectations" not only in healing but in all life activities.

A Doctor performed three types of knee surgery on three different patients. The first patient received the traditional invasive surgery of scrapping the knee, the second patient had a minor invasive opening, and the third a cut only. In all three cases the outcome was equal patient satisfaction.

Belief in positive outcomes is an important ingredient in all life activities. Our confidence in the ability of effective leaders (family) carries over to our own individual holistic well-being and life goals (work habits, attitudes, values, etc.)

Again, it is not always what is true but what people BELIEVE to be true that works on our life motivations and values.

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GROCERY SHOPPING:

Notes from article at Money Magazine.com

Families spend an average of $5,340 these days) than on anything else besides our house and car.

"Americans have forgotten how to food-shop," says Phil Lempert of SupermarketGuru.com, which tracks the industry. "When we don't plan, we buy the wrong things, which causes us to spend more money and more time."

Today households on average toss 14 percent of the food they buy, about double what we threw out 20 years ago.

To meet our mothers' generation in the middle, we crave foods that are fast but that also have a homemade feel. (According to Nielsen, one of the top daytime shows on the Food Network is Semi-Homemade Cooking.)

Food purveyors have been happy to oblige, preying on your lack of time and your seemingly endless grocery budget by concocting pricey ready-to-eat foods.

"More shelf space is dedicated to prepared food these days," says Michael Sansolo of the Food Marketing Institute. "Soup comes in a grab-and-go cup. It wasn't long ago we didn't even have juice boxes."

Some new products are lifesavers; others are rip-offs. All are part of a changing grocery landscape that includes everything from pre-diced onions to grocery lists you can keep online.

To shop smart, you have to decide which alleged improvements really save time and money.

Be picky
The premium on shortcut foods -- marinated chicken breasts, cut vegetables, washed lettuce -- is enormous, so compare prices of the prepared version and the normal version, then decide whether the premium is worth the time you'll save.

Use what you have
"There are literally 150 pasta dishes that most people could make with stuff they have in their house right now," says Mark Bittman, whose New York Times column "The Minimalist" and book "The Best Recipes in the World" are aimed at today's frenzied shopper.

Lempert suggests a weekly use-what-you-have night. Involve your kids.

They'll eat whatever you cook up simply because they helped (trust me on this), and you won't spend $40 ordering in.

Make lists
Half of us don't make shopping lists. That's why we buy bags of food but have nothing for dinner.

Before you shop, plan your next three dinners, trying to pick ingredients that overlap from meal to meal. That way you won't buy something you'll use half of and then shove to the back of the fridge to compost.

Shop online
Our mothers would have. Jodie and Lawrence Smoler, parents in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., used to spend $250 a week at the grocery store. Once every few weeks they'd fill a hefty bag with everything they hadn't eaten -- vegetables on the wrong side of ripe, cold cuts past their prime -- and throw it out.

Then they discovered Peapod, the online grocer in their area. Jodie's first foray onto the site took about an hour as she searched for her staples.

But now every week she starts with that same list, adds a few necessities and is done in 10 minutes, for around $90 including delivery. "Last week she was away, so she didn't order," Lawrence says. "I went to the store instead. I spent $150 and I can't figure out why."

Make a game of it
Ever hear about those people who cut their $200 weekly grocery bill down to $50? I'm trying to become one of them.

I'm playing the Grocery Game. Started in 2000, the Grocery Game is a Web site that provides you with a weekly list of products on sale at your local supermarket, cross-referenced with the coupons in your Sunday circulars.

It also tells you what to load up on when. Usually supermarkets are divided into 15 sections (from frozen foods to toiletries), and each week two of those sections are put on sale.

"That means if you buy only what you need every week, you overspend on 13 out of 15 categories," says founder Teri Gault. "We teach people to stockpile when things are on sale."

A subscription is $10 for eight weeks, but you can get a four-week trial for just a dollar at thegrocerygame.com.

