Nothing minor league about this day?
0 Comments | New Haven Register, Jul 18, 2010 | by Cara Baruzzi
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. It was a beautiful late spring day, and the home team won in convincing fashion. One of the first things that I noticed as I approached the new stadium was the stone work on the building. It reminded me of ancient architecture. Also, there was the feeling that you were entering a place where something important was about to occur.
The entrances were well staffed with personnel in uniforms. The ticket processing is automated. You pass your ticket’s bar code under the laser scanner, and the turnstile releases and you can enter. The good news is that your precious and collectible ticket remains intact. The bad news is that you do not have contact with the ticket taker and there are fewer of those positions.
Once inside the stadium, I felt as though I was in a mall during the holiday shopping season. Nearly everyone was excited and you could actually feel the positive emotion. Most of the people had on some item of dress or accessory that showed the colors or logo of the home team. There were multiple stores where one could enhance one’s wardrobe or memorabilia collection. It was a very special experience.
A major difference between the old stadium and the new one is the number of people who are there to provide customer service. They are in uniforms with light blue tops and even carry small signs inquiring if they can be of assistance. I observed them offering directions to seats, elevators (there were no ramps in the section I was seating), shopping, bathrooms and food locations. I even found a customer service person operating the elevators, a customer service experience I have not had since I visited Japan.
These people are much friendlier — that is, customer focused — than the people I remember from the old stadium. Even the security and customer service people who stand at the entrance to the seating sections, who must be stern at times, have more engaging attitudes and smiles.
If improved customer service can be measured in food selection, then the new stadium delivers big time. The food is plentiful and varied. You can still buy a beer, peanuts or a hotdog, traditional baseball fare. However, the selections now include pizza, sushi and beef sandwiches, and the list goes on. For the health conscious, there is even a fruit stand. Don’t ask the price. Just swipe your credit card and enjoy the experience.
The real customer service story, however, is the one that is presented by the old service versus cost equation. The more you pay the more service you receive. One example is the more the seat costs, the more comfortable it becomes. The bleachers are still in the outfield where you need to bring the sunscreen. More money gets seats with seat bottom cushions with a better view. And as I have observed from watching TV, those seats behind home plate appear to be wide and padded and they offer the best views.
Our seats were padded and had a great view down the first base line. A new twist for me was that our section provided in-seat food service. From a standard menu, a service person would swipe your credit card and deliver your food items to you. In some of the other seating areas there appeared to be table service in a climate controlled environment. And we have all heard the urban legends of the fantastic service and views offered in the luxury boxes.
Also, a tip of the customer service hat also goes to Metro-North for the Yankees-E
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Warm weather 'gets under people's fifth rib;' they put out calls to
0 Comments | Daily Record; Wooster, Ohio, Apr 25, 2010 | by NICK SABO
By NICK SABO
Staff Writer
MILLERSBURG — Landscapers aren’t the only home improvement specialists who get a boost with the coming of spring.
Winter breaking up, the start of spring and income tax refunds move people to get going on interior improvements as well, ordering work that can just as easily be done in winter. With the coming of spring, the handyman or interior specialist who was waiting by the phone for work during the winter doldrums is busy again.
It’s a pattern Dave Weaver, with Amish Country Cabinets, has seen year after year. The Wilmot company he owns with his two sons also does custom kitchens, baths and general home improvements that can be done at any time during the year. However, it isn’t until spring that business really picks up.
“Our business does not hinge on the weather, but whenever the sunshine is out on a glorious day, it gets under people’s fifth rib,” Weaver said. “We don’t have to wait until spring, we can do the work anytime. Now is the time of year they start looking at what they need.”
In fact, it gets so slow during the winter months Weaver will offer incentives to customers.
