Portland Event Reviews

Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

The Trouble at Home, Lee Corey Oswald, and Grey Anne | Apr 26th …

Get tickets, directions, reminders, reviews, music & video samples, and more at Concert Co-Op for The Trouble at Home, Lee Corey Oswald, and Grey Anne on Apr 26th, 2010 2010 at Rotture in Portland OR.

Smoochknob, The Smoothgirls, The Beatoffs, Cellar Door, Sinnergy …

Get tickets, directions, reminders, reviews, music & video samples, and more at Concert Co-Op for Smoochknob, The Smoothgirls, The Beatoffs, Cellar Door, Sinnergy, and Ed Forman on Sat, May 15th 2010 at Dante's in Portland OR.

Sons of Huns, Mist and Mast, and Guantanamo Baywatch | Apr 24th …

Get tickets, directions, reminders, reviews, music & video samples, and more at Concert Co-Op for Sons of Huns, Mist and Mast, and Guantanamo Baywatch on Apr 24th, 2010 2010 at Kelly's Olympian in Portland OR.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

I'm going to the American Idol Tour on July 17th in Ontario and I was wondering if the american idols will be coming out of the venue to sign autographs? Anyone that went the Portland show know?? I know last year with david archuleta and david cook they came out and signed autographs, anyone know about this year and where i can WIN meet and greets or anyone know if they came outside and signed autographs?

• 
  Happy Cows Produce More Milk and Happy Workers Produce More Everything
  

  [Business:Management]
  Contented workers are developed by trust, expectations, and responses by their supervisors. Supervisors that provide praise for a job well done, usually end up with employees returning the favor by producing more jobs done, well. In other words if we appreciate how we are being handled or cared for, we produce more milk.

• 
  Where Everybody Doesn’t Know Your Name
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  Don’t we all feel special when we are recognized? If you are being recognized because you are a client, it makes you feel valued and you want to return. But how about buying through shopping carts on the internet have we lost the feeling of being recognized? Perhaps, not.

• 
  Delivering Customer Service to the Doorstep
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  At its core, customer service is common sense: what’s best for the customer. This goes for must interactions within organizations and in facing the public. It’s a simple fact.

• 
  Family Memories to Live On
  

  [Home-and-Family:Grandparenting]
  They shriek, they scream, they thump around the house slamming doors having the time of their lives, while my wife and I just cringe and leave them alone. Grandchildren on a stay-over create havoc in the home, and it’s worth every minute. Happy memories fuel stories for future gatherings and happy family memories are the best of all.

• 
  Nine Innovative and Promotional Uses of Video
  

  [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Video-Marketing]
  Video has so many facets especially in today’s high tech world that it’s easier than you think to deliver your message, but if marketers don’t stop and think creatively, it’s also easy to miss opportunities that are easily within the grasp of most people. I have come up with nine innovative uses of video to help small businesses and non-profit organizations.

• 
  Christmas Past and Christmas Presents
  

  [Home-and-Family:Holidays]
  Christmas is a time of presents and memories. Growing up, my wife Peg and I had different expectations at Christmas time. I was an only child until I turned fifteen, but Peg came from a family of seven children.

• 
  Golf, Memorials, and Life
  

  [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion]
  Credit card and mortgage bills arrive by mail telling us of payments and obligations for the lives we live. Crosses by the side of the road remind us of the possible cost of driving. The size of our bellies signal lifestyle excesses we choose. But, memorials beside fairways drive home the point of freedom and the price of living in America.

• 
  Super Cockroaches and Super Employees
  

  [Business:Management]
  . . . both robots and roaches were released in a controlled space with two transparent colored disks to hide under. The cockroaches naturally sought cover beneath the darker disk followed by the robot roaches who were accepted as fellow roaches. The next experiment was to see if the real roaches would follow the robot roaches now programmed to seek protection under the lighter disk. They did. The robot roaches had become Super Cockroaches . . . leaders of their cockroach brethren.

• 
  The Talking Clock or Searching for Truth and Success
  

  [Business:Small-Business]
  In both business and life we need to know the real reasons behind reactions to our products, our sales, and our success. Knowing real reasons lets us duplicate responses and further our successes. And it also lets us correct assumptions that can save us money and failure.

• 
  You’ve Lost That Loving Taxi – Rock and Roll Memorabilia
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  As years pass and early rockers and pop stars become fewer, the rarity of items and the celebrity’s inability to produce more affects value as collectibles.

• 
  Biscuit Heaven
  

  [Food-and-Drink]
  I grew up eating wonderful biscuits at home, but most Americans never had a taste of biscuits until 1973 when McDonald’s introduced them with their breakfast menu. My wife and I make wonderful biscuits as does my oldest son. Mine are absolutely perfect.

• 
  Our First Night in Rome
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  Arriving in Rome our five couples took two cabs to two different hotels. Our van driver spoke a little English and pointed out some of the sights as we passed classical Roman ruins and sights within the city.

• 
  Notes on Planning a Trip to Italy (Tuscany) and Spain
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  As we sat in the coffee shop at Powell’s we talked about vacations and where we would love to visit. Tuscany was everyone’s favorite choice. Someone mentioned they had heard that if you rented a villa, it wasn’t very expensive. I returned home and searched the internet. It was true. Many of the villas I found, when divided by several couples the prices became relatively inexpensive. One of the figures that I came up with showed that if I had paid for three nights at the hotel in Portland, it would have cost me more than my share of a villa for a week. I shared the information. In those terms, we got serious. We knew that a vacation to Tuscany was possible.

• 
  Castello di Pastine – An Excellent Villa in Tuscany to Call Home
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  The Castello di Pastine was everything we had dreamed about. We were transported back in time and became landed gentry . . . visiting royalty. The castello was virtually perfect.

