The Knowledge Effect

There is a principle some call "the butterfly effect".
It says a random event in one part of the world
can have a dramatic effect on another.
Chaos is said to reign.

I believe in a different principle.
The knowledge principle
That knowledge allows us to steer
the course of events to grow economies.
Promote justice.
Even save lives.

The right information in the right hands
leads to amazing things.

The Real Things We Desire

I have an idea~ a very clear idea about what makes a community or a particular region more desireable to live and work in.
Instead of our politicians concentrating on finger pointing we should be focusing on creating these elements so that we may attract buisness to our nation.
Globalization is here to stay so we had better get onboard with the idea that we can not think in terms of us vs. them.
The deciding factor for engagement should be how a potential partner treats their own people.
Are they a democratic nation or a dictatorship?
We need to pound away at the things that will create a better economy.
Great schools are paramount.
Reasonable taxes.
Less regulation.
A responsive government.

The quality of the workforce is what brings good companies to a region.
Quality of life is the determining factor.

Why do politicians neglect to concentrate on these basic principles now when we need it now more than ever?

There Are Other Paths Besides College

The School of Life

Richard Branson was a dropout at 16
He's worth 6.8 billion

Carl Lindner was a highschool dropout
He bought United Fruit (Now Chiquita Brand)
He's worth 1.7 billion

Francois Pinault quit highschool
He's the third richest man in France
He owns Gucci and Christie's Auctioneers, Samsonite, and Puma
He's worth 8.7 billion

Kirk Kerkorian was another highschool dropout in 8th grade
He's a mega-resort tycoon worth 3.1 billion

Amancio Ortega quit school at 14
He owns Indetex Zara and Mossimo Dutti
He's the richest man in Spain and worth 31 billion

Wealth

I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure
unless built upon truth and justice.
Therefore, I will engage in no transaction
which does not benefit all whom it affects.
I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces
I wish to use and the cooperation of other people.
I will induce others to serve me
because of my willingness to serve others.
I will eliminate hatred, envy,
jealousy, selfishness and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity
because I know that a negative attitude
towards others can never bring me success.
I will cause others to believe in me,
because I will believe in them and in myself.

Napoleon Hill

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Napoleon Hill's analogy of wealth is the best example I've read.
It goes;
"money is as shy and elusive as the maiden.
It must be wooed and won by methods not unlike those used by a determined lover
in pursuit of the girl of his choice.
That power when successfully used in the pursuit of money,
must be mixed with faith.
It must be mixed with desire.
It must be mixed with persistence.
It must be applied through a plan,
and that plan must be set into action.
Poverty needs no plan.
It needs no one to aid it,
because it is bold and ruthless.
Riches are shy and timid.
They have to be attracted."

Kinect.....epic!

Influencers

INFLUENCERS TRAILER from R+I creative on Vimeo.

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger

The NY Times articleOctober 22, 2010

The Privacy Issue

The issue is heating.
Facebook is facing a lawsuit over privacy issues.
My take on this...........
If you , by your own free will, voluntarily give personal information to a social network. You lose your right to privacy of that information.
The third party application LOL that is being accused in the facebook case, is just that...a third party.
The web was built on the idea of an open sourced way of exchanging information.
What information you contribute to it is up to you.
The illegal use of that information by deceptive means or non-disclosure of how the information will be used.
Disclosure.
I hate those EULAs.

Dating My Next New Job

Having recently been a job seeker myself-I have opinions about the people I was meeting during this process. The problem, I believe, is in the approach to the job search and to the interview. The issue is about spirit and purpose. The interviewees mostly can't communicate a vision for themselves in the company. They had no idea why they wanted this job as opposed to a marketing job somewhere else.
Are candidates and job search strategists forgetting about dating? Which is one of the cardinal metaphors of a job search.
A job search is like dating.
That means you don't talk incessantly about your old employer (significant other) when courting a new one. You don't base your salary request on the income provided by the old employer, but focus on what's within the means of this one.
It reminds me of the idea that the need to be dating someone...anyone.....emanates off the other person like cheap cologne. Making the person across from you feel interchangeable with everyone else is the wrong way to forming a long term bond.  An interviewee needs to ask, "Is this company meaningful to me? Do I like what they do and want to be a part of it?" Am I expressing this thought?
A manager (a good one) wants to know what part a job candidate wants to play.
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
FOCUS your attention on this manager and group of workers and ask how you want to contribute. What are they doing that excites you? How far do I want to go in this company?
Give them the satisfaction of feeling that thier department is important, even desirable to you, as it should-and then see if you can't get more interesting conversations started than the ones you've been having.

Ben & Me

Going deeper. Are you ready?
Ben Franklin, in his autobiography, devises a 13 week course of self-improvement. Attorney and author Cameron Gunn decides to try this project of moral perfection. Ben's plan requires a person to focus for a week at a time, on 1 virtue, making it a habit. Is it possible? Here, I give you the 13 virtues;
Temperance
"Dont eat or drink too much"
Silence
"Speak only for good purpose"
Order
"Let all your things have their places"
Resolution
"Resolve to perform what you ought"
Frugality
"Waste nothing"
Industry
"Always be employed in something useful"
Sincerity
"Use no hurtful deceit"
Justice
"Don't do wrong by anyone"
Moderation
"Avoid extremes, forebear resenting injuries"
Cleanliness
"Keep your body home and clothes clean
Tranquility
"Don't be disturbed by trifles"
Chastity
"Take intimacy seriously"
Humility
"Imitate Jesus and Socrates"

My Rules To Make Your Pad Beautiful

• Do not use more than two pairs of anything in a room.
• Do not decorate with an item if you are afraid of sitting on it, touching it, or breaking it~just get rid of it.
• Always group things in odd numbers (there are very few exceptions).
• You never really know the visual impact of a mirror until you actually hang it.
• Beige is beautiful in sunlight but dies in the dark or night lightscape.
• Never paint a whole room until you have lived with a big sample board of at least three paint choices for 24 hours.
• Pick your paint colors last.