“We’re willing to give a bit of a discount on work between Nov
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Review / Pittsburgh Tribune – Review – Whistleblower says Massey fired him for talking to media
0 Comments | Tribune – Review / Pittsburgh Tribune – Review, Jun 8, 2010 | by Brian Bowling
The Department of Labor is asking a federal oversight board to order Massey Energy Co. to reinstate a coal miner who claims the company fired him for reporting safety problems and discussing conditions at the Upper Big Branch mine with news organizations and federal investigators.
The mine near Montcoal, W.Va., is the site of the worst U.S. mine disaster in 40 years. Massey Energy transferred Ricky Campbell of Beckley, W.Va., from the Upper Big Branch mine to a nearby mine just six days before the April 5 explosion killed 29 miners and injured two.
During his three weeks working at the Slip Ridge Cedar Grove mine near Pettus, W.Va., Campbell reported several safety problems and shut down a shuttle car because of unsafe conditions, according to a report filed by Alan Howell, an investigator for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Shortly after the Upper Big Branch explosion, Campbell talked to newspeople about conditions in the mine and said he talked with federal investigators, Howell said.
Marfork Coal Co., the Massey subsidiary that operates Slip Ridge Cedar Grove mine, suspended Campbell on April 14 and fired him April 23.
Howell’s report says “there is reasonable cause to believe that Marfork Coal Company retaliated against Mr. Campbell.”
MSHA is asking the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission to order Massey to reinstate Campbell until the commission rules on his whistleblower complaint.
Jonathan Price, a Charleston, W.Va., lawyer representing Campbell, confirmed details of the case but otherwise declined comment.
“I can’t really comment,” he said.
Massey spokesman Jeff Gillenwater said in an e-mail that the company denies Campbell’s claims.
“As the facts in this matter come to light, it will be very clear why Mr
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They also complain about how other people
They also complain about how other people react towards them. Oh! And of course they are in that predicament because their parents were unsupportive, their teachers did not care about them and the bosses where dictators. Worst of all, the list goes on and on ?never ending.? I will tell you what I think about it, ?Oh please, give me a break!? Although external circumstances do affect us, it is not unlikely for an individual to change or redirect their path in life.
Look at all the drug addicts that overcome their addictions, look at poor or middle class children that grow up to become great leaders like Oprah and Bill Clinton. An Albanian Proverb states, ?When you have given nothing, ask for nothing.? This is true, how can you expect someone to give you all their undivided attention when you barely acknowledge their presence? Do not expect for your boss to give you a raise or a promotion if you are unenthusiastic about the job or organization as a whole.
Apply the proverb in to your life and observe how everything in general will change for the better.
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Joao is
Joao is
known as an unconscious medium; he never recalls any of
the healings he’s performed.
Not everything can be explained scientifically or rationally as
there are over 35 Healing Spirit Guides including King
Solomon and Saint Ignatius that use Joao as their
instrument, completely taking over his body and mind. Guided by these Spirits, Joao was told to buy a specific
piece of land in Abadiania and build a healing sanctuary on
it. Joao named it the Casa de Dom Inacio, after his Patron
and Master Guide, Saint Ignatius.
Since he began 44 years ago, Joao has treated and healed
millions of people. While incorporated by the Healing
Spirits, Joao will see all who come to him without stopping
to rest. The poor and the famous alike stand in line, up to
thousands a day. They come to witness miracles and hope
to receive one of their own. For example actress Shirley
Maclaine who was told by Western Medicine she would
never dance again. That was until Joao removed a tumor
from her stomach.
Joao is acclaimed to be the most powerful spiritual medium
of our time and the greatest healer since our beloved Jesus
the Christ.
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In 1908, these various companies were folded
In 1908, these various companies were folded into a single unit, thus creating the new GM entity. This marked the exciting beginning of the true history of GM.
William Durant was a flamboyant businessman whose curious mix of genius and over-reaching took GM both to its heights as well as plunged it into financial distress. In 1910, bankers were forced to step in to prevent financial collapse of GM, and Durant was removed from the company he had founded. But by 1911, the company had made enough advances into the international market that the General Motors Export Company was established to handle sales outside the U.S and Canada.