• 
  The Laughter of the Children Paid for the Trip to Spain
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  While our friends went ahead to explore the walled city above us, Peg and I sat down on a bench near the town square and a children’s playground. A friend of mine once told me of her experience in the Soviet Union. As a black person she attracted crowds of people just as if she was Michael Jackson. We were soon to have the same experience.

• 
  The Beauty of the Tuscan Hillsides
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  We had a window in our bedroom at The Castello di Pastine, which looked out over the rolling hills, so each day began and ended with the perfect watercolor world of the country side.

• 
  Dreams – Drums – and Memories – The Little Drum Museum
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  On shelves, which circumnavigate the entire space, are drum kits, cases, and individual drums from a Green Day burned and melted drum kit to the entire collection of drums by Elvin Jones. If you close your eyes you can almost hear many of the songs that have been played on those drums from When I Come Around to The Drum Thing. You can close your eyes and get Good Vibrations.

• 
  An Adventure to Venice
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  Five couples visit Venice and find it lovely and romantic with breathtaking views and excellent food.

• 
  The Ice Cream Man’s Top Ten Sales Techniques
  

  [Business:Sales]
  Do people come running when you’re in town or on their block? Do they merely put up with you and avoid you when they can? Sure, you say, selling ice cold popsicles and ice cream on a hot day is one thing, but selling your multi-faceted widget week after week is another. I agree timing is everything, but still . . . if you could bottle the customer service of the ice cream salesman, you might do better at selling your own products.

• 
  Raising Money and Hope for Organizations With eBay
  

  [Business:Fundraising]
  More often than not a carwash is not going to raise enough money for your organization, but if you have a wide base of volunteers and supporters, there is a new way for people to painlessly donate to your good cause. Sellers on eBay can now donate part of their proceeds from individual sales directly to your organization.

• 
  Dreaming and Ignoring Bubble Popping Questions
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Sometimes it’s just more pleasant to live life and ignore questions that must be asked. One day they must be asked, but each minute, hour and day in a fantasy world can make all the difference in a life.

• 
  Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Haven’t we all come up short and faced disappointed faces? Sometimes the worst thing to do is look in the mirror at the most disappointed face of all. Birthday presents, anniversary presents, and Christmas presents just add burden to backs already tired and bent from paying rent and putting dinner on the table. What can we do? How can we face another day?

• 
  The Ultimate Joy of Getting and Giving Christmas Presents
  

  [Home-and-Family:Holidays]
  It’s always nice to give presents, but it gift giving is really a two-way street. Someone has to give, and someone has to receive. Put them together and you have the joy of Christmas.
  1f62

• 
  Ambush, Dogfights, and Empowerment
  

  [Business:Management]
  Customer service, management and empowerment are not life and death situations . . . they’re more important.

• 
  Learning about Presentations from Robin Williams
  

  [Business:Presentation]
  Whenever I have to make a presentation, I always leave myself some wiggle room. I’ll switch horses in mid-stream if I have to . . . and sometimes I even plan it that way.

• 
  The Pursuit of Happyness and Getting Hired
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  If you are looking for a new job, you should prepare a great resume, read up on hiring and firing in the corporate world – and take in a movie. The feature film The Pursuit of Happiness is a text-book example of following your dream and getting hired.

• 
  The One Present Christmas – 1956
  

  [Home-and-Family:Holidays]
  If you could only choose one present for Christmas, what would it be? This slice of life from the 1950s reveals much more about the meaning of Christmas other than simple gift giving.

• 
  Five Attributes of Entrepreneurs
  

  [Business:Entrepreneurialism]
  Entrepreneurs have personality traits that make them ideal people to work for themselves. These same traits, while helpful as an entrepreneur can be irritating and dangerous for normal on-the-job relationships with bosses, managers, and supervisors.

• 
  Setting Records and Attaining Lasting Achievement
  

  [Self-Improvement:Achievement]
  Randy knew Joe from track & field. He told a story of one track meet. Joe arrived late. As a member of ROTC and the reserves he had parachuted twice that morning and then rushed to the track meet. Once arriving at Pacific Lutheran University in nearby Parkland, he took part in the one hundred yard dash, the 220, anchored the 440, and did everything but give out towels. He took first place in each of seven events. How many people would have just stopped at jumping out of the airplane?

• 
  Team Building Games and Adventures
  

  [Business:Team-Building]
  The best parties are those where people take ownership. The guests become the hosts. They want the other guests to feel as welcome as they do. The same goes for Team Building Adventures.

• 
  Getting Back the Lost Client in Six Steps
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  If your clients feel wanted in the first place it is almost impossible to have someone else steal them away from you. Once lost you just need to gently keep after them by reminding them of your services, your appreciation of them, and your knowledge of their needs.

• 
  Doing What It Takes for a Team Win
  

  [Business:Team-Building]
  It’s easy to win games with good players. It’s easy to have successful projects with great workers, but in the end a team or a business that can win without the superstars has reached a level of success seen by few. A great team has players or workers that care more about the team than they do for individual attention.

• 
  Hearing Loss: The Hidden Disability
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Ears-Hearing]
  Hearing loss is a hidden disability. As such it doesn’t get the political and financial support that more obvious handicaps receive from government and private organizations. Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world as well as the number one birth defect among infants . . . and yet, nothing has really been done about it.

• 
  An Adventure to West Dennis on Cape Cod
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  What a fun trip. We had ultra fresh lobster, grilled bread, a great place to stay, and excellent food to eat at friendly restaurants.

• 
  An Adventure in Hyannis
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  A fun trip to Hyannis where we visited the JFK Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Toad Hall Sports Car Museum.

• 
  An Adventure in Provincetown
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  This is a fun trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts with interesting sites and good food to eat.

• 
  An Adventure On Cape Cod
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  If you are considering vacationing at Cape Cod, there are several things should know and be aware of. We speak from experience. There are fun places to go and plenty of things to see.

