People Can Be Funny…But It’s No Laughing Matter!

Acworth, GA June 11, 2007
“Treat others as you would like to be treated” is the fundamental of moral principle found in all major religions or cultures around the world. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is The Golden Rule as often quoted from the Bible, and it means the same thing. Similarly, there is also a Universal Law that says, “What you put out is what you get back,” akin to what my mother always told me, “What goes around comes around.” Well, this past Saturday afternoon the Golden Rule and/or Universal Law kicked in like nobody's business, and justice was served [to me] on a silver platter.

Our family has lived in the Woodstock/ Acworth, Georgia area almost 35 years, so Towne Center Mall in nearby Kennesaw is no stranger to me. I’ve been there many times with my family and friends or all by my lonesome. Whenever I see one of those surveyors or anyone else about to approach me with a flyer or a clipboard in their hand, I just look in the opposite direction, in other words I don’t make eye contact and usually avoid being ‘put on the spot.’


This particular Saturday afternoon I had a scheduled book-signing event at Waldenbooks so my display table was set up at the entrance of the bookstore on the lower level next to Sears. I was there to greet customers, promote my novel, “Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember,” and autograph copies sold. I had planned to have my neat little bookmarks to present to passers-by and say, “Would you like a free bookmark?” When they accepted, I would then point out that it has information about my book on it. Of course, I was at a table with my books neatly stacked and displayed. If that weren’t enough of a clue, the poster with the book’s cover saying “meet the author” right behind me left no question in regard to the purpose for my being there. I inadvertently left my bookmarks in the trunk of the car my husband was driving, and since he refuses to own a cell phone he was out of reach. Luckily the store still had some of the colorful flyers I had created for them to pass out, so I quickly gathered a handful and proceeded to execute my initial plan of approach, using flyers instead of the neat little bookmarks.

Even though I’ve done it myself many times, I haven’t quite figured out what is so profoundly foreboding about flyers when a stranger offers one to us that make we people act funny. One lady accepted it as if it were a report card with failing grades, or a dirty Pamper, then I watched her dispose of it in the trash receptacle without even glancing at it. I didn’t really have time to let that get to me because if I did, I would not have been able to continue my afternoon’s event. Instead, I continued to enjoy my afternoon, meeting and talking with those who stopped, or who looked at the flyer and turned around to learn more about the book. Not that there weren’t others who avoided making eye contact with me as they passed by. Of course, then there were some who didn’t speak English, or they looked at me as though I were the alien speaking the foreign language.

Afterward, when my husband asked if it was a good experience, I was genuinely excited as I reassured him, "It was a blast! I really got a kick out of one lady who told me she is an avid reader and has tons of books at home in Florida, but this is the first and only one autographed by the author--and that I was the first author she had ever met! I think I was more excited than she was to meet someone so enthusiastic. I was only there a little less than two hours but I met so many wonderful people and the sales went well, too. I couldn't ask for much more than that!” It wasn't surprising to see several people I know, but I was still excited to see them, because of course that made the good day even better. My husband and I were expected at another engagement or I would have stayed longer, but I'm really looking forward to next week at Waldenbooks at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia.


All in all, I would say my hour and ½ spent at the entrance of Waldenbooks on Saturday afternoon proved to be very valuable. I don’t mean valuable in the sense that a ton of people bought my book, (although sales went well), but rather in the sense that I learned a very valuable lesson in the things I observed. I learned that people can be awfully funny about their personal space—the area encompassing a three foot parameter of themselves, however some consider eye contact as a violation of their space. I also realized how those people I’ve avoided through the years must have felt in the past when I acted similarly. Now that I have walked in their shoes and know, first hand, how it feels, I vow never to act that way again. I will try to remember they are just doing their job, and they’re not going to bite.

Several decades ago there was a funny television show hosted by Art Linkletter. It was called “People Are Funny.” That is still true today, people really CAN be funny, especially when it comes to their space…but it’s no laughing matter!



["Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember" is a novel based on true events in the author's life, so Wofford calls it "faction." It is about the healing progression of young woman whose mind has shut down as a defense mechanism to block out back-to-back traumatic events, however other memories are blocked as well. The riveting story is told through the eyes of the author's alter ego, through an emotional journey of laughter, sorrow and hope and with an underlying message of unconditional love between two people.]

[To learn more about Darlene Wofford and "Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember," as well as view the schedule for her Atlanta summer book-signing tour, visit www.darlenewofford.com . To "Browse the Book" and see reviews from some of the book's readers, visit www.amazon.com . Blog directly with the author at "Darlene Wofford's Newsroom": http://community.myfoxatlanta.com/blogs/darlenewofford.]Wife/ Mother/ Author/ Speaker/ Former Atlanta radio talk-show co-host/ Certified Image Consultant/ Owner, Imagize image development business/ Graduate of London Image Institute/ Graduate Division Director/ Marketing Director, Mortgage Consulting Services Institute



Organizational memberships:

Association of Image Consultants International; Association of Women Writers; Association of Baby Boomer Women; Boomer Women Speak; eWomen Network; officer and CTM --Toastmasters International.