Durant managed to use another company he formed, Chevrolet, to come back to power in GM during 1915, and the history of GM from 1915-1920 is full of successes. During this time, the Cadillac became wildly successful. In 1918, GM bought the operating assets of Chevrolet Motors. But, soon America was hit by a power recession and in 1920, Durant again found himself out of the company.
During the financial boom in the 1920′s, the history of GM virtually glowed with success.
multimaster
Here are two examples: 1.
Here are two examples:
1. You are rushing all day in your home office to meet an impossible deadline. Your daughter bounces in after school and gives you a big hug as you furiously type on your computer. You snap, ?Not now! Can?t you see I?m busy??
2. You have just finished taking an important exam. You have studied for weeks and the result is very important to your career. You fantasize all the way home about dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant. When you get home, your husband has prepared a steak dinner for you. You yell, ?Why don?t you ask me before you just assume you know what I want??
This explains why people often respond with anger when they experience the following kinds of stress:
? Anxiety
? Being in a hurry
? Being overstimulated
? Being overworked
? Depression
? Fatigue
? Fear
? Feeling abandoned or attacked
? Feeling forced to do something you don?t want to do
? Feeling out of control
? Guilt, shame, or hurt
? Loss
? Physical pain
What to Do Instead of Getting Angry
Here are some constructive things can you do to reduce stress?instead of becoming angry:
? Beat a pillow with a tennis racket.
? Cry.
? Do relaxation exercises.
? Get physical exercise.
? Listen to your favorite music.
? Make a joke.
? Play games.
? Say it out loud.
? State your needs assertively.
? Take a nap.
? Tell a friend about it.
? Work.
? Write about it.
Garrett Coan is a professional therapist,coach and psychotherapist.
goal setting
My home comforts… away from the sofa; GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly is selling her [pounds sterling]750,000 bolthole by the river
My home comforts away from the sofa; GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly is selling her [pounds sterling]750,000 bolthole by the river
0 Comments | Mail on Sunday (London, England), The, June 20, 2010
Byline: Maggie Mallon
Lorraine Kelly makes interviews on her TV sofa every m o r n i n g look easy, but a fast mind is at work with her careful reassurances and compliments.
So it’s not surprising that the 50-year-old is just as adept at making the key personal decisions. When it comes to property she relies on her sharp intuition – and it’s never let her down, from buying a cottage in rural Berkshire to a six-bedroom family home in Perthshire, and most recently a home in Dundee.
‘You can tell straight away if a house is a happy one,’ says Lorraine. She claims it was ‘love at first sight’ with Easter Bendochy House, a striking modern home deep in the Perthshire countryside with a stunning roof garden and balcony overlooking the River Isla and the Sidlaw Hills.
Now she is selling the Scottish home that has, for the past five years, been her retreat from the hurly-burly of London’s glitzy media world. ‘I can feel the stress oozing out of my body when I’m standing on the balcony, looking out over the river and the hills. It’s so tranquil.’
Lorraine and her husband of 18 years, Steve Smith, have lived there with daughter Rosie, 16, for five years, but are now considering offers over [pounds sterling]750,000, after buying a [pounds sterling]550,000 modern four-bedroom house in Broughty Ferry, a picturepostcard seaside village near Dundee, where Rosie goes to school.
‘We have loved living at Easter Bendochy House but we were turning into a taxi service for Rosie,’ says Steve, a 50-year-old television cameraman. Easter Bendochy is in Bendochy, near Blairgowrie, 16 miles from Dundee – ideal for a weekly commute from Dundee Airport to London’s City Airport, but too far away from Rosie’s friends.
‘I can be in London within two hours,’ says Lorraine. ‘It used to take me longer to drive to the studio when we lived only 26 miles away in Berkshire because of the traffic.’
The couple met when Lorraine was the Scottish reporter for TV-am between 1984 and 1989 and Steve was the cameraman.