• 
  An Adventure In Boston
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  A day in Boston arriving on the Harbor Express passenger ferry and visiting Quincy Market, the Freedom Trail, The New England Holocaust Memorial, Mike’s Pastry, and Cheers.

• 
  An Adventure to Quincy
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure]
  Who would have thought that a trip to Quincy, Masschusetts would have provided us a look at a German mini-submarine from World War II, an attack cruiser, and a great all-we-could-eat lunch at a Brazilian restaurant – and still deliver historical sites as well?

• 
  An Adventure to Plymouth and Plymouth Rock
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment]
  This is a fun trip to Plymouth where we saw Plymouth Rock and had the best lobster dinner (two big lobsters for $19.95) in Massachusetts.

• 
  Time Travel with Huey Lewis and the News
  

  [
  2089
  Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Step back in time at a concert by Huey Lewis and the News

• 
  Sales and Up-Selling is No Joke
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  Everyday in addition to the basic spam of email, friends send me jokes. Some are funny, some are not. Those that are truly funny have a nugget of wisdom or enlightenment within. Here’s a story that I like and it not only makes sense, but delivers a common sense sales message that we can all learn from. And, that’s no laughing matter.

• 
  Life is Like a Carwash
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  This is an invocation or positive thought for the day. It’s amusing, creative, and thought provoking . . . and brings a smile to those who read it or hear it.

• 
  The King of Queens and a Horrible Business Idea
  

  [Business:Marketing]
  Without a little market research some ideas and doomed from the start. Market research isn’t hard, it’s as easy as throwing a party . . . a party that could save you time and money.

• 
  Bargain Hunt: Listening to the Experts
  

  [Business:Management]
  For many people, both in and out of business, one of the hardest things to do is listening to experts. Why? Because experts generally give advice that runs contrary to what people want to hear. Experts are not always right, but their opinions are worth consideration, especially if all you have to go on is a gut feeling.

• 
  Everybody Feng Shui Tonight – in the Garden
  

  [Home-and-Family:Gardening]
  A garden can be so much more than just a collection of plants, bushes, and shrubs. It can enrich your spirit and nurture your soul in many ways that delight the imagination. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first in our environment and then in our life.

• 
  Somebody Has To Pay For Slips and Falls
  

  [Insurance]
  When someone slips and falls, the first thing they do is look nonchalant. People prefer that no one notice that they fell. It’s embarrassing after all. The second thing, injuries, only come into play, if someone is hurt. If the slip and fall produces injuries, there is a third aspect of slips and falls: Who is going to pay?

• 
  Properly Prepared Food Shouldn’t Make You Sick
  

  [Insurance]
  When I want a really good hamburger, I visit a private dining establishment. They will cook and serve a “rare” or “medium rare” burger for me. This “underdone” food item is served with a warning, however. It’s my choice. When I buy drive-thru, I expect the burger to be not as good, but it shouldn’t make me ill either.

• 
  Success: Can You Spell That Without Any S’s?
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV]
  The wonderful feature film Akeelah and the Bee is about friendship, community, achievement, and love. If I had enough money, I would give multiple copies of this movie to every single educational institution in the world. I can’t give away that many DVD copies, but I can give a few and so can you.

• 
  Floral Garden and Landscape Toupees
  

  [Home-and-Family:Gardening]
  English Ivy is a wonderful groundcover and makes a home look lovely, lived in, and comfy. There is a problem, however. Ivy can kill trees and other plants. It can also cause extensive damage to foundations, siding, and chimneys. An alternative is what I call “Landscape Toupees.”

• 
  Replacing Tree Blossoms with Hanging Baskets
  

  [Home-and-Family:Gardening]
  There is nothing much more beautiful than trees laden with blossoms slowly blowing in the wind. Once the blossoms fall, however the trees seem barren. You can solve this problem with hanging baskets of flowers.

• 
  Following Flawed Leaders
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV]
  The Searchers (1956) stars John Wayne in one of his most compelling films. I’ve seen the movie countless times. I’ve owned my own copy for years, and yet when I come across the film as I flip through the channels on my remote I stop and watch it again. The film is about heroes, revenge, leadership, and doing the right thing.

• 
  When You’re Extraordinary, You Gotta to Do Extraordinary Things
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  I can’t image a life without music and song. A good song can heat up your emotions. It can promise greatness. It can fill your mind with creative thoughts. It can inspire you to greater achievement and success. When a good song is matched with good lyrics, it can talk to your soul.

• 
  I’m Making a List and Checking It Twice – My Favorite Songs
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  In the movie High Fidelity, John Cusack says, “Which came first – the music or the misery? Do I listen to pop music because I am miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?” Personally, I like pop music and all kinds of music. I really enjoy listening to music with friends. I’m not miserable at all.

• 
  Sharing the Adventure, Sharing the Feeling, Sharing the Movie
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV]
  A good movie is more than two hours of entertainment. A good movie takes you on an adventure. It excites you. It pleases you. It makes you cry. It makes you laugh. It makes you want to share the movie experience.

• 
  If You’re Looking for Dedication Hire the Disabled
  

  [Business:Small-Business]
  People with disabilities are almost three times more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities. The disabled with jobs has remained steady at 35% for roughly twenty years. Employers complain about employees who don’t care about their jobs, and yet there is a vast resource of workers who are ready, willing, anxious, determined and able just looking for an opportunity.
  1f45

• 
  Publicity Headlines and Results are Two Different Things
  

  [Business:Entrepreneurialism]
  Some people are publicity hogs. They just know that if the word gets out about them, their services, or their company, then they will magically have more sales than they can handle. It doesn’t always work that way.

• 
  The Wiley Coyote is the Acme of Success
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  We’ve all seen him trying to catch the roadrunner using rocket propelled skates, painting fake tunnels on rock walls, and running off into space from a cliff and standing there until he notices he is completely without support. He never catches the roadrunner, so why should we copy him? The coyote is a survivor, and in today’s business world that’s success.