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Exclusive Mortgage Leads

Anyone that has been in the mortgage industry for more than a week has heard of exclusive mortgage leads and anyone who has purchased the so-called exclusive mortgage leads has seen the effects on the companies over all budget. “My wife, Courtney, and I have been in the mortgage industry for years and we been through several lead companies that promise exclusive mortgage leads only to find out that the leads have already been sold to several other mortgage brokers. We have paid as high as $100 for one lead. We are not covered by a corporate umbrella, so when we purchase a lead it comes right out of our pockets and it adds up very quickly.” Randy says. That is when Randy and Courtney Neale turned to the internet to generate their own leads. Through their trial and error, research, and dedication, they have learned how to market their website on the internet, generating their own exclusive mortgage leads for free. Following their techniques and years of knowledge outlined in their ebook, Free Mortgage Traffic, you too can start generating your own exclusive mortgage leads. “We got to a point where we couldn’t afford to purchase bogus leads, because our budget wouldn’t allow it and we weren’t seeing a return on our investment. Now, following our very own techniques, our mortgage website is on the first pages of all major search engines and we have done it for free.” Courtney states. If you are tired of spending your hard-earned money on so-called exclusive mortgage leads and competing against every mortgage person on the planet, the time to start generating your own exclusive mortgage leads is now. For more information on generating your own exclusive mortgage leads for free, please visit www.FreeMortgageTraffic.com today. Contact: Randy and Courtney Neale Exclusive Mortgage Leads Contact: Randy and Courtney Neale

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The Idea of Procedural Memory in “Memento”

In the beginning of the movie “Memento”, the main character, Leonard Shelby, wakes up in a hotel room not understanding for what purpose and where he is. Leonard developed the amnesia resulting from brain damage. In the movie, Leonard keeps in mind all previous events up to the moment when he was hurt. Fascinatingly, he also remembers his diagnosis, as in one of the scenes he gives details of his diagnosis. Leonard did not lose the ability to deliberate logically; he also entirely realizes own individuality. Simultaneously, he cannot maintain memories and records those either in his remarks or makes photos of the events. Leonard is not able to go further than his own reasonable reasoning and assumptions. The main hero may get confused if a talk takes too long and lose track of the discussion. The doctor states that he had lost the short term memory. In actual fact, the doctor is wrong because Leonardo has short term memory; but the reason of problem is that it is not prearranged into the long term memory. All activities connected with procedural memory are saved and can be retrieved in Shelby’s memory. Going even further, practical memory is most important to the plot in “Memento”, because Leonard many times flashed back at the examination that he carried out previous to the injury of a man stating that he had amnesia. In the movie, this man, Sammy, experiences a test: he received minute electrical shots as he picks up an electrified object of certain shape. The process was repeated quite a few times in order to guarantee that Sammy’s mind does not react to conditioning. In general, the film properly reflects the idea of procedural memory and short term memory. The main character suffers amnesia, which is accurately depicted in the movie. The possible reasons of the illness contain damage to the fornix’s, , mammilla bodies or hippocampus. In case of Leonard, hippocampus was injured. Even though such situation is fairly infrequent, it still can be the motive for the illness. The disorder is indicated with the failure to create memories of the actions experienced – information to be moved from short term memory to the long term one. Andrew Shwartz is staff-writer at Custom-Writing.org, writing a thesis. Andrew has been providing assistance to students with custom essay and custom papers term for over 2 years. He is always willing to share his own experiences, provide quality custom writing services and writing tips to students of all academic levels.

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A Great Example on How to Get Repeat Customers

During a recent holiday break the family and I went to a great hotel. With 4 young kids the attraction was that the facilities were all-inclusive so constant requests for ice-creams etc were not a problem! So what was so great about it?
Well I’m always on the look out for examples of great and poor business models and ideas, so here’s the key thing that stood out … the huge number of people who had been there before. One couple I spoke to had been there for the last seven years in a row with their children.
For the hotel and any other business getting repeat customers like this is akin to striking gold – no marketing or recruitment costs – just pure profit. And no doubt their clients spread the word amongst their friends so again no marketing cost for the hotel.
What was this hotel doing right that you can apply to your business to encourage repeat business?
1. It’s a very child-friendly hotel - leave your kids at the Kids Club which had activities all day. They have spotted that family-oriented hotels will always have an edge, so they built the business and customer experience around that idea. They have spotted a niche and do everything they can to satisfy that market. Result? My kids loved it so much it’s clear that this is the only place they want to go. The hotel has done its job!
2. They make it feel like home – as we drove through the hotel gates the driver who picked us up from the airport said ‘Welcome home!’ Just think, even the lowly driver knew that the hotel’s philosophy is to make sure everyone feels they belong to a big family. How good are your employees at passing on your core message or values?
3. Staff recognized and warmly greeted repeaters – in many cases staff clearly knew people’s names and as a minimum recognized faces. They treated these people as long lost friends. How do your employees treat regular clients? Warmly or with indifference?
4. They create a feeling of community – repeat clients get tee-shirts with the hotel name and year printed on it and people wore them with pride. Not my personal taste but it clearly made most people feel very happy. The children were not forgotten either. Every activity they took part in at the Kids Club was rewarded with a points voucher which could be redeemed at the hotel shop. Do you give gifts to repeat customers by way of a thank you?
5. They reward repeaters with a 10% discount – a great way to encourage people to come back and another way of saying ‘thanks for your business’. Do you offer repeat business discounts?
6. And finally, all backed up with great food and great service.
These are all simple things which you can introduce very quickly to any business. Getting repeat business is a powerful way to boost sales and profits so starting thinking about how you can encourage customers to become life-long customers. Rob Warlow