Your first experience shopping with a computer-generated list can be time consuming -- confusing even. But once it works, addiction sets in.

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IMPLEMENTING PLANS:

An interesting comment by a civic planner at modern day Vesuvius, (Italy) noted that having a PLAN for a modern volcanic eruption was not as important as having people KNOW the plan, BUY into the plan, and frequently REVIEW the plan.

This is true of all plans....

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ADVICE:

Generally only the people who like you will take the time to provide YOU with advice. Other people simply provide "advice" about YOU to other people (gossip).

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VIRGIN BIRTH(s):

From WEIRD CHRISTMAS ( ISB-N-!-57912-476-3 ) by Joey Green

p. 28

"As early as 3000 BC ancient Egyptians worshipped the god Osiris, who fathered through the virgin Isis an earthly son named Horus. The birth was announced by three wise men, symbolized by three stars in Orion's Belt pointing to Osiris' star in the east, and took place in a manger on the winter soltrice. Historians recognize ancient Egyptian statues of the virgin mother Isis suckling her baby Horus as the precursor to the depictions of Madonna and Child."

"Around 2000 BC ancient Syrians and Babylonians worshipped the god Dumuzi, who was born on the winter solstice to a virgin names Mylitta."


"Around 2000 BC the Persians began worshipping Mirtha, a sun-god born to a god father a human virgin mother named Anahita (referred to as "The Immaculate Virgin Mother of Lord Mirtha" in a cave on December 25. The birth was witnessed by shepherds who brought gifts."

"During the second millennium BC ancient Greeks worshipped the god Dionysus, who was the son of the god Zeus and the Theban virgin princess semele. According to Greek mythology Dionysus was born on the winter solstice."

"As early as 1400 BC Hindus in India began worshipping the divine son Krishna, born to the human virgin Devaki and the god Vishnu on the winter solstice. According to Hindu scripture, Krishna's birth in a cave was heralded by a star."

P 29

"Around 1400 BC Attis, a deity worshipped in Phrygia and later throughout the Roman Empire, was said to be the son of the virgin Nama and to have been born on the winter solstice."

"The Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III, of the 17th dynasty (1382-1344 BC) was hailed as the son of the virgin Queen Mutemua."

"Buddha, a mortal sage named Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC) was said to have been born of a virgin named Maya and was visited by wise men who acknowledged his divinity."

"According to the play Amphituo, written by Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus (circa 254-184 BC), the great Greek hero Hercules was born to the god Zeus and the virgin Alcmena."

"As early as the 10th century AD, the Aztechs of ancient Mexico worhipped Quetzalcoatl, a great Toltec deity, who was a son of the virgin goddess Coallicue."

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LUCK:

I'ma great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson.

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ZEN:

In every life there should be a balance of your life forces. Perhaps for that reason I have come to respect the Confucian concept of ZEN or balance. Lao-tsu expressed this concept in the phrase "In strength there is weakness, in weakness there is strength."

(Example: A large army could successfully oppose most foes on the battlefield (the YEN or strenth) yet it was vunerable by its supply lines and difficulty in movement (YANG or weakness.)

To the Confucians all of nature was a dicotomy of dominant and recessive forces, but HARMONY could only be achieved when they balanced one another.

It is important to correctly identify and keep your opposing forces in balance less you fruitlessly expend your energies.

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REMINDER OF THE RULE OF 72:

Rule of 72

How long does it take for an investment to double? This is where we use the "Rule of 72." This is a simple "rule of thumb" to estimate the doubling time of an investment. It is simply "the compounded annual rate of return times the number of years must equal roughly 72 for the investment to double in value."

For example, let's say you invest $1,000 at 6%. The "rule of 72" says your money will double in 72 divided by 6 = 12 years.

Even a fraction of a percentage in your mortgage rate represents serious money. Go to http://versiontracker.com and download a free interest calculator for your respective OS. "Loan Table.app" for the Mac OS X supplies lots of "what ifs" for loans or investments. Surprisingly if you make extra payments to a loan you can dramatically accelerate the repayment.