• 
  Bad Things Happen to People I Don’t Like
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  There are people who have made me so mad, that I wish them bad luck . . . and worse. I envision all kinds of evil events befalling them. And every time I hear that bad things happen to these people I rejoice, but at the same time I feel like maybe I’m less of a civilized person. Now, I’ve found a release for my frustration, while still achieving revenge. That’s the best of both worlds.

• 
  Hearing Loss Finally Isn’t Falling on Deaf Ears for iPods and Headphones
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Pete Townshend of The Who has been an outspoken critic on hearing loss. He attributes his own hearing loss to headphones at recording sessions. Townshend has been warning young people about Walkman and iPod use. He says, “My intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead.”

• 
  You Are In Charge of Your Own Limitations
  

  [Business:Small-Business]
  Who knows our limitations? Who knows our abilities? Who is the only person in control of our goals, aspirations, and horizons? It’s us. No one may label us. We set our limitations and abilities, and we are the only ones who can change them.

• 
  Bite and Snap at the Heels of Your Competition
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  We can never let our competition hold us in disregard. We should pester them and worry them. That way we force them to think about us. We should make them waste time trying to figure out what we are doing. If we do this, then they will draw their attention away from their own plans for success and make mistakes.

• 
  Expand and Get Away from Small Growth in a Small Pond
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  Sometimes we get comfortable and forget that we need to expand our efforts, our limitations, and our horizons. This goes for individuals as well as communities and organizations as well.

• 
  What in the World Do You Do?
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  It’s hard to explain to people what I do. This happens to many people. While it doesn’t happen everyday, knowledge changes our outlook and direction. What we do could change tomorrow. We know what we do, but how do we tell other people so they appreciate who and what we are?

• 
  The Power Breakfast
  

  [Business:Sales]
  Everyone talks about the Power Lunch, but a good variation is the Power Breakfast. The main aspects of a business lunch, or a business breakfast are enjoyable conversation, business discussion, and agreement. The sharing of food is a minor ritual that binds people.

• 
  The Most Romantic Cottage in the World
  

  [Relationships]
  A friend of mine kept inviting my wife and I to dinner. They even said we could stay the night in their guest cottage. Finally, we found a date that worked. We went for dinner and stayed the night. It will live in memory for the rest of my life.

• 
  Learning From Defeat
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  I enjoyed a History Channel presentation on Gladiator History & Times the other evening. It featured the story of the gladiator Verus. He was one of the only gladiators to have one of his fights written about blow by blow. He said he learned more from defeat than from victory.

• 
  Wearing Proper Attire, Mostly for Men
  

  [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style]
  “What’s the dress tonight?” This question has subsided over the years as my friends become used to each other, but new people to our group still ask. It’s always amazed me how prominent business people always worry about this . . . but then, that’s what makes them prominent.

• 
  It’s Gotta Be This or That – Easy Decision Making
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  Decisions are easy to make. It’s making the correct decision that’s hard. Sometimes, however, we already know what decision we want to make, we just keep putting it off and looking at alternatives.

• 
  How Many Men Does It Take . . . Top 12 Men’s Jokes
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor]
  I get a kick out of men’s jokes. I think there is possibly a kernel of truth to each one, even though I know they don’t apply to me . . . well, not everyone, anyway.

• 
  Happy Talk Keep Talking Happy Talk For Your Success
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  The road to success isn’t necessarily one of motivation and hard work. Happiness and enjoyment should be the path we follow. When I make a sale, I’m not usually happy because I make a sale, but rather I make the sale because I am happy and enjoy working with my customers.

• 2045
  Laughter is the Best Revenge
  

  [Relationships]
  I try to be a better person. I strive to be a better person. But I think it’s part of human nature to wish ill of people who have done us harm. The artist Paul Gauguin said, “Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.” It just makes us feel better.

• 
  Oh, By The Way, FYI, and Other Messages of Great Importance
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Sometimes information doesn’t get passed along. Sometimes it’s tacked on as an afterthought. Sometimes it’s as though the information doesn’t really matter at all. And, sometimes it’s a gender problem.

• 
  Accepting Responsibility and Making Ethical Decisions
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  In the feature film, True Grit, Mattie Ross searches for Tom Chaney. Chaney is wanted in Texas for killing a senator, but she is after him for stealing her father’s money and killing him. She meets up with Chaney. She pulls out an ancient horse pistol, but he ignores the weapon thinking she won’t use it. She fires and wounds him. Lying on the ground he complains, “Why does everything happen to me?” Does this behavior sound familiar?

• 
  Boomerang, the Reciprocity Urge
  

  [Self-Improvement:Motivation]
  Repayment in kind is a fundamental human act. We need to be careful how we use it. Used wisely it helps. Used unwisely it hurts.

• 
  The World is Eager to Help When You Let People Know You Need It!
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  If people don’t know you need help, how can they help you? You might ask, “Why should they?” The answer is that people helping people is a natural phenomenon. It’s just something we do.

• 
  Get Them Nodding Because You Need a Sale
  

  [Business:Sales]
  If you want someone to nod yes, all you have to do is nod yes at them. This works if you are speaking to a group, or just telling a joke to a couple of friends. It’s most affective, however when you are making a sales pitch.

• 
  Workplace Leaders Don’t Need Leadership Titles
  

  [Business:Management]
  I’m always surprised by managers that don’t understand the relationship between leadership and the workforce. Managers and supervisors have titles, but leaders quite often don’t.

• 
  Get Your Hands Off Your Booze And Your Cell Phone
  

  [Automotive]
  I’m surprised there aren’t studies done about road rage and the use of cell phones. I get irritated by cell phone users driving badly. I just want to pinch their little heads off. I’ve seen no road rage statistics, but I have seen comparisons between cell phone usage, drunken driving, and resulting accidents.