Small Business Success

http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to Small Business Success a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles. Visit http://smallbusinesssuccess.biz



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SHARP BT-H32 Camcorder Battery

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Diesel Engines and Well Known Gas

In passenger cars, the diesel engine has never really caught on. During the middle to late 70s, diesel engines in passenger cars did notice a surge in sales due to the OPEC oil embargo, although that is the only real significant penetration that diesel engines have made in the marke.
Although diesel engines are more efficient, there are eight historical problems that may have held them back.
•Due to the higher compression ratios, diesel engines tend be heavier than the equivalent gasoline engine.
•Diesel vehicles and diesel engines tend to be more expensive than gas.
•Because of their weight and compression ratio, diesel engines tend to have lower RPM ranges than gas engines. This gives diesel engines more torque rather than higher horsepower, and this tends to make diesel vehicles slower in terms of acceleration.
•Diesel engines have to be fuel injected,and in the past fuel injection was very expensive and less reliable.
•Diesel engines tend to produce more smoke and smell very funny when compared to gasoline engines.
•They are harder to start in cold weather and if they contain glow plugs, the diesel engines may require you to wait before you start the engine so that the glow plugs can heat up.
•Diesel engines are much noisier than gas engines and tend to vibrate quite a bit.
•Diesel fuel is less available than gas.
Although one or two of these disadvantages would be acceptable, a group of them is a big tur away for many people.
Even though the list above are reasons in the past as to why diesel never really took off, you can expect these reasons to get corrected and improved in the future, meaning that you will see more and more diesel vehicles on the road.
OMAR_MEMA
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Preventing Truck Theft: What You Can Do

Every year, hundreds of air brake lock systems are rendered useless and proven ineffective by thieves. In 2005 for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that around $12 to $20 billion worth of cargo and equipment are stolen every year in the country. And with expensive goods (electronics, cards, etc.) being transported on the road everyday and trucks becoming increasingly pricier, thieves that target trucks and tractors are not bound to slow down anytime soon. The only solution is to take preventive measures to protect your investment and cargo. Here are some basic tips you can follow to ensure you won’t fall prey to the many truck thieves that lurk around the parking lot: § Never leave your key inside the ignition. You might be in dire need to use the bathroom, but believe me when I tell you that the few seconds it will take to remove the key and put it in your pocket is worth the discomfort. § Take extra precautions before you travel by finding out which places along your route have high crime rates. Avoid these areas if you can, but if passing through them is an absolute imperative, then jus be doubly careful than you would normally be. § Take alternative routes once in a while. This prevents thieves from being able to map out your routine and plan a robbery attack against you. § When stopping for a meal, park your truck in a spot visible and accessible from where you will be sitting. It’s also best if you choose where you take your breaks and avoid stopping in restaurants or stations with a questionable reputation. § Don’t leave a running tractor unattended. Doing this is like giving crooks an open invitation to rob you and drive away with your vehicle. § Make it harder for thieves to steal your truck by putting protective bars on the passenger side window, the side that, according to reports, most thieves enter the vehicle from. § Install a reliable security system to protect your car. There are many vehicle protection devices available on the market today. One of the most affordable and effective car protection devices today is the air lock security system. The security device prevents theft by blocking an air line from the air brakes. This means unless the truck driver deactivates the system, the vehicle will not move and your investment and cargo will remains safe. Yes, you may have installed tracking device in your truck to let you know where it is at all times and you may fully trust the policemen in your town/city, but remember that an ounce of prevention is always better that a pound of cure. Take these safety precautions and keep your truck (and investment) safe. Visit this site for more information on air brake lock systems . you may have installed tracking device in your truck to let you know where it is at all times and you may fully trust the policemen in your town/city, but remember that an ounce of prevention is always better that a pound of cure. Take these safety precautions and keep your truck (and investment) safe.



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