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NAIL THE SOLUTION:

When the only tool that you own is a hammer why is it that every problem appears as a nail?

(Sometimes you need other people with different skills to help you recogize and solve a particular problem.)

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MONEY MARKETS:

IF you believe as I do that it is worthwhile to keep $5000 or more in ready cash you should definitely check out the variety of rates offered by different banks. For example, Regions pays only .017% o their money markets while UMB will pay 3.5%. It definitely pays to SHOP AROUND for all money transactions (CDs, Mortgages,etc.)

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OWNERSHIP OF THE PROBLEM:

Most people (including myself) have fallen victim to taking on ownership of problems which were not our own. For whatever the reason (vanity, power, intellectual prowess, a notch in the gun, etc) it is important to determine at the beginning IF the problem is in your domain - if not leave it alone.

Ah, but learning to divorce yourself of such issues - is another life lesson....

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THE FIRST RULE OF FINANCIAL SURVIVAL:

"The first rule of financial success is to protect what you have,"
"The second rule of success is to make a plan and keep it."

These are very painful lessons to overlook....

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10% MAKES THE DIFFERENCE:

So what difference does 10% make? Eat 10% less and you lose weight. Save 10% over a lifetime and you retire a millionaire. Spend 10% of your day dedicated to a goal and you will accomplish it.

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GOING TO RELIGIOUS SERVICES:

Seeing and listening to admonitions of a relative who did "not" going to church reminded me of the quote: "Going to church doesn't make anyone anymore religious than going to a garage makes you a mechanic."

Religion is in your heart and your worship is in your actions. Prayer in your closet is no different than in a million dollar building.

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BAD MOUTHING OTHERS:

Harpo Marx once commented after a leader went on a verbal rampage about a fellow worker and said "He shouldn't be allowed to make HIMESELF look so bad." (Harpo Speaks)

Your insults of others will always come back to haunt you.

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WEAKEST LINK:

Either you have weak links in your organization OR YOU are the weakest link. (Drill Instructor - Paris Island)

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THEORY OF DIMINISHING RETURNS:

This economic theory stresses that the more you strive for perfection the cost of the project will inversely increase.

Perfection in any project is an IDEAL but should always be measured against your available resources and goals.

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LESSONS FROM THE GEESE:

http://suewidemark.com/lessonsgeese.htm

This LESSON is an old favorite regarding the need to cooperate (whether at home or at work.)

Top 7 Facts & Lessons Learned From Geese

FACT: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds 72% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of another.

FACT: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give out help to others.

FACT: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns going the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, and resources.

FACT: The geese flying formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

FACT: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we had as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

FACT: Geese fly South for the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Lesson: It is a reminder to take a break from the cold of winter and take a vacation to some place warm & sunny to rejuvenate ourselves.

FACT: The larger flocks of geese usually inhabit areas where geese eating for humans is more popular or in demand, and where there are smaller flocks of geese flying, there is usually smaller demand for geese, to be used for human food. * This fact according to the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents study on geese.

Lesson: Larger flocks of humans together may not always be as effective as smaller flocks who are able to maneuver much more quickly in life and business without being eaten up by the competition...so to speak. ;-) (yes, this was a stretch, but relevant, no? :)

Lesson #2: The smart geese know to not fly with the big herds, and create their own niche flying circle or game.

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WHO GETS THE CREDIT?

I have always agreed with the old adage "Its amazing what you can get done if you don't care who gets the credit."

Likewise there will always be someone that will see and share YOUR contributions. Just don't spend your time being occupied by it. Focus on the objective and not your name....

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MURPHY'S LAWs (Reminder):

MURPHY'S LAWS

- Nothing is as easy as it looks.
- Everything takes longer than you think.
- Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
- If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
- If anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.
- If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
- Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
- If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
- Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
- Mother nature is a bitch.
- It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
- Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
- Every solution breeds new problems.

These LAWS should be on every administrators desk.

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