• 
  Who Has True Grit?
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  In the feature film, True Grit, Marshall Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) warns “Lucky” Ned Peffer (Robert Duvall) and three companions of their arrest. Cogburn on horseback faces the four horseman across a clearing. Cogburn tells Peffer that he intends to kill him within seconds or see him hang. Peffer responds, “That’s bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.” After a flurry of gunfire only Cogburn is alive. The moral? Never underestimate people with disabilities.

• 
  Proper Etiquette For Your Business Power Lunch
  

  [Business:Sales]
  Power lunches don’t just happen. If you leave them to chance you might end up at half-power. As in all business communications, power lunches start well before you sit down to talk . . . or eat.

• 
  List the Basics for Making Any Sale
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  There is a Ford Mustang for sale down the street. I’ve driven by it several times. It’s a 1966 . . . or may a 1967. Every once in a while I stop in the middle of the street next to the car and look at the sign. All it says is “For Sale: $4000 obo” and the phone number. This tells me very little of what I need to know about the vehicle. It gives me no reason to call. No matter what you are trying to sell, and everyone is selling something, you need to provide the basics of your product or service.

• 
  No One Ever Tells Us/No One Ever Asks Us
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  The Seattle Sonics, a National Basketball Association team, are having problems. This is nothing new for the Sonics, nor for many professional teams. The same could be said for many businesses. The actual problem is universal.

• 
  Wearing Your Heart On Your Vest – Manners and Etiquette
  

  [Business:Ethics]
  Jorge was a young construction worker, sitting near the front of the bus. Natasha was an older lady confined to a wheelchair. She asked him about his orange safety vest, “Where do you get those?” The vests are highly reflective and are easily seen by oncoming automobile traffic. Natasha thought that a similar vest might protect her as she crossed the street from the bus stop to her house in the evening. Jorge stood up, took the vest off, and presented it to Natasha as a gift.

• 
  Time Management For A Buck
  

  [Self-Improvement:Time-Management]
  It only cost a dollar at the Dollar Tree, but it has made me money time and time again. It’s a kitchen timer.

• 
  Market Research: Living in the Real World of Business Depends on Comments from the Real World
  

  [Business:Small-Business]
  In the feature film Sliding Doors, I found myself fascinated by a conversation between two friends. Gerry had just been discovered by his girl friend as he was having an affair in their bedroom. Gerry’s friend laughs at him and reminds Gerry that he had told him weeks ago that the affair would end without Gerry having to do anything. Gerry’s friend asks him, “Do you want my opinion?” Gerry replies, “Am I going to like it?” With a chuckle, his friend responds with, “No. It’s based on reality.”
  1f5e

• 
  Buying Houses for Nothing Down Depends on Your Personality Not Your Money
  

  [Real-Estate:Buying]
  When I was buying houses, my most important asset was my family. I was young and married with three little children. I would buy houses and fix them up. I would play my favorite songs on the stereo while I worked. I would work long hours and did most of the work, but it was my combined family that charmed potential sellers.

• 
  Setting An Example For Success One Foot At A Time
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  I was waiting for the great man to speak. He was supposed to be example of what young men who want to succeed can be. I was looking him over during his introduction. He was fashionably dressed from his suit and tie down to his shoes. It was while I was looking at his highly polished shoes I noticed the rather large hole in the sole of one of them.

• 
  Thank God for Competitors and Market Research
  

  [Business:Marketing]
  I learned to live with the fact a long time ago that I couldn’t think of everything. I can’t predict what is the best approach to take with customers. I don’t always know what products are best to sell. So, whenever I am in doubt about business direction, I look to my competitors.

• 
  Extra Work Should Be a Welcome Opportunity
  

  [Business:Management]
  A co-worker is off sick for the day. Your boss gives you her work to do. How would you react? Get all of the extra work done?
  Get most of the extra work done? Get some of the extra work done?

• 
  Deaf Ears Still Need Communication
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Amanda had a hearing disabled worker to place for employment. She called a potential employer, and was rebuffed. Jack said, “We’ve already got a deaf worker and he’s just not working out.”

• 
  Boredom For You Is Being Alive To Me, Or Is That Just Backwards?
  

  [Self-Improvement:Happiness]
  I do know people who fritter away their time at work and do nothing productive, but they don’t seem bored. I also know many people who are really busy at work – and still do nothing productive. They don’t seem bored either. What is the secret?

• 
  Finding New Customers For Your Business
  

  [Business:Marketing]
  New customers and new businesses require two things from any business person or company. Knowledge of the marketplace, a clear understanding of all the dynamics of marketing, and action are all required to locate, assess and activate new customers.

• 
  The Most Important Aspect of Flipping Houses – Curb Appeal
  

  [Real-Estate]
  Of course, you’ve already considered location, so the first step you need to contemplate in purchasing a house for flipping is curb appeal. What does it look like from the street? If people aren’t anxious to buy after driving buy, what chance do you have of making a sale? Curb appeal is everything.

• 
  Shackled to Our Own Ideas
  

  [Self-Improvement:Innovation]
  The Romans had many creative ways to kill people. One was to shackle a live person to a dead one: face to face. Eventually disease and death would overcome the living.

• 
  The Wedding Singer: The Musical
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV]
  The American musical is alive and well as witnessed by The Wedding Singer at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre. This remake into a musical of the Adam Sandler movie is an improvement in my book because it has more music and it has dancing. I’m a sucker for anything with singing and dancing in it.

• 
  Dave Chappelle: Failure Beyond Your Worst Nightmares Can Be Liberating
  

  [Self-Improvement:Success]
  James Lipton was interviewing Dave Chappelle for Inside the Actors Studio. Dave told about his early career. His first time on stage, he told his jokes while looking down at his shoes and then looking up at the audience.