Sales

Sales and marketing.
The moneymakers.
The wheelers and dealers.
What does it take? The salesperson's archetype is the "happy loser".
They see rejection as a challenge.
Its Pavlovian-the more mistakes, the greater the reward.
Some sales tips from the world's toughest customers.

"How to move in front of the line and close the deal."
Coca Cola "Be different and then make sure you prove it to us. The first time we hear from you should not be the bid time."
UPS "We can spot a fake from a mile away. Dont oversell yourself. Companies aren't realistic with their RFPs and most importantly, don't send a UPS executive a bid or buisness idea by Fed-Ex.
Intuit "Go above and beyond. You'd be surprised at how few of your rivals even bother to try .
Bama Companies "Companies are buying your reputation, not just your products."
Valero "Do more research than you think you need to."
Dell "Start locally. Think globally.
IBM "Turn data into intelligence. Uncover insights. Take action."

Sometimes it's good to be reminded of these things.

Future of Energy

While watching the President speak in Iowa today, I thought of these new inventions that could help us in our search for renewable energy sources.

sOccket soccer ball
A soccer ball that generates and stores energy as players kick it, then provides energy at home. 15 minutes on a soccer field captures enough energy to power a cell phone or a small light for three hours.

Spray On Solar Panels
Applied with a spray gun, it allows builders and homeowners to turn doors, roofs and windows into power generating solar panels.

ThermalCORE
A wall panel filled with paraffin wax capsules that melt and absorb heat, keeping room temperatures around 73 degrees. At night, if temperatures drop, the wax solidifies again, warming the room by releasing heat.

Skinny Living

I have rules to keep me loving my bikins.

1. I eat what I love to eat everyday. The only catch is that I must enjoy every bite and I stop eating it the second I stop enjoying it. I eat the things I love to eat whether or not Im hungry so that I don't "pig out" on "off limit" foods.

2. I don't eat when I want to feel better. When Im waist deep in the refrigerator and don't know why I'm there-it's usually because I'm "feeling". Overeating is a distraction from stress, loneliness and other uncomfortable emotions. No emotion is so bad that I need to fight weight gain too.

3. I don't diet. The longer I diet, the longer my body will hold onto it's extra pounds. Eating less and increasing exercise trigger's my body into ancient survival instincts to keep every inch on at all costs. It's basic survival skills when food was scarce. Times have changed so it doesn't do me any good when food is abundant and I want to look my best.

4. I got in touch with my appetite. We're really tight now. I eat only when I am hungry and stop when Im full. My body then releases my extra pounds. Sweet!

4. I commit to a weekly workout baseline  that I keep no matter what crazy thing is going on in my life. I usually do more but as long as I know I did my bare minimum I am sure to stay trim and toned all year.

A Good Read

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

"the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable."

To DIY For!

Attention all commitment-phobes! If decorating walls of that living room sounds like too much of an undertaking, find that must-have middle ground with French company Nouvelle Images decals. For the Crayola happy group, there are many fun unique cutie-pie creatures in pink and blue for the nursery. Or stick 'em up with a multiplex of mod wall images, from a Warholesque Marilyn to baroque swirls and poppy bouquets aplenty.
Just think of them as a grown-up version of a temporary tattoo.

nouvelles images

If I Had Eight Hours To Chop Down A Tree, Id Spend Six Hours Sharpening An Axe

The first day the young lumberman cut down ten trees. His axe was keen and he was strong and fresh.  The second day, he worked just as hard. In fact, he felt that he worked even harder than the first day. But only eight trees fell.

Tomorrow, he would get an earlier start. So he went to bed early and the next morning worked as hard as he could, but managed to cut down only seven trees.

The following day, he was down to five trees. The fifth day, he managed to chop down only three trees, and was exhausted by nightfall. Early the next morning, he was chopping away furiously when an old man passed by and asked, "Why don't you stop and sharpen your axe?"

"I can't. I'm too busy chopping down trees," he replied.

The Future

I-Green Power.
Clean energy, clean living environment.
II-Bombs and Bubbles.
Exploding bombs and popping bubbles bringing us back to sensibility.
III-Baby Boomer Biz.
Largest segment of population needs housing, medical care, etc.
IV-Health & Wellness.
An ounce of prevention will keep  those baby boomers younger and healthier.
V-Trading Down.
Downsizing homes and cars. Resales are up.
VI-Education.
Due to job market.
VII-Local.
Farm to table mentality.
VIII-Life Support.
Cleaning, tutoring, cooking, coaching, test prepping, driving schools, etc.
IX-Texas is so hot right now.
Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antonio & Austin.
X-Booze.

Smart Shopping

ShopSavvy 
an android app designed to search the net for the best price on any item by scanning it's barcode on your phone's built in camera. The app allows you to search reviews, create wish lists and receive price alerts on your phone. You can also review a history of products you've scanned.
Snaptell
An android app that allows you to snap a picture of an item or an advertisement and upload it onto Snaptell's website where users review price and performance.
Amazon App for Android
free app from Amazon that allows users to snap a picture of an item by barcode on their phone and send it to Amazon's search engine.