When Lorraine was given the presenting job in London from 1989 until 1993, until TV-am folded, she commuted between Steve’s home town of Dundee and London. But when she landed her job at GMTV they decided to move to Berkshire.
‘I wanted to be nearer to work and we had just married in 1992 and wanted to start a family so we thought it would be a good idea to move down South,’ says Lorraine.
In 1993 they bought an 18th Century cottage in Cookham Dean, Berkshire, for [pounds sterling]270,000, which they sold five years ago for [pounds sterling]700,000.
‘It was lovely – with low-beamed ceilings and an Aga. But we’d always wanted to come back home and, with Rosie about to start secondary school, it seemed like the right time,’ says Lorraine.
They bought Easter Bendochy for [pounds sterling]700,000 and spent [pounds sterling]100,000 putting in a home cinema and converting a barn into a studio where Steve paints portraits as a hobby, and a home office for Lorraine.
They bought the house from a local builder, who had built it for himself in 1996.
‘I love it because it’s so unusual – it’s modern but has been built with some traditional materials. It has all the advantages of a modern house but it’s not just a box,’ says Lorraine.
The house is built of stone under pitched slate roofs and is centred on a split-level semi-circular hallway. Above this is a minstrel’s gallery.
A sitting room opens out on to a semi-circular roof garden and large balcony with views over the rolling Strathmore countryside. ‘I get the best of both worlds,’ says Lorraine. ‘I love London – it’s fabulous. Then, when I get home I enjoy being in the countryside and in Dundee, which has undergone a real renaissance.’
Lorraine’s down-to-earth style has made her one of Britain’s best-loved TV presenters, but she dislikes the idea of being a ‘celebrity’. ‘I don’t buy into the celebrity life – I’m too busy getting on with life.
‘People do come up to say hello and that’s nice. I’ve been in their living rooms for years and the familiarity makes people think they know me.
‘I’m very lucky because I enjoy what I do. I meet some extraordinary people. George Clooney was good fun – just a nice bloke. Will Smith was the same – gorgeous and charming. But Harri son Ford just didn’t want to be there… which is a shame.
‘The trickiest people to interview aren’t the A-list Hollywood stars or slippery politicians but the 17-year-old who has landed a part in Emmerdale and is sick with nerves. I always talk to people before they go on to make sure they are OK.’
When Lorraine isn’t working she likes to walk through the fields around her house in Perthshire with her border terrier Rocky. She is petite and slim thanks to regular runs with Steve – she calls herself a ‘fun runner’ despite having run four marathons, the latest earlier this year in London.
‘We were overtaken by Darth Vader, Elvis Presley and a giraffe,’ she said with her easy laugh
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Here’s an experiment to prove
Here’s an experiment to prove this to yourself. First do math problems in your head while slouching, with your mouth open. Then try again while sitting up straight with your lips together. You’ll notice that it’s easier to think this way.
Exercise, but just enough to get the blood pumping. This can “wake up” your brain and help you think better. Walking works best for many, but any aerobic activity can help increase your IQ.
You probably knew that sleep can help brain function. However, the evidence shows that the quality of sleep is very important, not just the quantity.
Eat To Increase IQ
Ginkgo biloba leaves, whether in capsules or tea or off a neighbors tree, have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, helping memory and concentration.
self esteem tips
It almost ensures that my future generations
It almost ensures that my future generations will know “exactly” what’s up with each photo.
But wait a minute… does this style capture what matters most in my life? Does it reveal to others the stories I hold so dearly in my heart? Does it bring out the different sides of me that others rarely have the chance to know?
What about you? Did you intentionally or unconsciously leave out the most cherished stories of your life in your scrapbooks? Have you neglected to squeeze in the juiciest bits of your life into those pages?
Does your scrapbooking journaling speak to you as you flipped through your albums? Or is something vaguely missing from those pages? Is that missing something jumping out at you now?
If something is bothering you at this point, perhaps you’ve been committing the same boo-boo as me.
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