• 
  Eight Below for Devotion, Loyalty and Teamwork
  

  [Business:Team-Building]
  The feature film, Eight Below, presented by Walt Disney is a wonderful example of devotion, loyalty, and teamwork.

• 
  Video Production FAQS For Business and Industry and the Internet
  

  [Communications]
  Small businesses can use video to improve their bottom line, but before launching a video production, a little knowledge will help in the overall process and help achieve an effective and usefull video presentation.

• 
  Stopping the Runaway Train in Triplicate
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Communication is the key to survival and change. And the key to that communication is trust. We need to know that our ideas will be listened to and be taken seriously. And we need to know that our comments, when given in good faith, will be free from retribution and rancor.

• 
  Make Your Business Training Program a Mighty River
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  A training program can be very modest. A person loves a self-improvement book and loans it to a co-worker. A person is skilled at presentations shares their expertise. Another person knows people who would be happy to come in a share their success stories. A training program is really based on teamwork.

• 
  Super Stars Don’t Make the Team
  

  [
  1f42
  Business:Team-Building]
  So often in sports we see super stars hired for their names. They come in and get their stats and a bigger name for themselves, but do nothing for the team. They think they are the team, they ignore the team, or they look down on the individual members of the team. It’s the same in business.

• 
  Reservations and Low Expectations
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  John arrived at the hotel only to be told that he had a room with a twin bed. “I’m six foot four,” John used as part of his argument. It didn’t help. His confirming the day before didn’t help, either. The clerk advised him to curl up in the twin bed.

• 
  The Dynamics of Small Actions
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  The best solutions are not dependent on dimensions. Small actions have the potential of greatness within them. Small actions act as levers. They can move the world by slight adjustments. Small actions produce change.

• 
  The Prayer of Change
  

  [Self-Improvement]
  The three sentences in a quotation attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. are a prayer for change. It speaks to us on every level of business, of society, and of self-improvement.

• 
  Tailor the Sale
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  I was watching a feature film on cable TV, It’s a Great Feeling, staring Doris Day and Dennis Morgan. Doris is sitting outside the train station in Los Angeles. Three little Mexican children approach her with their musical instruments. They offer to play a song for her for ten cents . . . or leave for 15 cents.

• 
  Rotary, The Instant Business Connection
  

  [Business:Networking]
  Gene, a friend of mine in the chemical business told me about traveling to see a potential client in Manila. They had a morning meeting and discussions were going well, but as the clock got to about half past eleven, Gene noticed that the client had something else on his mind. Eventually, the client told Gene that he was sorry, but he had somewhere else he needed to be.

• 
  Getting Every Penny on the Table
  

  [Business:Negotiation]
  When the parents and grandparents came I would listen and watch the interaction of the adults to the children and judge my packages accordingly. I would fine-tune my pitch when it was time to give them their change. My goal was always to take every penny . . . sometimes that meant selling a single punk. I always tried.

• 
  Ocean Shores – Back and Fourth
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure:Vacation-Rentals]
  What could be more wonderful than a relaxed, easy drive while listening to great music with your sweetie? Near Satsop above a field marked with a sign that said “Hay for Sale” a huge hawk floated above circling hay binders. Like the hawk, our Buick Century floated over the miles from Tacoma to Ocean Shores.

• 
  Make ‘em Laugh Customer Service
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  Shawn was using humor to provide customer service, “I could have simply ignored selling the higher-priced tickets, but I got a kick out of seeing the customers laugh. I don’t recall anyone not buying the upgrade after I gave my little sales pitch.”

• 
  Sometimes Even the Best Closing Statements Don’t Work
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  Bad news never goes over well. Effective sales videos are produced by professionals. They know what they’re doing. They’ve done it before. They are experienced. They can be trusted. Charles didn’t want to spend the money. “Do you know anybody that’s still learning, that might want to produce a video to get some credit,” he asked.

• 
  A Shining Example of Communication and Conflict
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Lack of communication is a major cause of conflict. In feature films, no communication equals conflict and conflict means a possible Academy Award. In business, no communication equals conflict and this means a possibility of no profit and no business.

• 
  Bonnie Raitt, Hashbrownes & Mo
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure:Vacation-Rentals]
  This particular morning in late April Ernie had news for me. We both share a love for music. Ernie scours the thrift shops for rare “platters.” I go to concerts. “I just heard that there’s going to be a concert in Seattle with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Keb Mo.” It sounded like a strange paring, but I like strange things. Ernie knows that in addition to well-done hashbrowns I like Keb Mo and his Delta Blues.

• 
  Mukilteo is Calling, Calling Me
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure:Vacation-Rentals]
  We’ve been working hard for several months and wanted a few days to sleep, read, talk together and enjoy a quiet life without phones, deadlines, emails, demands and sometimes-balky computers.

• 
  Halcyon Suite: A Seattle Adventure With Nanci Griffith and Mary Gauthier
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure:Vacation-Rentals]
  Our absolute schedule for our two day stay in Seattle only called for us to attend a concert featuring Nanci Griffith and her opening act at the Moore. We also knew that we wanted to eat dinner one night at the Buenos Aires Grill either on Saturday or Sunday night.

• 
  Coffee, Tea, or Cookies?
  

  [Travel-and-Leisure:Vacation-Rentals]
  The Wednesday before Mother’s Day we stopped in for lunch. I was a little worried, because joining us was our four-year old granddaughter, Daron. I had the feeling from the menu that young children in general, while welcome, are not encouraged. But, well-behaved children of all ages are acceptable. That does sound rather Victorian, doesn’t it? (Children should be seen and not heard.)

• 1f65
  Buying Back Customers
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  Five other peoples joined us for dinner. My wife and I ordered “medium rare.” We were served “well done.” Three others in our group weren’t happy with their dinners as well. I didn’t cross the establishment off my list. I complained.

• 
  Getting Ahead and Defining Your Space – The Office
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Many people want to know how to get recognized and known within an organization. They want their boss and their co-workers to take notice of them. A couple of days ago I watched a Science Channel program about wolves and I saw connections that combined attributes at work with wolf instinct.

• 
  Uniform Disapproval and Ignoring the Up-sale
  

  [Business:Management]
  Smiling at the memory, Jose continued, “I was so amazed. Here I was making a customer really happy. And I had just made the company an extra $600 and all management saw was my vest.”

• 
  If the Shoe Fits – The Soul of Customer Service
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  My Aunt Virginia worked selling shoes in a downtown department store. I remember listening to adult conversation, while I played. She talked about other clerks not caring for anything other than the sale and the resulting commission. Aunt Virginia’s main concern was always the fit.

• 
  Problems with Hiring the Turncoat
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  On the surface Gary looked like a really valuable employee. He was employed by a well-established regional business. He was a published author in a state-wide industry, monthly publication. He had contacts in both large and small population markets. Gary was paid well, but he wanted more.

• 
  Playing A Tune Of Ideas And Passion
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  The evening was interesting and fun. As I sat back drinking a glass of apple-berry juice and eating a sprouts laden sandwich, I thought about how much the “open-mic” night resembled a modern day small business seminar.

• 
  My Father’s Son
  

  [Business:Entrepreneurialism]
  What my father didn’t know about communicating and relationships would fill volumes, but about hard work, he knew. And about turning that hard work into money, he knew.

• 
  Do You Believe In Miracles? Olympic Gold for Teamwork and Motivation
  

  [Self-Improvement:Motivation]
  One of the best inspirational sports stories ever concerns the U.S. Olympic Hockey teams triumph at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The tale has it all. There are young kids with dreams of glory, hard work, team spirit, a goal that far exceeds their grasp, and a Rocky-like finish.

• 
  Playing Catch Up and Making Time
  

  [Self-Improvement:Time-Management]
  I have a friend who is always late. If he’s to pick me up, he’s late. If I’m to pick him up, he’s late. My son is the same way. I don’t know if this is a sign of passive/aggressive behavior or not, but it means when I deal with my friend and my son, I have to adjust my time. I tell them that events are earlier than they really are. I tell them I’ll pick them up earlier than I need to. I play their game. I hate it, but I know what I have to do to make time.

• 
  Helping Others Helps You
  

  [Business:Networking]
  Make a list of your clients to keep at your desk. Also, keep directories of organizations you belong to. Review these lists frequently so you know what people do. These people are your contacts. They need your help. By helping them you also help yourself.

• 
  More Than a Gut Feeling
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  Mary complained to HR and she was sent to a different office for ‘better’ training. She was unable to learn anything there, also. Her career in the travel industry was short, but expensive. Basically, she should never have been hired. Mary was very personable and she was probably hired on a ‘gut feeling’ that she would do well.

• 
  Meetings, Bloody Meetings
  

  [Business:Management]
  Just recently I found myself committed to helping on a fund-raiser. I dutifully attended the meeting with a presentation offering nearly twenty creative ways to market the fund raising event. I was prepared for the meeting, but I wasn’t prepared for the chaos.

• 
  The Ten Second Business Plan
  

  [Business:Strategic-Planning]
  Now, finding a truck and buying a truck are two different things. I knew I could buy the truck, but I what I really needed was to justify the purchase to myself and my to wife. I thought about it. Within ten seconds I came up with a business and marketing plan . . . for my wife.

• 
  The Business Blues With Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and John Lee Hooker, Jr.
  

  [Business:Small-Business]
  . . . musicians are so very careful about how they sound, because their music is what they are. They are professionals. Their music represents them. In essence, they are their music. Isn’t this true of small business as well? Or shouldn’t it be?

• 
  Business Drive is Par for the Course
  

  [Business]
  All golfers make bad shots, so it’s easy to see ourselves in the roles of bad-shot golfers. And, we feel the triumph of when bad-shot golfers reverse their failures and win. Winners are those who have the desire and drive to win. They brush aside the bad shots, the bad luck bounces, the wrong club choice; and they focus on winning. Is business any different?

• 
  How’s Business? Don’t Rush For the Life Boats
  

  [
  20f2
  Business:Entrepreneurialism]
  The wind had gone out of my sails. I had a sinking feeling, like I was going down for the third time . . . and I couldn’t even recall the first two. Yet, each time someone asked me, “How’s business,” I would reply, “Good.” It’s kind of a natural reply to a rhetorical question. No one really expects an answer. No one wants to hear bad news, or so you would think.

• 
  Never, Ever Bad Mouth Your Competition . . . Directly
  

  [Business:Ethics]
  You should generally follow the golden rule, “If you have nothing good to say about someone, say nothing.” However, I’d like to tell you about an incident from several years back.

• 
  Think of the Possibilities and Dream of the Impossibilities
  

  [Business:Strategic-Planning]
  As adults we learn not to consider the impossible, so we never dream of somehow waking up as royalty. In goal setting we learn that goals fill needs, and that success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal. Goal setting should be cut-and-dried. I’ve always felt it was a serious business. I think, however, there might be more to consider.

• 
  You Can’t Quit; You’re Too Valuable
  

  [Business:Management]
  When employees do an outstanding job, the least they deserve is recognition. You wouldn’t expect a marriage to last very long without terms of endearment. Why should management think employees on the job function without respect and recognition?

• 
  If Life Gives You Lemons, Pay for Them When You Can
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  I made my selections and was in line checking out. When the total was rung up, I realized that I was several dollars short. Usually, I pretty much know what I have for funds in my pocket, but since I was only going to the golf course, I had only made sure I had enough to cover my fees. Buying produce had not been on my mind that morning; playing tournament golf was. Now, it looked like both images would be crushed.

• 
  The World’s Best Jack In The Box Restaurant
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  I think what I experienced was a moment in time when this was indeed the World’s Best Jack In The Box . . . and perhaps it still is each time Carmen is present. I don’t know that my accolades were ever passed along, but in a world of customer service complaints I hope that she received my complimentary comments. Encouragement is sometimes everything for front-line service workers.

• 
  The Oreo Solution to Creative Problem Solving
  

  [Business:Management]
  How often do we brainstorm, and plan, and theorize, when a simple solution will do? Also, how often do we see the simple solution, but look away because it seems too simple?

• 
  The Game, and How You Play It!
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  Since playing “the game” I have used it as a brainstorming tool. When my wife and I began selling business training products in 2001, I was overjoyed to find a three-ring binder, Pen and Paper Games For Training, which contains forty different games and activities that can be used for business training, or as the binder suggests, “Putting the Fun into Learning.” The very first activity listed is “A to Z.” It’s “the game!” The description says, “This is a fun and interesting way to brainstorm by finding words starting with every letter of the alphabet. It can be used to explore definitions and ideas.”

• 
  Leaders Make Decisions: It’s Not Part of the Job; It Is the Job
  

  [Business:Management]
  A leader needs to make decisions, and he should be trained to make them. There is nothing wrong with a bad decision based on sound judgment (unless it becomes a pattern), but no decisions based on no judgment, is unforgivable. No decisions can cost time; cost money; and can even cost lives.

• 
  Job Satisfaction: I Can’t Quit; I’m A Star
  

  [Business:Careers-Employment]
  Job satisfaction comes in many guises. Perhaps, some workers feel connected, some receive recognition for jobs well done, some believe in what their company is accomplishing in their community, in their industry, or in the world, perhaps they have a manager who has inspired passion in their performance. In Roger Miller’s Country-Western song, Kansas City Star, the story has a hero that believes his job has almost all of that. He is the host of a kid’s television show, where he has admiring viewers, he’s recognized for what he does, and he is sought after in the community.

• 
  John Cleese Training Videos: Laugh Out-Loud Learning
  

  [Business:Sales-Training]
  When most people hear or see the name John Cleese they think of silliness, mayhem, and tons of laughter, but what many people don’t realize is that he has been a major part of business training for well over thirty years.

• 
  Counting Coup and Finding New Customers
  

  [Business:Sales]
  When you’re looking for new business, the object is to meet and greet as many people as possible. This sounds more daunting than it really is. Counting coup is the game I play with my inner self.

• 
  Help! I’m In Charge of Human Resources – What’ll I Do Now?
  

  [Business:Human-Resources]
  Out of the blue in addition to your other responsibilities you’ve been placed in charge of Human Resources. This happens within many small business as they begin to grow. Someone is given a title, perhaps with a remark, “I know you will do well.” Don’t panic. You are not alone. And luckily there are resources available to you . . . and you probably will do well.

• 
  The Plight of the Misunderstood and Underappreciated Middle Manager
  

  [Business:Management]
  Middle managers are under pressure from upper management to produce financial gains at the same time they are being squeezed by lower level employees who are looking for more input and growth. That middle managers face the same worries and misgivings as regular employees and frontline supervisors and managers shouldn’t be a shock . . . except . . . I have a feeling that these are the people who can actually do something about the general work environment.

  1f4e

• 
  No One Ever Wants to Give Cash Back: You Can Profit!
  

  [Business:Negotiation]
  People know how hard it is to find someone who wants to buy what they have, and once they have cash in hand, they just can’t turn it away . . . even if it means making a little less.

• 
  Drawing the Line on Rude Customers
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  I know, I know . . . the customer is always right . . . or at least should be treated as if they’re always right. But, when and where do you draw the line?

• 
  Who Comes First: The Customer or the Customer?
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  Handling multiple customers is a juggling act that requires people handling skills. You don’t want to offend or lose either customer, but by faltering in your juggling you run the risk of losing one or the other, or both.

• 
  12 Things About Business I Learned While On Jury Duty
  

  [Business]
  I sat on two juries (felony cases) during three weeks of jury duty. After I reviewed the evidence, testimonies, and arguments and then deliberated with my fellow jury members I reflected on my knowledge of business communications and found a direct parallel.

• 
  Hints For Working with People with Developmental Disabilities
  

  [Business:Workplace-Communication]
  In dealing with people, no matter what their abilities, you should always first think of them as people . . . just like you.

• 
  The Stuff You’re Stepping In Could Be Your Silver Lining
  

  [Business:Marketing]
  Sometimes opportunity is right there underfoot. We just have to look a little more closely . . . and ask a few questions.

• 
  Driving Distractions: Do You Need Cream and Sugar?
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor]
  How many things can you juggle at once? How many should you juggle while you are driving?

• 
  Twelve Tips to Reduce Stress
  

  [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management]
  Everyone gets it. Successful people overcome it . . . or do they? Stress is all around us and seems to multiply.

• 
  Enthusiasm: The Key to Productivity and Innovation
  

  [Self-Improvement:Innovation]
  What makes the business world go around? Some believe it’s enthusiasm.

• 
  Hanging Onto Your Customers
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  If you want to keep your customers, you need to make sure you are a valued part of their business life . . . and to do that, you need to constantly communicate with them.

• 
  Ignorance Could Be Your Salvation
  

  [Business:Team-Building]
  Instead of bluffing our way through problems, quite often the best way to handle a situation is to confess your ignorance. You might just hit a homerun.

• 
  Slap in the Face Recognition
  

  [Business:Team-Building]
  You can’be build an effective workforce by insulting your employees, and yet it goes on. It’s amazing what stress and pain can be inflicted by managers who are ill-equipped, ill-advised and ill-prepared to deal with social interactions and situations in the workplace

• 
  Hot Buttered Customer Service
  

  [Business:Customer-Service]
  If a movie attendant behind the refreshment stand can deliver customer service by simply giving the customer what he asks for, why can’t everyone?

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